Growing crocosmia is quite within the power of any grower, it is not too demanding for care, it is quite viable, it reproduces well. In the middle lane, only the need to dig up corms and store them in winter in a dry, frost-free room presents a certain difficulty. Below are recommendations for choosing and preparing a place to place crocosmia, planting and care, the photo illustrates some of the stages of its cultivation.
Choosing a place for planting crocosmia
Most varieties require an open, sunny location. Only a few hybrids of C. Aurea (K. golden) tolerate light shading, the rest do not bloom with a lack of lighting. The culture prefers light fertile soil with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction, sufficiently moist, but well-drained, without stagnant rain or melt water. To improve water permeability, sand is added to it, if necessary.
A place for planting crocosmia has been prepared since autumn: they dig it up, fertilize it, adding a couple of buckets of humus per 1 m2, about 40 g of superphosphate and half as much potassium chloride. With high acidity, dolomite flour is used. If the soils are too poor, additional nitrogen can be added in spring (30 g per 1 m2).
Planting crocosmia and caring for seedlings
The agricultural technology of crocosmia, planting and caring for it are in many ways similar to the culture of gladioli. Corms are planted when the soil warms up to + 6- + 10 ° C, usually in the last days of April or early May. A few days before that, they are brought into heat, sorted out, cleaned of old stems and roots, dry shells are removed, children are separated, and immediately before planting, they are placed in a warm solution of potassium permanganate of low concentration (0.1%) for 1-2 hours.
Such soaking and heating not only disinfects, but also stimulates the formation of roots, the appearance of sprouts. In order for crocosmia to bloom earlier, you can pre-germinate them in pots and plant seedlings in the ground in May-June.
The depth and spacing between plants depends on the size of the corms. Large specimens are buried by 7-10 cm, located at a distance of 10-12 cm from each other, children are buried by 3-6 cm, with an interval of 5-6 cm. Flowers intended for cutting are placed at least to obtain spectacular high peduncles than 10 cm apart.
If the site has heavy soil, it is recommended to plant crocosmia on a peat-sand cushion to protect against waterlogging. If the site has heavy soil, it is recommended to plant crocosmia on a peat-sand cushion to protect against waterlogging. To prevent cross-pollination, which is important if seed propagation is planned, different varieties are placed at a distance from each other.
After planting crocosmia, caring for it consists in regular loosening, watering and top dressing. The plant is moisture-loving, requires weekly, and in drought and more frequent watering, while, as for any bulbous, stagnant water is unacceptable.
Top dressing begins from the moment the leaves grow back, for them it is convenient to use long-acting fertilizers (according to the manufacturer’s instructions), or a solution of a complete mineral fertilizer, mullein infusion (1:10), which is watered with plantings every 10 days. During flowering, potassium is added to the top dressing, after which the amount of nitrogen is reduced.
The culture does not require a garter, as it retains its shape well. Immediately after flowering, flower stalks are cut off, which will provide the bulbs with the best conditions for ripening. When wintering in the open ground, expanding nests are divided every 3 years.
Preparing crocosmia for winter and storage
Small-flowered species crocosmia are more frost-resistant than large-flowered ones; they can remain in the open ground all year round not only in the south of Russia, but also in more northern regions. In the middle lane, the culture safely winters only when it is covered with a layer of leaves, shavings, and other organic material 20 cm thick or more. To protect against wetting during thaws, an additional film is laid on the plantings. When growing crocosmia without digging, they develop better, bloom earlier and longer.
Varietal plants are more thermophilic, they are covered in the south, and dug up in the more northern regions in the fall. The bulbs are harvested in dry, frost-free weather at the end of October. Nests with babies are shaken off the ground, stems and leaves are cut at a height of about 5 cm and dried for several days. Since small babies dry out quickly, and it is quite difficult to save them, the nests are not divided, but stored as a whole. They are packed in boxes or paper bags, sprinkled with dried peat, and placed in a cellar or refrigerator, maintaining the temperature in the range from +5 ° C to +10 ° C.