Planting and caring for lilies of the valley in open ground, types and varieties

A spring flower, presented as a gift by nature itself, can awaken tender, sincere feelings and give a light mood, and its exquisite aroma can bring notes of spring into life. Therefore, most gardeners choose lilies of the valley, planting and caring for them in the open ground is not difficult even for a novice gardener.

What makes the plant special?

As the spring sun warms up, snow-white lily of the valley flowers appear in 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, the height of which is 30 cm. The roots are creeping and located horizontally. Pale lower leaves extend from the tops of the rhizome. Behind them are 2-3 large, solid basal leaves, having an oblong elliptical shape, pointed at the end, and a bright green color. The lily of the valley is decorated with snow-white and light pink bells, which emit 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

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

Application

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

In landscape design

Unpretentiousness and preference for moist soils make lilies of the valley indispensable in creating landscape design. It can be planted in the tree trunks, or to create paths near the house in the country.

The spring flower looks spectacular with hostas, periwinkles, heucheras, and astilbes.It will perfectly fill 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 among traditional healers, as the flower is capable of:

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

The entire aerial part is used as 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

The culture has many decorative garden forms. They are notable for their beautiful satin foliage with longitudinal stripes of various shades and large double 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.

Keisuke

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-petioled, erect leaves, colored green. The inflorescence is racemose, consists of 10 flowers.

Transcaucasian

Beautifully flowering lily of the valley 30 cm high with oblong, long-petioled leaves of elliptical shape and bright green color. White drooping flowers 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 fragrant flowers turned downwards, painted white in the shape of bells.

Lily of the valley planting technology

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 crop.

Choosing a landing site

Lilies of the valley are inhabitants of shady, cool forests, so it is better to plant them under bushes and trees, since they feel comfortable in shaded areas where moisture from the soil does not quickly evaporate. When choosing a location, you should take into account that the plant needs sunlight, since without it flowering will not occur. 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 loam or soft loamy soil, moderately fertilized with humus. Pink-flowering varieties prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH of 4.8–5; for this, the soil needs to be enriched with peat.

Timing of planting work

The 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 the site for spring planting in the autumn, and only dig it up in April. This will promote good survival of young shoots.

Planting a plant

Lilies of the valley need to be planted in rows, making grooves, keeping a distance of 10 cm between planting units, and 20-25 cm between rows. 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 1-2 cm into the ground.If there is dry soil, the seedlings should be watered after planting. In winter, cover young plants with mulch; this will protect them from freezing, especially in snowless winters.

A spring flower can grow in one place for 5 years without replanting..

Caring for outdoor crops

Lily of the valley can take care of itself and can crowd out other garden plants from the garden. But an experienced gardener sets himself the goal of achieving the highest decorativeness of flowers, therefore he carries out proper care of the crop, which includes watering, loosening the soil, applying fertilizers, removing weeds, as well as fighting diseases and pests, since not a single plant is immune from their occurrence, including lily of the valley.

Watering and fertilizing

Lilies of the valley love moisture. Regular high-quality watering guarantees abundant flowering and development of lush, juicy foliage in dry spring. After moistening the soil, carefully loosen it in order to destroy the crust and increase the flow of oxygen to the root system.

To prevent the soil from becoming depleted, in the second year after planting, add fertilizer, using humus or compost in the form of mulch. Perform the procedure in mid-spring, adding 70 g of fertilizer per 1 m². Carry out another feeding in June, before the start of flower bud formation.

Weed removal

Throughout the entire season, beds with lilies of the valley should be kept free 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 avoid it, and 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 threadworm multiplies in moist soil, and sprouts and roots are affected. As a result, the plants weaken, look depressed, stop developing and do not bloom. Necrotic spots, colored yellow or brown, form on the foliage. Control measures consist of digging up the affected bushes and then destroying them.
2. Lily rattle. 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 flowerbed, since these pests lay eggs on their leaves, from which brown larvae develop. And later the adult flying form begins to parasitize lilies of the valley. If larvae and beetles are detected, it is necessary to quickly take action and treat the bushes with pesticides or preparations based on pyrethrum.
3. Gray rot. This fungal disease develops in poorly ventilated areas during rainy and cold spring weather. The presence of a dense, dirty-gray coating signals the appearance of an infection. At the first symptoms of infection, treat the plantings using fungicidal preparations, and dig up and destroy heavily infected specimens.

Transfer

Lilies of the valley can be replanted when they form fruits in the form of red berries. To do this, dig up a rhizome measuring 15 x 15 and plant it in a previously prepared hole and dig it 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, since they have low germination, and seedlings bloom only after 4 years.For vegetative propagation of crops, rhizome division is used. This process must be carried out after the foliage dies, in late summer - early autumn. To do this, dig up the roots and divide them into sections, which are planted to a depth of 5-10 cm. Next year, sections of the roots will drive out the leaves.

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

Forcing lilies of the valley for the New Year and Christmas

Blooming lilies of the valley can decorate any winter holiday. For forcing, 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 the cuttings in large containers, 10 pieces each, and send them to the greenhouse, burying them in sand and covering them with moss. Create a temperature for them within 30-35 degrees. Moisten the moss as needed. Flowering will occur in 3 weeks.

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

And its subtle palette of shades, elegant shape and easy cultivation have made it one of the favorite flowers in the garden.