Queen Fabiola or King Fabiola ( Triteleia Hyacinthina), also known as Brodiaea or Triteleia Queen Fabiola, is a bulb that blooms late in the spring and early in the summer.
King and Queen Fabiola are Liliaceae plants with long, graceful flower stalks and several exquisite light blues to purple star-like flower heads on each stem. They’re strong as nails and make a superb late-spring planting after the other bulbs have stopped blooming.
Brodiaea is a herbaceous perennial family with roughly 17 species cultivated from bulbs or tubers. This family has been categorised and reclassified under various families throughout the years, including Dichelostemma and Triteleia, to the point that Brodiaea is now a common term for all three.
Gardeners who want to include Queen Fabiola in their landscape should do it in the early spring, when after the last winter frost has passed.
Brodiaea is adaptable to a wide variety of growing situations. Still, it will look and blossom best if explicitly planted for its requirements. Because it isn’t very resilient, add no more than a 2″ layer of mulch after the ground surface freezes to shield it from winter temperature spikes in the case of erratic snow cover.
Without any further ado, we will get started with the planting process. Let’s begin;
Benefits Of Growing Queen Fabiola (Triteleia Laxa)
Blooming so late in the season, when most other spring bulbs have already faded, makes them unique. It is an excellent bulb to plant in borders or clumps to create a solid mass impact. Flowers may survive for up to two weeks in a vase.
The following are a few advantages of cultivating them:
- This plant is a stunning addition to any garden or landscape design because of its minimal care requirements, appealing appearance, and versatility. Grass-like base foliage appears in the late winter and withers away as the blooms arrive. This gorgeous plant, which may reach a height of 15-20 inches (37-50 cm) under ideal circumstances, will naturalise and return year after year.
- Full sun or partial shade is ideal for growing this plant in sandy, rich, well-drained soil. Tolerates soil with a high content of clay. Apply mulch to this plant throughout the winter months. Consistently moistening the plant is the best way to get the best outcomes. However, the soil remains dry until the next season, from early spring to early summer.
- Drought Tolerant, Virtually disease-free, and pest-free!
- Wonderful vase life for long-lasting cut flowers. Spectacular in beds, borders, rock gardens, cottage gardens, and city gardens of many styles. Planting in clusters provides the most benefit (at least ten bulbs). Perennial geraniums, Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla Mollis), and decorative grasses are excellent companions. When the corms are quiescent, you may propagate them by separating them.
Where and When to Plant Brodiaea Queen Fabiola?
Place and timing are significant. You can not plant randomly; as we have mentioned, this plant is not the hardy kind.
Apart from the part mentioned above, you will also need to consider;
If you want to cultivate Brodiaea Laxa outside, sow seeds in the fall at a depth of 3 mm and bulbs in the early autumn at 10 cm. It is essential to water from below since their leaves are water-sensitive and may rot. It takes one to three months for them to germinate.
Plant the corms before the foliage develops in the autumn or late winter. These bulbs are often marketed in the fall with spring bulbs (crocus, narcissus, tulips, etc.) or in the spring among summer bulbs.
In a frigid area, plant in the spring when the earth has warmed up. From March to May, in damp soil. Plant 5-7cm deep (three times the bulb’s height), pointed end up, and 6-10cm apart. Plant closer together for a more immediate effect. Flowers appear from late spring until early summer.
When planting brodiaea corms, choose a warm location where the plants will get full or mainly sun. The soil should be gritty or sandy (rock gardens are great), damp in the spring, and dry in the summer and autumn.
Plant in the fall, 8-10cm deep and 10cm apart, in a reasonably rich, wet but well-drained soil; however, they will survive heavy soil. Grow it in full sun or mild semi-shade, in light, rich, well-drained, sandy soil. The soil should be kept cold and dry throughout the growing season and dry during the dormant time.
Reserve a warm location, insulated from intense frost, against a wall facing south, for example, in a mountain or continental region.
How To Plant Brodiaea Queen Fabiola: Step By Step Guide
Brodiaea’s’ Queen Fabiola”s magnificent blue flower heads emerge in succession for a long-lasting spectacle. With 35cm stems, they also make lovely vase specimens. The bulbs grow well in the dry and should be left alone.
However, you must plant them correctly to get the benefits.
To plant them, follow these steps:
Step 1: The Process of Soil Preparation
A site with well-drained soil and six to eight hours of daily direct sunshine are ideal for the brodiaea. Using a pitchfork, loosen the soil and test the pH using a soil testing kit—Queen Fabiola bulbs like a pH range of 6.5 to 7.0. A soil pH outside of this range needs amendment.
Because it isn’t very hardy, you may want to apply little more than a 2 “After the surface of the ground freezes, add a layer of mulch to protect it from winter temperature spikes caused by inconsistency in snow accumulation.
Per square foot, you’ll need nine corms. (Square footage is calculated by multiplying the length of the planting space by its width.) Top-quality. Full to moderate solar exposure. Bloom season in the horticulture zone 5th: May/June Plant 4″ deep and 3″ to 4” apart “dissimilar 6-9. HZ Height ranges from 14″ to 24” depending on the kind.
If the pH of the soil is found to be above or below the acceptable range, amend the soil. A pH of less than 6.5 may be raised using agricultural lime, whereas a pH of more than 7.0 can be reduced with peat moss. The manufacturer’s application instructions are included on the amendment packing label.
Step 2: Creating a trench
Make 12.5 cm (5 inches) holes for the corms using a small trowel. Each hole should be spaced 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3 to 5 inches). Fill each hole with one Brodiaea ‘Queen Fabiola’ bulb, bud side up. Pat the earth lightly over the bulbs.
The corms are tiny, approximately the size of a penny, and should be planted 3 to 4 inches deep and 3 to 5 inches apart, flat end down, pointed end up. Place them in their planting holes, and cover them with dirt and water to settle the soil.
Spread a layer of mulch 7.5 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) thick over the bulbs. When the corms sprout, they will penetrate both the soil and the mulch. Mulching with bark chips will keep weeds at bay, improve drainage, and keep the bulbs warm over the winter.
If the soil is thick and clayey, thoroughly weed it and lighten it with coarse sand and gravel. Bring a handful of ripe compost as well. Use caution when using new or poorly decomposed manure; bulbs despise it. Place on a slope for good drainage in cold climes, and cover with mulch to prevent hard frost.
One windflower tuber should be planted in each planting hole. Plant it with the damaged or depressed part facing up. Cover each tuber with one to two inches of dirt.
Step 3: Planting
Place them in their planting holes, and cover them with dirt and water to settle the soil. Mulch isn’t required in most regions, although it is useful when growing in USDA plant hardiness zone 5, where the winter cold might shock the bulbs.
As long as rain falls frequently, Brodiaea ‘Queen Fabiola’ corms need no extra care or maintenance after planting. If the year is dry, add 1 to 2 inches of extra water every seven to ten days to assist the corms in establishing. Only water if the top inch of soil seems dry.
Sow 1/4 inch deep and thin to 3 to 5 seedlings if starting from seed. It is important to note that blossoms will not appear for 2 to 3 years when starting from seed. Bulbs are the most popular way to reproduce the plant. Dig mature corms in the autumn and split them to develop from bulbs. Store the corms in a dry location at 70 to 77 degrees F. Plant the corms 5 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart in the spring.
Step 4: Caring Queen Fabiola
Water the soil gently once a week, saturating the top layer of soil until you see green sprouts. Once the corms have sprouted, begin weekly supplementary watering with a garden hose at a rate of 2.5 cm (1 inch) each week, keeping the soil wet to 1 inch. When the blossoms fade, stop watering.
Once a month, fertilise your planted Fabiola. Apply the fertiliser according to the package guidelines, ensuring the soil is wet first. For brodiaea, the ideal fertiliser is an all-purpose, balanced fertiliser.
If you cultivate brodiaea in pots, just bring them indoors and preserve them around 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain the soil’s moisture level. Relocate the pots outside in the spring and keep watering. Corms may naturalise, splitting every 3 to 5 years into regions where brodiaea is hardy.
LLike Brodiaea’s’ Queen Fabiola,’ Perennial bulbs die back in the fall and re-emerge in the spring. By pruning the plants to the soil line after the first frost, you may assist in rerouting energy to the bulb and stimulate more flowering the following spring.
FAQ
How tall does Brodiaea grow?
After 2-5 years, Brodiaea elegans (Harvest brodiaea) will achieve a height of 0.5m and a spread of 0.1m.
Which way up to do you plant Brodiaea bulbs?
The corms are tiny, approximately the size of a penny, and should be planted 3 to 4 inches deep and 3 to 5 inches apart, flat end down, pointed end up. Place them in their planting holes, and cover them with dirt and water to settle the soil.
Do you water bulbs after planting?
After planting bulbs, they should be watered. Water deeply since the bulb may be placed rather profoundly, and the water must thoroughly saturate the roots. This will aid in developing the plant’s roots and establishing the soil surrounding the bulb, therefore minimising air pockets.
Conclusion
The necessary work is done. The bulbs should not be overwatered. They should be healthy and increasing by that point.
The bulbs will decay if they get too much water before growing. If the soil’s top layer is wet, don’t add any additional water. A finger should be pressed into the soil before each watering of the brodiaea.
Because it grows best in full sun and cold temperatures, and when the soil is arid, it may be readily established as a native species.
Well-drained soil is a must for most bulbs, particularly in the winter when dampness and frost are present.
Keeping all these in mind, we have arranged the steps mentioned above. Follow them, and we know that you will have great blossoms.
