Sowing Time and Planting Methods for Adonis

Adonis amurensis, also known as Fukushou grass, Amur adonis, New Year's grass, early spring flower, ice-cold flower, ice flower, ice crystal flower, ice-in-flower, ice-topping flower, ice gentleman flower, and first-day-of-the-month grass, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Adonis. It generally has a certain role in landscaping and is usually used for large-scale greening; this flower can serve as material for flower borders or rock gardens.When is Adonis generally sown? How is it planted?

I. Appearance of Adonis

The plant is about 35cm tall, with an upright stem, few leaves, 3-pinnately divided, and the small lobes are lanceolate. The flowers are solitary at the top of the branches, 3-5cm in diameter, single-petaled and bright red; the wild flowering period is March to April. Adonis generally mostly produces yellow flowers of about 3cm-4cm, while European varieties have more red flowers; in addition, there are other rare varieties with green, white, and orange double-petaled flowers. The stem is brown, upright, relatively short and thick, and the mature plant is about 10cm-40cm; the leaves are green or brown, alternate, bipinnately compound, growing directly on the main stem or at the top part; the roots are relatively thick and elongated.

II. When is Adonis sown?

The best time to sow Adonis seeds is from March to May and in September and October each year. Because it is a taproot plant, the suitable method is direct sowing; sow the seeds individually in the growing medium and cover with a thin layer of soil. Within ten to fifteen days, seedlings can grow. Generally, under careful management, Adonis blooms with beautiful flowers after eighty-five days. During the planting process, one point to note is not to water too much, so as to avoid affecting the roots and causing drowning.

III. How is Adonis planted?

Adonis is quite sensitive to sunlight and temperature. When exposed to sunlight, the flowers bloom brilliantly, but when moved to a shaded place, the flowers shrink back within a short time. After the flowering period, there is also a brief green-leaf period, and it will bear fruit; the fruit is spherical, but by early summer the aboveground part will gradually wither and enter a dormant state, until after autumn it slowly grows tender leaves again.

Sowing method: the suitable temperature for germination is 10-16°C. This species is a taproot plant, so direct sowing is preferable. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water for 20-30 hours, sow them individually in the growing medium, cover with about 0.6cm of soil, and seedlings emerge in about 10-15 days.

Planting method: cultivation requires loose, fertile, and well-drained loam. Maintain sufficient light and water and fertilizer conditions with careful management, and after about twelve weeks buds can appear and flowers can bloom.

It sprouts in late autumn, and at this time it should be transplanted to a place with sufficient sunlight; if sunlight is insufficient, it may also fail to bloom. After the flowers fade, the leaves begin to grow luxuriantly. At this time, it needs to be moved to a more shaded place. When waiting for the aboveground stems and leaves to wither and enter dormancy, it should be placed in a well-ventilated place for storage.

During cultivation, because the roots are relatively numerous and plump, if growing in pots, try to use a deeper flower pot.