Planting and caring for white cinquefoil in the open field, cultivation and reproduction
White cinquefoil is a flower with a stunning appearance. Grown in plots as a decorative decoration. Planting and caring for white cinquefoil in the open field is practically no different from other plants. All that is required of a person is regularity and attentiveness.
Description and characteristics of white cinquefoil
A herbaceous perennial plant takes root in areas with any climate except the North.
You can recognize Potentilla by the following characteristics:
- the height of the peduncles reaches 30 cm;
- no leaves on the stems;
- shoots are thin, dark green;
- the root system reaches 1 m in length;
- the root is thick, has a dark shade;
- the ends of the shoots are covered with transparent hairs;
- basal leaves are equipped with brown stipules;
- flowers are snow-white, collected in groups;
- flowering begins in late spring and continues until late summer.
Medicines are prepared from white cinquefoil. For this, the plant is harvested by hand. The appearance of thawed patches indicates that the plant is ready to be harvested. During this period, the perennial contains the maximum amount of nutrients.
Main pros and cons
Cinquefoil plays a decorative role throughout the year. In spring, young leaves with a barely noticeable silvery tinge bloom. Abundant flowering continues throughout the summer. Insects from all over the area flock to the scent of flowers.
In the autumn, after flowering, the bushes are covered with yellow leaves. It is especially beautiful in the morning. Frost covers the bush, which makes it even more mysterious. Even in winter, the bush attracts a lot of attention.
White cinquefoil is not included in the group of whimsical plants and adapts to any conditions. It endures the winters steadily, and in the spring it blooms with renewed vigor.
If the climate in the region where Potentilla grows is warm, the bushes become lush and spreading. Flowers of huge sizes appear on the branches.
There are practically no downsides. The only feature, if it can be attributed to disadvantages, is the change in the appearance of the bush.
If the white cinquefoil grows in the shade, a squat shrub is formed, covered with small flowers. But even this does not spoil the beauty of the plant.
Features of growing a shrub
The cultivation procedure consists of small details. This is the choice of the place, the type of planting material and the process itself.
Choice of time and place
White cinquefoil prefers areas with little shadow. Landing in direct sunlight is contraindicated. Perennial does not like places with high moisture content. The best piece of land is loamy soil mixed with sand.
Cinquefoil tolerates the breeding procedure without any problems. Easily responds to planting from spring to mid-autumn. It is recommended to carry out such work in the spring.
Planting material
As for this part, the cinquefoil can be in the form of seeds or a shoot. To get young seedlings, seeds are sown in winter. And the matured shoots are planted in a permanent place in the spring.
Planting process
It goes like this:
- The bottom of the prepared hole is covered with pebbles or gravel. A drainage layer is required.
- Sprinkled on top with a small amount of earth mixed with humus and river sand. The ratio is 2: 2: 1. Another 100 g of mineral fertilizer is added to the finished mixture.
- The planted perennial is watered abundantly.
The trunk circle is mulched after watering. Straw or sawdust is taken as mulch.
Crop care recommendations
Young bushes and mature plants need care. This allows you to keep the plant in perfect condition.
Location
Bushes are suitable for transplanting from 4 years old. A perennial grows in one place for up to 20 years. Therefore, you should take care of the site in advance.
The soil
The land must be mulched. The area on which the cinquefoil grows is loosened. Weeds are also regularly removed.
Watering
The soil is saturated with moisture as the soil dries. In hot summer, the plant is watered up to 4 times a week. In this case, the water should not be cold. It is recommended to use settled water that has been exposed to sunlight all day.
Before the watering procedure, the soil is loosened so that moisture can quickly penetrate the root system. On rainy days, the saturation of the soil with moisture is suspended.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Perennial needs nutrients at the time of active growth. In the spring, the bush is watered with water with the addition of phosphate and potassium sulfate. During the formation of buds, Potentilla is fed with complex fertilizers. In the latter case, the content of a large amount of potassium and phosphorus is mandatory.
Pruning
In addition to fertilizing, watering and loosening the soil, Potentilla responds well to pruning. It is formative in spring and sanitary in autumn. Broken and dried shoots are cut in spring, thus forming the shape of a bush. In autumn, shoots growing in the center of the bush are removed, as well as those that stretch upward.
Plant protection from diseases and pests
Caring for a perennial is not a huge work, since the bush practically does not get sick. Very rarely, cinquefoil is affected by powdery mildew, rust or spotting. Even if the gardener had to face a similar phenomenon, do not worry too much. The attack of pests will not greatly affect the appearance of the bush, and in the fall, the affected branches will be cut off.
The appearance of a scoop is periodically noticed on the bushes. To combat them, insecticides are used. Fungicides are used to kill pathogens of powdery mildew, rust and spotting.
Breeding methods
White cinquefoil propagates by seeds, cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. The latter method becomes relevant in May and September. For this, the bushes must be at least 3 years old.
Vegetative method
Cinquefoil reproduces by layers and cuttings in July and August. Cuttings are obtained by cutting off the tops of the shoots and removing the flowers. In length, each copy should be around 10 cm.
The cut branch is placed in perlite for 4-6 weeks.In this case, the air temperature in the room must be within the range of + 3- + 5 ° C. If necessary, cuttings are run into a home-made greenhouse. Reproduction by layering falls in the first half of summer.
Shoots growing close to the ground bend to the surface. The branch should touch the ground. In order to quickly form a root, an incision is made at the point where the branch touches the ground.
The shoot is placed in a prepared groove and covered with a small amount of soil. Clothespins or other home-made devices are used for secure fixation. By autumn, a root will form in the ground, which will allow you to separate the sprout from the large bush.
It is also possible to divide the bush. In order for the breeding method to give a positive result, a bush is selected that is at least 3 years old. The division takes place in April, May or September.
After digging up the plant, the root system is cleaned from the ground and washed. The root is cut into pieces with a sharp knife. Each should have at least 2 kidneys. After keeping in the root formation stimulator, the previously cut off part is planted.
Seed method
You can get a young seedling by sowing seeds in the soil. This method of reproduction is used in rare cases. The method requires a lot of time and effort. Nevertheless, some gardeners decide on it and get Potentilla.
White cinquefoil in landscape design
A perennial plant is successfully used for:
- rock gardens;
- flower beds, mixborders;
- rosaries;
- ordinary flower beds.
Lands in all sorts of places. Able to keep its shape well, forming hedges and curbs. Looks great in combination with other plants and as a single bush on the land.
Cinquefoil is a real long-liver, as it stays on the site for an average of 20-25 years. But there are exceptions when individual specimens survived to 30 years. Cinquefoil will be the main decoration in the garden, if it is allocated a separate place and constantly looked after.
