The African lily (Agapanthus) can usually only be cultivated as a container plant in this country, but in general it does not require much care. Pruning to limit the size actually makes no sense with this type of plant.
When and how should you cut the African lily?
Pruning is usually not necessary for the African lily (Agapanthus). Spent inflorescences can be cut off to encourage new flowers to form. Yellow leaves should be removed to prevent mold and rot.
The size limitation by division of the rhizome
For many plants in the garden, regular pruning not only serves to limit the size of the plant, but also to rejuvenate the leaf mass. The African lily is also cared for in a similar way, but specimens that have become too large are reduced in size by dividing the rhizome. This has the pleasant side effect that propagation by division produces better results than sowing seeds. The hard rhizome is usually divided with:
- Splitting Ax
- Saw
- ground spade
Cut off spent inflorescences
During the flowering period in midsummer, you can stimulate the formation of new flowers by cutting off wilted inflorescences. However, you will then have to forego harvesting the seeds, as they would have to remain on the plant longer to fully mature. Visually, cutting off wilted flowers is usually a benefit, as they can negatively affect the appearance of the green leaves and any other flowers.
Removing yellow leaves
There can be different reasons if the African lily suddenly has yellow leaves. Overwintering in strong sunlight can cause sunburn on the sensitive leaves, which appears in the form of yellow spots. Some types of African lily gradually develop yellow leaves in their winter quarters, despite suitable conditions. This is quite normal for leaf-feeding subspecies of Agapanthus and you should remove the leaves to prevent mold and rot.
Tips & Tricks
Check your potted African lilies for spots and overall discolored leaves before winterizing. If you have a leaf-feeding agapanthus, you can remove the leaves directly during wintering. These subspecies also do not require any light to overwinter and sprout new leaves in spring.
