Poultry farmer: planting and care in the open field, flower types, breeding methods

Birdbird, also known as ornithogalum, blooms after primroses and is a spectacular flower garden decoration. It is a member of the Asparagus family and the Hyacinth subfamily. By familiarizing yourself with the rules for planting and caring for a birdman in the open field, every gardener can easily grow this attractive flower on his own site.

Botanical description of the birdman

Ornithogalum, or birdman is a perennial bulbous plant. In the wild, it is found in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Western Asia, where the predominance of a subtropical and temperate climate is characteristic.

Dark green, elongated belt-shaped leaves appear earlier than flower stalks. In the upper part of the peduncles, racemose or corymbose inflorescences of various densities flaunt. Flowers with six petals are white or light yellow in color. A distinctive feature of the plant is a green stripe running along the outer surface of the perianth leaves. The fruit of the birdman has the shape of a box, inside which are black, flat, rounded seeds.

The bush of the birdman is small in height - usually from 30 to 85 centimeters. Rounded, oblong or ovoid bulbous plants in diameter reach from 2 to 5 centimeters. Their surface is densely covered with scales.

Varieties and varieties

More than ten varieties are cultivated. In some varieties, bulbs and shoots are edible. Poisonous varieties containing alkaloids are also known. What types of poultry are the most popular.

Tailed

The tailed bird has medicinal properties, although it belongs to the number of poisonous plants. It has a large root part and a round bulb shape. Basal leaves of a linear shape have a whitish vein in the middle. The average width of the leaves is 4 cm, and the length reaches a meter. The largest ones can sag slightly in the central part. On long peduncles are racemose inflorescences with miniature white flowers. In one inflorescence up to hundreds of flowers. South Africa is considered to be the birthplace of this plant species.

Arabic or Hawk's Milk

Arabian birdman, known as Hawk's Milk, is native to the Mediterranean. The variety is widely used in Israel. The peduncle reaches 85 centimeters in height. In the basal rosette, linear leaf plates of a light green hue are collected.It has a loose inflorescence, consisting of white flowers with rounded petals. Attention to this variety is attracted by unusual green ovaries, darkening over time and becoming almost black.

Arcuate

This species of avian larch mainly grows in mountain forests, steppe slopes and on the edges. It occurs on the territory of the Ciscaucasia, the northern part of the Western Transcaucasia and the eastern part of the Crimea. A plant with a high peduncle, ovoid bulb and light green foliage. The perianth has white leaves with a slightly pronounced green stripe on the outside - sometimes it may be completely absent. As the stalk matures, the plants become arcuately lagging behind.

Large

The height of the plant reaches from 40 to 150 centimeters. The large bird-man is characterized by long pedicels and loose, sparse brushes. On the outside of the white perianth leaves there are thin green stripes.Distributed in Ciscaucasia and Transcaucasia. Prefers shady wooded areas.

Gousson

Representatives of this type of birdman are not large in size and up to 15 centimeters high. In the corymbose inflorescences of the plant, up to five flowers of a classic white color are collected. Under natural conditions, it grows in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

Growing conditions

To successfully grow a birdman on your site, you need to determine what conditions are most favorable for him:

• During the period of vegetative growth, the plant needs top dressing of organic origin.
• During flowering, more moisture is required, during the seeding period, the amount of watering should be reduced.
• Replant every 4-6 years.
• In winter, with abundant snow cover, the birdman does not need additional shelter. But if there is little or no snow, it becomes necessary to mulch the soil and cover it with spruce branches.

Outdoor planting

Before planting a birdman in open ground, it is necessary to correctly determine the place and timing, as well as saturate the soil with nutrients.

Location

The most favorable for the birdman will be a sunny or semi-shady area near garden trees or shrubs. It is necessary to avoid places with stagnant water, which provokes rotting of the rhizome of the plant.

Site preparation and soil fertilization

A prerequisite for the soil is good water resistance and prevention of waterlogging. Therefore, it is best to choose areas with sandy soil. Heavy soils with a high content of clay are not suitable for growing ornithogalum.

For enrichment with nutrients, it is first recommended to add some organic fertilizers to the soil - for example, peat or leaf humus.To improve the outflow of moisture, drainage should be performed at the bottom of the planting holes - crushed brick, small pebbles or crushed stone are suitable for this.

Terms and technology of planting a flower

The optimal time for planting bulbs in open ground is August or September.

The landing technology is simple:

1. Several planting holes are dug in the garden plot with a depth of 6 to 10 centimeters - depending on the size of the bulbs used. The distance between the pits is up to 20 centimeters so that the plants develop freely.
2. Place one onion in each hole.
3. Sprinkle with light loose soil and water.

How to care for a plant

Agricultural practices are standard: irrigation, top dressing, pruning, pest and disease control.

Water Regularity

You need to water the ornithogalum regularly, but do not overdo it. The plant needs a moderate amount of water. Excessive moisture causes root rot. It is necessary to water the poultry plant most actively during the growing season. Later, when flowering and the formation of seed pods, the number of water procedures should be reduced.

Fertilizers

The need of a poultry farmer for fertilizer depends on the quality and fertile properties of the soil in which he is planted. If the soil is rich in nutrients, top dressing is not required. Poor and depleted soil, on the contrary, needs autumn feeding. Simple fertilizers of organic origin are suitable for these purposes.

Transfer

As a result of long-term growth in the original place, the bulb of the birdman begins to grow into small daughter bulbs. The more of them, the more difficult it is for the bush to grow further - it weakens and loses its attractiveness.

The maximum term for ornithogalum in one place is six years. Therefore, it is recommended to replant it every 4-5 years. To do this, you need to carefully dig a bush, separate the young bulbs that have appeared and plant them in a new place. The optimal period for this procedure is the end of August or the beginning of September. You can also transplant in early spring.

Cutting

Yearly, after flowering, dried leaves, wilted inflorescences and other unattractive parts of the plant should be cut off.

Preparing for winter

Most varieties of poultry cultivated in our latitudes are cold-resistant, so they hibernate without auxiliary shelter. In harsh climates, cover the area with fallen leaves or spruce branches.

Heat-loving plant species need special preparation. Before wintering, they should be dug out of the flower bed, temporarily transplanted into flowerpots or other containers filled with a mixture of sand and peat, and with the onset of spring, planted again in their original places.

Diseases and pests: control and prevention

The birdman is most susceptible to the following ailments:

• Grey rot. The disease is determined by mold plaque covering various parts of the plant. It is recommended to spray it with insecticides. With small lesions, they should be carefully cut out and sprinkled with wood ash.
• Fusariosis is a fungal disease that affects the roots of a plant. At the initial stage, fungicidal solutions easily cope with this problem, but if the infection has reached a large scale, the plant should be destroyed.
• The onion mite causes the bulb to shrivele and blemish. In such cases, insecticidal treatment is carried out.

Methods of reproduction

Propagated by cuttings or sowing seeds. Each method has its own nuances.

Seeds

This is a long and labor intensive method. Previously, the seeds of the plant must undergo a stratification procedure - for this they are placed in the refrigerator for 3-4 months. With the onset of spring, sow them in plastic containers or cups filled with light and loose soil.

After the appearance of 3-4 leaves, young seedlings must be hardened - taken out to fresh air daily for 16-18 days, each time increasing the period of their stay on the street. It will be possible to start planting in the ground when the seedlings of the birdman can be in the open air for the whole day.

Shanks

Cuttings of the birdman allow you to grow young and strong specimens much faster. In this case, it is necessary to dig a mature plant that has reached 5-7 years of age. To clear from the earth and to dry under the sun. From a large parent bulb, separate the daughter bulbs, which have already formed their own roots.Plant them in a semi-shady or sunny spot.

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