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Pushkinia (lat. Puschkinia) is an early flowering bulbous perennial plant. It belongs to the genus of the same name and is a member of the Asparagus family. Pushkinia received its Latin name in honor of the mineralologist and chemist A. A. Musin-Pushkin, who first collected all its species on Ararat. In nature, the culture is found in mountain meadows, rocky slopes, and in damp places among bushes. But this bulbous plant has also taken root well in the garden, since planting and caring for Pushkinia does not cause any particular difficulties.
Pushkinia is similar in appearance to hyacinth, but it is smaller in size.
Types and varieties with names
This culture is considered one of the most beautiful spring primroses. It pleases the eye when all other garden plants are just waking up from winter hibernation. Pushkinia blooms in the first half of April and early May. Its inflorescences, like those of hyacinth, are racemes with densely arranged bell-shaped flowers.
The underground part of Pushkinia is represented by an ovoid bulb, as can be seen in the photo. It is covered with thin brown scales. The leaves of the plant are located at the base of the stem.
The diameter of the perennial bulbs is 1.5-2 cm
In nature, only three types of perennials and several varieties are found. They have some differences between themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to study the features of each of them.
Hyacinth-shaped pushkinia
This is the most common type of culture. The height of the plant reaches 10-18 cm. Hyacinth Puschkinia (lat. Puschkinia hyacinthoides) is distinguished by dark green leaves, up to 18 cm long and 1.4 cm wide.
The peduncles of this species are strong and fleshy. They include up to 30 bell-shaped buds of a delicate white-blue color. There is a blue longitudinal stripe running down the center of the petals.
The flowering period of hyacinth pushkinia lasts 10-20 days
Scilla-like Pushkinia
The height of this species reaches 15 cm. The leaves are linear, dark green, and are formed in the root zone of the perennial. The length of the plates reaches 16 cm and the width is 2 cm. The flowers of Puschkinia scilloides are sky blue with a bright blue stripe in the center. The diameter when opened is 2 cm. The central part of the buds is pale yellow and convex.
The proletariat Pushkinia blooms in the second half of May.
Pushkinia Lebanese or Libanotica
The plant is a dense herbaceous bush up to 15 cm high. The leaves of Puschkinia scilloides var. Libanotica are sword-shaped and have a rich green hue. The inflorescences are dense, up to 10 cm long. The peculiarity of the species is that the crown of its petals has two-toothed lobes.The color of the flowers is sky blue or white. This type of crop blooms in the last ten days of May and continues for three weeks.
Pushkinia Lebanese looks more impressive than other types of crops
There is also one of the varieties of Libanotica called Alba. It is cast in oval lush inflorescences. The color of the buds of Pushkinia scilloides Alba is snow-white. And a contrasting blue stripe running down the center of the petals clearly stands out on it. Pushkinia libanotica alba blooms in the second half of May.
In the Alba subspecies, one bulb is capable of forming from two to four peduncles simultaneously
When to plant Pushkinia
It is necessary to plant perennials in open ground in late summer or early autumn. More exact dates depend on the growing region. In the southern regions, planting is recommended in early October, in the central regions in mid-September, and in the northern regions at the end of August. In this case, the Pushkinia plant will have time to take root in a timely manner before the onset of permanent frosts. She needs two weeks for this. Then the plant can no longer be moved.
Planting Pushkinia in open ground
Planting this perennial does not require any complicated actions. Therefore, anyone, even a novice gardener, can carry it out. However, there are certain features of the procedure that need to be paid attention to.
Preparing the bulbs
To successfully grow Pushkinia flowers in open ground, it is necessary to pickle the bulbs before planting, which will reduce the likelihood of them being damaged by fungal diseases. For this you can use the drug Maxim. It must be diluted in a proportion of 2 ml per 1 liter of water and stirred thoroughly.After this, you need to completely immerse the bulbs in the solution for 30 minutes, and after that time, dry them.
Fungicide Maxim creates a protective barrier not only on the surface of the bulb, but also near it
Site selection and soil preparation
Pushkinia bulbous primroses can be planted anywhere in the garden where the soil is fertile and well-drained. Moreover, the crop is able to grow under the canopy of trees or other plants. The area should be illuminated, at least in the first or second half of the day, which will be sufficient for the full development and flowering of this bulbous perennial.
It is recommended to prepare the soil two weeks before planting. To do this, you need to loosen it to a depth of 10-15 cm, add humus and add 40 g of nitroammophoska per square meter. m. Then the soil surface needs to be leveled.
Planting scheme
To plant, you need to make a ditch 15 cm deep. A layer of sand 5 cm thick must be poured onto the bottom of it. The bulbs need to be planted bottom down at a distance of 5-10 cm from each other. After this, you need to cover them with sand and then sprinkle them with earth. At the end of the procedure, water the area using sprinkling method.
Pushkinia looks good in group plantings
Caring for Pushkinia
Caring for, as well as planting, Pushkinia flowers in open ground is not difficult. It only includes a few basic standard activities.
As soon as the soil on the site thaws in the spring, it is necessary to loosen it to a depth of 3 cm. This will provide air access to the bulbs and speed up their germination. If there is not enough moisture during this period, it is also recommended to water.
Throughout the entire growing season of Pushkinia, it is necessary to promptly remove growing weeds in order to preserve nutrients in the soil. It is also recommended to fertilize the perennial twice per season. It is necessary to fertilize for the first time in early March, using nitroammophoska at the rate of 40 g per 1 sq. m. m. It is recommended to feed the perennial a second time after flowering. At this time, it is important to use 40 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium sulphide per bucket of water. The plants need to be watered with a nutrient solution, which will allow them to restore wasted energy and grow bulbs.
Caring for Pushkinia also involves pruning. Withered flower stalks must be removed. They need to be removed at the base. This will redirect the plant’s forces to the formation of the underground part.
Diseases and pests
Pushkinia is susceptible to various types of rot. In this case, watery spots of different shades appear on the leaves of the plant. They subsequently increase in size. The disease then affects the peduncles and root system. As a result, the bulbs soften and emit an unpleasant odor.
Pushkinia also suffers from fusarium. This disease affects the bulb. In this case, the above-ground part of the plant turns sharply yellow, as metabolism is disrupted. With this disease, the bottom of the bulb does not form roots and takes on a pink tint. It is recommended to discard affected specimens and water the area with Maxim fungicide.
This perennial can also be affected by a viral disease - mosaic, which is carried by pests. In this case, light yellow stripes appear on the leaves, and the inflorescences are sessile and have few flowers.
Pushkinia affected by mosaic must be destroyed to prevent mass spread
Pests such as aphids, hyacinth mites, and flower flies also annoy the perennial. Therefore, when signs of damage appear, it is necessary to spray and water Pushkinia with acaricides or insecticides.
The perennial needs to be transplanted to a new location every five years.
Reproduction methods
Pushkinia can be propagated by seeds and daughter bulbs. The second option is less labor-intensive.
You need to collect seeds for planting in June. After this, it is recommended to store them in the refrigerator until autumn so that they do not dry out. They need to be planted immediately in open ground. To do this, you must first dig up the area and level the surface. Plant in furrows with sand at the bottom. The optimal embedding depth is 5 cm. After this, you need to lay a layer of peat mulch on top of the soil. Pushkinia grown from seeds blooms in 4-5 years.
During the growth process, children are formed near the mother's bulb. Therefore, they need to be separated in the fifth year in order to preserve the decorative effect of the perennial. It is recommended to do this during the period of sharp drying of the leaves. Then they need to be treated with Maxim and slightly dried. It is recommended to store the children, like the mother bulbs, in a dark place with a humidity of 65%, and plant them in a permanent place in the fall.
Photo of Pushkinia in landscape design
Pushkinia has found wide application in landscape design. It looks good in single plantings, and also combines with other spring primroses.
The plant can effectively decorate an alpine hill
Pushkinia is ideal for borders and paths in spring
Perennial plantings can be used to fill the area under trees
Pushkinia is also suitable for decorating the first plan of a flower bed.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for Pushkinia will not cause much trouble if you follow all the recommendations. In this case, the plant will be able to delight with lush flowering every year. In order for it to successfully winter even in the absence of sufficient snow cover, it is necessary to sprinkle the area with the perennial with a layer of mulch in late autumn.
