Crocosmia is a very beautiful and elegant plant that comes from South Africa, so it is not whimsical, but only blooms for one month. This plant is also called Japanese gladiolus, which belongs to the Iris family.
Many gardeners and summer residents want to decorate their estates with this beautiful plant, but even experienced gardeners sometimes do not know how to properly care for it. Therefore, this article contains the theme: Crocosmia: planting and care in the open ground, a photo that will help you properly care for these wonderful bulbous flowers.
The cultivation of Japanese gladiolus is almost the same as that of ordinary bulbs, but there are also peculiarities that must be taken into account if you want your plant to feel comfortable and not hurt. Remember one very important rule: plant crocosm of different varieties away from each other, so you will avoid pollination between them. This plant is sensual and loves fertile soil, although not whimsical, but since it comes from Africa, it needs a sunny, calm place.
They plant it with bulbs or children from bulbs, but you can plant it with seeds, though then you will have to wait for flowering for about several years. Before planting the bulbs, it is better to hold in a solution of potassium permanganate so that it does not hurt and does not rot. Plant it to a depth of 10 cm so that the crocosmia is not killed by frost in the spring, and in winter it is best to dig it out, so you will be sure that it will not freeze. Since Japanese gladiolus blooms in July, you can speed up its flowering if you plant in February in a greenhouse, and in the spring you will plant it in a flower bed. If you are planting children, then dig them to a depth of about 1.5 cm, so it will be easier for them to germinate.
The main care for crocosmia is watering, but she does not like strong humidity, so you have to rid yourself of stagnant water in rainy weather. Since it has heavy branches, it will be necessary to tie them up, and cut off the faded buds so that the plant does not waste energy. Do not forget to fertilize it, for this, dilute cow dung or bird droppings in the water and pour bushes with this mixture, such feeding should be done about three times a month. In the fall, tubers also need to be fertilized, for this, a potassium solution is taken, which strengthens the bulbs, and if you leave them for the winter, then such top dressing will help them not freeze.
Propagated Japanese gladiolus vegetative - from bulbs and seed methods. In order to plant a plant with seeds, they are planted in greenhouses in February, and planted on a flower bed closer to summer. In the first year of their life, they do not bloom, but grow their tubers, begin to bloom no earlier than in the third year of life. Of course, all summer residents want the plant to bloom faster, for this you better use the vegetative method, since the children grow faster, and already in the second year after planting they begin to bloom.
Like all plants, crocosmia has pests and most often it is a bear. This insect flies from bush to bush, so it can damage more than one plant, if you have such a pest, then urgently buy a special tool and poison it. After all, he eats not the stems and leaves, but the bulb itself, as a result of which the plant begins to rot, wither, and the leaves begin to dry. The drugs that I most often use to destroy the bear are Grizzly Bear and Medvetox. True, besides them, there is another dangerous insect - thrips that devour leaves and flowers, and to destroy them, you need to buy poison, and spray the plant.
Crocosmia also goes well with other perennial shrubs, since it has many varieties, you can pick up bright colors and different flowering times. It is often used in landscape design.
Another beautiful flower that should also be planted on its site is representative of godetia.
