Primrose (Primula) is a herbaceous plant from the Primrose family, which unites about 500 species of annuals and perennials. In nature, primrose can grow anywhere where the climate is temperate with sufficient soil moisture. The culture prefers the banks of rivers, mountain streams of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Primrose can be grown in the garden, as well as indoors. For growing in pots, gardeners prefer to choose perennial species that can delight with their flowering throughout the year. But most varieties of primrose bloom in winter and in the first half of spring.
Types and varieties of primrose for growing at home
Garden species adapted to growing outside are more resistant to cold. There are varieties that do well both indoors and outdoors. The types of primroses described below are mainly grown in pots.
Stemless or common (vulgaris)
A hybrid that can be grown both in the garden and indoors. This is a perennial up to 20 cm high, which is found in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The leaves are elongated, elliptical, bright green. The flowers are solitary, placed on thin peduncles. The color of the flowers may vary depending on the variety.
Popular varieties of common primrose:
- Sphinx Aprico,
- Sphinx F1 neon Rose,
- Eclipse Violet with Rim,
- Pioneer F1.
Chinese (chinensis)
Perennial, about 0.3 m high. The leaf blades are petiolate, rounded-heart-shaped, with denticles along the edges, collected in a rosette. Flowers up to 4 cm in diameter are collected in umbellate inflorescences. Depending on the variety, Chinese primrose flowers can be simple or double and vary in shape and shade.
Kewskaya (kewensis)
A rare species that is intended specifically for growing in a pot. The leaves are green, with a whitish coating and jagged edges up to 20 cm long. The inflorescences are umbellate, collected on a long peduncle. The flowers are small, yellow in color.
Soft or soft-leaved (malacoides)
A herbaceous plant native to China, up to 0.5 m high. The leaves are rosette, with serrated edges, heart-shaped or oval. The peduncles are tall, leafless, there can be up to 8 of them on one bush. Each one contains up to 10-20 flowers. They can be red, pink or white, with a yellow spot in the middle. Blooms in late winter - early spring.
Popular varieties:
- Mars,
- White pearls,
- The Snow Queen,
- Juliet.
Obconical
One of the most popular species comes from China, no more than 20 cm high. Perennial with oblong heart-shaped leaves, serrated along the edges. The plant blooms in early winter and spring. But with good care it can bloom almost all year round. Flowers are located on short peduncles. Species obconica contains substances on its leaves that can cause allergies.
New varieties and hybrids have been developed that are safe for allergy sufferers:
- Touch me
- Grace F1,
- Libre F1.
Characteristics of the flower
Primrose, or primrose, has a branched rosette of leaves, in the center of which are flowers of red, pink, burgundy, blue and purple. The leaves are heart-shaped with pointed edges and covered with small hairs. Flowers are collected in inflorescences.
There are a large number of varieties of decorative flowering plants. Among the main ones:
- Malvopodobna (leaves are petiolate, elongated, located next to one another, the rosette is dense, elastic);
- Chinese (flowers are lush and large, exceed the size of the leaves, collected in umbrella inflorescences; exude aroma);
- Kyusskaya (leaves covered with a whitish coating, flowers yellow, fragrant);
- stemless primrose (another name is common. Under natural conditions can be found in the Caucasus and Crimea. Flowers are yellow, white, red, white, purple. Leaves are oval, wrinkled);
- obkonika (leaves with a rough surface covered with small hairs. They are heart-shaped, the inflorescences are umbrellas, located on high stalks, the color is purple, white, yellow);
- Primula Danova (grows up to 14 cm in height. Peduncles are solitary, low, rising low above the rosette of leaves).
Primula obconica is dangerous to health. It can provoke the appearance or exacerbation of allergies. This is due to the presence of an alkaloid in plant cells (leaf hairs) of the flower.
Home care
Primrose is considered a non-capricious plant. Therefore, even an inexperienced gardener can grow it at home. But in order to make the plant bloom long and profusely, you need to create suitable conditions for it.
Location and lighting
The flower loves good lighting. Therefore, it is recommended to place the pot in a bright room, but without direct sun. Windows in an eastern or western location are suitable for primrose. Northern window sills are also allowed if there is enough light on them. The main thing is to avoid drafts. In winter, when primrose blooms, it is necessary to provide it with additional lighting.
Choosing a flowerpot
Small but wide pots are more suitable for primroses. For each subsequent transplant, take a container several centimeters wider than the previous one. You should not take a pot that is too deep to avoid acidification of the soil and rotting of the roots.
Soil and drainage
When choosing soil for primrose, you can choose ready-made mixtures that are designed specifically for Primroses. A substrate for geraniums is also suitable.
You can prepare the substrate yourself:
- leaf soil (1);
- peat (1);
- sand (1);
- turf (1).
Be sure to lay a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot. This could be gravel, expanded clay, broken shards.
Planting and transplanting
Perennial species and varieties require regular replanting. It is recommended to replant young plants no more than once a year. This can only be done after flowering. During this period, the primrose still has the strength to lay new buds, it quickly adapts to new conditions.
Transplant procedure:
- Place a 2 cm thick layer of drainage in the pot. Sprinkle a little soil on top.
- Remove the primrose from the old pot without damaging the roots.
- Carefully transfer it into a new container. Fill the free space with soil, lightly press it down and water it.
Step-by-step video - instructions for transplanting Primrose after purchase:
Air temperature and humidity
Primrose prefers cool conditions. During flowering, the temperature should be at +12..15°C. For reverse conical primrose – +16..20°С. It is difficult to achieve such a temperature at home. Therefore, from the beginning of spring, you can take the flowerpot out to a cool balcony or veranda. After flowering, you can even plant the plant in the garden under the diffused light of tree crowns. In winter, the flower pot should be placed away from radiators, closer to a cool window.
The crop has no special requirements for air humidity.
But she doesn’t like it if the room is very dry. As a result, the tips of the leaves of the plant begin to dry out. On a note! To increase humidity, you can spray primrose leaves with warm, soft water. It is important to ensure that it does not get on the flowers. Nearby you can place a container of water or a tray with wet expanded clay.
Feeding and fertilizers
You can apply fertilizer after the buds begin to form. It is recommended to use complex fertilizers for flowering plants 2 times a week. But the dosage of the drug should be 2 times weaker than indicated in the instructions. Primrose does not tolerate excess salts. Therefore, it is important not to oversaturate the soil with fertilizers. Fertilize until the end of flowering.
Watering
It depends on the health and flowering of primrose. Watering should be regular but moderate. The soil should always be slightly damp during flowering. To maintain its moisture, you can place the pot on a tray with damp sphagnum moss and periodically add water to it.
When the crop has faded, the soil is moistened only after drying by 2-3 cm. During rest, the plant should be watered less frequently, avoiding stagnation of water and acidification of the soil.
Flowering period
Unlike most other indoor plants, which go into a dormant period in the fall, for primroses this is the period when they prepare to bloom. Primrose requires regular watering, spraying, and good lighting. It can bloom in different shades, depending on the species. To prolong flowering, it is necessary to trim off faded flowers in time.
How to replant a plant
The photo of indoor primrose shows that the primrose grows quite quickly and periodically needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. It turns out that the period when replanting is required is also affected by the age of the plant:
- The young flower is replanted once a year in the spring. To do this, the plant with a lump of earth is simply transferred to a pot larger than the previous one, adding more earth
- Older plants are replanted every two years or less. In this case, you need to renew the soil, and another pot will be needed if the bush has greatly increased in volume
In some cases, the transplant is unplanned:
- The roots have grown so much that they have already begun to look out through the holes in the bottom.
- The soil has begun to become salty or is constantly wet
- The roots began to rot or mold
In this case, the primrose needs to be replanted and put in the shade for a while. An indicator that the plant has taken root will be bright green leaves that have gained rich color.
Reproduction methods
Indoor primroses are propagated in different ways.
Dividing the bush
The procedure is carried out after flowering has ended. For replanting, take a plant that is more than 3-4 years old. First place the flower in a shaded place, water it from time to time without drying out the soil. Carefully remove the bush from the pot and shake the soil. Divide it into parts so that each has a growth point. Sprinkle the cut areas with ash. Immediately plant the cuttings in a low container, cover the top with film, and place in a bright place. Periodically remove the cover and water the substrate abundantly. After a few weeks, transplant the divisions into separate pots with a suitable soil mixture.
Cuttings
The method is suitable for those primroses that have only one rosette and there is no way to divide the bush. Separate a leaf with a petiole and bud from the parent plant with a sharp knife. Cut the top of the leaf in half. Plant the cuttings in a mixture of peat and sand to a depth of 1 cm at an angle so that the bud looks up. Leave to root at t +18°C. Rooting occurs within 2.5-3 months. After the roots appear and 3-4 young leaves form, transplant the plants into individual containers.
Propagation by seeds
This is the most troublesome and time-consuming method of reproduction. Seeds can be sown in summer and in late autumn - early winter, depending on the type of primrose. Prepare shallow and wide containers, fill them with a mixture of deciduous soil and sand. Distribute the seeds on the surface of a damp substrate, cover the container with glass, and place in a bright place without direct sun with a temperature of about +18°C. Periodically, the cover must be removed to ventilate the crops and moisten the soil. After a few months, thin out the stronger seedlings and transplant them into individual pots.
Watering
During flowering, primrose should be watered abundantly. It is important to ensure that the soil in the pot is always slightly moist .
At the same time, overflowing should not be allowed: stagnation of water in the soil can cause rotting of the root system.
After flowering, watering is slightly reduced. The next moistening is carried out a few days after the top layer of soil has dried.
For irrigation, it is optimal to use rain or melt water at room temperature. As a last resort, let it sit for several days. When watering the plant, you should not allow water to get on the leaves: this can cause them to rot.
Forcing primrose
During forcing, the primrose is transplanted into more favorable conditions for development. Thanks to this, you can get flowers faster, but at the same time the root is depleted. And the plant requires a longer recovery.
Primroses older than 2 years are used for forcing. Before the onset of frost, dig up a flower with a lump of earth. Immediately plant in a flower pot. Bring it into a cool room with a temperature of +4..8 degrees (can be in a cellar or basement). There is no need to water the plant. At the end of January or beginning of February, move the primrose to a bright room with a temperature of no more than +15..18°C. Remove dry and damaged leaves and stems. Gradually resume watering. With this care, primrose can bloom by the end of February. Often forcing is used to obtain flowers by March 8th. After 2-3 years, the procedure can be repeated, at the same time dividing the bush into parts for propagation.
Lighting
Primrose prefers bright, but diffused lighting.
Window sills facing west or east are perfect for primrose. On the north side there will not be enough light, and on the south window the scorching sun can leave burns on the leaves.
The flower can grow in partial shade and even in the shade, but the lack of lighting will affect the duration of its flowering. If you keep the plant in bright but diffused sunlight, it can bloom from February to July, provided there is plenty of watering and no overheating.
After flowering, the plant begins a dormant period. At this time, it does not form new leaves and peduncles, but old leaves do not fade. At this time, it is best to move the flower to a less lit place and keep it in partial shade. In winter, you need to place it on a northern window sill closer to the glass to provide partial shade at low temperatures. Before flowering begins, the lighting is gradually increased.
Features of seasonal care
Primroses differ from other indoor crops in that their active growing season occurs in the winter. It is in the fall that the crop prepares for flowering. But in order to achieve abundant and long flowering, you need to ensure a dormant period.
After the bush has flowered, it is placed in a well-ventilated room, slightly shaded. The air should be cool +10..16°C. Since primrose rests in the summer, it is not very easy to provide cool conditions. You can plant a flower in the garden near shady trees. If flowers begin to bloom during the dormant period, they need to be removed.
The soil
The soil for primrose should not be very nutritious, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. You can buy a ready-made substrate for geraniums or flowering indoor plants and add a little sand to it.
You can also prepare the mixture yourself. In this case, you need to mix peat, sand, leaf and turf soil in equal proportions.
Before planting, the soil mixture should be disinfected by spilling it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
The pot must be selected with drainage holes. It is important to lay a good drainage layer at its bottom, consisting of expanded clay, clay shards or polystyrene foam.
Care errors and their elimination
Problems when growing Primrose and their elimination:
| Problem | Causes | Solution |
| Yellowing of leaves | Dry air, sunburn, excess nitrogen in the soil | Spray the leaves, place a container of water nearby, and do not oversaturate the soil with fertilizers. |
| Lethargy and dropping buds | High air temperature | Do not keep the plant in conditions above +16..18 degrees; it is especially important to observe the temperature regime during the flowering period |
| Light spots on leaves | Over-humidified air, too low temperature | If the primrose is kept in a cool place, it should not be over-watered |
Possible diseases after transplantation
Having figured out when to plant primrose, you need to think about its safe growth. Primroses are vulnerable plants; after transplantation, they can develop viral and fungal diseases.
Downy mildew
Bouvardia flower: home care and methods of propagation
Primroses prefer cool weather, which is why they run the risk of contracting downy mildew. Another name for the disease is downy mildew. The disease occurs when the flower is in open damp ground at a temperature not exceeding 10°C. Downy mildew often appears in spring and autumn when it rains outside.
How to recognize the disease:
- The upper part of the leaves is covered with shapeless spots, colored pale yellow or green. The spots may be brown with yellowish, brown or dried, slightly convex in shape;
- Along with the spots on the leaves, areas with a white or beige-gray powdery coating are formed;
- Over time, the spots change color to whitish, weaken and become soft. Leaves can change shape and bend.
The affected plant is treated with a soap-soda solution 2-3 times a day for a week. To make the solution, you need to mix 1 liter of water with 10 g of laundry soap and 1/3 teaspoon of soda. Treating leaves with fungicides helps in the fight against downy mildew.
Note! The causative agent of peronosporosis can be stored for a long time in seeds that were collected from the affected flower. Future crops are at risk of disease.
Yellow spots on leaves
A common problem for all plants is yellow spots on the leaves. It is not always possible to immediately determine the cause of the problem.
Yellowed leaves
Primrose spots occur due to the following diseases :
- Anthracnose. The disease affects the entire above-ground part of the flower, first manifesting itself in the form of light yellow spots with a dark edge. Over time, the spots darken and form depressions. In the later stages of the disease, the plant is completely depleted and dries out. The disease occurs if the plant is in acidic soil or lacks potassium and phosphorus. If several leaves are damaged, the flower can still be saved. Bad leaves must be removed, the remaining part must be treated with a fungicide;
- Yellow-brown spotting. The plant is covered with round spots, painted in a pale yellow color. The problem often occurs in spring or autumn, when it is damp and cool outside. To cure primrose, you need to remove all damaged areas and irrigate it with a solution of Bordeaux mixture with a concentration of 1%.
Spots with a gray coating
A common fungal disease of primrose is gray rot, which affects leaves and stems. Wet gray spots with plaque increase in size over time and begin to rot. If measures are not taken in time, the flower may die.
Gray rot
What causes the disease:
- High humidity and high temperature;
- The soil is poorly ventilated;
- Plants are planted too densely;
- There is not enough sunlight;
- Excess fertilizer in the substrate.
For planting, it is necessary to use high-quality, clean soil mixtures to prevent rotting. The affected areas are removed and the plant is treated with fungicides.
Note! The fungus that causes rot can be stored in contaminated soil for up to 2 years and is transmitted to healthy plants if they come into contact with the soil or a diseased flower.
An ornamental, beautifully flowering plant is the perennial primrose; its planting and care at home requires precision and consistency. Garden varieties are replanted every 3-4 years, home varieties - every 2-3 years or as they grow. Proper and competent care will ensure lush flowering for many years.
Diseases and pests, control methods
Like other flowering crops, primrose can be susceptible to a number of diseases. The most common is spotting, which is caused by the fungus Ramularia cercosporella. Pale spots appear on the leaves, which turn gray over time, become covered with plaque and fall off. To save the plant, you need to treat it with a fungicide, for example Topsin, Fitosporin or Fundazol.
Excessive soil moisture can result in root and gray rot, powdery mildew, anthracnose, and rust. If a problem occurs, it is necessary to abruptly stop watering the plant, remove it from the pot, remove all damaged areas, and treat it with a fungicide. Transplant the primrose into fresh substrate.
Primrose pests:
- spider mite;
- aphid;
- whitefly
If infected, it is recommended to wash off the parasites under a warm shower. Allow the bush to dry and treat with insecticide:
- Aktara;
- Aktellik;
- Fitoverm;
- Intavir and others.
If necessary, repeat the procedure after 7-10 days.
Primrose in the house: beneficial properties
The plant has been known since ancient times for its healing qualities. It contains many vitamins and carotene. The roots contain glycosides and essential oils. The leaves contain a lot of ascorbic acid. Therefore, in spring it is useful to eat salads with primrose as a source of vitamins.
Decoctions and infusions of the plant are effective for diseases of the respiratory system:
- laryngitis;
- bronchitis;
- tonsillitis.
Primrose decoction will help normalize sleep and stabilize the nervous system. But allergy sufferers should take primrose products with great caution. There are species that are strong allergens.
Indoor primrose is a spring primrose that can decorate any interior. Unlike garden species, it is more whimsical. But caring for the crop is not difficult; it reproduces easily and takes root when suitable conditions are created.
How to grow indoor Primrose and how to grow the plant at home? More useful tips for flower growers can be found in the following video:
