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Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is often the first bulb-type flower to show its blossoms in your garden in spring. The flowers look like clusters of little pearls, blue and white. They usually carry a mild fragrance. When the grape hyacinth blooming season comes to an end, you need to care for the bulbs to protect and preserve them so that they can bloom again the following year. Read on for information about Muscari care after blooming.
Armenian grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is a spring-blooming bulb that produces charming displays of purple, blue or white bell-shaped flowers. However, these bulbs can sometimes suffer from rotting, especially in overly wet soil. Follow these tips to keep your grape hyacinth bulbs healthy and prevent rotting issues.
What Causes Rot in Grape Hyacinth Bulbs?
Excess moisture is the primary cause of rotting in grape hyacinth bulbs. Stagnant water or overly wet soil creates an environment ideal for fungal or bacterial rot pathogens to take hold. Other factors that can contribute to rot include:
- Poor drainage from heavy clay soil
- Overcrowding bulbs which increases humidity
- Insufficient curing of bulbs after digging
- Wounds or damage to the bulb that allow rot entry
- Planting too deeply which exposes bulbs to excess moisture
Catching the signs of rot early and taking prompt action is key to saving infected bulbs.
Signs of Rot in Grape Hyacinths
Watch for these common symptoms that indicate a grape hyacinth bulb has become rotted
- Soft, mushy bulb with dark brown or black decay
- Foul odor coming from the bulb
- Failure of the bulb to sprout leaves or flowers
- Wilted, yellow leaves that quickly decline
- Premature dying back of foliage before flowering
- Stunted, weakened flowers and flower stalks
Dig up and examine any bulbs or plants exhibiting these issues to check for rot.
How to Prevent Rot When Planting Bulbs
The best offense is a good defense when it comes to preventing rot in grape hyacinth bulbs. Follow these tips when planting your bulbs:
- Select well-draining, light soil enriched with compost and sand if needed
- Avoid overcrowding bulbs which increases humidity and rot risk
- Plant bulbs at the proper depth – 3 to 4 inches is ideal
- Cure freshly dug bulbs for 2-3 weeks in a dry, well-ventilated area before planting
- Inspect bulbs and discard any with pre-existing rot or damage
- Dip bulbs in fungicide powder or solution to prevent rot organisms
- Water newly planted bulbs well then allow soil to dry out between waterings
Taking these preventative measures will get your bulbs off to the healthiest start.
Post-Planting Care to Avoid Rot
Continuing proper care after planting is equally important:
- Water thoroughly only when the top few inches of soil become dry
- Apply 2-3 inches of mulch to conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature
- Avoid excessive fertilization which can promote bulb rots
- Remove spent blooms to direct the bulb’s energy to growth, not seed production
- Allow foliage to die back naturally; do not cut it off prematurely
- Dig and divide congested clumps that harbor moisture and rot diseases
- In fall, apply bulb fertilizer to boost the bulb’s vigor
With attentive, consistent care, you can keep your grape hyacinth bulbs in top form.
Managing Excess Moisture
Preventing oversaturation of the soil is imperative to avoid bulb rot issues. Here are some key tips:
- Improve drainage by amending heavy soil with compost, sand, or perlite
- Plant bulbs on mounded soil to promote drainage away from bulbs
- Avoid excessive mulching which retains excessive moisture
- Water thoroughly only when soil is partly dry 2-3 inches down
- Allow soil to dry out more as spring progresses after blooming
- Remove irrigation systems near dormant summer bulbs
- Protect bulbs from excessive rain with shelters or coverings
- Transplant bulbs to better-draining locations if wetness persists
Controlling moisture properly will go a long way in keeping your bulbs healthy.
Treating and Disposing of Rotted Bulbs
If bulbs do become rotted, promptly take these actions:
- Dig up and discard badly rotted bulbs immediately to prevent spread
- Cut away any rotted sections of partially infected bulbs
- Dust remaining healthy bulbs with fungicide powder
- Repot and isolate treated bulbs to continue monitoring health
- Sterilize tools and wash hands thoroughly after handling rotted bulbs
- Remove all rotten remnants and debris from garden beds
- Do not compost infected bulbs
Catching and treating rot issues early is critical to save as many bulbs as possible.
With knowledge of proper care and moisture control, you can keep your grape hyacinth collection thriving for years of gorgeous spring blooms.
Post Bloom Grape Hyacinth Care
You really don’t want seeds to set on those grape hyacinth after flowering. The plant doesn’t need seeds and setting seeds depletes its energy supply. So that means grape hyacinth after flowering needs a trim. As soon as the flowers fade, trim them back with pruners or garden scissors. Remove the small flowers from the stem by running your fingers from just beneath the flower cluster to the tip of the blossom. However, leave the flower stem and do not cut it. It will provide nourishment for the bulb as long as it is green. For the same reasons, leave the foliage in place. This allows the leaves to continue to collect energy from the sun to feed the bulb for next year’s blooms. After grape hyacinth blooming season is at an end, the foliage eventually turns yellow and dies back. This happens about a month and a half after first blooming. At this point, the best post bloom grape hyacinth care requires that you clip back the stems to the ground.
What to Do with Muscari Bulbs after Flowering
You may wonder what to do with Muscari bulbs after flowering is over and the plant stems are cut back. Generally, all you have to do is apply a little manure over them in autumn, then a layer of mulch to keep the weeds down. Water them when the weather is dry. In some cases, Muscari care after blooming may include digging up the bulbs. If the plants show signs of overcrowding that limits their blooming, you can dig them up. Do this very carefully to avoid damaging any of the bulbs. Once you have the bulbs out of the ground, separate them and plant some of them in other parts of the garden.
Grape Hyacinth Care | Muscari armeniacum – SGD 361
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