The forest flower, snowdrop broadleaf, narrow-leaved and Caucasian, is a bulbous plant belonging to the early-flowering perennial flowers. They come in various forms and differ from each other in the form of leaves and flowers, in size, and each of them looks like a delicate business card of spring.
The narrow-leaved snowdrop is the smallest of all types of these flowers. It can be grown in greenhouses, gardens and containers. It grows slowly, green thin leaves appear on it, and bell-shaped flowers are held on thin stems.
Location
An ideal place to grow is the garden, because there you can recreate the natural conditions for the flower. The narrow-leaved snowdrop, the description of which is presented in this article, loves cold, humidity and partial shade.
Foliage
A cluster of green thin leaves up to 30 centimeters high is formed on the plants. But in each species they are peculiar and differ from others.
Bloom
The plant has hanging flowers in the form of bells, each of which grows on a single thin stalk. For example, 2-centimeter flowers appear on a snow-white snowdrop. Caucasian snowdrop is known for its long flowers, whose height reaches 25 centimeters.
Temperature mode
These flowers prefer cold, humid, forest conditions, in which the winter temperature is around -6 ° C. There are some species that grow in sunny, dry regions, adapted to such conditions. Most of them originate from alpine wet meadows.
The soil
It should contain humus or compost and peat, sand and loam. The soil should be loose, nutritious and drained. The narrow-leaved snowdrop does not tolerate areas in which fluid stagnates for a long time.
Fertilizer
Feed the flowers in winter and autumn with water-soluble fertilizer to provide the bulbs with the minerals they need, since the plant and its roots are developing intensively at this time. Bulbs sprout without fertilizing, only the flowers in this case will be less beautiful and voluminous.
Narrow-leaved snowdrop: description, cultivation
Plant snowdrop bulbs to a depth of 10 cm. They look best if planted together in the amount of three units. Immediately after planting, you need to water them well, completely wetting the soil. The main number of bulbs in 1-2 weeks will begin to take root, but you will not notice sprouts above the ground until early spring.
Narrow-leaved snowdrops after germination form attractive, compact groups. When grown in containers, use only high-quality, drained soil. Almost any pot is suitable for this. Make sure that there are holes in it, since the bulbs should not be in the flooded soil. Place containers in partial shade.
Weeding
The main enemies of the snowdrop are weeds, therefore, it is necessary to destroy them regularly. They take away from the flowers the nutrients they need, in addition, they contribute to the reproduction of various pests.
Fertilizers
Since the snowdrop narrow-leaved is a wild flower, it can be dispensed with without feeding, although it will be more beautiful and longer to bloom with it. Plants need to be fertilized in winter and autumn, using soluble nutrients, since the plant and its root system are actively developing during this period of time.
It should be borne in mind that nitrogen fertilizers are undesirable in large quantities, because because of them the number of leaves increases very quickly. Due to this, in a damp weather characteristic of early spring, there is a likelihood of a fungal disease. In this case, phosphorus fertilizers will be useful , which favorably affect the flowering of the plant. Fertilizers containing potassium will have a positive effect on the health of the bulbs.
Snowdrop propagation
It should be noted that the group of flowers can be divided after the foliage begins to turn yellow. In addition, each group should contain about 5 bulbs.
Diseases and Pests
The main enemy of snowdrops, as mentioned above, is weeds, which deprive plants of nutrients, water and light. Before planting a narrow-leaved snowdrop, remove the weeds manually or apply a herbicide. Another way to eliminate weeds and grass is to lay polyethylene over a future growing place for several months. You can also use the herbicide before planting, after making sure that it will not have a negative effect on the flowers.
Mulch the plants with a seven-centimeter layer of straw, compost or chopped bark. Mulching helps to maintain moisture, in addition, does not allow the development of various weeds.
From time to time, mold fungi can be detected from diseases. Such infection can be detected on the surface of leaflets. For this mold, honey dew secreted by plant aphids, scabies or mealybugs serves as food . This is not a serious problem, but such a disease gives the plant an unhealthy appearance, as it covers its stems and leaves. To exclude the possibility of infection, it is necessary to avoid the appearance of the above insects. Mold plaque is removed with a normal damp cloth.
Application
Snowdrop, which is very popular, is used mainly for cutting and for decorative purposes.
When the flowering period ends, snowdrops will need to accumulate nutrients until next year. Do not impede the process of photosynthesis; foliage should turn yellow and fade on its own. Cutting green foliage will reduce the ability of the plant to bloom actively next year, due to which the flowers will decrease in number and size. It should also be borne in mind that for pets, snowdrop can be toxic. The Red Book includes it in the list of endangered plants. This is due to its active collection.