Recently, this exotic flower has a well-deserved place among other spring bulbs. It is often used in the design of alpine slides or in rocky gardens. Hazel grouse comes from Central Asia, the flower has many varieties. All of them differ not only in color, but also in the arrangement of spots on the petals, the timing of flowering. Growing these plants is a very exciting activity that requires certain knowledge. Most often in our latitudes cultivated grouse imperial and its varieties. How to plant a hazel grouse in the fall, how to prepare a garden and a bulb - these are the most basic questions that almost all beginner gardeners ask.
Choosing the Right Bulb
Grouse corms differ from the other bulbous, they have some features that should be considered when buying planting material:
• Large size. A good onion weighs at least 500 grams. Individual specimens reach a size of up to 1 kg.
• Dense consistency. Healthy planting material is fairly hard to the touch, without visible soft patches, rot and damage.
• Through hole in the onion. The dried residue of last year’s stem, which is located in the center of the hole, does not need to be removed.
In addition, it is worth paying attention to the presence of sprouted roots, which is acceptable.
How to save grouse bulbs before planting in the fall
Experienced gardeners are advised to purchase bulbs immediately before planting. But if they were bought in the spring, then it is necessary to save them until the moment of landing. How to do it right?
After flowering corms, plants are dug up. Large planting material is advised to dig out every year, due to the peculiarity of the formation of future inflorescences. But kids and crayons onions are better to dig out in a few years. After the planting material has been removed from the soil, it must be properly stored until the next planting.
Bulbs are stored in a dark room where the air temperature does not exceed 30 degrees. If the temperature increases during storage of the bulbs, then the material begins to lose moisture and dries out, and this is unacceptable. It is best to store the bulbs in special boxes, sprinkling them with a layer of sand, as can be seen in the photo.
Grouse are unpretentious plants, but without proper care they will not bloom. One of the points is the obligatory digging of plants.
Preparation of soil and beds for planting grouse in the fall
Grouse attracts with its appearance, they bloom very beautifully and for a long time. In order for the plants to be healthy and to please each year with their appearance, it is necessary to choose the right place for the flowerbed. The fact is that hazel grouse prefer light partial shade, but can easily tolerate the sun's rays. Therefore, the bed can be located in open areas. In addition, in the middle lane, such a landing is preferable. In spring, the bulbs move faster and mature better in winter. In the southern latitudes, you can plant hazel grouse in partial shade.
For planting grouse, you need to select loose and fertile soil. It should be borne in mind that the flower can be grown in one place for more than 5 years, so the garden bed must be prepared in advance. To do this, sand is added to the soil mixture, which makes the soil more loose. For 1 square. m. beds use at least two buckets of sand. In addition, it is necessary to enrich the soil composition with organic fertilizers. Experienced gardeners recommend adding compost, leafy soil, humus or dung for digging. A well-seasoned bed will serve throughout the growing period, so the addition of additional mineral and organic fertilizers is not required.
Important! The place for planting grouse should be such that there is no stagnation of moisture and melt water.
Planting dates: when and how to plant grouse in the fall
Flowering grouse begins in the spring, so the bulbs are planted in the fall, or rather, at the very beginning. For different regions, timing varies, depending on weather conditions. It is preferable to carry out the procedure in early September, a month before the alleged frosts. It takes three to four weeks to root the bulbs. If the planting of hazel grouse is tightened in the fall, then the plants will not have time to adapt and die in the winter;
In addition to the timing of planting, it is important to comply with its rules, namely the depth of the onions, the correct location of the bulbs in the ground and so on.
1. The depth of the onions should be equal to its three heights. But larger bulbs are buried to a height of 20 cm, but the children are planted to a depth of 10 cm.
2. A drainage of sand must be laid at the bottom of the landing hole, the layer of which must be at least 15 cm.
3. Bulbs in the holes are located directly, but not obliquely. If there are roots, then they must be carefully straightened.
4. Between the bulbs leave a distance of 25-30 cm. The fact is that the hazel grouse is a rather large plant, enough space is needed for its full development.
Grouse is rarely affected by pests, but it is better to sanitize the bulbs before planting the bulbs. To do this, they are immersed in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes. This procedure helps to disinfect planting material from various fungal diseases.
Important! When planting the bulbs, you need to ensure that moisture does not accumulate between the scales. If the groundwater is too close, then you need to make a high bed.
Care for grouse in the fall after planting
Grouse bulbs tolerate winter very well, they are frost-resistant plants. But small onions and children need additional warming, which is carried out according to all the rules, especially if a snowless winter is expected. The covering material is selected loose, which practically does not cake during the winter period, for example, spruce spruce branches, straw. But peat and humus can not be used. The thickness of the mulching layer should be at least 25 cm.
It is necessary to cover the bed with plantings when the weather is completely established, and the temperature drops below - 5 degrees. This technique will help to avoid the appearance of rodents, which often make holes in the mulch. In spring, all the mulching material is removed, freeing up the planting site of the hazel grouse. Then the soil warms up faster, and the bulbs start growing.
To summarize
Grouse is not only beautiful flowers, but also useful. The smell of their bulbs frightens off the site of rodents and moles. Growing and planting corms does not cause any particular difficulties, it is important to observe the main points during the procedure:
1. Dates of planting bulbs.
2. Storage of bulbs until planting.
3. Preplanting soil preparation, fertilizing.
4. The correct location of planting material in the hole.
5. Preparing the beds for winter, mulching the soil.
Adhering to all these recommendations for planting grouse in the fall, you can grow beautiful flowers that will delight blooming for more than one year.
