Muscari is a perennial herb that is ideal for decorating a spring garden. Its dense blue inflorescences amidst bright green foliage form a continuous canopy on the still bare and black ground. Muscari belongs to the Asparagus family. Popularly, it is better known by the names "viper bow" or "mouse hyacinth." The homeland of the plant is the Mediterranean and Western Asia. Many species grow and winter successfully in temperate climates and colder regions. Caring for a plant is very simple. Several rules will help not only achieve beautiful thickets, but also independently choose the time of flowering.
Plant description
Muscari is a small-onion perennial 10-40 cm high. The underground part of its stem is an oblong onion 3.5-5 cm long and 2-4 cm in diameter. The bulb has an ovoid shape and is covered with thin white scales. A bunch of thin roots grows on its bottom.
In early spring, the plant forms a rosette of linear dark green leaves 17-20 cm long. Each bulb grows 2-6 leaves. They have a narrow linear or oval shape with a solid edge and a pointed end. There is no pattern on the surface of the sheet.
The flowering period, depending on the variety and weather conditions, begins from late March to early June. It lasts 1-2 weeks. Initially, a fleshy, erect peduncle grows from the center of the leaf outlet. It has a cylindrical shape and a light green color. Closer to the flowers, the stem takes on a mauve hue.
The racemose inflorescence consists of many small flowers located close to each other. Its length is 7-8 cm. A separate flower with a harmoniously corolla resembles a lily of the valley in structure. The edges of the petals of barrel-like flowers are strongly bent and divided into 6 lobes. Coloring is white, lilac, blue, blue or purple. Sometimes on the edge there is a contrasting border. During flowering, most varieties exude an intense musky aroma.
The inflorescence begins to blossom from the lower flowers. On top are sterile buds designed to attract insects. Bees and butterflies pull the nectar from the tube with their proboscis and pollinate the ovary. After pollination, the fetus is formed in the form of a spherical or heart-shaped seed box with fleshy walls. Inside are small, dark brown seeds.
Types and varieties of muscari
Muskari genus combines 44 species of plants. Some of them are widespread in landscape design and have several decorative varieties.
Muscari is Armenian. The most common variety among gardeners produces large multi-flowered (up to 50 buds) inflorescences. Flowering begins in mid-May. Bright blue flowers last up to three weeks. The length of one flower is about 5 mm. A narrow white border is visible along the very edge of the petals. They exude a pleasant aroma. Varieties:
- Alba - blooms snow-white flowers;
- Sapphire - blooms with dark blue buds, but does not set seeds;
- Blue Spike - each peduncle branches 2-3 times, so the inflorescence seems larger and lush, it consists of 150-170 blue buds.
Muscari plumeosis (crested). A plant with a height of 15-20 cm is distinguished by an especially lush inflorescence of an unusual shape. The spike length is 5-8 cm. On one side of the flowers, larger and brighter pedicels grow, forming a crest on the inflorescence. All buds are painted in blue-violet tones. Flowering begins in late May. Gradually, the arrow grows and by the end of flowering, its length reaches 70 cm.
Muscari is clustered. A bulbous plant with a height of not more than 15 cm at the end of the arrow forms a dense spike-shaped inflorescence. Small buds are painted white or pinkish and tightly pressed against each other. Varieties:
- Album - with snow-white flowers;
- Carneum - in inflorescence soft pink flowers grow closely to each other.
Muscari broadleaf. From the base of each bulb wide leaves resemble the leaves of a tulip. They are painted in a plain dark green color. On one plant, several peduncles may appear with small dark blue barrel-shaped buds.
Breeding methods
Muscari is propagated by seed and vegetatively. There are varieties for which only one of the listed options is possible. With seed propagation, varietal characters are not transmitted. It should be borne in mind that after 12 months of storage, seed germination is significantly reduced. They are sown immediately in open ground, in holes with a depth of 1-2 cm. During the winter, the seeds will undergo a natural stratification and the first seedlings will appear in early spring. For several months, seedlings form a bulb and build up green mass. Flowering begins in the second or third year of life.
The easiest and most common method of reproduction is the separation of children (young bulbs). Fortunately, in just a season there are several of them. It’s not worth separating the kids every year. It is better to let them grow up and gain strength in 3-4 years. The best time for dividing and transplanting occurs in August-September. In the south, the procedure is planned for October-November. Depending on the size of the bulbs, the planting depth is 4-6 cm.
Care Secrets
Landing. It is best to transplant plants at the end of flowering and vegetation (August-October). They are distributed in groups of up to 10-15 pieces, but free space should remain between the individual bulbs. So the flower garden will be more decorative and noticeable. Before planting, the bulbs are inspected for damage, trimmed rotten and dark areas and disinfected. First, they are pickled in a solution of Karbofos, and then dipped for an hour in a strong solution of manganese.
The landing site should be sunny or in partial shade. The soil is pre-excavated and broken by large clods. Planting pits at a distance of 6-8 cm make shallow (up to 8 cm). Small bulbs are planted in a shady place in rows in holes. First, sand is poured into the hole over the ground, and then the planting material is laid out vertically. Bulbs are sprinkled with soil, compacted and well watered.
Digging up muscari annually is not necessary. Plants winter well in temperate climates, but every 4-5 years planting is too dense. They need thinning and updating the topsoil.
Care. Regular outdoor muscari care includes watering. The soil should always be slightly moist, but without stagnation of water, otherwise the bulbs will rot. In the absence of rainfall, irrigation is carried out in the morning.
In early spring, plants are fertilized with compost or humus. The first top dressing is carried out when sprouts appear. Re-fertilizer is planned for the period of budding. While the muscari blooms, it is enough occasionally to weed the soil near the flower garden.
Ripened seeds very easily fall out on the ground, contributing to abundant self-sowing. To prevent it, after the buds wither, the inflorescences are cut off.
Flowers are distinguished by good immunity, however, bulbs can suffer from fungal diseases. This occurs in thickened plantings, on heavy and marshy soils, as well as in contact with a diseased plant. Of the parasites, mouse hyacinth overcomes aphids. She not only drinks plant juices, but also carries viral infections. Affected specimens are almost impossible to save. They must be dug to prevent the spread of infection.
Wintering. Muscari has pronounced periods of activity and rest. Already in early summer, the inflorescences completely dry, but the leaves remain until frost. Cutting them ahead of time is not recommended, since at this time there is a supply of nutrients in the bulbs. In winter, during dormancy, the need for watering disappears. Dry shoots are cut, and the surface of the soil is mulched with peat and sprinkled with dry foliage.
Bulb Forcing
You can please yourself with fragrant inflorescences at any time of the year. To do this, artificially create conditions for the flowering of muscari. Immediately after the leaves have wilted, the bulbs are dug up and dried in a cool room. Then they are put in containers with peat or sand for storage. Initially, the air temperature is maintained at + 15 ... + 17 ° C. After a few weeks, the bulbs for 3-4 months are transferred to a room with a temperature of + 5 ... + 9 ° C. You can use the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator.
About 3 weeks before the expected flowering, the bulbs are planted in pots with fertile, loose soil to a depth of about 2 cm. The top should remain on the surface. Plants are transferred to a well-lit place with a temperature of about + 10 ° C. After a couple of days, the temperature is raised to + 15 ° C. After this, the leaves actively grow, and after 2 weeks the peduncle appears.
Muscari Use
Mouse hyacinth is cultivated mainly for decorative purposes. They are surrounded by flower beds, paths, and also planted in rock gardens and in front of shrubs. Saturated shades of inflorescences enrich the spring garden with pure blue, purple, pink or white tones.
Muscari looks good next to daffodils and tulips. They can also be combined with crocuses and copses. It is definitely worth planting a large group of plants with various shades of inflorescences and flowering periods. Some varieties are suitable for growing in containers on balconies and verandas. The aroma of flowering muscari repels harmful insects, so they are often planted among other crops, like a natural insecticide.
