Like the bird of the same name, the hazel grouse flower catches the eye with its variegated color. Some varieties of this plant have spots on the petals, arranged like cells on a chessboard. The hazel grouse belongs to the lily family. Its wild species are quite common in the Caucasus and Turkey, in Iran and in Central Asia. They can be found even in the Far East. About a hundred species of these bulbous plants grow on the globe. They are diverse not only in appearance - the shape and color of flowers, but also in flowering time.
General information
Breeders have bred many varieties of fritillaria, or hazel grouse, differing in many ways.
Many of them are named after gods - Aphrodite, Alba, Jupiter, Artemis, etc. In total, there are about twenty different forms of plants with a tall stem and hanging large flowers. Despite the amazing beauty, hazel grouse is extremely unpretentious. Any novice gardener can easily grow them in his flower bed. In ourThe country's most common hazel grouse imperial. A photo of a flower of this plant surprises with its unearthly beauty and exotic appearance, reminiscent of a royal crown. In the people, this amazing motley flower is simply called "pockmarked". The ancestors of this plant came to Russia from Turkey as early as 1580. Fritillaries quickly spread and won the love of European flower growers. Today, about twenty species of this amazing culture are represented by breeders. And one of them is precisely the imperial or royal hazel grouse. This plant is often found in home gardens. Due to its unpretentiousness, it is highly valued by domestic gardeners.
Description and photo of imperial hazel grouse
The stem of this perennial representative of the lily family is quite high - up to one meter long. Flowers are bell-shaped, large, drooping. They, depending on the variety, are orange with a red or brown bloom, as well as golden yellow. The imperial hazel grouse impresses with its amazingly beautiful flowers. Formed in the axils of the leaves, they are located along the tall trunk in groups of five to seven pieces.
From above, just above the buds, the leaf mass is growing. In early spring, the imperial hazel grouse flower looks especially impressive. After all, a person over the winter weans from the bright colors in the garden. Planted along with other early flowers, imperial hazel grouse complements the composition and emphasizes the color of other flowers. It looks especially beautiful with tulips and daffodils. ToUnfortunately, the imperial hazel grouse flower does not please the eye for long: it blooms for only twenty days. Its elongated leaves have a glossy surface and a rich emerald hue.
However, this flower has one not entirely pleasant feature: its round, slightly flattened bulbs have a somewhat unpleasant smell. Nevertheless, this characteristic does not prevent the culture from leading among primroses.
Is it easy to care for a plant like imperial hazel grouse? Planting and caring for it have any features? When is the best time to dig up its bulbs and how to store them? These questions are of interest to many gardeners. In this article, we will try to tell as much as possible about this amazing culture, as well as about all the agrotechnical measures that it needs.
Cultivation of imperial hazel grouse
Planting and caring for this plant in the open field are procedures that require certain knowledge from the gardener. Despite the fact that the culture in our country has been grown for a long time, nevertheless, it often presents unpleasant surprises to novice flower growers. For example, judging by the reviews, quite often there is a situation when the plant does not release buds. The fact is that, despite the widespread belief that the imperial hazel grouse is unpretentious, in order to see it bloom, the gardener will have to work hard. However, with proper care, two flower stalks grow from one bulb.
Selecting planting material
A lot depends on the quality of the bulb. Today it is not possible to purchase planting materialis no work. Imperial hazel grouse bulbs are available in almost all specialized stores.
It is known that the flower of this fritillaria is mainly limited to three shades - orange, yellow and red. Therefore, if the pictures attached to the bulbs show pink, purple or even black inflorescences, you should not buy such planting material.
When choosing bulbs, you should pay attention to both their size and quality. In diameter, they must be at least four centimeters, otherwise you can not wait for flowering. Imperial hazel grouse bulbs can weigh from five hundred grams and more. They look like flattened balls with a through hole. Bulbs should not be soft to the touch, they should not have cracks, mold and rot. Roots are allowed.
Place in the garden
For successful outdoor cultivation, the bulbs must be placed in the ground in open sunny areas.
Judging by the reviews, the imperial hazel grouse grows well in partial shade. Therefore, this plant can be planted on the southwestern or western slopes, around arbors, at terraces and country houses, under deciduous bushes. The site must be protected from drafts, as strong winds can break tall stems. If there is no such place in the garden, it is recommended to use reliable props.
Landing
Outwardly, the imperial hazel grouse resembles a smalla tree covered with beautiful flowers. The soil for this plant should be light. Imperial hazel grouse, which is planted in open ground in different regions at different times, looks great in group compositions.
If the bulbs of the plant were stored in sawdust in a cool room in winter, then they should be planted in a container somewhere in early February and kept at room conditions. After the last frost, seedlings with already developed stems should be planted in open ground.
In areas where the winter is mild, imperial hazel grouse can be planted in late September or mid-October. Before the onset of cold weather, the bulbs will need to be covered from frost with film, compost or sawdust. The disadvantage of this method is that during a long spring, partial decay of the planting material may occur. Wells should be prepared two weeks in advance. The holes should be about forty in diameter, and thirty centimeters in depth. If a group planting is expected, then the distance between the holes should be 25-30 cm. After two weeks, sand should be poured into each of the holes, and a peg about a meter long should be inserted into the center. You need to lay a bulb near it and sprinkle it with earth fertilized with compost.
Care
The imperial hazel grouse begins to demand attention immediately after the snow melts. Gardeners remove the winter shelter so that the bulbs do not begin to rot due to lack of oxygen. The soil must be immediately loosened and soaked with a solution of potassium permanganate. Then you should givemineral bait.
Hazel grouse is not afraid of spring frosts. When caring for hazel grouse, a necessary measure is the regular removal of weeds and careful loosening of the soil.
Water and fertilize
Cut the flowers of imperial hazel grouse so that part of the leaves remains on the stem. Bulb care involves moistening the soil only in dry weather. The imperial hazel grouse is no exception. Watering this plant can be minimized by covering the soil around it with mulch. Otherwise, regular waterlogging of the bulbs can lead to their decay and death of the hazel grouse. But in a dry summer, the bushes must be watered even after the stem dies. So that the bulbs in the ground do not dry out, it will be enough to supply moisture twice a month.
After the last frost, imperial hazel grouse should be fed with a special mixture of humus, complex fertilizer and nitrophosphate. At the initial stage of flowering, the plant needs potassium and wood ash. And after flowering, to obtain he althy planting material, top dressing is carried out with superphosphate or potassium sulfate.
Methods of reproduction
It has long been noticed that in the areas where the imperial hazel grouse grows, there are no mole minks, there are fewer bears and other pests. This plant is planted even on potato beds, so that it scares away the wireworm and the Colorado potato beetle. It is believed that its bulbs have an unpleasant odor, in addition, they emit harmful substances. breedshazel grouse imperial vegetatively - by dividing the bulbs and seeds. For children, planting material should be dug out at the end of June, when the foliage has not yet dried up. During the season, the mother bulb grows strongly, forming one or two daughters. They are separated and grown for two years.
It's easy to divide the mother bulb. After that, the children should be disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then stored for two or three weeks in a well-ventilated and dry room at a temperature not exceeding +30 ° C. During this time, the separated children should already give roots and processes. Since young bulbs do not yet have protective scales, they should be handled with extreme care.
Seeds that ripen in dried bolls of the plant should be sown in open ground immediately after harvest.
