The checkerboard flower immediately catches the eye with its strikingly patterned flower bells. The onion plant, which has become rare in the wild, is easy to grow in the garden and is extremely easy to care for. You can find out what you need to pay attention to when planting in this article.
How to plant checkerboard flowers correctly?
To plant checkerboard flowers correctly, plant the bulbs in September in nutrient-rich, low-lime, slightly loamy soil. Choose a location in full sun to partial shade with a planting distance of around 10 cm and a planting depth of 8 cm.
The right planting time
Get the small bulbs into the ground in September if possible, as they grow relatively slowly. This allows the chess flower to take root well and will sprout vigorously next spring.
Attention: The checkerboard flower bulbs dry out very quickly. Therefore, use this as soon as possible after purchase
Substrate
The checkerboard flower prefers permanently moist, nutrient-rich, low-lime and ideally slightly loamy soil. A thin bed of sand ensures that excess water drains away quickly. This prevents waterlogging and prevents the onions from rotting so quickly.
Planting and planting distance
So that the delicate flowers are shown to their best advantage, it is recommended to plant the checkerboard flower in small groups with some distance from other plants. A planting depth of around eight centimeters is sufficient for the small onions. The planting distance between the individual plants should be about ten centimeters.
Location
The chess flower loves brightness and prefers a location in full sun to partial shade.
Propagate
The checkerboard flower reproduces by:
- Growing onions
- Seeds.
As a result, the chess flower forms small populations in favorable locations over the years, which increase annually.
You can also dig up the small bulbs, carefully remove them from the mother plant and reinsert them in another location. Since the checkerboard flower is a cold germinator, propagation by seeds is a little more difficult but certainly promising.
Scale propagation
Due to the scale-like structure of the bulb, which is typical of the lily family, the chess flower can be propagated vegetatively. However, this procedure requires a lot of sensitivity and gardening knowledge.
Good or bad neighbors
The checkerboard flower feels very comfortable in the neighborhood of other ericaceous plants, for example on the natural bank of the garden pond.
Tip
Be careful, all parts of the checkerboard flower are poisonous. That's why the pretty lily plant should not be planted in areas where children play unsupervised.