Pushkinia (Puschkinia) - is a prominent representative of the subfamily Hyacinths, which in turn belong to the Asparagus family. The origin of the name is associated with the name of the famous Russian scientist Musin-Pushkin, who studied not only mineralogy, but also chemistry. The plant was first found by him in the mountainous regions of Ararat. In addition to the traditional botanical designation, the flower is called dwarf hyacinth. These plants have a lot in common between species.
The Pushkin genus is subdivided into several groups. In the wild, they are found mostly in lowlands on rocky terrain. Mountain meadows of the Caucasus and the regions of Western Asia are considered the most favorable conditions for the growth of Pushkinia.
Description of the Pushkinia plant
During the flowering period, the plant is covered with sky-blue bell-shaped flowers. The height of the bushes can reach up to 20 cm. The shape of the leaves is linear-belt-like. Leaf blades of a rich green hue are collected in rosettes of 2-3 pieces near the base of the stem. The flowers form small racemose inflorescences and exude a light sweetish aroma. The formation of the first ovaries on peduncles occurs a few days after the appearance of the leaves. The fruit of the plant looks like a dense seed capsule. Seeds are round, light brown in color.
Pushkinia flowers begin to open with the arrival of the first spring heat. Due to its decorative effect, the plant is very popular among gardeners and summer residents. They are often planted in rockeries, where they are perfectly combined with all flowering herbaceous perennials and can compete with other primroses.
Planting Pushkinia in open ground
Sowing seeds
It will take a lot of effort and time to grow pushkinia using seeds, but seed cultivation guarantees a high percentage of germination of shoots, provided that the recommendations for caring for the flower during growth are followed. It is possible to see the first flowering only 4 years after planting the seeds. The formation of a pair of green leaves takes a very long time. Sowing is carried out in early summer or autumn, before the onset of frost. Store the seed in the refrigerator, maintaining a moist environment in a container with seeds.
How to plant correctly
If sowing is carried out before winter, then the seeds by spring will be able to undergo natural stratification in cold soil. Before starting sowing, you should carefully prepare the bed. Pushkenia grow well in fertile and loose soil, consisting of peat, sand and humus. You can choose either an illuminated area or one located in the shade. The sowing depth should be at least 5 cm. To prevent weeds and retain moisture, mulch the area after planting.
Pushkin care in the garden
Caring for a flower is practically no different from caring for other perennials in the garden. The main activities are watering, weeding, loosening, fertilizing and pruning dry inflorescences.It is not recommended to neglect the loosening of the site, since weeds can drown out the growth of tender shoots of Pushkinia. Mulching the soil makes it possible in the future to simplify your work and avoid frequent weeding.
The first top dressing is applied at the beginning of March. Mineral compositions are used as fertilizers, for example, nitrophoska, which is distributed evenly over the site. About 50-60 g of the substance are taken per 1 square meter. When the soil thaws under the influence of the spring sun, the bed must be loosened, then the seedlings will grow faster. If the spring came out without precipitation, young plants need additional moisture. Regular watering speeds up the growth of leaves.
It is important to keep an eye on the area where the Pushkinia is grown throughout the season. It is important to remove weeds, wilted buds, dry and diseased shoots at the time, otherwise the infection from infected bushes will spread to other perennials. If you methodically carry out these elementary activities, as well as regularly pay due attention to the plant, Pushkinia, being in the row of primroses, will be an excellent spring decoration for any garden.
Pushkinia after flowering
To ensure reliable wintering, the area where the plant is grown is covered with mulch, consisting of humus and peat. With the arrival of spring heat, such a protective layer will retain root moisture and save time in weed control.
Flowers of this species can be grown at home on a windowsill. In the fall, several bulbs are planted in a medium-sized pot filled with a soil mixture consisting of turf, sand and leaf humus and sent to storage in a dark room for two months. The air temperature should not exceed 10 degrees. Then the container is taken out to a more illuminated place. After a couple of weeks, the first ovaries bloom on the peduncles.
Pushkin bulbs that have faded can be reused for forcing. If provided with proper care and storage, new shoots will grow from them, capable of flowering.
Reproduction of Pushkinia
Adult Pushkinia bushes, in addition to care, need timely transplantation. For 5 years, one healthy bulb is capable of growing many children. In this case, bulbous babies are located too close to each other, which violates the decorative properties of the plant. During transplantation, they are separated from the bulb and then stored until spring. With the onset of warmth, the bulbs that have grown over the winter are planted on a plot prepared in the garden, observing the distance between the holes of at least 10 cm. They are engaged in division at least every 5-6 years.
It should be borne in mind that unripe bulbs tend to rot. It is important not to miss the moment, otherwise the babies will lose contact with the mother's bulb and begin to break off. The bulb is considered fully ripe and ready to divide when the Pushkinia leaves dry out. It is carefully removed from the soil and dried. The smallest bulbs are grown separately, while the larger ones are stored until spring in a well-ventilated cool place to be used for open field planting in spring. The bulbs are kept in wooden boxes filled with wet sawdust or peat.
Diseases and pests
Pushkin flower is susceptible to such dangerous diseases as gray rot and fungal infection. Signs of gray rot appear in the form of the formation of darkening on the leaves and stems of the plant. The cause of the disease is the omnivorous fungus Botrytis, which is able to move from diseased bushes and infect healthy flowers with spores.
As a preventive measure, it is recommended to water the plant at the root, avoiding drops of water falling on the leaves. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers also negatively affects the growth and development of Pushkinia. To stop the spread of the fungus, the bushes are treated with the following chemicals: Topaz, Champion, Cuproxat or Bordeaux liquid.In exceptional cases, when most of all perennial plantings are infected, Fundazol and Previkura solutions are used for treatment.
Flower bulbs also suffer from rot. If the disease is started, the leaves of the flower will begin to turn yellow, and the peel of the bulbs will be covered with brownish-brown spots. Fungal spores can enter the soil. In the fight against fungi, drugs containing copper are used. It is recommended to choose the healthiest bulbs for planting.
Achelenchoides is a type of bulbous disease in which the scales change color and rot over time. Bulbs with obvious signs of disease must be destroyed. A healthy-looking planting material should be soaked in hot water before being sent to the garden.
Pushkin flowers attract mice. The baits placed on the site scare away rodents. In addition to them, the bulbs are eaten by meadow mites, which feed on juicy scales. This will not happen if you treat them with insecticidal products.
Types and varieties of Pushkinia
In the literature, there is a description of two types of Pushkin.
Pushkinia hyacinth - grows under natural conditions in the east of the Transcaucasus and on the territory of Northern Iran. The plant prefers sunny areas on the slopes of the mountains and looks like a dwarf flowering bush with straight, succulent leaves. Small bulbs. The length of the peduncles does not exceed 15 cm. The flowers are painted in a pale blue tone. A stripe of bright blue color will stand out on the petals of the buds. The flowering period of this type of Pushkinia ranges from 10 days to 3 weeks.
Pushkinia proleskovidnaya - found on lawns or mountain slopes in Turkey, Iran, Lebanon. The flower is a low bush with two narrow basal leaves of a rich green color. Peduncles are slightly longer than those of the previous type of Pushkinia. The tiny, pale blue bell-shaped buds have a blue stripe on them. They form small-flowered racemose inflorescences, the length of which reaches no more than 12 cm. The plant blooms in May and fills the garden with aroma for 3 weeks.
Pushkinia also includes Pushkinia Lebanese, a subspecies of a flower widespread in nature. Gardeners often decorate rockeries and other areas in the garden with a similar primrose. The buds of this Pushkinia look larger than those of other species. They take care of it on the same principle as for other bulbous plants.
