Siberian scilla. Growing Siberian blueberries: varieties, photos of flowers. Subspecies of the Siberian blueberry

The arrival of spring is always associated with the awakening of nature, the appearance of lush greenery and fragrant inflorescences. One of these heralds of spring is the blueberry flower, which, thanks to its early flowering, received a second, no less popular, name - the blue snowdrop. We offer to study the features of this plant, the secrets of caring for it.

Botanical description of the blueberry flower

Scilla flower or Scilla is a perennial bulbous plant belonging to the Asparagus family. The genus of the plant includes more than 80 species, widely distributed in European, Asian, African countries.

Due to unpretentiousness, the ability to adapt to the environment, the blueberry plant multiplies rapidly, is practically not susceptible to disease.

Most varietal representatives of the plant have low, medium growth (up to 30-35 cm), but there are varieties whose height can reach a meter.

Saturated green leaves of the plant are collected in a rosette, have an oblong shape. Usually they appear on the soil surface at the same time as the peduncle, or a little earlier. Small single flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences, located on a long, smooth and strong peduncle. The most common blue spells, but there are varieties with snow-white, purple, pink, blue petals. Most varieties bloom in early spring, but there are also those, the flowering period, which falls at the end of summer, the beginning of autumn.

After flowering, a fruit box is formed, which contains small black ovoid seeds.

Bulbs have a round, ovoid shape, the color of the outer shell varies from purple to brown.

Planting and caring for a scilla

The blueberry flower prefers to develop in semi-shaded places, under the canopy of trees. Direct sunlight adversely affects the growth and health of the plant, therefore it is not recommended to plant it in open areas of the garden. The soil for the sprout is fertile, well-permeable to air and moisture.

Caring for a blueberry is quite easy, it does not require a lot of time. The main thing is to ensure regular watering. The plant does not respond well to prolonged drought, but you should also not over-moisten the soil - this can lead to rotting of the root bulbs.

Fertilize the forest at the first appearance of shoots. Complex mineral fertilizers are used. For varieties that bloom in autumn, fertilizing is carried out in the autumn. Regular watering and enrichment of the soil provide abundant flowering, promote the growth of juicy green foliage.

It is also recommended that after each watering, slightly loosen the ground, breaking the upper crust, and removing weeds. To avoid leakage of moisture, to prevent the appearance of weeds, plantings of blueberries can be mulched with peat or dry foliage, straw.

In order to prevent the degeneration of the flower, it must be transplanted to another place every three years. Transplantation is carried out in the fall (September-October), for which the dug bulbs are freed from overgrown children and transplanted into new soil.

Most Scylla cultivars are hardy and do not require additional shelter for the winter. Only young plantings and flower beds located in open space can be covered with foliage or special matter.

Proleska propagation

The flower is often propagated by daughter bulbs. Healthy, well-formed bulbs are chosen for planting. They are planted in early autumn in pre-prepared soil. The distance between the bulbs should be at least 5 cm, planting depth - 5-8 cm (depending on the size of the bulb).

In most varieties, the color of the blueberry produces a large number of seeds, which independently disperse over the surrounding area. Seedlings bloom in the third or fourth year. To limit the spread of culture throughout the garden, faded inflorescences should be cut off in time, before the seeds ripen.

There is also the opportunity to grow the plant at the right time, for example, for the spring holiday or the birthday of a special, dear person.

To do this, you should: at the end of autumn, plant the required number of bulbs in a pre-prepared container with soil mixture (garden soil, sand, peat mixed in equal proportions). It is necessary to deepen the tubers to a depth of about 1–2 cm. Cover the planting with thick paper, keep it in a cool (up to +5 degrees), dark room.

Twenty days before the scheduled event, the container with bulbs must be transferred to a warm room (about +15 degrees). A week before the event, the paper is removed from the container, the landing is transferred to a warm, lit place, abundantly moistened.

Pests and diseases of the blueberry flower

It is worth noting that the blueberry flower is quite resistant to various diseases, but still, some diseases caused by improper care are inherent in it.

So, an abundance of moisture in the soil can lead to the appearance of fungal infections, which as a result will provoke rotting of the bulbs. The first signs of the onset of the disease are yellowing of the foliage, drying of the peduncle. Affecting the bulb, the disease leads to the death of the flower.

Dead flowers must be burned, and the ground must be treated with a fungicide. Only after processing the soil is suitable for subsequent planting.

The blueberry flower can also infect the root mite, the larvae of which grow inside the bulb. You can fight the infection of the plant with mites by tillage. The mulch used to cover the planting should also be decontaminated before sprinkling the soil.

In garden conditions, tubers can suffer from mice that feast on the rhizome. You can prevent rodents by planting tubers in special metal bags. They go deep into the ground during the planting of the bulbs, serve as a reliable protection against mice.

Scilla scillas in garden landscaping

Due to the tenderness of the inflorescences, the perennial blueberry is widely used to decorate the spring garden. It looks good in single plantings, perfectly combined with the awakening greenery of shrubs and trees. It can also be used to organize group beds made up of primroses.

It is possible to make a flower bed from flowers of different flowering times, when the blue scilla fades, another type of plant can bloom in its place, for example, a peony, which will cover the landing site of the scilla with its lush crown.

Scylla flower looks good cut, in spring bouquets. Its delicate buds, bright greenery will not leave indifferent any of the fair sex.

Species diversity

As we have already mentioned, the flower has a large species diversity. Let's dwell on several types that are most decorative:

• (Scilla bifolia). Srednerosly view, the height of the shoots reaches 15-20 cm. It has two broad-leaved leaves, about 5 cm wide.
  Photo of two-leaved scilla (Scilla bifolia)

  The color of the petals is blue or purplish blue. The flowers are star-shaped, collected in racemose inflorescences of ten pieces. Widely distributed in European countries.

• (Scilla siberica). The most common species in the CIS countries. The number of leaves varies from two to four.
  

  The flowers are drooping, cup-shaped, collected in inflorescences of 4-5 pieces. Petals are bright blue. The height of the bush is up to twenty centimeters. Thanks to breeding, a large number of varieties have been bred, among which there are specimens with snow-white, dark blue inflorescences.

• bluebell flower or Spanish(Scilla hispanica). A tall species, the height of the shoots of which reaches forty centimeters.
  Campanula (Spanish)

  The width of the bush is about ten centimeters. Differs in fast development, grows well. The foliage is dark green, shiny. The flowers are shaped like a small bell (diameter about 2 cm). The racemose inflorescence consists of 10-15 flowers. Depending on the variety, the petals can be snow-white, pink-violet, blue-violet.

• Peruvian blueberry flower(Scilla peruviana). The height of the culture reaches 30 cm, the width is about 10 cm. It is distinguished by the presence of abundant foliage - up to 15 leaves per bush.
  

  The leaves are preserved year-round, dying off with the advent of new leaf blades. The flowers are collected in lush inflorescences of 50-100 pieces. Depending on the variety, the petals can be blue, white, dark purple. The flowering period begins in the summer.

• Cilician blueberry(Scilla cilica). The height of the shoots reaches 35 cm. The flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences of 5-15 pieces.
  Scilla Cilician

  Petals lavender blue.

Among the very first spring flowers, the blue-blue flowers enchant with the touching tenderness of the blue-blue flowers. The fragile plant magically breaks through the freshly thawed soil at the same time as snowdrops, for which it is often confused and called "blue snowdrops". If desired, the blueberry can be settled in your garden and every spring again and again admire the blue scattering of its flowers.

Scilla in the old and new taxonomy

Scilla is a genus of bulbous herbaceous plants, in which there are about 90 species. Previously, the genus belonged to the Liliaceae family, now some scientists attribute it to the order and the Asparagus family. Other researchers believe that the presence of a bulb, life forms and chemical components of plants allow it to be classified as a member of the Hyacinth family. In turn, the Hyacinth family itself was also included in some taxonomies of monocot plants as Asparagus, others use traditional taxonomy. Therefore, inconsistencies can be found in the literature. Despite some morphological differences and features, these two families have many common features. Therefore, any systematics, old or new, is recognized in the world and is not considered erroneous. In the photo: Siberian blueberry (Scilla sibirica)
Sometimes the blueberry is confused with the liverwort. Their flowers have the same number of petals (six) in a similar bright blue hue, both plants bloom in early spring. Scilla can be easily distinguished by long lanceolate leaves. The liverwort has three-lobed leaves, similar to clover leaves, it belongs to the buttercup family, a class of dicotyledonous plants and is not a relative of Scylla. There is a blueberry plant, similar in name to the "billet", but outwardly it is very different from it.

Scilla - an ephemeroid plant

Scilla (Scilla), or blueberry, refers to ephemeroids - perennial plants in which bulbs or rhizomes contain a supply of nutrients. The vegetation period of these plants is a very short period of time, they spend most of their lives underground. Most representatives of the genus Proleska, like many ephemeroids, develop in early spring before the leaves appear on the trees. But some species, for example, the autumn blueberry (Scilla autumnalis), bloom in late summer or autumn, like the familiar autumn crocus. In decorative floriculture, autumn blueberry is used very rarely.

All types of Scylla are found mainly in the northern hemisphere in Africa, Asia and Europe. Only a few of them, for example, Violet Scylla, live in the mountains of South Africa. Scillas grow in different plant communities: mixed and broad-leaved forests; mountain meadows; steppe regions; forest-steppe communities; can grow high in the mountains at an altitude exceeding 3600 meters.

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"" In the photo: Siberian blueberry (Scilla sibirica)

How to recognize the blueprint

Scylla is a herbaceous plant with long leaves with parallel venation. Its modified underground stem, the bulb, serves to store nutrients. The flowers are actinomorphic, that is, they have ray symmetry. Scilla has a simple perianth, six petals and stamens, one pistil and an upper ovary. Small flowers are collected in inflorescences of an ear and a brush, or single. Scylla flowers are mostly blue and blue, but some species and varieties have other shades of petals. The Japanese Scilla (Scilla scilloides) has pink flowers, the Pushkin-like Scilla (Scilla puschkinioides) flowers are white, rarely blue. In culture, many combs with flowers of different shades have been bred, mainly these are varieties of the Siberian blueberry.
The fruit is a pod with a large number of small seeds. This is another difference from typical representatives of the asparagus family, which have a berry fruit.
Many types of scylla are used in landscape design. Scillas are unpretentious, can reproduce by self-sowing, are frost-resistant, and are not demanding in care. Flowering in early spring, bluebells adorn flower beds when other plants are just starting to develop. Scylla can grow in partial shade, and in the shade, and in sunny areas. It is suitable for alpine slides, lawns with grass, flower beds and for forcing in pots.

““ In the photo: Siberian blueberry (Scilla sibirica), planted in the near-trunk circle of an apple tree. Thanks to good self-seeding, a whole lawn of blueberries was formed.

"" In the photo: Siberian blueberry, planted in among the stones in the rock garden.

Conditions for growing blueberries

Lighting
Scylla loves good lighting, but can grow in partial shade or indirect light. Types of blueberries that bloom in early spring need to be planted in more lighted places. And those that bloom in May-June, when solar activity is much higher, will feel better next to other plants, in grass or partial shade.

Soil features
Proleska prefers loose substrates, which include leaf humus, organic-rich soil containing mineral components. It is good to add forest soil with pieces of semi-decomposed bark and leaves to the garden soil for planting. The soil should be moist, but not wet. Do not allow stagnant water, acidification of the soil or waterlogging of the soil. In such cases, the amount of oxygen in the soil decreases and the development of soil fungi increases. This leads to rotting of the bulb and death of the plant.
The soil for scilla should be light and well-permeable to water. If the cultivation of blueberries occurs in pots or containers (that is, not in open ground), then drainage should always be laid on the bottom.
Scylla cannot grow on soils with high acidity. Optimal for it is a neutral or slightly acidic environment (pH 6.5-7.0).
For a better condition and comfortable growth of the blueberry, it is necessary to mulch (cover) the soil surface with a variety of materials to preserve moisture and useful properties of the substrate. Suitable for this purpose: leaf humus; bark of deciduous trees (except walnut); straw; small pebbles that can also perform a decorative function. Needles and bark of coniferous trees cannot be used for mulching of the blueberry. Decomposing under the action of water, they change the pH of the soil, making it more acidic.

Watering and humidity
Scylla loves moisture, but not phlegm. A flowering plant should be watered carefully, trying to keep the water less on the flowers - then they will retain their decorative effect longer. It is preferable to water the sprouts in the morning.

fertilizers
Some gardeners believe that the garden Scylla is not far removed from the wild mother species and therefore does not particularly need mineral supplements. This is an erroneous opinion. You can do without fertilizers, but in this case the plants will be weaker, the flowering will be short and not so plentiful, the blueberries will be more often affected by diseases.
The time for mineral dressing is early spring before the start of the growing season or in the earliest period of leaf development before the formation of peduncles. Fertilizers can also be applied in late autumn, because some types of woods begin to germinate during this period and germinate overwinter under the snow.
You need to fertilize with the main minerals: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. In autumn, it is better to apply granular or slow-dissolving fertilizers, and in spring, feed with liquid ones. If fertilizers are complex, then it is desirable that, in addition to the three main substances, they contain trace elements: iron, copper, magnesium, calcium.
Scilla bifolia (www.wikimedia.org; Florian Grossir) »»

Forcing of the blueberry

Scilla, like all bulbous plants, can be planted for forcing in pots; for this, Siberian scilla or two-leaved scilla is more often used.
Scylla can be made to bloom by the New Year or by March 8th. For forcing the sprouts, healthy bulbs are taken, planted in a shallow container in a mixture of sand and earth (1: 2), or in perlite. A little humus can be added to the substrate.
The time of planting the bulbs depends on what period the flowering is timed to. If you plant scilla bulbs at the end of September, then it will bloom by the end of December. But usually sprouts for distillation are planted later: in October or November. The soil should be slightly damp, not overdried. After planting, pots with bulbs are placed in a dark, damp room (the temperature should be from 0 to +5 degrees). In this state, the bulbs remain 8-10 weeks. After that, the pots are taken out into the light, watered and fed. The temperature is important for the growth of the blueberry, but it should not exceed +15 degrees C. At high temperatures, the scylla may not bloom, or its flowering period will be very short.
Pots with planted bulbs can be put outside until the forcing period. So that the bulbs do not freeze, the container is buried in humus or sawdust flush with the ground. Top with leaves or straw. In this state, the bulbs should be at least two months. The main condition is the cold temperature outside. Negative temperatures are not terrible for covered scilla bulbs. After two months, the pot is dug up and brought into heat for further distillation.
““ Scilla hyacinthoides (Photo: Stan Shebs, wikimedia.org)

Proleska breeding

Spillage is propagated by seeds (generatively) and bulbs (vegetatively). Seeds can be sown directly into the soil, or you can pre-sow in a container. The substrate must be rich in organic matter and well aerated. From the moment of sowing to flowering, 2-3 years pass.
Scylla vegetative propagation is carried out with the help of baby bulbs or by cutting off the bottom of the bulb and planting it. In the first case, children can be planted immediately in open ground, the bottom is planted in a separate container. When babies form on the bottom, they are carefully torn off with tweezers and planted separately. The soil and growing conditions for bulbs are the same as for adult Scylla.
For propagation, the bulbs are dug up no earlier than three years after planting. In one place, the plant can grow for more than 5 years. Depending on the type, the bulbs are planted to a depth equal to their height, at a distance from each other, somewhat greater than this value. The bulbs are dug up after the leaves have died off and immediately planted in a permanent place or stored in peat in a cool room until the end of August - beginning of September, after which they are planted in the ground.
Scilla litardierei (Kurt Stuber, wikimedia.org) »»

Diseases and pests of the blueberry

With abundant watering and poor drainage of the substrate, the scilla bulb can be affected by a fungus that causes rot. If the process began at the initial stage of development, then the bulb can be saved by holding it for some time in a solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide. If the bulb is severely affected, it will no longer be possible to save it. In the spring, the fungicide solution can be watered with a prophylactic purpose.
Scilla bulbs can eat Khrushchev and Medvedka. The best way to deal with them is to mechanically remove larvae and adult insects while digging the soil.
The onion hoverfly is a dangerous pest that often leads to the death of Scylla. The larvae of this fly penetrate the bulbs and gnaw them from the inside. To get rid of this pest, you need repeated treatment with an insecticide - a poison that affects insects. The same method (insecticide) should be dealt with onion root mites. Before planting, you need to carefully check the bulbs, this will help to avoid many diseases and pests.
"" Scilla Portuguese or grape Scilla peruviana (Photo: Jean Tosti, wikimedia.org)

Types and varieties of blueberries

The main use of scilla is decorative floriculture and outdoor landscaping. The following types of scilla are often used in gardens:

Siberian Scilla Scilla sibirica- in culture since the 18th century, on the basis of this species, varieties with white, pink and dark purple petals were created. Flowers solitary or collected in an inflorescence of 3 flowers. Flowering occurs at the end of April. There is a natural variety with white flowers, Scilla siberica var. alba

Scilla bifolia- the plant is very short, characterized by abundant flowering and fragrant flowers. In a racemose inflorescence, up to 15 flowers can be counted. In culture since the 16th century. There are subspecies with white, pink, pale blue and dark blue flowers.

"" Scilla Lucilia Scilla luciliae(photo: Jason Sturner, wikimedia.org) - suitable for lawns and flower beds located in partial shade or in the sun, long introduced into cultivation, widespread, formerly belonged to the genus Chionodoxa under the name Chionodoxa luciliae. It has natural varieties of Scilla forbesii and Scilla sardensis. The natural range of the plant is the highlands of Turkey. Planted at a depth of 7-10 cm, the distance between plants is 7 cm, every five years the plants are transplanted. Some varieties of Scilla Lucilia:
Alba - the variety has white flowers;
Rosy Queen - in the inflorescence there are up to 5 flowers, the light blue petals of which have blue-violet veins, and the white stamens are decorated with yellow pollen, the height of the plants is not more than 10 cm;
Violet Beauty - white stamens with yellow pollen contrast brightly against the background of purple petals, plant height 8 cm;
Violetta is a very low plant 5 cm high. In the inflorescence up to 7 pale blue flowers with white veins on the petals.

Scilla hyacinthoides- has dense inflorescences with many flowers that bloom gradually from bottom to top; peduncle height up to 80 cm. In Israel, it is used for cutting

Scilla litardierei Scilla litardierei- has two more synonymous names meadow or amethyst - this species has been cultivated for more than two hundred years, the natural range of the species is the Balkans. The most famous variety is Orjen. It blooms in early June, much later than the Siberian blueberry. The height of the inflorescence is 20 cm, it has up to 70 blue-violet flowers. The flowers look like little stars.

Scilla Bukhara, or Pushkin-shaped, Scilla bucharica- high-altitude ephemeroid, which has proven itself in culture; the height of thin stems (1-3) is up to 15 cm, the flowers are pale blue, wide open, with a blue vein in the center. Anthers are blue.

Scilla Portuguese/Grape Scilla peruviana(photo: Jean Tosti, wikimedia.org)»»
- originally from Portugal, has magnificent decorative inflorescences, in which there can be 40-100 flowers; the height of the peduncle is up to 40 cm, the flowers are blue up to 2 cm in diameter, the name is translated from Latin as “Peruvian”, this mistake was made by Carl Linnaeus in the taxonomy of the plant. The flowers of cultivars can be white, light and dark blue, blue and purple.

«« Spillage Mishchenko (Scilla mischtschenkoana)(photo: Kurt Stuber, wikimedia.org) – Occurs naturally in the south of the Caucasus and northern Iran, cultivated since the 1930s. Plant height up to 12 cm, leaf length up to 15 cm. It blooms in late April with pale blue flowers with dark veins, up to 2-2.5 cm in diameter. Up to five flowers in an inflorescence. The most famous variety awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society Scilla tubergeniana (Scilla tubergeniana).

For interior decoration (in indoor floriculture), the following types of scilla are used:

Purple Scilla (Scilla Violaceae, or S. socialis)- blooms with inconspicuous flowers in March-April, but is notable for gray-blue oval long leaves with green spots. The underside of the leaves are brownish.

Small-flowered blueberry (Scilla pauciflora)- blooms with pink flowers, the leaves have longitudinal stripes.

Scilla ovatifolia- the leaves are decorated with cherry spots.

Scilla graminifolia- dark cherry edging along the edges of green leaves.

““ Violet blueberry (Scilla Violaceae, or S. socialis), photo: www.greenboom.ru

In addition to the decorative use of some species of Japanese Scilla (it is also Scilla or Chinese - Scilla scilloides, or S. Japonica) is used in medicine.

All types of blueberries are good honey plants. An important role for insects is played by scilla species that bloom in early spring: Siberian blueberry and two-leaved blueberry.

Scilla or "scylla" is a bulbous perennial, representing the asparagus family, formerly lily. About 90 varieties grow in the world, Europe, Africa and Asia are considered the birthplace of the plant. From ancient Greek, the name translates as sea bow. Also, these flowers are popular under a different name blue snowdrop.

Shoots reach 12-25 cm. The foliage is wide, linear, collected in a squat bunch, appears at the same time as the inflorescences. It has a blue to purple color. Small flowers have racemose inflorescences, sometimes solitary. The flowering stage is in April, and some varieties are autumn-flowering.

The types of blueberries demanded by flower growers include:

• Spanish (Flowers are cylindrical-bell-shaped, blue, white, pink-purple. Flowering in June. It has many garden forms. Can be used in winter for forcing.);
• Two-leaved (reaches 12-13 cm, linear leaves and sky-blue flowers, 2-12 in inflorescences.);
• Autumn (It has narrow-linear, grooved leaves. The flowers are pale lilac in color, collected in racemose inflorescences. The beginning of flowering is the first decade of August.);
• Siberian (White buds grow simultaneously with leaves, reach 10-12 cm).

Below we will consider the Siberian blueberry: how to properly plant and care for it.

Reproduction and planting.

Diseases and pests.

Like any bulbous plant, it is subject to diseases such as bulbous and gray rot. The affected plants are destroyed. The pests of the plant are rodents (field mice) that damage the bulbs. For prevention, it is recommended to dig ditches around the flowers, into which poison with bait is placed and covered with earth. It is not excluded the defeat of the meadow tick, because of which the bulb rots and dries. For prevention and destruction in this situation, spraying Scylla and its bulbs with insectoacaricide preparations will help.

Such a bulbous perennial plant as scilla (Scilla) is a member of the asparagus family. However, some time ago this flower belonged to the lily or hyacinth family. This plant is also called Scylla. Often such a flower is mistaken for a snowdrop or hazel. This genus includes approximately 90 different plant species. Under natural conditions, they can be found in Africa, Asia and Europe, while they prefer to grow on the plains and mountain meadows. The name of such a flower came from the Greek name for the sea bow "skilla", the fact is that it was previously a representative of this genus. Such a plant is highly resistant to frost and disease, and it is also very beautiful and able to quickly adapt to any environmental conditions.

Such a bulbous plant as a blueberry is a perennial. The bulbs are round or ovoid in shape, and their outer scales are colored purple, dark gray or brown. Basal linear leaf plates grow earlier or at the same time with apical inflorescences, which have the shape of a brush and are located on leafless peduncles. Such a plant has one feature, for example, its leaves on rainy cool days are pressed against the surface of the soil, while when it is warm and sunny outside, they are located almost vertically. The composition of the inflorescences includes single flowers. The fruit is a box, inside which there are irregularly ovoid-shaped black seeds. Scilla is a primrose, as are the following plants: brandushka, white flower, sleep-grass (lumbago), goose onion, narcissus, pushkinia, hionodoxa, hazel grouse, saffron (crocus), adonis (adonis), eranthus (spring), hyacinth, muscari, snowdrop, primrose, dwarf iris and buttercup. Most species of Scylla bloom in early spring, but there are some species that bloom in autumn.

Planting scilla in open ground

What time to plant

Planting and growing blueberries is quite simple. These flowers are used, as a rule, to decorate borders, rockeries, alpine slides and mixborders. Also incredibly impressive are the trunk circles of garden trees, which in early spring are decorated with beautiful Scylla flowers. You can plant such a plant even during the flowering period. However, experts recommend planting spring-flowering scillas after the leaf plates die off (from mid-June), and those that bloom in spring - 4 weeks before the formation of flower stalks. These flowers prefer well-lit areas, but they can also be grown in a shady spot. It should be noted that autumn-flowering species are not as light-loving as compared to those that bloom in spring.

Landing features

Before proceeding with the direct landing of scilla, it is necessary to prepare the site. Best of all, such a plant will grow in soil with a large amount of organic matter, which includes mineral components and leaf humus. In order for these flowers to grow and develop excellently, it is recommended to mix garden soil with forest soil, which contains semi-decomposed tree bark and foliage. Suitable soil acidity should be between 6.5 and 7.0.

Between the landing holes, a distance of 5 to 10 centimeters must be observed. It is necessary to deepen the bulbs into the soil by 6–8 centimeters (depending on the size of the planting material).

Scilla is distinguished by its extreme unpretentiousness, when compared with other spring flowers. In order for this flower to grow normally, it must be watered if necessary, and after that it is imperative to loosen the soil surface to a depth of 20–25 mm, while weeding. Watering is recommended to be carried out in the morning, while you need to try so that the liquid does not fall on the surface of the flowers, as this can greatly spoil their appearance. In order to significantly reduce the amount of weeding and watering, you should cover the area where scilla grows with a layer of mulch (leaf humus).

Spring-flowering blueberries need to be fed with complex fertilizer (for example, Nitrofoska) at the beginning of the spring period, due to which flowering will be much more magnificent. And it is recommended to arrange top dressing for autumn-flowering species in the fall. It is best to add microelements such as iron, magnesium, calcium and copper to the complex mineral fertilizer.

It should be remembered that these plants reproduce well by self-sowing. If you do not have a desire to regularly remove unnecessary scillas from the site, then you need to cut off the fading flowers, trying to do this before the testicles appear.

Transfer

For the normal growth and development of this plant, it must be systematically transplanted once every 3 years, this will also allow the bushes to maintain a high decorative effect. Having dug up a bush, it is necessary to separate the children from the bulb, after which they are seated as soon as possible in order to avoid the appearance of rot on the bulbs. Transplantation experts advise to produce in the last days of September or the first - October.

For reproduction, blueberries use seeds and daughter bulbs. How to propagate with bulbs is described in detail above. In order to grow such a flower from seeds, they must first be collected. Around the last days of June, the seed pods should turn yellow and begin to crack. These boxes must be collected and seeds poured out of them, which are immediately sown in open ground. Such seeds have a relatively low germination rate, while bushes grown from seeds will bloom only when they are 3 or 4 years old. The first planting of such plants is carried out no earlier than 5 years later, during which time they will grow a large number of children, and the number of peduncles will also increase.

Diseases and pests

Like all small-bulbous plants, this flower is susceptible to infection with Achelenchoides, gray mold and bulb rot. The greatest danger of all pests to such a plant is the root meadow tick and mouse-like rodents.

Gray rot appears on the leaf plates and on the top of the bulb. A gray mold appears on the affected parts of the plant, and they begin to rot. Then dense spots appear on the bulbs. As the disease develops, the bushes turn yellow and die. Affected specimens must be dug up and burned as soon as possible. If bulbs in storage are infected with gray rot, then problem areas should be cut out and the wounds sprinkled with wood ash.

If the blueberry is infected achelenchoides, then there is a defeat of its aerial part, as well as onions. The scales on the bulbs turn brown and rot appears. So, if you make a cross section of the bulb, you will notice ring rot. In the affected bulb, necrotic spots appear on the surface. In infected specimens, there is a loss of decorativeness and a lag in development. Infected bulbs are dug up and burned. Healthy onions for preventive purposes should be put in a thermos with hot (43 degrees) water, where they should stay for 30 minutes.

bulb rot appears due to fungal infections, for example: Fusarium, Sclerotinia or Septoria. In a recently infected bush, the leaf plates begin to turn yellow, and then the infection enters the bulbs, which causes dirty red spots to appear on their surface. If you put the infected onions in storage, they become very hard and die. This disease begins to develop very quickly at high humidity.

mouse rodents(for example: house mice and voles) are very fond of eating the bulbs of this plant, while in the spring they can eat its sprouts. To protect the scilla around the area where it is grown, it is necessary to make a protective groove. Bait with poison should be placed in this groove, and do not forget to sprinkle them with soil a little, because birds can peck at the poisoned groats, which will lead to their death.

Larvae and adults root meadow mite gnaw through the bottom of the bulbs, and then make their way into their middle. There, the pests begin to suck the juice from the inner scales of the bulb, because of which it begins to rot and dry out. To get rid of this harmful insect, it is necessary to spray the affected bush with an insecticide (for example: Agravertin, Aktellik, Akarin, etc.). For prevention, before planting the bulbs in the soil, they should be pickled with one of these products.

After the plant has faded, it is necessary to remove the peduncle from it, while the leaf plates are cut off only after they have completely died off. There is no need to prepare Scylla for the upcoming winter in any special way, because it has a fairly high frost resistance and does not need shelter. However, if these flowers are cultivated in an open area, then to protect them from winter frosts, it is recommended to cover them with dried leaves or spruce branches.

Types and varieties of scilla (scilla) with photos and names

As already mentioned, there are quite a few types of blueberries, while most of them are successfully cultivated by gardeners. In this regard, below will be presented a description of only those of them that are quite popular, and you will also find the name of the most popular varieties.

Scilla bell-shaped (Scilla hispanica), or Spanish endymion (Endymion hispanicus), or Scilla bell-shaped

The homeland of such a plant is Spain, the southern part of France and Portugal. At the same time, this species prefers to grow in meadows and forests. This type is considered the most effective. Bush in height can reach from 0.2 to 0.3 meters. On single peduncles there are erect inflorescences with the shape of a brush, which consist of 5-10 bell-shaped flowers, reaching 20 mm in diameter and painted in pink, blue or white. Flowering begins in the last days of May and lasts about half a month. If the bulbs remain in the open ground for the winter, then they must be covered. Popular varieties:

1. Rose Queen. The height of the peduncles is about 0.2 meters, they contain pink flowers with a lilac tint, which have a very weak smell.
2. sky blue. On very strong peduncles, large blue flowers with a blue stripe are placed in a spiral.
3. La Grandes. The composition of the inflorescences includes 15 flowers of white color.
4. Rosabella. The height of the peduncles is about 0.3 meters, they are dense inflorescences, consisting of pinkish-lilac fragrant flowers. In the evening, their smell becomes much stronger.

Also, gardeners are happy to grow the following varieties of this type of scylla: Excelsior, Blue Queen, Blue Giant, Blue Pearl, Dainty Maid, Queen of Pinks, Mont Everest, Miozotis, etc.

Scilla two-leafed (Scilla bifolia), or scilla two-leaved

Under natural conditions, this type of scylla can be found in the Crimea, Ciscaucasia, the Mediterranean, as well as in the European part of Russia. It is considered the most undersized and luxuriant. The height of the bush, as a rule, does not exceed 0.15 meters. It has 1-3 peduncles, while each of them has inflorescences consisting of flowers of pink or white color, which have a sharp but rather pleasant aroma. Each inflorescence contains up to 15 flowers. This species has only 2 broad-linear leaf plates, the length of which is about 0.2 meters. This plant begins to bloom from mid-April, and the duration of flowering is about half a month. Cultivated since 1568. There is a garden form of bifolia var. Purpurea, the color of the flowers of which is purple.

Autumn scilla (Scilla autumnalis), or autumn scilla

Under natural conditions, such a plant can be found in North Africa, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. Up to 5 flower arrows can grow on one bush, the height of which varies from 0.15 to 0.2 meters. On them are loose racemose inflorescences, consisting of 6-20 small flowers of light lilac or purple-red color. It begins to bloom in the last days of July or the first - August. The length of linear grooved narrow leaf plates is about 0.25 m. It has been cultivated since 1597.

Peruvian Scilla (Scilla peruviana), or Scilla Peruvian

This species is native to the Western Mediterranean. 2 or 3 flower arrows appear on the bush, which reach a height of 0.35 m. Dense conical inflorescences are placed on them, which consist of small (less than 10 mm in diameter) deep blue flowers. One inflorescence can consist of a maximum of 80 flowers. The length of linear sheet plates is about 30 centimeters, and their width reaches half a centimeter. On one bush grows 5-8 leaves.

Siberian scilla (Scilla sibirica), or Siberian scilla

This species was named erroneously, because it cannot be found on the territory of Siberia. Under natural conditions, this flower can be found in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, in the European part of Russia, in central and southern Europe. Blue flowers grow at the same time with leaf plates. Flowers contain nectar. This species has one peculiarity, the fact is that its flowers open at 10 am, and close at 16–17 pm, and if the weather is cloudy, they may not open at all. Such a scilla has 3 subspecies:

In nature, you can meet in Eastern Transcaucasia. The height of the flower arrows can vary from 0.2 to 0.4 m. The color of the flowers is dark blue with a purple tint. Flowering begins in the second half of the spring period and lasts 15–20 days.

In the wild, it is found in the northeastern part of Turkey and in the southern Transcaucasus. Leaf blades are sickle-shaped. The height of flower arrows is from 10 to 15 centimeters, flowers of a rich blue color are located on them. Flowering begins in mid-spring and lasts from 15 to 20 days.

Under natural conditions, you can meet in the European part of Russia, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus and in Asia Minor and Western Asia. This subspecies in culture is considered the most popular. The bushes have 3 or 4 broad-line leaf plates, which reach a width of 15 mm. The height of peduncles is about 0.3 m, while there can be 1–4 of them on one bush. The color of the flowers is azure. Flowering begins in mid-spring and lasts approximately 20 days. In culture, this subspecies since the beginning of the 17th century. This subspecies has a form with white flowers, it has been cultivated since 1798, its flowering begins 7–10 days later than plants of other colors, but its duration is 1 month. There are also varieties with blue or pink flowers. The most popular varieties of this subspecies:

• Spring Beauty, at this moment this variety is considered the best, on its strong green-purple peduncles there are 5 or 6 dark purple flowers, the diameter of which does not exceed 30 mm. This variety is very popular in Western European culture. It does not have seeds, but it is quite easy to propagate it with children.
• Alba. Very showy flowers have a snow-white color. At the same time, this variety looks great when planted together with the previous one.

Also quite often cultivated by gardeners are such species as: Scylla grape, Pushkin-shaped, Rosen, Tubergen (or Mishchenko), purple, one-flowered, sea (sea onion), Litardieu, Chinese (proleskovidnaya), Italian, Vinogradova, Bukhara (or Vvedensky).

Siberian blueberry (Scilla siberica) is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant that belongs to the Asparagus family. It is widespread in Eastern Europe, including the European territory of Russia. Found in Western Asia and the Caucasus. Most often grows in deciduous forests, especially in thickets of shrubs and on the edges. The flowers of the Siberian blueberry are frost-resistant and highly decorative, resistant to diseases, and also the ability to adapt to any weather conditions. Many species are used in landscape design.

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Description

Scilla is described as a bulbous plant. The bulbs are ovoid or round, with brown, purple or dark gray outer scales. The leaves are basal, linear, which appear before or simultaneously with the apical inflorescences on leafless peduncles. The peculiarity of the leaf plates is that on cold or cloudy days they are pressed against the ground, and in sunny and warm weather they take an almost vertical position.

Inflorescences consist of single flowers of blue, white, purple, blue, pink and purple color and are racemose or spike-shaped. The length of the arrow on which the flowers grow is 10–30 cm. The fruit is a box with black seeds. The phenorythmotype of the blueberry is early spring, that is, it begins to bloom in March-April, when the leaves have not yet blossomed on the trees. Bulbs or rhizomes contain a supply of nutrients.

Flower formula: ♂+♀ * P(3+3) A3+3 G (3). Her decryption:

• ♂+♀ - the flower contains stamens and carpels;
• * - the flower is correct (actinomorphic);
• P 3 + 3 - a simple perianth, the petals are arranged in three leaves in two circles;
• A 3+3 - three free stamens arranged in two circles;
• G (3) - one pistil formed by three fused carpels, upper ovary.

Species and varieties

In garden plots, the following types of scylla are most often found:

View	Description	Varieties
Siberian spelling	A plant with single flowers or collected in an inflorescence of three flowers. Blooms at the end of April	Scilla siberica var. alba - variety with white flowers
Scilla two-leaved	Dwarf plant with fragrant flowers. Blooms profusely. There are varieties with dark blue, pale blue, pink and white colors.
Scilla Lucilia	Used for flower beds and lawns that are located in the sun or in partial shade	Alba is a plant with white flowers. Rosy Queen - light blue petals with blue-violet veins. Violet Beauty - white stamens with yellow pollen contrast brightly against the background of purple petals
Chinese blueberry	Beautifully flowering perennial with an ovoid bulb 25 mm long. The leaves are 5–6 mm wide, and the height of the peduncle is 35–40 cm. Pink-purple flowers are collected in elongated inflorescences. The species is listed in the Red Book
Scilla bell-shaped	A low plant with bell-shaped flowers of white, pink or blue color, reaching a diameter of 2 cm. They are collected in an erect racemose inflorescence. Flowering period - from the end of May, lasts less than two weeks	Rose Queen - a plant with pink flowers that have a lilac hue. Sky Blue - large flowers with blue petals that have a blue stripe. Arranged in a spiral on powerful peduncles. La Grandes - white petals

Landing in open ground

Planting and caring for the Siberian blueberry in the open field is not difficult. It is planted most often in rockeries, mixborders, on curbs, alpine slides. Planting is carried out even during flowering, but spring varieties are best planted after the foliage has fallen, in the second half of June, and autumn-flowering ones - a month before the formation of flower stalks.

Scylla loves bright light, but grows well in partial shade and diffused light. Species that bloom in early spring are planted in more lighted areas, and those that bloom in May-June feel better in partial shade or next to other plants.

Siberian blueberry prefers a loose substrate. It consists of soil rich in organic matter and mineral components, and leaf humus. It is desirable to add forest soil with particles of semi-decomposed leaves and bark to the garden soil. The soil should be slightly moist.

Do not allow water to stagnate in the soil. This helps to reduce the amount of oxygen in the soil, and the risk of developing soil fungi increases. Because of this, the bulbs rot, and the plant dies. The optimal soil for growing scilla should be slightly acidic or neutral. The bulbs of the plant are placed in holes, the distance between which is 5–10 cm.

Care

Siberian blueberry is an unpretentious plant. Caring for it involves regular watering with the obligatory loosening of the soil and the removal of weeds. It is best to moisten the flower in the morning, trying to pour it so that water does not get on the flowers, because of this they may lose their decorative effect. Planting can be mulched with leaf humus. This will allow you to water and loosen the soil much less often.

It is best to feed Scilla with a complex fertilizer, for example, Nitrofoska. It is desirable to add microelements such as magnesium, copper, iron and calcium to the complex mineral fertilizer. The plant needs to be repotted every three years.

reproduction

Spillage breeds:

• bulbs;
• seeds.

So that the plant does not lose its decorative effect, it is dug up, the children are separated from the bulbs and quickly seated, otherwise the bulbs may rot. It is best to do this in late September or early October.

The next method of reproduction is by seeds. You can sow them immediately in open ground, or you can pre-sow in boxes. The soil should be rich in organic fertilizers and well breathable. Seeds germinate in spring, and the plant begins to bloom only after 2-3 years.

Diseases and pests

Siberian blueberry can be affected by a disease such as bulb rot. The disease occurs due to high humidity and is caused by fungi sclerotinia, fisarium and sympotia. First, the infection affects the leaves, which begin to turn yellow. After that, the fungus penetrates the bulbs, on which red spots appear. They harden and die.

Another disease is achelenchoides. This disease is manifested by a lag in the development of scylla and the loss of its decorative effect. The aerial part of the plant and bulbs are affected, on which necrotic spots appear. It is impossible to save the flower, so they dig it up and destroy it.

Gray rot is a very dangerous disease in which gray mold fluff appears on the leaves and upper part of the bulbs. After some time, the plant begins to turn yellow, rot and die. It must be dug up and destroyed. If, after a certain period of time, gray rot occurs on healthy bulbs, the sore spots are cut out. Places of cuts are sprinkled with wood ash.

Pests can attack the Siberian blueberry. It could be a root meadow mite. Its larvae feed on the juice of the bulbs, as a result of which they rot or dry out. To get rid of this pest, use the drugs "Actellik", "Agravertin", "Akarin". To protect planting from it, the bulbs are treated with the same means, after which they are planted in the ground.

Voles and house mice are very fond of eating bulbs and shoots. To prevent rodents from reaching the landings, a groove is dug around them and poison is placed in it. From above, the grooves are sprinkled with earth so that the birds do not get poisoned.