Chionodox forbes planting and care in the open field

Low-growing perennial plants Chionodoxa are representatives of the Scylla genus of the Liliaceae family. To date, 6 species of such a plant are known. In nature, they can be found on the island of Crete and in Asia Minor. The name of this plant consists of 2 Greek words, which translate as "snow" and "glory, pride". People call him "snowman" or "snowy beauty". A delicate bush of chionodoxa with lovely flowers grows simultaneously with snowdrops and groves at a time when the snow cover has not yet completely disappeared from the ground.

Features of Chionodox

Chionodox are bulbous plants. At the same time, with the peduncles, a pair of basal leaf plates of a dark green color grow, they are grooved and broadly lanceolate, and reach from 8 to 12 centimeters in length. Loose brushes, located on peduncles, consist of six-petalled bell-shaped flowers that are blue, pink, white or blue in color. The fruit is a juicy box, and inside it are black seeds. Ovate bulbs reach about 30 mm in length and about 17 mm in diameter. Their surface is covered with light-colored scales. These bulbs are designed for 2 annual cycles.

Planting chionodox in the open field

What time to plant

It is recommended to plant chionodox bulbs in open ground in the first autumn weeks after the formation of root ridges on their bottoms ends. For planting, you can choose both a well-lit area and one in a little shade. If the bulbs are planted in those places where the snow begins to melt first, then such chionodoxes will be distinguished by early flowering. If the flowers grow in a shaded area, then they will bloom later, growing in a well-lit place, but their flowering will be longer.

For planting such flowers, areas located under shrubs and trees are suitable. The fact is that during the flowering of this plant, there is no foliage on the shrubs and trees, which is able to absorb the sunlight necessary for chionodoxes for normal growth and flowering. It is recommended to grow these plants in the garden next to such flower crops as: primroses, hellebores, hyacinths, crocuses, pushkinia, white flowers, adonis and dwarf irises.

Landing rules

A suitable soil should be loose, nutritious, moderately moist, and slightly alkaline or neutral.These flowers respond extremely positively to the presence of a small amount of forest land in the soil, which contains fragments of tree bark and rotted foliage.

This flower should be planted in open soil in the same way as other bulbous crops. The planting depth depends on the size of the planting material, as well as the distance between the bulbs. Large bulbs must be buried to a depth of about 60–80 mm, while keeping a distance of 8–10 centimeters in the row between them. Not very large bulbs are planted to a depth of 40-60 mm, and the distance between them should be equal to 60-80 mm.

Caring for chionodox in the garden

Chionodoxes of all primroses are the most unpretentious and undemanding to care for, so even novice gardeners can grow them. Watering these plants is necessary only when the winter time turned out to be little snow, and the spring time was dry. After the flowers are watered, it is necessary to loosen the surface of the soil around them, while pulling out all the weeds. Sprinkle the surface of the site with a layer of mulch (dry peat or humus) and then the amount of weeding, loosening and watering will be significantly reduced.

Also, these plants require systematic feeding and transplanting, and chionodoxes should also be sprayed with special agents for diseases and harmful insects, if necessary. To exclude the reproduction of this culture by self-seeding, you should regularly cut off all the testes before they have matured yet.

How to water and feed

If there is a prolonged dry weather, then chionodoxes need to provide systematic and sufficiently abundant watering. Water the plants early in the morning, while trying to keep water droplets away from the flowers. Water for irrigation is used settled and not cold.

Such a plant is fed with complex mineral fertilizers. For example, you can take Nitroammofoska, it is introduced into the soil in early spring, which contributes to long and abundant flowering. If the fertilizers are granular, then they must be evenly distributed over the surface of the site, and after that the soil is slightly loosened, as this will significantly accelerate the entry of nutrients into the plant root system.

How to transplant and propagate

The easiest and fastest way to propagate such a plant is by children, which need to be separated from the parent plant. For 1 season, 2-4 children grow up in one bush.

Chionodoxes can grow in the same place without transplantation for about 10 years. However, experienced gardeners recommend removing nests from the soil 1 time in 5 or 6 years, dividing them and planting them. The bulbs should be dug out from mid to late July, at which time the aboveground part of the bush should turn yellow and dry out. The bulbs are planted in open soil in the last days of August or the first - in September, before planting, the dug nests are placed in storage in a dark, dry and cool (from 15 to 17 degrees) place. After the nest is removed from the soil, it is not recommended to separate the children from it, because the smallest of them will most likely die before disembarking. It is better to do the division of the nest before directly planting the bulbs in the soil.

If chionodoxes are already growing on your site, then there is no need to grow them from seeds, since these flowers reproduce very well by self-sowing. The seeds have a fleshy formation that ants simply adore. Therefore, they take seeds and carry them a fairly decent distance. Plants grown from seeds begin to bloom for the first time after 2 or 3 years.

Wintering

When the plants have faded, all arrows will need to be removed from them. The foliage is not touched, it is cut off only after wilting (in the second half of July). This flower is very resistant to frost.But if it grows in your open area, then in late autumn its surface should be covered with spruce branches or a thick layer of fallen leaves. In regions with a mild climate, the plant does not need shelter in any case.

Diseases and pests

Chionodox is a bulbous culture and is therefore susceptible to diseases such as sclerotiniasis, septoria, gray rot, fusarium and achelenchoides. These diseases, as a rule, damage the bulb itself, which is hidden from the eyes of the gardener by the earth, and he learns that the plant is affected only when the bush turns yellow, withers and it is no longer possible to change something. In this regard, before planting, the etching of the bulbs is a mandatory measure; for this, a Fundazole solution is used. Also, for the purpose of prevention, liquid should not be allowed to stagnate in the soil, as this can lead to rot on the bulbs, so you need to water the flowers sparingly.

The most dangerous of all pests for this culture are the larvae of the root meadow mite, as well as rodents. They are also capable of injuring the bulb. To get rid of ticks, the bush should be sprayed with acaricide (Aktara, Akarin, Aktellik, Agravertin, etc.). And you can clear your area of ​​moles and mice by spreading bait with poison in several places.

Types and varieties of chionodox with photos and names

In nature, there are 6 types of chionodox, but gardeners grow only 3 of them, as well as various hybrids and varieties obtained from these species by breeders.

Chionodoxa forbesii, or Chionodoxa tmolusi

In the wild, this species grows in the southern part of Turkey. The height of the bush is about 0.25 m. The peduncle bears a loose racemose inflorescence, which consists of 15 pink or white flowers. This plant does not form seeds, however, the bulbs are overgrown with children every season. Cultivated since 1976 Cultural varieties:

• Alba - the color of the flowers is snow-white;
• Blue Giant - the perianths of this plant have a deep blue color;
• Pink Giant - The flowers of this variety are painted in a pinkish-lavender color.

Chionodoxa luciliae, or Chionodoxa gigantea

This species got its name in honor of Lucille Boissier. It occurs naturally in the mountains of Asia Minor. The height of the bush is about 0.2 m. The leaf plates of such a plant are grooved, linear in shape. The inflorescences include 10 flowers, reaching about 30 millimeters in diameter, they are painted bluish-blue, and their throats are white. It has been cultivated since 1764. The most popular varieties among gardeners are:

1. White... The height of the bush does not exceed 10 centimeters. The flowers are white, and their diameter is 25 millimeters. In one racemose inflorescence, there are about 3 or 4 flowers.
2. Pink... The flowers are pink with a slight purple tint. In culture, the variety of this variety is very popular - Chionodox Rose Queen (aka Rosie Queen or Pink Queen): this plant has flowers painted in a very spectacular shade of pink.
3. Giant white... Flowers reach 40 millimeters across.

Chionodoxa sardinian (Chionodoxa sardensis)

The homeland of this species is Asia Minor. The bush has a pair of linear leaf plates. The height of powerful peduncles is about 12 centimeters, they bear loose racemose inflorescences, consisting of 10 flowers of a deep blue color, reaching 20 mm in diameter. It has been cultivated since 1885. There is a garden form, the color of the flowers in which can be pink or white.

Breeders also use such species as Chionodoxa dwarf, or Cretan, Chionodoxa whitish and Mrs. Lok to obtain new varieties. However, the species themselves are not yet grown by gardeners. Breeder V.Khondyrev, using various species of this plant, was able to create a whole series of hybrids: Aquarelle, Artemis, Absolute, Atlantis, Andromeda, Aphrodite and Arctic. Also quite popular among gardeners are hybrids created by crossing the Scylla double-leaved and Chionodox Forbes, they are called chionoscilla: the height of the bushes is not more than 10 centimeters, small star-shaped blue flowers are collected in dense inflorescences.

One of the most interesting ornamental plants of all growing in the gardens of central Russia is the early flowering bulbous chionodoxa. Planting and caring for her is not particularly difficult. However, in order to grow this wonderful bright flower, you need to know and follow some rules.

Description of the plant

In nature, only six species of chionodox grow. All of them are found only in Asia Minor and Cyprus. Chionodoxa is a low-growing plant with two basal leaves and very bright, bell-like flowers. The most common colors are white, blue, light blue and pink. The buds most often have a diameter of about 4 cm and consist of six petals fused at the bottom. Chionodox bulbs are distinguished by their ovoid shape and light color. In an adult plant, they can reach a length of 1.5-3 cm. Chionodox bloom in early spring and wither in the midst of summer.

Reproduction

Chionodoxa reproduces (photos clearly demonstrate its grace and beauty) most often in bulbs. In this case, the plant may bloom next year. However, if you wish, you can try to grow chionodoxes from seeds. But with this method, it will bloom only after 3-4 years. In one place, this flower can grow without loss of decorative qualities for quite a long time. Transfer and seating should be done about once every five years. Very often these interesting flowers begin to spread “on their own” throughout the area. The fact is that ants like to take away their seeds. However, the flowers grow wild in this case.

Choosing a seat for landing

So, you have made the decision to plant a plant such as Chionodoxa on your site. Planting and caring for her are procedures that require certain knowledge and skills. First, you will need to choose the right place for the flower bed. Chionodoxes love areas that are sheltered from the wind and well-lit by the sun. They can also grow in the shade, but the flowering will not be so abundant. This beauty feels best in wet areas. Chionodoxes look very good on alpine slides, in flower beds, rose gardens and even on lawns. Sometimes they are planted under apple trees. The fact is that while the latter release leaves that create a shadow, the chionodox already have time to bloom.

Soil preparation

That way, you now know where Chionodox will feel best. Planting and caring for it will be successful only if the soil is properly prepared. In this regard, chionodoxa is a rather whimsical plant. The soil should be very nutritious and loose. Drainage will have to be arranged under the bed. The fact is that if water lingers on the flowerbed, the bulbs can simply rot. Drainage can be made from ordinary rubble. Its layer is covered with water-permeable dornite and everything is covered with earth. In order to make the soil looser, you can add a little sand to it. In terms of nutritional value, the quality of the soil is improved by the addition of humus. Of course, all stones and weed roots should be removed from the garden.

Planting material

Chionodoxa is a flower that produces about 2-4 bulbs in one season. Dig them out for planting in September - October. At the same time, the leaves should already begin to turn yellow. The excavated planting material is stored in a cellar or basement at a temperature of + 17 ° C, in boxes under a layer of sand. The bulbs are planted in two weeks. You can plant them in early spring. However, they will bloom later in this case.

How to plant

Before planting, the soil must be loosened.The planting depth depends on the size of the bulbs. Usually it is about 6-8 cm. The distance between the holes is about 5 cm. After planting, the bed must be carefully covered with polyethylene. And if mice live on the site, it is recommended to lay spruce branches on top of the film. This will prevent rodents from spoiling the bulbs. At the beginning of April, the spruce branches and the film will need to be removed.

Chionodox care

The chionodox plant (you can see a photo of varieties of different colors on this page) is not particularly whimsical. However, of course, the flower bed will need to be weeded and loosened periodically (once a week). As for watering, you need abundant watering. The soil under the chionodox is moistened once every two days. The first feeding is done immediately after the sprouts hatch. They increase the nutritional value of the soil under the plants, simply scattering a thin layer of some nitrogen fertilizer over the flower bed. Sometimes the top dressing is applied over the snow.

Chionodox transplant

Chionodox is transplanted, as already mentioned, once every 5 years. In this case, it is better to dig up the bulbs at the end of July. You need to store them in the cellar. A flower bed is prepared in the same way as for planting. The bulbs are planted in the soil in mid-October.

Forcing flowers

To obtain beautiful flowers in winter, forcing is used. Chionodoxa, like all bulbous plants, is very suitable for this purpose. In early spring, larger bulbs are taken from healthy plants. They are planted in pots, deepening by 5-8 cm. The soil is prepared in the same way as when planting in a garden. The bulbs are dropped by 2-3 cm so that they are completely covered with soil. The soil is slightly crushed from above. Pots with planting material are buried in a shady place of the site. In November, they need to be moved to the basement or cellar. After two months, the containers are taken out and placed in a sunny place in a cool room. Plants will be the first to develop leaves. After a while, they will release flower stalks. After the chionodoxes have faded, the watering is reduced. Next, the bulbs are dug up and transferred to the basement. They are stored in the same way as ordinary planting material before planting in the ground.

Plant diseases

Chionodox flowers are ill and are affected by insects quite rarely. However, sometimes such troubles do happen. They usually suffer from the same diseases as other bulbous plants. First of all, it is gray rot. Also, these flowers can become infected with bulb rot or achelenchoides. The latter disease is especially dangerous. Infected plant bulbs turn brown and start to rot. At the same time, light brown spots can be seen at the bottom. In the section, ring rot is visible. Diseased plants lag significantly behind healthy plants in development and practically do not bloom. Damaged bulbs must be destroyed. Healthy ones can be used as planting material, but only after disinfection. To do this, they are treated with ordinary hot water (45 ° C).

Chionodox species

There are only five main varieties of this plant:

1. Chionodoxa lucilia. This variety comes from Asia Minor. It got its name from Lucille Boissier. Grows up to 20 cm tall. Her leaves are grooved linear. On one plant there can be two or three of them. This variety blooms in April, less often in May. Flowering lasts about 20 days. Lucilias have been bred in gardens and orchards for a long time - since 1764. Garden forms can be white or pink. White lucilia in inflorescence usually have 3-4 brushes and bloom for about two weeks. Pinks have a purple tint. Their bulbs are much larger than those of whites (up to 3.5 cm in diameter). The most famous variety of pink lucilia is Pink Giant.
2. Giant Chionodox. This species grows in the alpine mountains. It is a small plant with an ovoid bulb. Differs in leaves narrowed upwards. The peduncle can reach 10 cm in height.One to five flowers grow in the inflorescence. The petals of this variety are purple. This giant chionodox is named for the size of the bud - 3.5-4 cm in diameter. This variety blooms earlier than lucilia for several days. As a cultivated plant, it began to be cultivated in 1878.
3. Lok's Chionodox. This is a very beautiful plant with blue flowers. The buds are quite small - only 1-2 cm in diameter. In inflorescences, 2-4 flowers are most often collected.
4. Chionodox Forbes. In nature, it is found mainly only in Turkey, and then high in the mountains. Compared to other varieties, they began to breed it not so long ago - in 1976. The petals of Chionodox Forbes are blue with a white area around the eye. In height, this variety can reach 25 cm. An inflorescence of 15 flowers is formed on the peduncle. The sizes of the latter reach 1-3.5 cm. The inflorescence looks very interesting, since its height is greater than its width. Chionodoxes of this species are found with white and pink flowers. The main distinguishing features include the fact that it reproduces only by bulbs. In appearance, this variety is very similar to Lucilia.
5. Chionodoxa is whitish. Differs in white-pink inflorescences with a slightly lilac tint. The flowers of this variety are also small - they are about one centimeter in diameter. In the inflorescence there are usually 1-3 buds, and in height it reaches 10-15 cm.

This is actually a very interesting plant - Chionodoxa. Planting and caring for her are not troublesome and even pleasant procedures. In the event that you do everything right, you will definitely grow healthy, abundantly flowering beautiful plants.

Chionodox flowers appear one of the first in spring flower beds. They belong to ephemeroids, so after 1-2 months there is no trace of them.

General information

Due to its unpretentiousness, chionodox is widely used in the creation of spring beds, very often it can be found in rockeries or on an alpine slide. It goes well with almost all early spring flowers.

Planted under trees together with other bulbs, such as muscari, it will overcame in a spring garden.

At present, botanists have disbanded the genus Chionodox and attached it to the Proleski, but amateurs still call this flower by its former name.

If chionodox and redwoods grow in the garden at the same time, then very soon hybrids of these plants will appear and sometimes the result is very interesting.

The flowers of Chionodoxa are mostly blue; at the peak of flowering, they completely cover the foliage. One of the most spectacular blue chionodoxes is the chionodox Lucilia (aka Forbes).

Garden forms of the plant can have other colors. The flowers may be pink.

Photo: Chionodoxa Pink Giant

You can see the Blue Giant in the title photo of the article. There are also white varieties known as "Alba". Today, this word is often called any white varieties of Chionodox, apparently because the Alba variety was bred in 1885 and it suffered the fate of the word "Xerox", which became generic from the name of the brand. On the net called alba, you can also see varieties such as below.

Photo: Chionodoxa Lucilia, Miss Alice cultivar

Planting and leaving

Seat selection

Chionodoxa is a rather unpretentious plant, but it is better to plant it in loose and fertile soil, in this case it will grow in one place for many years, growing more and more. If the bulbs are planted on clay soil, the babies will form slowly, and the flowering will not be so abundant or even stop altogether.

It is preferable to choose a place for a flower sunny or with a light openwork shade. Since the flowering of chionodoxa occurs in early spring, when the leaves on trees and shrubs have not yet blossomed, it can be placed in the near-trunk circles.

The faster the place where Chionodoxa grows warms up, the faster it will bloom.If you plant it near large stones, where thawed patches form first, then flowering will come when there is still snow. Blue, pink and white flowers are very impressive against the background of a snowy space, reminding that spring has already come.

Also, when choosing a place, one should not forget that after flowering, the leaves and peduncles of chionodoxes turn yellow and die off, so the empty space should be covered by the leaves or flowers of another plant. The hosta is very good in this regard, since its late growing leaves will not interfere with the flowering of chionodoxa, and then they will close the empty place. Adenophora, which has a lush root rosette of leaves, will perfectly cope with this task.

Loose soil is one of the key points when planting a chionodoxa, so if you plant it in tree trunks, then it is advisable not to allow this place to be completely turfed in summer.

Care before and after flowering

Chionodox does not require special care, especially if the place is chosen well.

If possible, after the leaves appear, the soil around the flower must be carefully loosened and last year's leaves and grass removed.

The plant does not need watering, at least in the middle lane, where at this time of the year the soil is sufficiently saturated with moisture.

You can apply a complex mineral fertilizer under Chionodox, diluting it in the proportion recommended by the manufacturer, this can be done at any time of the plant's growing season, but it is better until the moment when the leaves begin to turn yellow.

It is recommended not to cut the foliage until it turns yellow, if the bushes are thick and yellowing leaves spoil the view, you can periodically "comb" them with your hands or a rare rake, and remove those leaves that are easily removed from the ground. Carrying out this procedure several times, you will gradually remove all the leaves, and the flower bed will have a neat appearance.

After the growing season of the chionodox is over, and the transplant is not planned, it no longer requires care.

Chionodoxa, very fond of "running away" from the place allotted to her. Therefore, in the spring, its flowers can be found in the most unexpected places. This is due to the fact that the ants take away the ripe seeds, which have good germination. Therefore, if you are a supporter of order in the flower garden, then after flowering, remove the flower stalks with the seed boxes formed on them.

Shelter for the winter

Despite the fact that Chionodox hails from warm places, in our climate it has taken root well and hibernates without shelter. The only thing you can cover with a small layer of leaves is varietal forms.

Reproduction

Chionodox can be propagated by bulbs or seeds.

Bulb propagation

After the plant has bloomed and the leaves have dried up, it is time to plant it. If a flower has been growing in one place for many years, then it has formed a clump of bulbs of different sizes. You need to carefully remove them from the ground, trying to select all the small children, dry them and send them either for storage until autumn or plant them in a previously prepared place.

If necessary, chionodox can be transplanted even in flowering form, but then you need to plant it as quickly as possible, since the delicate roots of the bulbs do not like drying, otherwise the transplant will not affect development and flowering in any way.

Seed propagation

Chionodox seeds have good germination, they are planted immediately after ripening. Since the first year or two, the sprouts look like green needles, the place of their planting should be carefully noted. After the young bulbs grow to bloom, they are planted in a permanent place.

Distillation

Chionodoxa is suitable not only for outdoor cultivation, but also for forcing.

In the fall, the required number of healthy large bulbs are selected and planted in a pot, which is then transferred to a room with a temperature of about zero degrees. About a month before you need to receive flowers, forcing begins directly.To do this, the pot of bulbs is transferred to a warmer and brighter place and kept there until the leaves grow back. And only then the chionodox is brought into a warm room.

After flowering, the leaves are allowed to dry out and the pot is removed back to a cool room, and in the spring they are planted in the ground.

The same bulbs do not need to be used for forcing for two or more years in a row.

What to combine with

A large chionodox bush growing separately looks very impressive.

Chionodox looks very beautiful in combination with snowdrops or crocuses (photo on the right).

When choosing neighbors for Chionodoxa, be guided by the following indicators:

• flowering period;
• growth requirement;
• the aggressiveness of the neighbor plant.

Chionodox combines very well with early-flowering small-bulbous plants that contrast with it in color, for example, with snowdrops, crocuses, white flowers, although the latter bloom a little later.

It will look great with a variety of primroses, anemones and crested beetles.

It is possible to plant it with such small-bulbous ones as scrub and Pushkinia, but there is a possibility that they will simply get lost against the background of each other, the exceptions are chionodoxa pink and white.

But blue muscari will look great with chionodox due to the contrasting flower shape.

Some chionodox curtains also look good, especially against the background of large stones or garden figures.

A large clump of chionodoxa, planted around a flowering forsythia bush, looks very unusual.

What to replace

Her closest relative, scilla or scilla, can successfully replace chionodox in a flower garden. In appearance, they differ only in that the flowers are drooping in the woodland, and in the chionodox they always look up.

Photo in landscape

Chionodox in single landings

Chionodox in group plantings

Chionodox Forbes Pink Giant

Garden in Dedemsvart, Holland

Chionodoxa next to the trees

Chionodoxa blends well with bare ground

Chionodox in front of the house

There is no exact classification of the Chionodox plant in the literature. In some sources, this is a separate genus, and in some it is referred to as Spill.

Chionodoxa is a perennial that grows on the peninsula of Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. It is one of the earliest decorative flowers that can beautify your garden as soon as the snow begins to melt.

This culture is bulbous. Its shoot usually does not grow higher than 12-15 cm, the leaves are long - up to 10 cm, the flowers are bell-shaped, mostly blue or pink in color, but can also be white, lilac, purple.

Varieties and types

The most common type is Chionodoxa Lucilia... It has small bulbs that drive out narrow foliage. The peduncle is high - up to 20 cm, the flowers are small, lilac in color.

The most varieties were obtained from this species:

• Rosea,

• Alba,

• Pink giant,

• Violet Beauty,

• Blue giant,

Chionodoxa giant has this name because of the wide foliage of a dark green color, but the herbaceous bush itself is not larger than that of relatives. The diameter of the purple flowers is about 4 cm, which is also slightly larger than that of Lucilius.

Chionodox Forbes has the largest shoot size among the genus - about 23 cm. The inflorescence is also large - up to 15 cm. The flowers are blue, but the bottom of the petals smoothly turns to white.

Chionodoxa dwarf a small bush driving out a couple of leaves and a peduncle with small flowers.

to the table of contents

Chionodoxa planting and care in the open field

Caring for the chionodox plant in the open field is simple and takes a minimum of time. The flower should be planted in sunny or slightly shaded areas. In places where the snow melts quickly, flowering will begin early, in the shade it will come later. The soil at the planting site should be nutritious, have drainage and neutral acidity, there are no special requirements for the composition.

Crop care involves a small amount of action.In the spring, you cannot walk and stamp on the place where the bulbs are planted, otherwise you can harm the young shoots.

Colchicum, some species of which are also very early, but there are those that bloom in the autumn, the plant is easily grown when planting and nursing in the open field. You will find recommendations for growing and caring in this article.

to the table of contents

Fertilizer for Chionodox

In the spring, with the onset of active growth, which begins immediately with the arrival of heat, there is a need for fertilizers, among which nitrogen is in the first place.

Top dressing is scattered over the soil so that it does not touch the leaves and shoots. After that, the soil is slightly loosened so that fresh air flows to the bulbs, as well as for faster assimilation of dressings.

to the table of contents

Watering Chionodox

Otherwise, there is almost no need to care for the flower. Watering is required extremely rarely, as there is enough melting snow and precipitation.

It is important that moisture does not stagnate in the roots, otherwise they will rot.

to the table of contents

Chionodox transplant

Bushes can grow in one place for a long time, but it is recommended to transplant every 5 years, planting the bulbs in new places.

to the table of contents

Chionodox in winter

This plant has a high resistance to frost, therefore, with the approach of winter, it does not need any warming operations.

to the table of contents

Chionodox reproduction by cunning

Chionodoxa reproduces by seed and vegetatively by bulbs. Bulb propagation is a little easier and therefore preferable.

On one old onion, up to 4 new ones usually appear. In the fall, they are dug up, carefully separated and planted to a depth of about 7 cm, observing about 5 cm between individuals.

But there is a problem, which is that it is difficult to dig up the bulbs because they form contractile roots. These formations diverge inward and to the sides, and after they die off, a void remains next to the bulb and it collapses. This causes inconvenience with digging, makes it slow. It is advised to carry out the procedure during flowering, since chionodox, surprisingly, does not suffer from this, and the rhizome is easier to separate during this period.

If you want to dig up the bulbs and plant them later, then the best time for this will be the second half of summer, when the ground part begins to turn yellow and dry. After digging up, the material is dried and stored in the dark and dry at a temperature of about 17 ° C.

to the table of contents

Chionodoxa growing from seeds

The seeds are sown directly into the soil in the garden immediately after ripening. Self-seeding is a frequent occurrence for this plant.

But it is worth remembering that with seed reproduction, varietal characteristics are lost and the flowers grow wild.

to the table of contents

Diseases and pests

Another great advantage of chionodox is its high resistance to pests and diseases.

Among diseases, a flower can only be damaged by stagnation of moisture, which is why bulbs begin to rot... If this happens, then it is better to immediately destroy the plant so that the disease does not spread to other individuals.

Among pests, most often inconveniences are caused by mice... To get rid of them, poison is laid out next to the plants, they try to find holes and fill them with water.

Also, the problem can be onion mite, which grinds off the onion, it crumbles to dust and rots. It is better to get rid of diseased bulbs, and treat the rest with acaricides or fumigate with sulfur gas.

to the table of contents