The royal crown of spring is the imperial hazel grouse. Imperial hazel grouse growing in open ground Why the royal crown flower did not bloom

Resembling a crown. There is a second name for the plant - imperial hazel grouse. The royal crown is a perennial plant belonging to the lily family. It has become widespread among gardeners. More than 100 species of hazel grouse are known

The royal crown is grown in Asia, North America, and Europe. Wild plant species are found in the foothills and mountains. The hazel grouse blooms together with daffodils and tulips and can form from 4 to 12 flowers; there are species that form only one bud, so they are not very common.

Flowers can have white, pink, brown, purple colors, artificially created polyploid species that have dots, various inclusions. The royal crown can be planted separately or in combination with other plants. It has good decorative properties not only during flowering, but also when a rosette with leaves is formed, they have a linear shape, the uppermost ones can be very thin in the form of tendrils.

Therefore, in early spring your flowerbed will be beautiful. As soon as the snow melts, the royal crown appears. It blooms in April-May. There is no need to create special supports for hazel grouse, although the plant can grow up to 120 cm, it has a strong stem and does not bend even in strong winds.

Today, tall and short plants have been created; the height of hazel grouse can range from 15 cm to 150 cm. The most common is the royal crown, about 100 cm high, and which has an orange color of flowers.
In relation to heat, the royal crown is moderately winter-hardy. In winter, hazel grouse onions can tolerate significant drops in temperature, only due to the presence of snow cover or if the plant is covered by 30 cm. Hazel grouse can withstand spring frosts (- 6 ° C), even if it leans over, don’t worry, the sun will rise and it will again will rise.
The royal crown does not tolerate waterlogged soil, especially stagnant water. Although drought also has a bad effect on the plant. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure moderate soil moisture.

Hazel grouse can grow in sunny or shaded places.
To plant the royal crown, it is necessary to select soils of light mechanical composition. During the growing season, the plant needs to be fed twice a day: in the spring when the plant grows and during the flowering period.
After the hazel grouse has flowered and the leaves turn yellow, you can dig up the bulbs. They have a very specific, even unpleasant smell, which repels rodents. Even young plants retain an unpleasant aroma; it disappears with the appearance of flowers. They need to be sorted, washed and dried in the shade. Bulbs can be planted as early as August. Although it is recommended to plant hazel grouse after digging, since the bulbs dry out during storage. They are planted at a distance of 30 cm from each other, to a depth of 20 cm. Sand is poured into the bottom of the hole for planting hazel grouse to create drainage and humus is thrown. Do not forget that hazel grouse bulbs contain a recess in which water can stagnate, this can cause rotting, so they need to be placed sideways in the hole. Cover the top of the bulbs with soil mixture.
The royal crown is propagated mainly by bulbs. In one year, the hazel grouse, which has a large bulb, forms two small, rare children. The seed method of propagating the royal crown is not widespread, because the resulting plants will bloom in 4-6 years. However, by propagating hazel grouse with seeds, you can quickly increase the number of plants, although we may not retain the decorative features of the species.
We also have a royal crown growing in our garden. We purchased a plant at the market two years ago. They sold hazel grouse already in bloom. I was afraid that it wouldn’t take root, but everything worked out, the next year a hazel grouse appeared, which delighted me with its flowers. This spring, along with our mother plant, two daughter plants appeared; they will not bloom this year, but they look very good together. We have not planted them yet; when the leaves fade, we will transplant the plants to a new place. We look forward to seeing our beloved royal crown bloom.

Vladimir Andreevich Serov’s interest and love for flowers began a long time ago. He was fascinated not by simple flowers, but by exotic ones. Vladimir Andreevich carried on a large correspondence with flower growers in the Baltic states; they sent him bulbs and seedlings of plants that were unusual at that time. And, as a rule, each order included something unfamiliar as a bonus. Thus, he received a strange bulb, planted it, and in the spring he was amazed at the unusualness and beauty of the flower that grew. He learned the name later, it was the imperial hazel grouse.
Since that time, and this is already more than 30 years, he has been looking forward to the next spring to admire his beauties. In the first years, he did not dig up any bulbs for five years. During flowering, it was impossible to take your eyes off, and everyone who passed by was sure to stop, as if spellbound.
I met with Vladimir Andreevich, and he talked about this still rare flower. Flowering of the imperial hazel grouse begins in the first half of May and lasts more than two weeks. Flowering plants reach 100 cm in height, and their shape is quite unusual. The “stem” extends 5-20 cm from the ground. Then, up to a height of 50-70 cm, the stem is covered with whorls of four leaves, after which the leafless part continues and after 25-30 cm it is crowned with a thick whorl of leaves, from which large bells hang down. There can be from 4 to 12. They form a kind of crown, which is why in the old days hazel grouse was called the royal crown.
Young shoots tolerate spring frosts down to -6°C quite well. On cold mornings, the stems freeze, bend towards the ground, and it seems that the worst has come. But the sun warms up - and the plants come to life and straighten out. Despite the considerable height of the imperial hazel grouse, its stems are strong and do not need to be tied to a support even in strong winds.
After flowering, the above-ground part gradually begins to turn yellow and dry out. At this time, they begin to dig up the bulbs. Many publications on floriculture recommend digging them up every year, but Vladimir Andreevich is convinced that this should be done after 2-3 years. The bulbs then turn out to be large and bloom well, often forming two peduncles. After digging, the bulbs are carefully inspected, the dry films are carefully removed, carefully washed with a sponge in water, pushed out at the bottom, kept in Maxim for disinfection and dried. If rot is detected on fleshy scales, use a clean, blunt knife to carefully scrape it out to healthy tissue, and the wounds and instruments are disinfected. To do this, use an alcohol tincture of iodine or “brilliant”.
Large bulbs are divided into two almost every year, but babies are given very rarely and in small quantities. Hazel grouse bulbs do not have integumentary scales and therefore do not tolerate long-term storage and shipping very well. They do not need a dry period of rest, and, having dug them up after the leaves have turned yellow, they can be planted immediately, preferably in a new area. The bulbs can be stored for some time without soil in a ventilated place protected from the sun. Roots begin to sprout in late July - early August, even for bulbs that are not planted in the ground. Planting with long roots does not harm the plant, but is technically difficult as the roots may be damaged. Imperial hazel grouse grows well in sun and partial shade.
A distinctive feature of the imperial hazel grouse bulbs is their characteristic, rather unpleasant odor. Young shoots also emit it, but by the time of flowering the smell becomes almost unnoticeable. It is believed that in this way the flowers are protected from mouse-like rodents.
The imperial hazel grouse does not tolerate excessive soil moisture. Therefore, before you start planting bulbs, you need to carefully prepare the area. The main thing is to ensure good drainage and loose, nutritious soil. It is best to use coarse river sand and humus as a leavening agent, which is also an excellent fertilizer. If there is no such amount of organic matter, you need to apply a complete mineral fertilizer with microelements. After careful digging, planting begins. The planting depth for large bulbs is about 20-30 cm. Vladimir Andreevich has his own original method of planting. Having prepared the soil, he takes a stake with a diameter of at least 6 cm, measures 25 cm on it, drives a nail at this level and puts on a plastic cover up to the nail. He thrusts a stake into the place of the future flower up to the lid, waters the earth around it and swings it from side to side, resulting in a depression where he pours sand and lowers the bulb. The top of the bulb is also covered with sand and then with earth. The distance between adult bulbs should be at least 25-30 cm. Hazel grouse is quite frost-resistant, and adult bulbs rarely freeze out with proper agricultural practices, but in winters with little snow they need to be covered. It is better to use non-caking materials - straw, reeds, spruce branches. The insulating layer should be at least 25-30 cm. It is laid only after the soil freezes by 5-10 cm. In early spring, the cover is removed.
Once planted, a hazel grouse will exist in the garden for a very long time if it is cared for properly.

Most of our gardeners believe that the royal crown flower, which is so popular and grows in almost every summer cottage, which is also called the imperial hazel grouse, has been decorating Russian gardens for a long time. The plant is really popular, and in the spring in the sun you can often see yellow, red and orange “bell palms” or “inverted lilies”, as this flower is popularly called.

Despite this, many gardeners ask questions about whether they planted the royal crown flower correctly, why it does not bloom, how to care for and water it, what and when to feed it. We will try to tell you in more detail about this beautiful plant and the features of its planting and cultivation.

Why was he called that?

Before considering the biological and agrotechnical features of growing imperial hazel grouse, let’s look at its names. For the first time in botanical literature, this plant was mentioned in 1570 under the name Corona crown) because of the upper, highly raised leaves, resembling a crown in shape, crowned with bright bells. In Latin, the royal crown flower, the photo of which you see below, is called “fritillaria,” which translated means “dice cup” or “chessboard.”

Such names are associated with both the color and shape of the flowers in the form of inverted lilies. In most European countries, this plant is known as Mary's tears because large drops of nectar appear at the base of its flowers. But the British call them sad tulips or widow's veils. In Russia, the royal crown flower was sometimes called the tree of paradise, but most people know this plant as hazel grouse because of its similarity to this bird of the grouse family.

Flower in the legend

Plants that are unusual for any reason, including fritillaria, are usually surrounded by legends and traditions that explain their extravagant and unusual appearance. In European countries, there is a widespread legend about why the royal crown (flower) “looks” at the ground with its bells. According to her, this plant was in the Garden of Gethsemane during the arrest of Jesus Christ after the betrayal of Judas, at that time its bells were snow-white and rushed to the sky.

When the Savior, leaving his disciples, went alone to pray, all the flowers around him bowed their heads to the very ground, but only the royal crown remained standing straight and proud. When Christ was taken into custody, his gaze fell on this plant. His gaze was filled with such sadness and melancholy that the fritillary could not stand it and, bowing its flowers, “flooded” with the color of shame. Since then, her bells have been directed downward and painted red.

Botanical description

Having dealt with the names and legend of the imperial hazel grouse, let's look at its biological features. It belongs to (Liliacea), the genus Fritillaria (Fritillaria). Under natural conditions, imperial hazel grouse grows in Malaya and the Mediterranean, in the Iranian and Afghan mountains and foothills. Prefers areas with good spring moisture and hot, dry summers.

The royal crown flower is a perennial that can grow up to 1.5 meters. Its bulb is large and consists of several fused fleshy scales. Some of them carry buds in their sinuses, which, under favorable conditions, can develop into new baby bulbs. In the spring, the above-ground part grows from the bulb - a stem, with narrow-linear or elongated-lanceolate leaves up to 10 cm wide and up to 20 cm long. In the middle zone, by the beginning of May, under favorable weather conditions, the imperial hazel grouse grows to 1-1.5 meters and blooms . After flowering in May, already at the very beginning of summer, the above-ground part of this flower dries out and the bulb “falls asleep.” At the end of summer - beginning of autumn, the bulb “wakes up”, begins to grow roots and forms a shoot for the next year, after which it again “falls asleep” for the whole winter.

Features of flowering

The color of hazel grouse petals, depending on the variety, can be orange, yellow, brown-red. As a rule, the inflorescence contains six downward-facing bells, the diameter of which can reach 10 and the length of 5 cm. Now there are varieties in which the buds are arranged not in one, but in two rows.

The orange petals along the midrib, as well as outside at the base, quite often have small “strokes” of saturated color. A few days after opening, the flowers begin to diverge to the sides. In the first summer month, the royal crown (flower) forms hexagonal fruits, similar in size to flowers - boxes filled with seeds. As they ripen, the seed pods crack, but the seeds do not scatter, since the fruits are directed upward.

We buy planting material

If no one among your neighbors and friends grows fritillaria, then buying bulbs of this perennial will not be difficult. Today they are sold at a variety of flower exhibitions, specialized breeding stations, garden centers and stores. But before you buy the variety you like, remember the following nuances:

Preparing the place

The planting material has been purchased, you need to choose a place where to plant it correctly so that the plant develops well and delights with its flowering every year. In fact, the “Royal Crown” is a flower, the cultivation of which will not bring many problems or much effort and time. For the imperial hazel grouse, a place in both sun and partial shade, warm and protected from drafts, is suitable. It is desirable that the soil is fertile and loose. If the site has heavy soils, then good drainage is necessary, since this plant does not tolerate excessive waterlogging. Experts recommend using river sand and rotted compost at the rate of 10-15 kg per square meter to loosen and improve heavy soils.

Flowers "Royal Crown": planting and care

In the middle zone, fritillaria bulbs are planted in September-October, immediately after purchase in the store. If you have your own planting material or received it from other gardeners, then after new roots begin to form.

Before planting, it is advisable to treat the bulbs with a solution of phytosporin or potassium permanganate. You can also sprinkle new roots with a root stimulator or crushed charcoal. It is very important to plant the bulbs at a sufficient depth:

• adults, with a diameter of more than 6 cm - from 25 to 30 cm;
• requiring growing - 15-20 cm;
• small children - 5-10 cm, depending on size.

The distance between plantings should be at least 20, and better yet 30 cm. All plantings should be mulched or covered with leaves on the eve of winter.

Are we planting seeds?

In addition to propagation by baby bulbs, it is possible to grow a flower from “Tsar’s Crown” seeds. Growing it this way is quite long, the plants obtained this way will bloom in about six to seven years. It is recommended to sow the seeds of the imperial hazel grouse into the ground immediately after collection, deepening them to one cm, in furrows about 10 cm wide, maintaining the same distance between rows. If everything was done correctly, then seedlings will appear in the spring of next year. Seedlings should be fed annually with complex fertilizers. From the age of two, the bulbs must be dug up annually and thoroughly dried.

How to properly care?

The “Royal Crown” flower does not require special care. You just need to remember that this plant develops very quickly in a fairly short period of time; for the beautiful annual flowering of fritillaria, it must be fertilized.

Almost any fertilizer is suitable for this flower, with the exception of concentrated foliar fertilizers, which can cause burns to the foliage. If you do not plan to propagate this plant by seed, then immediately after the petals fall and the fruit boxes set, they should be removed so that the bulb accumulates nutrients.

In the middle zone, it is still better to cover imperial hazel grouse for the winter. Straw, spruce or pine spruce branches, and reeds, laid in a layer of at least 30 cm, are suitable for this. Plants can be covered only after the onset of stable negative temperatures. In early spring, the shelter is removed.

According to all the rules, the royal crown must be dug up annually after the stem has turned yellow. But the experience of many gardeners shows that plants do not suffer much from digging them up every three to four years. Such a deviation from the rules does not affect the height of the plant or the quality of its flowering.

Royal crown flower, or imperial hazel grouse

Flower royal crown also known by another name - Imperial hazel grouse. Orange-brown bells are crowned with a crown of lush green leaves. The plant blooms together with tulips and daffodils, being the pride of the owners in their country flower beds.
Royal crown belongs to the lily family. She is well known in the northern hemisphere. It is also found in Asia, North America, and the Mediterranean area.
Known in Europe legend about the origin of the royal crown. As if this flower was blooming in the Garden of Gethsemane at the time when Jesus Christ was arrested because of the betrayal of Judas. Its bells were snow-white and did not hang down, but grew upward. When Christ went to pray, leaving his disciples, all the surrounding flowers bowed their heads to the very ground. And only the royal crown continued to stay straight. When Christ was taken away under arrest, he looked at the flower. There was so much sadness in his gaze that the royal crown could not stand it and bowed its flowers. Its petals turned red with shame, its bells bowed forever and never straightened up again.

Name: P Under its first name, the imperial crown (Corona imperialis), this species was mentioned in botanical literature in 1570. The name by which it is known to us, Fritillaria imperialis, was given by the great Carl Linnaeus, classifying it among the large genus of hazel grouse. As always, folk names are figurative. In Europe, the imperial hazel grouse is known as “Mary’s Tears” because of the large drops of nectar protruding from the base of the bell-shaped flowers, and of course, the “Caesar’s crown”.

Photo

Description: This large bulbous plant lives in the Eastern Himalayas, the mountains of Iran and Afghanistan in wet subalpine meadows and rocky screes. Plant up to 150 cm tall. The lower half or 2/3 of the shoots of imperial hazel grouse are covered with whorls of broadly lanceolate leaves. Their width is 10 cm with a length of up to 21 cm. The lower leaves are larger than the upper ones. The size of the leaves depends on the varieties and varieties. The upper part of the peduncle does not end with the inflorescence. It has a continuation of narrow green leaves, which is sometimes called a bunch or a crown. In plants that do not have flowers, the leaves cover the shoot evenly, without breaking in the place where the inflorescence is usually located. The flower stalk of the imperial hazel grouse is worthy of special description. By the time of flowering, it becomes unbendingly rigid and remains so until the end. If for any reason the plant bends, the stem remains straight. It is held in a bulb that has a hole in the center. This hole remains from last year's flower stalk. To make it clearer, you need to imagine how the bulb and peduncle are formed. This will give the key to agricultural technology and eliminate mistakes. So, the peduncle stem begins to grow in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. It grows rapidly and after two weeks, by the beginning of flowering, reaches its maximum height. At this time, the first daffodils, hyacinths and early tulips are just blooming. The peduncle is attached to the bottom of the mother bulb, and a young bulb is formed around its base. When the growing season ends, the peduncle will dry out and fall off. It will leave a vertical through hole of the appropriate diameter in the ripe onion. In autumn, in the depths of this hole, where it pierces the bottom, one, two or three buds are visible. Next spring, a corresponding number of peduncles will grow from them, and the next generation of bulbs will form at the base of each of them. This is why all the imperial fritillary bulbs have holes.

A bulb, consisting of 2-3 scales, is not only a supply of nutrients, partially spent on the formation of the above-ground part of the plant, and partially transferred into a new bulb. It is also an anchor that holds the powerful and heavy peduncle from falling. However, in order for the plant to maintain its vertical position, the planting depth should be 15-25 cm.

Now about the flowers of the imperial hazel grouse. As a rule, there are six of them and they are located like the shades of a chandelier. There are many more flowers if the bulbs were warmed up the previous summer. The buds are facing downwards, sometimes even deviating towards the peduncle. The flowers also look down at first. The pistil tube does not bend upward, as is the case with lilies and many other plants. After a few days, the flowers begin to deviate from the peduncle to the sides. By the time the petals fall, the pedicels and ovaries are located horizontally, and after some time even vertically! At the beginning of summer, the seed pods grow almost to the size of flowers, ripen and crack. The seeds, however, do not spill out on their own, because the boxes stick up.

The color of the flowers of the imperial hazel grouse is brown-orange. Among the varieties it is quite diverse, although it does not go beyond the red-orange-yellow range. The petals of the red and orange flowers often have strokes of dark burgundy on the outside at the base and along the midrib. The main species in culture since 1574.

Fritillaria imperialis "Sulpherino"
Photo of Svetlana Polonskaya

From the history: in Europe (Italy) the first mention of flowering in the culture of the river. The imperial one dates back to 1553. The tireless researcher, professor of botany from Leiden, Karl Clusius, brought its bulbs to Vienna in 1573 and planted them in the royal garden. The mild climate of central Europe contributed to good seed and vegetative propagation of the river. imperial. From here began the triumphal march of this magnificent plant through gardens around the world. Ultimately, hazel grouse, like many other bulbous crops, finds its second home in Holland. In 1746, 12 varieties were already known with red, orange, yellow and white flowers, double, variegated cultivars, as well as with double the number of flowers in one inflorescence. Since then, little has changed in the appearance of modern varieties.

Now the imperial hazel grouse cannot be classified as a rare plant. After centuries of cultivation, it is widespread in every European country, as if it was born here. It is grown everywhere, and is as common in gardens as grandmothers sitting at flower markets in the spring with armfuls of brick-orange and bright yellow hazel grouse. It is considered a simple, unpretentious plant. His whole history seems to confirm this opinion. More than 400 years have passed since R. imperial came to Europe, even some of its varieties were created so long ago that they have almost archaeological value, and during all this time they have not degenerated or died. Its vitality and constancy are amazing in comparison with many crops, where the speed of emergence of new varieties and their replacement of old ones is quite consistent with the crazy speed of modern life.

Fritillaria imperialis "Rubra Maxima"
Photo by Kirill Tkachenko

Varieties: in addition to the original garden form of the river. imperial "Rubra" with orange flowers, 15 varieties are described in the international register. There are much fewer varieties in commercial circulation: "Aurora", "Lutea", "Premiere", "Prolifera", "Sulpherino", "William Rex". Firms specializing in rare plants sometimes sell 2 more varieties with decorative foliage - "Aureomarginata" And "Argenteovariegata"The rest are almost impossible to buy. There is also no guarantee that plants obtained from the most reputable sources correspond to the variety indicated on the label, and this is not easy to verify due to the vagueness of the descriptions in the register.

"Aurora"- Flowers are the color of orange pulp with a very beautiful purple vein pattern throughout the petals, the nectaries are framed in purple. One of the shortest forms of imperial hazel grouse, since its flowering stems do not exceed 60 cm. It blooms somewhat earlier than other variations of this species, so it may suffer from night spring frosts.

"Lutea"- Lovely clear yellow flowers, with a subtle green pattern. The nectaries are surrounded by a white border turning into green and then purple. This variety has been cultivated since 1665. The height of the stems is 80-100 cm.

"Maxima Lutea" - An impressive garden form, reminiscent of the "Lutea" variation, only larger. Cultivated since 1867. Peduncle height - 120 cm.

"Premier"- Flowers the color of tangerine pulp with a faint purple pattern on the petals. The nectaries are surrounded by a white border that fades to deep purple-black. The anthers are white. The petals measure up to 6 cm along and 3 cm across. Peduncles 80-100 cm high.

"Prolifera"- This superb variety is also known as 'Crown on Crown'. When well developed it has a second whorl of flowers, hence the name "crown on crown". They are orange with purple veins, and greenish-black borders around white nectaries.

"Rubra"- Deep fiery orange turning to red, inside with crimson touches. There are faint veins on the petals, which reach a size of 6.5 cm by 4 cm.

"Rubra maxima" - The variety is characterized by very large orange flowers crowning stems 80-100 cm high. Cultivated since 1665.

"Slagzwaard"- Also known as "striped", and has been cultivated since 1771. The flowers are a shade of brown and the stems of the flower are connected to each other.

"Sulpherino"- The color of tangerine pulp with a thin crimson pattern and a yellow edge, the outer side has a purple tint. Petals - 5 cm by 3 cm. The nectary is white, with a greenish-black border. A wonderful and intriguing color combination. This is a very old variation, which gained popularity again after exhibitions in the Limmen Botanical Garden. The height of the shoots is 80-100 cm.

"William Rex"- This rarely offered variety has flowers that are deep bronze-red with a smoky hue. This variety has significantly smaller bulbs than any other variety. An old variation named after William III.

"Aureomarginata"- stems 80-100 cm high with orange-red flowers and golden framed leaves. This wonderful plant has been cultivated since 1665. This very beautiful, always eye-catching plant is not winter hardy.

"Argentovariegata"- has a silvery border on the leaves.

The easiest variety to identify is the one with yellow flowers. "Lutea". Differs from others "Sulpherino" — its flowers, yellow at first, later turn orange. Varieties "Rubra Maxima" And "Lutea Maxima" - huge plants, which, moreover, due to polyploidy, never set full-fledged seeds. The first of them is very rare, and the existence of the second is generally a big question - under this name, as a rule, they supply something very similar to it "Lutea". U "Prolifera"(synonym "Croon op Croon") two inflorescences located one above the other, and the variety "Fasciata" has double fasciated inflorescence and stem, although these signs can appear in the largest specimens of other varieties. Of course, variegated varieties - white-edged "Argenteovariegata" and yellow-edged "Aureomarginata" — cannot be confused with the others, but both of them are almost indistinguishable in the first half of their development, when they have yellow-edged foliage. Over time, the difference becomes very clear, and even the green part of their leaves is not the same shade. In addition, the flowers of the first variety are red-orange, while those of the second are brick-orange. As for the remaining cultivars, they cannot be identified without samples that have a 100% guarantee of grade. In addition, it is not known where to get them.

The age of creation of varieties has its negative side. Over the centuries-old history of their existence, the creators themselves, the Dutch, have sincerely become confused about this issue. The imperial hazel grouse does not reproduce very quickly by bulbs, but exceptionally well by seeds. Even though the seedlings grow slowly, seed propagation allows the plant to be replicated in tens and hundreds of thousands. The main part of the planting material supplied under the name F. imperialis "Rubra", in fact, they are seedlings whose flower color is quite variable. With such plant properties, it is very difficult to maintain varietal purity of the crop. Therefore, it is now impossible to collect a complete collection of true varieties of p. imperial. Almost nothing has been heard about modern breeding and new varieties of this species. The fact is that the variability of the color of its flowers is small and the available cultivars cover almost the entire possible range. It is very difficult to find a seedling with a hitherto unusual color.

In addition to varieties, collectors cultivate seedlings obtained from seeds collected in various parts of the natural range. Such plants can differ significantly in size and number of flowers from the “standard”.

"Aureomarginata"

Once planted by R. the imperial one will exist in the garden with minimal attention or even its complete absence. The question is whether you want to see what this plant can do if you care for it properly. Then the undersized savage, sometimes forming large clumps and producing rare flowers, and often not blooming at all, will turn into a real beauty, justifying its old name “royal crown”.

Location: prefers a warm, semi-shaded location.

The soil: when planting planting material, you can notice that the old drying stem is in the center of the bulb, in a fairly spacious funnel, and is attached to the bottom. Many are sure that this funnel is very harmful, as it contributes to the retention of soil moisture, which leads to rotting of the bulb. In the literature you can find recommendations to plant the bulbs obliquely or cover the funnel with half-rotted pine needles and the like. However, if you look closely, it becomes clear that the shriveled stem and bottom have a loose, porous structure and cannot retain moisture. It's another matter if the soils are heavy and poorly drained. like other bulbous plants from mountainous regions, river. imperial does not tolerate excessive soil moisture. Therefore, before you start planting bulbs, you need to carefully prepare the area. The main thing is to ensure good drainage and loose, nutritious soil. As a leavening agent, it is best to use coarse river sand and humus, which is also an excellent fertilizer (10-15 kg/sq.m). If there is no such amount of organic matter, you need to apply a complete mineral fertilizer with microelements.

Landing: When new roots begin to appear on the bulb during storage or in the fall, immediately after purchasing imported material, planting begins. At the same time, you must try not to break off the fragile roots that have already grown. The distance between adult bulbs should be at least 25-30 cm. The planting depth of large bulbs is about 20-30 cm. Smaller bulbs are 13-20 cm. Children are 6-10 cm with obligatory covering for the winter.

Photo by Epictetus Vladimir

Care: R. imperial is quite frost-resistant and adult bulbs rarely freeze out with proper agricultural technology, but in winters with little snow they need to be covered. This is also a must for bulbs grown in warmer climates. It is better to use non-caking materials - straw, reeds, reeds, spruce branches, rather than peat or humus. The insulation layer should be at least 25-30 cm. It is laid only after the soil has frozen 5-10 cm, otherwise mice may settle here. which over the long winter will dig up all the plantings. In early spring, the shelter is removed.

Young shoots tolerate spring frosts down to minus 6° quite well. On cold mornings, the stems freeze, bend toward the ground, and it seems that the worst has come. But the sun warms up - and the plants come to life and straighten out. Despite the significant height of the river. imperial, its stems are strong and do not need to be tied to a support, even in strong winds.

Loosening plantings is dangerous, since hazel grouse's roots often rise to the surface. It is enough to look at this giant to understand how much nutrients it needs for normal development. All types of fertilizers are suitable, with the exception of concentrated foliar fertilizers, which can lead to leaf burns. If there is no need to get seeds, be sure to break off the ovaries after the petals fall off. The plant spends too much energy on the formation of seed pods. This affects the growth of the bulbs, and therefore the decorativeness of the plant in the next season.

Diseases and pests: hazel grouse are not susceptible to viral diseases. The death of bulbs most often occurs in winter or during storage if the application of fertilizers was excessive. At the same time, plant immunity decreases, and the bulbs are affected by various bacterial and fungal infections. The development of the disease can be stopped by cutting out the damaged tissue and disinfecting the wound surface with a fungicide or sprinkling with ash and then drying it. Double fasciated inflorescence and stem are not a sign of the disease. This is a distinctive feature of the variety "Fasciata" or the result of developmental disorders in other varieties due to excessively high (more than 30-35 degrees) storage temperature of the bulbs.

Harvesting bulbs: After flowering, the above-ground part gradually begins to turn yellow and dry out. At this time, they begin to harvest the bulbs. Many publications on floriculture recommend not digging up hazel grouse for 2-3 years. But those who follow such advice may lose a significant part of their collection in one season. It must be said that during the dormant period, most “foreign” bulbous crops are easily affected by all sorts of diseases and pests, with which the earth is often “stuffed”. Delay in harvesting even for 1-2 weeks can destroy the plants, and the largest bulbs of rare varieties rot first. There is no need to wait until the stems dry out completely. The best time is when the roots begin to die, which can certainly be determined experimentally by digging up the plant. Small bulbs grown from baby bulbs or seeds are more resilient and can tolerate delays in harvesting, but it is better to dig them up every year. Planting material is carefully inspected. Dry films are carefully removed so as not to overlook spots of rot, the soil is washed off with a dark solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) and the bulbs are dried. If rot is detected on fleshy scales, use a clean, blunt knife to carefully scrape it out to healthy tissue, and the wounds and instruments are disinfected. To do this, it is better to use an alcohol tincture of iodine, brilliant green, or finely ground crystals of potassium permanganate, which are thoroughly rubbed over the entire wound surface. After treatment for several days, the wounds are dried at high temperature. Chemical remedies, even systemic drugs, do not need to be used. It happens that rot appears already during storage on seemingly healthy bulbs, so weekly inspection of planting material is necessary. You also need to carefully inspect hazel grouse when purchasing.

Storage: bulbs of all types of hazel grouse do not have integumentary scales and therefore tolerate long-term storage and shipment very poorly, with the exception of r. imperial. Before planting, it should be stored in a dry, warm and ventilated room with a daytime temperature of up to 30-35 C. The storage period is relatively short: if harvesting is carried out in June, then at the end of August new roots appear on the bulbs, and a sprout appears next to the old stem . Very large bulbs often form two sprouts at once. This means that next year there will be two flowering stems and two bulbs instead of one. By the time of planting, the bulbs usually grow long roots. You don't have to stand on ceremony with them. After damage, the remaining part of the root becomes thick and, most importantly, the root begins to branch. Short thick branching roots are very convenient. However, the roots should be protected during late planting. They should be carefully laid out to the sides.

Reproduction: Large bulbs are divided into two almost every year, but babies are produced very rarely and in small quantities. Polyploid varieties "Lutea Maxima" And "Rubra Maxima" reproduce worse. From one large bulb you can get several children, which need to be grown for several years before flowering. The variety also reproduces poorly "Argenteovariegata". R. imperialis, like hyacinths, can form babies on the wound surface, anywhere on the bulb. Timing of work is very important here. It is better to do this 2 weeks after digging and drying the bulbs. To achieve success, I advise you to try this technique first on less valuable specimens. For this operation, you should choose completely healthy and large bulbs. On each, no more than two cone-shaped holes with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 cm are made in the thickest part of the outer scales. They work only with clean, disinfected instruments, and simply dry all wounds. For further storage, prepared bulbs are placed in dry sand and kept in a warm, ventilated area. Once the roots appear, the prepared bulbs are planted in the garden. It is advisable to pretreat them with a fungicide, for example, foundationol (according to the instructions). In order not to deplete the mother bulb, the developing buds are removed. It is necessary to dig up hazel grouse very carefully, since the small baby is difficult to see in the ground,

Seed propagation is not popular among gardeners, because seedlings will have to wait at least 7-10 years for the first flowering. However, only in this way can a significant amount of planting material be obtained. In this case, the plants will be more adapted to local conditions and resistant to diseases. Even with artificial pollination, not all varieties of p. Imperial seeds are set. Sometimes it depends on weather conditions during the flowering period. No more than two seed pods are left on one plant. Seeds vegetate longer than simply faded specimens, but you should not delay harvesting them. Still green stems with bolls are cut low and placed one at a time in jars with a small amount of water, which is changed daily. After 1-3 weeks, the stems are removed from the water and the seeds are ripened in a dry, ventilated area. One box contains 50-70 full seeds. They are sown in boxes about 15 cm deep in loose soil that does not contain fresh manure and mineral fertilizers. For sowing, full-fledged seeds with a transparent endosperm and a clearly visible long embryo are selected. A state of deep peace. in which it is located can only be interrupted by cold aging of the swollen seeds for 3-5 months. If the box with the seeds will overwinter in the basement (plus 1-2°C), then you can sow with pre-soaked seeds until December. Sowing in the ground must be completed 30-40 days before the soil freezes. The seeding depth is about 1.5-2.5 cm. The development of the embryo is favorably affected by freezing the sown seeds at minus 2-6°C at the end of winter for 2-3 weeks. Lower temperatures lead to the death of the embryo.

In early spring, the boxes are moved from the basement to a sunny place in the garden. In the future, make sure that the soil in them does not dry out or become waterlogged. In the summer, after the above-ground part of the seedlings dies, the bulbs are selected and stored in dry sand at 20° until planting. In autumn they are planted at the same time as adult bulbs. The planting depth in the first years should be approximately 6-10 cm. It is necessary to cover young plants for the winter.

M. Chernousova "Imperial Crown" // "Floriculture" - 2000 - No. 3.
L. Bondarenko “Imperial Crown” // “Floriculture” - 2002 - No. 3.
V. Khondyrev "Gillery grouse, or imperial fritillary" - 2002 - No. 6.
Photos by L. Bondarenko from the magazine "Floriculture" - 2002 - No. 3.