Agapanthus is a tender grassy perennial with bright foliage and unusual flowers. It is suitable for indoor cultivation, landscape design and flower arranging. Agapanthus fascinates with quivering petals of pastel shades. The plant belongs to the Agapanthus family. Its homeland is the expanses of Central and South Africa.
Plant description
Agapanthus is a plant with fleshy, highly branched roots. Most of the root mass is located in the upper layers of the soil. A thick basal rosette of leaves blooms above the surface of the earth. They are belt-shaped and dark green in color. The length of the foliage is about 50-70 cm. Even between flowering, agapanthus forms a decorative spherical bush. In the genus of agapanthus, evergreen and deciduous forms are found, adapted to various living conditions.
By the beginning of summer, a fleshy peduncle with a circular cross section grows from the center of the leaf outlet. Its height is 40-150 cm. The top of the bare peduncle is decorated with a spherical dense inflorescence with a diameter of up to 25 cm. Bell-shaped flowers of blue, lavender or white flowers are located on their own thin stems. The length of the bud is 5 cm. On the oval petals, a darker central strip is traced. Flowering continues until the end of October.
In 1-1.5 months after pollination of the flower, the fruit ripens - the seed box. It contains many flat dark brown seeds.
Types of agapanthus in culture
The genus agapanthus is not very diverse. The plant is actively pollinated and gives a lot of interesting hybrids.
Agapanthus umbrella. A plant up to 70 cm high is a curtain of rather wide, strap-like leaves. On dark green leafy plates there is a deep groove, and the edge is somewhat narrowed. On a graceful peduncle, a ball of many bluish flowers blooms.
Agapanthus is African. This evergreen plant up to 65 cm tall is suitable for indoor cultivation. Blue and blue flowers are collected in large umbrella inflorescences. A lighter strip is visible on the leaves. Famous decorative varieties:
- Albus - attracts large snow-white inflorescences;
- Albus Nanus is a dwarf variety (up to 40 cm) with white flowers;
- Albidus - a plant with white perianth, on which there is a red spot;
- Variegata is a tall plant with a white stripe along a leaf plate.
Agapanthus is bell-shaped. Miniature graceful plant with narrower foliage. The length of the leaves does not exceed 15 cm. In winter, the leaves fall. Flowers are painted in blue-violet shades, they bloom in July-August.
Agapanthus is eastern. The evergreen plant forms a thick curtain of up to 40 cm in diameter. The leaves are wider and shorter. Peduncles up to 60 cm long are delicate purple flowers.
Breeding methods
Agapanthus propagation can be carried out by sowing seeds or dividing the bush. The seed method seems to many to be too long in time, because seedlings bloom after 5-7 years. In addition, there is a possibility of pollination and loss of varietal characteristics. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in early March. Use small greenhouses in the form of boxes with sand-peat soil mixture. Moisturize the soil and sow the seeds in shallow holes. The greenhouse is covered with a film, but aired every day for about half an hour. The optimum air temperature is + 16 ... +20 ° C. Shoots appear within 1-2 weeks. When 4 true leaves grow, plants can be dived into separate pots.
By dividing the bush, you can get several adults ready for flowering plants at once. The procedure is carried out in the fall, when the agapanthus blooms or in the spring before the formation of peduncles. The bush is dug up and freed from the earth as much as possible. Each leaflet should have 1-2 leaf sockets. The slice is performed with a sharp clean knife, and the wounds are sprinkled with activated charcoal. Delenki not planted immediately, but only cover with a moist substrate for 2-3 days. After this, the agapanthus is planted in a permanent place. Watering the seedlings in the early days need a little.
Care Rules
Caring for agapanthus requires some skill, only in this case it will appear in all its glory. More important is not even regular procedures, but the selection of the right place for a flower. Agapanthus needs intense lighting and a long daylight. With a lack of light, the leaves begin to turn pale, and the peduncles are very elongated. Thin stems can even break off. Since May, it is recommended to take the pots out into the open air in direct sunlight. Here, even the intense heat is not afraid of leaflets. Mild drafts of agapanthus are also not scary.
The optimum air temperature for the African lily is + 25 ... +28 ° C. In September, you should begin to lower the temperature and provide the plant with a cold wintering. Evergreens winter at + 12 ... +15 ° C. Deciduous species are enough +5 ° C.
In the southern regions, agapanthus is grown in open field. But even in warm winters, he needs shelter from non-woven material and fallen leaves. North African lily is grown as an annual or dug and stored indoors for the winter.
Agapanthus needs high humidity. It is recommended to spray it daily from a spray bottle and wash it regularly under a warm shower. It is necessary to use soft water so that ugly calcareous stains do not remain on succulent leaves. Try not to wet the flowers, otherwise they will quickly fade.
Agapantus should be watered during the period of active vegetation abundantly and often. Stagnation of water in the ground is unacceptable, so you should take care of good drainage. So that air penetrates to the roots, it is recommended to periodically loosen the soil. With decreasing air temperature, watering is reduced and by winter they switch to poor soil moisture.
From the end of March to the end of flowering, fertilizers should be applied under agapanthus. Mineral complexes for flowering and organics alternate. Top dressing is strongly diluted with water and applied twice a month. With the onset of cold weather, the plant completely ceases to fertilize.
To make the crown look neat, you need to remove the yellowed leaves and wilted peduncles. The plant does not need molding trimming.
Flower transplant
Agapanthus should be transplanted every 2-3 years. Unlike most flowering plants, it needs a spacious pot. In a tight container, flowering will be weak or stop altogether. At the bottom you need to pour 2-3 cm of drainage material. The soil should be slightly acidic and sufficiently nutritious. You can use the following composition:
- humus land;
- clay-turf land;
- sheet earth;
- sand.
The roots during transplantation partially exempt from the old soil. The top layer is recommended to be periodically mulched with peat and turf to prevent drying out.
Diseases and Pests
Agapanthus rarely suffers from disease. Only with prolonged flooding the roots are affected by rot. Rhizome has bactericidal properties and partially protects itself.
Sometimes on the plant you can find scabbard and spider mite. Particularly active parasites in dry air. To get rid of insects, it is necessary to treat the crown with an insecticide.
