With dainty nodding bell-shaped blossoms, the chess flower decorates natural wet meadows, the stream and the edge of the pond in spring. The onion flower with the purple and white checkerboard pattern can only rarely be found in the wild. Reason enough to settle the distinctive beauty in the garden. Unanswered questions about cultivation are brought to the point here.

The checkerboard flower often thrives wild along rivers

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant chess flower correctly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. The right planting distance
  5. What soil does the plant need?
  6. What is the best planting time?
  7. When is flowering time?
  8. Cut chess flower correctly
  9. Water chess flower
  10. Fertilize chess flower properly
  11. pests
  12. hibernate
  13. Propagating chess flower
  14. Chess flower in the pot
  15. Is chess flower poisonous?
  16. trivia
  17. Beautiful varieties

    18. Plant chess flower correctly

    In order to showcase its artistically drawn bell-shaped flowers, the chess flower needs a sunny to semi-shady location with fresh, moist to swampy soil and a slightly acidic pH value. Here you prepare the plaice in fine crumbs and make small planting holes at a distance of 15-20 cm. A thin layer of sand on the sole prevents harmful onion rot. Plant the bulbs with the tip pointing upwards. The planting depth corresponds to a maximum of three times the bulb height. After compacting the soil with your hands, pour in soft water.
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    care tips

    A constantly moist soil is the top priority for the professional care of a chess flower. The lapwing gratefully accepts organic fertilizer in the form of compost, guano, (121.99€) bark humus or plant manure every 4 weeks from March to May. If you want to sow yourself, wait for seed formation and their natural distribution. In order to spare a checkerboard flower this effort, cut off the withered flowers promptly. The foliage stays on the plant until it is completely retracted. The onion needs some time to assimilate and store the remaining nutrients. Adult Fritillaria meleagris are completely hardy. To be on the safe side, light winter cover in the form of leaves and twigs should be considered. Even more important is a continuous water supply during frosty, dry winter weather.
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    Which location is suitable?

    The chess flower shows its full beauty under sunny to semi-shady light conditions. Fresh, moist to swampy soil is of the utmost importance for healthy growth and lush flowers. One of the main reasons for their withdrawal from the wild is the ruthless draining of wetlands and swamps.
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    The right planting distance

    The optimal planting distance for the checkered flower consists of a value within the group and another value as the distance to neighboring beds. Since a single Fritillaria meleagris is hardly noticeable, ideally arrange the flower in small tuffs with 5 to 10 specimens. Place these at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Since a lapwing egg does not like to be crowded, the distance to plants of other genera should be at least 30 cm.

    What soil does the plant need?

    The checkered flower favors a place in swampy to freshly moist soil. If the soil is free of lime and has a slightly acidic pH value, the lapwing egg feels in good hands. Humus should be plentiful, while nitrogen levels are at best low. It is therefore better to keep your distance from a location in sandy-dry soil. Correspondingly, we recommend compost-based potting soil as a substrate in pots and balcony boxes, ideally enriched with a handful of rhododendron soil as an acidic component.

    What is the best planting time?

    The best time to plant bulbs of all kinds is August and September. In this regard, the chess flower is no exception. By the first frost, the plant has established itself well. A layer of leaves helps the lapwing to survive the first winter and sprout vigorously at the end of March.

    When is flowering time?

    The central flowering period extends from April to May. Mild weather motivates the distinctive flower to sprout earlier from March. The curtain on the garden stage falls for the chess flower at the latest in mid-May, so that a seamless transition to the summer flowers is guaranteed. With their leaves and flowers, these decoratively cover the gaps caused by the Fritillaria meleagris that have moved in.
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    Cut chess flower correctly

    Under loving gardening hands, the checkered flower can reach a proud age of up to 80 years, especially if it is left alone as much as possible. Nevertheless, a cut is required at least once a season. When a Fritillaria meleagris has finished its spring-fresh blossom festival, it is time for the seed heads. Give the plant time to seed in the garden if propagation is desired. Do not cut off the wilted flowers and yellowed leaves too early. The onion needs some time to absorb all the residual nutrients it contains as a valuable reserve for the next season.

    Water chess flower

    A balanced water balance is one of the mainstays of skilful care. Water the chess flower as soon as the substrate surface has dried. Waterlogging must be avoided at all costs, as otherwise rot could occur. It is an advantage if you mainly use soft, lime-free water to accommodate the desire for a slightly acidic soil.

    Fertilize chess flower properly

    One of the most uncomplicated aspects of caring for a chess flower is the supply of nutrients. How to properly fertilize the spring flower:

    • Work a portion of compost into the surface of the bed every 4 weeks from March to May
    • Give lapwing eggs in a pot or flower box (€16.99) once a month with a diluted concentration of liquid fertilizer

    Fritillaria meleagris does not tolerate a concentrated load of nitrogen, such as that found in a complete fertilizer. If compost is not available, we recommend using a commercially available organic fertilizer such as guano or bark humus.

    pests

    While the poison content and unpleasant onion smell keep voles at bay, the chess flower is at the top of the menu for voracious snails. A moving barrier acts as a deterrent to ensure that these slimy pests do not attack the leaves and flowers. Surround the tuffs with a circle of pointed materials, such as grit ($49.95) or sawdust. Coffee grounds prove to be extremely effective in the fight against snails. The caffeine it contains has a toxic effect on the pests.

    hibernate

    In view of the filigree silhouette of a checkered flower, the robust winter hardiness is surprising. The flower bulb can withstand temperatures of up to -28 degrees Celsius without complaint, especially under a protective blanket of snow. Nevertheless, we recommend covering it with leaves and brushwood in the year of planting, as the young plant has not yet fully established itself. The greater threat comes from winter drought stress. If there is no snow in the freezing cold, the roots cannot get a single drop of water. Therefore, water a checkered flower in the case of a frost on mild days.

    Propagating chess flower

    The vegetative scale propagation of a checkered flower is easy for hobby gardeners to handle. As a lily plant, the onion is made up of several layers, which are ideal for offspring. In addition, well-established specimens will develop daughter bulbs that serve to reproduce in a similar manner. Once the foliage is drawn in and cut off, follow these steps:

    • Dig up and clean an onion
    • Subtract a maximum of 6 outer scales
    • Alternatively, cut off existing daughter onions
    • Fill small pots with potting soil
    • Insert the scales halfway up and water from below
    • Plant the bulbs about 6 cm deep with the tip pointing upwards
    • Put a transparent hood over each pot until the first shoots appear
    • Replant the mother bulb

    In a partially shaded location at 20-23 degrees Celsius, keep the substrate constantly moist while the onion scales or daughter onions develop their own root system. Throughout the winter, cover the future checkerboard flowers with soil so that only the top of the scales can be seen. At 5-8 degrees Celsius in the dark basement, only water enough to keep the soil from drying out. From March, take care of the young plants by the bright window or balcony until they are mature in autumn for planting in beds or tubs.

    Propagation by sowing, on the other hand, is much more complex. Since the seeds are cold germs, stratification is required in advance to get the seeds ready to germinate. In addition, a seedling-propagated chess flower takes 3-4 years to flower.
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    Chess flower in the pot

    The cultivation of a checkered flower is not limited to the bed or the edge of the pond. In the pot, the lapwing egg with its beautifully drawn bell-shaped flowers elegantly heralds spring on the sunny to partially shaded balcony. As a substrate, we recommend a mix of potting soil, rhododendron soil and a handful of sand for the best permeability. Above the water drain in the bottom of the pot, a drainage system made of potsherds prevents unwanted waterlogging. Plant the bulbs in small groups, 10-12 cm apart, with the tip pointing upwards. The ideal planting depth is three times the height of the bulb. How to properly care for the chess flower in the pot:

    • Water regularly with soft water
    • Fertilize liquid every 4 weeks from March to May
    • Cut off wilted flowers so that the flower saves energy
    • Cut the foliage only when it is completely retracted

    The chess flower spends the winter in the dark, cool basement. From time to time there is a sip of water so that the substrate does not dry out. Don't fertilize during the winter.
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    Is chess flower poisonous?

    With its poison content, the chess flower defends itself against predators and pests. The toxic alkaloids are concentrated in the bulb, making the flower dangerous to children and pets. In no time at all, a flower bulb has disappeared from the mouth and triggers significant symptoms of poisoning, such as vomiting, cramps and even circulatory collapse. The spring bloomer is therefore not the best choice for the family garden.
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    trivia

    The vernacular likes to call the chess flower the lapwing egg, based on the well-known wading bird, which as a ground breeder prefers to lay its spotted eggs in high meadow grass. The title could not have been chosen more aptly, because it is precisely this location where the checkerboard flowers feel extremely comfortable.

    Beautiful varieties

    • Alba: Where the color concept of the checkerboard pattern does not harmonize, the pure white variety is just the thing
    • Artemis: The elegant chess flower impresses with white-green drawn, nodding flower bells
    • Charon: Magnificent black and purple diced bell-shaped flowers for a dramatic border appearance
    • Poseidon: Discreet flower pattern in pink-purple for an unobtrusive design variant

Category:

Herbs