- Botanical Name
- Anemone coronaria
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Plant Type
- Corm
- Size (HxW)
- 20-50cm x 10-15cm. DeCaen: 20-35cm x 10-15cm.
- Depth & Spacing
- Plant 3-5cm deep and space 10-20cm apart, depending on the density you would like. The pointy end of the corm goes downwards (knobbly side up, but they tend to right themselves if you get it wrong). In warm climates plant 5-7cm deep for a little extra heat protection.
- Planting Time
- To get them up and growing earlier, you can soak the corms in lukewarm water overnight prior to planting to stimulate their growth. In most areas of Australia they are ideally planted in autumn for spring blooms. Though in cool climates they can be planted in spring and enjoyed late summer/autumn (protect from hot afternoon sun if you want them to last).
- Soil
- Humus rich, moist, well drained soil is ideal. To achieve this, you can prepare the soil a few weeks before planting, digging through liberal quantities of well rotted animal manure or blood and bone. If you miss the boat, don’t panic, you can add some fertiliser to the top of the soil at the time of planting. Anemones have lots of flowers and grow quickly, so this boost of organic fertiliser will give them the energy they need to do their stuff.
- Aspect
- Full sun to semi shade
- Climate
- Cool to Mediterranean
- Frost
- Hardy
- Water
- Water in to establish, then only if rainfall is low during active growth. Keep relatively dry during dormancy.
- Fertiliser
- They are small, grow quickly and produce lots of flowers, so for best results fertilise well. Add an organic or slow release fertiliser to the soil prior to planting and water in well. There are a couple of options when they are growing, you can feed with a liquid fertiliser once a month during active growth. Or add a slow release fertiliser when the foliage emerges, and again when they begin to flower (ensure you water it in or it will not activate).
- Flowering Time
- Early to mid spring. For us they begin sporadically in late August with the main show in September to mid October. They average 10-14 weeks from planting to flowering. After their initial bloom those planted at different times will resume annual flowering in spring. They are also unlike many bulbs in that you can keep them for a season or two without planting them and they will still grow.
- After Flower Care
- Leave to naturalise. The corms can be left in the ground; however they tend to deteriorate after two to three years and should then be replaced with fresh corms. So for optimum results, we recommend adding a few fresh corms to your patch each year.
- Notes
- A little tip from us is to pick the early flowers, this will encourage longer blooming, right at the base of the stem. Keep cutting spent flowers (dead heading) through the season so they keep flowering, like sweet peas if they go to seed they tend to wane. For cut flowers, pick them before they open so they last longer.
Mass plant them for an eye-catching display. A quick and easy way to plant these small corms is to scatter them in the desired area and then mulch over with potting mix; they will right themselves and grow easily. They have a deep root system, so if planting in pots ensure they are large enough to accommodate this. Also in pots it is a good idea to add a scoop of slow release pellets or feed with liquid fertiliser regularly to keep the flowers coming.
If you wish to keep lift the corms, do so when the foliage yellows. Store in a cool, dry area, and remove the stems when they have dried totally. Replant in autumn. Digging is a bit of fuss and with the corms being so cheap you could just treat them as annuals.
