Crocosmia (Montbrecia): how to plant and care correctly

Crocosmia, montbretia, tritonia are all names of the same flower, which gardeners also call Japanese or Chinese gladiolus. An unpretentious bulbous perennial plant came to Europeans from Africa.

That flower, which usually pleases the eye in flower beds, was bred through selective breeding by the Frenchman Lemoine. Montbrezia got its name from the name of a French botanist, and crocosmia is translated as “the smell of saffron.”

Indeed, a bouquet of dried crocosmia fills the room with just such a smell.

Montbrecia is an elegant plant with iris-like leaves and spikelets of funnel-shaped stars - flowers of white, yellow, brown, orange or bright red. The arrows of Japanese gladiolus flower growers can be tall and erect, and can smoothly bend between the leaves. The height of the flower spike is from 60 to 150 cm.

The color, height and shape of the inflorescences depend on the variety and variety of crocosmia.

Montbrecia has gained popularity among gardeners due to its long flowering period, which can last from July to September, until the very first frost. Flowers look beautiful in bouquets and remain fresh when cut for up to two weeks.

The bulb of the Japanese gladiolus is small, covered with brown shells. Crocosmia fruits are round capsules with many seeds. You can grow and propagate this flower in your garden by planting corms, plants and seeds.

Growing from seeds

It is easier to grow a plant from seeds if you use the seeding method. For this purpose, prepare containers with soil, which should include peat, sand, turf, and humus. Seeds should be soaked for a day before sowing. For disinfection, you can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate for soaking. After sowing, cover the container with film and place it in a warm, well-lit place.

Important. The time for sowing seedlings is determined in such a way that at least 60 days have passed by the time they are planted in a permanent place. Usually this is the end of February, March.

Description of the plant

Montbrecia is a herbaceous perennial. The height of the plant can be from 60 cm to 150 cm. The rhizomes of the plant are many corms that grow in large clusters. Each tuber is covered with several shells. Crocosmia leaves are narrow, sword-shaped and light to deep green in color. The peduncles are thin, branched and reach up to 1 meter in length.

Crocosmia blooms from June to September. The flowers are star-shaped, about 5 cm in diameter, collected in a long panicle. The buds bloom alternately, starting from the base. In the southern regions of our country, the seeds of this plant have time to ripen.

Fact. One Montbrecia bulb produces four flower stalks.

Rules for caring for gladiolus crocosmia

After the first shoots appear, the film covering is removed and the seedlings are cared for as usual: watering and loosening the substrate. It is important that the soil under the sprouts is constantly moist, but not flooded, otherwise fungal diseases may threaten the seedlings.

Crocosmia pick

Gladiolus crocosmia seedlings are picked, that is, transplanted, into separate pots after the appearance of the third leaf. Before planting in open ground, seedlings are taken outside for a while so that sudden temperature changes do not cause stress.

Transplantation into open ground

Motbrecia is transplanted into open ground in early May. For this plant you need to choose an open, sunny place, located away from the passage of groundwater. The soil must be nutritious. If the soil is depleted, then in the fall two buckets of humus, 100 grams, are added per 1 m². slaked lime, 40 gr. superphosphate and 20 gr. potassium chloride.

Young plants are planted in shallow holes (3-4 cm) at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. Leave 30 cm between rows. Planted plants are protected from the scorching sun and wind. After a few days, the shelter is removed. Plants grown from seeds bloom in the third year. Under the most favorable conditions, flowers can be seen in the second season.

Gladiolus crocosmia - planting and care in the garden

Time to board

The right time for planting seedlings in open ground comes when the minimum daily temperatures are no lower than 6 degrees above zero. For the middle zone, this is the end of April - May. The place of permanent residence of the Japanese gladiolus should be an area completely open to sunlight, otherwise the montbretia may not bloom. This plant loves soils in which there is no stagnation of moisture. Constantly wet soil threatens rotting and disease. It is better to prepare a bed for planting crocosmia in the fall. The soil is enriched with humus, lime, phosphate fertilizers and potassium chloride. Nitrogen fertilizers are added in the spring.

Each seedling is placed in a separate hole and watered well. In order for the seedlings to survive transplantation less painfully, you need to make a canopy over it from the sun's rays for 2-3 days.

The optimal distance between holes is 10-12 cm and 25-30 cm between rows.

Planted from seed seedlings, crocosmia does not produce inflorescences in the first year. With good care in a suitable place, flowers can bloom in the second year, usually only in the third.

You may be interested in: When to dig up gladioli in the fall in 2022: the most favorable days for digging up bulbs Dates for planting gladioli in the spring according to the 2022 calendar of gardeners Growing gladioli in pots outdoors

Growing

Work on planting and caring for Montbretia in open ground is no different from caring for ordinary gladioli and comes down to weekly abundant watering and loosening the soil after watering, and weed removal as necessary.

If the flowerbed occupies a place on fertile soil, there is no need for additional fertilizing. Poor, infertile soils require additional application of organic fertilizers in solution every 10 days, and potassium fertilizers during bud opening.

Reproduction

Every year, many baby shoots grow around the mother bulb, which begin to flower independently the following year. The old corm does not die, but continues to grow further. Caring for Japanese gladiolus includes periodic division and transplantation of daughter bulbs. The bushes are dug up in the fall, and new planting is done in the spring, at the same time as planting seedlings from seeds. You can first plant the bulb in a pot, germinate it a little, and then transfer it to a flowerbed, carefully, along with a lump of earth.

It is advisable to plant different varieties of crocosmia away from each other to maintain purity of color. Those planted together cross-pollinate and lose their brightness.

Possible pests and methods of controlling them

Perennial Japanese gladiolus is a plant resistant to various types of diseases. However, excessively moist soil, as well as excessive drought and infections brought by insects, can cause some diseases.

• Fusarium. Signs: leaves dry out, flower stalks dry and curl, flower color fades. Control: treatment with fungicides.
• Gray rot. Signs: gray plaque affects the bulb, the plant dies. The reason is waterlogging.
• Jaundice. Signs: the tips of the leaves turn yellow, then the whole plant turns into straw and dies. The cause is a viral infection. Control: affected plants do not regenerate, healthy ones must be transplanted to another place, bulbs and seeds should be treated with potassium permanganate before sowing.
• The main pests of Montbrecia are spider mites, mole crickets and thrips. Control: spraying with chemicals, using traditional methods of control, traps for mole crickets.

How to care for Montbrecia

Montbrecia is easy to care for. In order for the flowers to develop well, it is necessary to regularly water them, fertilize them, loosen the soil and remove weeds.

Watering

The plant requires abundant watering, but stagnation of water should not be allowed, as this can lead to rotting of the corms. If the weather is not too dry, it is enough to water the crocosmia twice a week. In hot weather, increase the frequency of watering to 3 times a week.

Feeding Montbrecia

We feed Japanese gladiolus with complete mineral fertilizer (3 g/1 liter of water) twice a month before flowering. During the budding period, we apply potassium fertilizers (2 g/1 liter of water). Also in the summer we add mullein infusion to the bushes in a ratio of 1:10. We carry out this procedure twice a month. For good ripening of corms, we cut off flower stalks with wilted inflorescences as early as possible.

What to do if roots grow

Each year, each Montbrecia grows about 4-5 children, so it grows in breadth every year. Flowers that have grown greatly and sometimes overwinter (southern regions) in the ground weaken and therefore require regular replanting, on average once every 3 years. Having gone through many options for planting crocosmia and caring for it in the country, we, taking into account our difficult climate with bitter frosts and winds, settled on its permanent placement in the center of the green lawn in a flowerbed of stones. We dig up the varieties of plants we love for the winter, cut off half of the underground parts that have doubled in size during the season, distribute some to needy beauty lovers, and place others in the basement for storage.

Disease and pest control

These flowers are damaged by the same diseases as ordinary gladioli: fusarium (dry rot) and jaundice (grassiness). Affected plants must be destroyed. Montbrecia can be attacked by pests such as thrips and mole crickets. We fight them with appropriate special chemicals.

Preparing Montbrecia bulbs for winter

We begin preparing Montbrecia corms for winter in the fall by digging them up in dry weather. We do this when the crocosmia leaves begin to wither. Shake the plant off the ground, cut off the leaves and stems at a height of 5 cm from the tubers. Before storing the bulbs, dry them for several days. Japanese gladiolus tubers do not need to separate the roots and shake off the soil from them. We sort the bulbs and children by size and variety. We place them in wooden boxes or thick paper bags and lightly sprinkle them with dry soil.

Crocosmia after flowering

Collecting seeds

Ripe crocosmia seeds are large and yellow-brown in color. After ripening, the seed pods are collected and stored in a dry place. It is best to propagate Chinese gladiolus, which is already growing in the garden, using the vegetative method. And if you really need seeds, it is better to purchase them in a store to avoid infection and cross-pollination.

Preparing for winter

Japanese gladiolus is a perennial; in regions that are not threatened by severe winters with freezing of the soil, crocosmia is not dug up. The bushes are pruned and mulched with compost, sawdust, and spruce branches. In the southern regions, it is enough to cover with leaves and film.

Many gardeners believe that Montbretia is preserved better in the ground than when dug up. When covered tightly, the plant tolerated thirty-degree frosts well. But once every three to four years, digging needs to be done; thick planting leads to crushing and degeneration of flowers.

Frost-resistant varieties of montbretia (crocosmia)

The most frost-resistant varieties when grown are small-flowered varieties. With appropriate insulation, they can overwinter in the ground. The most popular varieties that can normally survive frost of -30 degrees: Lucifer , Mason's Montbretia , Emily Mackenzie . Moreover, in the first year after planting, even frost-resistant varieties of Japanese gladiolus bushes are carefully covered for the cold period. Crocosmia overwintering in the ground blooms much earlier and has larger inflorescences. Low frost-resistant varieties include His Majesty and Star of the East .

Types of crocosmia

In total, nature has created about 50 species and 400 cultivars of crocosmia; the following varieties are most often used for cultivation in garden beds:

• Emily McKenzie is a late flowering variety. The flowers are orange-brown with a bright center. The height of the bushes is up to 60 cm.
• Lucifer is a frost-resistant variety, up to one and a half meters high. Straight peduncles with very bright red flowers.
• George Davidson is the most suitable variety for cutting. The flowers are large, bright yellow. Height – up to 70 cm.
• Star of the East is a variety with large, up to 10 cm in diameter, beautiful flowers, apricot color. Disadvantage: poor frost resistance; requires digging up for the winter.

In areas with low temperatures, where the number of sunny days is small, low-growing species of crocosmia are grown in greenhouses for cutting, or as a potted plant.

Autumn work with crocosmia and storage rules:

First option:

• In October, the corms are dug up. By autumn, 4-6 daughter children are formed on the mother corms. The clod of earth around the mother plant is not completely shaken off;
• The leaves and stem are trimmed, leaving a stump of 5-6 cm, while preserving the root system;
• It is necessary to carry out light drying for 10-15 days;
• Place into paper bags. At the same time, the corms are sprinkled with peat or sawdust or covered with moss;
• Store in a cool place. This could be a basement or a room.

Second option:

• You can leave the corms in a flower bed or flower bed. Then it is necessary to cover it with a layer of fallen and dry leaves and pine needles. Apply additional covering with film.
• You can also make a cover with sawdust, but the layer thickness should be 15-20cm.
  

  Overwintering in dry soil is your guarantee that next year the crocosmia will delight you with its flowering!

  With this method of wintering, in early spring it is necessary to remove the cover and trim the old leaves. It is important to know that plants are grown in one place for 3 to 5 years.

Reviews from flower growers

For flower growers in Eastern Europe, crocosmia has not yet become a familiar flower, due to the paucity of information and knowledge on how to care for it. But increasingly, Japanese gladiolus is becoming a bright decoration of garden areas, ridges, and alpine slides. Those who have hosted a European guest note the extraordinary beauty of group plantings, original bouquets, and the opportunity to use dry plants in room design.

Disadvantages include the poor cold resistance of some varieties and the need to dig them up for the winter.

How to plant bulbs

A week before planting in open ground, the corms are brought into a warm room so that all biological processes are activated. Tubers are planted in early or mid-May. Bulbs are carefully examined; those that are broken or with obvious signs of disease are excluded.

To get rid of all kinds of infections, the tubers are placed in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. A large corm is divided into 3-4 parts. You can separate the children to eventually get young plants. The depth of planting corms is about 10 cm. The distance between them should be at least 15 cm. If the soil is insufficient, moistened, the plantings are watered.

Choosing a place to plant a flower

For montbretia you need to choose an open place, well lit by the sun. You can plant the plant in areas that receive direct sunlight only part of the day. It is better that the flower is not shaded in the morning. It tolerates partial shade with diffused light well.

If there is insufficient lighting, the plant will stretch out excessively, lose its brightness of color and bloom sparingly. In deep shade conditions it will not produce inflorescences.

Near the Japanese gladiolus there should be low-growing plants or a lawn. Montbrecia needs extra space as it is spreading. Its inflorescences will hang above the ground, taking up additional space. The plant should be planted at a distance of at least 40-60 cm from the path.

Flowers should not be in a draft. It is advisable that they be protected from prevailing winds, especially cold ones. At the same time, there should be good air circulation in the area.

You should not plant such a flower in a lowland where rain and melt streams will collect. You should also avoid places where groundwater is close to the surface of the earth. Like other bulbous plants, Montbrecia does not tolerate stagnant moisture. However, choosing the highest area is also not recommended. The soil on it will dry out quickly. Although the plant is drought tolerant, it feels most comfortable in moist soil.

Montbrecia loves loose acidic soils with a pH of 5.8-6.4. You can identify an area with acidic soil by the plants growing on it. Among them will be horsetail, horse sorrel, moss, sedge and woodlice.

If you plan to plant several types of plants, you need to select different areas for them. The minimum distance between specimens of different varieties is 80 cm. If planted closer together, the flowers will be cross-pollinated and lose their decorative qualities.

Planting montbretia from bulbs

Chinese gladioli grow beautifully from bulbs, which need to be brought into the house before planting and separated from the overgrown children. To make the bulb more hardy, it must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate immediately before planting in the ground.

The soil for montbretia should be loose, well fertilized with organic or mineral components. The place for planting flowers can be prepared in the fall, using sand for drainage. If desired, the soil can be neutralized from possible pathogens by treating it with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The distance from one bulb to another should be at least 10 cm. The holes can be made with a shovel or hoe; their depth should be about 4 cm. In order for Montbrecia to bloom earlier, it is better to germinate the bulb in special containers before planting. Sprouted bulbs must be planted together with the soil that is in the pot.

Despite the similarity of the plant in name and shape of the bulbs with gladiolus, Montbretia is much better than its well-known relative, since it is more resilient and easy to care for.

It does not require as much watering as a regular gladiolus and does not need frequent feeding.

Chinese gladiolus is suitable for decorating large and small flower beds. It can be grown with any other flowers - chrysanthemums, echinacea, cannas, dahlias, daylilies, where gladiolus will complement these wonderful plants and help create a unique composition in the garden.

Before buying a Chinese gladiolus, you should carefully read about the variety itself (and there are quite a lot of them), since some plants can reach a height of more than 1 meter (for example, the Montbrezia Lucifer variety, which is distinguished not only by its tallness, but also by its rich red flowers). This will require planting them not in small flower beds, where low-growing ones are suitable, but for large areas or for decorating hedges. The largest flowers are in the variety Star of the East, where the bud in diameter exceeds 9 cm.

Popular varieties and use in garden design

Crocosmia is popular among hobbyists and landscape designers. Airy inflorescences of bright colors decorate the flowerbeds of almost every plot, so the work of breeders does not stop. To date, more than 4 hundred varieties have been bred.

Let's look at the best of them:

Given the long flowering and bright color of the buds, the crop is widely used for the design of exterior compositions. As a rule, the bush is planted in the background, where the lower green part serves as the background, and the inflorescences on graceful legs add air and completeness to the design.

Landing Features

Sowing

There are several ways to grow plants:

But in order to get a large number of flowers, it is recommended to grow them in seedlings. If you immediately plant the seeds in the ground, there is a high risk that not all of them will sprout.

Before sowing crops for seedlings, seed material is prepared. To do this, they need to be soaked in plain water at room temperature for a day. It is important to refresh the water every 4 hours.

After this operation, the seeds are sown in fertile soil. It should consist of one part sand and the same amount of humus and peat. You can use soil from the garden. But before planting the seeds, it must be treated with boiling water to destroy pathogenic bacteria.

Mr. Summer Resident recommends: combining crocosmia with other plants

Tall perennial crops are optimal as neighbors. Among them, we can especially highlight rudbeckia, popovnik, catnip, speedwell, and Rogers.

A combined composition of perennial shrubs is assembled taking into account the flowering time and in such a way as to please the eye with the splendor and brightness of colors. Modern hybrid varieties demonstrate diversity that allows you to create flower beds only from crocosmia.

Flowers are indispensable for landscape decoration. It has shown itself well in wall cascades decorating cracks and dilapidated parts of buildings. Shrubs are widely used in decorating artificial reservoirs.

Care Tips

The Montbretia flower does not require special care. In summer it needs regular watering. It is important not to allow the soil to dry out.

Prolonged drought can destroy the plant.

Experienced gardeners recommend removing old leaves and inflorescences in a timely manner.

In this way, you can preserve the decorative effect of Japanese gladiolus for a long time.

Another interesting point is that the earlier the flowers are cut, the longer the bouquet will please the owners.

Watering, weeding and loosening

It is best to loosen the soil after watering and rain. Loose soil promotes better penetration of oxygen and moisture to the roots of the flower.

Both of these components are very important for the growth and development of Montbretia. Weed removal also cannot be ignored.

Weeds especially interfere with crocosmia at the initial stage of development. Weeds absorb micronutrients from the soil, leaving only a small amount for the flower.

Fertilizer application

For better growth and development, abundant flowering, Japanese gladioli are fed with mineral fertilizers. Do this 3 times.

It is recommended to alternate mineral fertilizing with the application of a solution of manure or bird droppings.

You can prepare the solution as follows:

1. Bird droppings or manure are added to the bucket.
2. Pour in water and stir thoroughly.
3. They insist for several days. During this time, stir constantly.

Before watering, the prepared solution is diluted at a rate of 1:10 and watered over the crocosmia.

The first application of fertilizer is done when leaves appear. The second time is fed before flowering, the third time in the fall.

Garter to support

Some varieties of Montbrecia grow quite tall. It is recommended to tie them up. To do this, they stock up on pegs to which flower stalks are tied.

If this is not done, then under the weight of the inflorescences they may break off. A garter is also needed to ensure that nutrients reach the rhizomes.

It is also important to promptly prune dried, faded inflorescences.

Care after flowering

After Japanese gladioli have finished blooming, they require pruning. At this stage, special care for crocosmia is necessary for the ripening of the bulbs.

This way they will overwinter better in the soil.

If the crocosmia has grown too thick, it needs to be planted. This is done approximately once every 3-4 years.

Control of possible pests and diseases

Japanese gladioli are most often affected by mole crickets and thrips. It is the mole crickets that cause the most damage to plants.

At the first signs of their appearance, it is necessary to immediately treat the bushes with special preparations.

Mole crickets penetrate deep into the soil and gnaw on crocosmia bulbs. The plant begins to hurt, its leaves wither, its bulbs rot.

To control pests, use the drugs Thunder, Grizzly or Medvetox.

You can also use special repellers for prevention, which are sold in agricultural or flower shops.

Digging and storing bulbs in winter

Some varieties of Japanese gladioli remain in the ground for the winter. They tolerate cold well and germinate with the onset of warm weather.

Other types require mandatory storage indoors.

As a rule, varieties with small inflorescences are not afraid of the cold.

Before the onset of cold weather, it is recommended to cover them with sawdust, leaves and cover them with film.

For large-flowered species, bulbs need to be dug up in the fall. With the arrival of October, this procedure is carried out.

You need to act carefully so as not to damage the bulbs. After this, the planting material is dried.

This procedure is mandatory and very important, since the safety of the bulbs depends on it. Poorly dried planting material can rot and disappear.

Next, the bulbs are placed in sand or peat. If there are babies on the bulbs, they are left in place. If separated, they may dry out over the winter.

For storage, it is necessary to maintain an air temperature of no more than +10°C.

The room should be well ventilated.

On a note! Some gardeners use the vegetable compartments of the refrigerator to store planting material.

How are tubers and bulbs of ornamental flowering plants prepared for wintering and stored?

Montbretia, or crocosmia (Montbretia, Crocosmia)

This plant is usually treated like this: at the end of September, the corms are dug up, dried for several days at room temperature, and the corms are separated from the corms. Store at temperature +5. +7°С.

Another method will also work: dig up the bushes entirely, do not shake off the soil, and do not separate the baby. Store dried nests in an open container. If there are a lot of corms, then you can take a chance and leave some of them to overwinter in the soil, mulching with a thick layer of peat (at least 15 cm).

in the photo: flowering crocosmia or montbretia

How and when to collect seeds

Many new gardeners often make the same mistake when trying to propagate Montbretia by collecting seeds. If you already have this plant on your site, then it is best to dig up the children and plant them. In the case of collecting seeds, there are a number of difficulties.

Montbretia seeds can be collected only after they have dried.

Firstly, they must ripen sufficiently and be dry. The optimal time to collect seed is the end of September. But in our climatic conditions it is difficult to maintain the necessary conditions, and the seed pods can simply be devastated by the wind.

Secondly, the germination rate of collected seeds is extremely low. Out of ten seeds, usually no more than two germinate, and their future fate is under threat.

Therefore, it is best to purchase seeds in the store, and then propagate the plant with tubers.

How to Preserve Corms in Winter

In southern regions with mild winters, crocosmia is not dug up, but must be covered with a thick layer (20-30 cm) of straw, fallen leaves, sawdust or spruce branches. A film is placed on top. In other cases, corms are dug up in October, before the onset of frost.

Before storing, the stem is cut off, leaving about 6 cm. The bulbs with children are laid out on burlap and dried in a dry, warm room for two to three days. A dry cellar or underground with a constant positive temperature of 4 to 6 degrees is suitable for storing bulbs. Tubers for storage are placed in boxes, sprinkled with dry sawdust and peat.

Pests and diseases

Possible diseases:

• Fusarium. With this disease, flower stalks become irregular in shape, leaves turn yellow and die, flowers change color and become deformed. Plants are sprayed with Benomil, and the bulbs are pickled in a Fludioxonil solution before planting.
• Gray rot. A fungal disease that covers the bulbs with a gray coating. This infection is easier to prevent than to cure.
• Jaundice. The plant dies from this virus. The tips of the leaves turn yellow first, and then the entire plant. The disease is spread by cicadas.

Among the pests that are partial to crocosmia are spider mites, thrips, and mole crickets. During prolonged drought, spider mites may appear; these small insects are almost invisible. However, they are dangerous because they drink plant sap and are carriers of infections.

Insectoacaricide preparations will help cope with spider mites. “Aktelik”, “Fitoverm”, “Karbofos” are used against thrips.

Advice. To get rid of mole crickets, you need to build a special trap. To do this, in early autumn, dig a hole up to 50 cm and put fresh horse manure in it, cover it with soil and mark this place. After two weeks, the insects will hibernate in the manure and can be easily destroyed.

Freesia

These tender plants are best grown in containers. They bloom in autumn. To ensure flowering lasts longer, containers with flowers are brought indoors at the end of September. Such a simple solution will allow the corms to ripen properly (this is unattainable outdoors in the middle zone).

After the above-ground part dies, the corms are dug up, washed, disinfected and slightly dried. Recommended storage temperature +26…+30°С. Freesia corms are small and very easy to dry out. Therefore, it is best to put them in sterile, tightly closed jars and place them near heating radiators or pipes. There are other recommendations, but we must honestly admit that not a single method of indoor storage guarantees high-quality flowering.

Freesia blossom