The Agapanthus is often referred to as the African lily in this country due to its original distribution area in South Africa. The flowering plant, which is not particularly frost-hardy, is available in two different subcategories: an evergreen container plant and a leaf-retracting container plant that overwinters purely in the tuberous root rhizomes.
How do you plant African lily bulbs correctly?
To plant African lily bulbs successfully, choose a suitable planter with drainage holes in spring, fill it with loose, well-drained soil and place the bulbs in it. Make sure that the sections are not too small and can only start to bloom in the second year.
Growing from tubers versus sowing
Sowing African lily seeds is generally possible with little specialist knowledge, but this method of propagation is not very popular due to the long period of 4 to 6 years until the first flowering occurs. In any case, the tuberous rhizome in the planter continues to grow so strongly with enough moisture and nutrients that the tubers have to be divided every few years.
Preparing suitable plant pots
The planter for the African lily should be neither too small nor too generous. While a planter that is too small does not offer enough space for soil and water, large planters lack the tightness around the rhizome that stimulates the plants to bloom. Drainage holes for excess water should definitely be integrated in the lower area of the planter, as the African lily sometimes reacts to waterlogging by causing the leaves to turn yellow. You can use ordinary garden soil as a planting substrate when planting the tubers, but it should be as loose as possible and not too loamy.
Propagate the African lily by division
Overwintering the rhizome as frost-free as possible is very important when caring for the Agapanthus. However, these plants must not be overwintered at temperatures well above 7 degrees Celsius, as this could result in a lack of flowers during the actual flowering period in summer. Basically, the following must be observed when dividing the African lily rhizome:
- Freshly divided specimens sometimes only bloom again in the second year of the year
- Side tools include a spade, splitting ax or saw
- the individual pieces should not be too small
Tips & Tricks
The best time to plant tubers is spring. If you receive the tubers in autumn, they are ideally planted in soil and overwintered in the same way as existing plants.