Anxious for spring? Consider a Primula plant (USDA zones 5-9) to grace your table or window ledge.
Primulas are available in early spring and come in a wide range of colors. Spring blossoms appear in dazzling shades of purple, pink, white, red, orange, yellow and blue. The plant leaves are a subtle green that appear fuzzy.
Primula's can easily be grown indoors or outdoors. Outdoors, they like sunny places in spring and shaded areas when summer temperatures reach above 80 degrees F.
To transplant, find an area in your garden that is cool, the soil moist and receives partial sunlight and shade throughout the day.
Plant 6 to 12 inches apart and 4 to 6 inches deep. The crown should be level with the soil. Primroses enjoy moist but not saturated or soggy soil. After planting, mulch your plants to keep the roots from getting too hot during the summer or too cold during winter.
Following the directions on the label, use a non-organic fertilzer such as, 10-10-10 or 5-10-5 in spring to maintain the primrose's health.
In the height of summer, if you see the leaves turn brown and curl, check for spider mite (tiny webs around and on the plant and red, brown or black spots under the leaves.) To remove, wash the plants thoroughly using a hose and water every other day until the spider mites are gone.
Divide plants every few years to prevent overcrowding.