Candidium Lilies - Planting, Care, Use In Garden Design. Photo

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Candidium Lilies - Planting, Care, Use In Garden Design. Photo
Candidium Lilies - Planting, Care, Use In Garden Design. Photo

Video: Candidium Lilies - Planting, Care, Use In Garden Design. Photo

Video: Candidium Lilies - Planting, Care, Use In Garden Design. Photo
Video: Where and How to Grow Lilies 2024, March
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In complex classifications of lilies, there are not many classes that are easily recognizable at first glance. Candidium lily and hybrids of the Candidium group are plants from which it is difficult to look away from flowering. They are demanding on soil and lighting, not so invulnerable lilies with a small selection of varieties. Despite the emergence of an increasing number of competitors, candidums still do not lose popularity and compensate for any shortcomings with the number of their most graceful flowers.

Candidum lilies
Candidum lilies

Content:

  • What are they, candidum lilies?
  • Using Candidium Hybrids in Garden Design
  • Growing conditions for lily candidum
  • Candidium Hybrid Care
  • Reproduction of lilies category candidum

What are they, candidum lilies?

The terms "candidum lily", "white lily" or "snow-white lily" have long become synonyms for us. They are interchanged and used, often forgetting that all modern Candidium lilies do not always bloom white, and that we are not always talking about a separate color scheme.

Today, two categories of plants are ranked as candidum lilies:

The snow-white lily itself, or candidum, is a species plant with snow-white flowering (Lilium candidum)

This is one of the most ancient, perhaps the first species of lilies introduced into culture. The European name "lily of the Madonna" clearly indicates the appearance of the plant and its status. The flowering of a snow-white lily, indeed, can be considered a symbol of purity. And her appearance is largely preserved in all candida.

Varieties and hybrids from the selection of Candidum hybrids, which do not only come from the white lily (Candidum Hybrids)

For the breeding of hybrid forms and varieties, in addition to the snow-white lily, other species of European lilies are also used. An example of the appearance of hybrid candidum is considered a hybrid under the name of the terracotta lily (Lilium x testaceum), obtained as a result of a complex crossing of a snow-white lily with a chalcedony lily (Lilium chalcedonicum).

It is a spectacular and large species of lilies with peduncles up to 120 cm tall, with lanceolate leaves and spotted stems. The brush contains up to 8 turbid flowers with an apricot shade of yellow-orange color and bright spots at the base of the perianth. This hybrid blooms only in the second half of July.

The saline form (var. Salonicae) of candidum lily with drooping flowers and dark stems does not lose its popularity. The class of candidum hybrids also includes white varieties that differ in the size and shape of flowers, but do not have any striking differences from the snow-white lily proper in flowering - Ina Weekes, dwarf variety White Elf, Ares, very high White Falcon, Zeus, Apollo, Lilac Weekes and dr.

These lilies are quite original in their development. Candidums belong to the category of own-rooted lilies. Yellowish-white, darkening in the light, large bulbs can eventually reach a diameter of 15 cm. The adventitious roots are perennial, sensitive to injury. When buying bulbs, they are guided precisely by their condition - weak damaged roots require preliminary rooting in a pot culture.

The scales are very large, immediately turn into leaves, the plant does not have stem roots, but a beautiful bundle-like wintering rosette of leaves is formed. In the development of candida, a period of rest is pronounced, which begins immediately after flowering.

The shoots that grow from the bulbs can stretch up to 2 m in height. They are not only green, but also purple and almost black. In the lower part, closer to the base of the peduncle, typical lanceolate leaves sit, only several times smaller than the basal ones. The latter are almost erect, and form a basal rosette. They grow in length up to 25 cm.

Snow-white lily, or Candidum (Lilium candidum)
Snow-white lily, or Candidum (Lilium candidum)

Candidium lily bloom

The inflorescence is crowned with a brush, most often of the correct pyramid or cone shape. On each peduncle of candidum lily, up to 30 flowers can bloom.

The calling card of both the snow-white lily, and all candidium hybrids, is the elegance of the flowers. Tubular or broadly corrugated, they are always distinguished by ideal symmetry and the classical shape of the round-wide or lanceolate perianth lobes elongated into a pointed tip.

The number of flowers on the stems often exceeds their resistance, but the beauty of each flower, even in such large cones of inflorescences, is perfectly visible. Golden, bright anthers seem to emphasize the purity of the lines of a flower that is capable of 12 cm in diameter and length.

The flowering period of candidum is traditionally in July. It is one of the brightest summer lilies and blooms for up to one month.

After the end of flowering, Candida begins a dormant period with the complete withering away of the ground part. At this time, the plants are afraid of dampness. The growth of the rosette of leaves begins in early September and ends with a period of strong cold snaps, providing the plant with a winter-green rosette.

An absolute advantage of Candidium is its strong aroma. It is felt at a distance and envelops the corners of the garden with its fragrant cloud. For those who love the scent of lilies, the candidum class is the best choice for decorating recreation areas.

The color scheme of Candida is traditionally associated with a snow-white color. But individual forms and varieties offer a choice of different sizes, silhouettes and flower colors.

Candidum hybrid, terracotta lily (Lilium x testaceum)
Candidum hybrid, terracotta lily (Lilium x testaceum)

Using Candidium Hybrids in Garden Design

Large and showy, Candida is one of the most attractive lilies around. It is an ideal choice for fans of such plants and gardens with a white palette, regular projects, ceremonial compositions. In a group, such lilies are rarely grown, and even then only a few plants are planted nearby.

Candidium lilies - fragrant, rich in flowers, elegant - look great on classic flower beds and in mixborders, in ensembles with continuous flowering, in narrow mixed borders, like a "floating" middle line in double-sided ridges. They allow you to realize romantic ensembles, they can single-handedly create the illusion of abundant flowering, are indispensable for illuminating and diluting accents.

Using candidum lily, it is worth choosing contrasting partners for her. The flowers shine against the background of dark leaves, bright colors and other shaped inflorescences. They are great in the company of phlox and rudbecky, yarrow, lavender, roses, delphiniums and other classic garden perennials.

Growing conditions for lily candidum

All Candidium lilies are united in their exactingness to both lighting and soil. They do not adapt to adverse conditions as well as some other lily classes. But on the other hand, the thoroughness in choosing a landing site is compensated for by a much simpler care.

For candidum lilies in regions with severe winters, sunny, open areas are sure to be selected. This lily prefers south-facing slopes, south-facing buildings and the warmest areas in the garden. If you can still experiment with placement in regions with mild winters, then only bright sunny places are suitable for the middle lane.

All Candida are lovers of alkaline, drained soil. When planting, it is worth excluding the slightest risk of stagnant water or choosing raised platforms. Heavy clay soils are not suitable for them; before planting, it is advisable not only to add compost and sand to the soil to correct the structure and improve water permeability, but also to carry out preventive treatment with either an ash solution or potassium permanganate. This type of lily does not tolerate manure and fresh organic matter. Before planting, the soil is worked deeply.

Bulb selection is a key factor when purchasing a plant. Candidium should retain sub-root roots; in case of damage or the purchase of weak, sluggish bulbs, the plant will spend from 2 to 3 years only for rooting and, most likely, will disappear in the first winter.

Planting and transplanting of candidum lilies is carried out only during the dormant period, best of all - in the third decade of August or the first decade of September, always before the start of leaf growth. After flowering, the candida are dug up, carefully examined and planted in new places. The bulbs must be treated in a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide before planting, and then dried.

When planting candidum lilies, the main thing is not to deeply deepen the plants. Planting is carried out to a depth of about 2.5–3 cm from the top of the bulb to the soil line. The optimal distance between the bulbs is about 15 cm. It is better to leave about 20-25 cm for neighboring plants.

A small amount of sand and wood ash is poured into the bottom of the planting holes. The roots are spread to the sides, evenly, setting the bulbs on a mound of sand. It is better to sprinkle the bulb partly with sand (1/3 or 1/2 of the height), and only then complete the planting by adding soil. The soil for candidum is not compacted, but poured as it shrinks. For good rooting within 2 to 3 weeks in case of drought, it is better to water the planted bulbs carefully.

It is often impossible to transplant candidum lilies. Plants are transferred to a new place and the nests are divided no more often than 4-5 years after planting.

Large and showy, Candida is one of the most attractive lilies
Large and showy, Candida is one of the most attractive lilies

Candidium Hybrid Care

Caring for a lily of this class is no different from caring for any beautifully blooming lily. Top dressing begins from the second or third year after planting (only on unimproved soil - the next year).

The plant is fed 2 or 3 times with full mineral fertilizers or fertilizers for bulbous plants - at the beginning of growth and during the budding period.

During the period of growing the peduncle and flowering, Candida is better protected from prolonged drought, but you should not overdo it with watering. The rest of the care is reduced to weed control and prevention of soil crusting.

The first sprouts of candidum appear early enough, in unlucky years they are damaged by recurrent frosts. Lilies that wake up early at extremely unstable temperatures are covered with simple non-woven materials.

And the lily is snow-white, and its hybrids are plants not resistant to diseases. These are one of the most vulnerable types of bulbs to fungal infections. Powdery mildew is especially annoying for lovers of snow-white lilies.

To avoid the risk, it is worth annually prophylactically treating young plants with systemic fungicides or biologicals. For the prevention of powdery mildew, Bordeaux liquid is also sufficient. Usually, preventive treatment is carried out at the very beginning of active growth and in August, if the weather is damp.

These plants attract rodents. It is better to protect the bulbs by planting protective plants next to them, installing baits or planting bulbs in baskets.

Installation of supports is an optional measure, depending on how luxuriantly the lily blooms. In good seasons, Candidum flowers are so large that the flower stalks cannot support their weight. In this case, if there are too many buds on the shoots, it is better to immediately put up the supports even before the flowers begin to bloom.

The resulting rosettes of candidum leaves for the winter are kept with a simple shelter - dry leaves or mulch and spruce branches, non-woven materials. The optimal layer of leaf cover is about 10 cm. If varieties or unnamed plants with unknown winter hardiness were purchased, the bulbs are weak, without roots (or small), then in the first winter it is better to dig out the plants or part of the plants. Excavated lilies are kept indoors. It is better not to keep the plants outside the soil, transferring them to pots or containers with an earthen clod.

And the lily is snow-white, and its hybrids are plants not resistant to diseases
And the lily is snow-white, and its hybrids are plants not resistant to diseases

Reproduction of lilies category candidum

Due to the fact that candidum hybrids, and species plants, generally do not form seeds or require interspecific pollination, they propagate vegetatively. But in those rare cases when you manage to get or get seeds of hybrid plants, it is worth using this chance. Indeed, when sown in any nutrient soil, the seeds germinate quickly, and the seedlings surprise both with their growth rate and resistance. Sowing is carried out in mid-autumn with freshly harvested seeds.

But the main method of propagation of candidiasis remains vegetative. Each bulb under normal conditions forms several children during the season, which are separated during transplantation and the formation of dense nests. You can also root individual scales (in greenhouses or containers under the hood). Small bulbs in the first year or two, until reaching a diameter of 9-10 cm, are grown in greenhouses or in a pot form, without overwintering in the open field.

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