Scylla, which is popularly called the blueberry, is the first herald of spring. The delicate flower has incredible strength, breaking through the barely thawed soil. Scylla can be called an amazing flower also because even botanists are divided in opinion, ranking the flower either in the Liliaceae family, or in the Asparagus or Hyacinth family.
But it is worth noting that these families, despite a number of morphological differences and features, have much in common. There are more than 85 species of Proleska. The plant feels great in the climatic conditions of both Europe and Asia with Africa.
Types of woodlands
- Siberian bluegrass prefers the forests of Europe, rocky slopes and mountain glades of the Caucasus. Plant height can reach 30 centimeters. Propagated by seeds.
- Tubergen is the smallest species of plant with a surprisingly large flower. Blooms in the second half of April. Widely used in landscape design.
- The two-leaved species is not named so in vain, since the leaves of the flower are wide and long. Peduncle produces up to 10 flowers of different colors. They can be white, pink, blue.
- The Bukhara species is very rare both in nature,as well as in the gardens. Grows high in the mountains. It blooms in late April - early May, after which, preparing for a dormant period, the flower sheds leaves.
- Autumn Scilla is common in the steppes of the Crimea and Transcaucasia. It has an unusual flowering time for Scilla: late July - early August.
Siberian Scilla: photo and description, features of the species
Siberian Scylla is recognizable by long tall leaves with parallel venation. Flowers have ray symmetry. There are 6 petals on the flower. The color is predominantly blue, blue, white. The diameter of the flower varies from 1.5 to 3 cm. The bulb, 2 cm in diameter, is designed to store nutrients. Flowering occurs in mid-spring, in summer it is dormant. Blooms no more than 20 days. Flowers are pollinated by bumblebees and bees.
The Siberian blueberry flower loves the sun very much, it does not open in cloudy weather. A light cap, consisting of a group of mechanical tissue cells, at the top of the leaves helps the plant break through frozen soil, a layer of compressed melt snow and an ice crust. Propagated by seeds, which are taken away by ants.
Subspecies of the Siberian Scilla
Siberian Scilla, the description of which was presented above, has several subspecies.
Siberian subspecies prefers the forest-steppe zone of growth. The bulb is small, 2-3 cm in diameter. The length of the flower arrow is 12-15 cm. The leaves are light green. Flower diameter - 2 cm. Blooms in the second half of April.
Hads on wella white species of Siberian scilla, forming up to 5 children per season. The height of the flower arrows is up to 10 cm. The color of the leaves is pale green. The flowers are pure white and 2 cm in diameter.
Extremely rare in the collections there are species of Siberian blueberry of soft pink or pale blue color.
The Armenian subspecies is distributed in the meadows of the Caucasus and in northeastern Turkey. Prefers shady places and grows in groups. It has a fairly long flower arrow up to 25 cm. There are no more than 4 bright blue flowers on it.
The Caucasian subspecies is found in the forests of Transcaucasia. The bulb has a diameter of 1.5 cm. Peduncles are tall with 3-5 blue-violet flowers.
Spring beauty is a variety resulting from intraspecific selection. The arrows are powerful blue-violet with at least five flowers 3 cm in diameter. Propagated by a baby, the seeds are not tied. Looks good in combination with white scribble.
Optimal location
Siberian Scilla loves the sun, but also grows well in partial shade. The main thing is that it should not be too dry a place with a scorching sun throughout the day, otherwise it will disappear. Wet and waterlogged terrain also does not suit her. When planting for the purpose of early flowering, it is better to choose places on the southern slopes. Shady areas delay flowering.
Suitable soil
Siberian Scilla, the photo of which is presented in our article, prefers loose, rich in leaveshumus soil. Dry sandy soil requires a deeper landing. If the blueberry is not grown in open ground, then there must be drainage in the pot at the bottom. Siberian spelling does not accept acidic soils. Slightly acidic or neutral soil will be optimal. He loves mulching, that is, covering the root zone with various materials such as leaves, bark of deciduous trees, straw, pebbles to preserve moisture and beneficial properties of the soil. Needles and bark of coniferous trees will not work as a shelter for this plant.
Fertilizers
Although the mother species of blueberry growing in the wild are unlikely to receive additional fertilizer, horticultural species do need it. If you want to get a strong plant with abundant and long flowering, not susceptible to disease, feed it.
The most suitable time for top dressing is, of course, the beginning of spring, before the start of sap flow. You can do this process in late autumn.
No special fertilizer required. A standard mineral set in the form of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus is fine. For autumn top dressing, it is better to choose granular types of fertilizers, for spring - liquid ones.
How Scylla breeds
Siberian sprout can be propagated by bulbs and self-sowing. In season, the plant can produce up to 4 bulbs. They are planted in the ground in autumn in holes up to 8 cm deep, at a distance of 5 cm from each other. New bulbs in a plant appear at different depths, it is often difficult to dig everything out during transplantation, therefore, in the place where the blueberries once grew, they will appear andbloom for a long time. You can dig up bulbs for propagation no earlier than three years after planting.
Small bulbs are not stored for a long time. They must be planted in the ground no later than a month after extraction. You can store large bulbs until autumn in peat in a cool room.
With the generative method of propagation, at least 2 years must pass from the moment of sowing to the first flowering.
Susceptibility to diseases and pests
Everyone knows that it is better to prevent the disease than to fight it, so before planting the bulb of the plant should be carefully inspected and checked. Onion hoverfly larvae penetrate the bulb and gnaw it from the inside. The planting material you have chosen may already be infested. Insecticides should be used to treat the soil where there are traces of the root onion mite. They like to feast on bulbs of Scylla Medvedka and Khrushchev. It is desirable to destroy them mechanically, by removing the larvae and adults while digging the soil.
Not only insects can lead to the death of a plant, but also stagnant water with abundant watering and poor drainage. This causes the appearance of a fungus that provokes rot. You can try to save the bulb at the initial stage of the development of the disease by dipping it for a while in a solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide. In the spring, this solution can be watered plants to prevent disease.
Siberian blueberry, planting and care of which is notrequire professional skills, in a suitable, not stingy soil, it will delight with bright flowering and abundant growth for more than one year.
