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Common Name | Poppy Anemone |
Genus | Anemone |
Species | A. coronaria |
Family | Ranunculaceae |
Life Cycle | Tender Perennial USDA zones 7-10, can be grown as an annual or tubers can be lifted, stored and re-planted. |
Tray Size | 125 |
Plug Care | Plugs should be unboxed and kept in a cool (50-60 degree), sunny area to acclimatize after shipping. Keep them well watered, and do not allow them to dry out or become rootbound while still in the plug trays. Take a few days to harden off the plants before planting out. Stressed or rootbound plugs will result in stunted plants that do not live up to their full potential. They can be bumped up into larger cells/pots and grown on for a few weeks. |
Netting / Staking | Anemones typically do not require netting, but may benefit from a single layer of agribon netting to keep stems vertical - especially when grown in a hoop house/ under shorter days. Under these circumstances the stems will be quite long and blooms can become top-heavy. When grown outdoors, exposed to the elements (namely wind), stems tend to stay shorter and stockier. |
Temperature Range | Optimal growth occurs in temperatures between 50-65°F. These plugs must be protected from frost in colder regions using row covers or tunnels - ideally they are grown in minimally heated tunnels in the north, or in areas with naturally cool, mild winters. Anemones will bloom faster when grown from tubers, these seed-grown plugs take a few weeks longer to reach blooming size and are not suitable for areas that have short shoulder seasons between extreme winters and summers. |
Spacing | 6 x 6 inches |
Soil Preference | Prefers well-draining soil rich in organic matter, with a pH of 6.0-7.0. Avoid heavy or waterlogged soils, which can lead to root rot. |
Day Length | These anemones (Mistral) are day-neutral and will continue blooming under long days, when other cultivars may start entering dormancy. Full sun is ideal, but partial shade is tolerated in warmer climates. In Zones 8-10, ensure plants are shaded during the hottest part of the day. When days are long and sunshine is intense, some light shade fabric may help elongate stems. |
Pinching | Not necessary for Anemone coronaria, as the plants naturally produce long, single stems. |
When to Plant | In Zones 7-10, plant in fall or winter for blooms in late winter to early spring. These plugs are not recommended for growers in colder zones, with short springs and hot summers. These growers should stick to tuber-grown anemones, unless you have a minimally heated tunnel, in which you can fall-plant. |
Harvesting | Harvest when the flower's "collar" - the small fringe leaf under each bloom - has developed about 1/4" of stem between the collar and the flower. Use clean, sharp snips to cut stems early in the morning or late in the evening when plants are cool and well hydrated. Cut stems right at soil level for maximum stem length. The first stems on each plant might be short, but each successive bloom will grow taller. Each plant, when grown under ideal conditions, has the potential to push out 20 stems! |
Post Harvest Care | Fill buckets with only 3 or so inches of water to prevent stems from becoming water logged. Store in a cooler until needed - use a floral conditioner to reduce bacteria in the water and to maximize vase life. As with many other cut flowers, anemones are ethylene sensitive and should not be stored in a cooler with fruit. |
Diseases / Insects | Aphids can be a problem. Ensure proper spacing and adequate air flow to avoid powdery mildew or botrytis blight. Do not overwater or plant in saturated soils or root rot will be an issue. |
Bailey's Notes |
These Anemones from plugs will be actively growing on arrival, so you won't have to bother "waking them up" out of dormancy, like you would with dormant tubers. This crop will be best suited for growers with cool mild winters, or minimally heated tunnels. After transplant (6"x6") they would like a week or two around 65F, and then drop them to 50 degree nights with a 60-65 degree day to initiate buds. They will flower all winter and spring until temperatures start routinely exceeding 70 degrees. They are said to be day length neutral, so northern growers should be able to continue harvesting into the long days of summer as long as temperatures remain cool. (Many anemone strains will go dormant when days get too long). When well grown you may harvest up to 20 stems per plant per season. This will require uniform temperatures in the recommend range. You may dig the tubers at the end of the season for planting the following autumn. |
Resources |