How to grow Agapanthus? A detailed guide to the latest planting methods
Hello everyone, today we are looking at a summer-flowering plant with beautiful flowers and leaves that resemble those of the clivia - Agapanthus. Agapanthus is also known as purple clivia, African lily and other nicknames, and some gardening friends cannot tell Agapanthus and amaryllis apart. Everyone should note that apart from the lily, which belongs to the genus Lilium in the family Liliaceae and has no genus or family relationship with Agapanthus at all, clivia and amaryllis both belong to the Amaryllidaceae family along with Agapanthus, so they are somewhat similar in plant form, but they can be clearly distinguished by flowering period and leaf shape.
1.
Agapanthus likes a warm environment, and is neither tolerant of severe cold nor extreme heat. When the summer temperature is above 30 degrees, its growth is inhibited. If the temperature continues to exceed 35 degrees during the flowering period, it will affect the opening of the flowers when the flowering period arrives in July and August, so gardening friends should pay attention to cooling down in summer when growing it. In winter, the temperature should not be lower than 5 degrees. Too low a temperature will cause frost damage to Agapanthus, but in winter it also must not be kept in an environment above 20 degrees, as this will prevent the flower buds from vernalizing, causing them not to bloom normally the following year.
Agapanthus has certain light requirements. It likes sunlight but avoids direct scorching sun in summer. Lack of light will cause leggy growth, dull leaf color, and narrow, elongated leaves, resulting in poor ornamental value. Generally speaking, normal exposure to light in spring, autumn and winter is fine. In summer, Agapanthus can be moved under a tree or to a north-facing balcony to avoid leaf scorching caused by direct sunlight.
Agapanthus has low soil requirements and grows well in well-drained sandy soil. When potting, it is recommended to use garden soil, coarse sand or honeycomb coal cinders, and compost mixed together as potting soil. I personally prefer to use honeycomb coal cinders: first, they are widely available and low in cost; second, they are lighter than coarse sand. Gardening friends who do not have honeycomb coal cinders can also use perlite as a substitute.
Agapanthus likes water and fertilizer, but fertilizer should be applied lightly and frequently to avoid damaging the roots with too much fertilizer. When fertilizing, attention should also be paid to applying more mild, long-lasting organic fertilizer, and as little inorganic fertilizer as possible, to avoid causing degradation and compaction of the growing soil, which affects plant growth. Fertilization should be done in stages and with emphasis. During the growing period, compound fertilizer should be the main type, while at the bud stage and flowering period, the amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be increased.
2. Propagation methods of Agapanthus
There are two propagation methods for Agapanthus: division and seed sowing. The seed sowing method has a long flowering cycle, and it is impossible to determine what kind of flowers the new plant will produce before it blooms, so it is generally used by hobbyists for propagation and in new horticultural breeding. With the division method, the divided plants can bloom the following year. It is carried out in early spring together with repotting. After division, the flower characteristics of the young plants are exactly the same as those of the mother plant, so this method is used in large-scale cultivation.
3. Pests and diseases of Agapanthus
Agapanthus is rarely troubled by pests. When using organic fertilizer that is not fully decomposed, fungus gnats are likely to appear, and they can be killed with common low-toxicity pesticides. Common diseases include leaf spot, red spot, anthracnose and other fungal diseases, which can be prevented and controlled with common sterilizing agents such as thiophanate-methyl and chlorothalonil.