Planting and caring for scylla in open ground, description of species and varieties

Scylla, also known as scilla, is a fragile and delicate flower that, without waiting for all the snow to melt, breaks out of the soil. This small but bright flower can be found not only in the forest, but also in gardeners’ flower beds. Scylla is quite easy to plant and care for in the future. This is why many flower lovers appreciate it.

Description and features

Scylla belongs to the genus Asparagus, but previously it was associated with Hyacinths or Lilies. This is a bulbous perennial flower, there are at least 95 species of it. The main natural habitats of the flower are European countries, Asia and Africa. Scylla is found in flat and mountainous areas, in broad-leaved and deciduous forests, as well as steppe regions.

The root system of the flower is a round or slightly elongated bulb. On top of the onion there are scales of several shades, it depends on the type of plant.

The foliage of scillas is long, growing directly from the root. The foliage is lanceolate or linear, having parallel veins. The average height of the crop is 15-20 cm. The inflorescence consists of 3-15 flowers, depending on the variety.

Scylla has a distinctive feature: during rain or cool weather, all the foliage is pressed to the ground, and in warm weather the leaves are located almost vertically. Scilla also have high winter hardiness and adapt well to any soil and site.

Growing in open ground

To grow scylla, you don’t need any special skills or knowledge, but you should still follow some recommendations.

Selecting a location

The best place for flowers is in sunny areas or places with moderate shade. For example, you can plant it between garden trees.

Soil preparation

Scylla is an unpretentious crop, so it can grow on both loamy and sandy soil, but does not like high acidity and swampy environments. Soil rich in organic matter is preferable.

Before planting blueberries in the selected area, you need to dig it up and add peat or humus. In addition, it is recommended to add forest soil with pieces of bark and leaves to the soil.

Planting scheme

Planting in the soil is carried out at the end of June or beginning of July. At this time, the leaves on adult representatives have already turned yellow and begin to die.

It is necessary to dig holes about 7 cm deep at a distance of 5-10 cm from each other and plant the sprouts.

Care

In order for Scylla to grow and develop, it needs care. It is necessary to water it in a timely manner, feed it and remove weeds, weeding and loosening the soil around the plants.

Watering

Watering of the blueberries is carried out in the morning. And you need to irrigate so that drops of water do not fall on the flowers, otherwise they may lose their attractive appearance. Watering should not be too abundant, since Scylla still loves moist soil, not wet.

Top dressing

Some scylla varieties bloom in the spring, while others bloom in the fall, feeding the plants before they begin to bloom. For this purpose, mineral supplements are used:

• potash;
• phosphorus;
• nitrogen;
• with magnesium;
• with iron.

In the autumn, it is better to give preference to granular preparations or those that dissolve slowly. And in the spring, liquid forms of fertilizers are used.

Scillas are also fed with complex fertilizers, such as “Nitrophoska”. After fertilizing, flowering is more abundant and longer. Plants develop correctly and survive the winter successfully.

Weeding and loosening

It is recommended to loosen the soil after each watering. The loosening depth should be about 2-2.5 cm, since the root system of the blueberry needs oxygen. You should also remove weeds regularly.They inhibit Scylla growth and can spread diseases and pests.

Removal of testes

If you do not pay attention to the flowers by removing the seeds, then after a few years they will occupy a significant area of ​​the site, multiplying by self-seeding.

The seed pods ripen around the end of June. They turn yellow and begin to crack. Such boxes should be removed before cracking.

Transfer

Scilla is replanted every three years. This is necessary for healthy growth and support of decorative plants. They are removed from the ground, the children are separated from the bulbs and replanted. The best time for such manipulations is: late September - early October.

Reproduction

These flowers can be propagated by two methods: seeds and daughter bulbs.

Bulbs

Such propagation is carried out during transplantation of bushes, when the daughter bulbs are separated and transplanted separately. One adult onion produces about 4 baby onions.

Seeds

Seeds are poured out of the ripened testes and sown in the ground. The germination rate of scylla seeds is not very high, so it is better to sow them immediately after collection.

To increase germination, some gardeners use growth stimulants by treating the seeds with them. The material should be sown no deeper than 8 cm. And the distance between each seed should be about 2 cm.

Flowering of grown plants from seeds will occur no earlier than in 2-3 years.

Diseases and pests

Most often, blueberries, like other crops with small root bulbs, suffer from bulb rot, gray mold and a disease called Achelenchoides.

Gray rot

It develops on the foliage of flowers and on the top of the bulb. Because of this, the plants become covered with gray fluff, and the process of rotting begins.Then spots form on the bulb, the greenery of the flower turns yellow, and the flower dies.

Sick plants are removed from the soil and destroyed. Otherwise, the disease may spread and develop on other plants.

Achelenchoides

This disease is expressed in ring rot, which is clearly visible when the bulbs are cut. The ground part of the flower is affected, becoming covered with necrotic spots. The scales begin to turn brown, after which rotting begins. Affected specimens lose their attractiveness and begin to lag behind in development.

Bulb rot

This disease is caused by certain fungal infections. It all starts with yellowing of the foliage, then red spots form on the bulb. During storage, the bulbs harden and die. The disease occurs when humidity is excessively high.

And the worst pests are rodents. Meadow ticks and other parasites are less common.

Rodents

House and meadow mice, as well as voles, feed on scylla bulbs, and in the spring they also eat the sprouts. In order to keep rodents away from the plants, a shallow ditch is made around the plantings. Poison is poured into it and sprinkled with a little earth so that the birds do not get poisoned.

Meadow tick

The parasite and its larvae grind down the bottom of the Scylla bulbs. Once inside, they drink the juice from the inner scales of the onion. Because of this, the bulbs begin to rot and the plants die. In order to get rid of this mite, you should use insecticides. “Akarin”, “Aktellik”, “Agravertin” are suitable. As a preventative measure, gardeners treat the bulbs before planting.

Kinds

Scylla is divided into several types.

Campanulate

It is considered one of the most attractive species of scilla. This is a low flower, 20-30 cm high.It has one flowering shoot with bluish, white and pink flowers, similar to bells. They are collected in bunches of 5-10 flowers. The flowering cycle begins in the last month of spring and lasts for half a month. Before winter, such varieties are dug up or a shelter is made for them.

Bifolia

It is also called two years old. The species of this scylla is considered one of the shortest, namely up to 15 cm. The two-leaved scilla blooms profusely.

The plant has 1-3 sprouts, they produce bunches of flowers with a bright, pleasant smell. Each flowering shoot produces about 15 flowers; they are white or pink.

This species has only two leaves, their length is 20 cm. Thanks to this, the species got its name. These scillas begin to bloom from the end of April and bloom for about 2 weeks.

Autumn

The plants produce 5 flowering sprouts, with flowers of light purple or red-lilac tones, united in separate clusters. Each inflorescence has from 6 to 20 flowers. They bloom at the end of July or at the beginning of August. They do not grow higher than 15-20 cm. The length of the narrowed leaves is up to 25 cm.

Peruvian

Bushes no more than 35 cm. It has 2-3 flowering sprouts, on which small flowers of rich blue color are formed. Their diameter does not exceed 1 cm. The inflorescences of these scylla are dense, forming a cone-shaped shape. Their number reaches 85 flowers on one flowering sprout.

The leaves are linear in structure, about 30 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. On one representative of the Peruvian scylla there can be from 5 to 8.

Siberian

The species received this name due to a mistake. It was described by living plants, they were grown from seeds. In the description of the new species, it was indicated that the described culture grows in Siberia.The species was given the name Siberian scylla, and later it turned out that this flower does not grow in Siberia, and the seeds that were studied were collected near Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd).

In this species, foliage and inflorescences emerge simultaneously. Siberian scillas bloom in blue or white. In spring they form “carpets” of densely growing flowers. The flowering period lasts about 3 weeks.

This species has a peculiarity, which is its special sensitivity to sunlight. Flowers clearly “wake up” at 10 am, opening their petals, and close at 5 pm. In cloudy or rainy weather they may not open at all.

Popular varieties

Each type of blueberry has several varieties, here are the most popular ones.

Rose Queen

The inflorescences are pink with a lilac tint and have a slightly noticeable pleasant aroma. Bushes grow no higher than 20 cm.

Sky Blue

They have strong stems on which large bluish flowers with dark stripes are arranged in a spiral.

La Grandes

This is a variety of bell-shaped scilla and has white flowers. There are up to 15 of them in each inflorescence.

Rosabella

Grows up to 30 cm. Blooms with lilac-pink flowers, united in dense racemose inflorescences. The variety is endowed with a pleasant aroma, which intensifies as the evening approaches.

Excelsior

Belongs to the bell-shaped species. The variety has 3-7 basal leaves, the length of which is from 20 to 30 cm. There is one flowering sprout, with the same height. The flowers are blue, united in inflorescences with flowers of about 1.5-2 cm. It blooms in May for 20 days.

Blue Queen

Also classified as Scylla campanulata. A fairly common variety, the height of which is approximately 20 cm. It has blue inflorescences, in which there are up to 10 flowers.

Blue Giant

This variety's inflorescences have a blue tint that darkens over time.

Blue Pearl

Grows 20 cm in height. Forms up to 15 flowers in one flowering sprout.

Dainty Made

The flowers of this variety are pale lilac in color. Grows up to 30 cm.

Queen of Pinks

These scillas bloom in dense pink inflorescences with a faint but attractive scent. Height 15-20 cm.

Mont Everest

The inflorescences of this scylla variety are quite tall, with white flowers.

Myosotis

This representative of the Asparagus family has blue inflorescences. They are formed on low flowering shoots.

Spring Beauty

The flowers of this variety are 3 cm in size. They are collected in bunches of 6 purple inflorescences. It does not form seeds, but it is easy to grow from daughter bulbs.

Alba

This variety is classified as a type of Siberian woodland. It grows up to 15 cm. Albs are white, consist of 6 petals, their size is 3 cm. It has a pleasant smell.

After flowering

After flowering stops, the scilla shoot is cut off. The foliage is removed only after it has completely died. Scillas practically do not need special preparation for winter, because they are frost-resistant. Their root system easily tolerates winter frosts. But still, it is better to cover plants that are planted in open areas with spruce branches or dry leaves.

This flower is one of the first to greet the early warmth after a cold winter, therefore it is a symbol of spring. Scylla is a delicate, unpretentious plant with bright flowering. It does not take much time to care for, so gardeners are increasingly planting it in their plots.