Rules for planting and caring for summer adonis, growing flowers and varieties
Adonis is an ornamental plant that came to us from the northern regions of Europe and Siberia. The culture takes root in most regions, making it popular with domestic gardeners. Among the representatives of the family, there are both perennial and annual plants. Most often, summer adonis are planted, using them to decorate the summer cottage. Let's figure out what effort is required to grow them, and whether it is worth spending time on it.
General description of the flower
Summer adonis is an annual plant with a beautiful, bright color. Its height fluctuates around 50 centimeters, and flower petals look like feathers. Coloring can range from rich yellow to bright red. The diameter of the flower bowl is 3.5 centimeters. The pistil of adonis is wide and low, framed by a large number of stamens.
Note! Due to its unusual coloring, the summer adonis is popularly referred to as "a coal on fire".
Adonis varieties
Summer adonis has two main varieties:
- Light;
- Cherubino.
The twig grows up to 50 centimeters in height, and there are no black blotches on its leaves. Cherubino is lower than Ogonyok and its height rarely exceeds 30 centimeters. The diameter of the flower is 2-3 centimeters. Both varieties have a deep red hue.
There are other types of adonis, among which it is worth noting:
- Adonis is golden. It has yellow petals with a beautiful golden hue. This variety is listed in the Red Book, so it must be handled with great care.
- Adonis Amursky. It is represented by a large number of varieties, the color palette of which is represented by red, green, yellow and even white. The buds are large, and in bad weather they tend to close.
- Adonis of the Apennine. It has a rich green color and large buds. The diameter of some representatives reaches 6 centimeters.
Growing features
If you decide to plant adonis on your site, check out the features of its cultivation. These include:
- sowing plant seeds;
- seedling care;
- planting seedlings in open ground.
Subject to all the rules for planting seeds and caring for them, the seedlings grow strong, and its adaptation to open ground becomes many times better. Seeds grown by inept gardeners will give weak shoots, which will quickly die at the slightest deviation from the temperature norm.
Sifting seeds
Growing adonis summer with seeds is a rather difficult task that takes a lot of time and effort from the gardener. When planting seeds in the ground, the following nuances should be considered:
- do not overmoisten the soil. Excessive watering is harmful to seeds; with an excess of moisture, they will simply rot before they have time to sprout;
- be patient. Seeds germinate for a very long time. The first shoots will appear, at best, a month after planting. In a bad situation, the seeds can germinate only after a year.
- seeds like soil saturated with a lot of oxygen. Do not forget to periodically loosen the soil, otherwise the final result may not meet your expectations.
Seedling care
Young shoots of adonis are demanding on a large amount of scattered light. In this case, it is worth making sure that the seedlings are not exposed to direct sunlight. Water the seedlings every day, and after watering, gently loosen the soil. After the seedlings grow a little and get stronger, it should be thinned out so that the distance between the seedlings is at least 15-20 centimeters.
Note! If you decide to thin out the seedlings in April, postpone this activity.
It will soon be time to plant the sprouts in open ground, and they may not withstand numerous manipulations.
When and how to plant in open ground
Planting is carried out at the end of April, beginning of May, when the seedlings are already properly formed and stronger. There are times when the transplant is carried out in September, since the owners of the site have delayed planting seeds. The most important thing is to remember that it takes adonis at least a month to take root in the soil, and the frosts that have come did not damage the root system of the plant.
The site should be selected carefully, as your decision will affect the further growth and formation of the culture. Choose lighted areas with a bit of shadow. So the plants will receive enough energy from the sun, without fading with prolonged contact with the sun's rays. An ideal area is considered to be well lit in the morning and in the shade in the evening.
How to care for an ornamental crop
Ornamental crop care includes:
- systematic watering of the soil;
- timely fertilization;
- preparation for the winter season.
These actions will not take much of your time, but will have a serious impact on the growth and formation of the seedling.
Watering rules
Watering is considered the most difficult part when caring for adonis. The culture requires stable and timely watering, otherwise it quickly loses strength. However, excessive soil moisture is also detrimental to the seedling, so a balance should be observed. Try not to allow the topsoil to dry out, and if a dry crust forms, it must be loosened properly.
Don't forget the weather conditions. If the week turned out to be rainy, then you should get away from additional watering of the beds. In the dry months, on the contrary, the frequency of watering is increased so that the plantings do not die from lack of moisture and excessive heat.
Fertilization
The soil in which the flowers grow must be enriched with a sufficient amount of organic fertilizers. In this case, the structure of the soil should be loose and light. Lime soils are ideal for this. In the case when you are using soil for the first time and are not sure of its quality - add a little compost and slaked lime to it. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the result will be the opposite of the desired one.
The soil is fed 2 times during the growing season, adding mineral and organic fertilizers. The first feeding is carried out before the formation of the green mass, the second is done at the end of the growing season.
Preparing adonis for winter
The preparation of the flower bed for winter occurs according to the following algorithm:
- pruning is performed, regardless of whether the plant is large or short;
- adonis should be trimmed carefully, without cutting off too large parts of the stems;
- it is advisable to cover the ground around with a small layer of peat. This will save the root system from severe frosts, especially if a bush with flowers has recently been transplanted into the ground;
- if the winter turned out to be cold, and a little snow attacked, rake it from the surrounding area, forming a small snowdrift over the flower bed.
When and how to collect seeds
The seeds are harvested after the end of the growing season. So you can be sure of the quality and freshness of the planting material. It is not recommended to store the collected material for a long period of time. It is advisable to pour it into the seedling pot and sprinkle it with a small layer of soil.
Diseases and pests
Adonis belongs to poisonous plants, so the gardener should not worry about parasites and other diseases. They bypass culture, and the flower itself has a fairly strong immunity.
Flower propagation
Flower reproduction is carried out in two ways:
- using seeds;
- dividing the bush.
Seed propagation is considered extremely labor intensive and time consuming. Reproduction by division also requires a lot of effort from the gardener, but it is done much faster. For division, bushes are suitable, which are at least five years old, the growing season of which is coming to an end.
Gardening applications
In gardening, adonis is used for:
- flower garden decoration;
- creating original borders from greenery;
- decoration of rocky hills;
- creating beautiful, fragrant bouquets.
