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About 500 years ago, in the XNUMXth century, a ship with gold prospectors landed on the shores of North America. Travelers have heard about the lands “filled with gold.” Even on the coast, treasure hunters saw a bright golden glow. But when they got to the place, they were very disappointed. After all, the blooming flowers of Eschsholzia turned out to be the source of radiance. Since then, in Spain, this plant is called “Copa de Ora”, which means “golden bowl”.
Description of the plant
Eschsholzia got its name in honor of the zoologist, doctor, naturalist and biologist I.F. von Eschsholtz. After all, it was he who brought the first seeds of these unusually beautiful flowers to Our Country.
Many gardeners have already fallen in love with a beautiful foreigner for its unpretentious care, beautiful flowers and a long flowering period. The flowerbeds on which Eschsolzia grows decorate front gardens from the beginning of June until almost winter.
Each flower opens its petals within 3-4 days. But to replace the fading inflorescence, several more bright buds bloom.
The Eschsholzia flower belongs to the poppy family. He has several other names – “California poppy” and “Wormstone”. The homeland of flowers is sunny California, on the territory of which more than ten species of a plant belonging to the poppy family grow.
Over the past few decades, thanks to the efforts of breeders, many new varieties of Eschsholzia have appeared, which delight flower growers with bright inflorescences of a wide variety of shades.
Eschscholzia flower is a herbaceous, bushy, perennial plant with a tap root system. The average height is up to 40 cm. In Our Country, it is grown as an annual.
The flower is distinguished by thin and numerous shoots. Openwork leaves of pale green color are located on long petioles.
Eschsholzia bushes are covered with numerous single flowers in the form of a bowl. The size of the flowers in diameter reaches 8-10 cm, depending on the variety. Simple, terry, white, matte, orange, red or yellow – the look and color of each variety is amazing!
A feature of Eschsholzia flowers is their flowering. In sunny weather, the buds open and give flower growers the opportunity to enjoy the enchanting beauty. But in bad weather or with the onset of evening, its petals are tightly closed.
After flowering, in place of a wilted bud, a seed box with a diameter of 3 to 9 cm is formed, in which there are small Eschsholzia seeds.
You can collect and harvest flower seeds yourself. To do this, the seed pods are harvested in the maturity phase and dried in a dry, dark place.
Types and varieties of flowers
In the wild, Eschscholzia flowers are golden in color. Petals in the amount of 4-6 pieces are arranged in the form of a bowl. But at the moment, thanks to the hard work of breeders, many new varieties have appeared that differ not only in a variety of colors, but also in inflorescences. Varieties appeared with double and densely double flowers of orange, yellow, red, white, burgundy tones. Look at the photo, how beautiful the Eschsholcia grown from seeds are.
Ivory castle
size Zolotaya (twin variety)
apple blossom
mikado california
Cranberry juice
Pink champagne
pink chiffon
Pay attention to the following varieties that have recently appeared on the market, but have already gained popularity:
- Carmine King – bright pink flowers with a white center;
- Terry dwarf – double flowers of 2-3 shades with bright flashes;
- Ballerina – pale white flowers with silky petals;
- Plum wine – simple, purple-violet flowers.
You can list the varieties of Eschsholtzia for a long time. But not a single photo can fully reflect the enchanting beauty and gentle quivering of flowers.
Secrets of cultivation
Despite the fact that the flowers are unpretentious, there are still a few secrets of growing Eschsholzia from seeds that every grower needs to know about:
- Before planting, California poppy seeds must be subjected to mandatory stratification;
- You can sow seeds in the fall, which is called “before winter.” Thus, the seeds will undergo a natural, that is, natural, stratification. But you can plant flowers in early spring, or grow seedlings.
- The root system of flowers is very fragile. Therefore, when growing seedlings, the picking process is excluded.
- Flowers react very painfully to excess moisture. The roots begin to rot and the plant may die.
- The site for Eschsolzia should be sunny.
In general, growing Eschsholzia will not be difficult. And even a novice florist can cope with this.
Sowing Eschscholzia in autumn
Sowing flowers in autumn in open ground is one of the easiest ways to grow Eschsholzia from seeds, when planting plants does not take you much time and effort.
The benefits of planting flowers in the fall are as follows:
- During the winter, the seed material will undergo natural stratification.
- In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, friendly, green shoots will appear on your flower beds.
- Eschscholzia, planted before winter, blooms much earlier than spring or grown from seedlings.
- Autumn planting greatly facilitates the process of planting and caring for flowers.
Before planting Eschscholzia with seeds in the fall, determine a sunny area for the future flower bed. It is very important that melt water does not stagnate at the chosen place. Finding a suitable site is very simple – remember where the snow melts the fastest in spring. Plant flowers here.
Eschsholzia loves light, sandy, fertile soil. It is advisable to add a little sand (3-5 kg per m²) and humus or peat (2-3 kg per m²) to the soil before sowing. A week before planting, dig well and level the area so that there are no holes and tubercles on it.
Seeds should be sown in dry or slightly moist soil. Make shallow, 6-8 cm deep grooves. Eschscholzia seeds must first be mixed with sand so that subsequently the plantings are not too thickened. Sow the seeds, level the grooves, and mulch the area with dry leaves, peat, spruce branches.
In the spring, you only need to thin out the seedlings, if necessary.
When planting Eschsholtzia in open ground in the spring, it is not necessary to mulch the plantings. But if there is a threat of frost, cover the plantings with lutrasil or film.
Growing flowers by seedling method
If you decide to start growing Eschscholzia from seeds at home, put the seed material in the lower section of the refrigerator. In this way, you will both save the seeds and stratify them.
Do not forget that when growing Eschsholzia flowers for seedlings, the picking process is excluded. This is due to the peculiarity of the California poppy root system. The slightest damage to the roots – and the plant will inevitably die.
Therefore, when growing Eschsholzia, experienced gardeners, when it’s time to plant seeds, prefer to use peat tablets, plastic disposable or collapsible cups for growing seedlings, as in the photo.
The main thing is to keep the root system intact when transplanting.
Growing seedlings
Planting Eschsholzia for seedlings is not particularly difficult. When sowing flowers in peat tablets, you need to properly prepare the containers:
- Place the tablets in a plastic container.
- Pour water into the tray and wait until the tablets absorb the water. Add water if necessary.
- Peat tablets are ready to use when they stop absorbing moisture. Drain excess water from the pan and proceed to planting.
- Eschscholzia seeds are very small. It is very convenient to place them in planting containers with a wet toothpick. Place 2 seeds in each tablet, and sprinkle them with a small layer of soil.
- Irrigate plantings with a spray bottle and place in a warm, bright place. It is undesirable that direct sunlight falls on the seedlings.
When sowing Eschsholzia for seedlings in plastic or collapsible cups, the planting method is no different from planting other flowers.
Seedlings should be watered as the soil dries out. In no case should you fill in the landings. Watch the microclimate of the room. Optimum air temperature +21˚С +23˚С, humidity – no more than 40% -55%.
The first green shoots will delight you in 1,5-2 weeks. If you wish, you can feed the seedlings of Eschsholzia flowers with complex mineral fertilizers 15-20 days after seed germination.
At least 2-3 weeks before the proposed transplantation of Eschsholzia in open ground, seedlings must be hardened off. Accustomed to home conditions, Eschsholzia grown from seeds is not resistant to frost and sudden changes in ambient temperature.
Hardening should begin with an open window, in which it is worth placing boxes or pallets with seedlings. Subsequently, landings must be taken out to the veranda or balcony. At first, the “walk” time is 30-40 minutes. Gradually increase the duration to 3-4 hours. After hardening, the seedlings will be able to withstand temperatures as low as -5°C.
Transplantation in open ground
Eschsholzia can be transplanted into open ground when the air temperature warms up to + 18˚С + 22˚С. The optimal planting dates in the southern regions of Our Country come in the second half of April. But in regions with a more severe climate, you should not start transplanting before the second half of May.
The flower garden must be prepared in advance. Add sand and humus and carefully dig the soil. Prepare small holes 15-20 cm deep. The distance between the planting holes should be at least 30-35 cm, as the Eschsholzia bushes grow rapidly.
Carefully, trying not to disturb the earthen ball, place the seedlings in the planting hole. Fill the voids with soil. At the base of the flower, compact the soil and water the future flower garden.
It is advisable to water Eschsholzia from a watering can, in the early morning or late afternoon. Make sure that moisture does not accumulate in large quantities in flower beds.
The first buds on young bushes will appear within 30-40 days after sowing.
Aftercare
After planting in open ground, Eschsholzia flowers do not require special care. Each grower has long known such activities as weeding and loosening.
It is not necessary to water the flower beds with Eschsholzia too often. Due to the long roots, the plant can absorb moisture from the deep layers of the soil. Therefore, watering is required for flowers only during the dry season. In normal weather, the California poppy has enough moisture that comes with rain and dew.
To stimulate abundant and prolonged flowering, you can fertilize Eschsholzia with mineral fertilizer, which contains potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. The feeding scheme looks like this:
- 1st time – during transplantation into open ground;
- 2nd time – in 3-4 weeks.
As soon as the first buds appear on the bushes, fertilizers should be discarded.
In the absence of mineral dressings, you can fertilize the soil with ash during the transplantation of Eschsholzia flowers. Just add a handful of ash to each well.
Having grown Eschsholzia once, you can admire its bright, unique buds every year. Flowers reproduce well on their own, scattering seeds. If you do not plan or for some reason do not want Eschsholzia to grow randomly, remove wilted buds every week.
When the California poppy bushes have completely faded, remove old shoots from the flower bed – Wormwood grows very quickly. In place of the old plant, young shoots will soon appear, which will bloom magnificently in a few weeks.
Diseases and pests
Despite the unpretentiousness in care and high resistance to many diseases and pests, when growing Eschsholzia flowers from seeds, it is important to strictly adhere to the recommendations of flower growers.
Like all plants, in June, Eschsholzia may be attacked by a bean aphid. With these insects, the drug “Commander” will help you cope.
In a hot, dry summer, many flower beds are attacked by a spider mite, which you can remove with the help of Actellik insecticides.
Excessive watering will invariably lead to rotting of the root system and the aerial part of the plant. When the first signs of decay appear, watering should be stopped and damaged foliage should be removed. Heavily damaged Eschscholzia bushes are best removed entirely to prevent the spread of the disease.
In case of disease of flowers with powdery mildew, plants should be treated with sulfur.
How to collect seeds
Collecting Eschscholzia seeds makes sense if you want to share it with someone or want to plant it elsewhere. To do this, thin, cotton bags are put on the seed pods. After the seeds ripen, that is, about a month after the buds wither, cut the boxes from the bush.
At home, you need to carefully shake out the seeds from the bags and seed boxes and dry. Fold the finished seed material into paper bags and put in the refrigerator, in the bottom drawer. There the seed material should be stored until spring. Eschsholtzia flower seeds remain viable for 3-4 years.
If you want to admire the delicate and beautiful flowers of Eschscholzia without much hassle next summer, in the fall, before frost, remove the old bushes and dig up the soil. In the spring, thick, strong seedlings will appear in the flower garden. A couple of weeks after the seeds germinate, you only need to thin out the plantings and apply fertilizer to the soil.
In about a month, your flower beds will again be decorated with quivering and beautiful flowers of Eschsholzia.
The author of the video will tell you more about the features of growing Eschsholzia from seeds: when to plant and how to care for them:
Conclusion
The rules of agricultural technology for growing Eschsholzia from seeds are so simple that even a novice florist can handle this matter. With the help of these uncomplicated, but eye-catching flowers, you can not only decorate the backyard, but also make various compositions in landscape design.