Imperial hazel grouse: planting and care in the open field, varieties and cultivation

Imperial hazel grouse is an excellent flower bed decoration, and planting and caring for a flower in the open field will not cause too many problems. Grouse bulbs are buried in the ground in autumn, and in spring they are waiting for the appearance of a tall peduncle with a lush crown of orange flowers and green leaves. This plant will revive a dull flowerbed, because it blooms before other spring flowers.

Description and characteristics

Imperial hazel grouse (royal) is a perennial tall herbaceous plant from the Liliaceae family. Carl Linnaeus gave it the name Imperial Fritillaria.This large bulbous culture has long been growing in the mountainous regions of Asia, the eastern Himalayas, in subalpine meadows, the Afghan ridges.

Europeans have been growing hazel grouse for almost 400 years. Holland can be considered the second homeland of this plant. It was in this country that new varieties of hazel grouse were bred.

There are 150 known species and a huge number of varieties of this plant. All varieties of hazel grouse have one characteristic feature - a tall, more than 1 meter high, peduncle, topped with a crown of a bunch of leaves and flowers looking down, similar to chandelier shades.

The stem-peduncle reaches 1.5 meters in length. By the time of flowering, it becomes firm and straight. The stem emerges from a hole in the bulb. This large hole is from last year's peduncle. The stalk begins to grow in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. After 2 weeks - grows to the maximum height.Just at this time, tulips and daffodils bloom.

The peduncle is attached to the bottom of the mother bulb, at the bottom, at the base of the stem, new baby bulbs are formed. At the end of the growing season, the long stem dries up, then falls. From it, a hole remains in the mother's bulb. In autumn, 1-3 buds appear in the depths of this large hole. New flower stalks grow from them next spring.

The bulb has a spherical shape. Its diameter is 10-20 centimeters. The bulb has a strong smell of garlic. This part of the plant stores a supply of nutrients that go into the formation of the stem, leaves and flowers. Another bulb keeps the stem from falling. True, for this it must be buried in the ground to a depth of 25 centimeters.

Flowers of hazel grouse, in the amount of 6 pieces, collected in a single inflorescence and located at the top of the shoot. They look like bells, look down and deviate from the peduncle in different directions, then rise up a little.The color of the petals, depending on the variety, is orange, yellow, red, purple, snow-white. Flowers with long stamens and pistil can be simple and double, single-color and variegated. Above the inflorescence there are about 20 leaves of the bract. Fritillaries bloom in May, almost 20 days.

After the petals fall, instead of flowers, seed pods appear in which the seeds ripen. Ripe boxes crack. True, the seeds do not spill out of them. The boxes are facing up. Leaves are dark green, oblong, lanceolate. They are located at the bottom of the stem in 3-4 whorls, 5-8 in each.

Features

Imperial hazel grouse is used to decorate a personal plot in all regions of Russia, including the Moscow region. A spectacular high spring flower is used to create alpine slides, rockeries, flower arrangements. It has a garlic smell, so it is better to plant a flower surrounded by tulips and daffodils.

The plant was called a hazel grouse, because from afar you might think that on a high stem there are not colorful flowers, but hazel grouse birds. In Europe, the plant is called the Crown of Caesar or Tears of Mary.

Propagated mainly by bulbs, rarely by seeds. The plant prefers fertilized, loose, drained soil without stagnant water. It is advisable to choose a place protected from the wind, well-lit place for flowers.

In the summer, after the hazel grouse fades and the leaves begin to turn yellow, the bulbs, together with the peduncle, are dug out of the ground. This event usually takes place at the end of June. The bulbs are divided in half or separated from the mother, dried under a canopy.

In September-October, when the roots hatch, they are again buried 25 centimeters into the ground, and the surface of the soil is mulched on top. This procedure stimulates abundant flowering for the next spring. It is undesirable to plant bulbs later than November.

If planted late, flowering will be weak and the plant will grow short. True, the bulbs do not need to be dug up, they can grow in one place for several years. If you grow hazel grouse using seeds that have ripened by autumn, then a new flowering plant can be seen only after 3-7 years.

Other types of hazel grouse

Besides imperial, there are other types of hazel grouse. All plants have narrow leaves and drooping bright flowers located at the top of a straight long peduncle.

Chess

Fritillaria meleagris is a perennial plant belonging to the genus Hazel grouse. It has an upright stem 30-50 centimeters high. The leaves are oblong, thin, arranged in turn at the top of the stem. Flower - often solitary, drooping, bell-shaped.

Petals have a checkerboard pattern (maroon mesh on a pink or light background).The hazel grouse blooms in late May and early June for 2-3 weeks. Chess hazel grouse has many varieties with a variety of colors. For example, Alba is a variety with snow-white flowers, Saturnus is with red-violet.

Mikhailovsky

The plant was first discovered in 1904 near Tbilisi. The scientist Fomin gave him a name - Mikhailovsky's hazel grouse. Grows up to 16-26 centimeters. There are two forms of this variety: tall - with single drooping bell-flowers and miniature - with an inflorescence of 2-3 flowers. The plant has long, lanceolate leaves. Flowers have an unusual color. The petals are burgundy on top and yellow on the edges. The tips of the petals twist outward, which makes the flower look like a plafond or a glass.

Kamchatsky

A bulbous plant reaching 35-60 centimeters in height. The leaves are arranged in whorls, 5-10 pieces each. The flowers are funnel-shaped, 3.5 centimeters long, purple-burgundy. Blooms - from May to June.

Eduard

Grows in Kazakhstan. Another name is Aigul. Tall plant (up to 1.5 meters), with drooping flowers and a lush bract at the top of the peduncle. Flowers - orange or scarlet, collected in a single inflorescence, 5-12 pieces each. The leaves are oblong, in whorls located on the stem.

Assyrian

Plant 50 centimeters high. The flowers are similar to narrowed bells, located 1-2 pieces at the end of the stem. The color of the petals is dark brown, with a thin yellow border around the edges.

Persian

Plant up to 1 meter high. It has an oblong inflorescence, similar to a Christmas tree, strewn from top to bottom with buds and bell flowers. The color of the petals is maroon. One oblong inflorescence can have 20-50 flowers.

Davis

A small plant that grows up to 16 centimeters tall. The species was first discovered in Greece in 1940. Leaves - elongated, green, located at the base of the stem. Flowers - often solitary, in the form of a pale eggplant shade of bluebells.

Dagana

Plant with a height of 20-35 centimeters. It has lanceolate, oblong leaves growing from a whorl located in the middle of the stem. Flowers are solitary, drooping bells. Petals - a yellowish hue, with purple or burgundy speckles. Blooms in June-July. Listed in the Red Book.

Benefit

Garlic grouse has an unpleasant smell of garlic. You can use this feature. For example, plant bulbs near plants whose roots are often attacked by pests or rodents. The smell of garlic will scare away uninvited guests. Grouse can protect the garden from mice and moles.

Types and varieties of royal

Imperial or royal hazel grouse is represented by a huge variety of varieties. These flowers are planted in the garden plot, for decoration, or in the garden - as natural insecticides.

Raddeana

A hazel grouse with a peduncle, the height of which is 40-80 centimeters. Above - an inflorescence consisting of 6 flowers, similar to wide-opened bells. The petals of the flowers are a pale lemon or cream shade. The leaves are long, dark green, lanceolate, with curled tips.

Rubra

Tall plant with long thick purple stem and lush inflorescence. The stem can grow up to 90 centimeters. At the top of the plant are scarlet flowers in the form of bells, and above them are pointed green oblong leaves of the bract. At the bottom of the stem grow long leaves collected in whorls.

Strip Beauty

Long flowering variety. Blooms in late April and blooms until June. On a high stem is a lush inflorescence consisting of large golden flowers with bright red lines on the petals.

Garland Star

A bulbous plant growing up to one meter. It has large orange flowers collected in a single inflorescence at the top of the stem. The petals are pierced with thin scarlet stripes. Above the inflorescence is a lush crown of leaves. Dark green oblong leaves are also found at the bottom of the stem.

Luteya

A tall plant, on a large stable stem of which there is a lush inflorescence of bright lemon color of wide open bells. Blooms once - in May.

Aurora

Tall plant growing up to 1 meter. At the very top of a thick long stem are orange, wide-open bell flowers. Above them is a lush crown of long green leaves.

Premier

Tall culture. At the top of a long stem is a lush inflorescence, consisting of drooping flowers resembling wide open bells. Their petals are orange, with subtle purple stains.

Prolifera

The name of the plant in Latin means crown on crown. The flowers are drooping, open bells of orange with purple veins. Above the inflorescence is a lush crown of green leaves.

Sulferino

Plant with a height of 80-100 centimeters. It has lush orange flowers. There is a thin scarlet mesh on the surface of the petals.

William Rex

An old variety named after Wilhelm 3. Flowers - bronze-burgundy, with a bluish bloom. This variety has small bulbs.

Aureomarginata

Tall plant. Stems grow up to 1 meter. Does not tolerate winter well. Has bright orange-red flowers.

Argenteovariegata

Plant with a lush crown of bright orange flowers. The leaves of this variety have a silver border.

Landing

Grouse are planted in autumn. Adult mother bulbs are used as planting material. They can be split in half. Children who have grown up near adult bulbs are also buried in the ground. Previously, they are separated from the mother. True, they will grow for a long time (3-4 years) before throwing out a flowering stem.

Timing

Rabber grouse is buried in the ground in September, rarely in October. By the time of planting, small roots should appear on the bulbs. It is undesirable to bury the bulbs later than November. The optimal time for planting is dry and warm September.

Soil preparation

Before planting, it is advisable to dig up the earth, remove weeds, fertilize with rotted compost (half a bucket per square meter), dilute with peat and sand. The soil should not be heavy, clayey, cold or too wet.Dig a shallow hole for planting. A little sand is poured at the bottom - this way you can protect the bulb from decay.

Seed disinfection

Before planting, the bulbs need to be disinfected. Planting material is disinfected in a solution of fungicide (Maxim) or potassium permanganate. Bulbs are irrigated with diluted, weakly concentrated preparations.

Choosing a seat

Fritillaries are planted in a well-lit, wind-sheltered area. It is advisable not to choose lowlands where water will accumulate after rain. Grouse do not tolerate marshy soil. From excess moisture, they will begin to rot and may not bloom. It is best to plant flowers on a mound. Because of the unpleasant garlic smell, many gardeners try to plant grouse in the background, in the back garden or in the garden.

Plant pattern

Fritillaries, depending on the age and size of the bulbs, are buried in the ground to a depth of 10-30 centimeters.Adult maternal bulbs are planted deep (30 centimeters), children - close to the surface (10 centimeters). The distance to a neighboring plant should be 25-35 centimeters. It is advisable not to lay the bulbs evenly, but to plant them at an angle of 90 degrees.

How to transplant

The hazel grouse is dug up after it has faded. The adult mother bulb and the babies that have appeared are separated, and dried all summer in a dry, shaded place at a temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius. In September, transplanted to a new site. Ground is prepared for the bulb (loosen and fertilized). They dig a shallow hole, sprinkle it with sand and insert an onion there. It is covered with earth and watered with water.

Care and cultivation

Grouse need regular care. In this case, they will bloom magnificently and will not die from pest attacks or due to diseases. The main thing for the gardener is to protect the bulbs from freezing in winter, to prevent them from rotting in the spring.To do this, before wintering, the surface where the bulbs are planted is insulated. In the spring, the mulch is removed and the hazel grouse is allowed to develop calmly.

Irrigation

Greuse grouse do not like too wet soil. After all, their tender bulbs begin to quickly rot in marshy soil. Flowers are watered occasionally - only in a dry season. This plant tolerates drought and occasional watering. In the heat and in the case of a long absence of rain, the flowers are watered once a week. 3 liters of water are poured under one plant.

Mulching and winter shelter

It is advisable to mulch the ground near the plant in the spring with sawdust. Weeds will not be able to break through from under the mulch. True, you need to leave enough open space above the bulb. Otherwise, the stalk of hazel grouse will not be able to germinate. Before wintering, bulbs buried in the ground are covered with dry foliage or a layer of peat with sand. It is better to use spruce branches, reeds, straw as shelter.

The thickness of the insulating layer should be 25-30 centimeters. In winter, the place where the bulbs are buried, you need to constantly throw snow. Under the snow cover, they will not freeze and will be perfectly preserved until spring.

Careful spring care

After the snow melts, the mulch should be removed from the garden. You need to give the grouse a chance to germinate. It is important to provide the plant with maximum sunlight. Young shoots perfectly tolerate spring frosts, that is, a drop in temperature to 6 degrees below zero. On cold nights, the stems freeze and tend to the ground, and quickly come to life in the sun.

It is undesirable to touch the ground near the planted bulb. During the winter, the roots grow and rise to the surface. Loosening the soil is not carried out so as not to damage the thin roots. The plant can be fed with humus diluted in water (0.5 liters of organic matter per 5 liters of water).

Feeding

The very first dressing is done in the fall, before planting the bulbs in the ground. The soil is fertilized with rotted humus (half a bucket of organic matter per square meter of land). In the spring, just before flowering, the soil is fed with nitrogen substances (ammonium nitrate). For one plant you need: dilute 5-10 grams of fertilizer in 3 liters of water. During the flowering period, hazel grouse is fed with superphosphate and potassium nitrate. You can use complex purchased fertilizers for flowering crops.

Diseases and pests

In a rainy and cool summer, a hazel grouse growing on nutrient-poor soil can get sick. Most often, rot appears on the bulbs. The plant develops poorly, the leaves turn yellow and wither. In this case, the bulb must be dug up, rot removed, treated with a fungicide (Fundazol). Dry, and in the fall bury in a new place.

Bulbs can get sick with Fusarium. This fungus lives in the soil. With frequent rains, it activates, affects not only the bulbs, but also the stems, then the leaves turn yellow and fade. As a preventive measure, the plant is sprayed with a fungicide (Fitosporin, Topaz) or Bordeaux mixture.

If the bulbs are stored at temperatures above 35 degrees, anomalies in development may occur. For example, a double flower appears in the inflorescence. You can prevent the mutation if you dry the bulbs at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees Celsius.

Thanks to the garlic smell, hazel grouse does not have too many pests. However, this plant can be attacked by lily rattles. Insects have orange wings. Onion rattlesnakes also attack hazel grouses. They have purple wings. Crackers, in case of danger, make a sound similar to a rattle. Insects and their larvae feed on leaves and flowers. Insecticides save them (Aktara, Bombardier).

The hazel grouse bulbs have a dangerous enemy living in the soil. This is a wireworm, that is, the larva of the click beetle. The insect penetrates the bulb, makes moves there, and leads to decay of this part of the plant. The introduction of granular insecticidal preparations into the soil (Provotox or Rembek) saves from the wireworm.

Reproduction

Rabchikov is propagated by bulbs or seeds. One or more children are usually formed on the mother bulb. Young bulbs are separated from the old. Grow separately for about 3 years. It is undesirable to leave them on the mother bulb, as they will feed at her expense and constantly deplete her. To obtain a peduncle for the next spring, an adult mother bulb is taken. When seed planting, flowering will have to wait a long time (3-7 years, depending on the variety).

Vegetative method

By the end of flowering, the hazel grouse has one mother bulb and several young children. They are carefully dug out of the ground (in the middle or end of June). Then cleaned and dried for 2 weeks. After 14 days, the new onions are separated from the old, mother. The cut sites are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Then, for several years, young bulbs grow.The first three years, the children will not bloom, at this time they are building up mass. You can divide the mother bulb into two parts, and plant each share separately. It is important that a piece of the bottom is preserved in each particle. The divided mother bulb will produce a peduncle for next spring. They dry it all summer, and in the fall they bury it to a depth of 30 centimeters.

Seed method

Seeds purchased in spring or summer are first immersed in water to swell. Then they are sown in the ground to a depth of 1 centimeter. If seeds are obtained from hazel grouse growing on the site, then in the fall, after harvest, they can be immediately sown in the ground. True, with the seed method of reproduction, flowers will appear only after 3-7 years.

For guaranteed planting material, seeds are sown not in the ground, but in boxes filled with ordinary earth. All winter seed containers are stored in a cool basement. In spring, the boxes are transferred to the garden and left in a sunny place.In summer, the earth is occasionally watered, making sure that it does not dry out. Shoots sprout from seeds, young plants appear. They dry up soon.

In the summer, after the greens have dried, the bulbs are dug out of the boxes and dried in a container of sand. In the fall, they are planted for the winter, like adult bulbs. True, to a shallow depth (10 centimeters), and from above the surface is insulated with mulch.

Main difficulties

In the process of growing, gardeners can face various problems. For example, in hazel grouse, the leaves may turn yellow and wither. Such a problem occurs when a fusarium or leaf nematode is damaged. Fungicides (Fitosporin) and proper care save from a fungal infection.

Improper care

With an excess or lack of nitrogen in the soil, the leaves may turn yellow. If the soil is too wet, the bulbs will begin to rot. If the plant lacks moisture, it may wilt. It is important to fertilize the soil in sufficient quantities and water the hazel grouse occasionally (once a week), especially in drought.

Freezing

If the bulb freezes in winter, the plant may not bloom in spring. This usually happens if the bulb was planted shallowly in the fall, and the surface was not mulched and covered with snow. It is important to deepen adult bulbs into the ground by 30 centimeters. Young, planted near the surface, children are sprinkled on top with a thick layer of spruce branches or straw.

Transfer

It is desirable to plant the bulb in loose, loamy or sandy soil. If the ground is heavy and clayey, the bulb will begin to rot. In this case, it needs to be dug up and transplanted to a new place. Transplantation is carried out only in the fall (in September). The dug bulb is dried all summer. Roots may appear on it. They should not be removed.

Two weeks before the transplant, they prepare the ground. The soil is dug up and fertilized with organic matter. A shallow but wide hole (30x40 centimeters) is made in the ground. The bottom of the hole is covered with sand. An onion is carefully placed in the hole, a peg is inserted and sprinkled with earth.

Onion ratchet or lily beetle

These are insects that feed on leaves, stems, buds, flowers of hazel grouse. They gnaw leaves from the edges, gnaw holes in them. They can spoil daffodils, lilies, move to onions. They are somewhat similar to each other. Both beetles have a bright color - orange or red. Insects crackle loudly when they see danger. They can fall to the ground and roll over on their backs, they are not so easy to notice against the background of dark soil.

These are the worst enemies of hazel grouse. Spraying with insecticides (Iskra M, Aktellik) will save them from them. Usually 5 milliliters of the drug is diluted in 5 liters of water and sprayed with a plant solution.

Digging and proper storage of bulbs

After flowering, you need to cut the peduncle. This is done in the case when they do not plan to propagate hazel grouse with seeds. Leaves can be left to dry. After all the greens have dried, you can cut it off and dig up the bulbs. They need to be cleaned from the ground and washed.Then treat with a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide. Then - dry, sprinkle with wood ash.

Store the bulbs preferably in a box with sand or sawdust, in a dark, dry, warm (up to 25 degrees) place all summer. It will be possible to plant them only in September. By this time, roots will appear on the bulbs. They cannot be deleted. An onion is carefully placed in the dug hole, slightly to one side, straightening the roots. Sprinkle with earth from above, and before wintering - with mulch.

Application in landscape design

Imperial hazel grouse looks great in a flower bed. The plant is planted as a single flower or used in a group composition. Fritillaries can be planted among tulips, daffodils, hyacinths. The unpleasant garlic smell of the bulbs will protect other, growing, elite varieties of flowers from attacks by insects and rodents.

Ribbons grow fast.Their lush greenery will enliven a flower bed gloomy after hibernation. Tall grouse with lush inflorescences at the top of the stems look like paradise trees or exotic palm trees. They can be combined with low flowers. For example, sow in the back row.

A tall stem of hazel grouse with a lush crown of bright flowers is planted against the background of ground cover plants. Usually hazel grouse is used to decorate an alpine hill. Although this plant can be planted near late-flowering peonies, phlox, lilies. If the grouse flowers wither, their leaves will revive the flower bed. Later, peonies or lilies will bloom. Thus, the flower bed will always look green and blooming. In summer, other flowers can be planted instead of hazel grouses (gazania, alyssum).

Reviews

Irina Sergeevna, 56 years old:

“I bought a hazel grouse bulb in a flower shop. I planted it in the fall and covered it with leaves on top. A flower appeared in the spring. Let me tell you, the smell is terrible. At the slightest breath of wind, its aroma is heard. It is better to plant away from home. Although it is a very beautiful and huge flower.”

Galina Viktorovna, 48 years old:

"My favorite early spring flower. Requires no attention. I plant around the perimeter of the garden. He scares the moles away from me. I dig up the bulbs in July, and in early October I bury them in the ground again.”