Anemone: description, types and varieties, planting, reproduction, care in the open ground

Anemone, chickenpox or anemone is an ornamental garden plant from the ranunculaceae family. The name was given to him for his susceptibility to the slightest blows of the wind, because of which the stems and flowers sway and tremble. There was once a misconception that anemone flowers bloom only in the wind.

Description of Anemones

Herbaceous perennial, grows from 10 to 120 cm in height. Due to the diversity of species, there is no single description for them. The varieties of anemone are united by bright bisexual flowers collected in umbrellas or blooming individually, non-falling sepals and achenes.

It is in honor of this flower that polyps of anemone are also called "sea anemones."

Types and varieties of anemones

There are more than one and a half hundred species that differ in shape and size of leaves, shades of flowers, heat loving and shade resistance, as well as the timing of germination and flowering.

According to the characteristics of reproduction, cultivation and care, they can be divided into two groups:

• ephemeroids, bloom in spring and die off in summer;
• autumn anemones bloom in summer and autumn and retain foliage right up to frost.

The table shows the main types and their descriptions.

Breeding anemones

Anemone propagates in two main ways:

• Seeds - planting material that is convenient to store, but difficult and troublesome to germinate.
• Tubers or bulbs are a simpler and more reliable method, but require special storage conditions.

Anemone landing site and soil for it

Anemones (especially ephemeroids) are usually grown in shaded areas of the garden - for example, under the canopy of trees or next to shrubs. In contrast, autumnal species should be planted in well-lit beds. Tender anemone also loves sunlight, despite its belonging to ephemeroids.

If the planting material is of unknown origin, and the variety is difficult to determine, it is better to plant in the shade.

It should be borne in mind that this plant has a strong root system, branching into many layers during the growth process, and it can have a depressing effect on grassy neighbors, displacing them. In such cases, the resulting curtains must be seated.

Many types of anemones feel better in loose soil saturated with humus. The exception is forest and rock anemones, which grow well everywhere.

Blue, tender and rocky anemones are accustomed to calcareous soil, so dolomite flour or ash is introduced into the ground for their cultivation.

Preparing planting material

Anemone seeds have a peculiarity - after planting, at most a quarter of them germinate.

To increase this percentage, they are stratified in winter. Its essence is to withstand seeds before germination in cold and moisture.

Store planting material is most often already stratified - this information is indicated on the package. When working with homework, you need to do this yourself:

The seeds are mixed with a little sand and sprayed with water.

1. The mixture is placed in a cool (+ 5 ... + 10 ° C) place.
2. The humidification procedure is repeated until the seeds swell.

Tubers are soaked before planting in a solution of the root growth stimulator before swelling. If the rhizome of this species is not nodule, it is cut into cuttings about 5 cm long and is also treated with a stimulant.

Landing technology

Prepared soaked seeds are mixed with light fertile soil in a container for seedlings, moistened and covered with polyethylene, left warm. After the appearance of the shoots (about a month later), the film is removed and the seedlings are put in a bright, warm place, watering from time to time.

As soon as a pair of real leaves appear on each sprout, they are planted in separate pots.

Anemone seedlings are grown in the greenhouse for the first year, and planted in open ground only in autumn or next spring.

In regions with mild winters, you can sow in the fall, right on the flowerbed. In this case, the seeds do not need stratification - during the winter this process will happen by itself. It is only necessary to take into account that the planting depth should be very small, so that it is easier for the sprouts to hatch.

The sowing place before wintering must be covered.

Planting dates for tubers and cuttings include April and May or September and October. Landing can be done immediately to a permanent place. To do this, recesses are excavated in the soil at a distance of at least 10 cm.

The tubers are lowered into the prepared pits to a shallow depth with the flat side up, elongated - down. If the shape cannot be determined, they are laid flat. Cuttings are placed vertically, the upper cut should be level with the ground.

Immediately after planting, the soil must be moistened - but by no means too abundantly.

Outdoor Anemone Care

Ephemeroids are much more demanding in care than autumn anemones. If the latter respond to a lack of care with poorer growth and flowering, then the former, with their sensitive nodule root system, can quickly die. Watering is required to continue until the very frosts, even ephemeroids.

Anemone does not like stagnation of moisture, but arid conditions are fatal for it. Well-drained soil will prevent waterlogging, and to avoid drying out, the flower bed can be mulched. Both store mixes and just a layer of dry leaves from fruit trees will do.

Fertilizing the soil is carried out only during the flowering period. Mineral fertilizers are best suited for this purpose. This procedure can be completely excluded if fertilizers are added to the ground before planting.

In regions with cold winters, it is recommended to remove anemones from flower beds in autumn, especially ephemeroid varieties. Dug roots are good to keep in a cool place. In a mild climate, anemone hibernates well if you cover it with a double layer of mulch. Japanese anemone

Diseases and pests affecting anemone

Thanks to the toxic juice, anemones are not very susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. But there are a number of problems that occur during cultivation:

• Powdery mildew and white rot are diseases that can be treated with antifungal drugs. To prevent infection, it is recommended not to allow waterlogging of the soil.
• Slug pests - to get rid, you should collect all individuals from the foliage, and then treat with metaldehyde.
• Nematodes are roundworms that live inside leaves and feed on juice. It is very difficult to remove these pests, therefore, when they are detected, it is necessary to destroy the infected plant along with a lump of earth as soon as possible.

Mr. Summer resident advises: recommendations to gardeners

It is best to plant boxwood around anemone - this shrub not only harmonizes well with them, but also protects against drafts and excess sunlight.

Other ornamental plants and vegetables get along well in the neighborhood of anemone. It can even be grown on beds between them.

Useful properties of anemone

In addition to the undoubted aesthetic benefits of the flowerbed, anemone has several other applications. Traditional medicine and homeopathy use anemones for medicinal purposes.

However, they should be used with extreme caution due to the high content of toxic lactones.

Health workers do not recommend self-medication because of the increased risk of poisoning. In esotericism and floristry, anemones appear as a symbol of short-lived beauty and fragility.