Polyanthus Primroses. Care, Selection

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

In autumn, there are few flowering plants in the flower beds. At this time, the polyanthus primrose comes to the rescue. Bright bouquets flaunt in the beds until the frost. How to increase the variety of colors? Properly care for the landings

Getting your own seeds

There are 2 options for obtaining your own seeds:

1. By the method of random crossing with the help of insect pollinators. For seed purposes, grains are selected from the most beautiful specimens.

2. Purposeful production of new hybrids with unique colors artificially.

Do you want to try yourself as a breeder? Then do the pollination work with your own hands, selecting parental pairs in advance. The process takes a significant amount of time. From amateurs will be required: great patience, accuracy, accuracy of notes, observation.

Selection

They make up pairs of time-tested plants that have wintered well in a given area for several years without shelter. They choose bushes with large inflorescences, unusual bright colors of the same flowering period and a similar range (red-pink, blue-blue).

They are planted side by side, away from the rest of the primrose plantings, or put on a cap made of nonwoven material on the frame. By hand, a soft brush for painting is transferred several times daily pollen from the paternal stamens to the pistil of the maternal specimen.

Groups can consist of several pollinators. As a donor, you can use 2-3 plants with different external parameters. Sometimes the experiments take several years. Breeders gradually cross the resulting hybrids with other original forms, achieving better external data.

During the flowering period, the safety of the shelter is monitored so that pollinating insects do not disrupt the experiment. After the last bud withers, it is removed. They put tags next to the bushes with information about the parents.

Harvesting"

Seeds are collected separately from each plant, indicating on the packages all the necessary initial data. The approximate harvest time is the browning of the grains (late July - early August). The shell changes from green to light brown. It keeps the ripened material well inside.

With late harvesting, part of the planting reserve ends up in the soil. By autumn, seedlings appear around the mother bushes.

Full ripening of seeds occurs during drying in a ventilated room with a temperature of 20-25 degrees. Store the starting material for no more than a year in paper bags at room temperature.

Growing seedlings

Seedlings are obtained in a manner similar to seed propagation described in the article

In the fall of the current year or in the early spring of the next season, they are sown on the beds according to a pre-developed scheme, placing the seeds from each specimen in a separate row. When diving, keep small distances between groups

Throughout the experiment, they keep records in the journal, indicating the main data on new hybrids:

1. Timing of landing.

2. Duration, abundance of flowering.

3. Coloring of the petals.

4. Size, number of inflorescences.

5. Winter hardiness.

6. Physical parameters of the vegetative mass.

7. Weather conditions of the season.

The second stage is to select the most interesting specimens. Careful observation is carried out for young bushes for 2-3 years. During flowering, each plant is photographed for comparison. The best options are left for further propagation by the vegetative method.

Care

Primrose does not require much attention during the growing season. It is enough to provide the plants with comfortable living conditions:

• shady place;

• timely watering during drought;

• weeding from weeds;

• feeding twice a season (during flowering, in the middle of summer) with a complex fertilizer or herbal infusion with the addition of ash and superphosphate;

• loosening of row spacings;

• obligatory division of overgrown bushes;

• removal of dried buds.

Plants, subject to all conditions, will try to thank their owner with lush flowering twice a year.

An exciting activity, getting new hybrids, will help expand the collection of primroses on your site. To do this, it is enough to have several colors and a great desire to try yourself in the role of a real magician.