When and how to plant imperial hazel grouse in the fall in the country: the rules of growing and care in the open field

If bulbous are the true decoration of the spring garden, then the imperial hazel grouse (the scientific name of fritillaria, and among the people it is often called the royal crown) is the most that neither is its king. It will leave few people indifferent, if only because of its size, what can we say about its unusual in shape and color saturation of the inflorescences. It is especially gratifying that a refined flower not only decorates the site, but also benefits, with its pungent smell driving away the bear and even the mole.

Our article is devoted to how to propagate the imperial hazel grouse, how to plant it in the fall, is it possible in spring, as well as how to grow and properly care for a delicate flower.

Breeding methods of imperial hazel grouse: seeds and children

Unfortunately, it is not so easy to propagate the imperial hazel grouse, but all because its bulbs are very reluctant to give children: you can dig up the bulbs for several years in a row after flowering and not find any divisions.

However, there is a certain way how you can stimulate the reproduction of hazel grouse bulbs: after you dig them up and dry them, you need to inflict mechanical damage, that is, slightly cut their bottom with a knife, into which you can additionally insert a coal so that the crack does not close. After you plant such a bulb in the fall, the likelihood of the formation of children will increase significantly.

By the way! In order for the baby bulbs to bloom, they need to be grown for another 3-4 years.

Of course, you can try to propagate and grow hazel grouse from seeds, but you will have to wait a long time, at least 5 years, and more often they bloom only for 6-7 years. To do this, after flowering, you need to leave a couple of inflorescences so that they form seed pods, and seeds ripen in them.

Next, you need to immediately sow more seeds into the soil, because their germination is very low. Next year, a grass-like plant will appear with only one leaf. After another year (when a small onion forms), the plant can already be dug out (kept warm and dry for a couple of months) and transplanted.

Video: how to breed hazel grouses

How to choose quality imperial hazel grouse bulbs

Note! Optionally, the flowers of hazel grouse should have red-orange flowers, there are varieties with yellow inflorescences.

When buying a hazel grouse bulb, you should definitely carefully consider it, evaluating it according to the following criteria:

• She must have the shape of a flattened ball with a through hole, which, in fact, remained from the peduncle of last year. In the fall, buds will appear in it, from which new flower stalks will grow next year.
• If on the bulb there are scales and dry roots, then there's nothing wrong with that, it's finee state.
• But if on the bulb there are sores, cracks, signs of mold or decay, and she looks kind of sluggishthen you shouldn't buy it.
• Particular attention should be paid to the size of the bulb, because the quality of the hazel grouse will depend on it. Diameter bulbs should be at least 6-7 centimeters (best of all - 8-10)so that you can see bloom next year. If it is less, then in the spring there will be no flowering, because the bulb will need to ripen.
• The weight of one bulb (in the highest varieties) can reach 800-900 grams.

Important! Grouse bulbs exude a very unpleasant and even pungent aroma. But this is absolutely normal.

By the way! It is this scent that can scare awaybear and even moles.

When to plant imperial hazel grouse - in autumn or spring: optimal timing

If you are thinking about when it is better to plant hazel grouse - in autumn or spring, then the answer is unequivocal - only in autumn, although you can start planting already at the end of summer.

In the spring, fritillaria (imperial hazel grouse) cannot be planted for several reasons:

1. In order for bulbous hazel grouses to form flower buds, they need long rest at low temperatures.
2. The imperial flower must have time to root before the onset of frost in order to successfully endure the cold.
3. If you plant fritillaria in the spring, then, most likely, the bulbs simply will not have time to ripen and will die in winter due to lack of nutrients.

Naturally, depending on the climatic zone and the region of your residence, the timing of planting the imperial hazel grouse in open ground will also differ. For example, it is optimal to plant imperial hazel grouse in Middle lane (Moscow region) starting from the first half of August and until the end of September-early October (as far as the weather permits).

Important! It is recommended to plant bulbs at night temperatures not lower than +5 degrees.

But on Urals and Siberia it is better to plant hazel grouse in early August in order to catch up with the fall in temperature.

Planting imperial hazel grouse

In order for your bulbous “emperor” to bloom next spring, it is fundamentally important to plant it according to all the rules (choose a suitable place, prepare the bulbs themselves and plant them at the correct depth).

Choosing a place on the site

It is better to choose the optimal place for planting hazel grouse in a sunny place in the garden, although it can grow in light partial shade. It will be very good if the site is well protected from winds and stagnation of spring waters (not in a lowland), that is, for example, on a small hill.

Preparing the bulbs

Before planting, it is necessary to properly prepare the hazel grouse bulb, namely: be sure to remove old scales and dry roots, and then process it in one of the fungicides for diseases and pests. For example, you can pickle the bulbs using the preparation "Maxim Dachnik", or prepare a pink solution of potassium permanganate (the most ineffective way), or soak in Fitosporin.

Video: processing (pickling) bulbs and planting imperial hazel grouse in the fall

By the way! Grouse bulbs should be planted after young roots begin to sprout.

Landing pit and soil

Prepare the well for planting the bulbs in advance. It is optimal to dig a hole measuring 30-40 by 30-40 centimeters.

Next, a layer of sand (about 3-5 centimeters) should be poured onto the bottom of the hole. This will be the drainage layer, because the plant does not tolerate stagnant water.

As a soil mixture, it is optimal to use fertile soil, which can be made by mixing the following components: humus or compost, garden soil (most of it), sand and a little wood ash (for fertilization and soil deoxidation).

Direct landing

Step-by-step instructions for planting imperial hazel grouse bulbs in open ground:

1. Choose a suitable place in your summer cottage.
2. Prepare the onion.
3. Dig a planting hole and fill a sand drainage layer.
4. The optimum planting depth for hazel grouse bulbs is 30-35 centimeters. According to the rules for planting bulbs, you need to deepen them to their 3 heights, but in this case it is better to 4.
5. If you plan to plant several plants at once, then the required distance between them should be at least 30, and preferably all 35-40 centimeters.
6. Place the bottom of the onion on the bottom and press lightly.
7. Optional item!To prevent underground pests from spoiling the bulb, you can lightly dust it with mustard powder.
8. Sprinkle the top with sand again to cover the bulbs.
9. Then cover to the top with fertile soil.
10. Cover with compost.
11. Water liberally.

Care for the imperial hazel grouse in the open field

If you plant it correctly and take good care of the imperial hazel grouse, then next year the first flower buds will open in the month of May.

In general, caring for hazel grouse in the open field is quite simple.

If the spring is dry, then it is advisable to water the plant. If it rains, then watering is not at all necessary and not even necessary (as you remember, hazel grouse does not like stagnant water).

Top dressing

In order for the fritillaria to bloom accurately, and their flowering to be as lush and long as possible, they should be fed twice a season.

The first feeding of hazel grouse should be done during budding, that is, before flowering. It is best at this time to feed the plant with organic fertilizer (infusion of mullein, bird droppings), or you can mulch the flower bed with the same compost (humus). It is also good to use complex mineral fertilizers for bulbous flowers.

Important! Just don't use fresh manure, it can burn the roots of the plant.

The second feeding of fritillaria is done after flowering, this time in order to better form its bulb. To do this, we need a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (for example, you can take superphosphate and potassium sulfate or any ready-made "Autumn" fertilizer).

Note! Even before feeding, that is, immediately after flowering and wilting of flowers, it is necessary to promptly remove all peduncles so that ovaries do not form, and the plant does not waste all its vitality on the formation of seeds, because of which the bulbs will not receive proper nutrition.

It is better to cover the imperial hazel grouse for the winter, especially if you have cold and snowless winters.

What to do with imperial hazel grouse after flowering and yellowing of its leaves: digging bulbs for the summer

When all the aboveground green mass (leaves) of hazel grouse turns yellow and begins to dry, then some very important actions need to be taken.

In order for the plant to form its flower buds well, we must dig up the bulbs every year after the end of the cycle and send them for storage in a warm, dark and dry room (for example, in the attic). However, they must first be washed and dried thoroughly (but not in the sun).

Video: caring for imperial hazel grouse after flowering

Problems with the cultivation of imperial hazel grouse

It often happens that it seems to be planted correctly, but for some reason the hazel grouse is still does not bloom... There may be several reasons:

1. you bought and planted an onion that is too small or this was a baby-girl (this is the main reason);
2. not planted deep enough;
3. chose a too shady place to grow it;
4. due to improper summer storage;
5. the bulb is rotten (but in this case, the green stem will also not appear).

How to achieve flowering?

• If the bulb was too small, then in any case you will have to wait until it grows up, while not forgetting to dig it out in the summer.
• For example, most bulbs bloom, even if they are not deep enough, but the imperial hazel grouse will not bloom.
• If you do not have a sunny place on the site, then land at least in light partial shade.
• Store the bulbs at a temperature of + 25-30 degrees and always in a dry place.
• Be sure to make a drainage layer of sand or plant it on a hill where moisture does not accumulate.

Video: why hazel grouses do not bloom

Another misfortune (false) that can happen to this plant isyellowing of leaves hazel grouse. But don't worry, as this is actually completely normal. The fact is that after the plant fades, it goes to rest. In fact, this is the most a clear signal for you to dig it up and put it in summer storage.

It's another matter if you find holes on the leaves that you made lily beetles and their larvae. To protect the plant, even before blooming its buds, the flower should be treated with any systemic insecticide (Tanrek, Confidor, Commander).

Video: why hazel grouses turn yellow

To succeed in the difficult business of growing such an insanely beautiful and useful plant like the imperial hazel grouse, it is necessary to fully take into account the peculiarities of its reproduction, the choice of high-quality bulbs, as well as the subtleties of proper planting, growing, care in the open field and competent storage in winter.

Video: imperial hazel grouse - from planting to flowering