white forest anemone

The forest anemone is a forest dweller. However, when the necessary conditions are created, this plant successfully grows in the summer cottage. Anemone is unpretentious in care and is suitable for growing in the middle lane.

Description of forest anemone

Anemone is an outdoor perennial herb that belongs to the buttercup family. These flowers are also called anemones, because their petals are sensitive to the movement of air currents.

In nature, there are 170 species of anemones that are found in the northern hemisphere up to the Arctic.

The forest anemone is a primrose that lives in the north of Eastern and Western Europe, in Siberia, in the foothills of the Caucasus and Crimea.

The forest anemone can be seen in the photo:

The root system of the anemone is a powerful vertical rhizome. In the spring, leaves grow from it on petioles up to 20 cm long.

At the end of May, flower stalks appear, on which one or two large white flowers are located. The diameter of the flower is up to 7 cm. On the reverse side, the petals may differ in a purple hue.

The forest anemone grows in three years. Then her bush reaches a volume of 30 cm. The installation of limiters helps to prevent growth.

Rules of landing

Planting and caring for an anemone should take into account the characteristics of this plant. A suitable place is chosen for it, after which they begin to prepare the soil.

Site Selection

All varieties of forest anemones grow in shady places. Under natural conditions, these plants can be found under trees or shrubs. In the garden, anemones are planted next to primroses, pansies or spirea.

The composition and moisture of the soil should remain the same until the end of the season, even when the anemone stalks die off.

Anemone grows in the forest on glades and edges, slopes with numerous shrubs, rocky terrain, meadows and steppes. She is met in oak and coniferous forests, but not in dense thickets, but in open places. The forest anemone also thrives on sandy soils.

Therefore, in garden conditions, the plant needs to provide partial shade and plant it under a mountain ash, sea buckthorn, plum or cherry tree. The landing area should remain spacious and protected from the wind.

Soil preparation

Anemone should be planted in fertile loose soil. It is best if the soil is neutral or slightly acidic. The plant is able to grow on poor soils, however, for abundant flowering, it is required to prepare a better composition of the soil.

If the soil on the site is heavy and clayey, then it is improved by loosening and adding sand. Due to this, the earth receives more air and warms up faster. Another method is to apply organic fertilizers, which enriches the soil with nutrients.

It is better to prepare the soil for anemones in the fall by digging up the flower bed and adding compost or overripe manure.

All types of anemone prefer well-moistened soil. However, stagnant water adversely affects the development of these plants. Therefore, before planting, it is imperative to equip drainage. Crushed stone, gravel, expanded clay, broken brick acts as a drainage layer.

Anemone transplant

Since the anemone grows on the site over time, it can oppress other plants planted nearby. An anemone transplant will help solve the problem.

It is best to carry out the procedure in the spring when the first shoots appear. The roots and adnexal buds are transferred to the desired location. You can transplant an anemone in September, but in this case the plant takes root worse.

It is not recommended to transplant anemones too often, as the plant reacts sharply to such changes. A transplanted anemone may die.

Care instructions

With proper planting and care, the anemone is characterized by abundant flowering. Caring for the plant is quite simple: it is enough to maintain the required level of humidity and monitor the growth of weeds.

Fertilization and watering

If the forest anemone grows in the shade, then frequent watering is not required. It is necessary to monitor the level of moisture and when the soil dries out, water the bed in a timely manner.

Mulch in the form of fallen leaves of apple or pear trees, peat or purchased mixtures will help increase soil moisture. Due to the mulching layer, weeds do not grow, and moisture evaporates more slowly. The thickness of the mulch is 5 cm.

Fertilize the anemone with complexes consisting of minerals. They are used only during the flowering period.

Pruning plants

Anemone does not require pruning if its flowers are not used to make a bouquet. After flowering, the aerial parts of plants die off without additional intervention.

Even if the anemone is dug up for the winter, it is not recommended to cut its leaves so as not to violate the integrity of the plant.

During the growing season, it is not recommended to disturb the anemone. If neighboring flowers are cut or the lawn is mowed, it is better not to touch the anemones.

Preparation for winter

If severe frosts are observed in the region, then you can dig up the anemone rhizome. In winter, it is stored in a cool place and planted in the ground in spring.

In central Our Country, the anemone is left in the open ground for the winter. The bed is covered with tree branches or spruce branches. An example of shelter with spruce branches is shown in the photo:

Wood anemone breeding

For propagation, forest anemones use seeds, tubers or cuttings. The most effective is cutting anemones or using tubers. From seeds, this plant is rarely grown, because they have low germination.

With the help of seeds

Anemone seeds are characterized by low germination. In total, ¼ of freshly harvested seeds germinate. The stratification of seed material, which consists in exposing it to cold, helps to increase germination.

The forest anemone breeds by self-seeding. Her seeds germinate faster than other species. If you plant seeds in mid-summer, then shoots may appear in September.

After planting seeds in the summer, they are covered with fresh moss or other mulch that keeps the soil moist. In autumn, sprouted anemone tubers are dug up and stored in a cool and humid place.

The process of growing anemones from seeds includes the following steps:

1. The seeds are mixed with coarse sand in a ratio of 1:3. Peat can be used instead of sand. The resulting mass is thoroughly moistened. It is sprayed daily with water.
2. When the seeds begin to swell, you need to add a little soil and place the mass in a room with a temperature of no more than 5 degrees.
3. When the first shoots appear, the seed container is buried in snow or soil, then covered with sawdust. Plants should be kept cold for 1-2 months.
4. Seedlings of anemones are planted in a permanent place after the appearance of the second leaf.

It is best to plant anemone seeds in autumn in loose soil. You can also leave the seeds in boxes and bury them on the site. They are covered with straw on top. In winter, the material will undergo natural processing at low temperatures, which will ensure its high germination.

With the help of tubers

Using tubers, the forest anemone is propagated as follows:

1. Before planting, the tubers of the forest anemone should be soaked in warm water. When they swell after a few hours, they are planted in pots to a depth of 5 cm.
2. Before planting, you can wrap the anemone tubers in a cloth that has been moistened with an epin solution and put in a plastic bag. In this state, the tubers are kept for 6 hours, after which you can immediately start planting them in the ground.
3. For the anemone, a substrate is prepared, consisting of moistened peat and sand. Periodically you need to add moisture so that the soil does not dry out.

   

4. Then proceed to the preparation of the flower bed. A hole 15 cm deep and 30×30 cm in size is suitable for planting tubers.
5. At the bottom of the pit, you need to pour a handful of wood ash and humus.
6. If there are no tubercles on the tubers, then planting is done down with a sharp end. If it is difficult to determine the growth point, then the tuber is planted on the side.
7. The tubers are placed in the hole and sprinkled with earth, which needs to be slightly crushed.
8. After planting, the anemones are watered abundantly.

By cuttings

Another way to propagate anemones is cuttings. The forest anemone forms root offspring with a renewal bud.

The cutting procedure is carried out in early spring before the start of active growth or in autumn during the dormant period. Cuttings grow from adnexal buds, which are located on the roots. Especially a lot of them are formed after flowering is completed.

Of the spring cuttings, about half take root. If autumn cuttings are taken, then 75% of them take root.

The cutting process takes place in the following sequence:

1. The forest anemone is dug up and its roots are cut off. The plant can be planted in place, it will quickly recover during the season.
2. The resulting roots must be cut into cuttings 5 ​​cm long.
3. To speed up the process of root formation, use a solution of epin or another growth stimulant.
4. The cuttings are placed at a distance of 3 cm from each other in a pot with a loose substrate consisting of peat, sand and loam.
5. After planting, the soil is compacted and sprinkled with sand.
6. Containers with cuttings are placed in a greenhouse or buried in the ground. From above, the landing site is covered with a film.
7. Occasionally plants cuttings are watered.
8. When a stem with green leaves appears, the intensity of watering is increased.
9. After the appearance of adventitious roots, the film is removed.
10. The anemone is planted in the flower garden the next year.

Diseases and pests

The anemone is affected by the leaf nematode. This is a type of worm that feeds on the leaf plate of plants. As a result, dry spots appear on the leaves, which have an irregular shape and are arranged in random order.

Anemone affected by a nematode should be destroyed, as the plant will die anyway. Then you need to replace the top layer of soil and change the landing site of the anemone.

In high humidity, anemones are attacked by slugs. These pests are harvested with traps and baits.

The use of wood anemones

Anemone will decorate a country flower bed or a bouquet collected from primroses. To keep cut flowers fresh longer, it is recommended to top up the vase with a little warm water every day or spray the flowers.

Before setting into the water, the stem of the anemone is cut at an acute angle. For a long time, these flowers can be stored in the refrigerator if wrapped in paper.

Anemone juice in contact with the skin can cause swelling, redness and itching. Therefore, flowers should be cut with care.

In folk medicine, the forest anemone is rarely used, since its properties are not fully understood. The composition of the stems and leaves includes toxic substances, so it is better to abandon experiments with this plant.

Conclusion

The forest anemone is a hardy plant with beautiful white flowers. In nature, anemones reproduce by seeds, but new plants can be obtained using tubers or cuttings.

Before planting, the soil is prepared. You can improve its composition with peat or sand. Anemone is undemanding to care, if the necessary level of soil moisture is provided.