Primrose is a subtle spring flower that pleases with its palette of shades. The Ballerina series was recently launched in Cambridge and is considered a novelty. Flowers with a diameter of 5-7 cm look great on flower beds and in other floral arrangements. The article will discuss the varieties of primrose Ballerina and how to plant such flowers and care for them.
Varieties of Primrose Ballerina
Belarina series has a wide variety of varieties. Today there are more than 50 of them. Each of them is unique and has its own recommendations for care. Not everyone is able to withstand low temperatures and heavy rains, so in order to grow a flower in your area, you need to know the characteristics of each of the varieties.
Did you know? Due to the fact that primrose inflorescences outwardly resemble a bunch of keys, people call flowers “keys”.
Cobalt blue
The variety Cobalt Blue has a height of 10-15 cm. Terry flowers are bright blue, with a diameter of 4 cm. The flowering period occurs at the end of spring - early summer (May - June). The leaves are oval, oblong, with serrated edges. Their length is up to 20 cm, and their width is up to 4 cm. The plant prefers partial shade and fertile soil. Cobalt Blue does not tolerate stagnation of moisture and close occurrence of groundwater.
Pink champagne
Grade Pink Champagne (Pink Champagne) has a delicate pink tint and a pleasant aroma. Flowers look beautiful among other plants that can create the partial shade necessary for primrose. The landing area should be in a slightly shaded area. The plant has a height of up to 15 cm. The flowers are collected in rosettes, terry and lush, begin to bloom in April. The flowering season ends in June.
Pink ice
The Pink Ice variety is able to surprise with its color: white with a lilac-pink tint. Flowers have a pleasant persistent smell and bloom from May to June. Pink Ice primrose is located in 4 frost resistance zones.
Butter yellow
Butter Yellow is distinguished by dense saturated green jagged leaves. They are covered with white coating and are capable of reaching 20 cm in length. Flowers 10–25 cm high have a red tint. The flowering period begins in April and lasts for 40 days. The plant prefers slightly acidic and neutral soils.
Valentine
Variety Valentine has a rich wine tint. Terry flowers are dense and lush. They are collected in sockets of 5-20 pieces. The leaves are oblong, lanceolate. The plant negatively refers to the hot sunlight.
Nectarine
Primula vulgaris Belarina Nectarine has large double flowers. They are characterized by yellow color with an orange-pink edging. Variety Nectarine loves porous light soil. The plant blooms in April, and begins to bloom again in the fall.
Seed cultivation
Primrose is a unique ornamental plant that can be used:
- in the open ground in combination with bulbous flowers, for example, daffodils and tulips;
- in composition with deciduous plants;
- as a "living carpet" of flowers;
- for growing in pots and flowerpots indoors;
- for planting in containers that decorate the terraces.
Did you know? Primrose has many useful properties. It is used for the preparation of spring salads, and seasonings for dishes are made from the root.
To grow a plant from seeds, you need to be responsive to the choice of soil and capacity for planting. Low acid or neutral soil is best. It should be sifted well, be light and porous, so that the roots of young plants have the opportunity to get enough air and moisture. To improve water permeability, sand and coconut fiber can be added to the soil.
Special containers for sowing primrose seeds can be purchased at the flower shop. At home, they can be replaced with cut-off plastic bottles, various confectionery packaging. It is important to create a greenhouse effect for seeds, so you need to provide for the presence of a film at home. An important role for seeds is played by soil temperature. It should be around + 5 ... + 10 ° С and during stratification not to fall below the –10 ° С mark.
Step-by-step instruction for growing primrose from seeds using the stratification method:
- Pour into a container of 3-5 cm of soil, make the next layer of 2 cm from snow.
- Sow seeds in the snow so that the distance between them is about 0.5 cm. This is necessary in order to make it more convenient to dive seedlings in the future.
- Stratification container should be stored for 10-14 days in a cool place. It can be a snowdrift of snow, a cellar or a refrigerator. In 2 weeks, the first shoots appear.
Video: Stratification of Primrose Seeds
Stratification is needed so that plants adapt well to the cold, but it is not necessary. The capacity can be left indoors on the window. In this case, the seedlings will begin to hatch already on the 5-6th day from the moment of planting.
Outdoor primrose planting
In the open ground, primrose is planted in autumn or spring. Seedlings must be two years old. Planting is carried out in loose moist soil. The distance between plants during planting in open ground should be at least 20 cm. Primrose grown from seeds begins to please with its color only for 2-3 years.
Important! The site for planting a perennial plant should be in partial shade, since primrose can not tolerate aggressive sunlight.
Plant care
Caring for primrose is simple and not difficult even for beginners. It consists primarily in watering. It is necessary to moisten the soil once a week, after which it is worth carrying out weeding and loosening. During periods of drought, flowers should be watered with 3 liters of water per 1 m².
Perennial plants need regular feeding. The first fertilizer procedure is carried out after the appearance of leaves, the second - after the flower ceases to bloom. When feeding, it must be borne in mind that an excess of nitrogen in the soil can cause primrose to not bloom the next year. Suitable fertilizers are phosphoric and potash. For the best effect, they need to be alternated.
Breeding
There are several ways to propagate a primrose:
- By dividing the bush.
- Cuttings.
- The seeds.
Important! Planting and dividing plants can be carried out 1 time in 4-5 years.
For transplanting, you need to dig a bush with a root, remove the soil lump. The root system is washed with water, and then cut with a sharp knife. Wounds at the site of cuts should be sprinkled with ash and immediately planted in a new area.
In order to propagate the primrose by the cuttings, it is necessary to separate the leaf from the bush together with the kidney and part of the stem. The resulting planting material should be planted in the soil, having previously shortened the sheet by ½ part.
The primrose of the Ballerina series is a bright way to decorate your site or home. Plant care is simple, which allows you to grow a perennial velvety lush flower even for amateur gardeners.