Muscari, or viper's onion, is a rather beautiful flower, and many amateur gardeners are interested in it. They mostly ask the same question: Muscari: planting and care in the open ground, photos. So let's figure out together what makes this flower so appealing to gardeners.
Muscari is a very attractive plant with a cone-shaped bud that comes in blue, light blue, or white. It blooms at the same time as the tulipsIt can grow to 60 cm or more, and the leaves of this beauty can grow up to 20 cm. A cute plant, but with a very interesting name, there are 60 species, and they can be grouped into 4 classifications:
1.Tubergenovsky
- Racemose
- Grape-shaped
- Armenian
Muscari is a bulbous plant and reproduces quickly, so a single bulb produces many more over the summer. This flower is perennial, so once planted, it can be very difficult to remove. They survive winter very well, so there's no need to dig them up every fall. They don't require much care, but like all plants, they enjoy full sun. However, they don't tolerate stagnant water, so choose well-drained soil or the bulbs will rot and won't produce beautiful blooms in your garden.
When planting outdoors, carefully examine the soil where you'll be planting muscari. If the soil is clayey, amend it with humus and plant at a temperature of 8-9 degrees Celsius. If you're planting this amazing plant for the first time, treat the bulbs with ground sulfur to protect them from bulb mites. Plant 2-3 bulbs per hole, spacing them at least 15 cm apart.
After planting our bulbs, they need to be watered generously. This will help them develop a better root system before frost and make them more resilient. Depending on the variety, muscari will need to be covered with a layer of sawdust or sand for the winter. Water generously only during flowering and don't forget to fertilize them up to four times per season.
Keep in mind that muscari are replanted every five years, so if you dig up a bush for the winter, do not separate it under any circumstances. After digging up the bulbs, they need to be dried, but avoid drying them in the sun, as this will only harm them. Place them in a box and let them dry for a couple of days. Check the storage area every seven days, as the bulbs can become diseased and infect others, so be careful to prevent this from happening.
You can also plant the shoots of larger bulbs in containers and place them on a windowsill indoors. Plant them in September, and store them at 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) until planting. In January, the shoots will grow to 3 cm, after which they should be refrigerated for three days, then placed indoors. In a couple of weeks, you'll be enjoying the beautiful blooms of muscari.
Some describe it as something awful and annoying, but this is not really the case, especially if you look at it and inhale its wonderful aroma. Because of its small size, it is popularly known as the "mouse hyacinth," and in European countries it is called the "grape hyacinth."
This article has provided you with a wealth of useful information that will help you grow this wonderful flower. Create your own unforgettable flowerbed that will make your neighbors admire and envy you. Create without hesitation, and don't worry about what others will say, as a stranger's opinion may not be entirely accurate. Do what your heart tells you.