Many gardeners plant beautiful blooming vines called princes on their site. Planting and caring for these unpretentious plants are quite simple, and they have been pleased with their bright and abundant flowering since the beginning of May.
Description of the prince
These flowers represent a shrubby vine and are close relatives of clematis. A woody stalk with many flexible graceful shoots covered with numerous delicate cirrus leaves is able to rise to a height of 3 meters.
The flowering period of princes falls on the first half of summer. An elliptical bud is formed on long pedicels (up to 12 cm). Gradually, he turns into a bell-like flower. The prince differs from clematis in the arrangement of sepals and the presence of non-fused petals, which the latter lack at all. Coloring flowers is of various shades - from white to purple.
Towards the end of summer, quite peculiar fruits appear in their place. They are a spherical head, consisting of numerous fluffy columns. For their unusual appearance, the fruits covered with downy pink hairs are popularly called "grandfather's curls."
Varieties of the prince
Originally from the mountainous regions of Europe, today the most common prince in Russia is the Alpine prince. The flowers of the present representative of this variety are violet-blue, up to 6 cm in size, and already bred thanks to selection work, they can have a very different color.
The Alpine prince is attractive in that it can bloom repeatedly closer to the fall, although not as plentifully as the first time, but nonetheless quite beautifully. Usually periodically pruning old vines to rejuvenate the bush.
Prince Okhotsk is one of the most frost-resistant varieties and populates mainly forests of the Primorsky Territory. The height from the alpine counterpart is practically no different, but the flowers are somewhat different - they can number up to 8 petals.
The prince of Siberia blooms already in the second half of summer with white or yellowish flowers, the length of which is up to 4 cm. They exude a very pleasant aroma that attracts a large number of insects, especially bees. This is the most unpretentious plant of the Clematis family. Princes of Siberia can be planted both in the sun and in partial shade.
The large-prince prince grows mainly in Siberia and the Far East. He has very unusual, almost double flowers of blue-purple color. These are the princes most susceptible to frost. Landing and caring for them have some differences. So, for example, for the winter, these plants must be removed from the supports and covered to protect from frost.
Growing conditions
Many gardeners are happy to plant princes in their garden due to the amazing unpretentiousness of these plants. When choosing a place to land, you should give preference to areas that are well-lit by the sun or slightly shaded. The lower part of the shoots is recommended to be shaded by planting around plants with a non-aggressive root system. Like clematis, princes have very delicate flowers that can suffer in case of bad weather. Therefore, it is worth considering the protection of plants from the wind.
Soils for these flowers are suitable for any, especially loamy, fertile. The only exceptions are marshy and waterlogged areas.
Breeding
This procedure does not cause any problems. By a variety of methods - seeds, cuttings, layering or division of the rhizome princes can multiply. Plant varieties do not matter.
In the fall, they collect seeds and sow in a container, burying it in the ground for the winter. Cuttings are prepared in such a way that there are up to two internodes on each, and the lower end has an oblique cut of at least 3 cm. They are planted in greenhouses at the end of June, where they are periodically watered and aired.
The division of the bush is usually done in the spring, before the start of the growing season. To do this, dig an old bush and divide it into parts, where each has roots and buds.
Reproduction by layering is considered the most simple and promising. The young shoot is tilted to the ground and nipped, falling asleep with earth. After it takes root, you can separate the plant and transplant to another place.
Princes: planting and care of seedlings
These flowers are planted in the ground usually in the spring, in May, or in the fall - in September. Landing pits are prepared in advance at a distance of 100-150 cm from each other and measuring 60 x 60 cm. A drainage layer of about 15 cm is laid at the bottom of it. It can be crushed stone or broken brick. Then the pits are filled with humus or compost with the addition of superphosphate (50 g) and wood ash (3 cups). In acidic soils, hydrated lime (80-100 g) can be used. It is important that the foundation of the nearest building is at least 30 cm.
The plant should be planted very carefully, since fragile roots can break. In this case, they must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with ash. The roots are spread on the surface of the mound made in the landing pit, and covered with earth. Then the plants are watered and mulched. Deepening of the root neck in seedlings should be carried out by 6-10 cm, and in adult plants - a couple of centimeters more.
To prevent the prince from becoming infected with fungal diseases, after planting, it is recommended to sprinkle the root neck with sand with wood ash or charcoal and pour 25% potassium permanganate solution.
Planting seeds
Reproduction by seeds is often used when you need to grow princes. Planting and caring for seedlings, even for beginner gardeners, are not particularly difficult. In pots filled with earth and sand in a ratio of 2: 1, the seeds are sown and covered with a thin layer of sand, slightly dug. Then they watered and cover the soil with glass.
When at least 3 pairs of leaflets appear on the plant, you can pick on prepared ridges consisting of turf land, humus, leaf land, sand and peat. Plants are planted in rows, the distance between which is at least 25 cm. Seedlings must be shaded and watered as the soil dries. When new leaves appear, the soil in the aisles is well loosened and mulched.
Only next fall or spring, young plants are transplanted to a permanent place, the most suitable for such a flower as a prince. Photos of sites where these plants fit harmoniously into the design and are a worthy decoration of the garden can help with this.
Diseases and Pests
Among the most common diseases that princes suffer from are powdery mildew, rust, brown spotting and gall nematode. You can deal with them by processing with special means and removing damaged parts of the plant.
Snails and slugs often damage the prince's leaves. They have to be removed mechanically. The plant will be protected from powdery worm by spraying malathion.
Using the prince
These plants are great for vertical gardening. Mounted on poles, stakes or racks, they can wonderfully decorate the walls of a house, a fence or staircase. The advantages of other plants in the garden are able to emphasize the light and elegant prince. Photos of arbors, balconies, trees decorated with this flower are striking in their originality and beauty.
In addition to the decorative function, princes are also very useful. Medicines based on this plant have long been used in folk medicine to treat headaches, epilepsy and rheumatism.