Quick Guide - How to grow Primrose
Name - common name Primrose, botanical name Primula Vulgaris. Perennial.
Location - good for garden and/or container. If planted in garden, place at a shady well ventilated place. If placed in a container, north facing orientation works like a charm. If you are facing east, west and especially south, place the primroses in the shadiest spot you have.
Light - grows best in semi-shady to full shade spots. When exposed to direct sunlight the leaves and blossoms soften and wilt very quickly - after only 2 hours of direct sunlight the leaves already start to feel soft. If exposed to more that 3 hours of light straight your primrose will look like an old wilted lettuce.
Temperature - optimal temperatures are 45-50°F (7-10°C) at night and 55-60°F (12-15°C) during the day. The typical blooming period is from end of November to February or March. If the temperatures drop constantly below 40°F (4°C) however blooming will be interrupted, and will resume once temperatures go higher again. So in the typical temperate continental climate primroses do not bloom in December and January when there are usually lots of frosts, but they will surprise you with early blossoms in the first 2 warmer weeks after the snow. In areas with mild winter, blooming continues throughout the whole winter season.
Watering - primroses like moist and cold climate so water them 2-3 or more times a week to keep the soil moist
Soil - rich soils, regular potting mix works fine. Mulching helps to keep the soil moist. Leaf mulch works best as it is in the primrose's natural habitat. When planting the primrose, make sure to firm the soil around it, and plant right at the level of the first leaves - you can even have the first set of leaves slightly covered at the base. In any case make sure you do not plant the primrose too high, so that the base stays above the soil level and leaves lean downwards. It should stay right at the level of the soil.
Fertilizing - fertilize the primroses at their initial planting and during the blooming period. General purpose fertilizers work fine. After the end of the blooming period, fertilize not more than once a month.
Propagation - primroses can be propagated from seeds or from divisions. When propagating from seeds it is best to plant the seeds right after collecting them, otherwise germination process takes longer with less success rate from a single seed. When propagating from divisions, take a "division" with at least 1 leaf and part of the root from the mother plant, right after the end of the blooming period. Plant the division in rich soil, add some leaf mulch and fertilizer - if your potting mix has already added fertilizer in it, that is just enough.
Name - common name Primrose, botanical name Primula Vulgaris. Perennial.
Location - good for garden and/or container. If planted in garden, place at a shady well ventilated place. If placed in a container, north facing orientation works like a charm. If you are facing east, west and especially south, place the primroses in the shadiest spot you have.
Light - grows best in semi-shady to full shade spots. When exposed to direct sunlight the leaves and blossoms soften and wilt very quickly - after only 2 hours of direct sunlight the leaves already start to feel soft. If exposed to more that 3 hours of light straight your primrose will look like an old wilted lettuce.
Temperature - optimal temperatures are 45-50°F (7-10°C) at night and 55-60°F (12-15°C) during the day. The typical blooming period is from end of November to February or March. If the temperatures drop constantly below 40°F (4°C) however blooming will be interrupted, and will resume once temperatures go higher again. So in the typical temperate continental climate primroses do not bloom in December and January when there are usually lots of frosts, but they will surprise you with early blossoms in the first 2 warmer weeks after the snow. In areas with mild winter, blooming continues throughout the whole winter season.
Watering - primroses like moist and cold climate so water them 2-3 or more times a week to keep the soil moist
Soil - rich soils, regular potting mix works fine. Mulching helps to keep the soil moist. Leaf mulch works best as it is in the primrose's natural habitat. When planting the primrose, make sure to firm the soil around it, and plant right at the level of the first leaves - you can even have the first set of leaves slightly covered at the base. In any case make sure you do not plant the primrose too high, so that the base stays above the soil level and leaves lean downwards. It should stay right at the level of the soil.
Fertilizing - fertilize the primroses at their initial planting and during the blooming period. General purpose fertilizers work fine. After the end of the blooming period, fertilize not more than once a month.
Propagation - primroses can be propagated from seeds or from divisions. When propagating from seeds it is best to plant the seeds right after collecting them, otherwise germination process takes longer with less success rate from a single seed. When propagating from divisions, take a "division" with at least 1 leaf and part of the root from the mother plant, right after the end of the blooming period. Plant the division in rich soil, add some leaf mulch and fertilizer - if your potting mix has already added fertilizer in it, that is just enough.
Additional care
- remove the old blossoms and leaves to stimulate new blooming and growth and to keep the flower neat and beautiful. The easiest way to do that is to find carefully the stem of the blossom, slide fingers along the stem as near to its base as possible and pull gently. Cutting with scissors can be done also when necessary but is otherwise not recommended as you may harm the emerging baby bulbs and leaves.
- when planted in the garden primroses will survive frosts (esp. the hardiest varieties). If you are going to grow primroses in a container, you may need to protect your plants from frost as you bring them indoors, at a cool shady place
- when choosing the primrose varieties, apart from the wide range of colors, you may also want to consider the primroses smell - some of the primroses scent is really magical. In fact they really smell like a rose, and they have a very strong dense smell of roses. Many of the wide-spread hybrids sold these days, do not have a smell at all although they do have very interesting colors
- remove the old blossoms and leaves to stimulate new blooming and growth and to keep the flower neat and beautiful. The easiest way to do that is to find carefully the stem of the blossom, slide fingers along the stem as near to its base as possible and pull gently. Cutting with scissors can be done also when necessary but is otherwise not recommended as you may harm the emerging baby bulbs and leaves.
- when planted in the garden primroses will survive frosts (esp. the hardiest varieties). If you are going to grow primroses in a container, you may need to protect your plants from frost as you bring them indoors, at a cool shady place
- when choosing the primrose varieties, apart from the wide range of colors, you may also want to consider the primroses smell - some of the primroses scent is really magical. In fact they really smell like a rose, and they have a very strong dense smell of roses. Many of the wide-spread hybrids sold these days, do not have a smell at all although they do have very interesting colors