It is difficult to imagine a garden plot without a single flower, however, there is not always the strength and time to engage in complex care for whimsical plants. In such cases, perennial and unpretentious plants that can delight the eye with their flowering are chosen for planting. The primrose perennial belongs to such plants.
About the flower
Perennial primrose is also called evening, or evening primrose. Other names for this plant are "oslinnik", "night candle", "onager" and many others. The plant is very famous among flower lovers: unpretentious, resistant to drought and able to bloom all summer. Belongs to the Cypriot family, it includes annual and perennial plants of various sizes. This European specimen came to Russia from Central America.
Long-standing primrose is spectacular in its simplicity
For your information! According to legend, if you mix wine with evening primrose root and spray a flower with this mixture, then the wild animal that sniffs the plant will become tame.
Depending on the type of primrose, it can be either short or tall with a powerful rhizome. The flowers of different varieties are large, are yellow, pink, blue, white and other colors. They open in the evening at sunset and close at dawn. Appearance at such moments resembles the burning of candles, for which the plant received one of its names. The stems of the plant can be either straight or creeping, pubescent with foliage. Oval-shaped leaves are located directly on the stems of the plant. The result of flowering is a seed box.
Healing and cosmetic properties
Evening primrose is successfully used in folk medicine, as it has antibacterial, antitumor, regenerating and wound healing properties. It is used for diseases of the kidneys and cardiovascular system, pre-infarction and pre-stroke conditions, hormonal disorders, damage to the joint and bone tissues, diabetes mellitus and sclerosis.
The plant is of particular benefit for pregnant women, as it contains a large amount of folic acid, which is necessary for the proper development of the fetus.
Decoctions and infusions from this plant help in the treatment of endometriosis and ovarian cysts in women, as well as with problems with potency in men.
Important! Before starting treatment with alternative methods, a specialist consultation is necessary, as there may be contraindications.
Side effects are rare, but it is best to treat yourself with care so as not to harm.
Decoctions and oils from primrose - a faithful assistant for women
The plant is also successfully used in cosmetology. Lotions and decoctions from primrose are used to treat seborrhea (dandruff), acne, various redness and rashes. Evening primrose oils in capsules and vesicles are used as a remedy for premature aging of the skin: from wrinkles, sagging and fading of the skin. When using pharmacy drugs, it is better to follow the instructions.
Role in Landscaping
Due to the large flowers blooming plentifully throughout the summer, evening primrose is a fairly common plant used in landscape design. In cool cloudy weather and in the evening and at night, flower beds with primrose look quite spectacular, like flickering garlands. In addition, the plant is unpretentious to the soil, so it is often used both in private estates and in the creation of urban flower beds.
Planting and growing evening primrose for many years in the open ground
The primrose is wonderful in that its cultivation does not require effort, it can perfectly reproduce on its own, and seeds can be germinated immediately in the open ground. The main methods of its propagation are growing seedlings, cuttings and dividing the bush.
Primrose is easy to grow indoors and unpretentious in care
Growing seedlings from seeds
It is optimal to begin germination of seeds immediately after their collection from the plant in July-August. Seeds are sown in plentifully shed grooves in the soil, covering them with mulch and constantly watering. In winter, seedlings are carefully covered with a layer of dry foliage up to 10 cm. If cultivation is planned in winter, then sowing is carried out in boxes, but after the first frost. The main thing is to ensure good surface drainage and cover the sowing with non-woven material. Boxes are left in a dark place until spring, and then provide abundant watering.
You can grow primrose at home: in the tank make a drainage layer and fill the ground for seedlings (turf, sand, sheet soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 2). It is important to ensure breathability, in other words, do not tamp the ground, but carefully level it. The optimum seeding density is 5 seeds per 1 cm². Then the container is covered with a film and kept in the cold for up to 30 days (a freezer is good) and only after that they return the earth with seeds to heat.
It is important to maintain constant substrate moisture and dive plants after the appearance of the first true leaf - to plant them in separate containers or in a total with a distance of at least 5 cm between the bushes.
Important! The optimal watering throughout the cultivation is spraying the soil, but not the primrose itself.
The second pick is to plant the grown flowers at a distance of at least 15 cm from each other in separate containers or on a prepared bed. After planting in a permanent place, flowering occurs most often in the second year of life of primrose.
Propagation by cuttings
Unlike trees and shrubs, evening primrose is cut by leaves. To do this, pinch off the most powerful sockets in the second half of summer and root them in a shaded place without direct sunlight. Another way is root cuttings. They are planted in soil to a depth of 3 cm in moist, warm soil.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
The most optimal method of reproduction of evening primrose. To do this, they carefully dig out a large bush, trying not to damage the root system, and divide it into several smaller bushes, depending on the development of the roots. The resulting bushes are planted in the soil.
Unpretentious plant care
Care in the garden from the moment of planting in the open ground
Primrose grows well on loam, but also favors other types of soil. For planting, shaded areas are chosen on which moisture does not stagnate, otherwise the soil is pre-drained.
After planting in a permanent place, it is important not to forget about weeding from weeds, surface loosening of the soil and watering. A short dry soil will not harm the plant, but excessive watering can ruin it, so it is optimal to maintain a slightly moist soil.
Note! The plant is fed predominantly with superphosphate and calcium sulfate at the beginning of the flowering season. Primrose favors soils filled with humus, and the addition of ash will not be superfluous.
The plant does not need pruning, except for the removal of wilted flowers and yellowed leaves. This will increase the appearance of new flowers and make their bloom more magnificent.
Before the onset of cold weather, after complete flowering, the plants finally get rid of the remaining flower and seed bolls, but the wilted leaves and leaves that appeared in the fall are not removed. The ground around the rhizome is carefully spudded and covered with dry foliage or spruce branches, making several holes for the flow of air to the roots. Wilted foliage is removed only in the spring.
Diseases and pests
Like any other plant, primroses are susceptible to a variety of diseases. Among them are gray, root, stem and late blight rot, viral diseases and greening of the petals, with the appearance of which the plant, along with a lump of earth, must be destroyed.
With leaf spotting of different genesis, you can use phytosporin, Bordeaux liquid and other solutions. Soil nematodes are dangerous in which plants have to be destroyed.
Of insects, spider mites, weevils, caterpillars, aphids, snails, and other pests that are standard for summer cottages and garden plots are at great risk. Ways to deal with them are standard for all plants.
Primrose is an unpretentious and spectacular perennial plant for any site. Its flowering will delight throughout the summer, delighting and delighting, bringing peace every evening.
