Colchicum (lat. Colchicum), aka Kolhikum or Osennik - a plant belonging to the genus of flowering perennials. Colchicans belong to the colony family, and their distribution area is Central and West Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean, and North Africa. The Latin name of the autumn crocus is derived from the words Kolkhis, which means Kolkhida. Colchis is a Black Sea region, in which several species of autumn crocus are common. Today, autumn crocus is grown in almost all areas with a temperate climate. As a rule, the time when the autumn crocus blossoms is late autumn (late September - early October).
Kolhikum, he is the autumn crocus, is a perennial herb. It can be easily recognized by the numerous short stems with large leaves of elongated-lanceolate form, which die off at the beginning of summer. The flowering of this plant usually occurs in the autumn, although some species of autumn crocus bloom in spring. During flowering, single, funnel-shaped flowers rise from the soil. Flowers reach 20 cm in length. The autumn crocus is poisonous, the Greek naturalist and pharmacologist Dioscorides once wrote about this.
Let's move on from the characteristics of the autumn crocus to the description of the method of cultivation of this plant.
Did you know? In common people, the autumn crocus is called a lousy flower, a spider flower, meadow saffron, dog onions, damn bread and poisonous crocus.
Place and soil for autumn crocus
The autumn crocus is very popular both with beginner gardeners and with landscape design specialists. Autumn crocus love for its autumn flowering period, it dissolves at the time when most flowers have faded long ago. In spring and summer, the large, beautiful leaves of the Kolkhikum adorn the garden. It is possible to hide wilted and fallen leaves of an autumn tree among other plants. For this it is enough to plant a colchicum between such creeping plants like periwinkle and zhivuchka.
Colchicum needs proper fit and care. Start by identifying a landing site. This plant loves sunny places with a small penumbra. It is better to refrain from thick shadows, since there various slugs are attacking the autumn crocus.
An autumn crocus needs a light and loose soil with an adequate supply of nutrients.
Did you know? The name "autumn crocus" was given to the plant due to the fact that some of its species bloom late in the fall, and the seed box develops the following spring.
Planting an autumn crocus bulb in open ground
Planting time of autumn crocus comes when all the bulbs of the plants collected in June-July are separated, thoroughly decontaminated and well dried. Autumn crocus bulbs prepared, and you wonder when to plant them in open ground? The best time for landing is the first half of August.
Dig small pits about 30 cm deep, and the distance between the pits should be about 15-20 cm. After the bulbs are placed in the pits, gently sprinkle them with earth, and then pour them abundantly.
Experienced gardeners recommend plant out the autumn leaves in small and compact groups. The undoubted advantage of group seedlings is that for the first time the autumn crocus dissolves only one flower. Grown plant forms new bulbs that give several flowers of white, pink or lilac shade. Such delicate and light bouquets will be a wonderful decoration of your garden plot.
Important! Stagnant water is detrimental to the autumn crocus, so carefully check your area and eliminate all the holes in which fluid can accumulate.
Selection of neighbors for the autumn crocus
An autumn crocus flower will surely please you if cultivation takes place with a properly chosen "neighborhood". Ideal flower bed neighbors will be hellebore, peony and juniper. After flowering, autumn crocus will cover the creeping plants (creeping thyme, obrietta).
Kolhikum is perfect for group planting in flower beds with perennials, as well as beautify rockeries, rock gardens, curb plantings and paths along the reservoirs. Also, an autumn tree can be grown in pots, which are taken out on the street, balconies, or are the subject of a home interior decoration.
4. How to care for the autumn crocus
The distinctive feature of the autumn crocus is its unpretentiousness. Watering the plant is necessary only during the vegetative growth and with a strong drying of the soil. During the flowering of the autumn crocus it is not necessary to water, and the autumn crocus grown in pots is also not watered.
Kolhikum can be attacked by slugs eating flowers of plants in shade or dampness. For this you need to constantly monitor and regularly catch pests.
Among other activities for the care of the plant - the removal of withered buds and wilted leaves, as well as weeding. For winter, an autumn crocus must be covered with a layer of dry foliage or any nonwoven material (agrofibre).
Do not forget to carry out timely seating of the colchicum, since a large accumulation of bulbs will lead to the fact that the plant will switch only to vegetative type of reproduction. In this case, autumn crocus just stop blooming. Autumn crocus should be transplanted once every 2-3 years.
Did you know? The bulbs and seeds of the wild autumn crocus are used in medicine as a cure for asthma and even cancer.
How to deal with pests and autumn crocus diseases
The main pests of the autumn crocus are snails and slugs that eat the leaves of the plant. To combat them, you can put special traps or use molluscicides (methiocarb or metaldehyde). In order to protect the plant from the slugs, fill the space between the rows with fine gravel or just an egg-shell. Also around the perimeter of the site you can place plastic gutters filled with water, and this will become a mechanical barrier for pests.
Gray rot is a disease affecting autumn crocus, Its description should begin with the conditions of its occurrence. As a rule, it occurs when the plant is excessively wet. Gray rot - a fungal disease of nature. With a weak defeat, the plant should be treated with the following drugs: "Champion", "Topaz", "Kuproksat".
Important! Strongly affected parts of the autumn crocus must be removed and the watering balanced.
Collapse of autumn crocus
Large bulbs of an autumn tree (more than 3 cm in diameter) are used for winter forcing. Autumn crocus bulbs do not need to be thrown away after distillation, like other bulbous ones. The bulbs dug out in the summer should be well dried and placed in a dark cool place. About a month before the expected flowering, the bulb is planted in a box or pot with fertile soil. There, the onions are periodically watered and kept at room temperature until the first sprouts appear.
After that, the box must be moved to a well-lit place where the plant blooms. In winter, the box can be moved to the balcony or to the street. There, the soil in the box should be lightly covered with snow to prevent the bulbs from freezing. In the spring, they will overgrow with lush foliage and will give new offspring for subsequent forcing.
Important! One bulb can give several flowers, so the boxes need to be removed from the lighted place only after the end of flowering.
When and how to make transplantation
After colchicum 6-7 years will stay in one place, it must be transplanted, as the tubers become closely in the nest, and the flowers become smaller.
Usually transplantation is carried out in the period of rest, that is, in August. If the tubers are large enough, they are planted to a depth of 15 cm, at a distance of 25 cm from each other. Small tubers should not be deeply buried, 6-8 cm is enough, the distance should be 10-15 cm. Before transplanting, you need to fertilize the earth with ashes and superphosphate - this will contribute to the acceleration of root growth, facilitate wintering and cause abundant flowering.
An autumn crocus is a real decoration of your flower bed. Decorate it with this amazing plant, and it will certainly give you a lot of pleasant emotions.
