Muscari (Muscari) belong to the genus of bulbous herbaceous perennials that belong to the Asparagus family. Popularly, this plant is often called the viper onion. In total, about 60 varieties of it are found in the botanical literature.
Under natural conditions, muscari grow near shrubs, on lawns surrounded by forests or in highlands in Europe, Asia Minor, as well as in Mediterranean countries. They bloom very early and exude a wonderful aroma. For garden cultivation, decorative and undersized variations of this perennial are used, which are wonderful decorating lawns, flower beds, rock gardens or planted as curb plants.
Description of muscari flowers
Muscari grow from egg-shaped scaly bulbs. Their length is from 1.5 to 3.5 cm, and their diameter is up to 2 cm. With the onset of spring, long linear leaves appear on the stems, 6 pieces on each of them. The height of the plant reaches about 30 cm. The peduncle has no leaf envelope. The flowers have cylindrical perianths and form dense inflorescences. They consist of 6 interconnected petals with protruding edges. The color of the buds is white or dark blue. In their place, at the end of the season, a seed ball-shaped capsule is formed, in which there are small black seeds. The germination property of seeds can be maintained for about one year. Muscari are preferred by many gardeners due to their attractive appearance and undemanding maintenance.
Growing muscari in the garden
Many flower growers use these wonderful perennials when creating landscaping and a unique cozy atmosphere in the garden. Low varieties are great for borders. They look attractive in multi-tiered flower beds, among other ornamental plants. Lilac-blue muscari go well next to tall slender tulips, daffodils or orange hazel grouses.
Early flowering is characteristic of these perennials. The first inflorescences are formed even before the leaves appear on the trees. You can grow them in one area for 2-3 years. It is recommended to use loose and nutritious soil, as well as constantly maintain soil moisture. It is best to organize a site for growing a flower at some elevation, however, drafts and wind should be avoided.
Planting muscari in open ground
When to plant muscari
The optimal time is the end of autumn. Flowers in a flower bed are placed in groups. Bulbs of adult plants are used as planting material. When buying shoots in a store, you should pay attention to their integrity. Some nurseries offer to purchase ready-made seedlings with flowering muscari in the spring.
How to plant muscari correctly
Before you start planting, you need to inspect the bulbs.If there are rotten or dark ones, it is better to throw them away. For the purpose of prevention, the bulbs are dipped in a disinfectant solution of karbofos, followed by soaking in potassium permanganate. It is important to water the dug holes abundantly before planting. Then pour some river sand into them to provide a drainage effect. Large bulbs need to be buried deeper than small ones, and the distance between the holes must be at least 10 cm.
Muscari flower care
Even an inexperienced florist can handle the cultivation of muscari in a garden plot. It is important to set aside time for watering at the beginning of the growing season. However, spring tends to bring rain and melt water, so you don't need to worry too much. In the event that the spring months are unusually dry, it is worth taking care of the plant.
Top dressing of muscari is carried out with solutions of organic fertilizers. This increases the fertility of the soil. At the end of the season, the perennial growing area is fertilized with humus or compost. If you observe the introduction of regular and full dressing and from time to time dig up the soil, then muscari will feel great in one place much longer than ordinary perennials.
Bloom
The flowering period of this species varies around 3 weeks. At this time, the plant does not need special care. It will be enough to slightly loosen the soil after watering, while preventing damage to the bulbous peel. When you notice that the bushes do not give the previous flowering, you should start replanting them.
Muscari after flowering
After the end of flowering, peduncles are removed from the perennial, and fertilizers in liquid form containing potassium and phosphorus are applied under the root. These components will be able to better preserve the bulbs during the winter. In the fall, watering is reduced. It is important to weed and loosen the soil around adult plants that have reached the age of five. Young groups of bulbous plants are mulched before winter using peat.
Storing muscari bulbs
To ensure reliable storage of the material, do not dig out the bulbs from flowering and green plants. It is better to wait until the leaves begin to dry. After that, you can remove the bulbs from the soil. Then they need to be dried well in the sand. During storage, it is required to maintain a humidity of no more than 70% and a temperature within 17 degrees. It is worth paying attention to the fact that it is recommended to plant muscari in the fall when digging up the soil, when there is an opportunity to do the separation of the bulbs in parallel. For this reason, it makes no sense to leave them for the next year to plant.
Breeding muscari
This perennial multiplies by dividing the bulb. Such activities are often performed in the fall when digging up the soil. The bulbs are carefully dug up and the babies are separated from them. Each bulb can hold about 30 babies.
In addition to the vegetative method, the plant often reproduces by self-seeding. In order that the flowers do not fill the entire area, it is better to take control of their flowering. As soon as it is over, it is necessary to cut the peduncles. To provide planting material, leave several seed pods on the stems. Dried seeds can be planted in the soil before winter at a shallow depth. With the onset of spring, the first young shoots appear in this area, which indicates the beginning of ripening of the bulb, but flowering will occur only in the second or third year after planting.
Diseases and pests
The danger to the plant is the yellow dwarf onion virus. Signs of the disease are the formation of mosaic spotting on the leaf blade and deformation of the peduncle. The plant stops growing and developing. Rarely, there are cases of infestation with cucumber mosaic, which leaves pale spots and stripes on the leaves. Aphids are carriers of the disease. It gets inside the bulb and slowly infects the plant. Any diseased muscari bushes must be removed from the site and burned to prevent the spread of the virus.As soon as the slightest traces of aphids appear, it is important to take action promptly. To do this, stir 2 tsp. liquid soap in two glasses of water. Spray the flowers with the resulting solution. The spider mite also belongs to the pests of Asparagus, which will have to be fought with the help of various chemicals, for example, vertimek or actofit.
Types and varieties of muscari
Muscari Armenian- This is the most frost-resistant variety among other types of this herbaceous perennial. Its flowering begins in May and lasts for 3 weeks. There is another name for this variety - "mouse hyacinth", in which the upper level of the petals is painted in a white tone, and the lower tier has a blue tint. The inflorescences have a rich and sweet aroma. Some of the most famous varieties are:
- Muscari Terry Blue Spike it is distinguished by its unique multifloral nature and unpretentiousness when growing; it is used in drawing up bouquets;
- Christmas Pearl has bright purple flowers;
- Fantasy Creation it is a beautiful aciniform blue flower, in which the buds are painted in several tones;
Muscari uviform distributed in Altai and southern Europe. This variety is considered the most popular. Small flowers are blue. There are two types: Var. album with snow-white buds and Var. Carneum, which has clustered pink flowers.
Muscari broadleaf - This is a beautiful variety with wide leaf blades and rich dark inflorescences, and several peduncles can grow from one bulb.
Muscari pale found only in mountainous areas, has small light blue bell flowers. For growing in the garden, the White Rose Beauty variety with delicate pink flowers is often used.
Muscari crested can be called a unique plant. Its peduncle looks like a tuft of small purple-colored buds located on arched legs. Such a representative of Asparagus will look great on clubs and lawns among other ground covers. This can be, for example, Plumosum - a spreading shrub, on the stems of which bright purple flowers grow.
Muscari Tubergena can be seen in Iran. Flowering begins in April, when the plant is covered with blue inflorescences. When grown in a garden, this variety needs constant drainage.
Muscari is pretty blooms in winter. The short stalks are covered with oval bright blue flowers with a white border.
There are other varieties of muscari: long-flowered, large-fruited, changeable, white-green. They all differ in structure and shape.
