Muscari: planting and care. Muscari planting and care in open ground Muscari how long does it bloom

Muscari flowers, also known as viper's onion, or mouse hyacinth, do not be confused by such an abundance of names. IN various sources you can find information that this wonderful baby belongs to the Liliaceae, Hyacinthaceae or Asparagus families. Let's leave disputes regarding classification to botanists. This has no meaning for us amateur flower growers. special significance. Classification is not important to us, aesthetics is important to us, and in this regard, mouse hyacinth is extremely attractive, interesting and unusual plant whatever you call him. The article presents photos and tips on how planting and care in open ground is carried out, what subtleties and secrets of this process exist.

The genus Muscari (lat.) currently includes 44 species. After reading botanical description, we learn that muscari is a relatively small bulbous plant. Its height is no more than 40-60 cm. The leaves are basal, 10-17 cm long. The bulb itself is ovoid in shape, approximately 2 cm in diameter. Leafless flowering arrow. The flowers are blue, blue, purple, rarely white. They are collected in a dense multi-flowered raceme. Pedicels are short. The perianth is fused-leaved, barrel-shaped with six short teeth curved outward. The fruit is a heart-shaped or spherical capsule.

No description will ever convey the beauty of the plant. You will once again be convinced of this when you see the muscari; its photo already makes it clear how interesting the viper onion is. Seeing it with your own eyes, you will forever love this amazing flower. In the meantime, look at the muscari flowers or viper onion in the photo, illustrating the richness of plant species:

The viper bow doesn't sound very good, but it looks handsome (with photo)

Indeed, despite the fact that the viper bow is not very beautiful to the ear, it is appearance This plant is simply a beauty from the world of flora. In some sources you may come across the name hyacinth muscari - this is incorrect. Hyacinth and viper onion are two different genera. Yes, they belong to the same family, nevertheless. Mouse hyacinth is exceptional popular name. If you compare the hyacinth and viper onion in the photo, you will see some similarities. It is because of them and due to its small size that muscari is popularly called mouse hyacinth. In European countries, for example, it is called grape hyacinth because of its resemblance to an inverted bunch of grapes. Look at the photos of some representatives of this genus:




Thanks to selection, many varieties have been created that differ in the period and time of flowering, flower color, and frost resistance. We recommend paying attention to the following types of muscari:

• Armenian (Colchian);
• grape-shaped;
• neglected;
• large-fruited;
• broadleaf.

The Armenian type is the most famous and widespread. As ornamental plant it has been cultivated for a long time. Breeders have created a lot interesting varieties of this species, many of which have won international awards. The most attractive in our opinion are:

• Blue Spike - late blooming, blue, extremely lush and fragrant;
• Fantasy Creation - green flowers at the beginning become bright blue;
• Pink Sunrise - very rare pink color inflorescences;
• Seifir - dark blue with a white border;
• Azureum - sky blue;
• Artist – blue with a white border, bright aroma;
• Christmas Pearl - violet-blue, barrel-shaped flowers;
• Peppermint – long flowering(up to 30 days), pale blue.

All types of viper onions are actively used in landscape design. They look laconic always and everywhere. Original compositions using muscari, photos of flowers and design options for flower beds you can find in large quantities you can find on the Internet.

Muscari in open ground - planting and care without problems

The main questions that primarily interest amateur gardeners regarding muscari are planting muscari and caring for the plant in open ground in such a way as to obtain magnificent flowering. It is preferable to plant in non-acidic, sandy, light soils. If clay soil predominates on your site, it must be improved by applying organic fertilizers with sand. Raw, acidic soil absolutely unsuitable. Good drainage is also important. Viper onion prefers light, but we feel good in the shade.

Classic planting of muscari is carried out to a depth equal to three times the height of the bulb. Depending on the type of soil, the planting depth can vary. In ideal light soil, it makes sense to increase the depth by 2-3.5 cm, in clayey soil it makes sense to reduce it by the same 2-3 cm. middle lane In Russia we plant in September and a month and a half before frost in other regions. The ideal soil temperature for planting viper onions is 5-7° C. This optimal temperature for the rooting process.

Muscari flowers in a row - planting viper onions

If you are planting viper onions for the first time and you are not sure that the bulbs have been planted pre-sowing preparation– it’s better to play it safe. So that muscari flowers in a row will delight you in the spring, as preventive measures To combat bulb mites, treat the bulbs with ground sulfur. Also buy and treat the bulbs with a funcidic compound.

Separate the onions by size. Because the average size bulbs about 2 centimeters, plant them at a distance of 10 cm from each other. Maintain a distance of 20-25 cm between the rows. Small onions can be placed 4-6 pieces per hole. You'll get a pretty nice bush.

There is no need to dig up the soil, just get rid of the weeds. Pour a little complex into the holes mineral fertilizer and cover it with earth. The bulb should not come into contact with the fertilizer. Plant the viper onion bulb bottom down, fill the hole and compact it. You can use humus instead of fertilizer. Place it at the bottom of the hole, cover it with sand and place the onion there.

The bottom of the bulb requires moisture after planting. Water thoroughly. This helps create a good root system before frost. Mulch with peat, sawdust or humus. Create a layer of about 7 cm. In addition to heat-loving varieties, muscari is quite frost-resistant, but just in case, cover the planting site with leaves, pine branches or reeds.

There are options for caring for muscari: feeding and watering time

So, we have figured out the planting of muscari, caring for them is the next key point. There are some options that save time and effort. Let's start with feeding. Do the first fertilizing when the ground dries out a little after the snow melts. Make grooves 10 cm deep between the rows and apply 30-50 g ammonium nitrate, 60-80 g of superphosphate, 30-50 g of potassium salt per 1 sq. m.

The second feeding is done when the shoots rise a few centimeters. The composition of the second feeding is as follows: 30-40 g of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate and 20-30 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water per 1 sq. m.
The third feeding should follow after the buds appear. We prepare a mullein solution (1 part mullein to 20 parts water), add superphosphate and 20-30 g of potassium sulfide to the resulting solution. Add 10 liters of fertilizer per 1 square meter.

At the beginning of flowering, it is necessary to apply the fourth feeding. We repeat the proportion of mullein solution. Add 40 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potash fertilizers to the solution and water it.

This feeding method is considered classic for all types of bulbous plants. But muscari is not a particularly demanding plant in this regard. Many experienced amateur gardeners limit themselves only to humus as a top dressing and still get good results. Experience will show which method will be most suitable for you.

Regarding watering, remember that viper onions require abundant watering during flowering and little before and after it. You need to water carefully, directing the water to the roots so as not to damage the stems and flowers.

Choose the watering time depending on when Sun rays fall onto the area with muscari. If this happens in the first half of the day, then water in the evening and vice versa. If the weather is hot and you cannot water regularly, mulch. You can use pine bark, dry grass, or fine gravel. After watering and rain, loosen the soil.

Time to collect stones and dig up muscari bulbs after flowering

Next important point regarding muscari – when to dig up the bulbs after flowering for subsequent replanting. Small bulbous crops such as viper onions are planted once every 4-6 years. By mid-July, the plants stop growing and the leaves begin to dry out. The time of rest has come and you can remove the bulbs or collect stones, as popular wisdom says.

It should be dug with a bayonet shovel. Place the bayonet into the ground noticeably deeper than the bulb is located. Carefully select all the bulbs and children from the soil. Carefully remove the soil from the bulbs by hand.

The above-ground part of the onion does not need to be removed immediately. For some time, nutrients will continue to flow into the bulb. Within 30 minutes, the muscari bulbs must be etched with a solution of foundationol. Prepare the solution as follows: 10 g of foundationazole per 1 liter of water. Dip the onion into the prepared solution and then dry it. There is another way to protect against pests and diseases. Wash the onion in running water and dip in a 0.3 percent solution of karbofos, then dry.

Can be used instead of chemicals for protection heat treatment. This is especially true if you are planning on forcing. Place the muscari bulb in water at 50°C for 10 minutes. Dry thoroughly.

Drying in direct sunlight is strictly prohibited. Let it dry for no more than a couple of days. Store them in a single layer in a box until planting. The room where the muscari should be well ventilated.
Check stored bulbs once every 7 days. This must be done without fail, despite protective measures. The disease can easily spread from diseased bulbs to healthy ones. Signs of the disease include darkening, staining or softness, and an unpleasant odor.

Muscari on the windowsill - spring in January

Viper onions are also ideal for growing in containers. It can be driven out in winter. To do this, select the bulbs and store them at 15°C until early September. In September you can plant muscari in a container. The best option The substrate for planting will be the following: wood soil, leaf soil, humus and sand. The proportion is 1׃1׃1׃0.5, respectively. Properly grown muscari on the windowsill is like real spring in January, when a snow storm is raging outside the window.

After planting, water thoroughly and place again in a room with a temperature of 15°C. Already in January, the shoots will be 3 cm high. Place the containers with flowers in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for three days. After this, you can place them in the room. In two weeks, the muscari flowers will bloom in all their glory.

A perennial plant called muscari can decorate any area. This unpretentious flower is very easy to plant and even easier to care for in the garden. It is often used to create rock gardens and various design compositions. In addition to its beauty, the flower also has a pleasant aroma that lasts for three weeks of flowering.

Types and varieties

Muscari belongs to the genus of perennial bulbous plants the asparagus family, however, formerly flower belonged to the hyacinth family. Muscari has several other names, such as viper onion and mouse hyacinth. Today there are about 60 species of this plant. Muscari flowers can grow on mountain slopes and forest edges. Most often the plant is grown on the sides of a small hill. The flowers are miniature and sophisticated; they decorate lawns, rock gardens, and are also used to decorate paths and borders. They have a strong, pleasant aroma.

The muscari flower bulbs are ovoid in shape with light scales. The length of the bulb is 1.5-3.5 centimeters, and the diameter is up to 2 centimeters. The plant has long basal leaves that grow up to 17 centimeters. Muscari reaches an average height of 30 centimeters. The palette often ranges from white to dark blue. The flowers are collected in a racemose inflorescence up to 8 centimeters long. Now the most popular types are:

Muscari Armenian

Flowering begins in late spring and lasts 3 weeks. This particular variety is called mouse hyacinth. The flowers are light in color at the top, and the inflorescences at the bottom are dark blue with a white rim. It has a very pleasant smell. The most famous varieties of this species are: Blue Spike, Christmas Pearl, Fantasy Creation.

Muscari grapevine

Most often found in Southern and Central Europe. The flowers are much smaller than those of the Armenian muscari. They are usually blue in color, but there are two garden varieties: white and pink muscari.

Muscari pale

Usually this type of flower grows on the slopes of mountains and blooms with small blue bells. The most popular variety for home breeding is White Rose Beauty.

Muscari crested

Found in dry meadows and forest edges. The peduncle contains purple flowers. Looks great on lawns and lawns, especially among grass. A popular variety is Plumosum.

Besides these known species, there are also others: ambrosia muscari, strange muscari, densely flowered muscari, long-flowered muscari, many-flowered muscari.

When and how to plant

Muscari are small-bulbous flowers; they begin to be planted in open ground at the end of August or at the beginning of autumn. The flower prefers sunny or shaded areas. But it is best if the plant is planted on some small hill, since if suddenly the water in the soil stagnates, the muscari bulbs will die very quickly in the ground.

The soil should be loose; muscari will not take root in clayey soil.

Before planting muscari, it is necessary to prepare the land in advance. To do this, it should be fertilized with organic fertilizer. It can be compost or humus. Such fertilizers will help the bulbs grow quickly. They will become large, therefore the flowers will be much larger. With regular feeding, muscari can grow in one place for up to 10 years. After this, it will need to be transplanted.

Muscari bulbs are quite small, so you don’t have to dig individual holes, but just make a trench, the depth of which should be about 8 centimeters. It is advisable to make the distance between the bulbs no more than 10 centimeters. Be sure to sprinkle a little earth on top.

Features of flower care in the garden

Muscari ─ unpretentious plant, beginners will not have any difficulties both in planting and in caring for open ground. Here is the care required for muscari in the garden:

• Watering. If the spring was dry, regular watering is necessary. But under normal conditions weather conditions Muscari usually needs watering at the beginning of the growing season. Until this time, it will have enough moisture, especially after the snow melts and spring rains;
• Loosening. The soil should be loosened slightly after watering. This should be done carefully so as not to damage the bulb. Remove weeds regularly and wilted flowers;
• Disease and pest control. Muscari suffers most from mosaic disease, which is caused by the onion yellow dwarf virus. These viruses are transmitted by aphids, and once they enter the bulb, they remain there. There is no cure for this disease. It is necessary to immediately combat aphids as soon as they appear on the plant. To do this, you need to dilute 2 teaspoons liquid soap in two glasses of water. This solution should be sprayed on the plant. There is another disease called spider mite. It needs to be combated with drugs such as: Vertimek, Fitoverm. Carry out everything strictly according to the instructions on the package.

Muscari after flowering

As soon as the muscari fades, it is necessary to carefully remove the flower stalks and feed the plants with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. This will help the bulbs easily withstand frost. Watering must be gradually reduced. Towards the end of September, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and wither. As soon as this process is completed, you need to stop watering the plants. In the fall, it is worth digging up and replanting those muscari that have already reached five years of age. If they are still young, you just need to remove them yellow leaves. Young plants should definitely be mulched with peat for the winter.

Bulb storage

Despite the fact that muscari can grow and delight gardeners for ten years in one place, many gardeners dig up the bulbs and store them indoors. To do this, you must follow some rules:

• You can dig up muscari bulbs only when the leaves of the plant begin to dry;
• Then the bulbs must be dried for 2-3 days, placed in peat or wet, clean sand;
• Once a week it is worth inspecting the bulbs and removing rotten and damaged ones;
• The temperature in the room where the bulbs are stored should be 17 degrees and the humidity ─ 70%.

There is no point in storing muscari until spring; it is best to plant this flower in the fall, at the time when the site is being dug up. During this period, the children can be separated from the mother's bulb and then seated.

Muscari (lat. Muscari), or viper bow, or mouse hyacinth is a genus of bulbous perennial plants of the Asparagaceae family, although previously it was classified as a member of the Hyacinth or Liliaceae family. There are about 60 species, naturally growing among shrubs, on forest edges and on the slopes of mountains in Central and Southern Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Crimea and the Mediterranean. Muscari flowers are one of the earliest spring flowers, often grown as cut flowers. The muscari plant has a pleasant and quite strong aroma. Garden muscari flowers, miniature and graceful, decorate lawns; they are used in ridges and rock gardens, and also as border plants.

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Planting and caring for muscari

• Landing: in autumn, in October.
• Bloom: spring.
• Lighting: bright sunlight, partial shade.
• The soil: any.
• Watering: if the winter was snowy or the spring was wet, then watering is not needed at all.
• Feeding: When digging the area, add humus or compost at the rate of 5 kg per m².
• Reproduction: self-seeding and vegetative: separating the children from the mother bulb and planting them in the ground.
• Pests: aphids, spider mites.
• Diseases: Onion yellow dwarf and cucumber mosaic viruses.

Read more about growing muscari below.

Muscari flowers - description

Muscari bulbs are ovoid, with light outer scales, 1.5-3.5 cm long and up to 2 cm in diameter. Leaves - basal, linear, up to 17 cm long and up to six pieces - appear in the spring, but can appear again in the fall . Muscari grows up to 30 cm in height. Their peduncle is leafless; the flowers have cylindrical, barrel-shaped or tubular perianths, consisting of six fused petals, bent at the edge. Color - from white to dark blue, length - about 0.5 cm and the same in diameter. The flowers are collected in dense inflorescences, racemose or apical, up to 8 cm long. The fruit is a winged, three-locular capsule, spherical or heart-shaped, with small wrinkled black seeds, the germination of which persists only for a year. This genus has two significant advantages: Almost all types are decorative and, in addition, muscari are completely unpretentious.

Growing muscari in the garden

Muscari is in great demand in floriculture. They look great both in rock gardens and in decorative garden vases, and low-growing varieties are successfully used for borders. Muscari are very beautiful in multi-tiered flower beds, in composition with other spring flowers: against the background of densely growing lilac-blue muscari, islands of taller, early-blooming tulips or daffodils look very impressive. The combination of blue muscari and orange hazel grouse is excellent.

In the photo: Pink muscari

Like all early spring flowers, muscari bloom when there are no leaves on the trees and bushes, so they will have enough light in any case. Muscari grow in one place for several years, so plant them next to perennials, which you also will not replant every year. The soil is best loose, fertile and permeable. It is advisable that the site is located on a hill and protected from strong winds.

Planting muscari

When to plant muscari

Planting muscari better in autumn, until the end of October. They are planted in groups as soon as the muscari bulbs, which have been growing in one place for five years or more, are dug up. If you buy them in a store, carefully inspect the shoots: they must be healthy. Sometimes in April, nurseries sell seedlings of already flowering muscari in boxes, and sellers claim that they can be immediately planted in the ground. Give it a try.

How to plant muscari

Before planting, inspect the bulbs and remove any darkened or damaged ones. Disinfect the bulbs for prevention: first pickle them for half an hour in a two percent solution of Karbofos, then the same amount in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate. A day before planting muscari, water the prepared holes well, soaking through the entire layer of soil. Before planting, add to each hole river sand for drainage. If the bulbs are large, they are buried 7 cm in the ground, and the distance between them is 5-10 cm. Small bulbs are buried 3 cm, and the gap between the bulbs is 2-3 cm.

How to care for muscari in the garden

Caring for muscari is not difficult: it is a training plant for the novice gardener. IN watering Muscari need only at the very beginning of the growing season, but, as a rule, at this time the soil is still moist after melting snow or spring rains. And the dormant period does not require soil moisture. If there was no snow in winter and the spring turned out to be dry, then there is a need for regular watering.

In the photo: Dense plantings of muscari

If the soil on the site is not very fertile, this can be corrected by fertilizing with organic fertilizers. You can fertilize the soil with humus or compost in the fall when digging: 5 kilograms of fertilizer are consumed for every square meter. Provided that such autumn digging with organic matter is carried out regularly, muscari can grow in one area for up to ten years. But then you still have to seat them.

Muscari flowering

Muscari blooms for a little longer than three weeks, and does not require special care during this time, just loosen the soil slightly after watering, trying not to damage the bulb, remove weeds and remove wilted flowers if they spoil the appearance of your flowerbed. If the quality of the flowers has deteriorated over the years, then it is time to replant the muscari.

We grow hyacinths in the garden - do not confuse these flowers

Muscari transplant

Vegetative propagation of muscari by separating the children from the mother bulb is carried out, as a rule, during autumn digging, somewhere from mid to late October. We have already written about when to replant muscari - after 5-6 years of growing in one area, although when it’s really time to dig up muscari, the type of your flowerbed will tell you. Muscari bulbs are removed from the ground, the children are separated from the mother bulb (there can be many of them, up to 30 pieces) and planted in the manner described above.

Reproduction of muscari

In addition to the vegetative method, muscari reproduce well by self-seeding, therefore, in order to prevent uncontrolled growth of the area, you need to cut off the flower stalks after flowering, leaving only a few for the seeds to ripen. The collected ripe seeds, capable of sprouting only within a year, are sown in the ground in the fall to a depth of 1-2 cm. Next spring, thin threads of seedlings will let you know that the process of bulb formation has begun. Such a plant will bloom in 2-3 years.

In the photo: Blue Muscari

Pests and diseases of muscari

Most often, muscari suffer from mosaic, which is caused by the onion yellow dwarf virus. Symptoms: green mosaic on the leaves, shortened flower arrow, narrowed leaves and suppressed growth of the diseased specimen. Sometimes the plant becomes infected with common cucumber mosaic, which appears as pale green streaks and spots on deformed leaves. These viruses are transmitted by aphids and, once they enter the bulb, are stored there. Therefore, diseased specimens must be dug up and burned so that the infection does not spread to other plants.

There is no treatment for viral diseases yet, so fight the carrier - aphids, destroy them as soon as they appear on the plants. The method is simple and has long been known: dilute 2 teaspoons of liquid soap (Gala, Fairy) in two glasses of water and spray the plants with the solution.

Sometimes spider mites cause trouble for muscari. To combat it, use drugs of the avermectin group (Vertimek, Actofit, Fitoverm) strictly according to the instructions at an air temperature of 18 ºC.

Muscari after flowering

Many flower growers believe that there is no need to care for muscari at all: they do not get sick, reproduce on their own, and are quite winter-hardy. But experience teaches that a good result always requires effort. As soon as the muscari fade, you need to carefully remove the flower stalks and feed them with liquid potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, which will help the bulbs to overwinter well. Gradually reduce watering while the plant's leaves turn yellow and wilt, and once this process is complete, more plants don't water.

How best to plant daffodils - in detail

Autumn is the time to dig up the site and replant muscari that have reached the age of five. If your muscari are too young to divide and replant, simply remove any yellowed leaves from the area. Young plantings of muscari, especially if they grow on it next to other bulbous plants, must be mulched with peat for the winter.

In the photo: Pink muscari

Storing muscari bulbs

Muscari are perennial plants; moreover, they can grow in one place for up to ten years in a row. But if for some reason you decide to dig up the bulbs and store them indoors, then remember the following rules:

• You need to dig up the bulbs only when the leaves of the plants begin to dry;
• the dug up bulbs need to be dried for several days, then placed in peat or wet, clean sand;
• Once a week, inspect and feel the bulbs and immediately remove any rotten, damaged or soft bulbs;
• The air humidity in the storage is preferably 70%, temperature – 17 ºC.

But let us remind you once again: it is best to plant muscari in the fall, during the digging of the site, then it is convenient to separate the children from the mother bulbs and then plant them, so it makes no sense to store the muscari bulbs indoors until spring.

Types and varieties of muscari

Among the species most often cultivated is the winter-hardy Armenian or Colchian muscari, which blooms in late spring for three weeks. This is what they call “mouse hyacinth”. The upper flowers in its inflorescences are sterile and have more light shade than the lower ones, dark blue with a white border. Armenian muscari exudes a pleasant aroma. The most popular varieties are:

• Muscari terry Blue Spike– exceptionally beautiful due to its multi-flowered nature (up to 170 flowers in a cluster-shaped inflorescence), unpretentious, can be used for cutting.
• Christmas Pearl– with very beautiful purple flowers;
• Fantasy Creation– very beautiful due to the combination of blue and blue-green shades.

In the photo: Armenian Muscari (Muscari armeniacum)

The type of muscari grape-shaped is found in the alpine belt of Southern and Central Europe, and is one of the most popular, in culture since 1576. The flowers of the cluster-shaped one are smaller than those of the Armenian one. In addition to varieties of the usual blue hue, there are two garden varieties:

• var. album– white muscari, clusters as if made of pearls;
• var. carneum- a variety of pink color.

In the photo: Muscari botryoides

Broadleaf muscari (Muscari latifolium)

It is distinguished by wide, tulip-like leaves and dense cylindrical inflorescences of a dark blue color, and also by the fact that one bulb can produce several peduncles.

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 this name for its small size and great similarity to hyacinth, its close relative.

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

Types, varieties of muscari and photos of flowers

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

A species of muscari cultivated in the Alpine belt of Southern and Central Europe for more than four centuries, the flowers of which are quite small and have a blue tint, have been called muscari grapevine. There are two garden varieties of it:

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

Photo. Muscari grape-shaped.

White muscari flowers bloom on a type of plant 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 are a slightly lighter shade compared to the lower ones, dark blue, framed by a white border. Plants of this species are extremely beautiful, so they are especially often used for interior decoration. The most popular are several of its varieties:

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

Photo. Muscari Armenian

A type of muscari called pale, grows on mountain slopes; the stems of the plants are short, and the flowers pale blue in the shape of bells. One of its most popular varieties is White Rose Beauty, whose flowers are pale pink.

Photo. Muscari pale

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

Photo. Muscari latifolia

Crested muscari has an original appearance. In its natural environment it is found among bushes, meadows or clearings. The stems have purple tufts on arched pedicels. Its most popular variety is plumosum - its lilac-violet flowers are located on highly branched stems and are completely sterile.

Photo. Muscari crested

Muscari Oshe, or Tubergen– found in Northwestern Iran. Its blue flowers have pale serrations. Flower growers distinguish a variety of tubergen, distinguished by slightly lighter flowers and sickle-shaped leaves.

Muscari pretty also has a name in Hebrew Kadan nae, which translated means “beautiful.” Grows in the parks of Ashkelon. Flowering begins very early, already in winter. The peduncles are low, the inflorescences on them are bright blue, dense, ovoid, with limbs in the shape of white teeth.

Growing muscari flowers in the garden

Muscari is one of the most commonly cultivated and beloved plants by gardeners. They look great in rock gardens, as decoration for decorative garden vases, and when decorating borders, low-growing varieties are often used.

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

Choosing a site for planting and preparing the soil

Muscari likes loose and well-retaining moisture.

The advantage of muscari is that they bloom when the foliage of the surrounding trees and shrubs has not yet blossomed. Thereby, in early spring they will not need lighting, which the plant requires in large quantities. Muscari are perennial plants, so they are best planted in the garden next to other perennials so that they do not have to be replanted every year. It is best that the place for planting muscari is located on a small hill well illuminated by the sun, but at the same time 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 emerge from them will also be large, bright and lush. With regular feeding, the plant can remain in the same place for a decade without needing replanting.

Planting muscari (when and how to plant muscari)

After preparing favorable soil for muscari, you can begin planting the bulbs. This is usually done in the fall, preferably completed before the end of October, before frost sets in, 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 quickly adapt to cold soil in the future.

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

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

Because The bulbs are small in size, for them it is better 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 ensure drainage and protection from pathogenic bacteria. When planting bulbs, you need to maintain a distance between them of up to 7 cm. During this period, it is desirable that the soil be warmed to 18 degrees. Then they are sprinkled with earth and over the next period of time they are thoroughly watered and emerging weeds are removed.

Caring for muscari in open ground

During the growth period of muscari, care in the open ground involves timely watering and fertilizing. In general, care is not very difficult, the plant is even considered a training plant, which can be bred by a novice gardener, however, 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 It will only be needed if there was not enough snow in the winter. Typically, you should adhere to a moderate watering regime, because... Excessive moisture will cause the flower to quickly wither. The ideal water for muscari during development is rain.

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

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

Muscari blooms for more than three weeks.

Flowers on the plant usually appear early and last more than three weeks. At this time, no special care will be required; the only thing you need to do is lightly 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, the plant begins to be replanted..

Muscari transplant

It is not necessary to replant muscari too often. If the soil is well fertilized, and the flowering is lush and plentiful every year, replanting may not be necessary. long years. However, after 5-6 years the appearance of the flowerbed will signal the need for updating. It is this sign that is the most reliable in determining the time to dig up muscari. Transplanting muscari is also useful for other plants, because... the soil after them becomes very favorable for growing many other garden flowers.

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

Muscari reproduces by division and self-sowing.

In addition, propagation can be done by self-seeding. It will help prevent the uncontrolled growth of muscari on the site. To do this, immediately after flowering, cut off the flower stalks. The stems are left for the seeds to ripen. The lifespan of collected seeds is no more than a year. They are planted in the ground in the fall. With the beginning of spring, thread-thin shoots will appear, which will signal the beginning of the process of bulb formation. Flowering of a plant propagated in this way will occur after 2-3 years.

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

Pests, muscari diseases and control methods

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

Most often, muscari are susceptible to infection with the onion yellow dwarf virus. In this case, 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 common cucumber mosaic. It can be identified by pale green streaks and spots on deformed leaves. Viruses are transmitted by aphids and, after entering the bulb, remain in it for a long time. Specimens affected by the virus must be dug up and burned to prevent infection of other plants.

There are still no recipes for the treatment of viral plant diseases. The best way is timely control of 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 combating aphids are complete pruning of plants and treatment of the soil with garden fertilizers..

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

Muscari after flowering

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

After the muscari have bloomed, they need to be cut off and fertilized.

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

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; prune bunches that have completed flowering. Leave the leaves until frost, this will help the bulbs gain strength. There is no particular 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 up the bulbs only after the leaves have dried;
• the dug up 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 feel the bulbs, removing those that show signs of rot or damage, and if they have become soft;
• In the storage room you need to maintain air humidity of about 70% and a temperature of 17 degrees.

Use of muscari flowers for decorative purposes

Muscari is an ideal plant for creating mini-flower beds for the garden, fenced with low fences, birch branches or decorative pots. Blue muscari perfectly serve as a fence along garden paths or serve as an unusual border along paths. They can be used as a separate array, or planted under trees or shrubs, forming original compositions along with other flowers.

Muscari goes well with many colors and can be used to create original compositions.

Muscari forcing is also used for decorative purposes - artificially stimulating 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 the beginning of September. In the period from September to January, rooting of the bulbs is done. To do this, pour drainage into the bottom of the pot and plant the plant in a nutritious soil mixture consisting of sawdust, humus, leaf soil 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 remains 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 moderately, 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. summer cottage. 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 display it in a flowerbed composition.

Muscari looks good in a flowerbed composition.

Next to blue flowers, for example, orange imperial hazel grouse will look beautiful. Planting under bare shrubs such as Arabis or Iberica will help create the most comfortable conditions for flowers. They are also filled empty seats, formed between tulips and daffodils.

Medicinal properties of the muscari plant

Muscari has unusual ability protect neighboring flowers from various pests, fertilizes the soil well. In its place, after transplantation, it is good to plant roses, peonies, daffodils - they will all bloom luxuriantly, decorating the area. The aroma of muscari will repel flies and mosquitoes. Flowers are great for cutting and creating beautiful bouquets.

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

Choosing the right place to plant muscari in the garden, quality care and timely watering will help preserve the delightful flower throughout for long years when it will please the eye and refresh garden beds fragrant aroma.

Muscari (lat. Muscari) is a small bulbous herbaceous perennial plant from the Asparagus family. In nature you can find more than 60 species of this attractive and surprisingly touching plant. Muscari flowers are graceful and miniature, from 10 to 40 cm in height. This is one of the first spring flowers with a pleasant aroma. It blooms in early spring, some species until June, with deep blue, pale blue, white flowers of unusual cylindrical shape, creating a bright and positive mood in the garden awakening from winter. In group plantings, muscari decorate lawns, garden plots, the plant is often used in rock gardens and ridges. Türkiye is considered the birthplace of muscari; the plant is widespread in Europe, the Caucasus, Crimea and Mediterranean countries. In nature, it can be found on mountain slopes, forest edges or alpine meadows. There are other names for the flower, due to small size and amazing resemblance to hyacinth, it is also called viper onion or mouse hyacinth. Muscari is grown for cutting, it is perfect for forcing and can decorate a balcony or windowsill in winter with its unusual flowering.

Muscari is a low perennial bulbous plant, its height can be from 10 to 40 cm. The bulbs are small, ovoid in shape, with light outer scales. The diameter of the bulbs is from 2-4 cm, for varietal muscaria - up to 4-5 cm. Having a very short growing season, which occurs in spring, muscari is classified as an ephemeral plant. For most of the year, after flowering, muscari is in a dormant stage - the ground part dies off, and the bulb accumulates all the nutrients it needs throughout the year to bloom again next spring. The leaves of the plant are narrow, collected several times in a basal bunch, the length of the leaves is from 10 to 17 cm. Muscari flowers are collected in lush inflorescences of a raceme or apical inflorescences, up to 8 cm long, in shape reminiscent of hyacinth or lily of the valley, and have a delicate, pleasant, slightly intoxicating aroma. More often you can find flowers in gardens of dark blue, light blue, purple or lilac colors, less often - white. The flowers have an unusual barrel-shaped, cylindrical, sometimes tubular shape, with fused petals curved at the ends. The upper flowers of the inflorescence are sterile; they only attract insects that pollinate the plant. The muscaria fruit is a round or heart-shaped capsule, divided into three nests containing small black seeds. Plant flowering time southern regions – early spring, in central and northern regions blooms later. Muscaria flowering lasts for several weeks. Muscari varieties Armenian muscari. The most common type of muscari, its other name is Colchis. This species is called “mouse hyacinth”. The plant is low, from 10 to 30 cm tall, with a few linear leaves. The inflorescence resembles a tiny ball, consists of numerous flowers of dark blue and blue colors, and exudes a pleasant aroma. The upper flowers have a lighter bluish tint. Flowering time May-June. Among the most popular varieties are: Muscari grape-shaped. This species is popular in Europe. It has smaller flowers than the Armenian species. Plant height – up to 15cm. The inflorescence has the shape of a cluster, collected in a raceme of numerous small flowers. Unlike Armenian muscari, its inflorescences come in white and pink shades. The most beautiful varieties: Muscari latifolia. Distinctive feature Muscari latifolia - wide leaves reminiscent of tulip leaves. Inflorescences are dense, cylindrical in shape dark blue shades. Several flower stalks emerge from one bulb at once. Muscari is pale. Plant up to 30 cm high with 2-3 narrow leaves. It blooms with pale blue flowers in the shape of small bells. In nature, distributed on mountain slopes. The most famous variety White Rose Beauty - its peculiarity is that its flowers are pale pink. Muscari crested. A beautiful plant with an unusual inflorescence - on the peduncle there is a tuft of purple or lilac shade. The most famous variety: Plumosum is a plant with a highly branched stem, on which there are numerous sterile flowers of lilac-lilac shades. Muscari Oshe, or Tubergen. Muscari with blue and blue inflorescences exuding a sweetish aroma. Plant height is about 25 cm. Heat-loving species, needs mulching for the winter. Blue Magic is a recently developed variety with delicate flowers sky blue with white tuft. Incredibly beautiful decorative variety. When forced, up to 7 peduncles can emerge from one bulb. Flowering time is April. Muscari is nice. Blooms brightly blue flowers, at the ends there are white teeth, the inflorescences are dense. Flowering time is early spring. Muscari planting and care in open ground Landing place The muscari plant is unpretentious and can grow actively both in well-lit areas and in the shade. Its flowering time is early spring, when the branches of most trees and shrubs do not yet have foliage, so you can choose any place for planting it, it will be enough for them sunlight. Keep in mind that mouse hyacinth is a perennial and will delight you with its flowering for several years; plant it in a group with other perennial flowers. A group planting of mouse hyacinth in a multi-tiered flower bed next to taller spring flowers: tulips, daffodils, and hazel grouse looks beautiful. It is recommended to plant muscari in elevated areas of the garden, where water will not stagnate, since excess moisture can have a bad effect on the bulb and lead to its death. For planting, it is better to choose an area with loose, permeable and fertile soil. Do not use the landing site with clay soil. Clay retains moisture and clay soil the plant may not take root. Do not forget that mouse hyacinth is a fragile and miniature flower that needs protection from strong gusty winds, so its planting site should be protected from gusts of wind. When to plant muscari in open ground It is better to plant muscari in the fall (September-October), before frost, to allow the bulbs to take root well for the winter. When the air temperature drops below 5 degrees, it is too late to plant muscari in the ground in the fall. You can buy muscari bulbs for planting at flower shops. Choose young bulbs with babies, without spots or damage. Muscari landing Before planting, it is recommended to keep the bulbs in a cool place for several days, at an air temperature of no more than 9 degrees, to help them adapt to planting in cold soil. Before planting, the bulbs must be disinfected in a medium solution of potassium permanganate; just soak them for one hour. The soil where the muscari bulbs will be planted must be well moistened a day before, filled thoroughly with water, then for each hole it is necessary to make drainage from river sand. Large bulbs are immersed in the soil to a depth of 7 cm at a distance between bulbs of 5-10 cm, and smaller bulbs must be planted to a depth of 3 cm, maintaining a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. For a “natural” planting effect, you can plant a handful of bulbs in a hole, like grain. The bulbs will sprout in a random order and create decorative effect growth of muscari in the natural environment. It is recommended to plant very small bulbs in the garden bed. To do this, prepare a trench about 8 cm deep, make drainage from river sand in it to protect the bulbs from bacteria. Plant small bulbs like grain. Sprinkle with soil and water well. Caring for muscari The life cycle of muscari consists of two stages: flowering and dormancy. Every life stage requires certain rules for caring for the plant. IN growing season the plant needs watering and fertilizing, and during the dormant period watering stops. Let's consider the basic rules for caring for mouse hyacinth: Top dressing As a top dressing, which is carried out during the growing season, you can use diluted compost or humus. The first feeding is done after young shoots emerge from the soil to a height of several centimeters, and the second - when buds appear on the stems. Watering During the flowering period of muscari, it is necessary to maintain constant soil moisture. In the future, after flowering and during the dormant period, the plant does not need to be watered; it receives enough natural moisture from spring rains and scattered snow. Excessive moisture can cause root rot. To water the plant, you should choose the first half of the day; after rain, it is recommended to loosen the soil. Care during flowering The duration of the colorful and fragrant flowering of muscari is about 3 weeks. The plant does not need any care during this period; it is enough to just loosen the soil after watering to enrich the soil with oxygen and also remove weeds. If the spring is hot and there is no rain, and there is no possibility of regular watering, it is recommended to mulch the soil pine bark, dry grass or fine gravel to retain the moisture the flower needs. Care after flowering After flowering in muscari, it is necessary to remove faded flower stalks and fertilize them to strengthen the bulbs and prepare them for winter. As a top dressing after flowering, liquid potassium-phosphorus fertilizer is used. As soon as the above-ground part of the plant withers, watering the plant stops; the muscari bulb is in the dormant stage. Muscari transplant In the fall, the site is dug up or the plant is transplanted. There is no need to dig up the bulbs for the winter; mouse hyacinth is a winter-hardy plant and tolerates winter well. If the plant has grown too much in one place so that the flowers do not interfere with each other’s growth, the bulbs are dug up and replanted no more than once every 4 years. During the autumn digging, muscari is also transplanted by separating the baby bulbs from the mother bulb. There can be up to 30 babies on one bulb. You can prepare them for planting and plant them using the method described above. Preparing for winter In addition to planting and autumn digging, it is necessary to prepare the bulbs for winter by adding them to the soil organic fertilizer– humus, per 1 m – 5 kg. There is no need to cover the bulbs for the winter. Reproduction of muscari As a rule, muscari reproduces by dividing baby bulbs from the mother bulb. They separate easily. In addition to dividing the bulbs, muscari reproduces remarkably by self-sowing, but this method of propagation can lead to uncontrolled growth in the area, which especially negatively affects the beauty of compositions in flower beds. To avoid the flower from growing, after flowering, the flower stalks must be cut off, leaving only a few seeds for ripening, which can be used for sowing. It is worth considering that collected seeds capable of producing good germination only within a year, they must be sown in the fall, shallowly immersed in the soil to a depth of 1-2 cm. Already in the spring, you will be able to see graceful young thin shoots on the site, which are just beginning the process of laying and forming the bulb. Muscari planted from seeds will bloom only after 2-3 years. How to store bulbs for forcing Muscari bulbs are used for forcing, so that in winter you can admire the beautiful flower on the windowsill. To prepare bulbs for storage for forcing indoors, you must select them correctly and follow the following rules: Before planting in a pot, the bulbs must be transferred to a room with an air temperature of 9 degrees, wrapped in paper and kept there for a month. Then the storage temperature must be reduced to 5 degrees; for this purpose, the bulbs are transferred to the refrigerator in the vegetable department, where they should remain for 3-4 months. After keeping them cold, the bulbs are planted in prepared pots, at the bottom of which it is necessary to make drainage from pebbles or expanded clay. Choose nutritious and loose soil for planting in pots; moisten it before planting. The planting depth of the bulbs is 2 cm; there is no need to sprinkle the top of the bulb with soil. Containers with mouse hyacinth bulbs should be kept at a temperature of 10 degrees, after 2 days it is raised to +15°C and transferred to the room. Mouse hyacinth will bloom in 15 days, and its flowering duration is about 20 days. Pests and diseases of muscari Muscari are susceptible to the following diseases: Leaf mosaic is a viral disease transmitted by aphids. The first sign of mosaic is dwarfism of the plant; its leaves look narrowed and deformed. The disease is carried by aphids, which infect a healthy bulb. If the bulb has already become infected, it must be dug up and burned so as not to infect other healthy specimens with the virus. A viral disease cannot be treated, it can only be prevented, that is, fight against the carriers of the mosaic - aphids. To kill aphids, use a solution consisting of 2 teaspoons of liquid soap and 2 glasses of water. Spray the plant with this solution. Spider mite. Muscari is sometimes affected by spider mites. To combat it, drugs such as Actofite and Fitoverm are used. When treating plants with these drugs, you must strictly follow the instructions. Damage by slugs. If you find that the leaves of the plant are eaten away in some places and there are mucus residues on them, then the plant has been attacked by mucus. The cause of slugs is excessive humidity. Muscari - decoration of the spring garden Bright and touchingly tender muscari can create a romantic, spring mood in the garden, it looks especially impressive with others blooming flowers, shading them with dark blue, light blue colors. Bright, colorful muscari carpet in blue tones It looks especially impressive next to tulips and daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths, decorates clubs, and looks incredibly beautiful along garden paths. Taking into account the duration of flowering of different varieties, you can plant varieties in a flowerbed that will bloom one after another, ensuring the beauty of the flowerbed throughout the spring. Muscari in a flowerbed goes well with violets, begonias, margaritas, petunias, wild carnations and daisies; these flowers will help hide their withering, since after flowering muscari loses its attractiveness. Group plantings of muscari under ornamental shrubs or trees also look beautiful, on alpine roller coaster and flower beds, near small ponds in compositions where wild stones are present. Growing muscari in the garden is not difficult and not at all difficult; its colorful flowering will delight the eye, filling spring garden delicate pleasant aroma for many years. Muscaria photo