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Muscari: planting and care (photo). Growing features. Muscari (mouse hyacinth) - varieties, planting and care Muscari home care

Everyone loves spring in their own way ... for its tenderness, warm air, affectionate rays of the sun, the first and very modest flowers. Muscari is one of the first ready to give people their beauty and charm. How much joy they bring to us, emerging from the cold ground in early spring, replacing the primroses. White, sky blue, dark blue, pink bell-shaped flowers, forming a small pyramid, like porcelain, tightly pressed against each other. This is what funny and touching Muscari look like.

Muscari - because it has an alluring, strong aroma of musk. And the mouse hyacinth is for its miniature size, as if for mice, and a close relationship with the real hyacinth. Viper onion - for an onion that looks like a real onion and its poisonousness. Near the clumps of these flowers, you can often meet with a whole family of vipers, they bask in warm glades, where muscari often grow.

Birds avoid pecking on viper onions - it is poisonous to them. Its English name means grape hyacinth - for the inflorescences, according to appearance reminiscent of a bunch of grapes. The French call Muscari earthen lilac. The variety of affectionate names hints at the fact that muscari viper onions have long been loved by many peoples from different countries.

On the territory of Europe, Muscari came by chance back in the 17th century. In ancient times, off the coast of the Netherlands, during a storm, a merchant ship crashed against the reefs, transporting outlandish goods from warm countries. The ship sank, and the bulbs were washed ashore by the waves and they sprouted. Thus, the inhabitants of Europe learned about the unusual flowers that can be grown from a tiny onion.

These primroses look extraordinarily beautiful in the awakening garden, repeating the curves of the paths with cheerful streams. Muscari curtains, like bouquets of small ones on long branches, as if particles of the sky, appear on flower beds here and there. Arrangers use them with pleasure to compose their compositions.

Muscari (Muscari) - a genus of perennial bulbous plants belonging to the Asparagus family, which includes 44 species. Some are cultivated as ornamentals, and there are many varieties of muscari with a variety of flower colors. Their bulbs are small, ovoid, up to 2 cm in diameter.

The plant is an ephemeroid, for more than half of the year it is in a dormant state, only waking up for a short time to decorate the world around it. In the bulb, covered with light outer scales, nutrients accumulate during growth, which it uses starting flowering in early spring. In spring, narrow linear leaves come out, collected in a basal rosette and low peduncles. Some species have leaves that appear in autumn and remain overwinter under the snow.

Muscari yellow Golden Fragrance Muscari macrocarpum ‘Golden Fragrance’ photo

Flowers with a barrel-shaped, cylindrical or tubular perianth, consisting of 6 fused petals, are collected in a racemose inflorescence with a delicate stimulating aroma. 6 stamens are attached to the perianth in two rows, the fruit is a three-celled box with wrinkled, dark seeds, which are used for seed propagation within a year after collection. Distributed throughout Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, the Mediterranean. Some climb high into the mountains.

Growing conditions How to plant and care for muscari

Muscari reproduce very quickly, forming luxurious floral carpets. During the season, one mother bulb forms a whole nest. One rule for all garden species should be observed - they do not tolerate stagnant meltwater, lowlands. Otherwise, muscari grow without problems in any area. Not related to sunlight. of great importance, since the period of their active vegetation falls at a time when the rest of the green brothers in the neighborhood are just about to wake up from hibernation and in no way interfere with our upstarts.

• When planting, you should rely on the fact that the mouse hyacinth will grow without a transplant for several years in one place, and it is good to fill the soil with organic matter and compost.
• Sprinkle some sand at the bottom of the planting holes.
• Bulbs are buried to a height equal to three of its diameters.
• Watering is not relevant for viper onions - there is enough moisture in the ground after the snow melts.
• If the plants have not been transplanted for several years, they should be fed with complex fertilizer during the flowering period, after carefully moistening the soil.

Why don't Muscari bloom?

If there is a deterioration in flowering or its complete cessation- the plant only releases leaves, this is an impetus to the fact that it is time to transplant and divide the curtain.

It should be borne in mind that the place in Muscari may turn out to be empty already at the beginning of summer, it can be occupied by annual representatives of the natural kingdom or combined plantings with other perennials that bloom much later.

Do I need to dig up Muscari? How mouse hyacinth hibernates

Winter-hardy do not require special treatment in preparation for wintering. If you are not sure that the planted variety is winter-hardy, it is enough to cover the planting site with spruce branches, fallen leaves or any covering material. There is no need to dig up viper onions, unless you are going to do flower forcing at home.

Mouse hyacinth at home

Muscari flowers planting and care at home photo Muscari at home in a pot

Muscari is actively used for distillation. Only healthy, largest bulbs are suitable for this. They are dug up after the leaves disappear from the surface of the earth, cleaned of soil residues, sorted out, dried with room temperature and keep until September. Purchased bulbs can not be processed - they are already ready for planting.

• The main condition for growing mouse hyacinth on window sills is the correct temperature regime.
• First, they are stored in dry sawdust or wrapped in paper or cotton wool.
• 3-4 months muscari are kept at low temperatures.
• 35 days kept in cool conditions with a temperature of 9 degrees, then the temperature is reduced to 5 degrees.
• Two weeks before the end of the cold content, dense planting is placed in pots with an ordinary earthen substrate, deepening the bulbs by 2 cm, so that the top of the head sees the light.
• After the allotted time, the pots are transferred to a warm, bright windowsill.
• The soil is moderately watered. Flowering will come in 15 days- the lower the temperature in the room where the muscari are located, the longer the flowering will continue.
• After forcing, the plants can be buried in the garden.

When to transplant Muscari? Reproduction by children

Muscari is very simple. Usually this operation is combined with a transplant. First of all, you should mark with pegs the place from where you will transplant the plants. Since by the time of transplantation there will be no traces left of them on the ground, the plants are in hibernation. When to seat Muscari? Been doing it since the middle of summer so that the bulbs have time to take root before wintering.

• Carefully dig a clod of earth with a shovel in the noticed place and break it, separating the onions. They are carefully sorted out, removing the sick and dry.
• The bulbs are sorted by size, large ones can be left for forcing, the smaller the bulb, the closer they are placed from each other.
• Very small ones can be put next to several pieces.
• Planting muscari looks more attractive if the plants are arranged in groups. To do this, you can make grooves in the shape of a circle, or lay out the bulb in flocks, for example, 3 pieces side by side, 10 cm more 3, etc.

Planted in prepared soil, to which humus is added. Grooves are made, on the bottom of which sand is poured with a layer of 2 cm and spilled with water. Bulbs are laid out along the groove, falling asleep on top with compost. The more nutritious the soil at the planting site, the faster the muscari will grow and the flowering will be more colorful.

Muscari planting in spring

Sometimes you have to transplant muscari at the wrong time - during flowering, in the spring. They sometimes actively grow and interfere with other cultures. A flock of muscari is carefully dug up with a shovel and transferred to a more convenient place, which is prepared in advance by applying organic fertilizers. The hole is made according to the size of an earthen coma with muscari, which is carefully transferred directly to the shovel, sprinkled with soil around the circumference. After that, the plants are thoroughly watered. Usually, with this method of transplanting, muscari will bloom again next spring without problems.

How to plant muscari in the spring, the video will tell:

With all unplanned transplants, so that the plants suffer less, it is better to transplant them in the evening, watering them abundantly. if possible, in the first week it is better to shade the landing.

Growing muscari from seeds

Most Muscari species reproduce by self-seeding. With cultural content, this type of reproduction is rarely used - flowering will occur only after 4 years.

• For you can use your own seed.
• The seeds are allowed to ripen and in the fall, after harvest, they are sown in the garden.
• With the seedling method, stratification is used (the seeds are kept in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months before planting, be sure to moisten and wrap in a wet cloth, placing it in a bag). A good time to start stratification is October. In February, carefully plant the seeds in containers.
• Seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm.
• Seedling care requires careful attention - weeds, soil crust, poor soil are unacceptable. All this negatively affects their development.
• Water moderately to prevent root rot.
• At the end of March, hardening is carried out, leaving seedlings on the street to get used to normal conditions. In early to mid-April, when the land is ripe, the seedlings are planted in a permanent place.

Diseases and pests

Sometimes they can be affected by diseases and pests. Aphids are familiar to all gardeners. The primary source of aphids are garden ants, which carry it around the site and create entire colonies of these pests. Fighting ants is the key to the absence of aphids. A soapy solution is used to control aphids. It forms adheres to plants, forming a protective film that prevents the spread of aphids.

Soap solution can be used as prophylactic against any pests. For this piece laundry soap rub on a fine grater, dry, pour the resulting powder into a container and use it as needed. It is added to water in 1 tbsp. spoon on a bucket, carefully stir and irrigate any plants from a watering can after watering. For greater effect, you can use tar soap or add birch tar to the composition. If you use this tool constantly, pests will forget the way to your site.

The spider mite leaves a thin web of cobwebs on the leaves. An insecticide is used to control it.

Field mice love to eat mouse hyacinth bulbs. To scare away, you can plant strong-smelling or thorny plants nearby.

Aphids and spider mite can carry diseases. The most dangerous diseases are mosaic or onion yellow dwarf virus. The leaves of such plants turn yellow without time, have an oppressed appearance, they have whitish stripes and specks. Affected flowers are not treatable. They are dug up and destroyed so that the disease does not spread further.

Application

Muscari is not used in official medicine. They have many useful properties, but because of their toxicity, they are used by folk medicine only externally. In some Asian countries, they are used as a wound healing, analgesic, rejuvenating agent. Essential oil used in cosmetology as an antiseptic, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant. Effective as an aphrodisiac.

With the advent of spring, these tiny plants fill our gardens and plots, delighting with graceful inflorescences, repeating the azure of the spring sky. Muscari are great in mass plantings in flower beds. Extraordinarily combined with flowering shrubs in mixborders. They should be planted under big trees to revitalize near-trunk circles. With their blue color they create a wonderful addition to daffodils, tulips, primroses, irises in miniature flower arrangements.

Muscari look elegant and bright in vases. By the New Year holidays they are used for distillation. Blue tassels of earthy lilac fit perfectly between big plants, they are very effective in multi-tiered compositions. Many consider muscari a shabby plant that does not deserve any attention. But there are a great many such plants in our gardens, and with good care they serve as a better decoration than many newfangled flowers that still need to be accustomed to our conditions. And Muscari bloom and delight the eye every spring, without causing any problems to their owners.

Types and varieties of muscari with photos and descriptions

Muscari Armenian Muscari armeniacum

It grows on the plains of Transcaucasia and Turkey. Bulb 2.5 cm in diameter produces linear leaves, narrowed at the top. Peduncle 20 cm long bears many-flowered, almost spherical inflorescence with several barren flowers at the top. Perianth with a constriction at the throat is bright blue with white teeth. The upper sterile flowers are lighter. Blooms in spring, overwinters without foliage, winter-hardy without shelter. Most common among amateur flower growers. Breeders have been working for several centuries to create many varieties with different flower shapes and colors - their work has been crowned with success.

Variety Blue Spike- bred in Holland at the end of the last century. The cluster-shaped inflorescences contain 150 - 180 blue fragrant flowers. Blooms two weeks later than usual, does not bear fruit. When emerging from the ground, it looks like a dark bump. Propagated by daughter bulbs. An unusually beautiful and unpretentious plant, used both for decorative decoration of gardens and for composing cut flower arrangements. If the weather is cool, then you can enjoy the flowering of terry bouquets for about three weeks. Suitable for . Winters great.

Variety Cantab- a miniature form with bright blue flowers. A wintering variety that is very popular with flower growers.

Grade Christmas Pearl, Christmas pearl- garden mouse hyacinth with dark purple flowers. An amazing fresh musky scent accompanies long flowering.

Armenicum muscari fantasy creation muscari fantasy creation photo in the flowerbed

Sort Fantasy Creation- differs in the segmented color of the perianth, smoothly changing from green to blue. Flowering continues for a long time. Flowers are double, fragrant.

Sort Dark Eyes- amazingly dark, cornflower blue color with white patches. Looks incomparably mixed with lighter types.

Muscari Oshe or Tubergena Muscari aucheri = Muscari tubergenianum

It grows in the northwest of Iran. Blue peduncles with a pale jagged edge are collected in inflorescences up to 18 cm high. Winters without shelter. Poorly tolerates stagnant melt water. The 'Tubergenianum' variety has crescent-shaped leaves and lighter buds at the top.

Muscari botryoides Muscari botryoides

Muscari flowers perennial variety Muscari botryoides ‘Album’ photo

Known since 1576. Small sky-blue, blue-violet or white flowers are collected in a large inflorescence with a delicate aroma. On loose, rich soils develops in lush bushes. The Album variation resembles a scattering of pearls, the Korneum is a pink cloud swaying on a stem.

Muscari crested Muscari comosum

The original from Southern Europe, North Africa, is considered weedy in places of growth. The arrow of the peduncle appears in June from a rosette with 3-4 belt-like leaves. The flowers are collected in a loose brush with a tuft, which is a bunch of sterile bright purple bells on long pedicels. Fruiting pitcher-shaped flowers are light brown with a creamy edging. The height of the plant at full flowering is about 70 cm.

This type of muscari looks great on lawns, in flower beds with perennial flowers, against the backdrop of a lawn. The variety ‘Plumozum’ is popular, which is distinguished by purple inflorescences on highly branched stems.

Muscari broadleaf Muscari latifolium

An inhabitant of the forest edges of Asia Minor. An oval bulb with lanceolate leaves and a peduncle about 22 cm long. A multi-flowered inflorescence with purple flowers at the bottom and blue at the top of a dense cluster. This heat-loving species blooms in early May. The leaves of this instance are similar to tulips.

Muscari longiflorum Muscari dolichanthum

It blooms in late April with azure flowers. The ovoid bulb bears 4-6 ribbon-like leaves and a flower arrow 14-16 cm high. Perianth with white cylindrical teeth. Originally from the mountain belt of Western Transcaucasia.

A native of the lowlands of the Black Sea and Iran. It blooms in April with an inflorescence consisting of 40 ultramarine flowers edged with whitish teeth.

Muscari large-fruited Muscari macrocarpum

The species is distinguished by rather large flowers. There are blue, yellow, brown varieties. He comes from Greece and Western Turkey. In our latitude, it is recommended for growing in flowerpots, brought into the dwelling for the winter.

Muscari pale Muscari paiitns

The most graceful and miniature muskarik comes from the subalpine meadows of the Caucasus. A pale blue perianth with white teeth adorns the plant. It winters well even in the northwestern territories of our country. In culture, the white-flowered variety ‘White-rose Beautu’ with white-pink flowers is known. In Latvia, the variety ‘Sky Blue’ has been bred with a sky-blue bottom and a white top of the inflorescence.

Muscari racemose or unnoticed Muscari Rasemosum = Muscari neglectum

Muscari blue primroses cultivation and care When to plant Viper onions unnoticed photo

It differs little from the rest of its brethren, except that its flowers are slightly larger and tightly pressed to the peduncle. Propagated by self-sowing and children.

Muscari (lat. Muscari), or viper bow, or mouse hyacinth- This is a genus of bulbous perennial plants of the Asparagaceae family (Asparagaceae), although earlier it was assigned to the Hyacinth or Lily family.

It has about 60 species, naturally growing among shrubs, on forest edges and on the slopes of the mountains of Central and Southern Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Crimea and the Mediterranean. Muscari flowers are one of the earliest spring flowers, often grown as cut flowers. Muscari plant has a pleasant and rather strong aroma. garden flowers muscari, miniature and graceful, are the decoration of lawns, they are used in discounts and rock gardens, as well as border plants.

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 in number - appear in spring, but may appear again in autumn. Muscari grow 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 along the edge. Color - from white to dark blue, length - about 0.5 cm and the same in diameter. Flowers are collected in dense inflorescences, racemose or apical, up to 8 cm long. The fruit is a winged, three-celled capsule, spherical or heart-shaped, with small wrinkled black seeds, the germination of which lasts only for a year. This genus has two significant advantages: almost all types are decorative and, in addition, muscari are completely unpretentious.

Muscari Armenian.

Among the species, winter-hardy Armenian Muscari, or Colchis, is most often cultivated, which blooms in late spring for three weeks. It is he who is called "mouse hyacinth". The upper flowers in its inflorescences are sterile and have a lighter shade than the lower ones, dark blue with a white border. Muscari Armenian exudes a pleasant aroma. The most popular varieties are:

• – Muscari terry "Blue Spike"- exceptionally beautiful due to the many-flowered (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 hues.

Muscari grape-shaped.

Muscari grape species is found in the Alpine belt of Southern and Central Europe, is one of the most sought after, in culture since 1576. The flowers of the grape-shaped are smaller than those of the Armenian. In addition to the varieties of the usual blue tint, there are two garden varieties:

• – var. album sw. - Muscari white, clusters, as if from pearls;
• – var. carneum Arnott. - a variety of pink.

Muscari broadleaf

differs in wide, like a tulip, leaves and dense cylindrical inflorescences of dark blue color, as well as in the fact that one bulb can produce several peduncles.

Muscari pale

grows on the slopes of the mountains, small pale blue bells bloom on low peduncles. Among the garden varieties, the most popular:

• – "White Rose Beauty"- his flowers are not pale blue, but pale pink.

Muscari crested

– original plant, found naturally among shrubs, in dry meadows and edges. On the peduncle of this species there is a crest of purple flowers on arcuate pedicels. This plant looks great on lawns and lawns against the background of ground cover grasses. popular variety:

• – "Plumozoom"- highly branched stems with many sterile lilac-violet flowers.

Muscari Oshe, or Tubergena

grows in Northwestern Iran, blooms in mid-spring blue flowers with pale teeth. Requires good drainage. Separately distinguished by flower growers:

• - variety Tubergen, which is distinguished by lighter flowers and crescent-shaped leaves.

Muscari pretty

- Hebrew name "kadan nae"(beautiful), found in the parks of Ashkelon. Flowering begins already in winter: short dense ovoid inflorescences of bright blue flowers appear on low peduncles. The denticles are white.

In addition to these species popular in floriculture, there are many others: long-flowered muscari, changeable muscari, ragweed muscari, white muscari, large-fruited muscari, strange muscari, multi-flowered muscari, densely flowered muscari, racemose muscari and so on.

Growing muscari in the garden

Muscari is very popular in floriculture. They look great both in rock gardens and in decorative garden vases, and are successfully used for borders. undersized varieties. 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-flowering tulips or daffodils look very impressive. The combination of blue muscari with orange hazel grouse is magnificent.

Muscari, or mouse hyacinth, or viper onion (lat. Muscari) is a genus of bulbous plants of the Asparagus family, which was previously included in the Liliaceae or Hyacinth family. Muscari grow in open areas: in the steppes, on the slopes of mountains, forest edges of Europe, North Africa, Western and Asia Minor, west Central Asia. The name is given to the plant for the aroma of its flowers, reminiscent of the smell of musk. According to various sources, there are from 40 to 60 species in the genus, many of which are cultivated.

Muscari flower - description

Muscari are small-bulbous plants up to 60 cm high with 2-7 fleshy linear basal leaves reaching a length of 10-17 cm. Bulbs in muscari are ovoid, up to 2 cm in size. blue flowers up to 6 long and up to 4 mm in diameter, located on short pedicels; the perianth of the flowers is tubular, cylindrical or barrel-shaped, consisting of 6 fused leaflets with edges bent outwards; the upper flowers in the raceme are sterile. Muscari fruit is a winged, angular three-celled capsule with rounded black seeds that remain viable throughout the year.

Planting muscari in the open field

Muscari primer

Muscari does not impose special requirements on the composition of the soil, but when grown in fertile soil they form both larger bulbs and more powerful inflorescences. The best soil for muscari is loose, moderately moist, well-drained loam fertilized with humus. Open sunny areas are suitable for growing muscari, although this plant thrives well in partial shade.

When to plant Muscari

The best time to plant muscari is autumn. In regions with early and cold winters, muscari is planted in late September or early October, and in the south, planting can be done in late October or even early November. When purchasing bulbs, carefully inspect them: they should not be mechanical damage and signs of disease. Planting material before planting in the ground is etched for half an hour in a two percent solution of Karbofos, and then the same amount in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate.

Planting Muscari in the ground

The depth of the holes and the distance between them depends on the size of the bulbs: large bulbs are deepened by 7 cm, keeping an interval of 7-10 cm between plants in a row, and small bulbs are immersed in the soil by only 3 cm, placing them at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. friend. The wells are shed with water, allowed to soak, then a layer of river sand is poured onto the bottom for drainage, bulbs are laid on the sand, after which the wells are filled with nutrient soil, the surface is compacted and the area is watered. The Muscari plant is usually planted in groups.

Muscari care in the garden

How to care for Muscari

Muscari can be grown even by a novice florist, this plant is so unpretentious. You only need to ensure that the soil in the flower garden does not dry out and is not overgrown with weeds, and that the plant is not disturbed by pests.

Watering Muscari

Musari needs moist soil only at the very beginning of active growth, in early spring, but at this time the soil is usually saturated melt waters or soaked in spring rains. If the winter was snowless and the spring was dry, water the area with muscari from time to time, keeping the soil slightly moist. When the plant enters a dormant period, it will not need moisture, so you do not have to water the area with muscari.

After watering or rain, you need to slightly loosen the soil between the plants, trying not to damage the bulbs in the ground.

Muscari top dressing

When growing muscari in poor soil, you will need to fertilize it from time to time, and it is better to use organic matter for this: in the fall, when digging a plot, humus or compost is added to the soil at the rate of 5 kg of fertilizer per m². If you fertilize the site annually, then muscari can grow on it without a transplant for up to 10 years, but since the bulbs of the plant are heavily overgrown with children and eventually begin to lack nutrients, it is better not to grow plants in one place for so long.

Muscari after flowering

When to dig and transplant muscari

Muscari flowers last three to four weeks. After its completion, the flower stalks are cut off, and potassium-phosphorus fertilizer is applied to the soil, but only if the bulbs overwinter in the ground. With the onset of autumn, wilted leaves of the plant are also cut off.

Over the years, the quality of muscari flowering becomes worse, therefore, once every 5-6 years, during autumn digging, muscari is transplanted simultaneously with reproduction: nests are removed from the ground, children are separated from the mother bulb, which in such a period of time can form up to 30 or more pieces , and seated planting material into pre-prepared wells in the way we have already described.

How to store muscari bulbs

Muscari bulbs are usually not stored, but after drying for 2-3 days, they are again planted in the ground. If you have to store the bulbs for some time, place them after drying in moist sand or peat and keep them at a temperature of 15-18 ºC and an air humidity of about 70%, inspecting them once a week in order to promptly detect and remove rotten or damaged instances.

And they dig and plant Muscari bulbs in the fall. Wintering plants in the soil can be covered with a layer of peat or spruce branches, but usually Muscari bulbs tolerate even severe frosts well.

Muscari breeding

Muscari reproduces vegetatively, that is, by bulbs, and we have already described this type of reproduction to you. You can also propagate the plant in a generative way - by seeds. Moreover, it makes no sense to collect and sow seeds, since Muscari self-sows every year. If you got viable seeds, then you need to sow them in the ground before winter to a depth of 1-2 cm. In the spring you will see thin filaments of seedlings, which means that the process of forming bulbs in the ground has begun. Muscari from seeds will bloom no earlier than in two to three years.

Muscari diseases and pests

Muscari pests and their control

Since insects appear in the garden later than the muscari bloom, they do not have time to do much harm to this plant. But field mice can harm muscari even in winter, gnawing and dragging the bulbs into their homes. Garlic planted around the flower bed repels rodents.

When the muscari bloom is complete, their leaves can damage slugs, however great harm they won't hurt the plants. But aphids that suck the juice from the leaves and spread viral diseases can cause serious trouble for both you and the muscari, so at the first sign of its appearance, treat both the plants and the soil around them with an insecticide solution. Decis, Actellik, Intavir and Cypermethrin showed the greatest effectiveness in the fight against aphids.

Muscari diseases and their treatment

Muscari are extremely resistant to diseases, but can be affected by the mosaic virus. Sick plants stop developing, their peduncle is shortened, and the leaves are narrowed and painted with green hexagons. The carriers of the disease are sucking pests, such as aphids and mites, and there is no cure for mosaic. That is why it is so important to prevent pests from appearing on muscari and to remove weeds from the flower garden in a timely manner, on which carriers of the virus can settle.

Types and varieties of Muscari

In culture, not only species muscari are grown, but also many of their garden forms, varieties and hybrids. We offer you an acquaintance with the most commonly grown plants of this genus.

Muscari Armenian, or Colchis (armeniacum = Muscari colchicum = Muscari sinlenisil) - a plant from the plains of northwestern Turkey and southwestern Transcaucasia. The bulb of plants of this species is 2.5-3 cm long and 2-2.5 cm in diameter. The leaves narrowed from the base to the top, which form from 3 to 7, reach 15-20 cm in length, and 5 in width at the base. -8 mm. The peduncle up to 20 cm long carries a multi-flowered, almost spherical inflorescence with bright blue flowers with white teeth along the edge of the tepals. The flowering of this muscari occurs at the end of spring and lasts a little more than three weeks. The species is cold-resistant and hibernates without shelter. Varieties:

• Blue Spike- unpretentious Dutch cultivar with inflorescences consisting of 150-170 blue fragrant flowers;
• Cantab- low-growing late-flowering plant with bright blue flowers;
• Fantasy Creation- terry variety, the flowers of which are painted in blue and green colors smoothly passing from one to another;
• Sapphire- a variety that does not form seeds, blooming for a long time with sterile dark blue flowers.

Muscari Oshe, or Tubergena (Muscari aucheri = Muscari tubegenianum) occurs naturally in northwestern Iran. The species was introduced into culture by Tubergen, as evidenced by the second name of the plant. The bulb of this species is up to 2 cm long and up to 1.2 cm in diameter. The plant forms 2-3 basal leaves up to 18 cm long and up to 5 mm wide at the base. On a peduncle 10-15, and sometimes 25 cm high, an inflorescence of blue flowers with white teeth is formed. This species also overwinters without shelter.

Muscari grape-shaped (Muscari botryoides) grows in the subalpine and alpine zone of southern and central Europe. This species is considered the most common in culture. The bulbs of the plant reach a length of 3.5 and a diameter of 1.5 cm. The plant forms 2-6 basal leaves up to 12 cm long and up to 6 mm wide. On a peduncle up to 12 cm high, small blue with a barely noticeable purple tint flowers with white teeth are collected in many-flowered brushes. This species has been cultivated since 1576. Such garden varieties of muscari are popular:

• Album- a plant with white flowers, blooming a week later than the main species;
• carneum- a form with pinkish flowers.

Muscari crested (Muscari comosum) – interesting plant found in southern Europe, Southwest Asia and North Africa. The flower arrow of this plant, emerging from the center of the rosette, consisting of 3-4 belt-like leaves, carries a loose racemose inflorescence with a tuft of sterile flowers at the top. These flowers are intense blue-violet color located on long, arcuately raised, brightly colored pedicels. The pitcher-shaped fertile flowers are light brown in color, and their edge is creamy. Interestingly, at the beginning of flowering, the arrow reaches a height of no more than 25 cm, but by the end of flowering it can grow up to 70 cm. The most famous variety of the species:

• Plumozoom- a plant with lilac-violet inflorescences with many sterile flowers.

Muscari pale (Muscari pallens) comes from the mountainous subalpine meadows of the Caucasus and eastern Turkey. This is one of the smallest and most graceful species of the genus, which, unfortunately, is very rare. Its bulb is ovoid, it reaches 1.5-3 in length, and 1-2 cm in width. Leaves, which can be from 2 to 6, with a width of 3-5 mm grow in length up to 15-20 cm. 10-12 cm inflorescence bears an inflorescence of 30-40 pale blue with white teeth along the edge of the bell-shaped flowers. In culture, this species, wintering without shelter, since 1879. The most famous plants of the species:

• White Rose Beauty- a variety with white-pink flowers;
• sky blue- a variety with flowers of an azure hue.

Muscari pretty (Muscari pulchellum) - a wild plant introduced into cultivation in Israel. Him narrow leaves with bent edges and bright blue flowers 4-7 mm long with an almost spherical perianth, slightly narrowed in the pharyngeal region, and white limb teeth. In Hebrew, the name of this flower sounds like “kadan nae”, which means “beautiful”.

In addition to the described species, ragweed, changeable, long-flowered, broad-leaved, large-fruited, white-green, strange, many-flowered, densely flowered, racemose, Sosnovsky, Sovich (Showitz) and thin-flowered Muscari are known in culture.

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(Eubotrys, Botryanthus) is a bulbous perennial plant, popularly known as "viper onion" and "mouse hyacinth". Under natural conditions, it grows in the mountains and on the forest edges of the Crimea and the Caucasus, the Mediterranean region, in the southern and central parts of Europe, as well as Asia Minor. The plant has gained particular popularity due to the early, compared with other spring flowers, flowering time of muscari. For this reason, mouse hyacinth flowers are the subject of a real hunt and are massively cut off for the first bouquets.

Muscarica flowers, delicate and at the same time very fragrant, are widely used as a garden plant in the design of lawns and garden paths.

Until recently, the Muscari flower was attributed to the lily (hyacinth) family, later the plant was classified as asparagus (asparagus).

Did you know? The plant owes its name to the British botanist, the Scot Philip Miller, who considered that the plant smells like musk. The flower was nicknamed "Viper" or "Snake" onions because in the spring people noticed a large accumulation of vipers around these flowers, which is why it was mistakenly believed that snakes feed on muscari leaves. In reality, snakes just crawl out to bask in the sun, and muscari in natural conditions just grows on well-lit and warmed open places. The plant was nicknamed "mouse" or "grape" hyacinth due to its similarity with this flower, small size and cluster-shaped inflorescence.

Muscari has egg-shaped bulbs, covered on the outside with light scales. The leaves are quite long, up to 6 pieces, usually sprout in the spring, but sometimes reappear after the summer. Muscari flowers are collected in inflorescences up to 8 cm long, the fruit is a box, the seeds are black, small and wrinkled.

The plant has many varieties, almost all of them are unpretentious and have decorative qualities, but most often they are grown as a garden plant. Muscari Armenian, or Colchis- it is the most frost-resistant, the flower appears in late spring, the flowering period is three weeks.

Did you know? Muscari is associated with an ornamental plant, but some of its varieties have quite practical uses: emulsions are made from muscari for developing photographs, foaming substances included in hair shampoos and some drinks, in addition, it is used in medicine as a component of diuretic and stimulant drugs, and even in the mining industry.

Choosing a place for landing muscari

Growing muscari in the garden does not involve any particular difficulties in choosing a place. The plant can be placed even under garden trees, because the viper onion blooms in the very early spring, when the leaves are not yet decorated, so the shadow from them is small. On the other hand, muscari, like other spring flowers, needs a lot of sunshine, so this plant should not be planted under conifers and other evergreens. Besides, muscari should be protected from strong gusts of wind.
You can plant muscari directly on the lawn, in the spring it will greatly refresh the appearance of the lawn. However, in this case, you can not cut the grass until the leaves of the muscari completely die off, otherwise the bulbs of the plant first become smaller, and then completely stop forming. When choosing a place for planting, it is better to allocate a site for the plant that allows you to plant it in a heap, with mass flowering, this creates a very beautiful bright colored spot against the background of green grass.

Important! For all its unpretentiousness and successful flowering even in somewhat shaded places, muscari does not tolerate waterlogged soil at all, so preference should be given to elevated areas of the garden.

Muscari are perennials. In order not to accidentally damage the bulbs, you should not plant them near the places reserved for the annual planting of other flowers. Good companions for Muscari are daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips and other spring bulbous flowers.

Soil Requirements

Muscari grow well on fertile and loose soils with good water permeability.

In general, these plants do not impose high requirements on the composition of the soil and can feel quite comfortable everywhere. However, the most active, long and beautiful flowering of muscari can be achieved by planting it in light or medium soil with a pH level of 5.8 to 6.5. It is advisable to feed the soil before planting with organic fertilizers - for example, humus or compost. Fertile and suitable soil for muscari is the key not only to long and active flowering, but also to the formation of more large bulbs.

All about planting, transplanting and breeding Muscari

Muscari can be grown in two ways - seed and vegetative. Taking into account that this plant forms daughter bulbs in large quantities, the second method of propagation of muscari is used much more often.

Sometimes Muscari is also grown by planting seedlings purchased from a nursery. Already flowering mouse hyacinths are bought in pots in mid-spring and immediately transplanted into open ground.

Growing muscari from seeds

Most types of viper onions reproduce very easily by self-sowing, which in garden conditions is more of a disadvantage than an advantage of the plant, since it leads to the uncontrolled growth of fairly small plants. To avoid this problem, flower stalks should be cut off immediately after flowering in Muscari. To propagate muscari by seeds, leave until fully ripe, exactly as many boxes as necessary for subsequent use are needed.

Muscari seeds should be planted immediately after harvest, in the same autumn, as the following year, as a rule, they lose their germination. The sowing depth is 1-2 cm. The next spring, the seeds sprout in the form of thin small plants, but the formation of the bulb continues for quite a long time, and therefore the muscari planted from seeds begin to bloom no earlier than the second year, and more often only in the third.

Vegetative propagation methods of Muscari

Vegetative propagation muscari is a method consisting in transplanting young bulbs that form on the mother. Separating these babies is quite easy. If the bulb is too small, it is planted for growing on a seedbed, all other bulbs can be planted immediately in a permanent place.

Muscari - small-bulbous flowers, they are planted on the growing moon in late August or early September. Regarding the possibility of planting or transplanting viper onions in the spring, it should be said that in general this should not be done. The exception is the situation with the muskariks that have faded after the spring holidays in flower pots. To prevent the plant from dying, you can carefully remove it from the pot, separate the bulb and plant it in open ground to rest. By autumn, such a bulb can be dug up and used next year for growing in a pot.
Muscari bulbs dug out of the ground should be planted immediately. If the bulbs are purchased from a store, they should be well inspected before planting and get rid of infected, diseased or rotten bulbs: only healthy material should be planted.

Muscari bulbs are planted not in separate, but in a common, not very deep hole (three times deeper than the height of the bulb). For the formation decorative flower bed it is recommended to plant several different bulbous plants in one hole - for example, muscari, daffodils, crocuses, etc. It looks very beautiful, but when planting, you should keep in mind that different bulbs need different depths. Therefore, planting is carried out in the form of a layer cake: bulbs of larger flowers (such as daffodils) are laid out deeper, then they are sprinkled with earth, muscari bulbs are laid out on top, etc.

Muscari bulbs planted in autumn bloom the following spring.

How to care for a muscari plant

Because muscari feels great in a variety of places the globe How wild flower, caring for him is not only not a difficult process, but may not be carried out at all: the mouse hyacinth is quite capable of enduring the winter, blooming and multiplying without much support. But, as is the case with any plant, attentiveness and care makes the plant more beautiful, healthier and more resilient.

Watering Muscari

Muscari needs plenty of moisture during the period of active growth and flowering. However, since this is early spring, the earth at this time is not yet too dry, therefore the moisture contained in the soil after the snow melts and rains is quite enough for the plant. Muscari should be watered at this time only if the winter was snowless and the spring was windy and not rainy.

Important! If water stagnates in the soil, the muscari bulbs can rot.

Two weeks after the flowering of muscari, watering can be gradually reduced, and after the leaves have completely turned yellow and wilted, it stops completely, since during the dormant period the plant practically does not need moisture.

Muscari thinning

Being perennial flower, after a few seasons, muscari creates dense fragrant thickets. In order for the plant to develop better and not interfere with its neighbors, such families need to be thinned out every three years. This procedure is combined with the planting of young bulbs in new places, so it should be carried out from August to September.

Muscari tolerates transplanting well immediately after and even during flowering, but in this case, the bulb must be dug up with a good supply of earth so as not to damage or expose the bulb and roots.

Fertilizer and plant nutrition

Low-fertile soil for muscari needs to be fed with organic matter. If this is done every autumn at the same time as digging the site, mouse hyacinth can be grown in one place for up to ten years, while the usual period after which it is time to transplant the muscari bulb is five years.

After flowering, cutting off the flower stalks, the soil should be fertilized with liquid potassium-phosphorus compounds. In autumn, if the plant has not reached the age for transplantation, the site must be cleared of yellowed leaves, and then mulched with peat for the winter. Apart from proper watering and fertilizer, caring for muscari also requires loosening and weeding, as weeds can adversely affect the bulb formation process.

Storing muscari bulbs

As mentioned, the excavated muscari bulb is usually planted in a new place immediately. However, there are times when it becomes necessary to save dug out bulbs until the next season. In order for the bulb to be suitable for planting after storage, it is necessary to choose healthy and as large as possible (at least 1 cm in diameter) specimens.

The dug out bulbs need to be sorted by size and washed, then treated with an antifungal drug. For these purposes, any fungicide is suitable ( solution of potassium permanganate, Bordeaux liquid, Fitosporin, etc.). Bulbs purchased in a store do not need to be processed, it is enough for them to provide the storage conditions indicated on the package.

The treated bulbs should be dried for 2-3 days at room temperature, then placed in a peat mixture or in wet, clean sand;

Place the material prepared for storage in a dark, well-ventilated place with stable temperature (17 - 18 ° C) and humidity (about 70%).

Throughout the entire storage period, it is necessary to regularly inspect the bulbs for spoiled or rotten ones. Such copies are subject to immediate removal.

It should be noted again that muscari bulbs are rarely left for storage, since best time autumn is for planting, and it is in autumn that the bulbs of aged plants are dug up.

Diseases and pests and their prevention

The main enemy muscari is a yellow onion dwarf virus that causes a plant disease such as mosaic. It infects the leaves, shortens the flower arrow and, as a result, slows down the growth of the viper onion. Muscari also suffers from the usual cucumber mosaic, which also deforms the leaves.

The carrier of both these diseases is the aphid, therefore preventive actions should be aimed primarily at combating this pest. good method is a solution of any soap product, which is sprayed with aphid-affected areas.

Mosaic-infected plants cannot be treated, they should be immediately dug up and destroyed without pity, since the disease can easily spread to neighboring plants.

Another serious pest for muscari is spider mite. It is effective to fight it with the drugs "Fitoverm", "Acrofit" and "Vertimek".

Finally, muscari is a favorite delicacy of rodents, first of all, field mice. To protect the flower garden from this scourge, you can use replanting plants, the smell of which rodents do not tolerate. It can be ordinary garlic or imperial hazel grouse (the latter looks attractive enough to complement the flower bed). Prickly plants, such as rose hips, can also scare away mice.

In general, caring for muscari does not present any particular difficulties. It is so easy to grow that any beginner can do it. And if over time the plant began to lose its appearance and the quality of flowers, it means that it’s just time to replant it.

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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 high. This is one of the first spring flowers that has pleasant aroma. It blooms in early spring, some species until June, with rich blue, pale blue, white flowers of an 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 discounts. Turkey is considered the birthplace of Muscari, the plant is common in Europe, the Caucasus, the Crimea and the Mediterranean countries. In nature, it can be found on mountain slopes, edges or alpine meadows. There are other names for the flower, because of its 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 distillation and is able to decorate a balcony or window sill with its unusual flowering in winter.

Muscari description

Muscari is a perennial bulbous low plant, its height can be from 10 to 40 cm. The bulbs are small, ovoid, with light outer scales. The diameter of the bulbs is from 2-4 cm, in varietal muscaria - up to 4-5 cm. Having a very short vegetative period, which occurs in the spring, muscari belongs to ephemeroid plants. 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 during the year in order to bloom again next spring. The leaves of the plant are narrow, collected in several pieces in a basal bundle, the length of the leaves is from 10 to 17 cm.
Muscari flowers are collected in lush inflorescences of the brush or apical inflorescences, up to 8 cm long, in their shape they resemble hyacinth or lily of the valley, they have a delicate, pleasant, slightly intoxicating aroma.

More often you can find flowers in gardens of dark blue, blue, purple or lilac colors, less often - white. The flowers have an unusual barrel-shaped, cylindrical, sometimes tubular shape, with fused, curved petals at the ends. The upper flowers of the inflorescence are sterile, they only attract insects that pollinate the plant. Muscaria fruit is a round or heart-shaped box, divided into three nests, in which there are small black seeds. The flowering time of the plant in the southern regions is early spring, in the central and northern regions it blooms later. Muscaria blooms for several weeks.

MUSCARI IN OPEN GROUND

Landing site and soil

Most cultivated plants of the genus are unpretentious, so the cultivation of muscari does not cause problems. Flowers prefer to grow in well-lit areas with direct sunlight, but can also live in the shade. Mouse hyacinth is not required big care and shelters for the winter, except that some varieties and species will need mulching (muscari broadleaf and muscari Oshe). In addition, Muscari flowers are undemanding to soils, they grow almost everywhere. But if the substrates are light or medium, rich in organic components and with a slightly acidic pH (5.8-6.5), they grow especially expressive and attractive. Therefore, before planting muscari in the soil, it is advisable to add compost or humus at the rate of half a bucket per square meter. m.

Planting Muscari

Plant mouse hyacinth in groups of 10 to 30 pieces. Bulbs (except for store ones) must first be treated with a fungicide, for example, Fitosporin. The distance between them during planting is on average 4-7 cm. Depth - up to 8 cm, it, like the distance, depends on the size of the bulb, for a smaller size - less, for large bulbs - more. In any case, there should be a soil layer of at least 1 cm above the bulb. Sometimes planting one hundred or two hundred plants per square meter is recommended as a scheme. m.
If planting muscari is supposed to be on a lawn, the sod is carefully removed to a depth of 8 cm on the selected area. Then the soil is loosened, seasoned with compost, removing exactly the same amount of soil to maintain a smooth lawn surface, and the bulbs are planted. The cut piece of lawn immediately after planting the muscari is returned to its place and watered well. Muscari flower bulbs ↓

Muscari care

During growth and flowering, mouse hyacinth requires a moist (but not wet) substrate. In no case should water stagnate in the soil - this leads to rotting of the bulbs. For this reason, even areas slightly flooded in spring or during rains are not suitable for planting muscari. Plants especially need moisture during the flowering period. Watering is completely stopped after two weeks. After the leaves die, the best soil for the bulbs will be semi-dry soil.
In order for the muscari to bloom and grow well, compost is added to the soil in spring. Container plants are additionally fed with liquid complex fertilizers once every 2 weeks during the growing season.
Caring for muscari also includes loosening the soil and removing weeds that can interfere with the development of the bulb.
If Muscari flowers are grown on a lawn, the lawn is not mowed in this place during the growing season.

Otherwise, the Muscari bulbs will be small, and eventually disappear altogether. lawn mowing resume after complete wilting and drying of the leaves.
Muscari care is also facilitated by the fact that the plant is almost not affected by diseases and pests. Only rodents pose a threat to the bulbs, from which they are saved by repellers, mousetraps or special preparations.
The planting site of Muscari must be changed every four years. This can be done during the flowering of muscari, when the location of the bulbs is noticeable. To do this, dig out the overgrown curtains with a shovel and transplant them together with a clod of earth to a new place without damaging the roots.

Be sure to water well afterwards. In places where the location of resting bulbs after flowering is well determined, mouse hyacinth is transplanted in the fall.
With careful care, faded muscari buds are removed. Indeed, on the one hand, seed ripening takes away some of the nutrients from growing bulbs, and on the other hand, self-seeding contributes to the growth of Muscari plantings, which may be undesirable in a particular case. In some varieties, the seed pods are so decorative that they should not be removed, for example, the terry variety Blue Spike.

Bloom

Flowering lasts a little longer than 20 days. At this time, you should only regularly loosen the surface of the soil (after watering), while you need to be very careful not to injure the bulb. It is also necessary to produce timely weeding and, if necessary, cut off fading flowers. If you notice that over time, the flowers of the plant began to lose their former decorative effect, then this means that the muscari must be planted.

Transfer

Muscari can be propagated vegetatively with the help of babies separated from the mother bulb. In this way, the plant is propagated in the fall at the very time when the site is also being dug up (from the middle to the last days of October). Transplantation should be done only for those bushes that have grown in the same place for 5 to 6 years. However, you can understand that Muscari needs seating by its appearance. The bulbs must be dug up and then separated from maternal children(there are up to 30 pieces). Then the bulbs will need to be planted in the manner described above.

Muscari after flowering

At the end of flowering, it is necessary to carefully cut off all flower stalks and fertilize with liquid phosphorus-potassium fertilizer in order to prepare the bulbs for wintering. Muscari need to be watered less and less. When the leaves on the bushes are completely dry, you need to stop watering them completely. In the autumn, it is necessary to dig up the site, and plant five-year-old bushes. From the bushes that are not transplanted this year, you need to remove the old leaf plates. Plants that have been transplanted or planted should be sprinkled with a layer of mulch (peat).

GROWING MUSCARI IN CONTAINERS

IN last years Growing Muscari flowers in decorative containers is becoming increasingly popular. How to plant muscari in this case?
plastic pot with drainage hole and the onions planted in it in the fall are added dropwise in the garden, and in the spring they are placed in beautiful planter, or transplant the bulbs along with the ground without disturbing the roots. complement flower arrangement planting other spring flowering plants, for example, planted pansies . When the flowers lose their decorative effect, they are again transferred to the ground along with the pot for the further formation of bulbs, and left in this state until next spring. Growing muscari in a container requires more care. Indeed, in this case, the plants are more often watered and fed.

GROWING MUSCARI IN CLOSED GROUND (distillation)

Only healthy bulbs of the largest diameter are suitable for distillation, depending on the type and variety, their size can be from 6 to 10 cm in diameter. You can buy them or use your own planting material. Muscari bulbs are dug up after the entire ground part has died off, washed, treated with a fungicide (Fitosporin, a weak solution of potassium permanganate, etc.), dried at room temperature and stored until September in a ventilated and dry place at a temperature of +20 ° C. Purchased bulbs are not processed, they are ready for planting. Then the storage temperature is lowered to +17 °C. The main condition for growing muscari in winter in pots and containers is the correct temperature regime. Without exposure at a temperature of + 2-5 ° C, muscari will not bloom.

Depending on the desired flowering period, the time for planting the bulbs is calculated: 3-4 months of exposure in cool conditions, plus two to three weeks for distillation. Having decided on the period, the bulbs are placed in a cold place with a temperature of +9 ° C for about 35 days, they are stored in dry sawdust, cotton wool or wrapped in paper. After the temperature is lowered to +5 ° C (you can use a refrigerator). Two weeks before the end of the cold period, muscari is planted tightly in pots in moist soil, deepening the bulbs by 2 cm, the upper part should remain in the air.
The substrate for forcing muscari is similar to that used for open ground: nutritious and aerated. You can use a mixture of peat, forest soil and sand (or perlite). At the bottom of the tank, you must definitely put something for drainage (expanded clay, shards, pebbles).
After the allotted time, the pots are transferred to a warm and bright place with a temperature of about +10 ° C, after a day or three the temperature is raised to +15 ° C. When the soil dries up, it is moderately watered, without falling on the top of the bulb. Flowering should occur in two weeks, in a cool room it will last longer, but still not exceed 10 days.

Popular varieties of muscari

In ornamental gardening most widespread got the following types.

Muscari Armenian(M. armeniacum) native to Southwestern Transcaucasia and Northwestern Turkey grows on dry plains. Russian household plots this species is the most common. Flowers cornflower blue. The plant is very unpretentious, winter-hardy. By the end of flowering, the stems often fall down, reducing the decorativeness of plantings. There are garden forms and varieties. Often used for group plantings.

Muscari Osh(M. aucheri) occurs naturally in Northwestern Iran. Flowers are blue, distinctly bell-shaped. The species does not respond well to excessive moisture.

Muscari grapevine(M. botryoides) grows in meadows and mountain slopes in the subalpine and alpine zones of Central and Southern Europe. One of the most common in culture. Outwardly similar to Armenian Muscari, but has narrower and shorter inflorescences. The flowers are blue with a purple tint. White-flowered and pink-flowered forms are known. In culture since the end of the XVI century.

Muscari changeable(M. commutatum) grows on mountain slopes in the Mediterranean. The flowers are dark, blue-violet. Winter-hardy.

Muscari broadleaf(M. latifolium) forms thickets along forest edges in Asia Minor. It has fairly wide leaves, giving the plant an unusual look. Flowers are dark purple. It is thermophilic, in the conditions of central Russia it needs light shelter for the winter. In warmer regions it is used for group plantings.

Muscari white(M. leucostomum) is found in the Black Sea region, Central Transcaucasia, Central Asia and Iran. Prefers loose fertile soils. The flowers are dark blue, with a purple hue and a white throat.

Muscari unassuming(M. neglectum) in nature grows along the edges, in thickets of shrubs and on rocky screes in the Mediterranean countries. The leaves are large, belt-like, sometimes appear in autumn. The flowers are deep dark blue, with a white border. In the upper part of the inflorescence are sterile light blue flowers. A very unpretentious and winter-hardy species, it propagates well by self-sowing.

Muscari multiflora(M. polyanthum) is found in the meadows of the subalpine and alpine belts of Southwestern Transcaucasia and Northeastern Turkey. The flowers are bell-shaped, bright blue, with pale teeth.

Reproduction and sowing

Muscari is propagated mainly vegetatively, by daughter bulbs. They are usually formed in large numbers. When transplanting, the daughter bulbs are separated, disassembled and planted to a depth of 6–8 cm at a distance of 10 cm from each other. If it is necessary to quickly obtain sufficiently dense plantings, the bulbs are planted at a distance of 5 cm.

Repotting is recommended every 5-7 years. Seed propagation is also possible, it is usually used for botanical species. Seeds are sown immediately after collection, in early - mid-summer, because during storage they quickly lose their germination capacity. Many types of muscari give abundant self-seeding. Young plants obtained from seeds bloom in the third year.

Like most early spring small-bulb plants, muscari are planted in rock gardens, in the foreground of mixborders, on lawns, in the form of borders, in boxes and planters.

Muscari Armenian, broad-leaved and grape-shaped are best suited for distillation.

bulb storage

The largest and healthiest bulbs dug in the beginning - the middle of summer are stored in a well-ventilated area. Until the beginning of October, they are kept at a temperature of 20–25°C, then it is reduced to 17°C. In mid-October - early November, they are planted in pots to a depth of 1-2 cm.

Before planting, the bulbs are soaked for 1 hour in a solution of potassium permanganate of medium strength. The soil in the pots must be moist. Further development plants depends on temperature. At 9°C the rooting of the bulbs occurs within 1.5 months. Flowering occurs approximately 20 days after the temperature rises to 12–15°C.

Muscari pests and diseases

Muscari are prone to the following diseases:

1. 1. Mosaic on the leaves is a viral disease transmitted by aphids.
      The first sign of the mosaic is the dwarfing of the plant, its leaves look narrowed and deformed. The disease is carried by aphids, which infect a healthy bulb. If the infection of the bulb has already occurred, it must be dug up and burned so as not to infect other healthy specimens with the virus. A viral disease is not subject to treatment, it can only be prevented, that is, to deal with mosaic carriers - 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.
   2. Spider mite. Muscari is sometimes affected by spider mites. To combat it, drugs such as Actofit, Fitoverm are used. When processing a plant with these preparations, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions.
   3. Slug damage. If you find that the leaves of the plant are eaten away in some places and there are remains of mucus on them, then the plant has been attacked by mucus. The reason for the appearance of slugs is excessive moisture.