Eschscholzia perennial: growing from seed, when to plant, planting and care, varieties

Eschscholzia is an excellent decoration for any place where it is grown. Flowers do not require special care, which allows even inexperienced gardeners to deal with them. Planted in a flower bed, perennial escholzia flowers look like small lakes with a surface swaying in the wind.

There are several species and varieties of this plant, among which the gardener can choose the most suitable option for him. In areas with cold winters, it is used as an annual plant due to its vulnerability to cold.

Description and features

Eschsholzia perennial is one of the species of the Poppy family.Her homeland is the west of North America. The plant came to the European continent in the 18th century. The perennial escholcia has another name: "California poppy". It is also called "wormwood" due to the fact that the stems and leaves resemble wormwood.

Eschsholzia perennial - perennial plant. It has a powerful tap root. Flowers have straight and branched shoots. Eschscholzia perennial grows up to 40 centimeters.

Stems of a ribbed structure of dark green color, along which foliage is attached on long petioles.

Flowers copy bells with their design. They also come in the form of terry or ordinary. Flowering continues throughout the summer period. The bud lives no more than four days, but new ones appear constantly.

When the weather is bad and at night the flowers close. You can only admire them during the daytime.

The perennial escholcia flower looks like a poppy. It can be white, yellow, orange and red. The petals are beautifully arranged in several tiers.

After pollination has passed, seed pods form in a month. They are oblong in shape and look like long, fleshy pods 7 centimeters long. The pods contain small elliptical grey-brown seeds.

Features of sowing at different times

When sown in autumn, plants begin to bloom earlier than those sown in spring.

Autumn

Eschscholzia perennial reproduces well by self-sowing. During the winter, the least quality seeds will die. In the spring, the most viable seeds will germinate.

Spring

The collected seeds are mixed with sand and placed in paper bags. Store in the refrigerator until spring. Sow as soon as the earth warms up.

Before winter

Seeds can be planted in open ground just before the onset of winter cold. At the first sign of warmth, they will sprout and may begin to bloom in May.

Growing seedlings at home

The use of seedlings is common in cold climate areas. The difficulty lies in the fact that the perennial escholcia has a powerful root rod, which can easily be damaged during transplantation. In connection with this circumstance, it is recommended to grow seedlings using peat tablets.

First, within two weeks, it is necessary to carry out a cold stratification of seeds. In early March, they are planted in peat tablets. They are placed in a container, which must be placed in a place with good lighting and a temperature of 20-22 degrees.

At the end of April, seedlings are hardened off. Containers are briefly taken out into the street in order to accustom the perennial escholium to the desired temperature. In early May, seedlings can be planted in open ground.

How to plant in open ground

You can plant these flowers with seeds or seedlings.

Soil preparation

Before planting escholcia, perennial soil must be dug up. If you have to grow flowers in heavy and clay soil, you need to add peat and sand. Neutral or slightly acidic soil is best suited for perennial escholcia.

Too acidic earth should be mixed with dolomite flour or ash.

Choosing a seat

Loose sandy loamy soil is preferred for planting. For flowers, it is important that the lighting is good.

Seed preparation

They are stratified, kept at temperatures up to 3 degrees Celsius for 1-1.5 months. If autumn sowing is done, it will be done during the winter period automatically. In this case, weak seeds die, and viable ones will be planted in the ground.

Plant pattern

For planting in the ground, grooves are made into which seeds are placed. 2 cm of earth is poured on top. Mulching with peat is carried out. If planting was done in autumn, I cover the seeds with a layer of fallen leaves.

When planting seedlings, it is necessary that the root collar is located on the surface of the soil.

Optimal distance between plants is 30 centimeters.

Care

Eschscholzia perennial does not require special additional care. However, it is necessary to take care of it so that it pleases with luxurious flowering.

This plant may be suffering from weed overgrowth. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor this and carry out weeding in time. For perennial escholcia, regular loosening of the soil is useful. As a result of processing, air penetrates better to the roots, and this contributes to improved growth and development.

If wilted flowers are found, they are pruned.

Eschscholzia perennial is able to tolerate high temperatures well, but has poor resistance to frost. She is able to endure only brief freezing with temperatures up to 5 degrees below zero.

Due to its cold tolerance, it is often grown as an annual plant in temperate climates.

Irrigation

Eschsholzia perennial loves moisture. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide her with punctual watering, the frequency of which will be regular from two to three times during the week. Moreover, you should monitor the overall humidity and limit yourself to a moderate amount of liquid used for irrigation, so that there is no overflow. It is recommended to perform it in the evening, when it is not as hot as during the day.

Soddy Eschscholzia needs less moisture and tolerates dry weather well.

Feeding

Fertilize several times a year. In summer, one or two fertilizing with mineral compounds for flowering plants is enough.

Diseases and pests

Eschscholzia is a perennial susceptible to attack by spider mites or bean aphids in hot, dry weather. An effective remedy against them is spraying with insecticides. To do this, use:

Aktara;
Commander.

Powdery mildew or root rot develops with excessive moisture. A sign of infection is the growth of small leaves that turn yellow. If a viral infection is detected, the plants are destroyed. If fungal infection occurs, fungicides are used.

Healing properties

This plant is known for its medicinal properties. Juice contains:

flavonoids;
dyes;
alkaloids.

To obtain, the aerial part of the plant is used. It is cut during the flowering period, then dried.

Dyes are used to create cosmetics. Alkaloids can be used for medical purposes. They are used as sedatives, for pain relief. Alkaloids have an antispasmodic effect.

Gelatin tablets, liquid extracts, and alcohol settings are prepared from this plant.

The use of perennial escholcia as a medicine is recognized in traditional medicine. It is known that lotions with this tool can help with toothache. Eschscholzia perennial can be used to combat insomnia. It is prescribed to children as a remedy for enuresis.

There are contraindications for the use of medicines made from this plant. They are not recommended:

pregnant women;
nursing mothers;
those who have been allergic to escholcia for many years.

Children are advised to use these medicines only when prescribed by a doctor. If the activity requires increased concentration of attention, the use of a product based on this plant should be limited.

Collection and storage of seeds

In order to collect seeds, you need to wait for the appearance of seed pods on the plant. It is recommended to place them in a gauze bag without tearing them off and wait for 4 weeks until they are completely dry.

Then they are torn off and carefully poured onto a piece of paper. They are dried and poured into paper bags. It is recommended to store seeds on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. They do not lose their germination for three years.

Views

There are 12 types of escholcia. The most common are 2 of them.

California

This plant has thin and branched shoots. Dark green openwork leaves are covered with a bluish bloom. The plant grows up to 40 centimeters. Some sprouts fall to the ground.

The plant has cup-shaped bright orange flowers with a diameter of 9 centimeters. Flowering begins in mid-June and continues until the end of autumn and the onset of winter cold.

Surky

This is an annual species. It has a compact size. Plant height is 15-29 centimeters. The leaves are openwork, collected in basal rosettes. On bare stems grow simple flowers with a diameter of 3 centimeters. Flowering begins in June.

Lobby

The flowers are pale yellow. The diameter is 2 centimeters. The height of the bushes does not exceed 20 centimeters.

Terry cloth

This species has double flowers in white, cream, pink or carmine. The edges of the petals may be serrated or smooth. This species is undemanding, drought tolerant, and usually propagates by self-sowing.

Popular varieties

Apricot Chiffon

Eschscholzia perennial bushes are covered with cream-apricot flowers. They grow to a height of 35-40 centimeters. The flowers of this variety are double with corrugated petals.

Gold Glory

Large simple yellow flowers with an orange centre.

Orange King

Has bright orange inflorescences. Flower diameter 5-8 cm. Blooms from June to October.

Mikado

This variety belongs to the Californian escholcia. It has bright yellow flowers with an orange center 7 centimeters in diameter.

Karminkoenig

Plain flowers are dark carmine in color.

Strawberry fields

This variety has semi-double flowers, scarlet with a yellowish center.

Fruit explosion

The name of the colors came from a combination of bright, saturated colors of yellow and crimson, in their form they can be wide and folded.

Apple blossoms

The varietal species is distinguished by the increased color of large inflorescences. Their color is pink, but has a bright hue along the edges, and is pale in the middle.

Ballerina

Eschscholzia perennial double bright flowers have a diameter of 15 centimeters. They can be yellow, pink or orange in color. Leaves cut three times have a waxy coating.

This plant is beautiful and easy to grow. For these and other reasons, the delicate and delicate flowers of the escholzia attract many people.