Eremurus - planting and care in the open field

Lush inflorescences of Eremurus resemble candelabra. It is considered one of the brightest and most exotic flowers for the Middle Lane. Any garden, which is decorated with verticals crowned with fluffy sultans, looks more solemn and ceremonial. At the same time, the cultivation of Eremurus, although it has nuances, does not cause any particular difficulties.

Description of the plant

The name Eremurus means "Desert Tails" in Greek. In the west, it is called Foxtail lily - fox tail lily, or Desert Candles - desert candles. The Asian names shiryash and shrysh come from the word "glue". A substance was extracted from the roots in Central Asia, which was used as a technical glue, or glue for the manufacture of medical plasters. Zones of its natural habitat: deserts, semi-deserts, steppes, foothills.

Leaves of eremurus potent

The eremurus flower belongs to the genus Xanthorrhoeae, the subfamily and family of Asphodeloceae. Its most famous relatives are aloe and daylilies.

It is a perennial herb. Description of eremurus:

• stems are strong, powerful, from 100 to 250 cm high;
• the rhizome resembles an octopus in shape, it is a disc with smaller roots in a circle, has a size of 10-15 cm. The rhizome is renewed annually - a young part is formed on top, and the lower one dies off;
• leaves are varied in shape, depend on the variety, can be narrow and wide. They are plentiful and collected in a spectacular rosette;
• Eremurus flowers are located on the stem in a spiral, have a star-like shape. The colors are varied: white, cream, pink, yellow, orange, red, burgundy. Long fluffy stamens, often of a contrasting color, add decorativeness. The plant is an excellent honey plant.

Blossoming: late May-mid-July. One flower lasts up to 24 hours, but new buds gradually open up on the inflorescence from bottom to top. The flowering period is 1.5-5 weeks. Then round brown boxes with seeds ripen.

Types and varieties

Culture is rich in variety. There are about 50 varieties and hybrids of Eremurus.

Views:

• Olga (eremurus olgae). 150 cm, narrow leaves, dark green, up to 65 pcs. on a bush, flowers are pink or white, collected in a brush 70 cm in diameter up to 15 cm. One of the most popular in the culture;
• Albert (eremurus albertii). 130 cm, leaves are sparse, straight, smooth. Flowers are white with reddish perianths and stamens, loosely located on the stem. Inflorescence diameter 12 cm, length 60 cm. One of the most beautiful eremurus;
• Bunge (eremurus bungei). He is narrow-leaved or deceiving eremurus. 175 cm, the leaves are narrow, lanceolate, with a bluish bloom, the flowers are golden yellow, collected in an inflorescence 50-60 mm long, 400-600 pcs. Also one of the most spectacular;
• Himalayan (eremurus himalaicus). Up to 250 cm, leaves are wide, bright green, white flowers. The most unpretentious b one of the most decorative types;
• Altai (eremurus altāicus). Up to 150 cm, the stems are inclined, the flowers are light yellow-greenish, the anthers are bright dark orange.

Eremurus Regel

There are also many hybrid forms. The most famous are the ones described below.

Foster's hybrids (Olga and Bunge) were created by Michael Foster at the end of the 19th century and then reproduced in France by the Vilmorin nursery in 1902. They are also called Rüiter`s hybrids in Russia:

• Isobel - orange pink;
• Rosalind - hot pink;
• White Beauty - pure white;
• moneymaker - orange-yellow flowers.

The same group includes the Cleopatra eremurus (Cleopatra) - one of the most famous garden varieties, 125 cm, the flowers are very bright, flaming orange, the inflorescence is dense, beautiful.And also Eremurus Pinocchio - it has the same juicy orange blossoms.

Eremurus Olga

Growing eremurus from seeds

The most popular method of growing a crop is from seeds.

The process is very similar to growing gloxinia or tuberous begonias from seeds.

Sowing

Seeds are sown for seedlings in early autumn in containers 20 cm high.

Each seed deepens by 1-2 cm, but no more! The containers are stored at a temperature of 15 ° C until spring, regularly checking the moisture content of the soil. The seeds do not tolerate drying out.

The sprouts will appear in March. The seeds are tough-growing, some of them may sprout next year. The germination period of eremurus seeds, as in many perennials with a dormant period, is not fast: 30-360 days.

Olga's eremurus seeds

Seedling care

Young, newly emerging plants are placed in a warm, abundantly lit by diffused light, often watered, making sure that the soil does not dry out and at the same time does not stagnate moisture. In the warm season, they are looking for a suitable place on the street: light, but without scorching rays, they regularly moisturize.

By autumn, the aboveground part dies off, the boxes should be removed to a dark place. Do not water. In the spring, the sprouts will appear again. They continue to be looked after as in the previous year.

In October of the third year, grown nodules in containers are taught to the open ground, added dropwise, covered with spruce branches and dry leaves. Leave for the winter. They already have a bottom, you can transplant them to a permanent place.

Renal renewal of the eremurus powerful

Eremurus flower: planting and care in the open field

The soil on the site must be well-drained. Ideal planting sites are rocky and sandy soils. The culture is not demanding to the composition of the soil, but soils with an alkaline or neutral reaction are desirable.

The plot is selected sunny, open. The plant, despite its long stems, is not afraid of drafts or wind.

When to plant eremurus

Seedlings are planted in open ground in early autumn. The optimal landing time is September-early October. It can be planted both a year after sowing and in the third year - it depends on the climate. In the Middle Lane, usually three-year-olds are planted with formed bottoms or parts of an adult rhizome.

Root system of an eremurus with an emerging bud

How to plant

Planting instructions:

1. The selected area, if the soil does not have sufficient moisture permeability, is well drained. Arrange a cushion of rubble, pebbles, gravel. Fertile layer - 50 cm. Add compost or humus.
2. Make holes 30 cm.
3. Plants are carefully placed in holes, preferably with an earthy clod - Eremurus have a sensitive root system.
4. The distance between specimens is 50 cm. Between more compact varieties, 40 cm is permissible, and very large ones require a distance of 60 m.
5. In the hole, the roots are carefully straightened, sprinkled with soil, compacted, and watered with high quality.
6. Planted plants bloom for 4-5 years.

Eremurus Romance

Caring for eremurus in the garden

Planting eremurus in open ground has nuances, but care is very simple - it almost does not go beyond the usual garden procedures. Important points:

• regular watering;
• four dressings. Superphosphate in the fall - 40 g per 1 sq. m., in March, a complex mineral fertilizer of 60 g, or 6 kg of compost per 1 sq. m. During the growing season, two more top dressing - in May and before flowering, you can take a standard complex mineral fertilizer;
• weeding and loosening - neat so as not to hurt the tubers;
• removal of yellow and wilted leaves.

How to water a plant

Watering needs careful and flexible watering.

The plant does not like excess moisture, but needs an abundant amount of it to build up the mass of flowers, leaves, and the underground part. In a dry summer, in the first half of it, water is abundantly watered 1-2 times a week to ensure that the soil is soaked by 20 cm. In a rainy summer, watering is stopped. If there is rain at least once every seven days, watering is also excluded. After flowering, stop watering.

Eremurus Korolkova in vivo

Reproduction of eremurus

The best way to reproduce eremurus is seed. The plants will be adapted to the specific site. But the method has drawbacks - it takes too long to wait for adult specimens, so they often resort to dividing the root.

The period of the procedure is the end of August, when the aboveground part has completely died out, but the plant has not yet retired. The rhizome is opened, removing the top layer of soil above it, cut according to the number of living buds, usually 4 parts, abundantly sprinkle the wounds with crushed activated carbon, then again cover with soil. In the spring, each part will give its own escape. It is necessary to let them grow, and by the end of summer, when they begin to die off, the individual nodules obtained can be planted.

Eremurus powerful grows back after a period of rest

Diseases and pests

Aliens from other regions, especially those with a contrasting climate compared to the Middle Lane, often suffer from diseases. Eremurus, planting and caring for which is otherwise not difficult, is no exception. The plant can be affected by: rust, chlorosis, viral diseases. Eremurus like slugs and snails, and mice and moles willingly eat the underground part.

Most of these problems can be avoided by carefully dosing watering / feeding and arranging high-quality drainage. Disease attacks crops in damp, cold summers.

Eremurus along the path

Blooming care

Before flowering, they are watered with nitrogenous fertilizer - 20 g of ammonium sulfate per 1 sq. m., or complex, containing potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen in equal proportions. During the flowering period, watering is reduced, dried leaves are regularly removed, and the peduncles themselves, if there is no seed collection in the plans.

Eremurus after flowering

After flowering, the plant gradually dies off. This period lasts from mid-July to late August. At the same time, seeds ripen, rather large spherical capsules. If there is no need to collect them, the peduncles are cut off immediately after wilting.

How and when to collect seeds

The seeds ripen by the end of August. Balls-boxes with seeds crack when ripe. It is better to cut the flower stalks a little in advance and dry them in any suitable place. Ripe bolls are cut and stored until sowing in a cool and dry place.

Eremurus inder, ripening fruits

Preparing for winter

As soon as the aboveground part withers (early September), the bottom with the roots is carefully dug out, dried in a warm place, and at the end of September they are again planted in the ground, having previously dug it up with fertilizers.

You can do without this procedure if dry, warm weather is guaranteed. A period without moisture is necessary - flower buds are formed, future flowering depends on them.

If it is not possible to dig up the tuber and dry it well, cover the tubers with a film from possible rains.

Before the arrival of frost, planting sites in regions with low snow cover are insulated with a compost layer of 15 cm or dry foliage with spruce branches. In the spring, the shelter is cleaned with a rake.

In warm arid regions, they do without shelter.

Shelter is not required in Siberia, where winters are snowy and at the same time dry. With a snow cover of more than 1 meter, Eremurus tolerates even severe Siberian frosts.The only thing that is important in this case is to plant the crop on a high, with excellent drainage area, in order to avoid the roots drying out in the spring.

Eremurus in mixborder

Use in landscape design

The height of the inflorescences can reach 2 meters, even low varieties have a height of over 1 meter. The plant looks great in the background, in the center of observation beds, near fences, at the base of alpine slides, in clumps among lawns.

Companions for the best combinations with Eremurus:

• mallow;
• bearded irises;
• foxgloves;
• delphiniums;
• daylilies;
• lilies.

Any other non-aggressive perennial flower is also suitable as a neighbor.

Eremurus blooms in late May-early June and decorates the garden until mid-summer, then the plant loses its decorative effect. For this period, you should pick up plants that will decorate the empty space.

Eremurus are gradually gaining new fans. A powerful, swift plant - it brings the charm of a wild but grandiose nature to any garden. Its inflorescences stand well in cut, this is a popular material for creating solemn interior compositions, brutal bouquets.