Enotera, or, as it is also called, a night candle, is one of the most amazing plants. There are several varieties, among them the perennial evening primrose Missouri stands out. The golden beauty, like all other species, begins to bloom in the evening and continues throughout the night. By morning, its flowers fade, but new buds appear to replace them, which will open again only in the evening. Today we will tell you about the evening primrose. Planting and caring for a plant have their own nuances, and if you have never encountered this species, but want to decorate your garden with it, we suggest reading this article.
Description of colors
One of the yellow evening primrose varieties is called Missouri. This plant is low-growing, perennial, during flowering, which occurs from June to the first frost, it exudes a pleasant aroma, citrus notes are guessed in it. The flowers of the Missouri evening primrose are medium, reminiscent of glossy cups, they can be up to four centimeters in diameter, collected in graceful inflorescences with a diameter of about ten centimeters. Gardeners love this variety for its decorative effect. Bushes of yellow evening primrose grow well, they candecorate the entire territory with its lush and abundant flowering.
Place of landing
Oenothera is a very soil-demanding flowering plant. On any soil, it may grow, but it will not bloom. Particular attention should be paid to the presence of drainage. Also, the Missouri evening primrose will not develop in hard, heavy soil, it must be stably loosened. So, let's choose the perfect place for planting evening primrose and for its full growth, flowering.
The soil must be perfectly permeable, it is not allowed that water stagnates in the soil, excess moisture is detrimental to the root system. The site where the plant is planned to be planted should be in a well-lit place, but it can be both shade and partial shade. The yellow evening primrose will please with abundant flowering if the soil has all the necessary fertilizers. This is a low-growing variety, it can be used to decorate garden paths and flower beds.
It is recommended to feed the soil even before planting, for this you need nitrophoska and humus. Fertilizers are taken exactly according to the rules: two tablespoons of nitrophoska and three kilograms of humus must be added per square meter. After that, the soil must be well dug up to a depth of about twenty centimeters, remove all the roots of weeds, water well so that the top dressing starts working.
Enotera perennial can be planted in several ways. Planting and care will be described in the following content. If you decide to grow a flower yourself, starting from seeds, then purchase planting material only from a goodfirms.
Sowing seeds
In this way it is best to plant a perennial. Evening primrose Missouri is one of these species, so it is ideal. The seeds of the plant are very small, you must first mix them with a small amount of sand and plant them on the prepared site to a depth not exceeding five millimeters.
For the first year, you should not expect flowering, only stems with leaves will appear. The Missouri primrose will begin to bloom from the second year of life.
Planting seeds in open ground is possible only when the earth warms up to +15 degrees, there is no danger of frost. When shoots appear and get a little stronger, thinning will need to be done.
Seedling method
To achieve the flowering of the night candle (Missouri evening primrose), you need to prepare seedlings. Seeds are planted in cups of peat or plastic filled with fertile soil (with good drainage) at the end of February, shoots will appear in the interval from a week to four. Keep the air temperature around 20 degrees, water if necessary. In May, when the seedlings are strong, there is no threat of frost, it can be planted in the garden. How to do it correctly, read the content below.
Dividing the bush
This is the easiest way to propagate and plant Missouri evening primrose flowers in your yard. If your friends have these plants, then ask them for a bush. Dividing a flower is quite simple,the plant must be dug up in spring or autumn, along with the root and a clod of earth, lowered into water for safer separation - this way the root system will be less damaged. It is possible to do without digging up a bush, many give lateral shoots that can be carefully removed from the soil without damaging the main plant. Oenothera Missouri tolerates transplanting well even during flowering.
Landing
Enotera is an original flower, when planting it in the ground, you need to take into account every little thing, because the adaptation of the plant to the new soil depends on it. If you do everything right, you will soon receive the most beautiful flowers that will decorate your territory at night.
- When planting seedlings, prepare the holes, the distance between them should be at least half a meter, as this plant develops rapidly and takes root over a long distance. The holes should be exactly the depth at which the plant grew in pots or in the ground (when dividing a bush or thinning seedlings in open ground).
- Lay drainage at the bottom, ordinary crushed stone or gravel will perfectly act as a removal of excess moisture.
- Place the seedling in the hole, sprinkle with fertile soil to the level to which it grew in the container or soil, this is very important.
- After all these manipulations, water the seedlings.
After planting, do not forget about the proper care of the plant. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the basic rules that must be observed for activegrowth and flowering evening primrose. The whole process will not take you much time and effort, care is quite primitive, practically no different from what is required to care for other flowering perennials.
Irrigation
Irrigate only young plants. Adult evening primrose does not tolerate excessive moisture. Stagnation of water can cause root rot, and this can lead to the death of the plant. If there is enough rain in the season, then watering is not required at all.
During the dry period, when the earth is completely dry, it is worth slightly moistening the soil around the bush.
Fertilizers
Only a planted plant does not need to be fed all year round. The mixture that was applied to the soil before planting will be enough for him. From next year, you need to make compost once a season, it will enhance growth, and when flowering, pamper evening primrose with potassium sulfate and wood ash. The main thing is not to overdo it, feeding with potassium sulfate is strictly according to the instructions, without increasing the dosage.
In order for the appearance to be aesthetic, it is necessary to remove wilted flowers in the morning so that they do not spoil the appearance of the plant and do not interfere with new inflorescences.
Loosening the soil
The main care for evening primrose is precisely in frequent loosening. This will allow the soil to be more saturated with oxygen, get rid of excessive moisture. In addition, it is necessary to remove weeds, they are able to reduce the growth of evening primrose, although it itself perfectly clogs growing herbs andculture. That is why it is not recommended to plant it with other ornamental plants.
Missouri evening primrose should be completely cut off in the fall - to the very root. Covering material is needed to protect the roots in winter, spruce paws will also serve well for this.
Pests and their control
When growing evening primrose, you are unlikely to encounter problems such as plant disease or pest attacks. This flower is very resistant to all these undesirable factors. If the rules of care are not followed, or if the season is excessively rainy and moisture stagnates, some fungal diseases may appear, but they are quickly treated with fungicides.
Pests rarely encroach on evening primrose, but they can still notice it. If this happens, treat the plants with insecticides. Some insects will have to be harvested by hand from the flowers.
Following these simple rules, you will get a beautiful clearing, which will be dotted with "moon flowers" every night.
