Agapanthus care: overwintering, repotting and fertilizing

The agapanthus is one of the few plants that forms a blue flower, but some varieties also flower in white or purple. It forms spherical flowers that appear from July to August and then usually the balcony or decorate the terrace, because the agapanthus cannot be planted in the garden due to a lack of winter hardiness.
The agapanthus
The Agapanthus is called in the German-speaking area African Lily. It originally comes from Africa and is therefore used to slightly higher temperatures. Their long flower stalks, which can reach a height of one meter and therefore protrude far from the plant, are impressive. The flower umbels, which are up to 30 centimeters in diameter and consist of many small individual flowers, sit on it. They make good cut flowers and last a long time in the vase.
Care instructions for the agapanthus
The agapanthus should be sunny and warm and protected from the wind, otherwise the flower stalks break off easily. In the wild it gets by with relatively little water and should therefore also be used as a

Container plant be poured regularly, but only sparingly. Waterlogging, on the other hand, must be avoided at all costs, as this will soon cause their roots to rot. Agapanthus should also only be fertilized a little. It is best to cut off faded flower stalks, as this will allow new flowers to form again. On the other hand, withered leaves should not be cut off, but plucked.

Repot
That Repot The African Lily does not particularly like it, so this should only be done as rarely as possible. The right time has come when the root ball is completely rooted or the roots are already visible on the surface. Otherwise, it will thrive all the better if its roots do not have too much space, so the new planter should only be a little larger than the old one. As a substrate for the Agapanthus conventional Potting soil be used.
If the bucket is in a place where it gets wet when it rains, it should be done by adding a little expanded clay or a few potsherds on the bottom of the pot, it is ensured that no water can accumulate in the container and that the soil does not become too much condensed. An older and correspondingly large plant can be divided when repotting so that the two halves can be planted individually in pots.
Hibernate agapanthus

• The agapanthus can only tolerate light frosts down to -5 ° C and must therefore be brought to their winter quarters when night frosts set in. The basement or another cold room, which can be light or dark, is suitable for this.

• However, overwintering at higher temperatures is not recommended because the agapanthus needs a period of rest in order to collect energy again for flowering in the following year. If it is too warm in winter, it may therefore be that few or no flowers form in the following summer.

• A room with a temperature just above 0 ° C is ideal for wintering. There the plant is only watered from time to time, but the pot ball should not dry out completely during this time either.

• As early as the end of winter, i.e. in January or February, the agapanthus should be made lighter and warmer again so that it will sprout again soon. As soon as the outside temperature allows it, the bucket can then go back to the terrace be asked.

Watering and fertilizing

Although a plant from Africa, the African Lily needs sufficient water during flowering. If you don't water too much, the bloom is gone quickly. But you can almost completely stop watering over the winter. Good fertilizer is important for flowering. Without fertilizer, flowering often stops or does not occur. only a few flower stalks appear. You fertilize from spring to September, then the plant needs a rest period.
When agapanthus doesn't bloom

If the African Lily does not bloom, there can be various causes. After dividing, the plant will take some time to flower again. She often skips a year. Another cause can be a pot that is too big. The roots have to develop first. It takes time and requires patience. The strength is not sufficient for the flowering in this period. Another rule for the agapanthus: Too much soil produces many leaves but few flowers. Too high Nitrogen fertilization also ensures leaf formation. Missing or Wrong nutrients are also a reason for the lack of flowers in swallow lilies, because they are heavy eaters.

Agapanthus varieties

First of all, there are summer and winter green species. There are around 500 different types of ornamental lilies. There are many hybrid breeds available. Cultivated varieties are divided into Africanus, Campanulatus, Headburne and Praecox groups.

Evergreen agapanthus are most widespread in Central Europe. They are cultivated in the tub (see above). Deciduous agapanthus are smaller, but they can be planted out. They are ideal for anyone who doesn't have a suitable one

Have wintering quarters for the large container plants. They are either kept in the bucket and then overwintered in a cool place or planted out. Keeping them in pots has the advantage that the containers and the plants can be overwintered in the dark. You don't need a light. So a dark basement or a garage without windows are also suitable. The temperatures should be between 1 and 10 ° C. In the garden, the plants must be planted well protected and need winter protection. They can withstand temperatures down to -10 ° C, but must be protected from moisture!
Evergreen agapanthus suitable for Central Europe

• African Moon - pale blue, stems up to 90 cm high
• Blue Gigant - dark blue, up to 90 cm
• Blue Penant - medium blue, up to 80 cm
• Goliath - sky blue, 60 to 80 cm

• Africanus Alba - white, about 100 cm
• Snow Ball - white, about 30 cm
• White Ice - white, 120 cm
• Danube - purple, 80 cm, 100 to 120 cm
• Purple Cloud - purple 120 cm

Evergreen varieties suitable for Central Europe

• Agentheus Vittatus - medium blue, 20 to 50 cm
• Tinkerbell - pale blue, 20 to 50 cm
• Lilliput - medium blue, 30 to 40 cm
• September hemel - dark blue, 30 to 40 cm

Tips

1. If you don't know whether your African Lily is a deciduous or an evergreen plant, you have to look at the leaves. The not hardy, evergreen plants have broad leaves. The wider the leaves, the more sensitive the lily.
2. The toughest agapanthus are Maedbourn hybrids.
3. Obtaining deciduous varieties is often still a problem. You can find good offers in Dutch and English perennial nurseries.
4. The editors' conclusion

Agapanthus convince with their flower balls, but also with their great foliage. They don't need a lot of maintenance, just a suitable place to hibernate. If you want to plant the African Lily in the garden, you should opt for deciduous varieties and protect the plants well in winter. In regions with cold and long winters, however, this is usually not enough. Bucket keeping is the better alternative there. Sufficient fertilization is important for agapanthus so that flowers can develop.