Both beautiful and useful - Kuril shrub tea, planting and care

Tell us all about a culture like Kuril shrub tea, planting and caring for a plant. My husband brought a couple of seedlings from relatives, says that it is very useful, and the truth is how tea is brewed. But he didn't ask anything how and when to plant them. Can I plant it in open ground now (we have autumn, but it's still warm)? Or is it better to put it in pots and outdoors in the spring? It will be a pity if they freeze, but he also did not know about winter hardiness. How does tea winters, should it be covered or not?

This plant was loved by gardeners for its abundant flowering, delicate foliage and unpretentious character. Kuril shrub tea, planting and caring for which is minimally simple, is actually shrub cinquefoil. But it's not for nothing that they call it tea. Indeed, in addition to the decorative appearance, nature has endowed the bushes with useful properties. The leaves and shoots contain a lot of useful substances, so they are really brewed like tea. This herbal drink is especially appreciated in the season of colds. But today we are not talking about the healing power of Potentilla, but about how to grow it. And everyone needs to do this in order to have in their garden not only a beautiful bush, but also their own "green pharmacy".

Kuril shrub tea - planting and care

The culture belongs to the Rosaceae family and really has a chic and long-lasting flowering. It grows in the form of a strongly branching bush with a dense lacy crown. The height of Potentilla, depending on the species or variety, can be compact, no more than 20 cm, or rather overall, up to 1.5 m.In this case, the diameter of an average bush is more than 1 m.The twigs are green at first, smooth and pleasant to the touch, but quickly covered with brown bark.

Tea bushes are decorated with numerous foliage in spring. The leaves, although small, are of an original pinnacle-carved shape. Green leaf plates are covered with silvery pile. From the beginning of summer until the very frost, Potentilla becomes the center of attention thanks to its flowers. They are of a simple, uncomplicated shape, with five wide open petals. But they open one by one, without a break. The color is mostly yellow, however, there are also white and pink varieties. At the end of summer, two-year-old bushes ripen fruits in the form of pubescent achenes.

Shrub Kuril tea is a perennial, deciduous and very unpretentious culture. Even with minimal care, but in the right place, it can grow for almost 3 decades.

When and where to plant Potentilla

Tea bushes multiply in all possible ways. But it is most convenient to use vegetative methods. Layers, cuttings and cuttings of the bush will give a formed plant in this or next season. Whereas from the seeds it will take many times longer to wait for flowering, and there is more trouble in growing seedlings.

Potentilla grows best on light loams and in good lit places. Bushes can be planted both in spring, after frosts, and in early autumn. They take root well, but you cannot deepen the root collar. When planting in rows between seedlings, it is necessary to leave at least 0.5 m.

How to care for Kuril tea in the garden

In care bloodroot not demanding, for the season it will be enough:

• water the bushes abundantly three times;
• to mulch the trunk circle with humus (it will help to retain moisture, and at the same time serve as a fertilizer);
• several dressings with mineral complexes (after planting, before and during flowering);
• shaping pruning in September to give the crown a fuller shape.

Only varieties of Kuril tea with pink flowers need shelter for the winter. White and yellow Potentilla have high winter hardiness and winter well themselves.

If the culture is grown as tea, and not just for the sake of beauty, then you can collect the leaves in the middle of summer. Twigs are also suitable for tea - they can be prepared after the autumn pruning of the bushes.

Cultivation of Potentilla - from planting to grooming