The diverse cinquefoil genus invites us with 500 species to draw from the full. How to properly cultivate the robust perennials in the rock garden, cottage garden, perennial beds or at the edge of the wood is no longer hidden from you here. The following answers to frequently asked questions show you how to do it correctly.

Cinquefoil is a pretty, easy-care medicinal plant

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant cinquefoil properly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. When is flowering time?
  5. Cut cinquefoil properly
  6. Water cinquefoil
  7. Fertilize cinquefoil properly
  8. hibernate
  9. propagate cinquefoil
  10. How do I plant correctly?
  11. Is cinquefoil poisonous?
  12. Beautiful varieties
  13. Plant cinquefoil properly

    Cinquefoils grown in containers can be planted all year round. As long as the ground is not frozen or there is a summer drought, the perennials will take root in the bed. The best time for planting is in autumn, during the months of September and October. Prepare the soil loosely and free of weeds appropriate to the species and variety chosen. Too sandy soil is enriched with compost, while soil that is too nutrient-rich is emaciated with sand. Although site selection and soil preparation depend on the species and cultivar, planting follows this pattern consistently:

    • Place the potted young plant with the root ball in water until no more air bubbles rise
    • Dig a planting pit with 1.5 times the volume of the root ball
    • Plant the potted cinquefoil deep enough to maintain the previous planting depth

    Press the soil down with your hands without compacting it too much and water it.

    care tips

    A perennial that requires less care than cinquefoil, you will have to use the lantern to look for it. We have put together the few measures for skilful care for you here:

    • Watering and fertilizing is only required in the case of prolonged drought or noble varieties
    • Pruning back after flowering will allow hybrids to bloom a second time in the fall
    • Winter protection is not required

    A prerequisite for this mini care program is a prudent choice of location, which is tailored as precisely as possible to the selected species and variety. For example, if you settle a marsh cinquefoil in the gravel bed and a white cinquefoil at the edge of the pond, any maintenance effort will be in vain.
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    Which location is suitable?

    Within its up to 500 species, the indestructible genus of cinquefoils presents us with perennials for almost any site condition. As long as there is no Egyptian darkness at the chosen place, you will find what you are looking for. The following selection lists the requirements of proven classics:

    • White cinquefoil (Potentilla alba): Sunny, lime-free, rocky and well-drained
    • Marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris): Sunny to partially shaded, swampy and humus rich
    • Red cinquefoil (Potentilla atrosanguinea): Sunny to semi-shady, loamy to sandy and fresh and moist
    • Gold cinquefoil (Potentilla aurea): Sun in any normal garden soil

    Not to forget the creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans), which, as a ruderal pioneer, likes to settle in the garden uninvited and is often fought as a weed.
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    When is flowering time?

    The numerous genus of cinquefoils contain decorative species with divergent flowering times. Cleverly combined, a flowering perennial can be discovered in the garden throughout the growing season. The following selection may serve as your inspiration:

    • Gold cinquefoil (Potentilla crantzii): April to June; Hybrids with second flowering in August
    • Large-flowered cinquefoil (Potentilla megalantha): May to July; Hybrids with second blooms in September
    • Garden cinquefoil (Potentilla x cultorum): July to August; Hybrids with second blooms in October
    • Marsh Cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris): July to September

    In order to motivate a cinquefoil to rebloom, cutting back close to the ground is essential. Alternatively, regularly clean withered flowers with your fingers.

    Cut cinquefoil properly

    After flowering, cut back the perennial close to the ground to prevent energy-sapping seed growth and prevent unwanted self-sowing. With hybrids, you will be rewarded for this effort with an autumn rebloom. This is a touch sparser than the main flower. With a portion of compost after the cut, you can get the new sprouting going.
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    Water cinquefoil

    Watering pure cinquefoil species is only necessary in exceptional cases. As a rule, the natural rainfall covers the water requirement. If the drought persists during the summer, you will still not walk past the thirsty plant with the watering can without spoiling it with a sip of water. The richly flowering noble hybrids, on the other hand, are always watered when the soil has dried on the surface.

    Fertilize cinquefoil properly

    If you cultivate one of the magnificent hybrids in the perennial bed, growth and abundance of flowers will benefit from repeated fertilizer application. At the start of the season and after the first pruning, put a portion of compost, horn shavings, (32.93€) bark humus or guano granules on the root disc. Pure species, on the other hand, do not require a supplementary supply of nutrients. If there are signs of deficiency, such as pale colors and stunted growth, an organic fertilizer gives the perennial new vitality.

    hibernate

    Winter protection is a foreign word for cinquefoil species and varieties. The perennials easily cope with freezing cold down to - 28.8 degrees Celsius. Even a blanket of snow won't stop early-blooming specimens from stretching out their first leaves and flowers towards the sun.

    propagate cinquefoil

    If you have discovered other corners in the garden that cinquefoil should green, nothing stands in the way of an uncomplicated propagation. The following procedures have proven themselves in the hobby garden for generations:

    • Division of the root ball in spring or autumn
    • Take non-flowering cuttings during the summer and root them in the pot
    • Cut off runners, cut into pieces 5-8 cm long and plant in lean substrate until roots develop

    The sowing should also be mentioned at this point, it stands out negatively compared to the methods mentioned due to the greater amount of work involved. In addition, seedling propagated cinquefoils usually only flower after a few years.

    How do I plant correctly?

    If you order the perennial to change location, the cinquefoil will calmly accept the associated stress. Choose a date in autumn or spring. Loosen the root ball with the digging fork to lift it out of the ground with the spade. A spacious planting pit should already be prepared at the new location in order to plant the cinquefoil exactly as deep as before. In the following period, regular watering promotes rapid rooting.

    Is cinquefoil poisonous?

    Cinquefoil is completely free of toxic ingredients. On the contrary, plant parts of the creeping cinquefoil are used in folk medicine. In addition, the knowledgeable housewife uses the sour-tasting leaves to add culinary value to salads and other dishes.
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    Beautiful varieties

    • Gold Rush: Delicate variety that adorns narrow crevices in walls or the rock garden with golden-yellow flowers; Growth height 10-15 cm
    • Hopwoodiana: Pink-flowering cultivar jewel for the perennial border with filigree lobed leaves; Growth height 30-40 cm
    • Arc-en-Ciel: Fantastically beautiful double cinquefoil with crimson flowers edged with yellow; Growth height 40-45 cm
    • Roxana: large-flowered cinquefoil that showcases its salmon-red flowers from July to August; Growth height 40-50 cm
    • Alba: White flowering cinquefoil, a beautiful groundcover for lime-free, rocky sites; Growth height 10-15 cm

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