Montbretien reflect delicate beauty in nostalgic charm. These plants, from the iris family, are very demanding to care for.
Remember grandma's garden? You may also have noticed a perennial at that time, whose closely spaced leaves rise up like elongated lancets and whose flower spikes glow red or orange in midsummer.
The perennial whose name is widely known as Montbretia looks delicate. In the meantime, more and more tubers or plants of the ornamental perennial that have already been grown in pots are being offered in the garden trade under their botanical name "Crocosmia".
Be that as it may, the delicate beauty among perennials is and remains an attractive classic in every hobby garden.
The Montbretie in detail
The popular perennial belongs to the iris family. Many species and varieties are largely reminiscent of gladioli. Hence the German name "Abyssinian Gladiolus".
Their ancestral home is in the high altitudes of southern Africa. In Central Europe, Montbretia are only partially hardy. New breeds are now more robust and can withstand mild winters.
In early summer, the attractive lily-like leaves give the perennial border a pleasing appearance. Depending on the variety, Crocosmia flowers in light red, dark red, orange or yellow between July and October. The individual funnel-shaped flowers are lined up on both sides of the panicle and give the perennial an exotic look.
The growth height of the Montbretie also depends on the variety. It is between 60 and 100 centimetres.
You can impressively combine the Crocosmia in the perennial border with other summer flowering plants. Bed compositions with the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), some species of spurge (Euphorbia), the garden nettle (Agastache) and the summer daisy (Leucanthemum maximum) have a beneficial effect.
Montbretia are also suitable as cut flowers. They keep for a long time in the vase. However, most of the flowers should already have opened on the rib. If you cut the inflorescence beforehand, i.e. almost buds, then the graceful flower will not bloom any furtheron.
Montbretie location tip
Choose a sunny and wind-protected location for Montbretien. The delicate plant also accepts a semi-shady place. It is best to settle the plant on a south-facing house wall or hedge planting. It stays warm longer there and the perennial is essentially protected from cold winds.
Claims to the ground
Cocosmia thrives in almost any garden soil. Just loosen the soil enough. If the soil is heavy and clayey, mix in a good portion of sand. It is important that the soil is well drained for your Montbretia, because the roots and tubers rot quite quickly in moist soil.
If you want to cultivate this handsome bulbous plant on the patio, you need a large tub. However, you should lay out a 2.5 to 3 centimeter layer of grit or pebbles on the bottom of the planter as drainage. Then fill a permeable plant substrate over it.
Plant Montbretia correctly
- You can plant the tubers at the end of April/beginning of May. The estimated planting depth is three times the tuber size, around 8 to 20 centimetres. If you live in a region where the climate is harsher, plant the tubers deeper as a precaution. This is how you protect them from late frosts.
- The Montbretia comes into its own when you plant it in a group or in a row along a path. The planting distance to each other is about 10 to 20 centimeters
- It is recommended to add compost to the excavated soil, this will optimally stimulate the growth of the plant. After you have planted the tubers in the ground, water them vigorously.
- Cover the planting site with leaves or needle brushwood. Frosts, which can damage the tubers, are often to be expected until May.
- For planting in tubs, you can accept the planting depth and spacing just mentioned. Protection against late frosts is not necessary, as you will certainly put the tub in a sheltered room at this time.
In spring, crocosmia only sprout when the soil has warmed up a bit. The first green of the Montbretien seedlings will appear in mid to late May.
Water Montbretie and additionally fertilize
- Really water the Montbretie sufficiently in summer. After all, the dainty bulbous plant from its ancestral home is used to humid summers. pourat the latest when the earth's surface is about 2 centimeters dry.
You can preferably use rainwater from the barrel for watering. However, the new breeds also tolerate calcareous tap water. The soil should be damp but not wet. Excessive watering can lead to waterlogging. The result is root and tuber rot. - Fertilize your plant in the spring with a long-term fertilizer so that it blooms magnificently in the summer. Provide crocosmia growing in tubs with a liquid fertilizer preferably weekly.
Do Montbretia need pruning?
Absolutely. The herbaceous perennials are only radically cut back in autumn when the plant has withered. This applies above all to the Montbretia, which have to be relocated to the winter quarters. To do this, cut off all parts of the Montbretia plant that are above ground a few centimeters above the ground. However, as long as the leaves are still green, you should refrain from doing this, as the plant is still breathing with its leaves and thus strengthens the rhizomes in the soil with nutrients for the winter.
Otherwise you'll reach for the secateurs…
- … to regularly remove wilted flower spikes from the perennial.
- … to avoid unwanted seed formation. Withered panicles are cut off just above the foliage.
- … to cut flowering Montbretia panicles to decorate vases. However, the lower flowers on the panicle should only just have opened.
Pests of the Montbretie are: mice and sucking insects
Montbretien bulbs, like other flower bulbs, are a treat for mice. However, you can protect the tubers by planting them in wire baskets that they leave in the ground. Close-meshed "rabbit wire" would be an alternative. Unfortunately, such locks do not offer absolute security against mouse attacks, since rodents usually bypass them. Finally, live traps can also help.
In addition, thrips can occasionally infest the perennial. Affected plants are usually stunted in their growth. If thrips have attacked your Crocosmia, give the perennials a strong jet of water and then treat them with a biological pesticide.
Except for root or tuber rot caused by waterlogging, the exotic plants are relatively immune to diseases.
Montbretien overwinter
How you overwinter your Crocosmia depends entirely on the climatic conditions in your region. InIn areas that have had a mild winter all the time, the tubers can hibernate in the ground. Only remove wilted shoots and leaves in the spring. To be on the safe side, cover the location of your exotic perennials with foliage and beyond that with needle twigs.
In locations with a harsh climate and heavy frosts you should dig up the rhizomes and store them in a dark, cool but frost-free room. Leave as much soil as possible on the tubers to protect the sensitive side shoots (stolon) from drying out. Stolones are important for the flowering shrub. The flower panicles sprout from them the following year.
Important: Only store he althy tubers. Remove rhizomes that are diseased or infested with pests and dispose of them with household waste.
Summary: Montbretia not only have a nostalgic character in the garden, they are also very popular because of their shrubby growth and the graceful shape of the flowers. The plant loves sunny and wind-protected places. Likewise, a permeable garden soil. In summer you should keep the Crocosmia regularly moist. With a long-term fertilizer you fill the nutrient depot in the soil sufficiently in the spring. Please note: winter protection is appropriate depending on the climatic conditions of individual regions.