Agapanthus planting and care in the open field in the suburbs

An excellent representative of an ornamental plant that will perfectly fit into any flower bed or garden. Perennial flower with abundant foliage, bright delicate, fragrant flowers. Designed for indoor cultivation and for open ground, the care and planting of Agapanthus is not difficult, it allows you to create bright flower beds in the country and at home.

Description of Agapanthus

The birthplace of the appearance of Agapanthus is considered to be South and Central Africa. He is a representative of the Agapantov family.

The root system is shallow, wide, creeping, fleshy, most of it is concentrated quite close to the surface of the earth. Leaves are 50 - 70 cm long, linear, with a dark green color, forming a dense basal system.

In the periods between flowering, it continues to release new leaves, forming a kind of voluminous green bush.

By the beginning of the flowering period, strong, smooth, bare peduncles 50 - 120 cm long grow from the center of the root system.A large inflorescence is formed at the end of the peduncle, rounded in diameter up to 25 - 40 cm.The Agapanthus flower has a funnel-shaped, bell-shaped shape, the color of which can be white , blue, blue, purple. Up to 100 buds can form in one inflorescence. Flowers grow from the top of the peduncle, each on its own stalk. The length of each flower in the inflorescence is 3 - 5 cm. The buds do not bloom at the same time, because of this Agapanthus has a blooming appearance for a rather long time from July to October.

Agapanthus is often grown as a houseplant, it has the property of absorbing heavy metals in the air, and also helps to cleanse the air from pathogenic and harmful microbes.

After the flowering season, a fruit is formed on the peduncle - a box with seeds.

The Agapanthus genus cannot boast of a variety of varieties; when flowers are over-pollinated, interesting hybrids can form.

The most widespread varieties are African agapanthus, bell-shaped, oriental and umbrella.

Types and varieties

Representatives of the genus Agapanthus differ in the height of the peduncle, the shape and color of the flower and leaves.

The whole difficulty of determining a particular variety lies in the fact that there are many hybrids among these plants. You can get an interesting kind of Agapanthus flower by crossing various varieties of representatives of its genus. As a result of cross-pollination, various shades of Agapanthus flowers are obtained, blue, blue and others.

Agapanthus umbellate Agapanthus umbellatus

Another name is "African lily" or "Abyssinian beauty". Umbrella agapanthus grows up to 70 cm.

Leaves grow densely from the root area, dark green, 45-60 cm long, wide, with a clearly visible groove along the entire length of the leaf, slightly narrowed at the edges. The peduncle grows up to 1 meter.

The inflorescence is voluminous, spherical, up to 45 cm in diameter. As a result, 30 flowers of a funnel-shaped, bluish hue bloom on one peduncle.

Each flower consists of six petals that unite at the stems. Peak flowering June - July.

Agapanthus Blue Peter

Agapanthus umbrella includes such a perennial plant variety as Agapanthus Blue. The stem of which grows up to 1 m. The flowers are bell-shaped, bright blue, 2 - 3.5 cm in diameter, collected in umbellate inflorescences on the crown of the peduncle. The leaves are long, growing tightly from the root zone. The flowering period is from July to September.

Excellent for growing as a houseplant, as well as in the garden and flower beds.

Agapanthus Blue Triumphator

Agapanthus orientalis Agapanthus orientalis

Agapanthus orientalis

Homeland - South Africa. Another name is Agapanthus early. Perennial, evergreen plant, grows up to 70 cm. Leaves are long, curved, broadly linear, up to 60 cm long. The spherical inflorescence includes up to 100 blue flowers. Flowering begins in July - August.

Agapanthus africanus Agapanthus africanus

Agapanthus africanus

Evergreen perennial up to 65 cm high. Leaves are straight, up to 40 cm long, dark green, with a light longitudinal stripe, emerge from the basal rosette. The stem with inflorescence reaches 70 cm. The diameter of the inflorescence is up to 25 cm. 20-30 flowers bloom on one peduncle, depending on the type of plant, the color is white, blue, blue and purple. Agapanthus Africanus begins to bloom in mid-July.

Popular decorative varieties:

variety Variegata - height up to 1 m, a white stripe can be traced on a long leaf;

variety Albidus - a characteristic feature: bright red blotches on the white perianth;

variety Albus - well suited as a houseplant, up to 20 cm high, bell-shaped white flowers.

Agapanthus campanulate Agapanthus campanulatus

Agapanthus campanulatus

Leaves are short, narrow, no more than 15 cm long. With the onset of cold weather, the plant sheds foliage. Flowering begins in mid-July - early August. The shape of the flowers is bell-shaped, the color is blue.

Agapanthus care

The plant is photophilous, with a lack of light, the leaves turn pale, the peduncle begins to stretch, which in turn spoils the appearance, since the stems become brittle. In this case, you have to put props.

It is undesirable to plant plants in places with strong wind, strong wind can break the peduncle ..

Agapanthus calmly tolerates temperatures from +10 - + 28C.

For good, vigorous growth, strong stems and lush color and leaves, the plant needs organic fertilizers, which are applied to the soil 2-3 times a week, until the seeds ripen.

In preparation for the winter period, the plant is brought into a cool room. If it germinates in open ground, then it is dug up together with the ground, placed in a box and left in a cool room, during which time the plant does not need to be cared for.

If you want to leave the flower for the winter in the garden, it is covered with a cardboard, wooden box, which is covered with fallen leaves, grass or sawdust.

Growing

Observing the conditions of maintenance and care, you can grow a wonderful plant.

Using Agapanthus seeds, you can grow seedlings, however, when growing a flower from a seed, you need to be patient, since the first arrow with flowers can be seen only after 5 - 7 years.

When growing a flower using a plot from the mother plant, in this case the plant will bloom immediately when planted in the ground.

Reproduction methods

There are three ways of reproduction of Agapanthus: seeds, division of basal rosettes and shoots.

Seeds are planted in early spring, first they are soaked in cold water for 2 - 3 hours. Prepare a wide container or box, fertilized, peaty, loose soil, drainage. A drainage with a height of 3 - 5 cm is poured at the bottom of the box, then soil is poured and well moistened from the sprayer. Shallow pits are made, one seed is placed each. All are sprinkled with earth and lightly tamped.The box must be covered with cellophane or glass to create a greenhouse effect, 2 - 3 times a day, the covering material is removed for 20 minutes for ventilation. It is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the soil, do not allow it to dry. After 1 - 2 weeks from seed

Agapanthus the first shoots will appear, at this stage the covering material is removed. As soon as the fourth leaf grows, the seedlings can be transplanted into separate pots with more fertile soil.

Reproduction by division is carried out in autumn or early spring before flowering. The plant is completely dug up, trying to pick up the roots deeper. Lightly shake off the root system from the ground, and with a sharp knife cut off part of the roots with 2 - 3 basal rosettes. To exclude suppuration of the sections, they are treated - dried and covered with activated carbon. The separated parts are sprayed with water, the roots are wrapped in a damp cloth, in this form it is necessary to hold the plant for several days, after which they are planted in the ground. In the first days after transplanting, the amount of water for irrigation should be minimal. As soon as the plant takes root, it grows, full-fledged watering is performed.

In a fairly mature plant, young shoots appear next to the main rosette - daughters, which can be separated and planted as an independent plant. Moreover, this method of reproduction requires special care, when separating the seedling from the mother bush, you must try not to damage the roots, otherwise the seedling and the adult plant may suffer.

Agapanthus transplant

Mature plants do not like frequent replanting. As a last resort, it is recommended to change the place of the bush every 3 years. Young flowers are more tolerant of changing growing locations.
Since the root system of Agapanthus is weak, you should be extremely careful when digging up, the roots can be severely broken.

Diseases and pests

The flower is sick due to frequent watering, as a result of which, the roots begin to rot and the leaves turn yellow.

In insufficient light, the peduncles are strongly stretched, which can lead to their breakage.

When attacked by scale insects and spider mites, the leaves dry up and fall off. To combat pests, use a soap solution and an insecticide to treat the affected areas

Watering

During the entire period of growth and flowering, the plant is watered abundantly, which ensures good flowering. Water stagnation should be avoided, in which case the roots may begin to rot. The flower needs to provide good drainage of the soil. As the temperature drops, the amount of water is reduced. In winter, watering the plant is not required, you should only make sure that the roots do not dry out.

Agapanthus planting and care in the open field

When growing Agapanthus in open ground, it is necessary to follow a number of rules, plants need to be planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other, since Agapanthus has lush foliage, then it needs more area for comfortable growth. The planting depth of a seedling or a shoot is no more than 10 - 15 cm.
Periodically, you need to cut off dried flowers and leaves so that they do not spoil the appearance of the plant.

Agapanthus at home

In closed rooms, during the cold period of the year, due to the working heating system, the air in the room is dry, but this does not in any way affect the well-being of indoor Agapanthus. Additional spraying will not hurt the plant, but its absence will not harm the flower.

Agapanthus at home gives a lush color, only in wide pots, with a good drainage system, abundant watering and periodic fertilizing.

Perennials Agapanthus are one of the favorite ornamental plants among gardeners. Abundant green dense foliage, tall peduncles, lush bright flowers can decorate any flower bed or flower garden. Many people use Agapanthus flowers in floristry. The beneficial antiviral properties of rhizomes are widely used in traditional medicine.

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Agapanthus - a plant for the conditions of central Russia is not entirely outdoor, more often indoor, grown at home.

But if every year many gardeners transport their ficuses, dracaenas, yuccas for summer vacations to the dacha, then why not do the same with agapanthus? Let him decorate your garden!

This plant is rare in our country, so I would like to dwell on its appearance in more detail.

Umbellate agapanthus (Agapanlhus umbellatus) - the most frequently grown species - came to us from South Africa. Very often it is also called the African lily, the Abyssinian beauty, and in Greek it is the flower of love.

A perennial plant forms a powerful shrub with belt-like, rich green leaves. The flowers are white, blue or blue, tubular, funnel-shaped, collected in umbellate inflorescences, rise on strong peduncles that reach up to one and a half meters in height. They bloom in July and bloom can last for two months.

It is better, of course, to take out the agapanthus in a container and leave it there, not to plant it in open ground. But the temptation is great to place it among perennials. In this case, do not forget that he does not like frequent transplants, so when planting in a new place, be careful not to damage the earthen lump.

Among other plants, it looks completely new. Although it is good on its own, it looks amazing during flowering with rather large balls of bright inflorescences hovering above its blue-green leaves.

See also: Agapanthus flower - tips for growing and care. Photos and several beautiful varieties.

Agapanthus in the open field - planting and care

Agapanthus will shine in the garden if you plant it correctly and properly care for it. The first thing we should pay attention to when choosing a place for this plant is light.

The southern agapanthus is photophilous, but not enough to "fry" the whole day under the scorching rays; the area for its cultivation should be in a little shade. It grows very poorly in the shade, stretches out - in such a place you will not have to wait for flowers from it, and if one peduncle appears, then - with stunted small flowers.

Watering is of no small importance for agapanthus, it is a water-loaf, from the beginning of spring to October it must be actively and abundantly watered.

But if in winter you do not store it in the basement or refrigerator, but leave it in a container on the window, you should water it only as the soil dries up.

He loves agapanthus and eat, so it is worth feeding it once every 10 days with both mineral and organic fertilizers throughout the growing season, that is, from spring to late autumn. But in winter, even if you leave it in a container, you can forget about food. At this time, he has a period of rest.

If we talk about temperature, then, despite its origin, agapanthus normally tolerates coolness and even at a low, but necessarily positive temperature, it feels normal.

But for the winter it is better to clean it, not leave it in the garden. It is unlikely that in our conditions of risky farming, he will overwinter - even under a good shelter! And in the southern regions, it hibernates in open ground pretty well, however, it still requires shelter (for example, a good layer of sawdust or leaves, or even better - first cover the plants with a box, and then pour leaves or sawdust on top).

FLOWER WITH AGAPANTHUS 1 "IN THE MAIN ROLE"

Agapanthus is an unusual plant, and it will not only not get lost among other perennials, but it can also become one of the main characters of your garden. So in the composition shown in the photo, he is in the center.

Its large beautiful bush with bright inflorescences draws attention to itself, even despite the fact that a bright red dahlia and mountain clematis are planted nearby, immersed in a lush foam of white flowers.In addition, agapanthus is a stably decorative plant and will decorate flower gardens for most of the season: from late June - early July to mid-September.

FLOWER WITH AGAPANTHUS -2 "ON CONTRAST".

Agapanthus in the presented composition is planted in the middle. For planting, it is better to choose not very tall varieties, for example 'Penelope Palmer' with dark blue flowers. It effectively contrasts with the rich yellow yarrow. In this flower garden, there was also a place for the exotic Perovsky, which we wrote about in the last issue.

If you are afraid to plant this plant (after all, in central Russia it winters with varying success), you can replace it with sage or catnip - the effect will be about the same. But it is better to choose the highest varieties so that they look good in the background and do not get lost among the not the smallest yarrow.

Since almost all the plants in the presented flower garden are about the same height, almost a bouquet is obtained. This is just a fragment of the composition; if you look closely, you can see the continuation, which consists of astilba, rudbeckia and others, but despite the not very large number of plants, our piece looks harmonious and decorative.

See also: Lily in a flower garden - neighborhood with other flowers and care

Compatibility and combinations of other colors with agapanthus

1. Bright, large inflorescences of agapanthus look especially impressive against the background of grasses, for example, moth, low varieties of miscanthus or non-aggressive, slowly growing varieties of reed grass.

2. Agapanthus blooms for a very long time - if the weather is good, it will be able to decorate your flower gardens until the end of September. At this time, the earliest varieties of chrysanthemums begin to bloom - and why not make a duet of these plants? How beautiful they look together!

Z. Agapanthus is a self-sufficient plant and does well without any support. But, if you want variety, you can plant ground cover or low perennials at his feet, for example, a related mountaineer or sedum.

4. Long-blooming agapanthus will decorate autumn flower beds. See how its blue flowers look spectacular against the background of red helenium, pale yellow spikelets of cereal (bonfire), bright red monarda.

5. Deep blue agapanthus umbrellas are especially advantageous next to bright yellow plants (for example, as in the photo, with crocosmia and dahlia).

6. Another option for a contrasting combination: deep blue agapanthus and snow-white caps of the 'Annabelle' hydrangea.

7. Delicate composition for romantics - blue agapanthus and a mixture of pink, white and crimson cosmos.

8. But this stably decorative composition of agapanthus, crocosmia and loosestrife can be placed even in the most conspicuous place - near the entrance to the garden!

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Agapanthus is a beautiful delicate flower with long peduncles and unusual-shaped leaves. It deserves a place in the landscape composition, if only because it blooms for about 2 months. In addition, agapanthus has many varieties for every taste, even for the most discerning summer residents. In the open field, the plant needs to be provided with maximum heat and light. This is the basis for the basic principles of planting and caring for the crop.

Description and characteristics of agapanthus

In a herbaceous perennial with a branched root system, both flowers and leaves are decorative. Most agapanthus varieties are evergreen in warm climates. The plant belongs to a separate species Agapant. Its characteristics:

• the aerial part consists of peduncles and a root rosette of leaves;
• peduncle - fleshy, up to 1.5 m;
• leaves - belt-shaped, 50-70 cm long;
• root system - extensive, fleshy, creeping;

• the buds are united in round umbellate inflorescences 25-40 cm in size;
• flower shape - funnel, diameter - 5-6 cm;
• the length of the petals is 3-5 cm, the color is lilac, bright blue, blue, white;
• during flowering, about 100-150 buds appear and wither in one inflorescence.

Attention! Agapanthus blooms from July to October, for about 60 days. The rest of the year, a lush bush of thin long leaves remains.

Agapanthus is usually planted in a flower bed or outdoor garden. It looks good in border form, in decorative compositions with other plants. Especially with those that bloom in the first half of the season. The combinations can be appreciated in the photo.

Also, the flower can be cultivated in indoor conditions. This method is relevant for northern latitudes, where growing agapanthus in the open field is impossible. It is buried on the site except in the middle of summer, for 1-1.5 months. On the windowsill, the plant realizes its useful feature - it absorbs and removes heavy metals, cleans the air from microbes.

Varietal variety of agapanthus

Agapanthus has 5 main varieties. However, due to the over-pollination of varieties, today a lot of hybrids of interesting colors are presented to the choice of the grower. Main types:

1. Bell-shaped. Deciduous rosette is somewhat shorter than that of fellows. The petals are dark purple. Leaves fall by winter.
2. African. The culture is evergreen, height - up to 60 cm. On the site it is usually grown in large flowerpots, without planting in open ground. The color of the petals is blue, lilac, sometimes with milky stripes.

   African

3. Umbrella. It grows up to 70-75 cm. The flowers are blue-blue. Otherwise, this agapanthus is similar to the African one.
4. Oriental. Evergreen with pale purple buds. It reaches a maximum height of 1 m, the leaves are slightly shortened.
5. Closed. The same species that grows up to 1.5 m and blooms longer than others, until the end of October. Differs in drooping buds that do not bloom to the end. Color - blue, sometimes dark to an ink shade. Different agapanthus hybrids can be evergreen and deciduous.

Closed

Popular among hybrid varieties:

• Lilliput is a 30-centimeter plant with deep purple, almost black flowers;
• Peter Pan is another miniature agapanthus with light blue bells;
• Albidus - differs in snow-white flowers with a red fragment on the perianth;
• Albus and Albus Nanus are tall and miniature agapanthus varieties with white inflorescences.
• Variegata is a tall hybrid with sky-blue flowers and white stripes;
• Star Quality - it is distinguished by a bare meter-long peduncle on which blue, purple or cream buds grow (this agapanthus is suitable for cutting);
• Pinocchio is a medium sized cultivar with indigo bells (usually grown indoors).

Features of growing agapanthus on the site

Most often, agapanthus cultivation begins with sowing seeds. Work needs to be done in March:

1. Soak the seeds in cold water for a couple of hours.
2. Prepare a wide box or container. Make a drain (3-5 cm). Pour in loose peat substrate and moisten it thoroughly.
   
3. Dig small holes. Put a seed in each. Sprinkle with soil and brush with your fingers.
4. Cover the container with plastic or glass. A windowsill is suitable for growing agapanthus.
5. Remove the film a couple of times a day and leave the box to air out for 20 minutes.
6. Don't forget to water your crops. Use a sprayer to keep the soil moist.
7. After 1-2 weeks. the first shoots should appear. Then remove the protection.
8. After the appearance of the 4th leaf, dive the seedlings into the open ground. This time usually occurs in mid-May.
9. Prepare a soil mixture of clay-sod soil, humus, sand and deciduous humus at the landing site (2: 2: 1: 1).
10. Place the seedlings in holes 8 cm deep.The distance between the bushes cannot be less than 50 cm.
11. Tamp and mulch the space around each plant.

Attention! Carefully work with the roots during transplantation. They are very fragile.

Agapanthus care

The natural habitat of this culture is the mild climate of South Africa. Therefore, select the warmest place for agapanthus on the site. The sun is also vital for the plant. Without enough light, the stalks will stretch unnecessarily and break under their own weight. In this case, they can be tied up, but the decorative effect of the flower will suffer.

Attention! With all its love for the sun, the plant does not tolerate direct rays well. It is good if the bush is slightly shaded at midday.

Agapanthus is not picky about leaving. Minimal watering is enough for him. The plant is fed twice a month, more often during budding and flowering. For this, organic and mineral mixtures are alternated.

When the temperature drops even to + 10 ° C, the flower must be covered. You can use an upside down crate with a layer of sand on top. If in your area in winter it is colder than +5 ° C, then the plant should be carefully transplanted into a pot and transferred indoors. Growing agapanthus on the site is also possible in a cool climate. But the florist needs to take additional care of the thermophilic ward.

Growing agapanthus: video

Agapanthus is a genus of only 5 species. According to various sources, he is referred to the Lilein family, then to the Lukovs. It is a herbaceous perennial that grows wild in southern Africa.

The rhizome of the flower is massive, but small. Belt foliage forms basal rosettes. Before flowering, the rosette expels a long peduncle, on which an inflorescence appears. Its color depends on the species, but it is mainly white, blue and purple flowers.

Varieties and types

Most often, as a houseplant can be seen agapatus oriental... It has powerful, wide foliage. On the peduncle, which can grow up to half a meter, there are a lot of flowers (about a hundred in total).

Agapanthus umbrella or African reaches a height of 70 cm. The foliage is belt-shaped, sharpened towards the end. Flowers placed on a peduncle are blue in color.

Bell agapanthus a small flower that gets its name from its bell-shaped flowers.

It is worth noting that agapanthus are easily crossed and with cross-pollination you can get hybrid.

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Agapanthus planting and care in the open field

When caring for agapanthus, one must remember that it requires strong lighting, otherwise the plant expels a peduncle that is too long, which can break.

In summer, it is better to take agapanthus outside, and in winter, place it in a well-lit room with a low temperature (about 12 ° C).

From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, the flower needs to be well watered. With the arrival of autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter it is done only to slightly moisten the substrate. It is not necessary to spray the plant - it does not suffer if the air in the room is dry.

From April to October, agapanthus is fertilized every 10 days, alternating organic and mineral fertilizing.

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Agapanthus transplant

Young flowers need to be replanted every year, and adults every 4 years. The transplant must be done carefully so that the rhizome is not damaged.Don't forget to put a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot.

When transplanting, agapanthus can be propagated by dividing the root. This procedure is extremely simple: just plant the derenki in pots and wait for rooting.

Do not choose large pots - agapanthus will bloom better in a cramped pot.

The soil for transplanting is made from two shares of humus soil, two sod, one share of sand and one leafy soil.

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Agapanthus growing from seeds

To propagate agapanthus by seeds, they must be sown in a mixture of leafy earth with sand at the beginning of spring. The material is slightly covered with soil and is easily watered.

After that, with the help of glass, a greenhouse effect is created. Ventilate the material every day, and moisten the soil so that it does not dry out. With the appearance of three true leaves at the seedlings, they are planted in three individuals in separate containers.

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Diseases and pests

Most often, agapanthus affects the scale insect and spider mite. From the first you need to get rid of the actara, and the second is fought with acaricides.

With an excess of moisture in the soil, it begins to sour. This is reflected on the plant by yellowing of the foliage. Normalize the amount of moisture when watering and everything should return to normal. If the soil is too wet, then carefully transplant the flower into a new one.

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