How to Grow Red Spider Lily? Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions
Although the red spider lily is not a very auspicious flower, and wild red spider lilies often grow among graves and field edges, the stories and legends surrounding the red spider lily are very rich, and its appearance is also very beautiful, so there are still quite a few people who like the red spider lily. As a result, there is also a certain demand for techniques and methods for cultivating red spider lilies.
How to Grow Red Spider Lily
The red spider lily likes to grow in shady, damp places, and its growing site is red soil, so it has strong cold resistance, prefers shade, and can tolerate a high temperature limit of a daily average temperature of 24°C; it likes moisture and is also drought-tolerant, and is accustomed to slightly acidic soil, with loose, fertile humus soil being best.
Red Spider Lily Cultivation Methods and Precautions
I. Cultivation Methods
1. Temperature
The red spider lily loves a warm climate, and the suitable temperature for growth is between 15°C—25°C, but it has strong cold resistance and can tolerate a high temperature limit of a daily average temperature of 24°C.
2. Light
The red spider lily likes a semi-shaded environment, but it can also withstand full sun exposure. It enters a dormant period in summer, so direct sunlight should be avoided, and it should be grown in a cool environment.
3. Soil
Bulbous flowers are not picky about soil, but they do best in loose, fertile soil rich in humus. Wild varieties generally grow in shady, damp areas, and their growing site is red soil, and they are accustomed to slightly acidic soil.
4. Water
It likes moisture, but it can also tolerate drought. However, planting it in well-drained soil and maintaining a sufficient water supply will make the red spider lily grow better.
5. Fertilizing
The red spider lily is a bulbous flower with a relatively long growing period. Before planting, sufficient organic fertilizer should be buried in the soil, and afterward a top dressing should be applied once every two months. Homemade decomposed compost or a three-element fertilizer can be used, with emphasis on a higher proportion of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to promote bulb development and flowering.
II. Precautions for Growing Red Spider Lily
1. Maintain Water Supply
When growing red spider lilies, if the surface soil is found to be dry and grayish-white, then the red spider lily needs to be given supplemental water.
In summer, because the red spider lily enters a dormant period, the frequency and amount of watering should be gradually reduced, and it is best to stop watering.
2. Soil Should Be Well-Drained
Well-drained soil should be used for planting red spider lilies; otherwise water accumulation is likely to occur, and the bulbs will rot.
3. Control Temperature
The red spider lily likes a warm environment, but the maximum temperature cannot exceed 30°C, the daily average temperature cannot be higher than 24°C, and in winter the daily average temperature should be kept above 8°C, with the lowest temperature at 1°C, so as not to affect the growth of the red spider lily.
Propagation Methods of the Red Spider Lily
1. Bulb Division Method for Red Spider Lily Roots
The simplest way to propagate the red spider lily is to use the bulb division method. During the dormant period or after flowering, dig the plant out of the soil and remove the daughter bulbs near the mother bulb to plant them. They can bloom in about one or two years.
2. Bulb Cutting Method for Red Spider Lily
Dig the red spider lily's bulb out of the soil, rinse it clean under clear water, and remove excess soil.
Use a knife to cut the cleaned bulb base into eight sections in a rice-character pattern, with the cutting depth about one-half to two-thirds of the bulb's length.
Disinfect the cut bulb pieces and place them in a cool environment to air-dry.
Afterward, insert the bulbs into moist sand, perlite, or other substrates.
After about 3 months, adventitious buds can be seen forming at the junction of the scales and the basal plate, gradually growing into small bulbils, which can become seedlings after being separated and cultivated.
Flowering Period of the Red Spider Lily
For this plant, it mainly blooms in two time periods. The first stage is from February to March. The second stage is from July to September. Among these, the flowers bloom best in July, which is its peak flowering period. According to legend, those that bloom around the spring equinox are called “spring equinox flowers”, and those that bloom around the autumn equinox are called “autumn equinox flowers”. Generally speaking, it blooms very punctually.
The flowering of the red spider lily is affected by the variety of the red spider lily, and the flowering time is also different. Because the red spider lily is a flower with a story and carries the meaning of waiting, the red spider lily blooms very punctually, as if it were holding fast to its own mission.