Cinquefoil bush or Kuril tea, is a picturesque bush with a compact crown, dotted with many small yellow, pink, and white flowers. Blooms from mid-June to October. All cinquefoils are not picky about soil, drought-resistant and winter-hardy.
Thanks to its amazing unpretentiousness, it is considered an indispensable decoration for gardens and personal plots. Feels good like V open ground , and in voluminous flowerpots, flowerpots on terraces, balconies, loggias.
Shrubs do not create any special problems for gardeners and do not require great care in care.
The main task is to choose the right place for planting and ensure sufficient soil moisture.
All types of shrubs are preferred sunny areas, with desirable shading from the midday sun, especially in southern regions.
Exceptions are capricious species, requiring special conditions for growing:
- “white” prefers partial shade
- "brilliant" grows well on sandy soils on the south side of the plots
- “Arctic” requires acidic soil.
Planting in open ground
It is better to plant a bush in early spring. In exceptional cases, the planting procedure is possible in late summer - early autumn. Plants are placed at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.
The frequency of planting bushes depends on the purpose - decorative or obtaining raw materials from the plant
If you plan to use the bush to obtain medicinal raw materials, the distance is reduced to 30 cm.
The soil must be loosened, well fertilized. It is recommended to carry out liming and ensure good drainage.
Place the root system of seedlings purchased from a nursery in advance in a clay mash with the addition of root formation stimulants such as Kornevin or Gumat for several hours. Subsequent stages:
Subsequently, it is necessary to protect the seedlings from lack of moisture for a month.
Care rules: watering, weeding, fertilizing
The main requirement for the rapid and high-quality development of plants is regular watering. Young bushes are watered once a week with half a bucket of water for a month. In dry summers, it is enough to water once every 8-10 days, one bucket at a time. warm water on the bush. The bush will respond with lush flowering to spraying on hot days.
During the summer season, loosening and weeding of weeds is carried out in a timely manner.
Flowering cinquefoil is fed mineral fertilizers three times– in May, July, September.
Due to the fact that there are almost no ready-made fertilizers for bloodroot on the market, it is easier to prepare it yourself In May, it is necessary to add phosphorus fertilizer and potassium sulfate, at the rate of 30 g per bucket of water to stimulate flowering.
Cinquefoil is cold-resistant and does not require winter shelter.
Pruning cinquefoil
Care includes another procedure - an annual haircut, which should be done in early spring before the buds appear and in the fall. Sanitary pruning necessary for removing broken dry branches and for forming a bush in the form of various geometric shapes, often a ball. In the spring, all last year's growth is cut back to a third of its length.
In autumn, old elongated branches are removed.
Every 4-5 years a rejuvenating haircut is performed. To give the bush an aesthetic appearance dry branches are removed dried shoots growing inside the bush.
The main purpose of pruning is to stimulate abundant flowering and maintain beautiful shape bush.
Diseases and pests
Cinquefoil is generally immune to disease.
However, under unfavorable conditions weather conditions(summer is cold and rainy), cinquefoil can be affected by:
- Rust. The leaves have yellow-brown spots with spores on them. back side. Treatment consists of foliar feeding solutions of potassium permanganate, boric acid. It is good to treat the bush with a solution colloidal sulfur, copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture.
To avoid infection, do not plant cinquefoil next to pine trees, where rust spores can overwinter.
- Spotting. Multi-colored spots on the leaves, reddish, gray or yellow, are visually observed. The reason lies in dry air, lack of nutrients, insufficient lighting or in low air temperatures.
The lesion must be treated with fungicides. It is better to remove heavily infected branches.
- Spider mites. They can appear in hot, dry summers. Brown spots on the leaves and cobwebs are visible. A control measure will be treating plants with a soap solution with ash.
- Scoops. They are destroyed by treatment with insecticides such as Fitoverm according to the instructions on the packaging.
Reproduction methods
There are several ways to propagate shrubs:
By division
Dig out a bush at the age of four years, wash and cut it sharp knife into pieces with 2-3 sprout buds. Treat the roots with a root formation stimulator and plant them in a new location. The process is carried out in the spring warm weather or autumn.
Cuttings
Cut off young shoots from last year's growth, remove the lower leaves, and treat with Kornevin. Plant in a shaded place in a greenhouse, or under glass jar to ensure comfortable air humidity. After 15-20 days, young plants can be planted on permanent place.
Needed on time pick from cuttings the inflorescences that appear weaken the young plant. High humidity Maintain by frequent spraying of cuttings throughout the day.
Seeds
Depending on climatic conditions, seeds are collected at the end of summer, or in September-October. The seeds need to be cleaned and dried. Store in breathable bags. Sow in spring.
The success of growing seeds directly depends on how correctly they are stored By layering
The selected lower shoot should be slightly cut along outside, bend it to the ground, pin it with the cut down, sprinkle with soil. Until autumn the layer appears root system, he is transplanted to a new place.
Creeping varieties are best propagated by layering.
Types and uses of cinquefoil bush
About 15 types of cinquefoil bush and Kuril tea (Dasiphora) are popular. All types are divided into three groups:
- with yellow flowers
- with white flowers
- with flowers of reddish shades, pink, orange.
The most common type is the yellow-flowered cinquefoil.
Description: general and yellow varieties
The shrubs are highly branched, with a height of 0.9 - 1.5 m. Young shoots are covered with small hairs, adults with grayish-brown bark. The leaves are green, small, trifoliate. IN summer season The bush is strewn with numerous flowers of various shades.
Flowers in the form of inflorescences at the ends of the branches. Flowering continues about three months. The seeds ripen in August-September.
With a close-up, it becomes clear why yellow cinquefoil is popular and loved by gardeners The most popular representatives of yellow cinquefoil are the following varieties:
Goldfinger
Stands out large size bush with erect shoots, bright yellow flowers against a background of emerald leaves. Bush 1.3 meters high with a crown diameter of up to 1.5 meters;
Goldstar
Characterized by golden-yellow flowers against a background of grey-green leaves. Bush up to 1 meter high with a crown diameter of up to 1.3 meters.
Princess: pink bush
Among the rose bushes Potentillas are distinguished by the Princess variety. This is a compact shrub with light pink flowers with yellow stamens against a background of light green foliage. A bush 0.7 meters high with a crown diameter of up to 1.2 meters.
Using cinquefoil in landscape design
The erect cinquefoil holds its shape perfectly. Thanks to this property, borders and low hedges made from its bushes look aesthetically pleasing.
Both single perennials on lawns and group plantings look harmonious.
The shrub has been successfully used when decorating flower beds- mixborders, rockeries and alpine slides.
Combination with other plants
Combinations of cinquefoil bushes with plants such as:
- Hosts
- Kizilniki
- Barberries
- Junipers
- Thuja occidentalis
A composition with Boumalda spirea or Thunberg barberry with red leaves will be beautiful.
Ideal companions Potentillas will become plants with white and blue colors.
It so happened that multi-colored shrubs of different varieties are used for alpine slides Let's consider what types of shrubs are used in decoration:
Rockeries and alpine slides
A win-win option - brilliant cinquefoil. Refers to the ground cover species. Pink flowers against a background of green leaves create a picturesque effect. In addition, this species thrives in dry, sunny areas on sandy and crushed stone bases.
Garden and flower beds
In flower beds, shrubby cinquefoil is used to embody a special design idea. Long flowering and compactness allow it to fit harmoniously into various compositions with trees, flower beds, and shrubs.
The Elizabeth variety (yellow-orange, low-growing) is good for creating single cropped forms- balloons, pillows. A well-chosen variety will decorate any area of the garden.
Hedges and borders
Dense, flowering crown and decorativeness makes cinquefoil the perfect plant for creating low hedges and borders for the design of edges and lawns. A haircut helps give them a formal look. For linear plantings, yellow-flowering varieties Goldstar and Goldfinger are more often used.
Landscape design is not just for common flowers and shrubs. There are often cases when gardeners turn to openly rare plants. That's why we told you.
The variety of flower colors, leaf shades, and shrub dimensions allows you to create attractive compositions with high decorative effect . Thanks to its long flowering, cinquefoil will delight you throughout the entire gardening season, and with proper care, the longevity of most varieties is 20-30 years.
In nature, there are about 500 species of cinquefoil, including herbaceous and shrub species. IN landscape design both are used. After all, in addition to their useful medicinal properties, cinquefoil and ornamental plant.
Planting cinquefoil bush in the garden
Cinquefoil shrub is not difficult to care for; planting and growing the plant is also not difficult.
When and where is the best time to plant
The best time for planting it will be the beginning of spring, after the snow melts. The soil must be warmed up. When choosing a place for a plant, keep in mind that the shrub lives in one place for many years without being transplanted. An illuminated area will be optimal, but straight Sun rays Desirable in the morning or evening, when the sun is less aggressive. The bright petals of some species fade under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. In full shade there is a risk of not waiting for the bloodroot to bloom.
How to prepare the soil for planting
It is better to plant cinquefoil as a shrub in the spring in fertile soils, facilitated by drainage. The planting hole is prepared in advance. Gravel or any other material is poured into the bottom for drainage, then covered with prepared soil. The composition is prepared from humus, leaf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1, and a complex mineral composition is added to it - 150 g. The soil should fill the hole halfway.
Important! It is preferable to use lime gravel for drainage, it contains calcium, necessary for plants for growth and development.
Landing scheme and procedure
The depth of the hole is about 50 cm, place the seedling on the bottom, straighten the roots and sprinkle, leaving the root collar on the surface. Fill with soil, water generously and mulch with sawdust. If you are planting several bushes, make a distance of 60 to 80 cm between the holes.
Combination with other plants
Narrow finger leaves form a patterned fluffy crown and retain succulent green color until late autumn, which makes it possible to combine cinquefoil in landscape design with early flowering plants and blooming late. Cinquefoil goes well with heuchera, barberry, cotoneaster and hosta. The plant perfectly complements compositions with heather, spirea and deciduous rhododendron. Combinations with juniper look interesting. Flower beds with cinquefoil and catnip, lavender and hyssop will be bright and elegant.
Did you know? Medicinal properties Potentillas help not only people; cinquefoil is also very actively used in veterinary medicine, in particular, as a hemostatic agent.
Features of caring for shrubby cinquefoil in the garden
Caring for shrubby cinquefoil will be kept to a minimum if you mulch after planting trunk circle plants. In this case, weeds will not grow abundantly. Loosening the soil is mandatory, but do it very carefully so as not to catch the roots of the plant.
How to water
After planting, young plants need to be watered once a week, about 3 liters of water per bush. In hot weather, increase watering to 2 times a week with a large volume of water. An adult plant usually receives enough rainfall. The main condition is that the soil should be moderately moist. After watering, loosen to a depth of 10 cm and mulch the tree trunk circle.
How often and what to feed
How and what to feed cinquefoil:
- During the period of development and growth, in the spring, potassium (sulfate) and phosphate are added. Mixtures of 30 g per bucket of water (per bush).
- During the formation of buds, the plant is fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. You can purchase any composition for flowering plants.
How to prune shrubby cinquefoil
Pruning of shrubby cinquefoil is carried out either in spring or autumn. Broken, dry and weak branches are removed from the bush. To give a certain shape, remove the branches that protrude from general form crowns Old bushes (more than 7 years) are rejuvenated by cutting off old shoots to a third of their length. Rejuvenate every year until the bush is completely renewed. 
Frost resistance of perennial cinquefoil
Potentilla seedlings must be protected from freezing during the first winter. The bush is hilled, covering the bare stems at the base, insulated with a layer of peat or humus, then spruce branches or special covering material are placed.
Adult shrubby cinquefoil plants do not need shelter in winter; the shrub is frost-resistant. From such plants you need to remove dried flowers and remove fallen leaves.
Interesting! The first written mention of cinquefoil is in the treatise “On the Properties of Herbs” by the medieval physician Odo from the city of Mena. The entry is dated 1477, which is remarkable; there is also a detailed drawing of the cinquefoil.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Cinquefoil is not too susceptible to pest invasion; caterpillars are the most annoying. To get rid of the pest, treat the plant with insecticides. Carry out the procedure twice, with a break of 2 weeks.
Diseases also avoid cinquefoil. The only thing that can destroy a plant is rust (a fungal disease). In this case, spray the bush with aqueous solutions of boron or manganese.
Attention! To avoid treating cinquefoil for rust, do not plant it near coniferous trees and bushes. These plants are carriers of the disease.
Vegetative methods of propagation of cinquefoil
The most time-efficient method of propagating cinquefoil is vegetative. Cuttings are taken and propagated by layering in late July - early August. The bush is divided in the spring, from April to early May, or in the fall in September.
Reproduction by layering
For this method select the stem closest to the ground and make a cut on it. Dig a shallow trench and place the shoot cut side down. To prevent the branch from rising, pin it with wire staples. Fill in the cuttings and water moderately. If the procedure was carried out in the spring, then by autumn the shoot will take root. Carefully separate it from the donor bush and plant it in a permanent place.
A not too large bush with pretty flowers is found very often in nature; it is familiar to almost every person. In this article we will talk about the shrubby cinquefoil, which is the name of this representative of the plant world.
Every corner of the garden can be decorated by planting suitable plants. When choosing, their decorative effect, stability and flowering duration are taken into account. All these requirements are met by care and cultivation which will not cause much trouble. Having learned how to properly care for it, you can replenish your flower garden with this beauty.
Types of Potentilla
In nature, cinquefoil can be found in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere: in the Far East, Siberia, China, Mongolia, Western Europe and the Altai mountains.
There are different types of shrubby cinquefoil. There are fifteen of them in the genus, all deciduous. This miracle of nature is numbered in more than a dozen varieties, which differ from each other in the color of leaves, flowers, and plant height. In places with a temperate climate, varieties with yellow-orange flowers feel most comfortable and stable.
Each variety of shrubby cinquefoil has its own flowering color. But most often it is white, tones.
The most popular varieties of shrubby cinquefoil:
- Cinquefoil bush "Abbotswood" is a bush up to one meter high with a dense cushion-shaped crown and light green leaves. The white flowers are small clusters. Abbotswood is part of one of the most the best varieties, looks good in group plantings of rock gardens and low-growing borders.
- Cinquefoil shrub "Guilford Cream" is a one and a half meter high bush with a dense cushion-shaped crown and dark green leaves. Large flowers begin to bloom in early July.
- Cinquefoil shrub "Red Ace" is distinguished by creeping shoots. The height of the bush is about 70 cm, the crown is 1.3 m wide, the leaves are dark green, the flowers are orange-red, beautiful.
- Cinquefoil shrub “Hoppy Orange” - plant height is half a meter, crown width is one meter, flowers are dark orange in color. This variety has established itself as a variety with high endurance and winter hardiness. It feels comfortable in summer cottages.
Botanical description
Cinquefoil shrub is a strongly branched bush. The branches are covered with red-brown or brown-gray bark, which peels off easily.
Leaves with two to three pairs of oblong or oblong-ovate leaflets 5-25 mm long and 1-8 mm wide, which are usually hairy, are rarely glabrous.
Flowers are formed on shoots grown in the current year. There are approximately 25-30 stamens inside, which is why the center is fluffy.
Blooming of one flower lasts from five hours to two days, depending on the ambient temperature and humidity. The shrub blooms from early May to late August. Plants are found with different colors of flowers, very reminiscent of the spring color of apple trees or rose hips. They begin to bear fruit in October. Cinquefoil shrub looks colorful and elegant in autumn, covered with yellow foliage.
Other names: Kuril bush tea, bush cinquefoil, cinquefoil.
care and cultivation
Cinquefoil is unpretentious in relation to the soil, but it is better to plant it in well-lit places in a loose and nutritious substrate. When planting, the root collar should be at ground level. Soil disease has a bad effect on the development of shrubs.
Planting shrubby cinquefoil is not a difficult task. You just need to follow some rules after planting the plant. Mandatory watering in dry summers and timely fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers.
Pruning cinquefoil
You can cause abundant flowering by timely pruning, removing unsuitable shrunken branches or shoots. Pruning of shrubby cinquefoil is carried out every two years. Shoots should be left at a level of 10 cm from the ground.
The bush can be made spherical or in the shape of a pyramid; this will greatly enhance its decorative effect.
To circumcise is to perform a “surgical operation.” Therefore, it should be done at a time when healing will be better. IN in this case- in the spring. Pruning helps rejuvenate the bush.
Pests and diseases
Like all living things, cinquefoil is susceptible to disease. One of them is rust. There is no major damage from it, but it has a strong effect on decorativeness. Planting near pine trees should be avoided.
It’s easy to get rid of such a disease; just spray it with fungicides, a solution of manganese, and boron. There are no pests.
Cinquefoil shrub: reproduction
One of the propagation methods is cuttings. It is better to cut cuttings fifteen centimeters long at the end of June, by which time the branches will already have gained strength for independent development. It is necessary to remove the leaves from the underside and place the prepared cuttings in a growth stimulator for twelve hours.
Plant the finished cuttings in a prepared greenhouse, covering it with glass or film. Remove all formed buds in order to successful growth root system.
After about a month, 90% of the cuttings will have roots and take root safely. You can leave them in the greenhouse until next spring. Seedlings from cuttings take root easily when planted under a jar.
You can propagate shrubby cinquefoil by layering, pressing it to the ground and then digging it in. It will be possible to separate the cuttings from the bush only next spring. This method is considered the simplest and easiest.
A good propagation option is dividing a four-year-old bush. In spring, in warm weather, separate the sprout with growth buds and immediately plant in place, then water generously.
IN natural conditions Potentilla shrub reproduces by self-sowing. Sometimes gardeners collect them themselves and then sow the seeds, but this method is ineffective. When using it, the maternal qualities of the plant are almost not transmitted.
Landscape design
Thanks to its unpretentiousness in cultivation and long flowering period, shrubby cinquefoil looks good in low-growing hedges and is a decoration garden compositions. After planting the plant, you can form a low-growing border.
A planted bush on a small lawn or lawn will for a long time please abundant flowering. The plant can be used to create group and single plantings.
By choosing the right varieties, you can make a mini-garden of plants, which will include shrubby cinquefoil, which even a novice gardener can care for and grow.
Beneficial features
Kuril bush tea has about 3000 species. The plant was given a name, which translated from Latin means strong, mighty for its beneficial properties. healing properties. At one time, Ilya Muromets breathed its aromas, which made him stronger and more powerful. In ancient times, healers called cinquefoil a powerful plant.
The plant (cinquefoil bush) can be used in the treatment of urinary incontinence in children, diabetes mellitus, pyelonephritis, as well as for washing purulent wounds and treating burns and boils.
People use an infusion of flowering branches for pain and cramping in the stomach and intestines, for dyspepsia, bloody diarrhea, and as a hemostatic agent. Tibetans drink this remedy for pneumonia as an expectorant.
The roots of the bush are also endowed with healing properties; they are used for diarrhea. An infusion of the whole plant is used to treat stomatitis, purulent sore throat and other oral diseases.
July is the most suitable month for procuring medicinal raw materials. During this period, the cinquefoil will already fully bloom, and during flowering it has the ability to produce all the useful substances.
A wonderful plant is the shrubby cinquefoil. Caring for and growing this useful bush makes it possible to receive pleasure and enjoyment from the work done, and at the same time brings enormous benefits.
Spring, summer, autumn or winter – it doesn’t matter at all for the cinquefoil when to delight us with its stunning appearance! In summer, the plant blooms from July to August, decorating thousands of gardens with charming yellow, white and pink inflorescences. In the fall, she exchanges her summer “dress” for a mesmerizing golden “coat”. Even in winter, its reddish branches joyfully stand out against the background of white snow.
Growing cinquefoil gives gardeners more pleasure than problems: it does not require any particularly careful care. The main thing is to choose the right place to plant the cinquefoil and provide sufficient humidity.
Where to plant cinquefoil?
Shrub cinquefoil (its second name is Kuril tea) is not a very tall plant, usually up to 80cm. There are some varieties that grow up to 1m. At the same time, its branches are quite spreading.
Like many other plants, cinquefoil loves the sun. But not too much. If you plant a shrub under the scorching sun, its bright yellow or deep pink flowers can become very pale. That's why perfect place for planting cinquefoil it should be slightly shaded. But if the cinquefoil does not get enough sun, it will grow slowly and is unlikely to ever begin to delight you with its flowering.
Almost all varieties of shrubs take root better on loamy soils. All pink cinquefoils are considered especially whimsical. These varieties grow better in southern regions. For the winter, pink cinquefoil bushes often require a little shelter.
Planting pit for cinquefoil
It is best to plant cinquefoil in early spring. If these are seeds, then they need to be carefully spread into loosened and fertilized soil. The strongest shoots are removed from the weak ones after a month. For 2-year-old seedlings, dig holes 60 cm deep. The landing process itself looks something like this:
- A drainage made of limestone gravel is placed at the bottom of the hole (cinquefoil loves calcium, and there is a lot of it in this gravel).
- The drainage is lightly sprinkled with soil mixed with humus and coarse sand.
- A seedling is placed in the hole and covered with the remaining soil mixed with mineral fertilizers.
- Immediately after planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly, and the ground around them is sprinkled with sawdust.
Cinquefoil care basics
In order for the plant to develop well and quickly, the soil must not be allowed to dry out. After planting, young seedlings are watered every 7-8 days with half a bucket of water for 3 weeks. Mostly, cinquefoil needs rain moisture. But during periods of drought, you can water the bloodroot once every 2 weeks. One bucket of water per bush will be enough. It is not recommended to water the plant with ice water.
Cinquefoil, like all ladies, loves to care for its crown: it needs a haircut every year. It is best to prune bushes in the spring, so as not to further injure the plant. All growth of the current year is cut off by a third, a little more is possible if this is necessary to give the bush the desired shape. The main task of pruning cinquefoil is to stimulate abundant flowering.
In the spring, phosphate fertilizer and potassium sulfate are applied under the bush (25-30 g of each per bucket of water; one bucket per 1 bush). The cinquefoil must always be kept clean: remove weeds, loosen the soil.
And finally...
Growing cinquefoil allows you to receive not only aesthetic pleasure, but also benefits! Kuril tea flowers contain a lot of vitamin C, carotene, essential oils, tannin, organic acids. These beneficial substances make cinquefoil an excellent assistant in the fight against colds and flu and help normalize metabolism. And the taste of brewed cinquefoil flowers is very pleasant! And using Kuril tea is very simple: 1 tablespoon of dried flowers in 0.2 liters of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes.
The inhabitants of the garden can sometimes please not only with decorativeness, but also beneficial properties. This category can easily include the low-maintenance “Kuril tea” or shrubby cinquefoil, which does not require special skills to grow. This beautiful plant can become the center of a flower garden and serve for the preparation of medicinal raw materials. We will tell you how to properly plant cinquefoil on your site and care for it, which varieties can decorate your dacha with bright flowers.
Description of the plant
Cinquefoil bush gets its name from the shape of its leaves, which resemble a tiny paw. Previously, these plants from the Rosaceae family were classified into various genera, but now they have been separated into the genus Pentaphylloides.
Cinquefoil has a shrubby habit. The bush, 10-150 cm high, consists of straight shoots that branch intensively. The branches are covered with red-brown flaking bark. Young shoots are densely covered with thin hairs; adult branches have no pubescence. Each leaf blade of cinquefoil consists of two or three pairs of leaves with a trifoliate apex. The surface of the tiny oval lobes is densely covered with appressed hairs. The length of a small leaf is no more than 3 cm, width is about 10 mm.
The flowering period of cinquefoil falls at the beginning of summer. Depending on the variety, numerous flowers are single or collected in apical inflorescences in the form of an umbrella, shield, or brush. Wild relatives of cinquefoil have yellow flowers. The structure of the corolla is simple, it consists of 5 petals and a fluffy center with stamens. Varieties of hybrid origin can boast various shapes bush, a wide palette of petal colors.
Beneficial features
If the classic variety of “Kuril tea” grows on your site, it can be used to prepare medicinal raw materials. To do this, shoots, flowers and leaves are collected from the bush throughout the growing season. They can be used to brew a drink fresh (2 tablespoons per 300 ml of water) or dried for the winter. The infusion is used as tea leaves.
Kuril tea tastes little different from the classic drink, but has a delightful aroma and a unique chemical composition. The amount of vitamin C in raw materials exceeds lemons by 5 times. The plant contains trace elements and antioxidants, essential oils.
Thanks to the rich chemical composition the drink has an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antimicrobial, and tonic effect.
Carefully monitor your blood pressure levels: Kuril tea helps reduce this indicator. Pregnant women and people with allergies should avoid drinking the drink.
Popular varieties
If you choose shrubby cinquefoil as a decoration summer cottage, feel free to buy hybrid varieties. Their winter hardiness is lower than that of the botanical species, but their spectacular appearance is worth the hassle of growing and caring for them.
The following varieties are popular bush cinquefoil.
- Goldfinger - forms dense cushions with dark green foliage. Plant height is 120-150 cm. The flowers are deep yellow in color and have a corolla with a diameter of 50 mm. It is considered one of the most beautiful varieties.
- Kobold is a low-growing cultivar with a height of 50-60 cm. The crop forms a neat, lush crown with a diameter of up to 120 cm and requires formative pruning. The color of the petals is light yellow. Decorative from mid-summer until frost. The Potentilla variety Kobold is suitable for hedges.
- Abbotswood reaches a height of 80-100 cm, crown girth 130 cm. The diameter of the flowers is 2.5 cm, the color of the corolla is white. Flowering lasts from early summer until the end of the season.
- Flash Royale is a low-growing cultivar with a height of 50-70 cm. It remains decorative throughout the season. In summer it attracts with large red flowers. As the petals age, they turn dark pink. In autumn, the dark green crown has a silvery tint.
- Red Ice has beautiful light green foliage. The height of the bush is 60-65 cm, the girth is twice as large. At the beginning of summer, the red-orange corollas open, changing color to yellow-orange. The Red Ice variety is decorative throughout the season.
These are just the most popular cinquefoil hybrids. Although there are many varieties of this plant, our compatriots prefer the classic “Kuril tea”.
Planting on the site
Enjoy healthy drink from cinquefoil or creating a spectacular flower garden is possible only if the plant is planted correctly.
Shrubs can be planted in spring or autumn. The shallow root system of shrubby cinquefoil takes root more easily in early spring after the snow has melted and the soil has warmed up. Autumn planting carried out a month before the cold snap, it is best to start work in mid-September. Before entering the dormant period, the cinquefoil will have time to take root.
Many gardeners prefer to plant shrubs in the fall, since a large assortment of healthy planting material appears in nurseries.
The endurance of the cinquefoil will be the envy of any garden dweller. She is not afraid of strong cold winds, so you can plant bushes even in open space. When choosing a planting site, it is important to consider that under the scorching sun the petals can fade, especially in colored varieties like Red Ice or Royal Flush. This will shorten the flowering period and worsen the decorative effect. Cinquefoil prefers openwork partial shade; in full shade it will not be possible to achieve flowering and lush growth.
Shrub cinquefoil is demanding on the structure of the substrate - heavy clay soils they don't suit her. It is important to take care of good drainage so as not to cause rotting of the root system. Light soil with a pH of 5.5-7.5 is suitable for the shrub.
Rules for preparing the planting pit:
- the hole for planting shrubs is prepared 10-14 days before planting the cinquefoil, so that the soil has time to compact;
- the optimal hole size is 50 by 50 cm;
- a drainage layer of crushed stone or brick chips height 15-20 cm;
- half the hole is filled with a nutritious soil mixture of equal parts of leaf soil and humus, add a little sand and 150 g of the complete mineral complex;
- When planting, the upper part of the hole is filled with soil removed during digging (fertile layer).
You can plant shrubby cinquefoil not only in holes, but also in trenches, which is important when creating a hedge. They are prepared in the same way.
“Kuril tea” is planted using the following technology.
- Before planting, the roots of the seedling are trimmed, forming a branched lobe.
- Place a nutrient cushion on the drainage layer, filling half of the planting hole.
- Carefully distribute the roots of the seedling in the hole, gradually cover it with fertile soil, and compact it. The root collar should remain at soil level.
- Pour a bucket of warm water under each cinquefoil bush in portions and mulch the surface with peat.
Maintain a spacing between bushes of at least 1 m; when planting a hedge, plant individuals at a spacing of 40 cm.
Rules of care
Caring for shrubby cinquefoil is very simple. Proper care includes watering, fertilizing, pruning and preparing for winter.
Adult cinquefoil tolerates dry conditions well; it only needs to be watered when there is a long absence of rain. Young seedlings are irrigated once a week. The next morning it is useful to loosen the soil, remove weeds and mulch. Watering rate is 10 liters per bush.
Evening spraying with warm water will have a positive effect on the health of the seedlings. Make sure that the sun has already disappeared below the horizon, otherwise burns will appear on the tender leaves.
The supply of nutrients in landing pit Potentilla will last for a year. Every spring you need to feed the crop with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers long acting(granular). The application rate is 150 g per square meter.
Pruning cinquefoil
Pruning of shrubby cinquefoil is divided into two types.
- Sanitation is carried out throughout the season. Broken and weak branches, shoots affected by pests and fungi must be removed.
- Formative is performed in early spring or early autumn. Formation is carried out once every 3 years, removing a third of each shoot.
By formative pruning you can grow a similar standard form shrubby cinquefoil. To do this, select the most powerful branches and remove all growth on the lower third of the shoot. The branches intertwine at the bottom, forming a small tree. Every year the lower part of the shoots is cleared of lateral growth.
Diseases and pests
The health hazards of shrubby cinquefoil are:
- leaf spot;
- powdery mildew;
- rust.
If you detect signs of disease, treat with copper-containing preparations (CHOM, copper sulfate) or fungicides (“Fufanon”, “Fundazol”). Pests do not like the dense pubescence of the bush; they avoid the plant.
Preparing for winter
Varieties of shrubby cinquefoil have different thresholds of winter hardiness. Plants with white and yellow flowers are not afraid of frost. Before wintering, clear the tree trunk area of foliage and sprinkle the root collar with a layer of peat to a height of 15 cm.
If the color of the petals of the cinquefoil is pink or red, it is better to build an air-dry shelter over the bush.
Reproduction methods
Shrub cinquefoil can be propagated in the following ways.
- Seeds. The method is rarely used, since growing seedlings takes 4 years and is not preserved. varietal characteristics. The seeds are sown in greenhouses or boxes, and the seedlings are covered with peat for the winter.
- By layering. Pin the developed shoot into a small groove, and next spring separate it from the mother plant and plant it in a permanent place. The plant will bloom in a year.
- Dividing the bush. In early spring, dig up a bush 5-6 years old and cut it into several parts so that each has renewal buds and a developed bunch of roots. Already this year, young specimens will delight with flowering.
- By cuttings. Root lignified cuttings 10 cm long in a mixture of peat and sand. They need to be buried so that only the crown, 2 cm long, remains. After a year, plant the seedlings in a flowerbed, they will bloom the next season.
Nature has given gardeners a valuable and beautiful plant – the cinquefoil bush. Breeders have turned it into a real garden decoration. Whatever variety of bloodroot you choose, follow the growing rules described above.
