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 Minor Asia, and the west of 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

To the composition of the soil Muscari special requirements they do not present, but when grown in fertile soil, they form larger bulbs and more powerful inflorescences. The best soil for muscari is loose, moderately moist, well-drained loam fertilized with humus. For growing muscari, open sunny areas, although this plant develops normally 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 have 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

Wet soil is needed for musari only at the very beginning active growth, in early spring, but at this time the soil is usually saturated with melt water or saturated with 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 they are introduced into the soil. potash-phosphorus fertilizer, but only if the bulbs overwinter in the ground. With the onset of autumn, cut and wilted leaves plants.

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 planting material is planted in pre-prepared holes 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 wet 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 threads 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 the aphid, which sucks the juice from the leaves and spreads 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 them. 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 flowers with a barely noticeable purple tint with white teeth are collected in multi-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 rich blue-violet flowers are arranged 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. famous variety type:

• 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.

The amazing Muscara flower attracts attention with its original appearance, it is successfully used in alternative medicine and is actively used in floristry. Blooms for a long time, creates a bright spring mood.

What is this plant?

Muscari, originally from Turkey, belong to small-bulb flowers, among the people these flowers are also called "viper onion" and "mouse hyacinth". They reach a height of up to 40 cm, have basal leaves up to 20 cm long.

The flowers are very interesting in shape, cylindrical with curved teeth. The coloring is varied, white, blue, blue. They have a pleasant smell. They bloom in spring, and depending on the plant variety - until mid-June.

Included in the list of ephemeroid plants. Perennial flower, excellent for forcing, can achieve flowering in winter and early spring.

The main types and varieties of plants

The Muscari genus unites about 60 species, but if we talk about the most common, we can name 4 names:

1. Armenian- blooms in May with fragrant white flowers, has terry stems with very large inflorescences. Sometimes there are flowers with a double perianth. The variety is very beautiful, suitable for interior decoration.
2. Tubergenovsky- a characteristic feature of the flower is a double color, a blue top and a dark lower part of the inflorescence. The species is thermophilic, blooms for 25 days. Grows along forest edges in Asia Minor.
3. grape-shaped- the name speaks of the shape of the plant, up to 15 cm high, blooms in the first half of May, does not form seeds. Small flowers are collected in a brush, has a garden variety with white and pink flowers.
4. racemose- with large purple flowers, up to 20 cm high. Propagated by children and seeds, planted by self-sowing. Withstands temperatures below 5 degrees, recommended for cold areas.

Pictured is an Armenian Muscari

On the garden plots the most common is the first type of plant, known since 1877. It blooms in May, 3-4 weeks, seeds are collected in the lower inflorescences. Bulbs are small, oblong, up to 2 cm in length.

Also on our flower beds you can see tufted Muscari, up to 30 cm high, white color. Their stems are often used in wildflower bouquets.

Traditionally grown in gardens small plants, mostly blue in color, up to 30 cm high. They are suitable for planting almost anywhere, in the open sun, under trees and bushes.

Site selection and soil preparation

Plants are photophilous, but can grow and bloom even in the shade. For planting muscari choose loose soil, slightly acidic, with an average level of humidity.

The more fertile the soil, the larger the bulbs grow, the flowers are bright and lush. Well "perceive" the introduction of humus or compost into the soil.

Mouse hyacinth goes well with other primroses, you can freely create various compositions by placing the seeds in special baskets for sowing.

Seedling ready for planting

When to plant?

Planting muscari in open ground is carried out in the fall.

This is important to do before the onset of frost, so that the bulb can take root well..

Before planting, the bulbs need to be kept indoors for several days at 9 degrees Celsius in order to allow them to prepare a little for the cold soil.

Landing Rules

Before planting, the bulbs must be soaked for 50-60 minutes in a solution of medium-strength potassium permanganate, and then the soil should be placed.

Ordinary planting method

For better germination, it is necessary to pour clean water under the tubers. river sand layer up to 2 cm, providing drainage and protection against pathogens.

Flower bulbs are slightly smaller than tulips or daffodils, and therefore, during planting, you can make a shallow trench and plant it in the following way:

• the distance between the bulbs should be 7 cm;
• depth - 6 cm.

The temperature regime of the soil is 18 degrees Celsius.

If you plan to sow the plant with seeds, then this should be done immediately after they are collected. Placed in the soil to a depth of 2 cm, they begin to bloom in the third year after planting.

After planting, the muscari bulbs are carefully watered, which will allow them to come out faster.

How to use with maximum effect. The rules for planting and caring for a plant are discussed in our article.

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Care rules

During the period of growth and flowering, Muscari care is as follows: regular watering and top dressing. The substrate must be fertile, two top dressings with liquid flower fertilizers are required.

Watering - moderate, with its abundance, the plant withers and disappears. During the growing season, rain water is ideal for irrigation.

The plant requires increased humidity after planting, and after rain watering is enough.

Muscari Care

After flowering, it is preferable to cut the clusters, you also need to do timely weeding and do shallow loosening by 2-3 cm.

Do I need to dig up flower bulbs after flowering?

It is not recommended to dig up muscari bulbs every year, it is enough to do it once every 4 years, in the fall.

So that the flowers do not interfere with each other and do not grow very much.

dug out muscari

When the bulbs are removed from the ground, they need to be dried well and dug in again so that they do not deteriorate.

Preparing for winter

Main steps:

• the introduction of humus, per 1 m2 - 5 kg;
• pruning bunches after flowering;
• leaves should be left until frost so that the bulbs gain maximum strength for the next flowering period.

It is not necessary to cover the bulbs in winter, the plant is frost-resistant enough.

flower reproduction

There are two ways to breed Muscari:

• bulbs that bloom after planting the next year;
• seeds, the plant produces flowers in a couple of years.

They reproduce perfectly by self-sowing, they can arbitrarily spread to front gardens and.

The video is about growing muscari in the garden, storing bulbs, caring for and planting a plant:

Use for decorative purposes

This is a wonderful flower of the spring garden, thanks to its beautiful inflorescences, you can make an amazing mini-flower garden if you fence it off with snow-white birch branches.

Also, the flower garden can be fenced off with a low fence or decorative pots.

Blue muscars can be planted along paths instead of fencing. Even if the flowering period passes, the stems will be green and lush for a long time, creating an interesting border of the path.

Some varieties have been successfully cultivated and made into houseplants. For successful flowering, it is necessary to prepare the tubers with forcing until the end of April.

Dry the dug bulbs thoroughly, clean them from the ground and store them indoors up to 20 degrees Celsius. Humidity can cause fungus and plant death.

Muscari are good for complex with other ornamental plants

How to use flowers in the design of a summer cottage?

You can use one of these options:

1. Create a picturesque trio by combining blue muscari, forget-me-nots and white tulips in one area.
2. Plant the plant in a small bucket or pot and display in various arrangements in the flower bed.
3. The blue color of the plant can be enhanced with orange if you plant imperial hazel grouse nearby.
4. Under the bare bushes of Arabis, Iberian flowers will receive the most comfortable conditions, will grow luxuriantly and delight the eyes of passers-by.
5. You can fill the empty spaces between tulips and daffodils by self-seeding.

Each composition will be a real miracle in the flower garden, attracting the eye and surprising with its diversity.

Diseases

The plant is resistant to diseases and pests. Almost all parts of muscari are toxic. But cases of damage to the flower of plant aphids are possible. Control methods - full pruning and treatment with garden fertilizers.

Medicinal properties

The plant protects other flowers from many pests, perfectly fertilizes the soil, after transplanting it to the same place, you can plant peonies, roses, daffodils, which will grow magnificently, decorating the garden plot.

The plant repels flies, mosquitoes, flowers can be cut and shaped beautiful bouquets that will protect the house from various midges.

With the right place for planting, care and timely watering, the Muscari flower will please the eye for a long time, forming a piece of paradise in your flower bed!

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 us, emerging them cold earth in early spring, replacing 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. Next to the curtains 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. His English title means grape hyacinth - for 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, similar to bouquets of small long twigs, as if particles of the sky appear on the flower beds here and there. Arrangers use them with pleasure to compose their compositions.

Muscari is 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, more than half of the year is in a dormant state, only waking up for a short time to decorate the world. In the bulb, covered with light outer scales, nutrients accumulate during growth, which it uses by 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 when 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 stagnation melt water, lowlands. Otherwise, muscari grow without problems in any area. The attitude to the sun's rays is not 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. complex fertilizer during the flowering period, after thoroughly 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 a 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, which 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 windowsills 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. How more nutritious soil at the planting site, the faster the muscari will grow and the more colorful the flowering will be.

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 no problem.

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.
• At seedling method apply stratification (keep the seeds 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, seedlings are planted on 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 a 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 mites 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 due to their toxicity, they are used folk medicine only outwardly. 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. Unusually combined with flowering shrubs in mixborders. They should be planted under big trees to revive 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. To new year holidays used for forcing. Blue tassels of earthy lilac fit perfectly between large 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 worked for several centuries to create many varieties with various form and the color of the flower - their labors were crowned with success.

Variety Blue Spike- bred in Holland at the end of the last century. 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 ornament 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 – 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 it develops into 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 elegant 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.

The earliest flower in the garden is Muscari. He is the first to wake up after hibernation to please everyone with an unsurpassed aroma, rich blue hue and the ability to create a composition that will enliven the whole house! Many flower growers are engaged in its cultivation, choosing certain varieties from the photo, but not everyone knows the intricacies of care. Here - information about the rules for planting in open ground, the necessary dressings, the neighborhood with other flowers in your garden and more!

Muscari description: varieties from which the varieties originate

Cute blue bells with a white skirt, the unusualness of which beckons, giving rise to a desire to plant a couple more varieties ... Do you have the same picture? So in front of you is Armenian Muscari (lat. Muscari), or mouse / grape hyacinth, or viper onion - a flower that belongs to the asparagus family. Initially, he was assigned to the Lileyny family, but later, upon closer examination, the breeders realized that they were mistaken. The halo of the flower's habitat is Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Crimea. In total, there are more than 60 types of muscari, the most popular of them are:

• muscari Tubergena (Osh), characterized by short stature and crescent-shaped leaves. A striking feature is the early flowering period;

Muscari Tubergena (Osh)

• Muscari is pale, a frequenter of the territory of the Crimean peninsula. Especially loved by flower growers for their resistance to bad weather and the rich shade of bluebells;
• muscari crested, which is distinguished from other flowers on arcuate pedicels. They decorate lawns and driveways, using as a ground cover;

Muscari crested

• muscari grape-shaped, distinct small flowers. Bright "chip" - in 2 varieties of white and pink shades;
• Muscari Armenian, the most common among flower growers and breeders. Everyone will like the power of the bush, resistance to diseases, fairly large flowers and large quantity varieties, each of which is special.

Muscari Armenian

Attention! There are more than 170 varieties of Armenian Muscari. There are plants with white, purple, purple, blue and pink flowers to choose from. A clear advantage great amount peduncles on a bush.

Features of planting a plant, or what needs to be considered

Mouse hyacinth is a small-bulb flower, therefore, it does not need a specific land for development, it grows almost everywhere. This is due to the supply of nutrients in the bulb, which help the bush to form and flower stalks to take shape.

For planting bulbs, you can choose the time in September-October, before winter, or you can plant in early spring, as soon as the snow melts and the earth warms up to + 3-5 ° C. To plant Muscari you need:

Muscari can be planted in spring and autumn

1. Prepare the area. The optimal solution is planting a flower in groups for maximum expressiveness. To do this, it is necessary to dig up (or loosen well) the soil by at least 8-10 cm. On soils with a pH of 5.8-6.5, the flower will delight with a more saturated shade, a powerful bush than on acidic or alkaline soils.
2. Disinfect purchased bulbs, pre-select diseased or damaged ones. good remedy- a strong solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin preparation.
3. Plant the bulbs in a group (10-30 pcs), but not less than 4-7 cm apart. The depth of planting the bulb will depend on its size, approximately 5-8 cm.
4. Water. Important condition proper care behind the flower - soil moisture, this must be monitored.
5. Mulch the basal neck if Muscari Oshe or broadleaf is chosen.

Aftercare does not require much effort. The flower will delight with its musky aroma, the richness of the hue of the bells, and will set everyone who sees it in a positive mood!

Viper onion care: not only the basic rules

Caring for muscari is simple, every novice grower can be sure of this. But despite its simplicity, it has its own characteristics. If you treat them carefully, you will abundant flowering for several months!

Fertilizer and top dressing, or what is needed for the growth and beauty of muscari

flower care in open field boils down to simple rules. The most important of these is watering. The flower loves slightly moist (not wet!) Soil. If you notice that the leaves tend to the ground and dry out, then there is not enough watering. Therefore, it is worth carefully monitoring the condition of the soil.

Keep the soil moist

In addition, mouse hyacinth must:

• feed throughout the season. To do this, you can choose organic fertilizers with different composition of micro-, macro-elements, feed the flower at the time of budding and during flowering. Usually, from 3 to 5 top dressings are made per season, which help to increase the decorative effect of the flower;
• pick off dry flower stalks that have faded. They can be cut with a knife or secateurs, contributing to the formation of new ones;
• repot muscari every 4th year. This will help to get new planting material, as well as rejuvenate the bush.

Simple rules of care will help you enjoy the primrose for a long time, rejoicing at its good location in the garden. It remains only to come up with a suitable company for Muscari!

Briefly about diseases and pests

Grape hyacinth is rarely damaged by diseases, but often by pests. Aphids can, if not destroy, then severely damage plants by introducing the onion yellow dwarf virus, mosaic. It is impossible to fight him, because it is not found effective drugs, that's why Special attention it is worth paying attention to the appearance of aphids. Prevention - soap solution, as well as drugs of the avermectin group in conjunction with urea. And your muscari is always healthy!

Plant propagation: generative and vegetative methods

Like many bulbs, muscari is propagated by seeds and division of the uterine bulb. The first option is the most time-consuming, because it requires not only the purchase of seeds (you can collect from your own bushes), but also their cultivation at a certain temperature and humidity. The negative point of growing mouse hyacinth with the help of seeds is the flowering time, which will come only in 3-4 years.

Choose vegetative propagation for Muscari

Compared to this method, vegetative reproduction of muscari will delight with rapid flowering: young bulbs, separated from the mother in September, will give the first flowers in spring. What is needed in order to get a new planting material? Following:

• dig a two-year-old bulb in September;
• gently shake off the clods of earth, separate the small baby bulbs from the large ones;
• dry in the sun, can be treated with drugs that stimulate the formation of roots;
• plant the uterine bulbs in a permanent place, the children - in the distribution bed. The distance between the bulbs is 1-3 cm;
• shed flowers and leave to winter until spring. In spring, adult plants will give flowers, and children will give only greenery, by which it will be possible to judge the power of the future bush and the health of the whole plant.

The Muscari breeding method you have chosen will help you get enough planting material to decorate a flower bed, a discount, alpine slide. And the garden will surprise both the household and the guest with bright blue accents.

Muscari: combination with other plants, or complete harmony visually

Undersized muscari is the flower of the first line after ground covers, as well as alyssum, purslane or other creeping blooms. Its planting among tall salvia, weaving roses or gladioli, for example, is impractical: it simply will not be visible.