Tulip Ostrovsky

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Ostrovsky's tulip (lat. Tulipa ostrowskiana) is a perennial bulbous monocotyledonous plant belonging to the genus Tulip from the Liliaceae family. In 1897, the considered plant species was discovered in the vicinity of the city of Verny, which is now known as Alma-Ata. The discovery of the presented flower culture belongs to the doctor of philosophical sciences, botanist Eduard Ludwigovich Regel, who later wrote an accurate description of the plant and introduced it into a separate species of tulips.

Habitat

In its natural habitat, the plant prefers elevated, desert, rocky, sunny places. The homeland of Ostrovsky's tulip is Kazakhstan, mainly in the vicinity of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountain range, located in the north-west of the Tien Shan mountain system and extends up to the Kyrgyz mountains, covering the Chuy valley and the Moyinkum desert. The growing area of the considered flower culture does not go beyond a certain territory.

Characteristics of culture

Ostrovsky's tulip is a beautifully flowering herbaceous low-growing plant, reaching a height of no more than 35 - 40 centimeters. On a velvety glaucous peduncle are located basal, closely planted, different in length, green leaves in the amount of 2 - 4 pieces. Leaves, the size of which ranges from 3 to 15 centimeters, have an elongated linear shape and strongly wavy edges.

A single drooping inflorescence, the size of which does not exceed 5 centimeters in diameter, has a cupped, strongly open shape. The perianth petals are slightly protruding, have a slightly elongated shape and sharpened upward edges. The petals of a smooth texture are painted in a bright scarlet shade with a dark or yellow spot characteristic of the represented plant species in the center of the bud. In the middle of the inflorescence there is a small bundle, consisting of short filiform stamens, at the ends of which are anthers of a light brown or purple hue.

The small oval bulb, covered with hard, skin-like scaly plates of deep purple or black color, can reach a maximum of 3 centimeters in diameter. The fruit of the flower culture in question is presented in the form of an elongated, green box with seeds; in an adult, fully developed plant, their number varies from 120 to 190 pieces. The root system is one-year, that is, every year new filamentous processes replace the old obsolete roots.

Ostrovsky's tulip belongs to the group of early flowering plants; by the end of April, active opening of the buds can be observed. The duration of this period directly depends on the temperature and climatic conditions, the abundance of sunlight, watering and the development of bulbs, it can last from 2 to 6 weeks. At the beginning of June, the plant begins to bear fruit, this is the most suitable period for collecting seeds.

Care features

Ostrovsky's tulip is a warm and sun-loving plant, therefore, when choosing a place for planting bulbs, it is advisable to give preference to dry, hidden from the wind, brightly lit areas with fertile slightly alkaline soil. It is also necessary to abandon the territory where other bulbous plants previously grew, because diseases and pests of predecessors, preserved in the soil, will spread to tulip bulbs.

Planting of bulbs is carried out in the second decade of September until the second decade of October. It is not recommended to plant the plant later due to poor rooting before the first frosts, and as a result, further developmental lag.

The species in question belongs to the group of frost-resistant plants, but in order to avoid freezing of the bulbs (in the unstable climate of central Russia), it is advisable to cover the bed with tulips with peat and a mulching layer.

In the spring, as soon as the sprouts sprout, they must be carefully examined for defects and damaged individuals must be selected. In order to avoid contamination of healthy bulbs from possible diseases, the selected plants must be dug up and destroyed.

It is advisable to water tulips early in the morning or late in the evening, so that the soil has time to be completely saturated with moisture before the onset of heat. During the flowering period, the amount of water must be significantly increased.