Lilies of the valley are absolutely irreplaceable in the "wild" and "forest" corners of gardens, ideal for shady places. They go well with shrubs, are unpretentious and are widely used in industrial and amateur floriculture, as well as in landscape design.
The largest quantities of these flowers are grown in the vicinity of Paris and Berlin. On industrial plantations, they are cultivated for 2-3 years in one place. The best substrate for them is light loam, rich in humus, with an optimum pH of 5.0. The ideal fertilizer is rotted manure, which improves the structure of the soil and, at an application rate of up to 60 t / ha, makes it possible to do without mineral nitrogen fertilizing. The need for phosphorus and potassium is provided through the introduction of superphosphate and potassium salt, respectively, up to 5 and 2 c / ha.
The best planting time is autumn, when the leaves of the lilies of the valley turn yellow. In the spring, this work must be carried out at a fast pace in order to complete it before the buds start to grow and the earth is dry. Planting density 20-100 sprouts per m2, depth 1-2.5 cm. They are planted with ribbons or on ridges with paths up to 70 cm. Narrower ones are inconvenient, as they quickly fill with lilies of the valley due to the high (20 cm per year) growth rate of rhizomes ... In dry weather, watering after planting is required. Lilies of the valley are moisture-loving and do not tolerate drying. It is advisable to mulch with peat, humus or sawdust in a layer of 2-3 cm. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers starts from the second year.
Plants are often affected by gray mold (botrytis). The spread of the disease is facilitated by rainy weather in the middle of summer and an excess of nitrogen in top dressing. The main reason, however, is the thickened planting.
Every year, the plants are not dug out entirely, but in separate strips. After 3-4 years, "bald spots" are overgrown and are again ready to harvest flower sprouts.
V. Khondyrev,(Based on the materials of the magazine "Floriculture", No. 3, 2003
