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Scilla, Endymion and Chionodoxa
These three lovely little bulb flowers are easy to force indoors for spring flowers in wintertime. They are charming early flowers for the garden.
Scilla, Endymion and Chionodoxa all alike
Scilla, Endymion and Chionodoxa are three delightful small groups of bulbs which can be forced for early flowering. Buy them as small bulbs and plant them in October-November.
Scilla grows wild in Africa, Europe and Asia. The closely related Endymion is found in western Europe and northwest Africa. Chionodoxa grows wild in Crete, Cyprus and Asia Minor.
They are very similar to each other in both appearance and growth habit. They are true bulbs, with long, glossy, strap-like leaves. There are a number of different species and hybrids on the market.
White, blue and pink The color of the flowers varies from species to species but it is always in shades of blue, purple, pink and white. The height of the plant also depends on the species and is typically between 4 to 12 inches, although a few have flower stems as tall as 3 feet. The flowers have a faint fragrance; some can be used as cut flowers.
Easily spread in the garden Squills and Glory-of-the-Snow are really fantastic when you grow them in the garden. They should be planted in large groups, and can even be planted in lawns. As long as they get a little fertilizer every fall, they easily spread by offsets or seed.
A sampling of species Endymion hispanicus (syn. Scilla campanulata), Spanish Squill, has blue, reddish or white flowers and reaches a height of 20 inches. The bell-shaped flowers grow in large clusters. Plants in the garden will bloom in April-May.
Endymion italicus (syn. Scilla italica), Italian Squill, has pale to dark blue star-shaped flowers. They are 12 inches tall and bloom at the same time as Spanish Squill.
Scilla sibirica, Siberian Squill, is one of the smallest of the species, only 6 inches tall. The flowers are typically brilliant blue and will bloom in March-April. If you grow these in your lawn, you can mow over them from June onwards without doing any damage.
Chionodoxa luciliae, Glory-of-the-Snow, reaches a height of about 3 to 6 inches. The star-shaped flowers are bright blue with white centers and will open out in March-April. There are also white and pink varieties.
Forcing
The forcing process starts in October-November. At this time, put the bulbs in small pots containing a mixture of equal parts good potting soil and coarse sand. You can even add special bulb fertilizer to the soil if you wish. Remember to give the bulbs a fungicide treatment first.
Bury out in the garden Bury the pots, with bulbs, out in the garden and cover them with about 4 to 6 inches of soil. In coldest areas, cover the soil with insulating material such as straw of leaves.
In an area with hard frost, it may be difficult to get the pots up again if the earth freezes. As an alternative, you can dig a hole 1 foot deep for the pots and fill it with fallen leaves, sand or peat moss. Or plant them in a cold frame. This makes it much easier to lift the pots when the time comes to bring them inside. Allow at least 12 weeks in the garden for sufficient chilling and root growth.
Force between 50°F and 60°F The best forcing results come at a temperature of around 50°F. As the flowers start to appear, you can move the pots to slightly higher temperatures. The blooms will last longest at around 60°F. Once your indoor bulbs have flowered, you can reuse them by planting them out in the garden.
Garden Culture All of these little bulbs are especially good for garden culture. They don't need any special care and spread easily with offset or seeds. You will get even better results if you spread some balanced fertilizer out in the fall.
Bulbs in the grass If you grow these plants in your lawn, they must have a chance to mature after flowering. Wait until the end of May before mowing.
Divide in the fall The bulbs can be taken up and divided in the fall. Carefully remove the small offsets and plant them elsewhere or save them for forcing indoors.
Plant Doctor
Although these bulbs are rarely affected by insects or disease, gray mold is a potentially serious problem. Badly affected bulbs have to be discarded completely. Minor attacks can be controlled with fungicide.
Treating the bulbs before planting them should prevent the problem. It's easiest to dust the bulbs with a fungicide powder. Or, soak them in a pail in a mixture of fungicide and warm water for about half an hour.
NOTE: Pesticides not used according to label directions can be harmful to man, animals and plants. Use only pesticides that have labels with directions for home and garden use. Always read and follow label directions.
Buying Tips
Lifespan: Will grow and spread for many years in the garden.
Season: Among the earliest of the spring bulbs.
Difficulty quotient: Easy. Once they are in your garden, they return year after year. Forced bulbs can be planted out in the garden the following year.
In Brief
Size and growth rate Both the size and growth depend on the species. In general they are all low-growing, early-flowering bulbs.
Flowering and fragrance All Three groups have either bell-shaped or star-shaped flowers and a few of them have a faint fragrance. They come in shades of white, blue, purple and pink.
Light and temperature Full sun to light shade is recommended. Forced bulbs need a temperature of around 60°F indoors.
Watering and feeding The soil in the pots should not dry out during forcing. You can mix special bulb fertilizer in with the soil when planting in fall.
Soil and transplanting Most garden soil is fine, except heavy soil or pure sand. Forced bulbs need a mixture of regular potting soil and coarse sand in relatively shallow pots.
Grooming None.
Propagating The easiest method is to remove the small offset bulbs in fall. You can also collect seeds from the ripe capsules and sprinkle them directly in the garden. This is a slower method and it can take a few years before any flowers appear.
Environment Squills and Glory-of-the-Snow are particularly good for naturalizing large areas in the garden. Forced bulbs are lovely in the window.
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