Primroses ∗ The 10 best care and planting tips

Plant primroses properly

You can plant a primrose that you have bought or grown yourself as follows:

In spring, loosen the completely thawed soil deeply
Dig small pits at a distance of 15-30 cm, with twice the volume of the root ball
Optimize the excavation with peat, compost and horn meal
Pot the flower, plant it, water it well and mulch it

Care tips

A look at the care protocol shows why the primrose is a flower suitable for beginners. Treat a cowslip to these attentions:

Keep the substrate constantly moist
Use soft irrigation water
Repeatedly spray the foliage
Clean up withered and faded
During the flowering period, fertilize organically every 2 weeks
Transplant in the bed every 2 years, in the pot every spring

Since the flower is only moderately hardy, it receives protection in the open from leaves, coniferous twigs, reed mats or compost. Primroses Spend the cold season in the pot on the bright windowsill at 5 to 15 degrees Celsius. The substrate should not dry out.
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Which location is suitable?

If you assign the flower a partially shaded location, the primrose will thank it with eager flowering pleasure. Anyone who delves deeper into the multi-faceted biodiversity will discover specialists for sunny locations as well as experts for shady garden corners. Some examples to clarify:

Auricle (Primula auricula): sunny locations, provided the soil is fresh and moist
High cowslip (Primula eliator): partially shaded location
Single-storey primrose (Primula bulleyana): shady to partially shaded places
Bell primrose (Primula florindae): shady locations
Deciduous primrose (Primula frondosa): shade preferred

If the temperature ranges from 5 to 15 degrees Celsius, the flower feels right at home. Therefore, a place in the house on the window sill of the bedroom is more likely than in the cozy, warm living room.
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The correct planting distance

The precise planting distance depends on the type and variety chosen. You are exactly right with a value that fluctuates between 15 and 30 centimeters.

What soil does the plant need?

The frugal flower thrives in any good garden soil. In order to experience a primrose at its best, however, it is worth taking a look at their respective detailed requirements for the earth. Depending on the type, there are differences to be considered here. The following overview reveals the details:

Alpine auricles thrive in calcareous, loamy-sandy soil
Ball primrose flowers particularly well in a slightly acidic substrate
Marsh primrose likes very moist and acidic soil
Floor primrose gives its best in loamy, humus soil, rich in peat and with good water storage

What is the best time to plant?

The best time to plant primroses is from March to May, in completely thawed soil. Another time window opens in September if you want to plant hardy species and varieties.

When is the flowering time?

Cleverly combined, you can enjoy blooming primroses all year round. Within the more than 500 species there are cowslips for every season. The following compilation may serve as inspiration:

Cushion primrose blooms from February to April
Alpine auricle: flowers from April to June
Single-tier primrose: flowers from June to August
Head primrose: blooms from July to November

Planted in the pot in autumn, the ball primrose conjures up splashes of color on the wintry windowsill from December to February.

Cut primroses correctly

The primrose is not pruned in the true sense of the word. Nevertheless, cut out withered leaves from the rosette. In addition, the flowering time is extended by weeks if the flower is cleaned thoroughly every few days. Don't forget your gloves!

Pour primroses

The primrose happily spreads its roots in the slightly damp substrate. Ball dryness inhibits the abundance of flowers as well as waterlogging. Therefore, do not leave water in the coaster for a long time. The flower loves to be watered and sprayed with soft, collected rainwater. Increased humidity at moderate temperatures strengthens the vitality of the small flower beauty.

Fertilize primroses properly

As in the flowering period, the primrose is grateful for a well-measured ration of fertilizer. In the bed, ripe compost fill, Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) or guano granules meet the requirements. Serve in the bucket every 2 weeks Herbal manure or mineral-organic liquid fertilizer as a nutrient supplier. As a rule, no fertilizer is required outside of the bloom.

Diseases

Regardless of the sometimes high poison content, the primrose does not always know how to defend itself against the following diseases:

Real and wrong mildew: treat by spraying a milk-water solution in a ratio of 1: 9
RamulariaLeaf spot disease: fight with Neudovital or spray with horsetail tea
Gray mold: isolate flower, cut off diseased parts, repeat with Rock flour(€ 12.33 at Amazon *) powder

Pests

If uninvited guests colonize a primrose, they are mostly the usual suspects in the garden and room.

Black vine weevil: work neem seeds into the soil, set up traps with nematode gel
Aphids: fight with 15 ml of dissolved curd soap in 1 liter of water, sprayed on every 2 days

Swarms of fungus gnats often romp about on the primroses in the pot Potting soil. Pot the flower and add a layer of quartz sand to the fresh substrate in the upper third. From then on you only pour the primrose from below and the plague will come to an end.

Overwinter

The neat flower is largely frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures down to -5 degrees Celsius in the bed without complaint. Nevertheless, the following protection is recommended in rough locations:

Cover deciduous flowers with reed mats, pine fronds or leaf soil
Protect evergreen primrose from frost with Garden fleece or a thick layer of newspaper

Primroses in the bucket move to winter quarters at temperatures below freezing point. On the bright, not full sun, windowsill, the flower gets through the cold season in good health at 5 to 15 degrees Celsius. Do not let the root ball dry out and do not apply fertilizer until March.

Propagate primroses

There are two uncomplicated methods of propagating primroses to choose from. Every spring transplanting and repotting is a good opportunity to split the root ball. Then plant a segment with at least 2 buds and a new flower will grow from it within a short time. It is more exciting sowing the seed. This is how you do it:

In January / February small pots are filled with peat sand
Sow the seeds, sieve a thin layer of sand and moisten
Equip each seed pot with a transparent cover
Set up for 4-6 weeks on the balcony or in an unheated greenhouse at 0 to 4 degrees Celsius

After the seed has been exposed to a cold stimulus, place it in the partially shaded location where germination begins at 10 to 15 degrees. During this time, keep the seed permanently slightly moist and do not apply any fertilizer.

Primroses in the pot

In the pot, the primrose unfolds its flower festival particularly impressively in the partially shaded, not too warm location. Add a handful to the substrate Rhododendron soil or peat and create a drainage made of potsherds on the bottom of the pot. How to care for the flower with expertise:

Only pour when the substrate is dry
Apply liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks during the flowering period
In winter place light and cool at 5 to 15 degrees Celsius

Only use lime-free irrigation water with which you spray the flower from time to time. Repeated brushing out extends the flowering time by many days or even a few weeks.

Are Primroses Poisonous?

Exercise caution when handling primroses, as some species are highly toxic. The goblet primrose (Primula obconica) and the cowslip (Primula elatior) are explicitly perfused with toxic primin. This natural substance can cause the worst irritations if it comes into contact with the skin. Intentional or unintentional consumption has life-threatening consequences for humans and animals. The flower should therefore be avoided within the reach of children and pets.

Primroses do not bloom

If a primrose refuses to flower, the deficiency results from various causes. The most common triggers are:

Too cold or too warm location
Full midday sun
Drought stress or waterlogging
Nitrogen overfertilization
Calcareous irrigation water

Brown leaves

Brown leaves are a typical symptom of Ramularia primulae, a fungal disease that specifically affects primroses. It starts with yellow leaf spots that turn brown and spread over the entire foliage. In the early stages of infestation, removing the diseased leaves immediately can save the flower. Neudovital von Neudorff, a well-known preparation against fungal infections on fruit and roses, acts as a control agent.

Yellow leaves

All primroses react to too wet substrate and too cold a location with yellow leaves. You should therefore only pour after a thumb test and do not leave any water in the coaster. Ideally, you cultivate the flower at temperatures between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius.

How do I transplant properly?

Recurring transplanting of primroses makes a valuable contribution to maintaining the vitality and willingness of the flower to bloom. Using this schedule, you'll do it right:

Dig up, divide and transplant primroses in the bed every 2 years
Repot the flower in the pot every year in early spring

Transplanting and propagation therefore go hand in hand with a primrose. At the same time, take the opportunity to pamper the flower with a freshness treatment in the form of fresh earth, enriched with a portion of compost and Horn shavings.(€ 32.93 at Amazon *)

The most beautiful varieties

Gold Lace: a gold-fringed cowslip with mahogany-colored petals in April and May
Rubin Auslese: magnificent ball primrose with ruby red flower heads from March to May
Miller's Crimson: the tiered primrose captivates from May to July with an abundance of carmine-red flowers
Carnival primrose: charming pillow primrose with pink, yellow, white and purple flowers from February
Red Hot Poker: stunning orchid-primrose with candle-shaped flowers all summer long