Mambretia planting and care in the open field in the Urals

Flowers Olga Ravilova

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2015-08-15 Montbrecia (crocosmia).

This beautifully flowering plant is very rare in garden plots and in flower beds in our country, despite its unpretentiousness and resistance to diseases and pests. Most likely, the fact that it does not winter at all in the open ground, in the conditions of the middle zone, the Urals and Siberia, has become an obstacle to the widespread distribution of crocosmia.

Crocosmia (montbrecia, Japanese gladiolus) is a perennial plant in the iris family, native to South Africa. Montbrecia pleases the eye with its greenery, similar to the green of the iris and somewhat resembles a gladiolus, but the flowers and peduncles are much smaller and look more graceful. Most varieties of crocosmia have orange flowers and delight the eye on gloomy autumn days.

Crocosmia has small corms, which are covered with several layers of reticular membranes. The stem of the montbrecia reaches a height of 60 cm. Its leaves are erect, narrow, xiphoid, light green, collected in a root rosette and give the plant an unusual attractiveness.

Crocosmia corms (montbrecia).

Crocosmia corms are repiform, small, 2–2.5 cm in diameter. 3-4 peduncles grow from one corm.

Crocosmia flowers are medium-sized, bright orange, orange-red or red with various shades, collected in a loose, thin panicle. They are funnel-shaped in shape, with diverging petals, 3-4 cm in diameter.

Flowers of montbrecia (crocosmia).

Flowers, up to ten, open simultaneously, from bottom to top. In the conditions of central Russia and in the Urals, crocosmia blooms in late summer - in August or early autumn - in September. Crocosmia does not tolerate wintering in the open field at all.

Growing montbreciaOrange flowers of montbrecia.

The agrotechnics of crocosmia growing, its reproduction, planting, care, winter storage absolutely exactly repeat the agrotechnics of growing gladioli. If you know how to grow gladioli, then you can surely cope with montbrecia.

Crocosmia is an unpretentious plant and does not need special care. The only essential condition and the key to success in the cultivation of Japanese gladiolus is the correct choice of the place for planting.

The place for planting crocosmia should be bright, sunny, but there should be no sun on it in the summer afternoon. Shady places are completely unsuitable for montbrecia - plants stretch out, wither and may completely refuse to bloom.

Crocosmia in the spring.

The soil for growing montbrecia must be loose, fertile and non-acidic. You should also know that crocosmia does not tolerate excessive moisture and even more stagnant moisture in the soil - the corms rot and die.

Montbrecia is planted in open ground in late April - early May, immediately after the planting of gladioli corms. The planting depth of the montbrecia bulb is 7-10 cm, the distance between the plants is 10-15 cm.

Montbrecia careCrocosmia (montbrecia), Lucifer variety.

Caring for a montbrecia consists of quite ordinary weeding, loosening the soil after rains or heavy watering.

Watering the montbrecia abundantly, but infrequently, avoiding waterlogging of the soil. During the beginning of bud formation, it is necessary to feed the montbrecia with complex mineral fertilizer.

Montbrecia flowers, being cut for a bouquet, can stand in a vase, in water, for a long time, up to 2 weeks. Montbrecia bouquets are best complemented with a sprig of asparagus.

Japanese craftsmen make dry bouquets from montbrecia and admire them in winter. In order for the montbrecia bulbs to mature well, the peduncles are cut into a bouquet as early as possible.

Preparing montbrecia for winter consists in digging out the corms from the soil, immediately after the leaves turn yellow. Usually the leaves turn yellow in late September - early October. After digging, the bulbs are dried for two weeks and then placed in a container or bucket, poured in soil and stored in a cellar or basement. The storage temperature of corms of montbrecia is + 4-5 ° С. In a city apartment, you can store crocosmia bulbs on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Seeds of montbrecia, grade Lucifer.

Reproduction of montbrecia is no different from the reproduction of gladioli and other irises - plants are propagated by corms, babies or seeds. Seedlings of montbrecia bloom in the second or third year.

Seeds of montbrecia, grade Lucifer.

Montbrecia looks spectacular in groups and beds, especially in combination with low plants. Montbrecia look great when planted on the lawn.

varieties ❀ planting ❀ care

 

Crocosmia (Latin Crocosmia), or montbrecia, or tritonia, is a bulbous plant that belongs to the Iris family. Today's cultivated crocosmia is a herbaceous bulbous perennial hybrid called crocosmia vulgaris. Crocosmia is a close relative of widely cultivated garden flowers such as crocus (saffron), iris (iris), ferraria, gladiolus and freesia. It looks great in open flower beds in combination with flowers such as daylily, canna, rudbeckia, salvia and echinacea. This plant is also suitable for cutting - crocosmia inflorescences stand in water for up to two weeks.

     

Crocosmia corms, small in size, are covered with reticular membranes. The height of the crocosmia is from 40 to 100 cm. It has a branching stem with linear or xiphoid leaves and a powerful peduncle, which makes the montbrecia look like a gladiolus. It is sometimes called that - Japanese gladiolus, and the agricultural technology of montbrecia is not much different from the agricultural technology of this flower culture. Orange, white and yellow star-shaped crocosmia flowers up to 5 cm in diameter are collected in 3-5 pieces in dense paniculate inflorescences. The fruit is a polyspermous rounded capsule.

 

 

Crocosmia growing from seeds

 

In late February or early March, crocosmia seeds are soaked in water for a day, changing it every 6 hours, after which crocosmia seeds are sown into a substrate consisting of turf, peat, humus and sand. The crops are covered with foil and placed as close to the light as possible.

Caring for crocosmia in the seedling period involves the implementation of procedures usual for a florist. As soon as the seedlings appear, the cover is removed from them and they are looked after like any other seedlings: they water it as needed, carefully loosen the soil around the seedlings.Try to keep the substrate in a slightly moist state at all times, but do not overmoisten it, otherwise the seedlings can get sick with fungal diseases.

In the phase of development of the second or third true leaf, the seedlings dive into more spacious containers, where they will grow up in anticipation of transplantation into open ground. Two weeks before transplanting, start taking the seedlings outside for a short time, increasing the duration of the hardening procedure daily.

 

 

Crocosmia planting in open ground

 

Crocosmia is planted in the ground in late April or early May, when the soil warms up to 6-10 ºC. Crocosmia should only be planted in an open, sunny area, otherwise you may never wait for its flowers. The soil should be moisture-permeable, and the groundwater in the area where the montbrecia will grow should not lie too high - the plant does not like stagnant water in the roots.

Prepare a flower bed for crocosmia in the fall: for each m², add two buckets of humus, 100 g of slaked lime, 40 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium chloride. Crocosmia planting in spring is preceded by application to the soil followed by incorporation of nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 30 g per m².

Seedlings are planted in holes at a distance of 10-12 cm between plants, the gap between rows is 25-30 cm. After planting crocosmia on a flower bed, it is watered and covered from the scorching sunlight for 2-3 days. A plant grown from seeds will bloom in the third year, although under optimal conditions for crocosmia, you can see its beautiful inflorescences in the second year.

 

 

Crocosmia outdoor care

 

Water the plant abundantly once a week. After watering, it is advisable to loosen the soil in the flower bed so that a crust does not form.

Regular feeding of the plant is required. You can grow crocosmia without top dressing if you planted it in fertile soil, but if the soil on the site is poor, starting with the appearance of the second leaf, every 10 days fertilize the soil with mullein infusion (one part of the fertilizer is infused with 10 parts of water) and complete mineral fertilizer, dissolving 2 g of the drug in 1 liter of water.

During the formation of crocosmia buds, potash fertilizers are more needed. As you can see, caring for a crocosmia flower is not at all difficult, and if the planting of montbrecia and care in the open field is carried out in accordance with the agricultural technology of the crop, you should not have problems with flowering and plant health.

 

 

Crocosmia reproduction

 

Crocosmia is propagated by corms and seeds. For seed propagation, it is more expedient to use the seedling method, since in the open field the seeds may not germinate.

Vegetative propagation is carried out by dividing the corms. Annually, around one adult corm, about five children are formed, blooming the next year. At the same time, the mother plant continues to form children.

Growing and caring for crocosmia involves the regular division and planting of the corms of the plant. From time to time, when the planting of crocosmia becomes too dense, the corms are dug up in the spring, the babies are separated from the mother's bulbs and planted. Crocosmia should be planted at the same time as its seedlings are planted on a flower bed - in late April or early May. Before planting in open ground, you can plant crocosmia in pots to grow the bulbs a little, and in May or June, transplant them to a flower bed along with an earthen clod.

 

 

Crocosmia post-flowering care

 

How and when to harvest crocosmia seeds

If you are already growing crocosmia, then you are unlikely to need its seeds, because sooner or later you will have to divide the corms of the plant, so that you will have planting material. If you are just going to grow montbrecia, then it is better to buy seeds in the store.

Preparing crocosmia for winter For those who live in an area with cold winters, it is better to dig up crocosmia corms in the fall.This should be done no earlier than mid-October, since by this time babies are growing around the bulbs. Corms are dried with good ventilation and a temperature of about 10 ºC, and then stored as gladiolus bulbs.

In areas where winter frosts are not so frequent, you can leave the corms in the ground, but cover the area with compost, on top of which you can put spruce branches, shavings or dry leaves.

In the southern regions, it will be enough to sprinkle a flowerbed with crocosmia in the fall with a layer of dry foliage 20 cm thick and cover it with a film on top. As soon as the frost ends, the shelter is removed, and the old crocosmia leaves are cut off at the level of the surface of the site.

 

 

Crocosmia diseases and pests

 

Crocosmia is a plant resistant to both diseases and pests, however, as a result of insufficient care or prolonged waterlogging of the soil, it can be affected by such diseases:

Fusarium, from which, first of all, the leaves of the plant turn yellow, dry and die off, the peduncles are bent, the flowers are deformed, and their color changes. To combat fusarium, montbrecia treatment with fungicides is used.

Gray rotcovering the crocosmia bulbs with a fluffy gray bloom. It is easier to prevent gray rot than to get rid of it, and jaundice cannot be cured even with a strong desire - no medicine has yet been invented for viral diseases.

Jaundice, or grassiness, from which the tips of the leaves first turn yellow, and then the foliage acquires a straw tint, and the plant dies. This viral disease is carried by leafhoppers.

To prevent all kinds of diseases, planting and caring for montbrecia should be carried out in strict accordance with its agricultural technology, in addition, it is necessary to process the seeds before sowing and corms before planting with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, and from time to time change the plot for crocosmia.

   

Of the pests, bears, thrips and especially spider mites are dangerous to montbrecia.

Medvedki they feed on corms of plants and lay offspring in the soil at a depth of 10 cm, and they can only be removed by arranging traps for insects: in early autumn, fresh horse manure is laid in a hole about 50 cm deep, after which they throw earth into the hole and mark the place with a pole. After a while, a hole is dug up and the bear, which has settled in the manure for the winter, is destroyed.

Thrips feed on plant sap, from which discolored spots, stripes or streaks appear on the leaves. Leaves die off, stems bend, flowers lose their beauty. To combat thrips, drugs Agravertin, Fitoverm, Actellik, Karbofos or Confidor are used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Spider mites may appear on crocosmia during dry periods. These are sucking insects that pierce the ground parts of the plant and feed on its sap. In addition, ticks are carriers of incurable viral diseases. In the fight against spider mites, the same insectoacaricides are used as for the destruction of thrips.

 

 

Crocosmia species and varieties

 

In nature, there are about 55 species of crocosmia, but in culture, the following of them are most often grown:

 

Crocosmia golden (Crocosmia aurea)

It is a plant with linear or xiphoid leaves and bright yellow-orange flowers. Crocosmia of this species blooms in early autumn; it has been cultivated in culture since 1846. The species has forms with orange, red and yellow flowers.

 

Crocosmia masoniorum

It is a compact bush that grows up to 60-80 cm in height. Plants of this species have xiphoid ribbed leaves up to 5 cm wide and small bright orange flowers, collected in a horizontally deviating brush. Flowers open in the middle of summer. This species is more winter hardy than other members of the genus.

 

Crocosmia paniculata

A tall plant with corrugated leaves, reaching a height of 150 cm.It is one of the earliest flowering crocosmia species, with panicles of small but bright orange flowers blooming in mid-June.

 

Crocosmia pottsii

In nature, it grows in Africa, in a swampy area, so it will be comfortable in the partial shade of the garden, where the soil does not dry out so quickly. The leaves of plants of this species are narrow and smooth, and the flowers are small.

 

Crocosmia common (Crocosmia crocosmiiflora)

Or garden montbrecia, is one of the first crocosmia garden hybrids. This plant is up to 1 m high with a straight, thin and branched stem, narrow xiphoid or broadly linear erect leaves of a light green shade and small funnel-shaped flowers of yellow or orange-red color, collected in a panicle. This hybrid blooms in July or August.

 

Since breeding work on the development of new varieties and hybrids of montbrecia is ongoing, today there are more than 400 cultivars of this plant. The most famous of them are the following varieties of crocosmia:
❀ Emily Mackenzie - leafy and compact shrub up to 60 cm high. The upright arrows of this plant are strewn with orange-brown flowers with a bright spot in the center.
❀ Crocosmia Lucifer - a plant up to one and a half meters high with straight peduncles and very bright red flowers. This variety is particularly frost-resistant, therefore, in areas with not very cold winters, corms can be left in the soil for the winter. ❀ George Davidson - a variety up to 70 cm high with amber-yellow flowers that look even brighter against the background of dark green foliage. This variety is excellent in cutting. Blooms in July-August.
❀ Crocosmia Red King - this variety has bright red flowers with an orange center.
❀ Spitfire - a bush up to 60 cm high, blooming from August to the end of September with fiery orange flowers.
❀ Tangerine queen - the height of this variety is about 120 cm, the flowers are bright orange.

Such varieties as Babylon, Golden Fleece, Star of the East, Norwich Canari, Mistral, Vesuvius, Bouquet Parfait, Lady Oxford, Rheingold, Heath Magesti, Lady Wilson, Aurora, Frans Hals, Jace Coy, Lady Hamilton and Lady Hamilton look great on a crocosmic flowerbed other.

 

Where to buy crocosmia bulbs

 

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory for microclonal reproduction of plants has been created. The main tasks of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, onions, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post. We are waiting for you for shopping: NPO Sady Rossii

Montbrecia is an exquisite and unpretentious plant. She decorates the garden with lush thickets of linear leaves and bright orange, red or yellow flowers. Crocosmia curtains look decorative from spring to late autumn, which is why it is so loved by gardeners.

This flower owes its birth to the famous French breeder Lemoine. It was he who, in 1880, crossed two plants - Pottsa and golden crocosmia. The result of the fusion of two South African plants was a flower with graceful star-funnel-shaped flowers, collected in small spikelets of red-orange color.

Flowers called montbrecia are not so common in summer cottages, although they are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and magnificent appearance. Therefore, the owners of such an exclusive plant with graceful paniculate inflorescences should be aware of how the montbrecia is planted and taken care of in the open field.

Landing features

For planting and growing montbrecia, the brightly lit area of ​​the dacha is most suitable, since in partial shade the decorativeness of the plant goes out, the period and quality of flowering decreases. The best soil for montbrecia is a soil rich in organic matter.

Sowing montbrecia

Montbrecia is propagated in various ways - by children, corms and seeds. When choosing a seed planting option, it is worthwhile to understand that it is better in this case to use the seedling method, since in the open field the germination of seeds is significantly reduced.

Before planting seeds, you need to prepare them. To do this, the seeds are soaked for 24 hours in ordinary water, trying to replace it every 6-8 hours. Then the seed is sown into the substrate, which should consist of sand, peat, earth and humus. Seed containers are placed on a light windowsill and covered with foil. This completes the landing of the montbrecia.

Seedling care

Further care of the crops is reduced to the usual activities for the care of seedlings:

1. When the first shoots appear, the cover (film) is removed.
2. Watering is carried out as needed.
3. The soil around the seedlings is gently loosened.

The soil around the montbrecia is regularly watered and loosened.

Important. The seedling substrate should always be slightly damp, but not damp. Otherwise, the death of sprouts may occur from drought or from waterlogging and fungal diseases.

Montbrecia's pick

When the sprouts have 2-3 leaves, it is time to dive the seedlings into separate containers. The containers should be large enough as the plants will survive until they are planted outdoors.

A couple of weeks before the planned planting, the seedlings need to be hardened. To do this, young shoots are taken out into the street, starting with a few minutes of the plants being in the fresh air, daily increasing the hardening duration.

Planting montbrecia in open ground

It is necessary to plant a plant in open ground in late April or early May. The main condition is the heating of the soil to 10 degrees. The preparation of the soil for future planting is carried out in the fall.

To do this, a certain amount of fertilizer must be applied for each square meter:

• 100 g of slaked lime;
• two buckets of humus;
• 20 g of potassium chloride;
• 40 g superphosphate.

In the spring, during planting, nitrogen fertilizers are also applied to the soil.

Important. Montbrecia will grow well in an open, sunny area and without excess moisture.

How to plant a montbrecia

Seedlings of montbrecia are planted in open ground at a distance of 10 cm from each other.

Young seedlings are planted in prepared holes at a certain distance, which should be at least 10 cm.Each row should also be planted at a certain distance, at least 25 cm.

For the first few days, the plant should be sheltered from direct sunlight. This can be done using branches or other available means. Immediately after planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly.

The montbrecia grown from seeds will bloom only in the third year. But with proper care and comfortable external conditions, this period can be shorter by a year.

How to grow a montbrecia

Caring for montbrecia in the open field is practically no different from caring for gladioli. The plant only needs to be watered abundantly once a week and the soil is loosened thoroughly.

The flower has a special attitude to feeding. If the plant was originally planted in fertilized soil, then the nutrients will continue to flow to the flower for a long time, and there will be no need for additional fertilizing. If the soil is not rich in minerals, then it is extremely important to fertilize regularly, every 10 days.

As a top dressing, you need to use both organic and complete mineral fertilizers. Potassium preparations are required by the plant in increased quantities only during the formation of buds.

Reproduction of montbrecia

As mentioned above, montbrecia reproduces not only by seed, but also by a vegetative method, which consists in dividing the corms. Every year, the "adult" corm grows overgrown with children, the number of which is usually 5-6 pieces. These babies begin to bloom next year, and the "adult" bulb continues to grow overgrown with children.

For several years, you can not plant the montbrecia, but every year it becomes thicker and thicker. Therefore, from time to time you need to plant corms. This is done in the spring, the optimal time is the beginning of May.

For reproduction of montbrecia, you can use children that grow on adult bulbs.

Many gardeners are tricky, planting flower babies first in pots, and already grown plants are planted in the ground in early June. In this case, it is important to observe one nuance - the tubers from the pot should be transplanted into the ground along with a lump of earth.

Pests and diseases

Montbrecia is considered a fairly resistant plant to various types of diseases.

But even it can become a victim of pests and certain diseases:

1. Gray rot. A gray, fluffy bloom that forms on the bulbs. It is quite difficult to treat this disease, it is easier to prevent it by adjusting watering.
2. Fusarium. The color and shape of the flowers changes. The leaves of the plant dry up and turn yellow. Treatment with fungicides will help to cope with the disease.
3. Jaundice. The first symptom is yellowing of the tips of the leaves and a straw-colored foliage. This is a viral disease that cannot be completely cured.

Important. Regular pre-treatment of seeds and bulbs with a manganese solution will help prevent the development of many diseases. It is also necessary to periodically change the growing areas of the montbrecia.

The most dangerous pests are the following:

1. 

   The bulbs of the montbrecia can be eaten by the pest of the bear.

   Medvedki. They eat the bulbs of plants, from which the flowers quickly die. A trap will help get rid of them. In early autumn, you need to dig a half-meter hole and fill it with horse manure and earth. Such a place would be ideal for wintering pests. Therefore, with the first frost, a hole is dug up and all the inhabitants of the "flophouse" are destroyed.

2. Thrips. These parasites feed on the sap of the plant. As a result, the flower at first strongly changes, then slowly dies. In the fight against thrips, drugs such as Fitoverm, Confidor, Karbofos, etc. are effective.
3. Spider mites. These insects are the most dangerous pests that not only destroy plants on their own, but also infect them with viral diseases, since they are their direct carriers. It is difficult to fight a spider mite; the same drugs are used as means of getting rid of the ones used in the fight against thrips.

Montbrecia after flowering

Any plant goes through several phases of growth. The same is the case with montbrecia. After the planting has been carried out, the green mass has been built up, the flowering stage begins. It is replaced by the final stage - the formation of testes.

It is after flowering that the corms begin to develop actively, and for the ripening and laying of new flower buds, it needs a rest period. At rest, the bulb can be in the open field or in a cool room if you decide to dig up the tubers for the winter.

How and when to collect seeds

Many novice gardeners often make the same mistake when trying to breed montbrecia by collecting seeds. If you already have this plant on your site, then it is best to dig up the children and plant them. In the case of seed collection, there are a number of difficulties.

Montbrecia Seeds can only be harvested after they are dry.

First, they must be sufficiently ripe and dry. The optimal time for collecting seed is the end of September.But in our climatic conditions it is difficult to meet the necessary conditions, and the seed pods can simply be devastated by the wind.

Secondly, the germination of the harvested seeds is extremely low. Of ten seeds, no more than two usually germinate, and their further fate is in jeopardy.

Therefore, it is best to purchase seeds from the store, and then propagate the plant with tubers.

Preparing montbrecia for winter and storing it

The preparation of the plant for the winter period depends entirely on the climatic conditions. So, residents of the southern regions can simply sprinkle the bush with dry foliage or straw, and put a film on top, protecting the plant from precipitation and winds. This shelter is removed immediately after the end of the frost so that the bush does not start to rot.

In the middle lane, where frosts are not strong and not frequent, corms are also left to winter in the open field. The use of compost, spruce branches or dry leaves will help protect them from frost.

Inhabitants of cold regions are forced to dig up tubers. This is done in mid-October, when the corm is fully ripe and overgrown with children. The bulbs are stored at a temperature of 5-7 degrees, sprinkled with sand or peat. In order for the planting material to winter well, you need to prepare it for this period. To do this, after digging, the bulbs are dried at a temperature of 10 degrees, and the baskets are not disassembled.

In the video, the gardener talks about how to properly prepare the Montbrecia plant for winter.

Crocosmia or montbrecia is the same plant that has two completely different names. There is also a third - tritonia, as well as the popular name of the Japanese gladiolus. In Latin, the word "crocosmia" means "saffron smell". If you smell dried flowers, you can really smell it. The plant got its name “montbretia” when botanists decided to honor the memory of the famous French plant grower de Montbret.

The flower was born thanks to the efforts of the French breeder Lemoine. In 1880 he carried out the operation of crossing the golden crocosmia and Potts. Thus, a hybrid was obtained for horticultural cultivation, containing the characteristics of two plants from Africa. It had pleasant flowers of a star-funnel-shaped type, collected in red-orange inflorescences, the shape of which is a spikelet. Over time, the flower gains fame in European circles.

Crocosmia (montbrecia) is an excellent choice for many flower beds, because this plant blooms for a very long time. On average, if weather and climatic conditions permit, flowering can begin in mid-summer and end with the onset of frost. Crocosmia is also grown for cutting, as it can stand in water for at least two weeks. It is not for nothing that many bouquets are decorated with it - she deserves it.

Crocosmia leaves are narrowly visible, light green in color. Branched peduncles on thin legs emerge from under them, the height of which is sometimes up to a meter. The main underground organ is the bulb, which is small in size and has several brown shells. Although this plant is exotic, under proper conditions it can be grown here too.

Planting crocosmia montbrecia When to plant

How to plant crocosmia photo Montrbetia planting in the ground

Crocosmia is planted in open ground at the end of Aprilwhen the earth warms up well and even at night the temperature will not be lower than +10 ° C. Different varieties of crocosmia need to be placed in different flower beds, otherwise they will be pollinated.

• Ripe bulbs are planted in well-lit places where water does not stand for a long time, in early May. A sunny place is chosen because crocosmia is photophilous, and if it grows in the shade, you can not wait for flowering.
• Before planting, the bulb is kept warm for several days, separating the children first.
• It is recommended to soak the bulb in potassium permanganate immediately before planting in order to disinfect, after which it can be placed in the ground 4-5 cm deep.
• For crocosmia, the soil is chosen loose, with humus, and moist.The preparation of the flower beds is taken care of in advance, from the fall. If the soil is clogged, it is diluted with sand and fertilized.
• When planting, a distance of about 12 cm is made between the bulbs.
• The ideal solution is to plant the bulbs first in small pots around March and germinate on a windowsill, and then plant them in the ground. This will ensure early flowering.

Crocosmia montbrecia care

• Watering the plant loves abundant and infrequent.
• After it, you need to weed the area from the weeds and loosen it up.
• If necessary, pegs are installed to tie the peduncles.
• For a faster growth of shoots, they cultivate the land under the plant with nitrogen fertilizer.
• In the summer, organic fertilizers in tenfold dilution, as well as mineral potassium supplements, will be useful.
• At the end of flowering, all flower stalks are pruned to accelerate the maturation of the bulbs and improve the chances of their further survival.

Wintering crocosmia montbrecia

Storage of crocosmia bulbs in winter

If crocosmia is grown in cold regions, the bulbs are dug up in winter. They do this in early November so as not to damage the maturation process of children. The bulbs are removed from the ground and dried in a barn. Then they organize their storage in a place where the temperature will constantly be in the region of 8-10 degrees Celsius.

If the plant is grown in warmer regions without severe frosts, it is not required to remove it from the ground for the winter. Recently, flower growers are inclined to believe that the bulbs should not be dug out, since they are definitely better stored in the ground. For even greater preservation, you can sprinkle them on top with leaves or cover with foil.

Excellent wintering of crocosmia is achieved due to dry soil. When winter ends, the insulation is removed and the remnants of old leaves are removed. Adult bulbs are dug out every three years for the purpose of breeding, because there is no other way to separate the children. In the absence of thinning, flowering deteriorates sharply.

How to prepare montbrecia for wintering, the video will tell:

Reproduction of crocosmia montbrecia

Crocosmia babies photo Reproduction of montbrecia babies

Crocosmia is bred with seeds and babies. The resulting large brownish-red seeds are placed in bowls and placed on light windows in February-March. Then the seedlings sprout, and they are transplanted into pots when they grow larger.

In the open ground, crocosmia babies are seated at the end of April, when they are separated from the mother's corms. Plants that were grown with seeds will bloom in 2-3 years, and young children - next year. If you grow gladioli, it will not be difficult for you to determine the time of planting crocosmia, since it will be at the same time - in early May.

Pests and diseases of perennial crocosmia

Crocosmia is most often affected by thrips and bears. The fight against parasites is usual: you need to treat the land and the plants themselves with special insecticides sold in specialized stores. There are practically no diseases in montbrecia.

Popular varieties of crocosmia montbrecia with descriptions and photos

Crocosmia orange Crocosmia Emily Mc Kenzie photo in the garden Growing montbrecia

1. Emily Mc Kenzie is one of the most beautiful decorative varieties. Symmetrical brownish-orange flowers have large orange heels in the center. Flowering later, plant height 60 cm.

When to plant crocosmia bulbs in the photo Crocosmia Norwich Canary

2. Norwich Canary - the color of the petals is canary yellow, the height of the plant is 60 cm.

Montbrecia landing and leaving in the open

3. Star of the East - it has beautiful large flowers, thanks to which it gained popularity. It blooms late, tall (up to 1 m), has star-shaped apricot-orange flowers up to 10 cm in size. It does not tolerate winter well, therefore it requires shelter.

Crocosmia Lucifer Crocosmia Lucifer photo in the garden Planting and care in the open field

4. Lucifer is the most striking variant of this plant and one of the tallest (1.5 m in height). Peduncles are erect, they have bright tomato-red flowers.Good frost resistance, but shelter is recommended.

Crocosmia paniculata

Crocosmia paniculata Crocosmia paniculata photo in the garden

Tall species (up to 1.5 m), which is distinguished by early flowering. Orange flowers appear in June.

Crocosmia is a chic decoration for your flower garden. It can be successfully combined with daylilies, cannes, dahlias, cniphophies, rudbeckia, salvia, yarrow, echinacea, sedum, chrysanthemums, helenium, as well as grown independently.

Crocosmia in landscape design

Crocosmia in landscape design photo