She conquers many a heart with her exotic appearance. The Strelitzia, also known as the parrot flower, presents unusual flowers in several colors and can be easily propagated with a little skill and background knowledge.
How can I propagate a Strelitzia?
The Strelitzia can be propagated by sowing or dividing. When sowing, file seeds, soak in water, sow and keep warm. Division takes place during repotting in spring by separating the root ball and planting it in nutrient-rich soil.
Sowing: preparation and patience are required
If you are considering the sowing experiment, you should know that it can take several months for the seeds to germinate. In addition, it is important to remember that the grown plants need between 4 and 6 years until they bloom for the first time
The seeds, which are about the size of peas, are black in color and shiny. They are often still surrounded by the orange hairs. You should remove these before sowing. Otherwise mold could form.
Starting the sowing
How to grow Strelitzia from seeds:
- File seeds carefully with a nail file or knife
- Soak in lukewarm water for 24 to 48 hours
- Fill pots with sowing soil
- Sow seeds 2 to 3 cm deep
- Press the earth firmly
- Moisten the substrate using a spray bottle (€27.00 on Amazon)
Germination occurs fastest at a temperature between 25 and 30 °C. You should therefore place the sowing pots in the warm living room or in a warm window seat. From the time the plants become visible, you should wait at least 2 months before fertilizing them for the first time!
Share during repotting
Another method is dividing the Strelitzia. This is much quicker than sowing and is often much more successful. Late spring - around March and April - is a good time for this. Ideally, division is carried out during repotting.
How to share:
- Removing Strelitzia from the pot
- Remove the old substrate from the root area
- divide in the middle: separate the secondary shoot (roots + at least 3 leaves)
- use knife or root saw to divide
- make sure the cutting surfaces are straight
- plant in a pot with nutrient-rich soil
Tip
The freshly divided parrot flower should be placed in a place without direct sunlight for 5 weeks and not fertilized during this time. This is important so that it can develop its roots well.
