Cinquefoil shrub: growing for joy and comfort. Everything you need to know for growing shrub cinquefoil Dividing shrub cinquefoil

Planting cinquefoil

Cinquefoil care

Pruning cinquefoil

How to propagate cinquefoil

cuttings

dividing the bush

By layering

When planning to grow and propagate new crops in the garden, think about the cinquefoil bush. Abundant and long flowering, easy care are the main advantages of this perennial. The article will tell you about the varieties of cinquefoil and its planting in open ground.

Description of cinquefoil: varieties and varieties

If in ancient times healers wanted to stop bleeding from a wound, relieve pain or cure poisoning, cinquefoil shrubs came to the rescue. Caring for and growing the crop does not cause any trouble for gardeners. Nowadays the perennial is more cultivated as an ornamental plant. There are at least 500 species of shrubby cinquefoil (quinquefoil). Here are just a few varieties:

Anyone who has been growing and propagating cinquefoil for many years knows that it makes an excellent drink, rich in vitamin C. For this reason, the plant is called Kuril tea. In Siberia and the Kuril Islands, it is most common as a remedy for colds and flu. Those who have already used cinquefoil in landscape design on their site probably liked the ease of its cultivation and ease of care.

Planting a plant

The optimal location is partial shade. When landing on sunny area you risk not admiring the bright flowering of the five-leaf plant. Some varieties fade under hot rays. In absolute shade the plant will not develop well.

Advice. Cinquefoil tolerates planting well not only in open ground, but also in large flowerpots on balconies or loggias.

The soil should be rich in humus, well drained, loam is preferred. The most demanding in this regard pink varieties. Plant bloodroot in spring or fall. The depth of the holes is about 50 cm, the distance between them is about 60-80 cm. Lay the drainage in a layer of up to 20 cm. It is best to use limestone gravel: it contains calcium.

Choose for Potentilla cozy place in partial shade

Pour soil with sand and humus on top. Place the seedling in the hole, making sure that the root collar does not go deep into the ground. Fill it with soil in combination with complex mineral fertilizer. The final stages of planting are abundant watering and mulching with sawdust.

Advice. In addition to compost and sand, 100 g of lime or ash can be added to the pits for nutrition and care.

Cinquefoil care

For good growth in open ground and flowering, cinquefoil requires moist soil. Therefore, the main rule of care is watering. Often, cinquefoil only needs rainwater, and it is also considered a drought-resistant plant. However, still make sure that the soil does not dry out.

In the first 3 weeks after planting, young seedlings should be given half a bucket of water once every 7-8 days. During hot summers, provide watering 2-3 times a week. A bucket of water will be enough for each bush, but not ice water. Finish the procedure by loosening (to a depth of 5-10 cm) and mulching.

It is very important to maintain soil moisture

The appearance of the cinquefoil requires regular maintenance. Remove weeds and trim bushes. Pruning is best done in spring or fall. Once every 3 years, trim the branches by about 1/3 or a little more if the landscape design requires it.

Fertilizer and feeding

In addition to the mineral fertilizer applied during planting, cinquefoil needs the following feeding:

Potassium sulfate and phosphate fertilizer:

  • 25-30 g of both per bucket of water;
  • 1 bucket is enough for 1 bush;
  • application time is spring.

For abundant flowering, the crop needs regular feeding.

Phosphorus and potassium fertilizing:

  • use any according to the instructions;
  • Application time: before flowering.

Potentilla propagation

When growing cinquefoil, 4 propagation methods are used:

  • layering;
  • cuttings;
  • dividing the bush;
  • seeds.

When propagating by layering, the cut shoot is bent to the ground. The cut site is secured with a pin and sprinkled with soil. When the cutting has acquired its roots, it is planted in a new place. This is the easiest method.

Rooted cuttings of cinquefoil

Cuttings are cut in the summer from those branches that appeared last year, removing the lower leaves. Plant them in moist soil in the shade of the garden, covered with a jar or bottle. Water during the day. The buds are removed so that they do not weaken the plant.

If the cinquefoil is already 4 years old, it can be divided and planted. The selected shoot with growth buds is separated from the main bush and rooted in open ground. They do this both in spring and autumn. The main condition is warm weather.

Seeds for subsequent propagation are collected either at the end of summer or in September-October. They can be dried and stored for several years or planted immediately. Distribute them over the surface of the soil and press down lightly. Self-seeding, which is typical for cinquefoil, is also used. Young shoots from seeds are planted in temporary ridges, and after a couple of years - on permanent place.

Diseases and pests

And here is a reason to rejoice for gardeners who grow cinquefoil. Planting and caring for it are also simple because pest control is not required. They are perennial practically not touched. Almost the only misfortune is rust.

Cinquefoil is quite resistant to both diseases and pest attacks.

Yellow-brown spots with a purple tint appear on the leaves. If the bush is severely affected, the foliage curls and dries out, you will need to spray it with a solution of manganese and boron or sulfur. Rust develops well on pine branches; avoid proximity to this conifer.

Cinquefoil shrub: combination with other plants

Good partners for the five-leaf plant:

  • Heuchera;
  • junipers;
  • barberry;
  • cotoneaster;
  • hosta

Cinquefoil in a flowerbed

The combination of yellow cinquefoil with:

  • catnip;
  • lavender;
  • hyssop.

Plants with white, blue and blue flowers are a good addition to the five-leaf plant.

Cinquefoil shrub in landscape design

This plant holds its shape well. Borders and hedges look beautiful. A single cinquefoil bush on the lawn looks harmonious. Often in landscape design this perennial is used for:

Cinquefoil in landscape design

  • flower beds-mixborders;
  • rosaries;
  • rock gardens.

Cinquefoil shrub can grow in open ground for up to 20-30 years. Make room for it and it will decorate your garden all year round.

Cinquefoil: video

Types of Potentilla shrub: photo

Cinquefoil (lat. Potentilla) is one of the largest genus of the Rosaceae family in terms of number of species, the most characteristic representatives of which are the cinquefoil goose and the cinquefoil erect, or galangal grass. Among the cinquefoils, of which there are about five thousand species in the world, there are many herbaceous species of perennial, biennial and annual plants and subshrubs. Both the cinquefoil grass and the cinquefoil subshrub are grown in garden culture.

The stems of representatives of this genus are most often erect, widened or erect, sometimes creeping. The leaves are multipartite or pinnate, green or gray-green in color. Shrub species of cinquefoil reach a height of one and a half meters, growing in width by approximately one meter. The flowers of most species are collected in pseudo-umbellate or corymbose-paniculate inflorescences, but there are species with single flowers. The colors of the flowers are varied - red, golden yellow, orange, pink, cream, white. Potentilla flower lasts a long time - from May to September. The fruit consists of a large number of achenes - from 10 to 80, usually bare, but sometimes hairy, and the more exotic the type of plant, the larger the fruit.

All cinquefoils are undemanding to growing conditions, with the exception of a few finicky species, which include, for example, white cinquefoil, which prefers to grow in the shade, or shiny cinquefoil, which feels best in southern exposure on dry sandy soils. All other species love bright areas, shaded in the afternoon by other plants, and loose, slightly acidic, nutritious and well-drained soil containing a small amount of lime. The exception is arctic cinquefoil, which needs acidic soil.

Professionals say that you can sow the seeds of herbaceous cinquefoil species simply in the ground in the fall, so that they undergo natural stratification over the winter, after which in the spring the seedlings sprout together, and all that remains is to plant them. You can sow seeds in the ground in spring. But it’s better not to risk the seed and grow seedlings by sowing the seeds in February or March and germinating them under polyethylene at a temperature of 15-18 ºC. As soon as the seedlings have real leaves, they need to be planted in separate cups or peat pots. Seedlings grow slowly, but, nevertheless, at the end of summer they are planted in open ground in a permanent place. For the winter, young plants must be covered. Potentillas bloom from seeds in the second year. Cinquefoil often reproduces by self-sowing.

Planting shrubby cinquefoil. In early spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws, seedlings of shrubby cinquefoil varieties are planted in holes that should be twice as deep and wide as the earthen ball or the size of the container in which the cinquefoil roots are located. The distance between two bushes should be at least 30 cm. A layer of lime gravel is poured onto the bottom of the hole as drainage, then the hole is half filled with a mixture of humus, leaf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1, to which 150 g of complex mineral fertilizer is added .

The seedling is lowered into the hole so that its root collar is slightly above the level of the surface of the site, then the hole is filled to the top with garden soil, compacted and watered. For three weeks after planting, make sure that the cinquefoil bush does not lack water. Mulch the area with straw, bark or sawdust - this will prevent the soil from drying out too quickly. If necessary, planting of cinquefoil is carried out in late summer or early autumn.

Growing shrubby cinquefoil, like herbaceous cinquefoil, does not require much effort. Caring for plants consists of weeding, loosening the soil, watering, fertilizing, removing faded flowers and mulching the soil on the site. You will have to water the cinquefoil only during the period of no rain once every two weeks with a bucket of warm water under each bush, and if you mulch the area with peat or sawdust in the spring, you will also have to weed and loosen the soil infrequently. In the summer you will need to add mulch to the area two or three times. You need to feed cinquefoil with mineral fertilizers for flowering plants three times a season - in May, July and August or September. This is a mandatory program for caring for cinquefoil, but if on sultry summer evenings at the end of a hot day you spray the cinquefoil with water, it will thank you for this with abundant flowering.

In addition to the seed method of propagation, cinquefoils use vegetative methods - dividing the bush, cuttings and layering. Cuttings and propagation by layering are carried out in July-August, and dividing the bush in the spring, in April-May, or in the fall, in early September. To divide the cinquefoil rhizome, a bush that has reached four years of age is dug up, the rhizome is washed and cut into pieces with a sharp sterile knife, each of which should have 2-3 buds. The roots of the divisions are treated with a root formation stimulator and planted in the ground, trying not to bury the buds. When planting, maintain a distance between divisions of 20-40 cm.

Cuttings 8-10 cm long are cut from the ends of the shoots, removing the flowers. Root the shoots in damp perlite for a month and a half in a frost-free room. You can plant them for rooting simply in the ground somewhere in a shady corner of the garden, covering with a jar or cut plastic bottle, spraying them several times a day. If buds appear, they must be torn off so that flowering does not weaken the rooting cuttings. For the winter, the cuttings are covered with spruce branches.

The easiest way to reproduce is layering. How to propagate cinquefoil by layering? Select a low-growing shoot in the spring, cut it along the outside, place the shoot in the dug groove with the cut down, attach it to the ground in this exact place and cover it with earth. By autumn, the cuttings will have formed a root system and can be separated from the mother plant and transplanted to a permanent place.

Pruning cinquefoil
Growing and caring for shrubby cinquefoil, in addition to the listed procedures, also requires pruning of the plant, which is carried out in early spring, before the buds open, and in the fall. If the cinquefoil is not cut, the plant becomes a shaggy, unkempt bush. Pruning cinquefoil pursues sanitary purposes, for which broken, dry and inward-growing branches are removed from the bush, and also serves to shape the bush - most often the plant is given the shape of a ball or pillow. In the spring, last year's growths are cut back by a third, and in the fall, shoots that are too elongated and old are removed. Mature plants are subjected to rejuvenating treatment every five years or if a large number of dry twigs appear. To do this, a third of the dry branches on the bush are cut off for three years in a row. As a result, the bush is completely renewed.

When the annual cinquefoil loses its decorative properties, it is removed and the area is dug up with fertilizers. After flowering, the shoots of shrubby cinquefoil are cut by a third; as a preventive measure to combat diseases, the bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.

Cinquefoil is perennial, whether it is herbaceous or shrubby, and does not need shelter for the winter, since it has a high degree of cold resistance. Only rooted cuttings and young seedlings planted in autumn should be covered.

As you can see, planting and caring for cinquefoil is not at all burdensome, and you are unlikely to have to fight diseases or harmful insects, since pests and diseases rarely bother cinquefoil. Sometimes it is affected by rust, spotting or powdery mildew. If the infection occurs with an annual species of cinquefoil, then there is no particular problem - the plant will not lose its decorative properties, and in the fall it must still be disposed of. Perennial varieties and types of cinquefoil need to be treated with a fungicide - Bordeaux mixture or colloidal sulfur, for example. Among the pests on cinquefoil, cutworms are sometimes found, which are destroyed by treating the plant with insecticides such as Fufanon, Decis Profi, and Fitoverm.

There are so many varieties and types of cinquefoil that even listing them would take a full chapter, so we will introduce you only to the most popular types. So, among the herbaceous species the most famous are:

perennial with trifoliate silvery pubescent leaves collected in a rosette, with pink or white flowers.

It is a perennial with a height of eight to twenty-five centimeters with complex palmate-lobed basal leaves with brown stipules. Its flowers are white, up to three centimeters in diameter, collected several times in loose umbellate or racemose inflorescences. Peduncles reach a height of 25 cm; the plant has no stem leaves.

Potentilla anserina

Or Houndstooth. The basal rosette of this species is formed by pinnately compound leaves up to 20 cm long, pubescent on the underside. Peduncles are leafless, bearing single flowers yellow color up to 2 cm in diameter.

A perennial plant up to 50 cm high with branched straight purple stems. The leaves are palmate, dark green, large - up to 30 cm long. The flowers, also large - up to 3 cm in diameter, red or light pink with dark pink veins - collected in panicles, bloom from the beginning of July for almost two months. The most attractive varieties:

Cinquefoil "Roxana"- with salmon-orange flowers with dark veins.
Cinquefoil "Miss Wilmott"- pink cherry flowers with a dark eye. The variety blooms profusely and for a long time.
Cinquefoil "Floris"- delicate salmon-colored flowers with a red-orange eye.

Cinquefoil erecta or galangal (Potentilla erecta)

It grows in the tundra and forest zones on the edges, lawns along the banks of rivers and swamps. This is a perennial plant with an unevenly thickened woody rhizome. The erect stem is no higher than 20 cm, branched in the upper part and leafy, the leaves are trifoliate - sessile stem, basal, dying off at the beginning of flowering - on long petioles. Flowers, solitary, regular, up to 1 cm in diameter, on thin long stalks, bloom in June-August.

A perennial with a large tuberous rhizome, slender arcuately rising stems up to 30 cm high, long-scaled basal and lower stem leaves and three to five-parted middle and upper stem leaves, densely covered with white hair on the underside. The loose corymbose-paniculate inflorescence consists of small flowers up to 12 mm in diameter. Plants of this species bloom in June-July.

this species combines varieties and garden forms of hybrid origin. In most plants, the rhizome is oblique or vertical, the stems are pubescent, strongly branched, erect, up to 90 cm high with leaves collected in a basal rosette - the lower leaves are trifoliate or palmate on long petioles with sharp teeth along the edges, the stem leaves are trifoliate, sessile.

The velvety flowers of this variety are up to 4 cm in diameter, red, yellow, dark purple or pink, forming a loose racemose or corymbose inflorescence. Known varieties:

Cinquefoil "Master Floris"- Abundantly and long-blooming cinquefoil with simple large yellowish flowers.

Cinquefoil "Yellow Queen"– Potentilla up to 30 cm tall with yellow shiny flowers.
Cinquefoil "Vulcan"– terry cinquefoil of bright red color.

In addition to the described types of herbaceous cinquefoils, two-flowered, golden, long-leaved, shaggy, Krantz, deceptive, tansy, dark blood-red, silver-leaved, Tonga, three-toothed, shiny, stemless, snow-white, arctic and others have become widespread.

Potentilla yellow or Kuril tea

Among the shrub species, Kuril cinquefoil, also known as yellow cinquefoil, also known as Kuril tea, or five-leaved flower (Pentaphylloides fruticosa), is grown in cultivation. In the specialized literature, this species was classified as a cinquefoil, but recently it has been separated into a separate genus - Kuril tea, Dasiphora (Dasys - densely hairy, phoros - bearing). This genus includes ten species, on the basis of which many cultivated plants have been bred. garden forms and varieties that are honey plants and are often used by designers to create picturesque hedges.

a shrub reaching a height of 60 cm with spaced bare shoots, five-parted, almost leathery leaves, shiny on the upper side and bluish on the lower side. White flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter, most often solitary, but sometimes forming few-flowered umbrella-shaped inflorescences, they bloom for more than three months.

Shrub cinquefoil
(Pentaphylloides fruticosa)

In nature, it has a vast range, covering the forests and forest-steppes of Western Europe and Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. This is an unusually hardy, highly branched plant up to one and a half meters high with gray or brown exfoliating bark and a dense hemispherical crown. Lanceolate, entire leaves up to three centimeters long and one wide, three-five-seven-parted; when young they are soft green, then they become silvery-green due to pubescence. Single or collected in loose apical corymbs or racemes, golden-yellow flowers up to 2 cm in diameter bloom from mid-June to early October.

The most popular of the low-growing varieties are: Dakota Sunrise, Abbotswood, Goldstar, Jolaina, Goldfinger, Reisenberg with orange-yellow flowers and Farrer's White and Rhodocalyx with white flowers.

Tall, winter-hardy shrubs over a meter high are represented by the Elizabeth and Katherine Dykes varieties with yellow flowers.

Winter-hardy varieties with silver-gray leaves: Darts Golddigger, Goldterppich, Bisi.

Compact, low varieties that require shelter for the winter: Klondike, Kobold with yellow flowers, Parvifolia, Red Ice, Red Robbin with copper-yellow flowers, Sunset with yellow-orange to brick-red flowers, Eastleigh Cream with creamy white flowers and Daydown, Royal Flash, Pretty Polly and Blink with pink flowers.

In addition to the described species of shrubby cinquefoils, the Manchurian, small-leaved, Friedrichsen and dry-flowered five-leafed plants are of undoubted interest, the capabilities of which have not yet been sufficiently studied by breeders.

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Cinquefoil is an unpretentious herbaceous crop that comes from the Rosaceae family. More than 500 species can be found in nature. Garden plots contain both low-growing and tall shrubs, as well as creeping species, which are used by many summer residents and flower growers to add sophistication to flower beds, borders, and alpine slides.

The most popular among flower growers are perennial varieties of flowers that do not require special care and also have a long flowering period. What are the features of caring for yellow cinquefoil in open ground?

The colors of the plant varieties are so different that any gardener can get confused when choosing the appropriate color for their summer cottage. The flowering process of cinquefoil begins in early May and continues until September. It blooms with yellow, snow-white, red, cream, pink, and orange buds. Potentilla is most common in the Urals, Western Siberia and the Caucasus, where shrubby cinquefoil is usually called Kuril tea or cinquefoil.

For the first time, cinquefoil was found on the territory of the Kuril Islands, after which it spread throughout Russia and other countries. Since ancient times, flowers have contained large amounts of vitamin C, essential oils, and tannin.

Gardeners most often used this crop in the form of medicinal tea, which can cure colds and quickly improve the health of a sick person. Today it is a beautiful ornamental crop, which is valuable for landscape designers because of its unpretentiousness in cultivation, ease of care and long flowering period throughout the summer.

Characteristics and description of shrubby cinquefoil

Cinquefoil is a crop that includes a large number annual crops, biennials, as well as perennials, among which you can easily find shrubby plants and herbaceous species.

Cinquefoil bush. A perennial crop, presented in the form of a shrub, with a dense and spherical shape. The plant can grow up to 1.5 meters. This plant is considered the most common of the other cinquefoil varieties.

This variety is popularly called Kuril tea or five-leaf tea. Compact and branched shrubs in natural growing conditions can often be found on rocky slopes, screes, as well as in cracks between rocks, where the plant almost always creates pubescent thickets.

The leaves of the shrub-type cinquefoil are slightly drooping and also dissected into five lobes at once; the buds are quite large in size, combined into a complex of inflorescences. There are a thousand stamens in the middle of the flower, causing the middle of the bud to look very fluffy.

The flowering process of the plant begins in June and continues until October. You can also find varieties of cinquefoil that differ in color, but in most cases the flowering of a bush is more reminiscent of the flowering process of an apple or rose hip. After the crop blooms, seeds are formed - a box in the shape of a brown button, which makes the crop even more decorative and attractive.

Among the most common plant varieties are the following:

  1. Abbotswood is a shrub that reaches a height of up to one meter and also has a cushion-shaped and dense crown. The leaves are light green, white flowers form small clusters. The shrub can look good in special rock gardens, as well as in group plantings together with other crops, and is actively used in decorating borders.
  2. Guildford Cream is a tall shrub that can reach a height of up to 1.5 meters. The crown of the cinquefoil is dense and pillow-shaped, the leaves are dark green in color. Potentilla flowers are quite large, large and most often have a creamy and snow-white hue.
  3. Red Ace- This is a plant in the form of a shrub with a height of up to 70 centimeters; the crown of the cinquefoil can reach a width of up to 1.3 meters. The main feature of the crop is its creeping shoots. The leaves of the crop dark green, the plant mainly blooms in orange-red shades.
  4. Pink – Queen- a beautiful flowering cinquefoil that grows in height up to 80 centimeters. When flowering, pale pink flowers are formed; the flowering period of the plant lasts from June to September.
  5. Hoppy Orange- This is a low shrub, reaching only 50 centimeters, and it also has a fairly wide crown. It is considered the most hardy and winter-hardy variety.
  6. Cinquefoil Apennine. A perennial crop that was found in Europe, where it most often grew at an altitude of 1500 meters. The height of the crop reaches from 5 to 15 centimeters, the leaves are trifoliate, pubescent, and have a silvery tint. The flowering process of the crop occurs at the end of the summer season; pink or white inflorescences are formed on the plant, which reach up to 15 mm in diameter. It is used as decoration for rock gardens, rock crevices, and in the work of landscape designers.
  7. White bloodroot. A perennial shrub, the habitat of which is considered to be the central part of Europe and Russia. The height of the crop varies from 8 to 25 centimeters. The stems and leaves of the crop are covered with silky and pressed hairs. The plant has complex basal leaves, as well as dark brown stipules. The plant blooms with small white inflorescences on a long stalk. The flowers can have a diameter of 3 centimeters; the crop actively blooms from May to August. An unpretentious cinquefoil, at the same time it is unable to tolerate direct sunlight, as well as excessive amounts of moisture in the soil.
  8. Potentilla goose.A ground cover plant that is unpretentious to growing conditions, therefore distributed throughout Russia. The leaves of the plant are pinnate, coarsely toothed, and flowering occurs in small single inflorescences. The inflorescences have a diameter of up to two centimeters. Peduncles are leafless. The plant is considered unpretentious and grows under any conditions, near roads, highways - in places where other crops simply cannot survive.
  9. Nepalese cinquefoil. A perennial and herbaceous shrub, the height of which can reach up to 1.5 meters. The homeland of the plant can be considered the territory of Nepal, as well as the Western Himalayas. The stems of the plant are straight, strongly branched, and have a purple tint. This variety has rather large leaves, finger-type, reaching a length of up to 30 centimeters, and also has a dark green color. The flowers of the plant attract the attention of others due to their brightness, large size, pink color and dark veins, which are collected in unusual panicles. The period of the beginning of flowering occurs in July, and the duration is 55 days.
  10. Cinquefoil erect (also known as galangal). This is a perennial shrub that has a thickened woody rhizome; in the wild it can grow freely in forests, tundra, swamps, rivers, and lakes. The stem of the crop is erect, with a height of up to 20 centimeters; the upper region of the shrub has no foliage. The flowers are usually solitary, regular in shape, up to one centimeter in diameter, and grow on long and narrowed pedicels. The flower's flowering time lasts from June to August.

In addition, among the Nepalese cinquefoil you can also find beautiful hybrid varieties:

  1. Miss Wilmott- these are lush inflorescences of cherry-pink and red shades that have a dark eye.
  2. Roxana- These are salmon-orange inflorescences with dark veins.

Potentilla planting process

The cinquefoil flower is a plant that is unpretentious to its growing conditions, which is why growing cinquefoil in gardens and summer cottages is a simple and enjoyable process. The only exception may be white cinquefoil, which grows only in the shade and cannot tolerate strong soil moisture. All other varieties of cinquefoil prefer light or shaded areas of the garden during the daytime. Too much light can have a negative effect on the appearance of the plant. Delicate petals can quickly begin to fade in direct sunlight and lose their attractiveness. Insufficient light levels can stop the flowering process or lead to a slowdown in crop growth.

Choice soil mixture for planting cinquefoil

The best soil mixture for the plant is loamy soil, although the plant can grow on any soil that requires additional fertilizers and nutrients. Pink cinquefoil flowers are considered to be particularly demanding of soil components.

The process of planting cinquefoil in the soil

Cinquefoil shrub is the most common variety of this crop, which is most often grown by gardeners in order to competently decorate the territory of the garden and dacha. Planting should occur in autumn or spring.

Planting stages:

Cinquefoil care

The process of caring for cinquefoil is quite simple and even simple gardeners can do it. It is very easy to provide regular and moderate watering for a perennial crop, additional fertilizing, pruning, and weeding around the bush.

Watering the plant

Cinquefoil blooms luxuriantly and grows well in moist soil, although with all this it is a stable and unpretentious flower. During the rainy season, the crop may not need additional watering. In hot and dry summers, the plant should be watered two to three times a week, avoiding dryness in the soil. It is strictly forbidden to use ice water to water the plant, so as not to harm the root system of the flower; it is best to water the flower with warm and settled water.

After the watering process, it is worth loosening the soil around the flower shallowly. In the evening, flowers can be sprayed. Potentilla seedlings especially need abundant watering; they should be watered quite often, using up to 10 liters of warm water per bush during the watering process.

Plant nutrition

Flowering shrubs need additional fertilizers in the soil. When planting seedlings, any mineral fertilizer or ash should be used, and next spring the crop can be fed using the following fertilizers:

  1. In the process of active growth In the spring, plants should be fertilized into the soil in the amount of 30–40 grams of potassium sulfate and phosphate, diluting them in 10 liters of water, counting on one crop.
  2. In the process of budding The soil mixture should be fed with phosphorus-potassium complex fertilizers, using the instructions for use.
  3. Also to maintain For an attractive looking plant, it should be trimmed regularly to even out the crown of the bush.

The cinquefoil genus is characterized by a wide variety of species (from low-growing herbs to stately shrubs), but planting and care in open ground for these plants are similar, because they are all unpretentious to grow. We'll tell you what to look for.

Only white cinquefoil (it grows well only in the shade), shiny cinquefoil (grows well in dry sandy soil on the south side of the site) and arctic cinquefoil (needs acidic soil) are particularly picky. Other types of cinquefoil prefer well-lit places where there is shadow in the afternoon (for example, from other plants). The soil should ideally be loose, slightly acidic, nutritious, well drained and with a small amount of lime.

Planting cinquefoil

Growing shrubby cinquefoil is not difficult even for a beginner. Planting of seedlings begins in the spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws. But if you are late in this matter, planting or transplanting cinquefoil can also be done in late summer - early autumn.

The planting hole should be approximately 2 times deeper and wider than the seedling's earthen ball. Drainage (preferably lime gravel) must be placed at the bottom, after which the hole is approximately half filled with a mixture of humus, leaf soil and sand (in a ratio of 2:2:1), and 150 g of complex mineral fertilizer for ornamental plants is added there. The seedling is lowered into the hole and covered with the same soil mixture so that its root collar is located slightly above the ground level. Then the soil is compacted and watered abundantly.

For group plantings, the distance between seedlings should be at least 30 cm

To prevent the soil from drying out quickly, the planting site is mulched with straw, bark or sawdust. This is especially true in the first 3-4 weeks after planting, since if there is a lack of moisture, the seedling does not take root well and may die.

Growing cinquefoil from seeds

The herbaceous cinquefoil is usually grown from seeds. Seeds are sown in the fall (before winter) in open ground, then they undergo natural stratification there, and germinate together in the spring. The seedlings just need to be planted so that they do not interfere with each other. And with minimal care, you will have a delicate cinquefoil on your property.

Potentilla seedlings grow quite slowly, so be patient

Seeds can also be sown in spring (early March) for seedlings. They are germinated in fertile soil under polyethylene at a temperature of 15-20°C and watered regularly. With the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings are planted in separate pots (possibly in peat pots), and at the end of summer they are planted in open ground. In late autumn, young plants are covered with spunbond, otherwise they risk freezing in winter.

In the first year, this kind of cinquefoil does not bloom. Therefore, you will have to wait until next season to get flowers. And it is important to properly care for the plant.

Cinquefoil care

Cinquefoil is very popular in landscape design due to its ease of care. The plant needs regular weeding, loosening the soil and timely watering during drought. And if you mulch your plantings with peat or sawdust in the spring, then these manipulations can be done less frequently.

To achieve lush flowering, it is recommended to feed the cinquefoil in May, July and at the end of August with complex mineral fertilizer for flowering plants. Although it grows well in fertile soil without additional fertilizing. However, flower growers still recommend applying phosphorus and potassium sulfate (25-30 g of each fertilizer per 10 liters of water) to each adult bush at least once a year (in spring). Consumption – 1 bucket per plant.

Cinquefoil erecta, or galangal

In dry summers the plant becomes stuffy, so it often fades quickly. To prevent this from happening, every evening after hot weather, the cinquefoil is sprayed with water from a spray bottle. Then flowering will last longer.

With good care, diseases and pests do not bother the cinquefoil. In exceptional cases, the plant can be attacked by rust, spotting and powdery mildew. Any fungicide (Bordeaux mixture, Fitosporin-M) can easily cope with these fungal diseases.

Among the pests on cinquefoil, cutworms can be found. An insecticide (Decis, Fitoverm) will help cope with them. A few sprays at intervals of 2 weeks are sufficient.

Adult plants (both herbaceous and shrubby cinquefoil) do not need shelter for the winter. Only cuttings and young seedlings that have taken root this year provide insulation.

Pruning cinquefoil

When growing shrubby cinquefoil, you must not forget about timely pruning. Otherwise, the plant will quickly turn into a shapeless bush. In early spring and late autumn, all broken, dry branches that thicken the plant are removed from the bush, and the desired shape is created (most often in the form of a ball or pillow).

Potentilla shrub Elizabeth

In addition, in the spring, the growths of the previous year are shortened by 1/3, after the end of flowering the shoots are cut back by a third, and in the fall the overly elongated branches are completely cut out. Every 5 years, anti-aging pruning is carried out “to the stump”.

    Proper pruning of ornamental shrubs - everything you wanted to know

    9 techniques for pruning shrubs with a description of the process and diagrams.

How to propagate cinquefoil

The most popular propagation of cinquefoil cuttings. They are cut in the summer from the ends of the shoots. It is better to do this before flowering begins, but if necessary, you can do it later, and the flowers should be removed. Cuttings (8-14 cm long) are rooted in damp perlite, sphagnum or sand for a month in a room with a temperature of 15-18 ° C and periodically watered and sprayed with a spray bottle.

Rooting a cinquefoil cutting in moss

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    Learn how to properly root cuttings in rolls of sphagnum moss.

Also in summer, you can root cinquefoil cuttings in open ground in a shady corner of the garden. At the same time, they are covered with a glass jar or a cut-off plastic bottle and sprayed with a spray bottle at least once a day. For the winter, the cuttings are covered with spruce branches or spunbond.

Potentilla can also be propagated dividing the bush and layering. In the first case, a bush 3-4 years old is selected and divided in the spring (April-May) or early autumn (early September). In this case, the plant is dug up, the rhizome is washed and cut sharp knife into pieces with 2-3 buds. The roots of the cuttings are dipped into a root formation stimulator (for example, Kornevin), and then planted in the ground so that there is a distance of 20 to 40 cm between the plants.

By layering Potentilla is propagated in the first half of summer. A low-growing side shoot is bent to the ground (it can be slightly cut on the outside), placed in a pre-dug groove, pinned and sprinkled with moistened soil. By autumn, the cuttings will have formed their root system, then they can be separated from the mother plant and transplanted to a permanent place in the garden.

Cinquefoil is not only beautiful, but also medicinal plant. So, using our tips, you can improve your garden and at the same time improve your health.

Cinquefoil (Potentilla) belongs to one of the largest genera in terms of the number of species, which is included in the rose family. Its prominent representatives are considered to be the erect cinquefoil (galangal grass) and the cinquefoil goose. Most of the species of this genus are natural conditions can be found in the Northern Hemisphere. Cinquefoil comes from the Latin word "potent" - "powerful, strong." Apparently, this refers to the incredible healing power of individual representatives of this kind. There are approximately 500 species of cinquefoil all over the world, which are represented mainly by herbaceous plants, but there are also shrubs among them. At the same time, grass and shrubs belonging to this genus are cultivated in gardens. The cinquefoil shrub in Russia is called Kuril tea or cinquefoil, and there is an ancient legend that tells about Ilya Muromets, the smell of cinquefoil gave him unprecedented strength. Russian healers also call cinquefoil the mighty one, and since ancient times it has been used to heal a wide variety of ailments, as well as to restore strength. Today, this plant is mostly used as an ornamental plant, and experts plant it on a green lawn as a tapeworm, and they also decorate borders, alpine slides and hedges.

Features of Potentilla

Representatives of this genus are subshrubs and herbaceous plants, which can be annuals, biennials and perennials. The shoots of such plants are often erect, rising or widened, and there are also creeping ones. The leaf blades are pinnate or multipartite, and they are colored grayish-green or green. The height of semi-shrubs can reach up to 150 centimeters, while their diameter sometimes reaches 100 centimeters. In most species, the flowers are part of corymbose-paniculate or pseudo-umbellate inflorescences, but there are also species with single flowers. They come in a variety of colors such as golden yellow, pink, white, red, orange and cream. Long flowering is observed in May-September. The fruit contains many achenes (10–80 pieces), most often they are naked, but they can also be hairy. At the same time larger size have fruits, the more exotic the appearance of such a plant.

Planting cinquefoil

Almost all representatives of this genus are distinguished by their undemandingness to growing conditions, with the exception of the brilliant cinquefoil, which is recommended to be grown in a southern exposure, choosing dry sandy soil for it, as well as the white cinquefoil - it likes to grow in a shaded place. As for the remaining species, well-lit areas are most suitable for them, which should be shaded in the afternoon by other plants. They need slightly acidic, loose soil, rich in nutrients, and well-drained, which contains a little lime. It should be remembered that arctic cinquefoil requires acidic soil.

How to grow herbaceous cinquefoil from seeds

Cinquefoil can be propagated by various methods, for example, by growing from seeds. Experts advise sowing directly into open soil in the autumn. In winter, such seeds undergo natural stratification, due to which in spring they sprout vigorously and only need to be planted. Sowing can be done in open ground and in spring. However, a more reliable way is to grow through seedlings. To do this, sowing the seeds should be done in February or March, and the container should be covered with film until the first shoots appear and placed in a place with a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees. After the seedlings grow true leaf blades, they are picked into peat humus or individual cups. The growth of seedlings is relatively slow, but at the end of the summer the seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place in open soil. Young plants will need shelter to survive the winter. Flowering of cinquefoils grown from seeds is observed only in the second year. These plants reproduce well by self-sowing.

How to plant shrubby cinquefoil

At the beginning of spring, after the snow cover has melted and the soil has warmed up a little, you should begin planting shrub seedlings. The width and depth of the hole should be a couple of times larger than the lump of earth or container in which the seedling grows. If you are planting several bushes, then remember that the distance between them should be 0.3 m. A drainage layer should be made at the bottom of the hole; for this, lime gravel is poured into it. Then the hole should be filled ½ part with a soil mixture, which includes leaf soil, humus and sand (2:2:1), and 150 grams of complex mineral fertilizer must be poured into it. Placing a seedling in landing hole, it should be taken into account that its root collar should rise slightly above the soil surface. Then the hole should be filled with soil, which must be well compacted. The planting needs to be watered abundantly. For 20 days, you need to ensure that the cinquefoil always has a sufficient amount of water. In order to reduce the rate of soil drying, it should be sprinkled with a layer of mulch (bark, straw or sawdust). If necessary, you can plant cinquefoil in the last summer or first autumn days.

Cinquefoil care

Growing cinquefoil is quite simple, and it doesn’t matter whether it is a shrub or a herbaceous plant. For normal growth and development of plants, it is necessary to regularly water, loosen the soil surface, remove weeds, feed, remove fading flowers, and also mulch the soil in the area. Watering should be done only during prolonged drought, and 10 liters of lukewarm water should be poured under each bush once every half month. If in spring you sprinkle the area with mulch (sawdust or peat), then removing weeds and loosening the soil will need to be done relatively rarely. Behind summer period You should add mulch to the area 2 or 3 times. Fertilizing is carried out three times per season (in May, July and August or September), and mineral fertilizer is used for flowering plants. For more luxuriant flowering, it is also recommended to spray the cinquefoil with water in the evening after a hot day.

Potentilla propagation

In addition to the fact that cinquefoil is grown from seeds, it can be propagated by cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. Potentilla can be propagated by layering and cuttings in July or August, and it is recommended to divide the bush in spring (April or May) or autumn (the first days of September). A specimen that is at least four years old is suitable for division; it must be dug up, the rhizome is washed with water from a hose, and then divided into sections using a very sharp, pre-sterilized knife. It should be remembered that each division should have 2 or 3 buds. For divisions, it is necessary to treat the roots with a product that stimulates their growth. Then they are planted in the soil, but the buds should not be buried. Remember that between the divisions you need to leave 20 to 40 centimeters of empty space.

The length of the cuttings varies from 8 to 10 centimeters, and they are harvested from the ends of the stems, having first torn off all the flowers. For rooting, moistened perlite is used, it lasts for 4–6 weeks, and the cuttings must be kept in a room that does not freeze. You can also root cuttings directly in open soil, choosing a place in partial shade, and it is recommended to use a glass jar or a cut bottle as a shelter. They should be sprayed several times a day. The buds that appear should be removed, because they can greatly weaken the plant. For wintering they need to be covered with spruce branches.

The easiest way to propagate cinquefoil is by layering. In spring, you should look for a stem that grows very close to the surface of the soil. An incision must be made on its outer side. Then it is placed in the prepared groove with the cut down, fixed in this position (necessarily in this place) and covered with soil. With the onset of autumn, the layering should develop good system roots. In this case, it should be cut off from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

Pruning cinquefoil

Shrub cinquefoil requires mandatory pruning, which must be done in early spring, before the buds open, and also in autumn. If pruning is not done, the bush becomes shaggy and looks sloppy. Pruning can be sanitary; during it, you should cut off all injured, dried out branches, as well as those that grow inward. Also, this procedure can be carried out with the aim of forming a bush, and often it is given a pillow or spherical shape. In the spring, last year's growths are shortened by 1/3, and in the fall, old and elongated stems should be cut off. This shrub will need anti-aging pruning once every 5 years, or it is carried out when many dried branches are found. To carry out such pruning, you need to cut off a third of the dried branches for 3 years in a row. This will lead to a complete renewal of the bush.

Diseases and pests

This plant is highly resistant to various diseases and harmful insects, which makes caring for it much easier. In rare cases, cinquefoil may develop spotting, rust, or powdery mildew. If one of these diseases has affected the annual cinquefoil, then there is no need to worry, because this will not greatly affect the appearance of the bush, and in the autumn it will still have to be disposed of. If you have a perennial growing, then it is recommended to use a fungicide (for example, colloidal sulfur or Bordeaux mixture) to treat it. Also, in rare cases, cutworms can settle on a bush. In order to get rid of them, treat the affected specimen with an insecticide (for example, Decis Profi, Fufanon or Fitoverm).

Cinquefoil after flowering

Autumn care

In autumn, annual cinquefoil should be removed from the site after its appearance becomes unattractive, and it is necessary to dig up the area with fertilizer. For shrubby cinquefoil, when it finishes blooming, all shoots should be shortened by 1/3, and to prevent diseases, the bushes should be treated with Bordeaux mixture.

Wintering

The perennial cinquefoil does not need shelter for the winter, because it has high frost resistance, and it does not matter whether it is a herbaceous plant or a shrub. Young seedlings planted in autumn and rooted cuttings need shelter.

Types and varieties of cinquefoil with photos and names

There are many types of cinquefoil, and several times more varieties. Therefore, only those varieties and species that are most popular will be presented below.

Herbaceous species that are most popular:

Cinquefoil (Potentilla apennina)

This perennial plant has a rosette of leaves consisting of trifoliate leaf blades with silvery pubescence. The color of the flowers is white or pink.

White cinquefoil (Potentilla alba)

In nature, it can be found in the central regions of the European part of Russia, the Balkans and the Caucasus. The height of such a perennial plant varies from 8 to 25 centimeters; the complex basal leaf plates are palmate-lobed, and they have brown stipules. Loose racemose or umbrella-shaped inflorescences consist of several white flowers with a three-centimeter diameter. The height of the peduncles is about 25 centimeters, there are no stem leaves.

Cinquefoil or crow's foot (Potentilla anserina)

The pinnately compound leaf plates are collected in a basal rosette and reach 20 centimeters in length, with pubescence on their underside. On leafless peduncles there are single yellow flowers, which can reach 20 mm in diameter.

Nepalese cinquefoil (Potentilla nepalensis)

This perennial can reach half a meter in height; its straight, branched shoots are purple in color. The length of the dark green palmate leaf blades is about 0.3 m. The diameter of the flowers is about 30 mm, their color can be pale pink or red, and the veins are dark pink. Flowers are included paniculate inflorescences. Flowering begins in July and lasts about 8 weeks. The most decorative varieties:

  1. Roxana. On the surface of the salmon-orange flowers there are dark veins.
  2. Miss Wilmott. It blooms luxuriantly and for a relatively long time. Cherry-pink flowers have a dark eye.
  3. Floris. The light salmon flowers have an orange-red eye.

Cinquefoil erecta, or straight, or galangal (Potentilla erecta)

In nature, this species can be found in forest and tundra zones, while these flowers grow on lawns and forest edges, along the banks of swamps and rivers. This perennial has a woody rhizome that is unevenly thickened. The height of the erect stem reaches 20 centimeters; leaves are located on its upper branched part. Trifoliate leaf blades can be sessile or long-petiolate basal (wither before flowering). Regular single flowers can reach 10 mm in diameter; they are located on thin long stalks. Flowering occurs from June to August.

Silver cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea)

This perennial has a large tuberous rhizome. The height of the slender arched ascending shoot can reach up to 0.3 m. The lower stem and basal leaf plates are five-seven-parted, long-scaled, and the upper stem and middle ones are three-five-partite; on the underside there is a dense coating consisting of white pile. The loose paniculate-corymbose inflorescence includes small flowers, the diameter of which is 1.2 centimeters. Flowering occurs in June and July.

Hybrid cinquefoil (Potentilla x hybrida)

This species includes garden forms and varieties of hybrid origin. Most plants have vertical or oblique rhizomes. The height of the erect, highly branched stems reaches 0.9 m; there is pubescence on their surface. The basal rosette consists of palmate or trifoliate long-petiolate leaf plates with sharp teeth along the edge. The trifoliate stem leaves are sessile. The loose corymbose or racemose inflorescence includes velvety flowers reaching a diameter of 40 mm; their color can be yellow, pink, red or dark purple.

Popular varieties:

  1. Master Floris. Flowering is lush and long lasting. The large simple flowers are pale yellow in color.
  2. Yellow Queen. The bush reaches a height of 0.3 m, and it has glossy yellow flowers.
  3. Volcano. Double flowers of deep red color.

Also very popular are cinquefoils: two-flowered, golden, long-leaved, shaggy, Krantz, deceptive, tansy, dark blood-red, silver-leaved, Tonga, three-toothed, shiny, stemless, snow-white, arctic, etc.

Among the shrubs, gardeners cultivate Kuril cinquefoil (Pentaphylloides fruticosa), which is also called Kuril tea, yellow cinquefoil and five-leaved flower. Experts previously classified this species as a cinquefoil, but not so long ago it was separated into a separate genus called Kuril tea, Dasiphora (Dasys - densely hairy, phoros - bearing). This genus consists of 10 species, from which a large number of varieties and garden forms have already been created that are honey plants. Designers often create very impressive hedges from such shrubs.

Daurian cinquefoil (Pentaphylloides davurica)

The height of such a shrub can reach up to 0.6 m. Its bare stems are erect. Almost leathery, five-part leaf plates have a bluish underside and a glossy front surface. The diameter of the white flowers is about 25 mm, they are often solitary, but in some cases they can be part of several-flowered inflorescences shaped like an umbrella. Flowering is long-lasting, exceeding 3 months. Cultivated since 1822

Bush cinquefoil (Pentaphylloides fruticosa)

In nature, it can be found in forest-steppes and forests, Russia, Central Asia, Western Europe and the Caucasus. This shrub is distinguished by its high endurance. The height of a highly branching bush can reach up to 150 centimeters; the peeling bark is colored brown or grey colour. The lush crown has a hemispherical shape. The entire lanceolate-shaped leaf plates are 30 mm long and 10 mm wide and can be three-five-seven-parted. Young leaves have a light green color, but over time it changes to green-silver as pubescence appears. The yellow-golden flowers have a diameter of 20 mm, and they can be single or collected in loose apical racemes or corymbose inflorescences. Flowering lasts from the second half of June to the first days of October. Cultivated since 1700. In America and European countries, as a rule, cultivars of this species are grown because they are the most resistant to such climatic conditions.

Popular low-growing varieties: Abbotswood, Jolaina, Dakota Sunrise, Goldstar, Goldfinger, Reisenberg (flower color varies in orange-yellow range), Farrese White and Rhodocalyx (flower color is white).

Winter-hardy tall varieties include the yellow-flowered Elizabeth and Catherine Dykes. The height of the bushes reaches more than 100 centimeters.

Winter-resistant varieties with grayish-silver leaf blades include Goldterppich, Darts Golddigger, Bisi.

Low-growing compact varieties that are not frost-resistant and need shelter for the winter: Klondike, Kobold (yellow flowers), Red Ice, Parvifolia, Red Robbin (yellow-copper flowers), Sunset (brick-red to orange-yellow flowers) ), Eastleigh Cream (white and cream flowers), Royal Flash, Daydown, Pretty Polly and Blink (pink flowers).

The following species are also of particular interest: small-leaved five-leafed, dry-flowered, Manchurian and Friedrichsen. They are still poorly studied by breeders.

Useful properties and contraindications

Useful properties of cinquefoil

Medicinal properties were noted mainly in only 3 types of herbaceous cinquefoil, namely: goose, white and galangal (erect). The properties of these species have slight differences. Therefore, it does not really matter from which plant this or that medicine intended for external use is made. As a result of numerous studies, it became clear that extracts prepared from rhizomes or herbs are not toxic and have almost equal healing power. If you take medicinal products from the herb white cinquefoil orally, the central nervous system (central nervous system) is stimulated nervous system), while the extract from the rhizome makes the filtering ability of the kidneys 28 percent better. Kalgan is usually used for various organ disorders gastrointestinal tract(for example, colitis, dysentery), which are accompanied by diarrhea. This plant is also used in the treatment of liver diseases that manifest as jaundice, for example, hepatitis. Today, galangal is also used by official medicine for inflammation of the thyroid gland. In this case, a cinquefoil tincture with alcohol is used, which is taken orally according to the doctor’s recommended regimen, while medication treatment is also carried out at the same time; such therapy has a sufficient high efficiency. It is not difficult to prepare a tincture; to do this, you need to take a dry rhizome and grind it, infuse it with vodka, then filter the resulting drink. Kalgan is considered a unique plant, since it contains almost all the elements from the periodic table, namely: gallotanin, phenolcarboxylic acids, starch, saponins, flavonoids (rutin, quercetin, cyanidin, kaempferol), iridoids, iodine, magnesium, copper, zinc , iron, cobalt, silicon, aluminum. It is known that the rhizome contains more of these substances than the above-ground part of the flower.

The healing power of Potentilla erecta has also been known since ancient times. Part of this plant included substances such as: tannins, and also essential oils, flavonoids, elagic, malic and chitinic acids, wax, starch and gum, as well as vitamin C. This plant has an antibacterial, adhesive and anti-inflammatory effect. Essential oil is obtained from this flower, which helps in the treatment of certain female diseases. Various decoctions and tinctures are prepared from it, which are used externally in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, for douching for gynecological diseases, for eczema, and they are also used to rinse the mouth and larynx in the presence of inflammation. Infusions and decoctions made from shoots, leaves, and flowers of the plant are used in the treatment of chronic and acute hepatitis, as well as in cirrhosis with congestive phenomena (noticeably reduces the level of bilirubin in the blood and eliminates swelling). If you use products made from such a plant in treatment, then remember that they can cause constipation, because cinquefoil contains many tannins.

The composition of cinquefoil also includes essential oils, starch, flavonoids, tannins, as well as bitterness, choline, quinic and ascorbic acid, zinc and other substances that are beneficial for human body. Any part of such a plant has medicinal properties. A decoction prepared from the rhizome is used for external treatment of abrasions, bruises, wounds, hematomas, neurodermatitis and weeping eczema. This decoction is also used for douching for various gynecological inflammations, as well as for the treatment of hemorrhoids, and the result of such treatment is very good. It is also used in the treatment of duodenal and gastric ulcers, as well as acute intestinal infections and hepatitis. A decoction of milk is prepared from the seeds, which is used for painful menstruation, gastroenteritis and spastic colitis. A decoction of the root and herb, prepared in water, effectively eliminates cramps in the calf muscles. Freshly prepared infusion from the herb is used externally in the treatment of trophic ulcers and pustular lesions of the epidermis, and it is also used in the treatment of inflammation of the oral mucosa, pharyngitis and sore throat. As a choleretic agent that can remove small pebbles and sand, use the fresh juice of this plant, combined with the juice of green rye in a 1:1 ratio.

From the bushes healing properties were noted in the Kuril cinquefoil, using the tops of young stems. This plant has a diuretic, antiulcer, hemostatic, antiviral, analgesic, choleretic, fastening, sedative, antidiabetic, antiallergenic and immunostimulating effect. It is used in the treatment of female and gastrointestinal diseases, abscesses, boils and other wounds, and it is also used to rinse the mouth for stomatitis, sore throat and other inflammatory diseases. It is used for constipation and diarrhea, dysbacteriosis, stomach ulcers, colitis, cervical erosion and uterine bleeding.

Contraindications

Preparations from cinquefoil should not be used by people who have increased blood clotting, hypotensive people, or those prone to the formation of blood clots, because such drugs can lower blood pressure. If you want to use this plant to remove stones and sand from the ducts, then this should be done exclusively under the supervision of the treating doctor. It should also be remembered that such drugs can cause irritation of the gastric mucosa. They should also not be used during pregnancy or if you have an individual intolerance to cinquefoil.

Cinquefoil, also known as cinquefoil, cinquefoil or Kuril tea, is a universal ornamental crop for growing on almost any garden plot. Her distinguishing feature- the ability to decorate a flowerbed not only in summer, but also in autumn and winter. Different varieties will add their own flavor to the design of your garden. And planting and caring for plants in open ground is simple and accessible even for novice gardeners.

Description: varieties and varieties of cinquefoil

The cinquefoil got its name because of the leaves, which are arranged on a branch in the shape of a paw, 3-5 pieces each (depending on the variety). In nature, it grows as a highly branched shrub up to 1-1.5 m high:

  1. Young shoots have thick fluff. Mature stems are covered with a brown crust.
  2. The leaves of the plant also have silky pubescence, as well as beautiful carved edges.
  3. Potentilla blooms from early summer to late autumn. One bush blooms for 50-70 days. The shoots are covered with large flowers.
  4. The petals are usually yellow, but some varieties may be orange, pink, white, or a combination of these colors.

Kuril tea has many varieties suitable for growing in the Russian climate. Each species has varieties that differ in flower color and care characteristics. You can choose the right one based on the photo. Potentilla in demand:

  • Apennine;

Apennine Potentilla

  • White;
  • Goose;

Potentilla goose

  • Silver;
  • Nepalese;
  • Erect.

Nepalese Potentilla

Planting a plant in open ground

Cinquefoil responds well to planting and propagation from April to September. But it is still better to carry out work in the spring. One of the few conditions for successful cultivation Kuril tea- plenty of sun with midday partial shade. Planting seeds is done immediately in open ground:

  1. Prepare the soil. If it is too dense and heavy, add a portion of sand. Feed with humus and mineral fertilizers. Before planting, dig up and level the ground.
  2. Deepen the seeds by 3-5 cm. Sprinkle with the same soil and water.
  3. Expect germination in about 3 weeks. Let the seedlings sit in the soil for another 7-10 days, and then plant them at intervals of 30-40 cm.

Attention! For the first time, cinquefoil will bloom only in the third season after planting.

Potentilla is planted in open ground with ready-made 2-year-old seedlings:

Soil mulching will be useful for cinquefoil

  1. Dig a hole for each about 60 cm deep and 30 cm wide.
  2. Cover the bottom with a drainage layer of pebbles, broken bricks or stones.
  3. Fill the hole halfway with the substrate: 40% each of leaf turf and humus and 20% river sand. Add 150 g of mineral fertilizer to it.
  4. When planting a seedling in a hole, the root collar should remain above the soil level.
  5. Fill the hole with regular garden soil.
  6. Young seedlings need abundant watering.
  7. Make mulch from sawdust or shredded bark.

Crop care, fertilizer and fertilizing

Without care, cinquefoil in open ground will go wild and grow quickly. True, it will not lose its decorative effect. But if you give the plant some attention, it will bloom longer and more abundantly. What is important to consider for proper care:

  1. Watering in drought. The norm is a bucket of water room temperature under the bush once every 2 weeks.
  2. In summer, weed the ridge to eliminate weeds.
  3. Regularly loosen the soil around the plant and adjust the mulch.
  4. There is no need to cover the plant for the winter. The exception is some varieties. For example, pink.
  5. In autumn, cut off old shoots by 1/3.

Advice. On a hot summer day, evening spraying of cinquefoil has a beneficial effect on growing shrubs.

Cinquefoil will grow normally without fertilizer. However, to make the blooms lush, you can add mineral mixtures to the soil. Any fertilizer for flowering plants is suitable garden crops. Frequency - 3 times a season, at the end of spring, end of summer and in September. For spring feeding, use fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium sulfate in a proportion of 25-30 g per 1 bucket. Bring a bucket under each bush.

In the fall, the cinquefoil needs to be pruned

Plant propagation. Diseases and pests

To propagate cinquefoil, seeds, cuttings, layering and dividing the bush are used. The last method is relevant for May or September. Bushes 3-4 years old best tolerate division:

  • dig up and wash the root;
  • divide it into parts with a sharpened sterile knife, leaving 2-3 buds on each fragment;
  • treat the rhizome with a stimulant;
  • plant the cuttings in the ground so that the buds remain above it;
  • The minimum distance between bushes is 20 cm.

Cuttings and propagation by layering are carried out in July or August. To get cuttings, cut off the tops of the shoots and remove the flowers. The length of one cutting should be about 10 cm. Place the branch in moistened perlite for 1-1.5 months. The room temperature should not fall below +3…+5 °C. You can cover the cuttings with a greenhouse.

Sometimes the cuttings are planted directly in open ground under a glass jar. The place should be shady. Caring for plants consists of spraying 2-3 times a day in summer and insulation in winter. You will receive the finished seedling by April.

Attention! Pick off any buds that form. They will take away nutrition and moisture to the detriment of rooting.

Reproduction by layering is even easier. Choose a low-growing bush and make a ditch nearby. Then find a suitable shoot, cut it along the outside and place it in the groove. Secure the shoot with a staple. In a couple of months, a root of its own will appear at the point of contact. The plant can be separated from the mother plant and replanted.

Cinquefoil in landscape design

Insects and infections rarely attack cinquefoil. Greens may show signs of powdery mildew, rust or blight, as well as cutworm pests. You can recognize them from the photo. In this case, the annual cinquefoil variety does not require any additional care. These diseases do not affect decorativeness, and perennials need to be treated. Treat them with Bordeaux mixture or an insecticide like Fitoferm.

This plant is versatile in its decorative functions. The cinquefoil can decorate an alpine hill, flower garden or flower bed. Sometimes it is simply planted in the middle of the crushed stone cover. In garden compositions, the flower looks good in combination with lilies, bells or daisies. You can also make a hedge from it.

Growing cinquefoil: video

Cinquefoil - the Northern Hemisphere is considered the birthplace of the plant. There are more than five thousand varieties of cinquefoil, they are represented by both shrubs and herbaceous species. The plant has medicinal qualities. Since ancient times it has been used to treat various diseases. The plant is used to create decorations in the garden, for landscape design, for decorating green hedges.

Cinquefoil can be an annual or perennial plant. The stems are erect, widened, and creeping. Leaves are green.

Shrub representatives can reach a height of one and a half meters and grow by a meter in width. The flowers are collected in inflorescences, but single specimens are also found. Flowers can be of different colors: red, golden, orange, pink, beige, white. The fruit contains seeds, ranging from 10 to 80 pieces.

This article has helped many gardeners stop working hard on their plots and still get a bountiful harvest.

I would never have thought that in order to get the best harvest on my plot in my entire “dacha career”, I just need to stop working on the beds and trust nature. For as long as I can remember, I spent every summer at the dacha. First at my parents' house, and then my husband and I bought our own. From early spring to late autumn, all free time was spent on planting, weeding, tying, pruning, watering, harvesting and, finally, preserving and trying to preserve the harvest until next year. And so in a circle...

Planting white cinquefoil

The plant does not require certain conditions for cultivation, apart from some species. For example, white cinquefoil is best grown in a shady area; Potentilla cinquefoil grows on dry soil. Other varieties prefer lighted areas and loose, well-fertilized soil.

Reproduction of white cinquefoil bush

The plant can be propagated in several ways.

1. Seed. Often seeds are sown in the soil in the fall for further hardening. When they emerge, they can be planted. This method is risky; seed germination has a low probability.

A more reliable way is to plant seedlings. To do this, you need to start germinating the seeds in February under plastic film. When the first leaves appear on the plant, they need to be planted in separate pots. The seedlings grow very slowly, but by the end of summer they can be planted in open ground for continuous development. IN winter season Potentilla needs insulation. Flowering occurs only in the second year.

2. Reproduction by self-sowing. In the spring, when the snow has already melted and the earth has warmed up, the seedlings should be planted in holes. The planting hole needs to be prepared large; it should be twice as large as the earthen ball. Gravel, humus, leaf soil, sand, and complex mineral fertilizer are poured into the bottom of the pit.

After placing the seedling in the hole, the soil is filled in, compacted and watered. For several weeks, you need to ensure that the plant does not need moisture. Around the trunk you need to mulch with straw, bark or sawdust. This process will help retain moisture in the soil.

3. Vegetative method of propagation. It involves the following processes: dividing the bush, cuttings, layering. Cuttings and propagation by layering are carried out in mid-summer, and dividing the bush in the spring, or closer to September.

To divide the bush, you need to select a four-year-old plant, dig it up, wash the roots and cut it. Each part must have several buds.

The roots of the seedlings are treated with a growth stimulator and the plant can be planted in the soil. The distance between seedlings should be 30 centimeters.

Cuttings occur as follows. Cuttings are prepared measuring 10 centimeters. Over the course of several months, the cuttings should take root indoors. You can also carry out rooting in the garden, in shady place, seedlings should be covered with a plastic bottle. When buds appear, they need to be removed. When winter comes, the plant needs to be covered with spruce branches.

Most the usual way Potentilla propagation is by layering. Low growing shoots are selected, cut and placed in a trench. The shoot is attached and sprinkled with soil on top. By autumn, the root system of the cuttings should have formed, and the plant can be separated and transplanted to a separate place.

White shrub cinquefoil in the photo

Cinquefoil is a large genus of the Rosaceae family. Translated from Latin, the name of this flower is associated with the words “mighty” and “strong,” which clearly characterizes the power of the medicinal properties of some species of this genus.

There are perennial and annual varieties presented as herbaceous plants or small shrubs.


Types and varieties

- a perennial plant, reaches a height of 10-25 cm, with unusual palmate-lobed leaves. Inflorescences up to three centimeters in diameter are located on tall leafless stems up to 25 cm high.

- perennial, up to 50 cm tall, with straight, branched stems of a purple hue. There are large (up to 30 cm) dark green palmate leaves.

The flowers (up to 3 cm in diameter) come in red and pink shades, with dark pink veins collected in panicles.

The most famous varieties:

  • Roxana ,

  • Potentilla variety Miss Wilmont ,

  • Floris .

(goose foot ) – has a basal rosette of pinnately complex leaves (about 20 cm tall). Distinctive feature is the presence of pubescence on the bottom of the leaf. Yellow flowers, 2 cm in diameter, are located on long stems with no leaves at all.

Or straight (galangal ) is a perennial species that consists of straight stems growing up to 20 cm in height, branching closer to the top. The leaves are trifoliate. The inflorescences are small, up to 1 cm in diameter, located on long stalks.

- a perennial with a large tuberous rhizome. The stems rise in beautiful arches to a height of up to 30 cm with five to seven separate basal and lower stem leaves. The inflorescences are collected in neat corymbose-shaped panicles. Flowers are 1-1.2 cm in diameter.

- this species combines many hybrid forms experimentally bred by flower growers. Representatives of this species have an oblique or vertical rhizome, pubescent, erect stems up to 90-100 cm high, with leaves collected in a basal rosette.

In this case, the lower leaves are trifoliate or palmate with sharp serrations, on long petioles, and the stem leaves are trifoliate and sessile.

Some of the varieties:

  • - long-blooming cinquefoil with simple yellow large flowers,

  • Cinquefoil variety Yellow Queen - yellow shiny inflorescences,

  • — Cinquefoil with bright red double flowers.

Cinquefoil shrub care and cultivation

Growing shrubby and herbaceous cinquefoil is no different and is not too labor-intensive.

The main thing is to weed, water, feed the plant in time, and also do not forget about mulching, loosening the soil around and removing faded flowers, leaves and weeds.

Watering cinquefoil

Watering is carried out once every two weeks, provided there is no rain. If the bush is mulched in the spring, for example, with peat (or sawdust), then the need for weeding and loosening is sharply reduced or eliminated altogether; the main thing is to periodically add mulch to the area.

Fertilizer for bloodroot

Fertilizing is carried out three times a year (May, July and September) with mineral fertilizers for flowering plants.

An additional, but not mandatory, condition is spraying (moistening) the cinquefoil at the end of a stuffy summer day, by doing which you can be sure of abundant flowering.

Pruning cinquefoil bush

Pruning is carried out in early spring, even before new buds appear, and in the fall after flowering has ended. If pruning is not carried out, the cinquefoil may lose its decorative effect and turn into an untidy shrub.

During pruning, broken and dry branches, dried leaves and flowers are removed, and the bush is also shaped into the desired shape (most often a ball shape).

In the fall, annual cinquefoil varieties are removed, the area is dug up, and fertilizers are applied. Shrub species of cinquefoil are pruned by a third. As a preventative control against diseases, the plant is sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.

Cinquefoil in winter

As for preparing for winter, there are no difficulties here. Due to the fact that cinquefoil is frost-resistant, it does not require shelter in winter, with the exception of young seedlings and rooted cuttings.

Cinquefoil growing from seeds

Potentilla grass propagates different ways. For example, propagation by seeds. Some gardeners advise sowing a plot of open ground with seeds in the fall, then by spring they will undergo natural stratification and young shoots will appear, which will only need to be planted.

But seedlings are still considered a more reliable method. To do this, seeds are sown in pre-prepared boxes with substrate back in February or March. Then create greenhouse conditions by covering with polyethylene and maintaining the air temperature within 15-18°C.

After the young shoots have leaves, they need to be picked into separate cups. Seedlings grow very slowly. In August-September, plants are planted in open ground in a permanent place. Cinquefoil, sprouted from seeds, begins to bloom only in the second year.

Reproduction of cinquefoil bush

Reproduction of shrub-type cinquefoil is carried out in early spring, when all the snow has thawed and the ground has warmed up. To do this, dig holes twice as large as the earthen ball (the size of the pot in which the bush had previously taken root).

The distance between each bush should be at least 30-40 cm. A drainage layer (limestone gravel) is laid at the bottom of the hole. Then fill the hole halfway with a mixture consisting of two parts humus, two parts leaf soil and one part sand. After which a good fertilizing in the form of a complex mineral fertilizer (150 g) will not hurt.

When immersing a seedling in a hole, it is necessary to ensure that the root collar of the plant is slightly above ground level after it is covered with the rest of the soil.

Immediately after planting, it is necessary to provide abundant watering, and over the next couple of weeks, ensure timely moisture of the soil, preventing it from drying out. You can also mulch the bushes with straw or sawdust, so the ground will remain moist longer.

Potentilla propagation by cuttings

Potentilla cuttings are carried out in early August. Cuttings, about 10 cm long, are cut from the ends of the shoots (removing the flowers). Rooting is carried out in damp perlite for 1-1.5 months in a warm room.

You can also plant it in open ground, in the shade of the garden, covered with a glass jar or cut plastic bottle. Spraying is carried out several times a day and if buds begin to appear, then tear them off, they can weaken the growth of the cuttings. For the winter, be sure to cover the cinquefoil with spruce branches.

Propagation of cinquefoil by layering

The easiest way to propagate is by layering; for this, in the spring, the strongest and healthiest, low-growing shoot is selected, cut along the outside and placed in a dug groove. If it does not fit well, it must be secured with something and sprinkled with earth.

Closer to autumn, this cutting will form its own root system and can be separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

Propagation of cinquefoil by dividing the bush

The bush is divided at the end of April or in the fall (in the first half of September). To do this, choose a bush that is at least four years old, dig up the rhizome, carefully clear the soil so that the roots are clearly visible, and cut it into pieces so that each piece has two or three buds.

The sections are treated with a growth stimulator and planted in the ground, making sure that the buds do not sink deep into the ground. Do not forget to maintain a distance of 30-40 cm between plots.

Diseases and pests

Pests and diseases rarely affect this plant if you follow simple recommendations for its care. Sometimes cinquefoil is affected by rust, powdery mildew and spotting.

If this happens to an annual variety, then there is nothing wrong with it, it will not lose its decorative effect, and at the end of the season it must still be disposed of.

Perennial varieties and species must be treated with a fungicide. Among the known pests are cutworms, which are destroyed by treatment with insecticides.

White cinquefoil beneficial properties and contraindications

The leaves and flowers of white cinquefoil contain a large amount of ascorbic acid - several times more than in lemons! They also contain carotene, organic acids and many other useful substances.

The one-year flowering tips of cinquefoil shoots, ten to fifteen centimeters long, are used as medicinal raw materials.

White cinquefoil has no contraindications, except for severe hypotension.

Potentilla decoction

Brew at the rate of one tablespoon of crushed raw materials per two hundred and fifty grams of boiling water. In this form, cinquefoil is used for treatment intestinal infections, dysbacteriosis in children, normalization of metabolism, treatment of wounds, burns, boils.

For rinsing the mouth and throat for sore throat, stomatitis, it is also a diuretic, but at the same time treats bedwetting, and also relieves constipation and calms stress.

Cinquefoil shrub, the care and cultivation of which does not cause much trouble, is a spectacular ornamental crop with a long flowering period, known for a long time under the name “Kuril tea”. In the times of the heroes, even Ilya Muromets drew strength from the fragrant flowers of the cinquefoil.

Cinquefoil shrub, also known as Kuril tea or five-leaf plant, is a deciduous shrub plant, the height of which does not exceed 1.5 m. The compact and dense crown is formed by drooping shoots of a grayish-brown color with green foliage. During the flowering phase, which lasts from early summer to mid-autumn, white and yellow flowers, collected in umbrella inflorescences.

When cultivating an ornamental shrub, it is worth considering its main features:

  • love of light;
  • demands on the structure and fertility of the soil;
  • resistance to damage by harmful organisms;
  • no need for constant trimming.

Types and varieties of cinquefoil

Kuril tea is represented by 15 species and numerous varieties bred on the basis of these varieties.

Among the most popular are:

  • Cinquefoil "Pink Queen" is a low-growing shrub with highly branching creeping shoots covered with light green leaves and pinkish flowers during the flowering period, which lasts from late spring to mid-autumn season.
  • Cinquefoil "Abbotswood" is a shrub variety distinguished by its cushion-shaped crown and abundant flowering from the beginning of the summer season to September, when beautiful white inflorescences bloom. Hanging shoots create a semblance of a trail.
  • Cinquefoil shrub “Princess Blink” is a plant with a compact crown that can grow up to a meter in diameter. Light pink flowers appear throughout the summer season, turning snow-white in the sun.
  • Cinquefoil bush "Lovely Pink" is a densely creeping shrub. With lush flowering observed throughout the summer season, pink flowers bloom, the diameter of which is no more than 2.5 cm. Dark green leaves, against which single or collected flowers in racemes contrast, begin to turn yellow with the arrival of autumn.

Planting in open ground

In order for the cinquefoil to delight the gardener with abundant and long-lasting flowering every year, it is necessary not only to plant the seedlings correctly, but also to choose the right location.

Site selection and soil preparation

The shrub needs a lot of light, which should be soft: the color of flowers exposed to direct sunlight loses their brightness. And when planting cinquefoil in shady areas, the gardener runs the risk of not waiting until the flowering phase at all. The culture develops well on fertile, light soils with a loose structure that provides free air circulation and moisture capacity, and with a slightly alkaline reaction.

How and when to plant?

Planting of cinquefoil seedlings is carried out in early spring, after the snow cover has melted:

  1. Planting holes are dug, the size of which is twice the size of the seedling's earthen ball.
  2. A drainage layer of gravel, expanded clay or broken brick is placed at the bottom of the recess.
  3. The hole is half filled with a nutrient soil mixture prepared from leaf soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1 with the addition of nitroammophoska in an amount of 150 g.
  4. Then the seedling is placed and covered with soil so that the root collar rises 1-2 cm above the soil level.
  5. The soil in the tree trunk circle is compacted, moistened and mulched with sawdust, which helps slow down the process of moisture evaporation.

Attention! In case of group plantings, the distance between bushes should be at least 30 cm.

Caring for cinquefoil bush

Easy care shrubby plant must be systematic which will enable the gardener to become the owner of a healthy bush with high decorative qualities.

Watering

Possessing the quality of drought resistance, the shrub does not need additional watering if significant precipitation is observed during the summer season. However, in case of soil drought over a long period of time, the bushes are watered with warm water twice a month at the rate of 10 liters per specimen.

Loosening, weeding and mulching

The next day after watering or precipitation, the soil is loosened, which allows maintaining good aeration. Regular loosening also makes it possible to promptly remove emerging weeds. If the grower does not have free time or does not want to spend effort on this procedure, the tree trunk circle is mulched. During the growing season, the layer of mulch from sawdust or peat is renewed 3-4 times.

Top dressing

Soil enrichment to maintain fertility and ensure full development of the crop is carried out three times during the growing season:

  • During the budding phase, complex mineral fertilizers are applied to stimulate the formation of large buds.
  • During the flowering period, cinquefoil is fed with phosphorus fertilizers, which allows it to prolong the flowering state.
  • In September, fertilizing, which includes phosphorus and potassium, allows the plant to fully prepare for winter.

Trimming

To maintain the decorative appearance of the bush, the cinquefoil is cut twice - in the spring before the sap begins to flow and before the onset of cold weather in the autumn.

  1. In early spring, formative pruning is carried out, when the shoots are shortened by a third of their length, which makes it possible to create a spherical shape.
  2. Pruning shrubby cinquefoil in autumn is of a sanitary nature and involves the removal of old, weakened shoots that develop inward.

Important! A rejuvenating haircut is carried out every five years.

Pests, diseases and control methods

Manifestations of harmful organisms are extremely rarely observed on the plant. If during inspection the development of powdery mildew or rust was detected, the cinquefoil must be immediately treated with a fungicide. There are situations when shrubs are attacked by cutworms. In such a situation, spraying with a pesticide is also carried out, but with an insecticidal effect.

Cinquefoil after flowering: autumn, winter

In mid-autumn, when the shrub finishes flowering, the shoots are shortened by ⅓. The cold-resistant crop does not need additional shelter, wintering well in the open ground even in middle lane Russia.

Plant propagation methods

Cinquefoil reproduces both by seed and vegetatively. The simplest and most effective is the latter, since cultivating cinquefoil from seeds is a troublesome task and it is impossible to preserve varietal qualities.

  • Cuttings - in a procedure carried out in mid-summer, cuttings 10 cm long are prepared, which are planted in the shady area of ​​the garden and covered glass jar for rooting. After 1.5 months, new plants are planted in a permanent place, and with the arrival of cold weather they are covered with spruce branches.
  • Propagation by layering is the simplest technique, in which a low-growing shoot is cut lengthwise and placed in a groove up to 15 cm deep. After the roots have formed, the layer is separated from the mother specimen and planted in the chosen location.
  • Dividing a bush - when carrying out the procedure in spring or autumn, a four-year-old bush is dug up, the rhizome of which is divided into parts with three buds. The division is carried out with a sterile instrument, and the cut sites are necessarily treated with a disinfectant in the form of charcoal, activated carbon or a fungicidal preparation.
  • Being a low-growing shrub with a long flowering phase, cinquefoil is used to decorate the following art objects:

    • curbs;
    • alpine hills, where various conifers are planted as a background for cinquefoil;
    • living fences;
    • rockeries.

    Thus, if a small set of agrotechnical requirements are met, the cinquefoil will delight the grower with abundant flowering throughout not only the summer season, but also half of the autumn period.

This plant is a true gardener’s dream, because caring for cinquefoil is so simple that even a beginner can handle it, and the variety of varieties and colors allows the shrub to be used in various garden compositions.

A deciduous shrub, cinquefoil, which is native to the mountainous regions of the Far East, Altai, Siberia, Central Asia, Europe, China, Japan and North America. The plant has several historical names, each of which reveals its essence:

  • cinquefoil - for the similarity of the leaves to the paws of birds;
  • Kuril tea - due to its medicinal properties, the decoction is often consumed as tea;
  • dasiphora- from description appearance a bush whose leaves and stems are densely covered with small hairs, “dasys” - “densely hairy”, “phoros” - “bearing”;
  • cinquefoil - initially the cinquefoil flower has five petals.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, decorative varieties of Kuril tea abound in a variety of shapes and colors that will add bright notes to any garden plot.

Options for using cinquefoil

Cinquefoil is an almost universal shrub that can be easily shaped and retains its decorative appearance from early spring to late autumn.

Low-growing varieties of cinquefoil look great in. Dwarf bush, covered from June to October bright colors, will become the center of the composition and an excellent company for decorative deciduous creeping perennials.

For a rock garden, it is better to choose the dwarf shrubby cinquefoil, which will not cause problems in care, while the creeping type of shrub will have to be pruned more often due to its aggressive growth.

Tall varieties reaching 1.5 m are best suited for use in creating. Such a “living” fence will please the eye until winter. To ensure that the hedge does not lose its decorative value in the cold season, it is good to combine cinquefoil with evergreen conifers; moreover, they are very favorable to such a neighborhood.

Caring for cinquefoil bush

The shrub is a real find for ever-busy summer residents who nevertheless want to enjoy the view of their plot. What is especially pleasing is that Kuril tea is practically not susceptible to diseases; foliar treatment with boric acid or a weak solution of potassium permanganate will help to cope with this.
Basic plant care consists of 3 elementary parts:

  • watering;
  • feeding;
  • pruning

The plant is unpretentious, but gratefully responds to watering, especially in hot summers. For good growth, it is advisable to water Kuril tea twice a week. The water temperature does not play a special role, and the optimal amount is about 5 liters for each bush.

To feed cinquefoil, it is better to use combined ones. Can be used as ready-made mixtures, and make them yourself. To do this, dissolve 20-30 g of phosphates and 10-15 g of potassium fertilizers in 10 liters of water. This amount is enough for one adult plant. It is best to fertilize the cinquefoil for the first time in the spring, after the buds awaken.

Spring care for cinquefoil plays the greatest role in the development of the plant. As soon as the snow melts, you can carry out the first pruning of the shrubby cinquefoil. At this time, last year's flower stalks are removed. If there is no time for the first pruning, then the main pruning of the shrubby cinquefoil is carried out when the buds awaken and it is clear how well the plant has overwintered.

If the winter has been harsh, the shrubby cinquefoil may take a long time to emerge from hibernation, so do not rush with pruning.

In the fall, the five-leaf plant is pruned, preparing the plant for wintering. At this time, all overgrown shoots are removed. Give the bush the desired shape. With the first frost, you can remove the remaining cinquefoil flower stalks, then they will not need to be trimmed in the spring.

Reproduction and planting of shrubs

The plant is unpretentious to soils, light-loving, although it tolerates partial shade. If you want to get the most positive result, then do not be lazy to follow a few rules when planting and then the cinquefoil will thank you with rapid growth and abundant flowering.

It is best to plant cinquefoil as a shrub in the spring, but if in the spring you did not have time to decorate the area with this plant, then it is better to postpone planting until the fall. The optimal depth of the hole for planting shrubs is 50-60 cm. A drainage layer of about 15 cm is poured onto the bottom. Then the hole is filled with a soil mixture of sand, humus and turf soil. Regardless of the season, it is best to plant cinquefoil in warm, cloudy weather.

The top layer of soil must be mulched, this will help avoid excessive drying out of the soil. For mulching, you can use sawdust, pine needles or peat.

You can propagate shrubby cinquefoil in several ways:

  • dividing the bush;
  • cuttings;
  • seeds;
  • layering.

Cuttings

The most popular propagation of cinquefoil is by shrub cuttings. In summer, cuttings 10-15 cm long are cut from one-year-old twigs. Lower leaves and the buds are carefully removed. Prepared cuttings are placed in a loose, well-moistened substrate in boxes or in a shady part of the garden. To speed up the formation of the root system, cover the top plastic bags or banks. For the winter, seedlings are covered with a layer of sawdust or pine needles to protect them from frost.

Reproduction by layering

Low-growing, spreading varieties of cinquefoil, which have branches growing parallel to the ground, can be propagated by layering. For rooting, a small incision is made on the bark of the plant, near the bud, and it is placed in wet soil and pressed. Layers can be separated from the parent bush by next year, spring.

Dividing the bush

The strongest planting material obtained by propagating Kuril tea by dividing the bush. Plants aged 4 years and older are suitable for this. Mature plant They dig it up, and part of the root with growth buds is separated from it. The cuttings are placed in a rooting agent for 12 hours (Bioglobin, Gumix or any other that you are used to using). After this, the plants are planted in previously prepared holes so that the growth bud is buried 5 cm. Potentilla transplantation by dividing the bush can be done in autumn or spring.

Growing from seeds

Propagation by seeds is the most time-consuming method, but thanks to it you can grow the most decorative and rare varieties of shrubby cinquefoil. Seeds that have been stored for no more than 3 years are suitable for planting. If the seeds are too dry, they should be soaked in water for a day to awaken. The seeds are placed in fertile soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. Watered and covered with film or a plastic bottle.

The first shoots appear after three weeks, after another month they can be planted. A plant grown from seeds will bloom in the third year after planting.

Medicinal properties of cinquefoil bush

The healing power of Potentilla bush is legendary. According to legend, Ilya Muromets used it to restore strength and expel evil spirits. And these are not just fairy tales, medicinal properties Kuril tea is used not only in folk, but also in official medicine. Cinquefoil will become not only a garden decoration, but also a real living first aid kit for the whole family.

A decoction of leaves and stems helps fight hypertension and thyroid diseases. Copes with diarrhea, colitis, and is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. The use of Kuril tea for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases has also proven itself.

The rhizomes of the cinquefoil bush in the form of a decoction are used to remove radiation from the body, reduce cholesterol levels, and for rheumatism and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The ability of the cinquefoil to fight against many is not due to its magical properties, as was believed in the old days, but to its unique chemical composition, which can be the envy of many pharmacological drugs. So, this bright shrub is rich in substances such as iron, iodine, zinc, nickel, silver, etc.

All varieties of cinquefoil have medicinal properties, but they are most pronounced in the white-flowered cinquefoil.

Kuril tea, due to its ability to lower blood pressure, should be used with caution by hypotensive patients.

Autumn decoration of the garden Potentilla shrub - video

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