Among the many bulbous plants that we are successfully grown at their dachas, still rare Leucojum family Amaryllidaceae.
Species and varieties are few, but they have one great feature — they bloom at different times of the year, which will allow you to admire these exquisitely touching flowers in spring, summer and autumn. The best period to buy bulbs Leucojum July-September.
Leucojum vernum
Along with snowdrops he appears in the country one of the first. The main difference from Galanthus — milk-colored bells, the ends of the petals are marked with green spots. Many gardeners in spring work focused on its flowering: blossomed Leucojum vernum – so it’s time to sow in the open ground radishes, spinach.
He comes from southern and Eastern Europe. Height about 20-30 cm, width up to 8 cm. Elegant shape dark green shiny leaves up to 25 cm.
Decorative forms:
- var. carpathicum – gives 1-2 flower with yellow tips of the petals;
- var. vagneri – height of about 20 cm, in the South blooms in late winter or early spring; gives 2 flowers on the peduncle.
Leucojum vernum is good in group planting, borders, grows well and blooms in open Sunny places or near trees, shrubs; great along streams, ponds; suitable for cutting (flowers are excellent in the water 10-12 days).
It is believed that Leucojum vernum unpretentious, but some of the nuances of growing to know is still necessary:
- we land in autumn;
- choose a Sunny or semi-shaded place. Prepare the soil for planting: it should be light, slightly acidic, moist, well-drained, humus-rich, fine lumpy structure, without stones, roots of weeds;
- bulbs are planted to a depth of 8-10 cm, it is important to properly arrange them, immediately abundantly watered;
- after planting Leucojum better not to disturb, then it is much better developed and blooms! In one place can grow 5-6 years;
- it does not tolerate the neighborhood with actively growing crops with a strong root system: lilies of the valley, daylilies and others. But with other bulbs is quite well adjacent;
- during the growing season, we carry out 3-fold fertilizing with a full mineral fertilizer at intervals of 10-14 days;
- in the winter (except in the southern regions) planting Leucojum mulch dry leaves (sawdust) layer of 10-20 cm or cover with spruce branches, as its winter temperature minimum -15ºC;
- can be damaged aphids, stem nematode; affected by rust, gray rot; preventive measures should be carried out. But slugs do not like Leucojum.
Leucojum aestivum
In the middle zone of its drooping white flowers bloom in early July; in the South – in the second half of April. It’s rare. Now its follicles grow and implement many of the nurseries of Holland.
He comes from Ireland, Belgium, France, Central and southern Europe, Northern Turkey, the Caucasus and northwestern Iran. Reaches a height of 45-60 cm, width up to 8 cm; dark green shiny leaves up to 40 cm; on a single inflorescence can be up to 8 flowers with a length of about 2 cm Fruit – fleshy box.
Decorative grade:
- ‘Gravetye Giant’ – can reach a height of 90 cm, especially when grown near water.
Leucojum aestivum grows well in partial shade, prefers raw places. He’s not particularly spectacular in single crop. It is used for cutting; it is expelled in the winter. Luxuriously looks off the banks of streams and small ponds.
Leucojum aestivum is propagated by seeds and vegetatively.
Features of seed propagation:
- seeds are sown immediately after collection;
- at a temperature of +22…+25 ° C and abundant watering they germinate within 1.5 months (germination 50-70%);
- seedlings bloom for 6-7 years;
- seeds quickly lose their germination.
If vegetative reproduction (daughter bulbs) is carried out in late August – early September, the plants bloom for 3-4 years (much earlier than the seedlings). For more quantity of planting material used by the breeding pair scales, and in this way there is more detail:
- bulbs are cut from top to bottom into 6-8 pieces;
- each of the obtained parts can be cut into another 2-3 parts, which will consist of several scales, fastened with a piece of the bottom;
- planted in a soil substrate consisting of peat and perlite, taken in a ratio of 1:1, buried one-third of the height of the bulb;
- at a temperature of +18 ° C, these parts quickly take root and give 2-3 leaves, after which they are transplanted to grow into a light soil substrate, while well watered;
- when the bulbs grow (circumference of at least 2-5 cm), they can be planted in a permanent place.
Leucojum autumnale
Slender elegant perennial in the middle lane blooming in September.
He comes from Southwestern Europe and North Africa. Height about 10-15 cm, width up to 5 cm; leaves are dark green, up to 16 cm On one peduncle 2-4 white (at the base of the petals are reddish) flower length 1 cm Leucojum autumnale grows well and blooms in semi-shaded wet areas of cottages, prefers fertile soil.
In addition to these three species, I want to tell you about four Leucojum, which are still very rare in the culture. Now they can be found only in the most complete collections of some bulbous Botanical gardens. These are the following types:
Leucojum nicaeense, syn. L. Hiemale
He comes from the South-East of France. Height 10 cm, width 5 cm.
Leaves are linear, up to 30 cm in length. At the end of spring on one peduncle 1-2 fragile, as if sculpted from wax, snow-white flower bloom. Thermophilic: its winter temperature minimum is at – 5ºC; does not like waterlogged soils, which can get wet.
Leucojum roseum
Another Mediterranean species comes from Corsica, Sardinia.
It is up to 10 cm high, up to 5 cm wide. Thin linear leaves up to 10 cm long are Very beautiful pink drooping bell-shaped flowers up to 1 cm long, which bloom in late summer or autumn. It is as thermophilic as the previous species. Often it is successfully grown in pots.
Leucojum trichophyllum
Aristocratically refined bulbous perennial comes from southern Portugal, South-Western Spain, Morocco. Of some interest to southern gardeners.
It is 10-30 cm high, up to 5 cm wide. Thermophilic, as well as 2 previous species In late winter – early spring flower stalks appear, bearing 2-4 white bells. Flowers up to 2 cm long, linear leaves 5-20 cm long.
Leucojum valentinum
Originally from Central Spain, North-West Greece, where it is used as a border plant. You can try to grow in the middle lane with shelter, as its temperature winter minimum of -15ºC.
Elegant bulbous perennial 15 cm high and 3-5 cm wide. Leaves are linear, gray-green, up to 25 cm long. Blooms in autumn; white flowers up to 1 cm long are collected 1-3 on the peduncle.
And in your country already growing Leucojum?
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