Cinquefoil: description and varieties, planting and care

Popular varieties

As an ornamental plant, cultivated varieties are grown, of which there are only 10. They differ from each other in size, color and shape of flowers, as well as in terms of flowering and care features.

Magnificent (Spectabilis)

The fruit of the plant looks like an oblong box, reaches 35 mm in length

The most common, but most whimsical plant variety. The flowers have an intense pink color, are painted in different shades from the outside and the back, the height of the bushes varies from 30 cm to one meter. On the basis of this species, varieties were bred: Valentina and Golden Heart.

Beautiful (Formosa)

The flower has a branched, tuberous root

A kind of flower brought to Russia from North America. Flowering is long, lasts from June to September, the inflorescences have a graceful shape and a light purple hue. Plant height - 30-60 cm, rarely grows up to a meter. From this flower came the varieties Luxuriant, Aurora, Adrian Blum and Bekkanal.

Exceptional (Eximia Alba)

The flowers of the plant are not single, they make up large inflorescences, reaching a length of 20 cm

This species is characterized by white, deep purple or pink inflorescences and leaves of a gray-blue hue that resemble a fern. The Eximia Alba variety blooms all summer, but requires constant care, as the bushes grow strongly.

Climbing (Golden Vine)

Flower stems are usually placed on vertical supports or left to curl on the ground

The plant variety belongs to annual lianas, grows up to 2 meters. Flowering begins in mid-summer and ends with the first frost, bright yellow inflorescences are located on a thin, long stem.

Vagrant (Peregrina)

Vagrant dicentra has a soddy short rhizome

One of the rarest varieties of culture, and its age is several centuries. It is a small (no more than 15 cm) bush with large flowers of a white or mauve shade.

Klobuchkovaya (Kokularia)

The variety is popularly called "Dutch breeches" because of the peculiar shape of the inflorescences

A dwarf plant species that grows up to 15 cm, blooms with white or pink flowers

It is widely used in medicine, but requires careful handling, as its leaves are poisonous

Burning Hearts (Berning Hearts)

The plant reaches 25 cm in height

A very spectacular plant with bright scarlet, as if burning flowers, which are located in a mass of soft silvery foliage. The variety belongs to hybrid and was obtained as a result of crossing between stray and excellent varieties.

Step-by-step instructions for propagation by seeds and cuttings

When propagating a shrub by seeds, the seedling method is used. Frost-resistant species are planted in the ground so that a powerful root system has time to form by winter.

Planting shrubs in a checkerboard pattern is a good design solution

Sowing seeds in a permanent open place is carried out in early summer, when the soil is well warmed up. And they are sown for seedlings at the end of winter. Before sowing, the seeds are stratified in the refrigerator, keeping them in a damp cloth for a month. The sowing process is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Finished seeds are placed in wide and shallow containers filled with equal parts of turf and sand. The seeds are deepened into the ground for a couple of centimeters, and the containers with them are placed in a bright and warm place, where the temperature is 18–20 degrees.
2. In such conditions, sprouts appear in 2-3 weeks.
3. When 2-3 true leaves are formed, the seedlings dive into separate pots, and they are transplanted to a permanent place in late spring - early summer.

When rooting cuttings, the following rules are observed:

1. Only green shoots of the current year are suitable for reproduction, lignified cuttings of the root system do not form. Cuttings are 8-15 cm long. Cutting is practiced in late winter or early spring.
2. Young twigs are cut with the part of the trunk on which they grow.
3. They are treated with the stimulant Kornevin.
4. Then they are planted in a mixture of sand and leafy earth in proportions of 2 to 1.
5. Cover with a transparent container, raised daily for ventilation.
6. They are watered regularly, avoiding flooding.
7. Rooted plants in groups of three are planted in individual pots. At the same time, for their better branching, pinch the crown.
8. They are transplanted to a permanent place in June.

From the pot you have to plant bushes in the garden

When planting seedlings in spring, the soil is dug to the depth of a shovel bayonet. Sand is added to heavy soil. Landing is carried out as follows:

1. The earth is dug to a depth of a third of a meter.
2. The Mediterranean guest is taken out of the pot, spreading the roots, and placed in trenches, observing the interval between neighbors of 10-30 cm, and for tall species - twice less.
3. They are covered with soil, then compacted in the root circle and watered abundantly for 3-4 days.
4. Watering is reduced after the seedlings are rooting.

The role of the plant in landscape design, options for use

Small bushes look unusual and versatile in combination with other plants

Perennial is widely used in garden design, there are several options for its successful application:

1. In the foreground of the flower beds, like a low hedge.

2. On an alpine hill, because the bush is extremely picturesque. He loves rocky soil and bright sun.

3. In the garden of scent, because it is also known as "cotton lavender". Therefore, the plant is organically combined with lavender, catnip and sage.

4. With the correct formation of bushes with lignified trunks, they are widely used in the Japanese bonsai garden.

5. For landscaping a narrow sunny balcony. Containers look spectacular, where, next to purple or blue lavender, silvery santolina with yellow balls of flowers adjoins. Dwarf lavender is chosen for such compositions, no higher than 30–40 cm. This is a symphony of pleasant, spicy aromas and blue-yellow-gray color palette.

Potentilla care

It is quite simple to grow cinquefoil, and it does not matter whether it is a shrub or a herbaceous plant. For normal growth and development of the plant, it is necessary to regularly water, loosen the soil surface, remove weeds, feed, remove fading flowers, and also mulch the soil on the site

Watering should be done only with prolonged drought, while 10 liters of lukewarm water should be poured under each bush 1 time in half a month. In the event that in the spring time you sprinkle the area with mulch (sawdust or peat), then the removal of weeds and loosening of the soil will need to be carried out relatively rarely. During the summer period, add mulch to the site 2 or 3 times. Top dressing is carried out three times per season (in May, July and August or September), while using mineral fertilizer for flowering plants. For more lush flowering, it is also recommended to spray the cinquefoil with water in the evening after a hot day.

Reproduction of Potentilla

In addition to the fact that Potentilla is grown from seeds, it can be propagated by cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. Potentilla can be propagated by layering and cuttings in July or August, and it is recommended to divide the bush in the spring (April or May) or autumn (early days of September). A specimen that is at least four years old is suitable for division, it must be dug up, the rhizome is washed with water from a hose, and then divided into divisions using a very sharp, pre-sterilized knife.It should be remembered that there should be 2 or 3 kidneys on each division. In the cases, it is necessary to process the roots with a means that stimulates their growth. Then they are planted in the soil, while the buds should not be buried. Remember to leave 20 to 40 centimeters of empty space between the divisions.

The length of the cuttings varies from 8 to 10 centimeters, while they are harvested from the ends of the stems, having previously cut off all the flowers. For rooting, moistened perlite is used, it lasts for 4-6 weeks, while keeping the cuttings in a room that does not freeze. You can also root cuttings directly in open soil by choosing a place in partial shade for this, while it is recommended to use a glass jar or a cut bottle as a cover. Spraying them must be carried out several times a day. The buds that appear should be removed, because they can greatly weaken the plant. For wintering, they need to be covered with spruce branches.

It is easiest to propagate cinquefoil by layering. In springtime, you should look for a stem that grows very close to the surface of the soil. An incision must be made on its outer side. Then it is placed in the prepared groove with an incision down, fixed in this position (necessarily in this place) and covered with soil. With the onset of autumn, the cutter should develop a good root system. In this case, it should be cut off from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

Pruning Potentilla

Shrub cinquefoil needs mandatory pruning, which must be done in early spring, before the buds open, and also in autumn. In the event that pruning is not done, then the bush becomes shaggy and looks sloppy. Pruning can be sanitary, during which it is necessary to cut off all injured, dried up branches, as well as those that grow inward. Also, this procedure can be carried out with the aim of forming a bush, and often it is given a pillow or spherical shape. In spring, last year's increments are shortened by 1/3, and in the fall, old and elongated stems should be cut off. Rejuvenating pruning will be needed for such a shrub once every 5 years, or it is carried out when many dried branches are found. To make such a pruning, it is necessary to cut off a third of the dried branches for 3 years in a row. This will lead to a complete renewal of the bush.

Diseases and pests

This plant is highly resistant to various diseases and harmful insects, which greatly facilitates its care. In rare cases, cinquefoil can get sick with spotting, rust or powdery mildew. In the event that one of these diseases struck the annual cinquefoil, then you should not worry, because this will not greatly affect the appearance of the bush, and in the autumn it will still have to be disposed of. If you have a perennial growing, then it is recommended to use a fungicide for its treatment (for example, colloidal sulfur or Bordeaux liquid). Also, in rare cases, scoops can settle on the bush. In order to get rid of them, treat the affected specimen with an insecticide (for example, Decis Profi, Fufanon or Fitoverm).

Nepalese cinquefoil: rules of care

• The plant is quite unpretentious, which makes it in demand in floriculture. A semi-shaded and fairly humid place is ideal for growing. If your garden doesn't have this, you can plant it in the sun, but remember that direct rays will ruin its color. Potentilla does not like deep shadow, as it does not have enough light, and it stops blooming.
• It is better to choose loamy soil for growing, then the plant will provide a beautiful and abundant flowering. This type of Potentilla tolerates frost well, but it is still recommended to cover it for the winter. For good growth and flowering, one should not forget about timely watering, weeding from weeds and loosening the earth.
• In the spring, Nepalese Potentilla needs feeding.Complex mineral fertilizers are suitable for this. Be sure to prune shoots and remove dry leaves and branches. In the heat, provide the plant with additional watering and spray it with water.
• The easiest way to grow decorative Potentilla on your site is to plant a seedling. With the onset of spring, a hole is dug, about 60 - 70 cm deep. A lime gravel drainage is poured into the bottom of the hole, covered with soil and a seedling is planted. Fill the hole with a mixture of turf, humus and sand. Fertilize the substrate with mineral fertilizers, water and mulch with sawdust. During the month, the seedlings should be watered with settled water once a week. Reduce watering afterwards, but make sure that the soil does not dry out.
• Like any plant, Potentilla is susceptible to diseases and pests. The main ailment for her is rust. It is easy to define it - yellow-brown spots appear on the leaves, which lead to deformation and drying of the shoots. At the first sign of damage, immediately treat the plant with fungicides. Remove parts that are badly damaged by rust immediately. Among the diseases, aphids are also often found, which are easy to get rid of with the help of insecticides.

Potentilla care

Cinquefoil is very popular in landscape design due to its unpretentious care. The plant needs regular weeding, loosening of the soil and timely watering during a drought. And if you mulch the plantings with peat or sawdust in the spring, then these manipulations can be done less often.

To achieve lush flowering, it is recommended to feed the cinquefoil in May, July and at the end of August with a complex mineral fertilizer for flowering plants. Although on fertile soil, it grows well without additional fertilizing. However, flower growers still recommend at least once a year (in spring) to apply phosphorus and potassium sulfate under each adult bush (25-30 g of each fertilizer per 10 liters of water). Consumption - 1 bucket per plant.

Erect cinquefoil, or galangal

In dry summers, the plant becomes “stuffy”, so it often fades quickly. To prevent this from happening, every evening after sultry weather, Potentilla is sprayed with water from a spray bottle. Then flowering will be longer.

With good care, diseases and pests do not bother the cinquefoil. In exceptional cases, the plant can be attacked by rust, spotting and powdery mildew. Any fungicide (Bordeaux liquid, Fitosporin-M) can easily cope with these fungal diseases.

Of the pests on the cinquefoil, scoops can be found. An insecticide (Decis, Fitoverm) will help to cope with them. A few sprays with an interval of 2 weeks are enough.

Adult plants (both herbaceous and shrub Potentilla) do not need shelter for the winter. Only cuttings rooted this year and young seedlings are insulated.

How to care for Nepalese cinquefoil

For good development and long flowering, when caring for Nepalese Potentilla, you need to adhere to the basic conditions:

• Watering. Adult plants do not need constant watering. It is enough to keep the soil in a slightly moist state in dry times. Mulching the soil can help in this. When watering, it is better to use heated water, since the roots of the plant are sensitive to temperature extremes.
• Top dressing. The plant needs feeding three times per season: in early spring, during the formation of buds and at the end of summer. It is advisable to apply a complex mineral fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen (at the beginning of the season) and potassium with phosphorus during subsequent procedures.
• Loosening. It is necessary to ensure that weeds do not grow on the flowerbed where the cinquefoil grows. To do this, they are regularly weeded, and the soil around the plants is shallowly loosened. This procedure contributes to the saturation of the soil with oxygen.
• Pruning. Nepalese Potentilla bushes are prone to overgrowth, so they need to periodically carry out formative pruning. You can give the landings any shape.Rejuvenating pruning is carried out every 4-5 years - in the spring the plant is cut off completely and must be fertilized. It rejuvenates over the next season.

Potentilla seeds give good germination

Growing Potentilla from seeds

Grassy cinquefoil is usually grown from seeds. Seeds are sown in autumn (before winter) in open ground, then they undergo natural stratification there, and in spring they germinate together. Seedlings only need to be planted so that they do not interfere with each other. And with minimal care, a delicate cinquefoil will flaunt on your site.

Potentilla seedlings grow rather slowly, so please be patient

Seeds can also be sown in spring (early March) for seedlings. They are germinated in fertile soil under polyethylene at a temperature of 15-20 ° C and watered regularly. With the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings dive into separate pots (possibly in peat ones), and at the end of summer they are planted in open ground. In late autumn, young plants are covered with spunbond, otherwise in winter they risk freezing out.

In the first year, such Potentilla does not bloom. Therefore, to receive flowers, you will have to wait for the next season.

And it is important to properly care for the plant.

Planting Potentilla

Growing shrub Potentilla is not difficult even for a beginner. They start planting a seedling in the spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws. But if you are late with this matter, planting or transplanting Potentilla can also be carried out in late summer - early autumn.

The planting hole should be about 2 times deeper and wider than the earthen ball of the seedling. Drainage is necessarily laid on the bottom (preferably lime gravel), after which the hole is approximately half filled with a mixture of humus, leafy earth and sand (in a ratio of 2: 2: 1), 150 g of complex mineral fertilizer for ornamental plants is also added there. The seedling is lowered into the hole and covered with the same soil mixture so that its root collar is located just above the ground level. Then the soil is tamped and watered abundantly.

For group plantings, the distance between seedlings should be at least 30 cm

So that the soil does not dry out quickly, the planting site is mulched with straw, bark or sawdust. This is especially true in the first 3-4 weeks after planting, since with a lack of moisture, the seedling does not take root well and may die.

Features of Potentilla

Representatives of this genus are shrubs and herbaceous plants, which can be annuals, biennials and perennials. Shoots of such plants are often erect, ascending or extended, and creeping are also found. The leaf plates are pinnate or multipart, and they are colored grayish-green or green. The height of the dwarf shrubs can reach 150 centimeters, while their diameter sometimes reaches 100 centimeters. In most species, flowers are part of corymbose-paniculate or pseudo-umbellate inflorescences, however, species with single flowers are also found. They can be painted in a wide variety of colors, such as golden yellow, pink, white, red, orange and cream. Long-term flowering is observed in May-September. The fruit contains many achenes (10–80 pieces), most often they are naked, but they can be hairy. Moreover, the larger the size of the fruits, the more exotic the type of such a plant.

Fertilizer and feeding

Experienced gardeners know that while loams are ideal for this perennial, it will thrive on almost any soil. The only exceptions are varieties with pink flowers, they prefer fertile soils. In all other cases, if the plant does not bloom, then it is not the soil that is to blame, but improper fertilization.

You need to know from the very beginning how to feed Potentilla, even when planting this plant. For this, it is customary to use mineral complexes.

Cinquefoil with red flowers

The next application of fertilizers of this type is carried out as early as next year. Moreover, this is done in early spring. For this, potassium sulfate and phosphate are mixed in equal proportions (30-40 g of each ingredient will be enough for 10 liters of water - this fertilizer is enough for a whole bush).

Many are interested in how to feed Potentilla in June. Here, the most popular options are folk remedies like an ash solution, used no more than twice a month (300 g per 5 liters of water) and a mullein solution - it can be used three times a month. Also, until the fall, you can use liquid humic fertilizer once every two weeks.

Important! During the budding period, it is recommended to use factory-made phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. They are used according to the manufacturer's instructions. ... But even with proper feeding, Potentilla will not bloom if you do not carry out seasonal pruning.

This is done in spring and autumn, and in the process all dry and damaged shoots are cut off.

But even with proper feeding, Potentilla will not bloom if you do not carry out seasonal pruning. This is done in spring and autumn, and in the process all dry and damaged shoots are cut off.

The use of a plant in landscape design

As a low-growing shrub with a long flowering phase, cinquefoil is used to decorate the following art objects:

• curbs;
• alpine hills, where various conifers are planted as a background for Potentilla;
• live fences;
• rockeries.

Thus, shrub cinquefoil, when fulfilling a small set of agrotechnical requirements, will delight the grower with abundant flowering throughout not only the summer season, but also half of the autumn period.

The genus Potentilla is characterized by a wide variety of species (from low-growing grasses to stately shrubs), but planting and care in the open field are similar in these plants, because they are all unpretentious in cultivation

We will tell you what to look for

Only white cinquefoil is especially finicky (it grows well only in the shade), shiny cinquefoil (it thrives on dry sandy soil on the southern side of the site) and arctic cinquefoil (needs acidic soil). Other types of Potentilla prefer well-lit places in which there is shade in the afternoon (for example, from other plants). The soil should ideally be loose, slightly acidic, nutritious, well-drained and with a little lime.