How long does Muscari bloom? Muscari flower will create a bright spring mood in the garden

A miniature, neat, compact flower, mouse hyacinth conquers with its amazing, graceful delicate inflorescences. When all of nature is still sleeping or just waking up after the snow has melted, the first blue-purple flowers of the hyacinth are already reaching for the sun and are almost the only decoration of the garden.

Many species and varieties are used as ornamental plants, very often used in landscaping and decorating garden plots, grown as indoor plants... Thanks to its easy and fast reproduction, completely unassuming care, mouse hyacinth has gained a lot of fans among domestic gardeners.

Viper onion, muscari, mouse hyacinth are the main names for the same plant. More recently, the perennial bulbous flower was attributed to the family Hyacinths or Liliaceae, now the mouse hyacinth is listed in the Asparagus family.

The name Muscari is given to the flower because of its characteristic scent, reminiscent of musk.

The flower was nicknamed the viper onion by chance, one might say, because of ignorance. The flower often grows in sunny, bright glades, in the same place, among the plants, snakes were often seen. Many, unknowingly, believed that reptiles feed on the leaves of a flower. However, it soon became clear that snakes are indifferent to grasses and flowers, and they crawl out into the glades to soak up and bask in the sun.

The prefix in the name "mouse" appeared because of the miniature, tiny appearance of bright purple and blue inflorescences.

In addition to the accepted, main names, the flower also has folk names:

in Europe, the plant was nicknamed the grape hyacinth, since the densely planted buds in appearance resemble a bunch of grapes;
in France, muscari is called - earthen lilac, the name stuck due to the similarity of the color and shape of dense inflorescences with purple flowers unblown lilac;
in Greece the plant is called "rain flower" because its appearance always coincides with the first spring precipitation.

Plant, low, about 10-30 cm tall. The bulb is fleshy, ovoid, rounded, 2–3.5 cm in diameter, covered with light scales. Leaves are basal, linear, belt-like, strong, 10–17 cm long and 0.5–2.5 cm wide. At the beginning of the growing season, up to seven leaves come out of one bulb. Basal leaves can form in spring or autumn, depending on the species and variety.

Stem - erect peduncle, naked, dense from one bulb-head, most often, one, rarely two peduncles emerges. A dense, dense, multi-flowered, racemose inflorescence 2–8 cm long is formed at the top of the stem.

The flowers are small, fragrant, on short stalks, tightly pressed against each other. In shape, the buds resemble a capsule or barrel with six short teeth bent outward. Miniature flowers can be compared to lily of the valley flowers, only sitting tightly on the stem. In most cases, the color of the buds is blue or purple, there are varieties with white, pink, yellow, combined colors.

Seeds are formed only in the lower part of the inflorescence, since the apical flowers are sterile. The fruit is a three-celled, winged, angular seed capsule. Seeds are dark, small, rounded, wrinkled and remain viable for about one year.

The flowering period depends on the species and variety, the climatic zone of cultivation. The plant is early flowering, mainly from April to the end of May, delicate miniature flowers can be observed. Breeders have obtained new varieties, the flowering of which can be observed until mid-June. Duration of flowering is no more than one month.

Muscari is a completely undemanding plant, it tolerates shortcomings in its care. It can easily exist without special attention to its person on the part of the grower.

Mouse hyacinth is an excellent honey plant, the pleasant smell attracts many bees, butterflies and bumblebees to the garden.

The flower is widespread throughout Europe, Western Asia, North Africa, in the countries of the Mediterranean region.

The most likely to see muscari in the grassy slopes, among the bushes on the edges of the mountain-forest belt. Several species have naturalized in North America and Australia.

Bloom

Delicate, miniature plants bloom throughout the spring. The beginning and duration of flowering depends on the variety and type of hyacinth, as well as on the growing conditions. The earliest flowers can be seen as early as April. Breeders have developed new varieties, the flowers of which can be admired at the beginning of summer. Combining on a flower bed different types and varieties with different flowering periods, you can achieve blooming of mouse hyacinth throughout the spring, at best, until mid-June.

A racemose inflorescence with densely planted buds on thin stems forms on a bare, strong stem. The flowers are small, neat, reminiscent of round lanterns or berries. Wild species have predominantly purple and blue shades of flowers; plants with white, blue, pink and yellow flowers can be grown in culture.

After flowering, the mouse hyacinth goes into hibernation, which lasts most of the year.

Species, varieties and varieties

As of 2014, a little more than 40 species of mouse hyacinth and muscari are known. On the territory of Russia and the former Soviet republics, there are about 20 species. Most of which are grown as ornamental in flower pots at home and on household plots.

Due to the natural diversity and the work of breeders, muscari has many varieties and varieties. They differ in the shape and color of the buds, the length of the stem and leaves, and the flowering period. Not all mouse hyacinths are early flowering, there are representatives of the genus, the kind of flowers of which can be admired from the end of May - at the beginning of June. And you can also divide muscari by popularity, into general favorites and rare, little-studied species.

Muscari uviform

In different sources, in addition to the main name, you can find a description of a flower called racemose mouse hyacinth (Muscari botryoides). This type of muscari is most commonly seen in flower beds and gardens. Plant, small, no more than 12-15 cm long. Due to its modest size, the flower is recommended to be planted in open areas, in the foregrounds of the flower garden.

The head - the bulb has a rounded, elongated appearance up to 3.5 cm in length and up to 2.5 cm in width. Leaves, narrow, linear, smooth, no more than 12 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. One bulb gives birth to two to six leaves. Small, miniature, barrel-shaped flowers of purple color, the edges of the flower are tiny, bent teeth, white... Flowers, in racemose inflorescence not more than 12 cm long, very densely planted on a strong peduncle.

The first buds open in early May. Flowers delight with their delicate, bright, unusual appearance no more than one month. Then the seeds are formed. Based on the species, various varieties with white and pink color of buds were obtained.

Muscari broadleaf

In its natural environment, it grows and is found in a limited area in the western and southern forests of Turkey. Despite this, the flower has gained wide popularity among garden flower lovers. Broad-leaved hyacinth, a very thermophilic species, does not tolerate cold drafts, and in winters with little snow it can freeze a little. For the cold season, the plant needs additional shelter.

Starting from mid-spring, an arrow with a flower emerges from the bulb, the height of which can reach 25 cm. The inflorescence is tight, about a hundred small, elongated, berry-shaped flowers are formed. The inflorescence itself has a cylindrical shape, the color of which is light purple at the crown, smoothly passes to the base with a darker purple tint. Duration of flowering is about 25-30 days.

Ovate bulb up to 2 cm in diameter and up to 3 cm in length. Leaves, lanceolate, large in comparison with other species, up to 2.5 cm wide and up to 15-17 cm long. The leaf plates are strong, grow upwards and, as it were, hug the peduncle, in appearance they resemble tulip leaves.

Muscari pale

The species is rarely seen in home gardens and flower shops. In its natural environment, it grows on the mountain slopes and subalpine meadows of the Caucasus and in eastern Turkey.

From one oval bulb-head, up to 3 cm long and up to 2 cm in diameter, grow up to six narrow, belt-like leaves up to 20 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. With the onset of cold weather, the leaves die off, becoming an additional shelter for the winter. One bulb is capable of producing one, rarely two peduncles up to 12 cm long. The inflorescence is formed of 40 small, elongated, oval flowers of a pale blue color, almost white. You can admire the beautiful, delicate muscari flowers for 15–20 days in the second half of May. In culture, on the territory of Russia, it is extremely rare.

Muscari crested

The only species that is unmistakably recognized among the representatives of the mouse hyacinth. The flower has an additional "tail", "forelock" or "tuft" at the top of the inflorescence. Blooms in late May - early June, the species is referred to as late-flowering mouse hyacinths. During flowering, the plant is strongly elongated. So, at the initial stage of the emergence of flowers, the height of the plant is no more than 25 cm. Upon completion of flowering, the stem with buds stretches to 50–70 cm.

From a large bulb, up to 4 cm in diameter, 4–6 narrow, belt-like leaves emerge.
There are usually no more than two peduncles, at the top of each a multi-flowered, loose racemose inflorescence is formed. Small cylindrical dark blue-violet flowers on thin petioles. At the top of the stem, the buds are collected in a bunch and have longer pedicels, which is why they take on the appearance of a tuft. The apical flowers are sterile, the seeds are formed after pollination of flowers with a brown-purple color and a light, beige edge. The species reproduces more by seeds than by daughter bulbs, which is why it often weeds.

In nature, crested muscari grows on the plains of southern Europe, Southeast Asia.

Muscari Oche or Muscari Tubergen

Muscari Osh

Very nice and neat look. The inflorescence is small, formed by densely planted barrel-shaped flowers. Distinctive feature species - in the color of the buds. At the top, the flowers are painted in a pale blue or light blue color, on the lower, most of the inflorescence, flowers of a more contrasting, dark color with white teeth. Flowering time is mid-April.

The bulb is medium-sized, ovoid, almost round, up to 1.5 cm in diameter and up to 2 cm long. Leaves are narrow, linear, up to 15–18 cm long and up to 0.5 cm wide. Usually one bulb gives birth to up to three leaves and one peduncle up to 25 cm long. For the winter, the leaves fall off, creating additional shelter for the winter.

Muscari Pretty

Blooms in late winter - early spring. Because of this feature, it is practically not grown at home. In its natural environment, it can be found in Southwestern Israel and the coastal regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

The leaves are narrow, the edges are bent, forming a narrow slit. The plant is miniature, with a peduncle it is up to 15 cm in height. The egg-shaped inflorescence is formed by densely planted elongated bright blue flowers with bent white teeth.

Muscari ambrosia

Muscari species with interesting large buds, collected on a strong, erect peduncle. Each bud has an elongated shape, narrowed at the end. Flowers on short petioles, loosely planted. On one peduncle, there are 20-50 flowers, the color of which changes over time. So, at the beginning of flowering, the buds are purple, gradually turn pale, brighten, acquire a greenish-yellow tint, at the end of flowering they become creamy.

The plant is small, about 10–25 cm in height. Leaves are dark green, linear, grooved, dense, up to 2 cm wide, equal in length to the peduncle. The flowering period occurs in early - mid-spring.

Blue spike

A young variety from Holland, recognized as highly decorative, often used in landscape design and in floristry. Plant height 20–25 cm. Bulbous, double, racemose inflorescence, formed by 150–170 small, blue, fragrant flowers. Unlike the natural species, the Blue spike cultivar has several buds on one peduncle, which is why the inflorescence takes on the appearance of a "shaggy" panicle. All flowers are sterile. During the season, the plant forms up to 3 daughter bulbs. Blooms in May for 20-25 days. The vegetation of the leaves begins in the fall, which do not fall and hibernate under the snow.

Cantab

Muscari Cantab

The variety is a representative of the Armenian muscari species. The maximum plant height during the flowering period is 20 cm. It blooms in May for one month. The flowers are bright blue with white teeth. The buds are elongated, densely planted on a straight stem. The variety is quite popular, often used for landscaping gardens and growing at home.

Moschatum

A poorly studied and rather rare species of mouse hyacinth. It was found in the mountains of Turkey and northern Iraq. Plant height no more than 20 cm. Leaves, narrow, up to 2 cm wide, long, belt-like, dark green. In one inflorescence there are about 50 cylindrical flowers, narrowed at the ends. The edges are serrated, bent outward. The species has been little studied and so far the question remains open, to which family it should be attributed either to the hyacinth or to the forest tree.

Muscari neglected

In the literature, the species can be found under a different name - the unnoticed mouse hyacinth. At the beginning of the growing season, one or two bare peduncles emerge from the bulb. Only after that, leaves appear. The flowers are elongated, oval-tubular, dark blue or purple, outwardly similar to large grape berries. Rounded teeth are white. The inflorescence is oblong, dense, multi-flowered. Leaves, narrow, up to 15 cm long, up to 6 pcs. emerge from the ovoid bulb.

Muscari neglected is distributed over a vast territory of Europe, Asia and Russia. Mostly found in the forest-steppe and steppe zones... In Russia, the species is included in many Red Data Books of subjects. Russian Federation: Belgorod, Volgograd, Kursk and Rostov regions.

Saffier

Muscari Saffier

Variety, representative of the Armenian muscari. Quite a heat-loving flower, it is extremely rare in Russian latitudes. In one season, one plant forms whole group"Daughter" onions. Because of this feature, the variety quickly spreads and fills the surrounding areas. Flowers, dark blue, elongated, with white edges. Blooms in April - May. The height of the plant together with the peduncle is about 20 cm.

Muscari azure

In different sources, the species is found under the name azure muscari. The plant is 15–20 cm tall. The inflorescence is small, up to 8 cm long, formed by bell-shaped, cylindrical flowers of a pale blue color, and the color of the flowers changes depending on the location. So, in the upper part of the inflorescence, the flowers are lighter, in the lower - darker. One inflorescence contains about 30-50 buds.

The plant blooms very interestingly - first, the lower flowers bloom, creating the effect of a "ballerina's skirt". You can observe an amazing fragrant flower in April - May. The native land of the species is the mountainous regions of northwestern Turkey.

Plumosum

Muscari comosum Plumosum

An interesting variety of crested mouse hyacinth. The flowers are very different from the usual muscari buds. Open inflorescences formed by filamentous, lilac-violet, sterile flowers. The form is unstable in the middle lane.

Muscari large-fruited

Basal leaves, dark gray-green in color, narrow, with curved edges. The buds are large, cylindrical or barrel-shaped, red-brown in color, as they open, acquire a yellow-green tint. The height of the flower with the peduncle is 15–20 cm.

Home care

An unpretentious, charming flower will perfectly fit into any interior, will bring special spring freshness and comfort to city apartment, open balcony or terrace. Growing mouse hyacinth in a separate flower container is easy. For these purposes, choose a container with big amount holes at the bottom to remove excess water and eliminate liquid stagnation. Drainage material - expanded clay, broken brick or crushed walnut shells - is placed first in the flower container. Further, loose, fertilized, permeable soil is poured. Bulbs are planted in moist soil.

One of the features of growing muscari at home is the short growing season. The plant is kept indoors only during flowering. After the flowers wither and the leaves dry, the pot is transferred to the garden and partially buried. This procedure will allow the plant to form bulbs. The muscari flower pot stays in the garden until the end of winter.

With the beginning of spring, the pot is returned to the room, the bulbs are transplanted together with the soil into a new flower container, or the pot is placed in a beautiful planter.

Even in spite of the unpretentious nature of the plant, keeping it at home requires much more attention and energy, in comparison with its counterparts growing in open ground.

Watering

Muscari can be called a flower for busy people. Those who love beauty around them, but are not able to pay due attention to it. The flower endures flaws in content. The only time a plant needs care is during the flowering period. The hyacinth needs strength to open the flower. During this period, the soil around the muscari should be kept moist. Pouring water over the planting site of a flower is extremely dangerous, it is very susceptible to excess and stagnation of water.

Prolonged exposure to wet soil can cause rotting of the bulbs.

After 1.5-2 weeks, after the beginning of flowering, you can weaken your attention to watering the flower. Moreover, after flowering, the hyacinth goes into "sleep mode" and there is enough natural precipitation for the comfortable growth of the plant.

Thinning

Once planting a mouse hyacinth in the garden, after 3-4 years you can find a fairly densely overgrown area. Muscari are thinned out as needed, when the flower has grown and in case of transplantation to a new place. To exclude self-seeding, after flowering, the arrow with the seeds is cut off.

Fertilization and feeding

To maintain active growth, bright and lush flowering, the plant needs additional feeding. In the spring, when digging, organic fertilizers are applied to the soil at the rate of one square meter 4–5 kg of raw materials.

To provide the flower with all nutrients, compost is added to the soil in the fall. This will allow the bulbs to gain strength, survive the winter and wake up in the spring.

In a potted culture, muscari needs fertilizing twice a month during the growing season. Use liquid special combined fertilizer for home ornamental plants.

Hyacinth is a long-liver; it can grow in one place for 8-10 years.

How to care for muscari in the garden

Mouse hyacinth is one of the first garden plants, who pleases with their flowering, long before the blooming of the rest of the plantings. Nature has decreed that gentle, bright muscari panicles are not lost in the middle of the site. And all because nothing prevents the plant from reaching for the sun - the grass has not yet grown, the leaves on the trees have not blossomed.

The flower will put up with any place in the garden, be it a bright, open meadow or at the foot of trees in partial shade. The main thing is that the hyacinth is not planted in the lowlands and low areas of the garden. Prolonged stagnation of water is destructive for a flower. To leave completely undemanding. Bulbs in the ground calmly endure winters in central Russia.

Proper care and maintenance will allow muscari to form larger and healthier bulbs, flowering will be brighter, more intense and lasting.

General care rules are suitable for all types of mouse hyacinth, however, some varieties require more careful attention from the grower. So, the broadleaf species and Osh need soil mulching.

Periodically, the soil around the bulb is checked for weeds. Unwanted vegetation, dried leaves are removed, the soil is loosened. Moreover, the leaves from the plant are removed after their complete withering away. During the period of active growth, the plant cannot be completely cut off. As a result of such actions, bulbs suffer, which react sharply to a sharp interruption in the growth process. If you often cut off the aerial part, then the bulbs are gradually crushed and after a while they will simply disappear.

Soil requirements

An amazing perennial is very tenacious, able to take root on the ground with any mechanical composition. If you set yourself a goal, provide the flower with ideal growth conditions, then first of all, loose, fertile soil is selected. The earthen substrate must pass water well, stagnant liquid is detrimental to the plant.

Muscari after flowering

If the plant was not grown for cutting, then after flowering, the stems should be cut off. Moreover, it is better to carry out the procedure for removing the inflorescence until the seeds are fully ripe. Ripening fruits take a lot of energy from the bulb. Many gardeners do not remove the inflorescences, allowing the fruit to ripen. Thus, allowing the plant to reproduce by seed.

Preparing for winter

One of the advantages of muscari is its resistance to the cold season. Dry soil, dead leaves will serve as a good shelter for the bulb for the winter. Additional shelter is required only for some species and varieties.

Planting and breeding

Mouse hyacinth is propagated in two ways - by seeds and daughter bulbs. The plant "gives birth" a lot and often "gives birth" to new bulb-heads. In this connection vegetative method, an easier way to propagate hyacinth. Moreover, in flower shops, you can often find muscari bulbs, and not seeds.

And the flowering of a plant grown by seeds comes much later, in comparison with reproduction by bulbs.

It is better to buy material for planting in specialized stores, where the chance to purchase a low-quality product is minimal. In any case, the bulbs should be treated with a fungicide before planting. In almost every home there is potassium permanganate powder, a weak aqueous solution of which will save the seed from possible diseases and pests.

When to plant?

Muscari are planted in early autumn so that before the onset of cold weather they take root in a new place and gain strength to survive the winter. Young bulbs begin to bloom in the second year after planting.

How to plant?

In the prepared place, indentations of 5–8 cm are made at a distance of 5–10 cm from each other. The bulb is lowered into the hole, sprinkled with earth so that the layer of earth above the bulb is about 2 cm. Mouse hyacinth is planted in groups of 10-30 bulbs, and the planting is not thickened. Single plantings are not so spectacular, even at home, several muscari are planted in one flower container.

Growing from seeds

This method of obtaining new plants is rarely used. Since the first flowering can be seen in 3-4 years. The first 1–2 years are spent on the formation of bulbs. Seeds, with good germination, are formed only on the largest and healthiest flowers.
Sowing seeds is carried out in the fall. In previously prepared beds or containers with soil, seeds are sealed to a depth of 0.5-1 cm. Throughout the entire time, until the emergence of shoots, periodically watered, removed weeds, gently loosened, and applied top dressing.

Vegetative breeding methods

Muscari often and many forms daughter bulbs, which are used for propagation of hyacinth. Towards the end of the growing season, during transplantation, young bulbs are separated from the main bulb. This method allows you to get a new plant much faster compared to seed propagation. If the flower is not planted, then after 2-3 years you can get a thick blooming carpet.

Soil preparation

Hyacinth can grow on almost any soil. However, every florist strives to create ideal conditions for the growth and development of garden plantings. In the case of mouse hyacinth, the soil is prepared with a variety of organic substances and an acidity index in the range of 5.8-6.5.

The plant responds to the introduction of compost or humus into the soil with a brighter, more saturated color and prolonged flowering.

Transfer

Strongly overgrown plants should be divided or completely transferred to a new location. For this, with the help of a shovel, they dig in large group muscari. Take out the bulbs, keeping the "native" clod of earth. The roots are brittle, so they try not to shake the earth off them. They are planted in a new place, watered abundantly. The transplant is carried out in the fall, after the end of the growing season.

Wintering and storage of bulbs

If the dug out bulbs are intended for storage, then they are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dried in a room at a temperature not exceeding 20 Cº. Store in a cool place. If planting material bought in specialized store, then they do not need additional disinfecting treatment with fungicides.

Diseases and pests

The plant is extremely rarely attacked by various insects - pests, since all parts of the flower are poisonous.

Problems with growth, flowering arise due to a gross violation of growing conditions.

One of the common problems that lead to wilting and even death of a plant is rotting of the bulbs due to stagnant water in the ground.

Medicinal properties of the muscari plant

Thanks to medicinal properties, muscari is applied in folk medicine... However, it is not pharmacopoeial, in traditional medicine not used.

Due to its pleasant aroma, mouse hyacinth has found application in perfumery and cosmetology. Muscari essential oil for cosmetic purposes is used as an antiseptic, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, effective as an aphrodisiac for sexual weakness and frigidity.

Despite many beneficial features muscari, do not forget that all parts of the plant are poisonous.

An alcoholic tincture is prepared from fresh flower petals, used for external use (lotions, rubbing, compresses). Alcohol extracts are used to care for aging, problem skin, and for acne.

The viper onion is widely used in Asian folk medicine, where various drugs from the plant is used as a wound healing, analgesic and anti-aging agent.

Aromatherapy often uses essential oil from muscari. With its sedative effect, it has proven itself well in the treatment of disorders of the nervous system.
During painful and heavy menstruation, in folk medicine, douching from muscari is used.

Plant-based preparations are used only externally, ingestion can cause poisoning. The plant is poisonous (especially the bulbs), its use for medicinal and cosmetic purposes should be careful. Contraindications to the external use of muscari are the period of pregnancy and breastfeeding, childhood, individual intolerance.

When working and in contact with muscari, you should protect the skin from getting the juice of the plant.

Application in landscape design

Small, miniature flowers are used in landscaping gardens, lawns, ridges, rock gardens, along paths, as a curb plant, in continuously flowering flower beds. Looks great surrounded by low-growing ground cover grasses, as a seal between large flowers. Other bulbous and herbal flowers - crocuses, chionodoxes, daffodils, tulips, hazel grouses, hyacinths, primroses - will become good partners for the mouse hyacinth. Excellent combination of blue-purple viper onion flowers with yellow and red flowers.

To give an accent to the bright inflorescences, the flower is planted against the background of garden plants with large gray leaves. When organizing a mixed flower garden, flowers with more late date flowering. Since after flowering muscari cannot boast of a bright unusual appearance, correctly selected "neighbors" are able to brighten up the absence of bright flowers of a small plant. Excellent late-flowering partners for muscari are subulate phloxes, chickweed, astilba, and hosts.

Mouse hyacinth has a pleasant and strong smell, well suited for cutting and creating bouquets, various flower arrangements. Inflorescences are cut into bouquets only after the opening of the lower flowers.

Grape or mouse hyacinth, viper onion - this is what the people call muscari, planting and caring for which in the open field is not difficult. In floristry, this charming bulbous plant is also used quite often. Delicate racemose inflorescences with tiny blue, purple or white bells are especially beautiful in bridal bouquets.

Muscari is a relative of hyacinth, and its aroma is reminiscent of musk. There are about 60 species in the genus, almost all of them are decorative and compact, from 10 to 30 centimeters in height. A perennial is absolutely unpretentious, planting and caring for muscari is a pleasure. In early spring, grape hyacinth will bloom one of the first on the site.

How to plant muscari

The plant is perennial, propagates mainly by bulbs. The best time for planting - late August or early September. The place can be in the sun or shaded, for example, under bushes. But it is advisable to plant bulbs on a small hill. This will protect the plantings from water stagnation and decay.

For planting, you will need loose soil, clay soil is definitely not suitable, since the bulbs take root very poorly in it. If you pre-fertilize the soil with compost or humus, then charming spring pets will be stronger, and the flowers will be larger.

Small muscari bulbs are difficult to plant in the holes, so you can make a shallow trench and lay the planting material, retreating 5-10 centimeters. Then the bulbs are sprinkled with earth. Until the plants have grown stronger, weeds will have to be removed on the site, they interfere with the development of grape hyacinth. When young plantations are still actively growing, they are often watered abundantly.

Muscari can be propagated by seed. In the fall, they are sown directly into open ground, a depth of about 2 centimeters. But the plants will bloom only two years after planting, not earlier. Unfortunately, the seeds lose their germination very quickly, so planting the bulbs is still much safer.

Outdoor Muscari Care

Perennials are important to regularly water, weed, and loosen the soil. As soon as they fade, the leaves and peduncles wither and the time of rest begins. Watering is reduced. The plant grows remarkably and then reproduces well by self-sowing. If this is undesirable, then the drying stalks are simply removed. For feeding, it is better to use not mineral fertilizers rather organic. After transplanting, especially with a lump of earth, the plant adapts painlessly. It is not affected by pests.

The plantations endure winters remarkably well even without shelter and there is no need to dig them out every year. With proper care and regular feeding, muscari will grow well in one area for up to 10 years, however, after about 5 years, seating will be required. Over the course of a year, several dozen very small onions form in the nest, and over time they will become cramped. The children are easily separated, they are cleaned of the earth, left to dry for a couple of days and then transplanted to a new place. You can store the bulbs in a container with damp sand or peat.

Muscari in landscape design

Low-growing plants look beautiful in the curb and on a well-groomed alpine slide, especially in groups. You can arrange a neat lawn or a clearing in front of the house; during flowering, you will get a gorgeous bright carpet.

Today I will tell you about planting and leaving muscari, because I was at a flower festival and bought muscari bulbs from a grandmother. Bulb seeds were sold a lot: tulips of all kinds and colors, daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths. I liked the design of the flower garden with muscari, where among the yellow daffodils were blue spikelets of muscari. I liked the idea, and I also love the combination of yellow and blue colors. I think that among yellow and white crocuses, muscari will also look great. This is me suggesting ideas,.

Planting time for muscari. Muscari are small-bulbous flowers and are planted at the end of August, on the growing moon.

The best time to replant muscari is the end of August - the first week of September.

It happens that muscari in a pot is grown for distillation for the spring holidays - March 8 or Easter. Then, after the flowers have faded, it is not clear what to do with them. Take them to the garden, and plant them in a secluded place to rest. By the fall, the bulbs will get stronger and you can use this seed for planting in a spring-blooming flower bed.

How to plant muscari

The bulbs of this plant are quite small, and when planting, you do not have to dig a hole separately for each bulb, but dig a trench 3 bulbs deep, and immediately make a beautiful flower arrangement of bulbous flowers.

Bury crocuses / daffodils deeper, because their bulbs are larger. Arrange the muscari onions higher and sprinkle with earth. You will get original flower beds. Also, you can plant muscari in layers in the fall in garden pots and decorate the entrance area of a summer cottage or a private house with them.

If you are thinking with what to plant muscari in a flower bed, then best neighbors for them:

tulips,
daffodils,
crocuses,
hyacinths.

Earth under muscari

The land for planting bulbous flowers needs loose and lightweight. In heavy clay soils, bulbous flowers do not germinate well. Therefore, when you prepare the planting site, add humus or compost to the ground. Then the bulbs will grow larger, which means that the flowers will also be larger. The landing site can be either in the sun or in partial shade.

Muscari care

This bulbous plant has 2 periods to consider when growing muscari:

flowering period,
and a dormant period.

During flowering, you need frequent watering, make sure that the soil is constantly moist, but the water should NOT stagnate. During rest, dryness is needed. There is no need to dig up muscari every year. Overgrown nests are enough to divide and replant them once every 4 - 5 years.

The best muscari varieties for growing in the country

Usually, Armenian muscari is grown in the gardens. It grows short, only 10 - 30 cm high. Usually blue, but there are varieties of white and even purple flowers. Small flowers are combined into inflorescences. Such delicate spikelets.

This flower can be used for forcing at home if you provide it with a cold period. To do this, the bulbs must be kept in the refrigerator for 2 - 4 months, and then planted in a pot with soil. This is very a good option growing muscari if you did not have time to plant them in the garden in time. Like any small flowers, muscari look good if there are a lot of them. The effect of a spot is created. Large plantings of muscari look good around country house, also one of them can be planted along the garden path. These bulbous plants also solve the problem of what to plant around the tree. They revive the trunk circles of fruit trees - apple trees, pears.

As you can see, the muscari is easy to get into and out of. But they have an interesting scent, which is similar to musk and belong to long-blooming flowers. Most likely, the flower got its name because of the smell.

Muscari- flowers are unpretentious and resistant to various weather conditions. You can plant them in a shady corner of the garden or in the sun. These are early flowering plants, and therefore, even before the trees are covered with dense foliage, muscari have time to bloom and bloom. Due to the early flowering, they do not need weeding, since there are no weeds at this time. But timely and regular watering during flowering will improve appearance muscari and will prolong its flowering period.

The main thing in caring for muscari is the content of the bulbs before planting, because it is the quality of the planting material that determines how early and successfully your muscari bloom.

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Preparing muscari bulbs for planting

In order for the muscari to bloom on time, their bulbs must be planted in the ground in the fall. Throughout October-November, they will take root and overwinter easily. It is at low temperatures that flower buds are laid in the bulbs.

You can buy muscari bulbs already in the summer so that you have time to prepare them for planting in September. Preparing the bulbs for planting is a simple but very important step.

Store muscari bulbs in a dry and dark place. From August, they need to be moved to a cooler place.

And in September, before planting, you need to process the muscari bulbs from pests and diseases. To do this, they are placed for 30 minutes in a solution of karbofos, and then for another 30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.

Muscari bulbs should be planted in damp ground, but planting material that is defective or looks sick should not be planted.

After planting the muscari, the bulbs are watered abundantly and left to root for the winter. Natural rainfall is sufficient for the bulbs in the fall.

Before winter, it is advisable to fertilize the area for muscari with compost, since these flowers bloom much better on soils fertilized with organic matter, and in the spring, during irrigation, you can add fertilizer to the water.

Spring care for muscari flowers

Basic care for muscari begins with the appearance of the first shoots, but you will not have to perform any complex actions.

One of the most important rules in caring for muscari is fencing off their planting site, otherwise you will have to face such a problem as the disappearance of the bulbs: they are so small in size that, digging up the site, you may not find them. To prevent this from happening, mark the site with pegs, overlap with pebbles or enclose with a decorative low fence.

If weeds nevertheless appear in the spring on the site where the muscari are planted, they must be carefully weeded out. Pull the grass out of the loose soil so as not to pull the small muscari bulbs with it.

It is necessary to loosen the soil superficially, not too deeply burying the tip of the baking powder into the ground, so as not to damage the bulbs. It's better not to disturb Muscari at all.

Preparing muscari for winter

For muscari, winter preparation begins in the summer. They bloom in April-May for approximately 15-20 days. In June, their leaves are already withering. At this time, the bulbs can be dug up, or, if you do not have cold winters, you can leave them in the ground.

During the dormant period, even if not all the muscari greens wilted, watering should be stopped. The soil must remain dry to prevent rotting of the bulbs.

If you decide to propagate muscari, then the method of dividing the bulbs is excellent for this, because several children grow on the main bulb over several years.

If this is your first time planting muscari flowers, find a cool place to store purchased bulbs and store them there until planting in September.

The bulbs are planted in the fall before the onset of frost. Since muscari flowers are winter-hardy, they can not be covered for the winter. The only exceptions are a few thermophilic species native to Asia Minor, Greece or Turkey, for example, broadleaf muscari (Muscari latifolium) and large-fruited muscari (Muscari macrocarpum). Their bulbs need to be dug up for the winter because they cannot tolerate temperatures below 5 ° C.

Muscari is a bulbous perennial plant of the Asparageceae family. Muscari is also called mouse hyacinth or viper onion. The name muscari is often found - mouse hyacinth, its plant received for its small size and great similarity with hyacinth, its close relative.

In its natural environment, it grows on forest glades and mountain slopes of the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Mediterranean, Crimea, Central and Southern Europe. Muscari flowers are some of the first to appear in spring and are often grown for cutting. They usually reach a height of 40 cm. The flowers have an unusual cylinder shape with bent denticles, painted in white, blue or light blue. Possesses a pronounced pleasant aroma. It is an ephemeroid plant. Muscari grown in gardens are miniature and graceful. They are planted for decorative purposes to decorate lawns and borders, used in the preparation of rock gardens.

Types, varieties of muscari and photos of flowers

There are up to 60 types of muscari, growing both in nature and cultivated in home gardening.

Muscari species cultivated in the alpine belt of southern and central Europe for more than four centuries, the flowers of which are rather small and have a blue tint, is called muscari aciniform. There are two garden varieties:

var.album - white clusters of flowers look like pearls;
var.carneum - flowers are pink.

Photo. Muscari is uviform.

White muscari flowers bloom on one of the plant species called Armenian. It is distinguished by double stems and large inflorescences that fill the air with a fragrant aroma during flowering. One of its varieties is a frost-resistant subspecies called "mouse hyacinth", its upper flowers have a slightly lighter shade compared to the lower dark blue, framed by a white border. Plants of this species are unusually beautiful, therefore they are especially often used for interior decoration. The most popular are several of its varieties:

Blue Spike terry muscari - abundant clusters of inflorescences give the plant a delightful look;
Christmas Pearl - has flowers of a deep purple color;
Fantasy Creation is distinguished by an unusual combination of blue and blue-green shades.

Photo. Muscari Armenian

A kind of muscari named pale, grows on mountain slopes; the stems of the plants are low, and the flowers are light blue in the form of bells. One of the most popular varieties of it is White Rose Beauty, whose flowers are pale pink.

Photo. Muscari pale

It has wide leaves, like a tulip, and dense dark blue cylindrical inflorescences. Several peduncles can sprout from one bulb.

Photo. Muscari broadleaf

Muscari crested is distinguished by its original appearance. In its natural environment, it occurs among shrubs, meadows or glades. On the stems are purple crests on arcuate pedicels. Its most popular cultivar is plumosum - its lilac-violet flowers are located on highly branched stems and are completely sterile.

Photo. Muscari crested

Muscari Oche, or Tubergena- found on the territory of Northwestern Iran. Its blue flowers have pale teeth. Florists distinguish a variety of tubergen, which is distinguished by slightly lighter flowers and sickle-shaped leaves.

Muscari pretty also has a Hebrew name for Kadan nae, which means "beautiful" in translation. Grows in the parks of Ashkelon. Flowering begins very early, already in winter. Peduncles are low, inflorescences on them are bright blue, dense, ovoid, limbs in the form of white teeth.

Growing muscari flowers in the garden

Muscari is one of the most commonly cultivated and loved by gardeners. Look great in rock gardens, as a decoration for decorative garden vases, when decorating borders, they often take undersized varieties.

Important! Muscari are often used to create multi-tiered flower beds, compositions with tulips or daffodils.

Choosing a place for planting and preparing the soil

Muscari likes loose and good moisture retention.

The advantage of muscari is that they bloom when the foliage has not yet blossomed on the surrounding trees and shrubs. Thereby, in early spring they will not need the lighting that the plant needs to a large number... Muscari - perennial plants, therefore, in the garden, it is best to plant them next to other perennials so that they do not have to be replanted annually. It is best for the muscari planting site to be on a small, well-lit elevation, but protected from strong gusts of wind.

The soil for planting muscari should be loose, fertile, and retain moisture well. It is better to choose a slightly acidic soil composition. Muscari do not take root well in clay soil. Soil with a sufficient amount of fertilizer, for which compost and humus are suitable, will significantly accelerate the growth of the bulbs, they will reach big size and the flowers that have sprung from them will also be large, bright and lush. With regular feeding, the plant can stay in the same spot for a decade without needing to be repotted.

Planting muscari (when and how to plant muscari)

Once the soil is favorable for the muscari, you can start planting the bulbs. This is usually done in the fall, preferably completed before the end of October, before the onset of frost, to allow the bulb to take root well.

In preparation for planting, the bulbs are kept for several days in a cool room, where the air temperature will not exceed 9 degrees Celsius, which will allow the bulbs to adapt more quickly to cold soil in the future.

Immediately before planting, the bulbs are soaked for an hour in a solution with diluted potassium permanganate of an average strength level. Then they can be placed in the soil.

Before planting, the bulbs are soaked in a solution with potassium permanganate.

Because the bulbs are small, it is better for them to dig a whole trench in the garden bed, the depth of which will not be more than 8 cm.It is good to pour washed river sand on the bottom, the layer of which will be up to 2 cm.This will help to ensure drainage and protection from pathogenic bacteria. When planting the bulbs, the distance between them must be up to 7 cm. During this period, it is desirable that the soil be warmed up to 18 degrees. Then they are sprinkled with earth and, over the next time, thoroughly watered and the emerging weeds are removed.

Outdoor Muscari Care

During the growth period of muscari, outdoor care involves timely watering and feeding. In general, care is not very difficult, the plant is even considered an educational plant, the cultivation of which can be done by a novice florist, nevertheless, you should know the basic rules.

How to care for muscari in the garden

Abundant soil moisture for muscari is especially required at the beginning of the growing season. At the same time, the soil most often retains the natural moisture of melted snow and spring rains. Frequent watering is only needed if there was not enough snow in the winter. Usually, you should stick to a moderate watering regime, because excessive moisture will lead to the rapid wilting of the flower. The ideal water for muscari during development is rainwater.

Important! Watering the soil where the muscari grows is not required during the dormant period.

If the soil where the muscari is planted is not fertile enough, additional feeding will be needed. Organic fertilizers work well here. For each square meter, take 5 kg of humus or compost.

Muscari blooms for more than three weeks.

Flowers on a plant usually appear early and last for more than three weeks. At this time, no special care is required, the only thing that needs to be done is to slightly loosen the soil after watering, without damaging the bulbs, as well as remove weeds and remove wilted flowers. If, after several years, the quality of the flowers noticeably deteriorates, plant transplantation begins..

Muscari transplant

Transplanting muscari too often is unnecessary. If the soil is well fertilized, and the flowering is lush and abundant every year, the transplant can not be done for many years. Nevertheless, in 5-6 years, the appearance of the flower bed will signal the need for renewal. It is this sign that is most reliable in order to determine the time when to dig out the muscari. Transplanting muscari is beneficial for other plants as well. the soil after them becomes very favorable for the cultivation of many other garden flowers.

Plant propagation occurs in several ways. The division method is often used. To do this, children are separated from the mother muscari bulb in the fall, of which there are usually quite a few, up to thirty pieces. Next, they land. This method is called vegetative.

Muscari reproduces by division and self-seeding.

In addition to it, reproduction can be done by self-seeding. It will help prevent the uncontrolled growth of muscari in the area. To do this, immediately after flowering, the peduncles are cut off. The stems are left to ripen the seeds. The lifespan of the harvested seeds is no more than a year. They are planted in the ground in the fall. With the beginning of spring, seedlings, thin as strings, will appear, which will inform about the beginning of the process of bulb formation. The flowering plant, the reproduction of which has occurred in this way, will occur after 2-3 years.

Important! The disadvantage of the seed propagation method is that they quickly lose their germination and are noticeably inferior to the traditional propagation method using bulbs.

Pests, muscari diseases and methods of control

Aphids are one of the most harmful pests on muscari flowers.

Most often muscari are susceptible to infection with the yellow dwarf onion virus. At the same time, characteristic symptoms appear: a green mosaic appears on the leaves, the flower arrow becomes shortened, the leaves acquire a narrowed shape and a general inhibition of growth occurs.

The plant is also susceptible to the common cucumber mosaic. It can be distinguished by its pale green streaks and spots on misshapen leaves. Viruses are transmitted by aphids, after entering the bulb, they remain in it for a long time. Virus-infected specimens must be dug up and burned to prevent contamination of other plants.

Prescriptions for treatment viral diseases there are still no plants. The best way- this is a timely fight against aphids - their carrier. It must be carefully destroyed at the slightest sign of appearance. To do this, dilute two teaspoons of liquid soap with two glasses of water and use this solution for spraying. Radical methods of aphid control are complete pruning of plants and soil cultivation with garden fertilizers..

Sometimes on muscari appears spider mite... To combat it, you will need drugs of the avermectin group, such as Aktofit, Vertimek, Fitoverm. They are used according to the instructions. Applied at an air temperature of at least 18 degrees.

Muscari after flowering

After the end of the flowering muscari, a number of specific actions are required to take care of the plant. It is necessary to carefully cut the peduncles, then fertilize the soil with a liquid fertilizer of a potassium-phosphorus composition. This will help the bulbs to better adapt to wintering. It is also good to get them out of the ground, dry them and dig them in again to prevent the possibility of deterioration.

After the muscari have faded, they must be cut and fed.

After that, they begin to gradually reduce watering until the leaves turn yellow and wither. When this happens, watering is completely stopped. Young flowers are covered with peat for the winter, after removing yellowed leaves on them. If the plants are in one place for a long time and there are signs of deterioration, they begin to transplant.

Preparing for winter

To prepare the plant for wintering, you need to add a sufficient amount of humus at the rate of 5 kg per square meter; to make pruning of clusters that have completed flowering. Leaves are left until frost, this will help the bulbs to gain strength. There is no special need to cover adult bulbs in winter, because the plant is frost-resistant.

Storing muscari bulbs

If there are special reasons for digging the bulbs out of the ground, then you need to know certain rules for storing them indoors:

you need to start digging out the bulbs only after the leaves have dried;
the dug out bulbs are dried for several days, then placed in peat, which can be replaced with wet clean sand;
once a week, you should inspect and touch the bulbs, while removing those on which there are traces of rot or damage, also if they have become soft;
in the storage, it is necessary to maintain an air humidity of about 70% and a temperature of 17 degrees.

The use of muscari flowers for decorative purposes

Muscari - perfect plant to create mini-flower beds for the garden, fenced with a low wattle fence, birch branches or decorative pots... Blue muscari are perfect for fencing along garden paths or as an unusual border along paths. They can be made as a separate array, or planted under trees or shrubs, make original compositions together with other flowers.

Muscari go well with a variety of colors, from which you can make original compositions.

For decorative purposes, muscari distillation is also used - artificial stimulation of the flowering process in the off-season. For this, the largest bulbs are selected. They are dug up in July at a temperature of 15 degrees, dried and stored until early September. In the period from September to January, rooting of the bulbs is done. For this, drainage is poured into the bottom of the pot and the plant is planted in a nutritious soil mixture consisting of sawdust, humus, leafy earth and a small amount of sand.

For the winter, plants are placed in a basement or greenhouse, insulated with sawdust. In January, during the germination of sprouts, the flowers are moved for a couple of days to a room where the temperature is kept no higher than 5-8 degrees. The second stage of movement is forcing at a temperature of 15-18 degrees. At this time, watering is carried out in moderation, using warm soft water. This helps speed up the flowering process.

How to use flowers in the design of a summer cottage

There are several options for using muscari for decoration. suburban area... The picturesque trio of blue muscari, forget-me-nots and white tulips looks beautiful. The plant can be planted in a bucket small size and put it in a composition on a flower bed.

Muscari looks good in a flower bed arrangement.

Near blue flowers will look beautiful, for example, imperial hazel grouses orange... Planting under bare shrubbery, such as Arabisa or Ibereika, will help create the most comfortable flower conditions. They are also used to fill the empty spaces between tulips and daffodils.

Medicinal properties of the muscari plant

Muscari has an unusual ability to protect neighboring flowers from various pests, fertilizes the soil well. In its place, after transplanting, it is good to plant roses, peonies, daffodils - they will all bloom magnificently, decorating the site. The scent of muscari will keep flies and mosquitoes away. Flowers are great for cutting and forming beautiful bouquets.

Important! If you put a bunch of muscari in the house, it will protect the room from small insects and midges.

Choosing the right place for planting muscari in the garden, high-quality care and timely watering will help preserve a delightful flower for many years, when it will delight the eye and refresh garden beds with a fragrant aroma.

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