Agapanthus - planting and care in open ground. Agapanthus varietal diversity

Agapanthus are perennial flowers belonging to the Agapantaceae genus. In total, there are about 6-10 varieties of them in nature. Translated from Greek, their name sounds like “flower of love.” The homeland of these plants is South Africa, from which it immediately becomes obvious that agapanthus is heat-loving. That is why in the middle zone it is not grown in flower beds, but in Russian homes it is welcome guest. But in warm regions these beautiful flowers They love to grow in dachas and gardens. Today you will get acquainted with the agapanthus flower and learn how to plant and open ground caring for it, how the process of growing at home from seeds occurs and in what conditions agapanthus grows, delighting with flowering.

What does agapanthus look like??

Perhaps, dear readers of Popular Health, you have never seen the agapanthus flower. In this case, look at his photo. Is not tall plant with a powerful branched root system. Its leaves are belt-shaped, collected in a basal rosette. Their length varies within 20 cm, width - 3 cm. When the time comes to bloom, a fairly long peduncle (about 50-80 cm) with a massive umbrella inflorescence consisting of numerous flowers slowly extends from the center of the rosette.

The inflorescences are most often presented in violet-blue tones, but in some varieties they can be white. The gradual opening of the buds allows you to enjoy the flowering of agapanthus for about two months. Heat-loving plant They are successfully grown in gardens in regions with hot climates, and gardeners in the middle zone often transfer flowers to the garden for the summer, but they overwinter exclusively indoors. How to grow agapanthus at home or for seedlings, having seeds at your disposal? Yes, in general, it is not difficult to do.

Agapanthus - cultivation

Agapanthus seeds are usually sown in the spring. If you live in an area where the climate is warm, for example in Crimea or Krasnodar region and want to grow wonderful flowers in own garden, then sowing can be done in April, so that at the end of May the seedlings can be planted in the ground. IN middle lane it is possible to grow agapanthus at home as indoor plants, in pots, and transfer the flowers into the garden directly into them in the summer, adding a little bit.

To germinate seeds, you should find the warmest possible place in the house, preferably where the mercury column is within 23 degrees. You will need a shallow container filled with a mixture of peat moss and perlite. Before sowing, moisten the soil and place small seeds on its surface. Their size does not allow them to be deepened into the soil; the surface only needs to be lightly sprinkled with a layer of clean, fine sand. Cover the box with glass or transparent cellophane, which must be removed daily to ventilate the greenhouse and remove condensation. Keep an eye on the soil - it should remain moist at all times.

Agapanthus shoots from seeds will appear in 7 days. Now protective glass can be removed, but the room must be warm (about 24 degrees). On at this stage seedlings need to be watered, but not abundantly, and ensure unimpeded supply of diffused light. In the development phase of two pairs of leaves, the plant should be pruned. Soil composition – humus, leaves, turf and sand (proportions – 2:2:2:1).

Planting agapanthus in open ground

We remind you that agapanthus is not grown in soil in gardens in cold regions, except perhaps in a greenhouse. If you live in the Moscow region or other areas where the climate is not warm even in summer, then you can decorate the garden with agapanthus only if you move the flower pots outside in the summer. In hot countries, where conditions allow, growing these flowers is also possible in open ground.

When it is already warm enough (usually at the end of May), agapanthus from home indoor conditions can be transplanted into open ground. A sunny area or a place located in openwork light partial shade is suitable for these plants. Be careful, because their roots are quite fragile, and damage to them leads to the death of flowers. Dig holes about 8 cm deep at a distance of 50 cm. Place the seedlings in them and then compact the soil. After finishing working with the soil, immediately mulch the planting around the bushes. This will serve as protection against rapid evaporation of moisture and will become an obstacle to the development of weeds.

Agapanthus care requirements in open ground will fulfill!

The African flower loves moisture, but it is still undesirable to flood it. When there is no rainfall, irrigate the flowerbed, and when the soil surface dries out, repeat watering. In spring and summer flowers need mineral supplements twice a month. Weeding is another necessary measure for caring for agapanthus. Pests that can attack flowers are slugs, snails, spider mites, and scale insects. At excessive watering tender plant may become ill due to the development of fungal infections. It is worth noting that agapanthus grown from seeds will bloom no earlier than after 5-6 years. If there is a need to propagate adult bushes, you can resort to dividing the bush. In the fall, pots of flowers are brought into the house (in regions with frosty winters), but they are kept in relative coolness; at this time, agapanthus has a dormant period. Even in warm regions, the planting site in open ground is covered with sawdust or a thick layer of leaves for the winter.

Growing and caring for agapanthus is simple. The main thing is to put him on sunny place and water and feed in a timely manner. And, of course, protect against pest invasion by taking necessary measures. Russians successfully grow this plant at home, because its incomparable flowering perfectly decorates the interior of apartments, pleases the eye and lifts the mood.

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

Description and characteristics of agapanthus

This herbaceous perennial with a branched root system has decorative flowers and leaves. Most varieties of agapanthus are evergreen in warm climates. The plant is classified as separate species Agapantaceae. Its characteristics:

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

• the buds are united into umbrella-shaped inflorescences of a round shape measuring 25-40 cm;
• flower shape - funnel, diameter - 5-6 cm;
• petal length - 3-5 cm, color - lilac, bright blue, blue, white;
• During flowering, about 100-150 buds appear and fade in one inflorescence.

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

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

The flower can also be cultivated in room conditions. This method is relevant for northern latitudes, where growing agapanthus in open ground is impossible. It is only buried on the site in the middle of summer, for 1-1.5 months. On the windowsill the plant realizes its useful feature- absorbs and removes heavy metals, cleans the air of germs.

Agapanthus varietal diversity

Agapanthus has 5 main varieties. However, due to cross-pollination of varieties, today the gardener has a lot of hybrids of interesting colors to choose from. Main types:

Closed

Among hybrid varieties popular:

• Lilliput is a 30-centimeter plant with deep purple, almost black flowers;
• Peter Pan is another miniature variety of agapanthus with pale blue bells;
• Albidus - different snow-white flowers with a red fragment on the perianth;
• Albus and Albus Nanus - tall and miniature varieties of agapanthus with inflorescences white.
• Variegata is a tall hybrid with sky-blue flowers and white stripes;
• Star Quality - 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 variety with an indigo color (usually grown indoors).

Features of growing agapanthus on the site

Most often, growing agapanthus begins with sowing seeds. Work must be carried out in March:

Attention! When transplanting, handle the roots carefully. They are very fragile.

Agapanthus care

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

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

Agapanthus is not demanding in terms of care. Minimal watering is enough for him. The plant is fed twice a month, more often during budding and flowering. To do this, alternate organic and mineral mixtures.

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

Growing Agapanthus: video

Agapanthus is a delicate herbaceous perennial with bright foliage and unusual flowers. It is suitable for indoor growing, landscape design and bouquet arranging. Agapanthus fascinates with its trembling petals in pastel shades. The plant belongs to the Agapantaceae family. Its homeland is the expanses of Central and Southern Africa.

Description of the plant

Agapanthus is a plant with fleshy, highly branched roots. Most of the root mass is located in the upper layers of the soil. A dense rosette of leaves blooms above the surface of the earth. They are belt-shaped and dark green in color. The length of the foliage is about 50-70 cm. Even between flowering, agapanthus forms a decorative spherical bush. In the genus Agapanthus there are evergreen and deciduous forms adapted to different conditions a habitat.

By the beginning of summer, a fleshy peduncle with a round cross-section grows from the center of the leaf rosette. Its height is 40-150 cm. The top of the bare peduncle is decorated with a spherical dense inflorescence up to 25 cm in diameter. Bell-shaped flowers of blue, lavender or white are located on their own thin stems. The length of the bud is 5 cm. A darker central stripe can be traced on the oval petals. Flowering continues until the end of October.

1-1.5 months after pollination of the flower, the fruit ripens - seed pod. It contains many flat, dark brown seeds.

Types of agapanthus in culture

The Agapanthus genus is not very diverse. The plant is actively pollinated and produces mass interesting hybrids.

The plant, up to 70 cm high, is a clump of rather wide, belt-like leaves. The dark green leaf blades have a deep groove, and the edge is somewhat narrowed. A ball of many bluish flowers blooms on an elegant peduncle.

This evergreen up to 65 cm high, suitable for indoor growing. Blue and blue flowers collected in large umbrella inflorescences. A lighter stripe is visible on the leaves. Known ornamental varieties:

• Albus - attracts with its large snow-white inflorescence;
• Albus Nanus - a dwarf (up to 40 cm) variety with white flowers;
• Albidus is a plant with white perianths on which there is a red spot;
• Variegata is a tall plant with a white stripe along the leaf blade.

Miniature graceful plant with narrower foliage. The length of the leaves does not exceed 15 cm. The foliage falls off in winter. The flowers are colored in blue-violet shades and bloom in July-August.

The evergreen plant forms a dense clump with a diameter of up to 40 cm. The leaves are wider and shorter. On peduncles up to 60 cm long there are delicate purple flowers.

Reproduction methods

Agapanthus can be propagated by sowing seeds or dividing the bush. The seed method will seem to many to be too long in time, because seedlings bloom after 5-7 years. In addition, there is a possibility of cross-pollination and loss of varietal characteristics. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in early March. They use small greenhouses in the form of boxes with sand and peat soil mixture. The soil is moistened and the seeds are sown in shallow holes. The greenhouse is covered with film, but ventilated daily for about half an hour. Optimal temperature air is +16…+20 °C. Shoots appear within 1-2 weeks. When 4 true leaves grow, the plants can be planted in separate pots.

By dividing the bush you can get several mature plants ready for flowering at once. The procedure is carried out in the fall, when the agapanthus has faded, or in the spring before the formation of flower stalks. The bush is dug up and freed from the ground as much as possible. Each division should contain 1-2 leaf rosettes. The cut is made with a sharp, clean knife, and the wounds are sprinkled activated carbon. The divisions are not planted immediately, but are only covered with a damp substrate for 2-3 days. After this, agapanthus is planted on permanent place. You need to water the seedlings little by little in the first days.

Rules of care

Caring for agapanthus requires a certain skill, only in this case it will appear in all its glory. What is more important is not even regular procedures, but selection right place for a flower. Agapanthus needs intense light and long daylight hours. With a lack of light, the leaves begin to turn pale and the flower stalks become very elongated. Thin stems may even break off. From May it is recommended to take the pots out open air under straight lines Sun rays. Here the leaves are not afraid of even intense heat. Agapanthus is also not afraid of moderate drafts.

The optimal air temperature for the African lily is +25…+28 °C. From September, you should begin to lower the temperature and provide the plant with a cold winter. Evergreens overwinter at +12…+15 °C. Deciduous species need +5 °C.

In the southern regions, agapanthus is grown in open ground. But even in warm winters he needs shelter from nonwoven material and fallen leaves. To the north, the African lily is grown as an annual or dug up and stored indoors for the winter.

Agapanthus needs high humidity air. It is recommended to spray it daily with a spray bottle and wash it regularly under warm shower. Need to use soft water so that no unsightly lime stains remain on the succulent leaves. Try not to wet the flowers, otherwise they will quickly fade.

Agapanthus should be watered abundantly and often during the active growing season. Stagnation of water in the ground is unacceptable, so care should be taken to ensure good drainage. To allow air to penetrate to the roots, it is recommended to periodically loosen the soil. As the air temperature drops, watering is reduced and by winter they switch to low soil moisture.
From the end of March until the end of flowering, fertilizers must be applied to the agapanthus. Alternate mineral complexes for flowering plants and organic matter. Fertilizers are heavily diluted with water and applied twice a month. With the onset of cold weather, the plant completely stops fertilizing.

To make the crown look neat, it is necessary to remove yellowed leaves and wilted flower stalks. The plant does not require molding pruning.

Flower transplant

Agapanthus needs to be replanted every 2-3 years. Unlike most flowering plants, he needs a spacious pot. In a cramped container, flowering will be weak or stop altogether. It is necessary to pour 2-3 cm of drainage material at the bottom. The soil should be slightly acidic and sufficiently nutritious. The following composition can be used:

• humus soil;
• clay-turf soil;
• leaf soil;
• sand.

When transplanting, the roots are partially freed from the old soil. Upper layer It is recommended to periodically mulch with peat and turf to prevent drying out.

Diseases and pests

Agapanthus rarely suffers from disease. Only with prolonged flooding do rot affect the roots. The rhizome has bactericidal properties and partially protects itself.

Agapanthus - graceful bulbous plants family Agapantaceae. Translated from Greek, agapanthus sounds like “flower of love,” which accurately conveys the external romance, tenderness and vulnerability of these plants. They come from warm Africa, so in latitudes with temperate climate They are most often grown at home, but in warm regions these “African lilies” can also be found in flower beds. Growing this crop is easy if weather contribute to this, so let's look at how to plant and grow this beautiful flower in your own area.

Agapanthus is a plant for the conditions of central Russia, not exactly a street plant, but more often an indoor one, grown at home.

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

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

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

Perennial forms a powerful bush with belt-shaped, rich green leaves. The flowers are white, blue or dark blue, tubular, funnel-shaped, collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences, rising on strong peduncles that reach up to one and a half meters in height. They bloom in July, and flowering can continue for two months.

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

It looks completely new among other plants. Although it is good on its own, it looks stunning during flowering, when rather large balls of bright inflorescences sway above its blue-green leaves.

Agapanthus in open ground - planting and care

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

Southern agapanthus is light-loving, but not so much as to be “fried” under the scorching rays all day; the area for its cultivation should be in slight shade. In the shade it grows very poorly, it stretches out - in such a place you won’t have to expect flowers from it, and if one peduncle appears, it will be with stunted small flowers.

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

But if in winter you do not put it away for storage in the basement or refrigerator, but leave it in a container on the window, you should water it only when the soil dries out.

Agapanthus also loves to 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 nutrition. 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 always positive temperature, feels normal.

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

FLOWER GARDEN WITH AGAPANTHUS 1 “STARRING”

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

Its big beautiful bush With bright inflorescences makes you pay attention, even despite the fact that a bright red dahlia and mountain clematis, buried in a lush foam of white flowers, are planted nearby. In addition, agapanthus is a consistently ornamental plant and will decorate flower beds for most of the season: from late June - early July to mid-September.

FLOWER BED WITH AGAPANTHUS -2 “IN 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 contrasts effectively 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’s better to choose the tallest varieties so that they look good in the background and don’t get lost among the not-so-small yarrow.

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

Compatibility and combinations of other colors with agapanthus

1. Bright, large inflorescences of agapanthus look especially impressive against the background of grasses, such as molinia, 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 beds until the end of September. At this time, the most early varieties chrysanthemums - and why not make a duet from 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 its feet, for example, related knotweed or sedum.

4. Long-blooming agapanthus will decorate autumn flower beds. Look how impressive they look blue flowers against the background of red helenium, pale yellow spikelets of cereal (brome), bright red monarda.

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

6. Another option contrasting combination: deep blue agapanthus and snow-white caps of Hydrangea tree 'Annabelle'.

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