How to grow the spider lily? A detailed guide to the latest cultivation methods
The spider lily, also known as the American spider lily, spider orchid, spider lily, etc., is a perennial bulbous herbaceous plant of the genus Hymenocallis in the Amaryllidaceae family. Its foliage is handsome, its scapes are stiff and flat, and its flowers are distinctive, giving it high ornamental value. It is very suitable for potted display and can be used for courtyard landscaping or as material for flower borders and flower beds. Now let us take a look at how to grow the spider lily!
Growth habits of the spider lily
The spider lily is native to tropical America and the West Indies. It likes ample light and a warm, humid climate, and is not cold-tolerant. It has low requirements for soil and likes fertile soil. It can be grown in pots with leaf mold soil, or planted in clayey soil. The overwintering temperature for potted spider lilies is above 15°C. During the growing period, water and fertilizer must be sufficient. Spider lilies planted in the open ground need their bulbs dug up in autumn and stored dry indoors. With just a little care, the spider lily will grow and bloom year after year.
Propagation methods of the spider lily
1. Bulb division: Bulb division propagation of the spider lily can be carried out in April and May each year together with repotting. When repotting, dig out the bulbs and plant the divided bulbs. When planting, be careful not to plant too deep; keep the neck of the bulb level with the ground. The daughter bulbs can be buried slightly deeper. In North China, potted spider lilies are planted in March, while outdoor planting is best done in early May and must be after frost.
2. Division: As the spider lily grows, it usually produces small shoots on the mother plant, and these small shoots are the material used for division. Generally, in February to March of spring, take the mother plant of the spider lily out of the pot and remove the soil, then cut off the small shoots on the side of the mother plant. The cut small shoots are the daughter plants and can be directly potted. Usually, division is done once every 3 to 4 years together with repotting.
Cultivation methods of the spider lily
1. Soil: The spider lily has low requirements for soil. It can be grown in pots with leaf mold soil, or planted in clayey soil. Potted spider lilies can be planted in early spring, commonly using a mixture of peat soil, fertile garden soil and river sand in equal amounts. The planting depth should be such that the top of the pseudobulb is level with the pot soil. For ground planting, choose clayey soil with deep, fertile and well-drained layers, and planting in early May is preferable.
2. Watering: The spider lily likes a moist soil environment and is not drought-tolerant. During the growing period, especially in high summer temperatures, water should be supplied fully to keep the pot soil moist and not let it become too dry. It dislikes waterlogging; after rain during the plum rain season, excess water in the pot should be poured off promptly. In winter, watering should be controlled to keep the pot soil relatively dry. Low temperatures combined with high humidity can easily cause the pseudobulb to rot.
3. Light: The spider lily likes a semi-shaded environment and has strong shade tolerance. When summer light is too strong, it should be properly shaded or the pot moved to a semi-shaded place. If placed in too shady a place for a long time, the leaves of the spider lily will become thinner and the leaf color darker, making the plant shape unattractive. It dislikes strong direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves turn yellow and their tips scorch. From May to September, shading should be provided, or it should be placed in a spot with ample scattered light. At other times, it should be given sufficient sunlight.
4. Temperature: The spider lily likes warmth and is not cold-tolerant. The most suitable temperature for growth is 21 to 27°C. Below 15°C, the spider lily stops growing; below 10°C, the leaves turn yellow and wilt; at 5°C, the aboveground part dies. The overwintering temperature for potted spider lilies is above 15°C. If the aboveground part dies, it can enter dormancy in the form of underground bulbs, and when the temperature rises the following spring, it can still sprout new leaves and grow.
5. Fertilizing: During the growing period, fertilize the spider lily once every half month. After entering the bud stage, increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer so that the flowers are large; stop fertilizing when flowering. After flowering, apply fertilizer mainly of nitrogen and potassium to promote stem and leaf growth and pseudobulb enlargement. If the growing environment is rather shady, reduce the supply of nitrogen fertilizer and increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which can keep the plant growing robustly without excessive vegetative growth. Stop fertilizing in winter.
6. Pests and diseases: The spider lily is prone to brown spot disease in high-temperature and high-humidity conditions or in low-temperature seasons, and attention should be paid to its control. When brown spot disease causes damage, small round brown spots appear on the leaves, then gradually expand; the edges of the spots are dark brown and the centers gray-black, until the spots join together and the leaves die. If only a small amount is found, remove the diseased leaves and destroy them. In severe cases, spray with 75% mancozeb wettable powder at 500 times dilution for control.
7. Pruning: After the spider lily flowers fade, cut off the scapes promptly to avoid seed formation consuming nutrients and affecting plant growth. If indoor space is small, the aboveground leaves can be cut off before winter arrives, the potted plant placed in a dry, shady spot, and the room temperature kept at 5 to 10°C, then repotted in the following spring and grown in sunlight.
8. Repotting: Potted spider lilies should be repotted once every 2 to 3 years in April of spring. They like fertile, moist, organic-rich and well-drained clayey soil. The growing medium can be prepared from materials such as leaf mold soil, garden soil, peat soil and coarse sand. Planting should not be deep; the top of the pseudobulb should be level with the pot soil, but daughter bulbs can be planted slightly deeper.