Agapanthus - Flower Of Love

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

The heat-loving herbaceous perennial feels better outdoors. But for growing in gardens, garden forms and hybrids are chosen that can withstand the cold. Plant species that are afraid of frost prefer to settle in tubs or spacious pots in order to hide under the protection of closed rooms with the arrival of cold weather

A little about the plant

A dozen bulbous herbaceous perennials form the genus Agapanthus. If there was no Greek language, then the genus would simply be called "Love and Flower" or more smoothly it would sound like "Flower of Love", because this is how connoisseurs of Greek translate the word "agapanthus" for those who do not know the language.

The fleshy thrifty rhizome allows the plant to form amazingly beautiful rosettes from the belt-like basal leaves of a juicy green color. From the rosettes of leaves, meter-long peduncles, decorated with umbrella-shaped rounded inflorescences, strive to the sun. The sizes of the inflorescences match the powerful rhizome. The diameter of the umbrellas, collected from flowers of all shades of blue, ranges from 20 to 40 centimeters.

Popular types

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Eastern agapanthus (Agapanthus orientalis) is a large perennial up to 80 centimeters high. Large umbrellas-inflorescences are collected from white, blue and blue flowers.

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Agapanthus umbrella (Agapanthus umbellatus) is the most common tall perennial (height up to 80 cm), which is popular with flower growers. He feels comfortable under the warm African sun, having another name "African lily". White or blue flowers are rich in different shades and color intensity. Several garden forms of Agapanthus umbrella, which are resistant to cold, are powerless before frost. Therefore, having breathed free air over the summer, they require the protection of enclosed spaces in the winter.

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Agapanthus bell-shaped (Agapanthus campanulatus) is a tall deciduous perennial that grows up to 80 centimeters in height. White, light blue or violet-blue bell-shaped flowers are collected in large inflorescences.

Growing

Agapanthus feels most at ease in areas with a mild climate, where it can grow outdoors, preferring fertile soils with good drainage. But for the winter period, a heat-loving plant requires a good shelter from a dense layer of straw or foliage.

Agapanthus species that are afraid of frost are safer to grow in tubs or spacious pots so that they can winter indoors, where the air temperature is not lower than plus five to eight degrees. The soil to the containers should be fertile, with the addition of sand and peat. Watering the plant in winter is necessary very rarely, maintaining the soil only in a slightly moist state. But during the active growing season, watering should be regular and complete.

In spring, plants should be fed with complex fertilizer, at the rate of 30-40 grams per ten liters of water. With the arrival of the summer heat, the tubs and pots are exposed to fresh air.

Agapanthus loves sunny places.

Transfer

The plant is transplanted every two to three years. At the same time, they try to divide the overgrown bush into several independent plants. Transplant pots are filled with the same soil.

Reproduction

Reproduction of Agapanthus is possible by sowing seeds in peaty soil with sand (in a ratio of 1: 3). This is done in the spring, when the air temperature will not be lower than plus 12-14 degrees. With this type of reproduction, the plant begins to bloom in the second, or even in the third year. Therefore, the sowing method is rarely used.

They often resort to dividing old plants. The division procedure is not difficult, but there is no need for a long wait for the desired flowering, which the plant gives in the year of transplantation.

Diseases and pests

It can be affected by fungi, aphids, larvae of insect pests, chlorosis (yellowing of leaves, occurs with a lack of iron).