Description and features of the daffodil variety Golden Ducat, planting and care
Daffodils are a frequent decoration of gardens and flower beds. It is impossible not to notice these bright delicate flowers. They are among the first to bloom in spring. An unusually spectacular daffodil of the Golden Ducat variety, loved by many gardeners.
Description and features of the variety
This type of daffodil belongs to the terry species. The name of the variety is very eloquent attesting to its appearance. The flowers are large, bright, really like gold coins.
Their shade is bright and very rich, so they are always clearly visible in the flower bed.
These flowers lack the well-defined funnel that most daffodils have. The flower is up to 10 cm in diameter, it has several layers of petals and a terry tube in the middle. The stem of a daffodil of this species is 40-50 cm high. Daffodils bloom from April to May. 3-4 flowers bloom on each peduncle in spring.
History of breeding Golden Ducat
This hybrid plant was bred in 1946 in Holland, but due to its appearance, it has not lost its popularity to this day.
Growing
Growing Golden Dukat flowers is not too difficult. It is available even to a novice gardener.
Landing dates
Daffodil bulbs are planted in open ground in September. It is important that this is done a month before the onset of cold weather. Before the first frost, the plant has time to adapt to new conditions.
Flowers take root and germinate quickly, therefore planting in August in open soil will lead to early germination and subsequent death of seedlings.
The landing site should be well lit. It can also be a light shadow.
It should also be borne in mind that in a strong wind, the flower-bearing stem may break. Therefore, the landing site must be protected from drafts.
For winter forcing, daffodil bulbs are planted in pots in August. In this case, the flowers will have to grow in greenhouse conditions.
Soil preparation
This variety grows well on light soils. If the earth is clay, then sand is additionally introduced into it before planting.
The soil must be prepared in advance. Before the autumn planting, humus or compost is introduced into the soil. Fresh manure cannot be used.
Selection and storage of planting material
Daffodils are bulbous plants, therefore flower bulbs are planted in the ground. When choosing planting material, you need to look so that it is free of damage and rot. The bulbs should not be soft.After digging up, they are dried at a temperature of 30-35 degrees for a month.
Store them in a cool dry place until disembarkation.
Previously, some gardeners treat the bulbs with Fitosporin or copper chloride, but this must be done carefully. An excess of the substance will lead to the fact that the plants will be sick and bloom poorly.
Landing scheme
When planting, a sandy cushion is created under the bulb, since the daffodil Golden Ducat does not tolerate excessive moisture well.
If daffodils are first planted in pots or containers, then first a layer of drainage is poured, and then the earth. They need to be planted so that the top of the bulb protrudes slightly above the ground.
The distance between the planted plants should be at least 10 cm. It can be up to 15 cm if the bulbs are large. The planting hole should be two times the height of the bulb itself. The bulb is dipped into a hole and covered with earth. Then the soil is slightly pressed down.
Overgrown bushes are planted after 4 years, when they will press each other.
Care rules
The daffodil is considered an unpretentious plant, but it will need additional care.
Loosening and weeding
All varieties of such a flower require a little weeding and light loosening if necessary. Moreover, it is a good preventive measure in pest control.
Watering
Spring watering is very important for these flowers. Daffodils don't require as much moisture as other flowers. But if the weather is very hot, then you need to water the daffodils a second time.
It is also imperative to water the plants before applying any mineral fertilizers to the soil.
Protection from pests and diseases
Among the main pests is the daffodil fly, or bulbous hoverfly. Various types of rot are also dangerous. Also, click beetles do harm to bulbous plants. To destroy the larvae of all insects, the soil is dug up in the fall and lime is added to it.
The cabbage scoop is a butterfly whose caterpillars eat the aerial parts of bulbous plants.
Bears and slugs bring harm to daffodils. They can be removed manually.
Also, for pest control, flowers need to be treated with insecticides or pollinated with tobacco dust during the growth and flowering period.
The gardener needs to know that weeds contribute to the spread of insect pests, so weeding is a must.
To combat rot, plants are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or a mixture of copper sulfate and green soap (ratio 1:10).
All types of daffodils can be sick with fusarium, a special fungal disease. With it, the bulb rot, and the planted plant lags behind in growth and dies. To avoid this, the planting material is treated with a foundation.
Pre-treatment of planting material with certain chemicals will help to avoid many diseases.
The affected bushes should be discarded periodically. Damaged plants and bulbs must be disposed of.
Top dressing
In the spring, after the appearance of the first shoots, it is necessary to introduce complex mineral fertilizers with a nitrogen content into the soil where the shoots have appeared. You should not overfeed the plant, otherwise there will be an excess of green mass, and flowering will be scarce.
Reproduction
Reproduction is possible by seeds or bulbs. For the first method, the plant is given the opportunity to give seeds after flowering, which will then be planted.
However, a more convenient way is to plant bulbs. To do this, after flowering, the peduncles are cut. After the green mass has dried, the bulbs are dug up and stored until autumn planting.
Such a variety has an average frost resistance, so the plants may not tolerate severe cold.
Planting material can be prepared in this way on your own, or purchased in specialized stores and via the Internet.
Application in landscape design
In landscape design, daffodils combine well with other plants and perfectly decorate the site. The terry variety Golden Dukat is planted not only in flower beds, but also under trees. They are often used when creating curbs, alpine slides.
Cut flowers tolerate transportation well. They retain their fresh look for a long time, so they are used not only to decorate plots, but also in bouquets.
Reviews
Evgeniy Ivanovich, 67 years old, pensioner, Kiev
Golden Ducat is excellent. You will not immediately understand that these are daffodils. This is an extraordinary decoration for my garden in spring.
Larisa Ivanovna, 49 years old, housewife, Voronezh
I love and grow daffodils in my flower bed for a long time. New - Golden Dukat variety. These are very beautiful bright flowers. They are pleased with flowering for the second year already. I am very pleased.
