Snowdrop

Family. Amaryllidaceae.

Where do they grow? Europe, Russia, Caucasus.

What look like. Snowdrop is a small genus of perennial, bulbous, graceful, herbaceous plants, consisting of 20 species. As the name suggests, the plants bloom in early spring and often green leaves and buds peek right out from under the snow. It is interesting that despite its delicate and modest appearance, the flower successfully breaks through even an impressive layer of snow.

The bulbs are round or ovoid, with a diameter of about 1.5 - 3 cm, depending on the type. The outside of the bulbs is covered with brown scales. In adult bulbs, small daughter bulbs can often be found under the scales. Each bulb is capable of forming several leaves and only one peduncle.

The leaves are collected in a basal rosette, belt-shaped, 10 - 25 cm long, dark green, appear simultaneously with peduncles.

Peduncles are leafless, up to 20 cm high, each bearing a single bell-shaped flower at the top. The buds are often drooping, white, sometimes with green spots on the petals. The blooming snowdrop has a very subtle, barely perceptible pleasant aroma. With successful pollination, round green fruits are formed, inside which rather large round seeds ripen.

At present, many varieties and hybrids with different flowering periods, simple and double flowers have been bred.

Currently, many varieties and hybrids have been bred with different flowering periods, simple and double flowers.

Height. Up to 15 cm.

Growing in open ground

Suitable for planting are dense, brown bulbs that do not have external damage and signs of disease, rot or pests. The outer scales should fit tightly to the surface. If the bulbs have any mechanical damage, then such a wound surface is treated with charcoal or ash powder.

If the first signs of growth appear on the planting material, then it should be immediately planted in the garden, but if the bulbs are dormant, then you can wait a little with planting.

Dormant bulbs can be stored by sprinkling dry sawdust and placing them in a paper bag, and then putting them in the refrigerator. The planting material should be checked from time to time, since in conditions of high humidity and insufficient air movement it can rot.

Planting can be carried out over a long period of time - usually in the second half of summer - first half of autumn. If for some reason the planting was carried out in late autumn, just before the onset of frost, it is better to cover the bulbs with a small layer of mulch on top - this will protect them from freezing.

The flowers feel best in a well-lit place or in the open shade of bushes; when grown in the shade, flowering will be modest. Places with stagnant moisture are not suitable for growing - the bulbs can rot.

The soil on the site is loosened and, if necessary, black soil or humus is added, as well as river sand for better moisture drainage. Do not overdo it with organic matter - it will make the bushes grow a large number of leaves, but will negatively affect flowering. As a top dressing during planting, you can add any mineral fertilizer for flowering species.

Plants are usually planted at a depth of two to three times the height of the bulbs. The planting depth will depend on the composition of the soil - the denser it is, the shallower the depth will be. If the planting depth is less than 5-6 cm, then over time the bulbs will simply end up on the soil surface. Shallow planting will promote rapid reproduction - in such conditions, daughter specimens appear abundantly.

The first feeding after planting can be done at the end of winter, simply scattering fertilizer granules on the snow - they will fall into the ground along with the melt water.

The flower is usually grown in one place for 5 years - after this period, the bulbs become cramped, and the bushes will form a large number of leaves, but will stop blooming. Snowdrops are dug up after flowering, divided into several parts and planted in different places. After the leaves die off, it will be problematic to find bulbs in the garden, it is better to replant before the leaves die off.

Care at home

Temperature

Snowdrops easily tolerate light frosts and do not like high temperatures, so growing them at home causes some difficulties.  During the dormant period, which lasts about 4 months, the bulbs are stored for several months in a cool, dry and dark place with a temperature of about 5 ° C. After planting, the temperature is gradually increased to 12 - 15 ° C. At higher temperatures, flowering may not occur. If, after the formation of buds, you move the bushes to a room with a sufficiently high temperature, the flowering time will be seriously reduced.

Lighting 

After planting, the pots are placed in a well-lit place without direct sunlight. With the appearance of flower stalks, snowdrops can be moved to partial shade. If there is a lack of sunlight, plants can be supplemented with fluorescent lamps. 

Care

Snowdrop is very popular with gardeners as a reliable forcing species. It can hardly be considered an indoor flower, since after forcing the bulbs should be planted outside - they will not bloom again at home.

With proper care, the bushes can bloom at any desired time of the year - for example, on March 8. For forcing, only large and healthy-looking planting material is selected, disinfected and planted in nutritious, moist soil. For better rooting, the bulbs are kept in the ground for some time at a temperature of about 5 ° C. Usually 1.5 months pass from planting to flowering, so a month before the desired flowering, the pot is transferred to a warm place with a temperature of about 18 - 24 ° C and kept there until buds appear. It is worth remembering that to extend the flowering period, the plants should be kept cool - at a temperature of 10-15 ° C.

After flowering, the leaves will turn yellow and dry out - do not remove them, they continue to feed the bulb. It is worth separating the leaves only when they turn completely yellow or brown. Representatives of the genus do not like sudden changes in temperature - accustom the flower to any changes gradually.

Substrate

Loose soil consisting of peat, humus, garden soil and sand.

Feeding

With the emergence of sprouts, begin fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers. For plants, 2-3 fertilizing per season is quite enough. The first is carried out when the leaves appear, then after 10 days another fertilizing is done and the last time fertilizers are applied after flowering - so that the bulb receives additional nutrition.

Snowdrops prefer nutrient solutions with a predominant content of potassium and phosphorus. The first element helps maintain the health of the bulbs, and the second stimulates the appearance of buds. The fact is that even after the above-ground part dies off, the bush does not sleep - it grows new roots and forms young shoots that will appear from under the ground only in the next season.

A large amount of organic matter in the soil can lead to the appearance of various fungal diseases. Nitrogen fertilizers promote leaf growth, but prevent the formation of buds.

Purpose

It is a valuable forcing plant. Snowdrops planted in October will bloom in January. When grown in open ground, it is often used in group plantings, and up to 30 bushes are grown in one place.

When bloom

The specific flowering period depends on the species and the start of forcing. If desired, you can get a basket of snowdrops for any desired holiday - for example, March 8. Unfortunately, the flowering period is often very short. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, flowering can last only a few days or up to 2 weeks.

Air humidity

Air humidity is high; to increase humidity, use a room humidifier or a tray filled with wet pebbles. Spraying is best done in the morning. Snowdrops need good air circulation. 

Soil 

From the moment of planting the bulbs until the first leaves appear, watering should be extremely careful - the soil is kept barely moist. As the green mass develops, the frequency of watering is gradually increased. During the growing season, the soil should be kept evenly moist, but not wet. At this time, the substrate should not be overdried. Drain off excess water that has accumulated in the tray a few minutes after watering. After flowering, the frequency of watering is gradually reduced and eventually reduced to zero as the leaves die off.

Transfer

After forcing, the flower does not need to be replanted; the bulbs are planted in open ground after flowering.

Reproduction

Snowdrops most often reproduce by daughter bulbs, which form in large quantities around the mother bulb. Once every 5-6 years, the bushes are dug up and divided into several parts. Specimens that have grown from daughter bulbs will bloom for the first time at the age of 2 years.

You can grow a flower from seeds. After ripening, the seed pods are separated, dried and the seeds are extracted. Sowing is carried out in the spring - directly into open ground or in separate cups for seedlings.

Before planting, a drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the cups and covered with nutrient substrate. Since the seeds are quite large, they are covered with a layer of soil about 1 cm thick and watered abundantly. Place the cups in a place shaded from direct sunlight with a temperature of about 20 ° C.

Freshly collected seeds have a high germination rate and often, when grown in open ground, self-seeding can be found under mature flowers.

Growing from seeds usually takes a long time, as the first flowering is usually observed 5 years after sowing.

Pests and diseases

Snowdrops can rot if there is excess moisture, especially after flowering.

Viral diseases can manifest themselves in altered leaf shape or color. Often the buds of such plants are deformed. Unfortunately, viral diseases are incurable - affected flowers should be destroyed.

Fungal diseases appear with high humidity and insufficient air movement. A large amount of organic fertilizers in the soil also contributes to the appearance of fungus.

Yellow leaves during the period of active growth are sometimes a sign of a disease such as chlorosis. Chlorosis is easy to treat - the affected bushes are simply sprayed with iron chelate.

Of the pests, nematodes may appear on the flower. When grown in open ground, the bulbs can be gnawed by mice and moles; the flower is vulnerable to caterpillars, cutworms, slugs and snails.

Interesting facts, legends

There are many signs and legends associated with delicate primroses. There is a legend that the evil Winter with her comrades - Wind and Cold - decided one day to prevent the coming of spring. All life on Earth froze, many flowers fled in fear. The brave snowdrop was the only one that broke through the thickness of the snow and exposed its delicate petals to the sun. The sun saw the first flower and began to send more of its rays to the Earth - Spring has come.

According to one legend, the snowdrop was the first flower on Earth and when Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise it was winter. Eve froze and began to cry - her tears, falling to the Earth, turned into tender buds. Having seen such a miracle, Eve began to hope for a return. Since then, the flower has been considered a symbol of hope and faith in the best.

When working with the plant, protect your hands with gloves, as all its parts are poisonous and can cause skin irritation. Do not collect flower stalks in the forest - many species are endangered. Unfortunately, the first spring flowers are often destroyed for profit - bouquets can often be found at flower sellers. The flower has found its application in folk medicine. Dried snowdrops are used to treat diseases such as scabies, skin and nail fungus, furunculosis, osteochondrosis. Self-use of herbal preparations is not recommended, since a large number of alkaloids in its composition can lead to poisoning.

Varieties:

Galanthus elwesii

One of the largest species of snowdrop. They are perennial plants, the bulbs of which reach a diameter of 7 cm. Each bulb produces 2 - 3 narrow, long leaves and a peduncle with a drooping bell-shaped flower. A distinctive feature of this plant is the greenish markings on the petals. Most often, flower stalks develop first; leaf blades reach their final size after flowering. 

Galanthus angustifolius

The plant is distributed in the mountains of the North Caucasus, where it grows at an altitude of 700 - 1000 meters above sea level. The bushes reach a height of only 12 - 15 cm. The plants have long and narrow leaves - the length of the leaf plates can grow up to 15 cm, while their width does not exceed 5 - 7 mm. 

Galanthus woronowii

A large variety, the leaves of which can reach a length of 25 - 40 cm. The leaf blades are bluish-green, wide, slightly bent along the central vein. The flowers are solitary, drooping, reaching 3 cm in diameter. This species is found mainly in northeastern Turkey, eastern Georgia and southern Russia.  

Galanthus caucasicus

Compact perennial primroses with hard, dark green leaves and strong peduncles, at the top of which are bell-shaped flowers. 

Galanthus nivalis

The most common type of galanthus is small bushes 20 - 25 cm high, found in Europe and Southwest Asia. 

Galanthus reginae-olgae

Perennials with linear, dark green leaves up to 15 cm long. In the center of the leaf blades there is a light, almost white, narrow stripe. An interesting feature of the plant is its flowering, which occurs... in autumn. Flowers appear first and foliage follows. 

Galanthus plicatus

The bushes of folded snowdrop have quite wide - up to 2 cm, light green leaves. Bell-shaped flowers consist of outer petals up to 3 cm long and short inner corrugated, greenish petals. This variety is found in Eastern Europe.

Other primroses

Sometimes snowdrops are plants that are not related to the genus Galanthus, but have the same early flowering as snowdrops. For example, crocus or saffron snowdrop: 

Snowdrop Transbaikal (northern, Siberian) or lumbago:

Kandyk or snowy Altai (Erythronium):

Edelweiss:

And even lily of the valley: