White flower (Leucojum) is a bulbous flowering plant from the Amaryllis family. The genus unites many plant species, differing in color, structure, leaf shape and peduncles. These bulbous flowers are common in the Mediterranean countries, Iran, Turkey and northern regions of Africa. Translated from the ancient Greek language, the generic name means "white violet".
The origin of the white flower has its own history. Legend has it that a long time ago God fell in love with an ordinary girl, but without receiving reciprocity, he tried to deceive a woman's heart. He decided to offer the girl all the riches of the world and acted very cunningly. When night fell, God stole a shepherdess's cow and hid the animal in the wilderness. With the onset of morning, the girl rushed to look for a cow.
God deliberately was there and hurried to help find the loss. Having put the shepherdess on a cloud, he raised her to heaven so that she could see where the cow had run away. Struck by the beauty that opened from above, the girl completely forgot about her problems and wanted to become a god too, to rule heaven and earth. Having stolen the divine boxes, where there was snow, fog and rain, she began to scatter them on the ground. God did not expect this from his beloved. Winter has passed, therefore, as soon as the snow touched the ground, it turned into snow-white flowers, which were called "white flowers". From this time on, with the arrival of spring, those same primroses begin to bloom. The cultivated species include only two names of the flower.
Description of the plant
White flower is a bulbous plant with belt-like even leaves. White scales, like membranes, cover the surface of the bulbs and die off simultaneously with the root nest. For spring varieties, the appearance of leaves together with flowers is characteristic, and in later species, leaf blades begin to appear only after the opening of the buds. Each year, the flower can form 2 or 3 scales. Behind the next layer, new leaves grow, having both a closed and an open base. The development of the flower arrow occurs from the sinuses, a bud ripens nearby, which releases new shoots.
The peduncle looks a little flattened, with rounded tops. When the fruits begin to ripen, the heads go down. The arrows at the ends are overgrown with green wings, like membranes. Pedicel stems emerge from the base of the sinuses. Soon, umbrella-shaped flowers are formed on them, located singly or in groups. The color of the flowers is white or pink. The perianth shape is a wide bell with open petals, the top of which is colored yellow or green. The white flower bears fruit in juicy seed pods filled with dark ovoid grains.
Planting a white flower in the open field
When to plant
White flower bulbs are planted in mid-summer or early autumn.By this time, the plant will have faded, and the bulbs will no longer develop so actively. If the autumn season is warmer than usual, it is allowed to postpone the planting of a white flower for a month or a month and a half.
When buying a white flower for planting in open ground, you should carefully choose the bulbs. The skin should be firm, with no signs of damage or disease. The integrity of the shell and scales further affects the development and growth of plants. It is better to purchase bulbs without stems with an underdeveloped root system. White flower bulbs with overgrown roots and arrows need to be immediately planted in the ground. Planting material with traces of mold, dents or a broken bottom is set aside - such bulbs will not bring the desired result. Store the material in boxes or bags along with sawdust.
How to plant correctly
The location of the future flower bed is organized in partial shade next to water sources or shrubs. Poor and dry soil will inhibit flower growth, so a well-drained area enriched with organic matter is selected. Digging up the ground before planting a white flower, sand and gravel are added, and the meager substrate is mixed with rotted manure or withered foliage. Peat and lime are perfect. Such additives will increase the acidity of the soil, which will have a beneficial effect on the development of bulbs.
The location and depth of planting of white flower bulbs practically does not differ from other plants of this type. In order for the root system to take root faster, the size of the hole should be at least 5-7 cm. The deeper the planting of the white flower, the larger the bulb will grow. If you plant the material close to the surface, the number of children will only increase every year. At the end of planting activities, the flower bed is watered.
White flower care
Caring for a white flower in the garden is not difficult even for a beginner, but it is important to follow certain rules. When growing a white flower, regular supervision of the flower is necessary, as for other bulbous inhabitants of the garden, for example, muscari, hyacinths or tulips. To achieve a beautiful and sustainable flowering, it is important to observe the watering regime, loosen the soil, remove weeds and periodically feed the plantings.
Watering
In the spring, watering does not make sense. The plant has enough moisture coming to the roots from melt water. In regions where winters pass without snow and little rainfall comes in spring, you will have to tinker with watering. They take warm and settled water. Only the roots of the plant are watered. Drops on leaves and flowers cause burns. The need for moisture is associated with the growth of bushes. If you do not pay enough attention to watering, shoot growth slows down.
Top dressing
Plantings of white flowers are fed with complex mineral fertilizers containing little nitrogen, otherwise you can provoke a rapid build-up of greenery, but drown out the flowering. Dampness and stagnant moisture are the cause of fungal diseases, so it is better not to overdo it with watering. Phosphate fertilizers activate the formation of flowers, and potassium fertilizers strengthen the walls of the bulbs. As a result, they survive the wintering painlessly and do not freeze in the soil.
White flower in winter
These bulbous relatives of the Amaryllis are frost-resistant and do without shelter. With snowless winters, you need to think about a shelter. The flowerbed with plantings is covered with spruce branches. Such a protective layer will protect her during cold weather.
Reproduction of the white flower
The white flower reproduces by dividing the root bottom between June and September. It is at this time that the flower goes into a state of rest and slows down the life processes. The bushes are transplanted to a new place after 5-7 years. Longer cultivation of the white flower will lead to a build-up of children who will lack nutrients due to soil depletion. As a result, the perennial will wither away.
The nests dug out of the hole are carefully removed from the soil and divided into bulbs. The material is carefully sorted out, removing diseased and frail roots and cutting off the scales with a broken shell, and sent for drying in a dark place. Then the children of the white flower are planted in a flower bed, adhering to the scheme described earlier.
The seed propagation method of the white flower is also used by gardeners. Sowing is carried out immediately after ripening and harvesting the fruits, otherwise the seeds will lose their germination. The fallen seeds stratify themselves during the winter, which in the future will affect the growth and development of seedlings.
The seeds are sown in wooden boxes, covered with a film on top, which will protect from the appearance of weeds. It is important not to allow the top layer of the substrate to dry out. Plants planted in this way are expected to bloom after seven or eight years. If you do not pay attention to the planting of a white flower, you will have to face uncontrolled self-seeding. As a result, perennial seeds will be scattered by insects in the garden area.
Diseases and pests of the white flower
With improper care, the white flower is exposed to a number of diseases. We are talking about diseases that all primroses face, including snowdrops.
Slugs, nematodes, caterpillars, mice and moles cause harm to the shoots, leaves and flowers of the plant. They eat the bulbs or damage the skin, which leads to the death of the bush. The caterpillars are harvested by hand before the pupae appear. Another effective way is the treatment of seedlings with insecticidal preparations.
Bulbous nematodes are called small worms, which cause the formation of yellow abscesses on the surface of the leaf blades. Nematodes must be promptly destroyed. The affected bushes are dug up, and the bulbs are soaked in warm water to completely disinfect. It is not recommended to plant the white flower in an area where traces of nematodes were found within five years after tillage.
Slugs that live in dense loam or too fertile soil also pose a threat to white flowers. Before lowering the bulb into the hole, coarse sand is poured onto the bottom.
Mice nibble on bulbs or hide them in burrows. Areas of the peel damaged by rodents begin to gradually rot. The characteristic signs that the structure of the underground part of the plant is disturbed is the suppression of the stems and peduncles. To stop the decay process, the bulbs are dug up and the decayed scales are cut off, and the wounded areas are sprinkled with ash. When the ash layer dries up, they are re-planted in the soil.
Rodents climb into warm grassy sods or a cluster of branching shoots. For this reason, it is recommended to organize a flower bed with a flower planting at some distance. Mice are afraid to wander far from the location of the burrow. In the fight against mice and moles, poisonous baits help, which are laid out near cultural plantings.
Viral infections also infect the white flower from time to time. It is very difficult to cope with this kind of disease. Symptoms of the virus appear as yellowish or pale green spots on the leaf blades and tubercles. As a result, the leaves curl and dry out. Sick specimens are immediately collected and burned so that the infection does not spread to other plants in the vicinity.
Gray mold and rust is called gray bloom and black spots on leaves and stems, which quickly spread to healthy parts of the plant. If the bushes become infected with a fungal disease, they are cut out and burned. It will not be possible to save the landings later. The area where the white flower grew is treated with a fungicidal solution.
Types and varieties of white flower with photo
Breeders are engaged in breeding only two species of white flowers. We are talking about spring white flower and summer white flower. Let's consider in more detail the distinctive features and structure of each type separately.
Spring white flower (Leucojum vernum)
The spring white flower is found in the zones of European beech forests and on the territory of Transcarpathia. The perennial is capable of reaching a length of up to 20 cm, has elongated oval bulbs no more than 2 cm in size. In spring varieties, broad-lanceolate leaves and tall peduncles predominate. White-colored flowers are arranged singly or in pairs. The lowered heads of the buds exude a long-lasting pleasant aroma. The upper part of the petals is spotty, yellow and green colors prevail. Opening of the buds begins in mid-spring and lasts about 3-4 weeks. Then a spherical seed capsule is formed, divided into nests. As a cultural representative of the Amaryllis, the plant became known as early as 1420. The most popular variety of the spring white flower is the Carpathicum - a large tall primrose with spotted flowers.
Summer white flower (Leucojum aestivum)
Summer white flower grows in the wild along the coast of Western Europe, in the wetlands of the Crimea, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. The height of the perennial does not exceed 40 cm. The leaves and peduncles look much longer than those of the previous species. The snow-white flower heads open at the end of May and are collected in several pieces in umbrellas. Duration of flowering, depending on weather conditions, ranges from 3-4 weeks. The variety Gravy Gynt became famous, which English scientists managed to bring out. The length of the peduncles is about 60 cm. 6 flowers with yellow-green spotted petals appear on each peduncle.
Primroses such as white flower, long-leaved and Tingitan are considered no less attractive. Recently they began to be attributed to the acis genus. In European countries, gardeners prefer to grow late varieties and types of white flowers, for example, pink and autumn. These are low-growing perennial flowers with white-green spotted buds.
