Lilies of the valley: planting and care in the open field, propagation by seeds, types and varieties

Spring flower, presented as a gift by nature itself, is able to awaken tender sincere feelings and give a light mood, and an exquisite aroma to bring notes of spring to life. Therefore, most gardeners choose lilies of the valley, planting and caring for which in the open field is not difficult even for a beginner grower.

What is special about the plant

As the spring sun warms, snow-white flowers of lilies of the valley appear on the first thawed patches. Their unique aroma cannot be confused with any other plant.

Botanical description

Lily of the valley is considered a herbaceous perennial plant of the Asparagus family, whose height is 30 cm. The roots are creeping, located horizontally. Pale lower small leaves depart from the tops of the rhizome. Behind them are 2-3 large whole basal leaves, having an oblong elliptical shape, pointed at the end, and a bright green color. Lily of the valley is decorated with snow-white, light pink bells that exude a pleasant aroma.

The flowering period of lily of the valley lasts 20-25 days, after which fruits are formed on the stem, which are red spherical berries with a diameter of 8 mm.

Habitat

A flower grows in shady coniferous, deciduous, mixed forests, between shrubs on moderately moist soils. Found in forest edges and open meadows. Lily of the valley is common in North America, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Eastern Siberia, the Far East.

Application

Lily of the valley is used not only to create landscape design, but also in medicine, as the flower has healing power. Also used in the perfume industry. The smell of a flower emphasizes the individuality of a person, gives him confidence, clarity of thinking.

In landscape design

Unpretentiousness and preference for moist soils makes lilies of the valley indispensable in creating landscape design. It can be planted in near-trunk circles of trees, arrange paths near the house in the country.

Spring flower looks spectacular with hostas, periwinkles, geyhers, astilbes. Perfectly fills the space between other garden perennials, thereby eliminating the need for unnecessary weeding.

In folk medicine

Lily of the valley is a medicinal plant, therefore it is popular with traditional healers, as the flower is capable of:

• relieve headaches and migraines;
• reduce blood pressure;
• help with heart failure;
• to alleviate the condition of patients with gastrointestinal diseases;
• calm nervousness, banish insomnia.

The entire aerial part is used as a medicinal raw material: stem, foliage, flowers, from which infusions, decoctions, alcohol tinctures are prepared, and teas are also brewed.

Popular varieties of lilies of the valley

Culture has many decorative garden forms. They are notable for beautiful satin foliage with longitudinal stripes of various shades, double large inflorescences of original flowers.

May

The most famous and popular type of lily of the valley is 30 cm high. The inflorescence has 20 small flowers in the form of spherical bells with 6 small teeth on the edges of the petals. They are painted white and pink.

Keyske

Perennial lily of the valley with a low stem up to 18 cm and a highly branched rhizome. The lower leaves are brown and purple, 3-6 on each bush and 3 long-petiolate, erect leaves, painted green. Inflorescence racemose, consists of 10 flowers.

Caucasian

Beautifully flowering lily of the valley 30 cm high with oblong, long-petiolate elliptical leaves and bright green color. White drooping flowers in an amount of up to 20 pieces are united in clusters, growing from rosettes of the upper foliage.

Mountain

Mountain lily of the valley up to 35 cm high with 2-3 leaves with a pointed tip. The inflorescence contains 5-15 downturned fragrant flowers, painted white in the form of bells.

Technology for planting lilies of the valley

To get abundant flowering, it is important to choose the right place for planting lilies of the valley, prepare the soil, know the timing and technology of planting, and also create conditions as close as possible to the natural habitat of the culture.

Choosing a landing site

Lilies of the valley are inhabitants of shady cool forests, so it is better to plant them under shrubs, trees, as they feel comfortable in shady areas where moisture from the soil does not quickly evaporate. When choosing a place, it should be taken into account that the plant needs sunlight, since flowering will not occur without it. Also, lily of the valley bushes should be protected from strong gusts of wind.

Soil preparation

The site for planting lilies of the valley should have neutral, loose, sandy or soft loamy, moderately humus-fertilized soil. Pink-flowering varieties prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH of 4.8-5, for this you need to enrich the soil with peat.

Terms of planting operations

A favorable time for planting lilies of the valley is autumn, from the first days of September to the beginning of November. Although many gardeners practice planting in the spring, in mid-April. But it is better to prepare a site for spring planting in the autumn, and in April just dig it up. This will contribute to the good survival of young sprouts.

Planting a plant

You need to plant lilies of the valley in rows, making grooves, keeping a distance between planting units of 10 cm, and between rows - 20-25 cm. The depth of the hole should correspond to the size of the roots. It is necessary that the root system is located vertically, in full length, and the sprouts are buried in the ground by 1-2 cm. If there is dry soil, the seedlings should be watered after planting. For the winter period, cover young plants with mulch, this will protect them from freezing, especially in a snowless winter.

In one place, a spring flower can grow without a transplant for 5 years.

Caring for outdoor crops

Lilies of the valley can take care of themselves, they can displace other garden plants from the garden. But an experienced gardener sets himself the goal of achieving the highest decorativeness of flowers, therefore, he takes proper care of the crop, which includes watering, loosening the soil, fertilizing, removing weeds, as well as fighting diseases and pests, since not a single plant is immune from their appearance, including lily of the valley.

Irrigation and fertilization

Lilies of the valley are very fond of moisture. Regular high-quality watering is a guarantee of abundant flowering and the development of lush juicy foliage in a dry spring. After moistening, gently loosen the soil in order to destroy the crust and increase the flow of oxygen to the root system.

To prevent the soil from depleting, in the second year after planting, apply fertilizer, which can be used as humus or compost in the form of mulch.Perform the procedure in the middle of spring, adding 70 g of top dressing per 1 m². One more top dressing should be carried out in June, before the start of laying flower buds.

Weed removal

Throughout the season, beds with lilies of the valley should be kept clean of weeds, which should be removed with extreme care, trying not to damage the roots of perennials, as they are thin and fragile.

Diseases and pests

Due to the poisonous properties of lilies of the valley, pests bypass it, it is also rarely affected by diseases. But there are still insects and fungal infections that can harm spring flowers:

1. Nematode. A dangerous pest in the form of a filamentous worm breeds in moist soil, while sprouts and roots are affected. As a result, plants weaken, look oppressed, stop development and do not bloom.On the foliage, spots of a necrotic nature are formed, painted in yellow, brown. Control measures are to dig up the affected bushes and then destroy them.
2. Lily ratchet. Adults of these insects feed on the green parts of the plant and can cause irreparable damage to flowers. For prevention, you need to monitor the condition of lilies growing in a flower bed, as these pests lay eggs on their leaves, from which brown larvae develop. And in the future, the adult flying form begins to parasitize on lilies of the valley. If larvae and beetles are found, it is necessary to take prompt action, treat the bushes with pesticides or pyrethrum-based preparations.
3. Grey rot. This fungal disease develops in poorly ventilated areas during spring rainy and cold weather. The presence of a dense, dirty-gray plaque signals the appearance of an infection. At the first symptoms of infection, the plantings should be treated with fungicidal preparations, and heavily infected specimens should be dug up and destroyed.

Transfer

Lilies of the valley can be transplanted when they form fruits in the form of red berries. To do this, dig a rhizome 15 x 15 in size and plant it in a prepared hole, dig in. Then water it so that the soil is saturated with moisture, and then leave it alone until the next watering - the plant needs to settle in a new place.

Reproduction

Lilies of the valley reproduce vegetatively and rarely by seeds, because they have low germination, and seedlings delight with flowering only after 4 years. During vegetative propagation of the culture, division of the rhizome is used. This process should be carried out after the foliage dies off, in the last days of summer - early autumn. To do this, dig up the roots and divide them into sections, which are planted at a depth of 5-10 cm. Next year, segments of the roots will kick out the leaves.

Choosing the vegetative method, you can admire the beauty of flowers already in the 2nd year after planting.

Forcing lilies of the valley for the New Year and Christmas

Blossoming lilies of the valley can decorate any winter holiday. For distillation, it is better to use large-colored forms. Stock up on cuttings in the fall, cutting off the upper part of the rhizome. It is better to choose specimens that have a large rounded apical bud. Plant cuttings in large containers, 10 pieces each, and send to the greenhouse, buried in sand and covered with moss. Create a temperature for them within 30-35 degrees. Moisten as needed. Flowering will come in 3 weeks.

Lilies of the valley are especially popular all over the world, this delicate flower is everywhere considered a symbol of spring and youth, a wonderful way to express love.

And the subtle palette of shades, graceful shape and easy cultivation have made it one of the garden's favorite flowers.

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