Scilla
Family. Asparagaceae.
Origin. Europe, Türkiye, Syria.
Description. The genus Scilla consists of approximately 90 species of miniature, perennial herbaceous, bulbous plants that are classified as primroses. The bulbs are about 2 cm in diameter, slightly elongated. Each bulb produces 3 - 4 thin, linear, green, basal leaves. Leaf blades develop simultaneously with peduncles or even later than them. The flowers are located on the tops of leafless peduncles, the height of which rarely exceeds the height of the leaves. The buds are bell-shaped, slightly drooping, blue, purple and less often white and pink, with 1-3 flowers on each peduncle. Many varieties have a pleasant aroma during the flowering period.
Height. These are mainly compact bushes up to 20 cm high. Some varieties reach 120 cm in height.
Planting and care
Scilla bulbs are planted in open ground depending on the flowering period. Spring-flowering ones are best planted in the second half of summer - early autumn. The plants should have time to properly take root before the onset of frost. Varieties that form buds in the fall should be planted in the spring or in the first half of summer. To grow the flower, prepare the area - loosen the soil and remove weeds. When placing, it is worth considering the attitude to light - for example, Siberian and meadow scilla easily tolerate partial shade, and pushkinia and autumn scilla prefer open sunny places. River sand is mixed into too heavy soil, and humus is added to the soil as additional nutrition. If the soil pH is too acidic, it is corrected by mixing dolomite flour or pouring a solution of slaked lime. Planting holes are prepared, located at a distance of about 10 cm from each other. The planting depth should be 2-3 times greater than the height of the bulbs, but for very dense soils it can be less. Place the bulbs in the holes, bury them and lightly compact the soil surface with your hands. To prevent the development of weeds and prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly from the soil surface, you can carefully mulch the plantings with a small layer of dry leaves, straw or mown grass. Do not use pine needles as mulch, as they increase acidity.
Further care for scilla will consist of timely watering, weeding, fertilizing and loosening the soil. The first fertilizing is carried out on the snow - granules of mineral fertilizers for flowering species are scattered on it. The second fertilizing should be carried out as soon as the plants begin to form buds. Summer-flowering and autumn-flowering varieties are fertilized accordingly as new growth begins. After flowering, you can feed it again with potassium fertilizers, which will keep the bulbs healthy. The bush tolerates wintering in open ground well and can withstand severe frosts if there is a sufficient layer of snow, so it does not need shelter. If the region has harsh winters with little snow, the plantings can be covered with pine or spruce branches or dry leaf litter.
When placing in the garden, it is worth considering the fact that many varieties can reproduce by self-seeding, so it is worth allocating a site for the flower where it will not interfere with other plants. Every 3 - 4 years it is necessary to replant, since under the surface of the soil the bulbs divide, forming quite dense turfs. As a result, they become cramped, they begin to experience a lack of nutrients - the buds become smaller or flowering does not occur at all. Such hummocks are removed from the ground after flowering, but before the leaves completely die off (in this case, it will be difficult to find scilla). The clumps are manually divided into several parts and planted in different places. When dividing, it is worth selecting only good, healthy planting material, getting rid of rotten and diseased bulbs.
Use in landscape design
This delicate plant often forms buds immediately after the snow melts, and due to its unpretentiousness and tolerance to lack of light, it can be placed in a variety of places. The flower will look spectacular in group plantings - in the trunk circles of shrubs and trees; scilla is very attractive when grown in rockeries and alpine slides.
When it blooms
Flowering time - early spring - March - April. Some varieties form buds in summer or even autumn.
Reproduction
Scilla reproduces by small daughter bulbs and seeds. When propagating by daughter bulbs, the bushes are dug up and cleared of soil, trying not to injure the root system. Plants are divided and planted in separate cups or in different areas.
Some species are easily propagated by seeds and often self-seed (especially Siberian squill). After pollination, seed pods form on the bushes, which separate after full ripening - when they become dry and brown. A fine day is chosen for collection - warm and dry; for spring-flowering varieties, this process is usually carried out in the last ten days of June. Seeds can be sown directly in shallow furrows, and crops should be watered abundantly. Unfortunately, to see such specimens bloom, you will need to be patient - the first buds will adorn bushes grown from seeds only at the age of 3 - 4 years.
How to drive
If desired, you can get a blooming bouquet for any desired holiday. Siberian scilla and bifoliate scilla are best suited for forcing. The bulbs are planted in October in fresh soil so that they are only slightly covered with substrate.
For indoor growing, select pots with fairly large drainage holes and lay the first layer of moisture-removing material - broken brick, expanded clay. Since the root system is quite modest in size, it is enough to choose a shallow and wide bowl. Fill the pot with substrate by 2/3 and start planting.
You should step back 2 cm from the edges of the pot and leave about the same distance between the bulbs. When growing in pots, the bulbs do not need to be deeply buried - it is enough to sprinkle them with a layer of soil 1 - 3 cm thick, depending on their size. To avoid rotting, you can pour a small layer of river sand directly under the bulbs themselves and surround them with sand around the perimeter.
The planting is placed in a dark and cool room - for example, in a cellar with a temperature of 3 - 5 ° C. 3 weeks before the desired flowering date, the air temperature is increased to 12 - 15 ° C, placing the plantings in the dark or simply covering the bowl with a dark material. After a week, the lid is removed or the pot is taken out into the light and the temperature is increased a little more - to 15 - 18 ° C. Interestingly, a properly carried out transplant does not cause any harm to the plants, so the scilla can be transplanted even with flowers. Unfortunately, many varieties will not form buds from year to year when grown in a pot - such specimens should be planted after forcing in open ground.
Temperature
Scilla is suitable for moderately cool conditions at temperatures up to 15 °C, such a regime promotes abundant and long-lasting flowering. If kept in warm conditions, flowering may not occur at all; higher temperatures significantly shorten the flowering time. When grown in open ground without shelter, the bulbs can survive at temperatures down to -15 °C.
Lighting
Representatives of the genus are not demanding to lighting conditions - they can be successfully grown both in a brightly lit place and in partial shade. The most suitable for the flower will be windows facing east or west.
How to care
Varieties have been developed that can be grown indoors for many years, but most bloom in culture for 1 season, after which the bulbs are dug up and stored in a cool place for several months until signs of new growth appear. Such bushes are planted in open ground so that they gain nutrients for 2 - 3 years, and only then can they be used for forcing again. After flowering, the leaves will turn yellow and dry out - do not remove them, they continue to feed the bulb. It is appropriate to pinch off wilting buds along with flower stalks - this way the plants will not waste energy on the formation of seeds, and the bulbs will receive additional nutrition.
Soil
Scilla feels great in any soil with good drainage. Substrates rich in organic materials are preferred - for example, mixtures based on leaf and turf humus, as well as peat. To increase moisture permeability and so that the earth does not cake, but remains loose, coarse river sand, perlite or vermiculite are mixed into it. The pH level of the soil should be close to neutral - for example, in the region of 6.5 - 7.0. The soil should easily allow air to pass to the roots, allowing them to breathe.
Feeding
When the first shoots appear, begin to feed with complex fertilizers for flowering plants. 2-3 feedings per season are enough. The introduction of nitrogen fertilizers or large amounts of organic matter can lead to excessive leaf growth and negatively affect flowering. Since the bulbs contain a certain supply of nutrients, it is better to underfeed the bushes - when applying fertilizers, it is worth diluting them to half the dose recommended on the package.
Purpose
Often used as a forcing species. Flowering in different species occurs within 1-5 months after planting. For forcing, only the largest and healthiest bulbs are selected, disinfected and planted in nutritious moist soil. Flower stalks look great in delicate spring bouquets - they can retain their attractiveness for a long time in a vase of water.
Air humidity
Maintain high humidity by placing the pot on a tray with wet pebbles or use a room humidifier. Misting is possible, but during the flowering period, if moisture gets on the flowers and buds, it can spoil their appearance.
Soil moisture
Scilla requires abundant and regular watering during the growing season. After planting the bulbs, but before the first leaves appear, the soil should be kept slightly moist. As the green mass develops, the frequency of watering is gradually increased. After flowering, watering is gradually reduced and, when the entire above-ground part of the bulb dies, it should again be kept in slightly moist soil.
Pests and diseases
Rotting due to frequent watering in autumn and winter or insufficient drainage. Humid and stagnant air sometimes leads to the appearance of gray rot. Achellenchoides is a disease characteristic of bulbous plants, which is expressed in the fact that the outside of the bulbs acquire a brown tint, and ring rot appears on the surface. Specimens affected by the disease are destroyed.
Harmful insects may include spider mites. When grown outdoors, the bulbs may attract mice and onion hoverflies.
Varieties:
Scilla siberica
A perennial bulbous plant - a primrose about 10 cm high. Each bulb is capable of forming 2 - 4 dark green, glossy, linear leaves and several dark, thin, erect peduncles. At the tops of the peduncles there are drooping bell-shaped flowers, painted in a rich blue hue. Flowers appear on the plant in early spring, at the same time as the leaves.
Scilla hispanica
An attractive flowering perennial 30 - 40 cm high with light, oblong bulbs up to 8 cm in diameter. The plants have green, numerous, belt-shaped leaves. Strong, erect peduncles can bear up to 15 - 20 drooping, bell-shaped flowers. Flowers can be colored blue, light blue, white, lilac or pinkish.
Scilla bifolia
Compact flowering plants with light bulbs with a diameter of 1 - 2 cm. As the name suggests, each bulb is capable of forming 2, very rarely - 3 strap-shaped, green leaves. The leaf blades may be slightly bent along the central vein. The peduncles are vertical, brown in color, and can bear from 2 to 10 attractive flowers with narrow petals, painted in pinkish or blue shades.
Scilla scilloides
Bulbous perennials up to 20 cm high with vertical, thick, light green peduncles that can appear even before the leaves. At the tops of the peduncles there is an inflorescence with many pink or lilac flowers, opening sequentially - from the base to the top of the inflorescence. The leaves are belt-shaped, glossy, dark green.
Scilla peruviana
Bulbous flowering perennials with round bulbs covered with brown scales with a diameter of 6 - 8 cm. Thick, bluish-green leaves are collected in a basal rosette and resemble tulip leaves, reaching a length of 20 - 60 cm. Large spherical inflorescences are located on the tops of vertical, thick peduncles high 15 - 30 cm. Flowers are lavender, blue or purple.
Scilla rosenii
Perennial flowering herbaceous plants up to 15 cm high with dark green leaves slightly bent along the central vein. During the flowering period, which begins in early spring, the flower forms beautiful soft blue, lilac or white buds with narrow, wide-open petals.
Scilla tubergeniana
Miniature flowering bushes of this variety grow up to 15 cm in height. Flowering occurs very early - as soon as the snow melts, flower stalks often break right through it. Each bush has 6 green, narrowly lanceolate leaf blades. The flowers are star-shaped, white or blue, often bicolor, about 2 cm in diameter. In its appearance the plant resembles Chionodoxa.
Scilla pratensis, S. litardierei, S. amethystina
A perennial bulbous flower, each bulb of which can form 4 - 5 green, fairly wide leaves. In the second half of May - early June, the plants decorate themselves with strong vertical peduncles, on top of which there are inflorescences with delicate bluish buds that open from the base of the stem to its top. the total flowering time can last up to 3 weeks. The bushes are compact - reaching a height of 10 - 25 cm.
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Currently, the plants are classified into a separate genus - Hyacinthoides, but are often found under the name Scylla. These tender plants with a pleasant aroma are often found in the forests of England, where they can cover large areas. The plants are bulbous perennials with long, narrow, glossy, green basal leaves. During the flowering period, tall peduncles with suspended blue or purple bell-shaped flowers are formed. Flowering occurs at the end of May - the first ten days of June. The plants reach a height of 40 cm.