Amaryllis family, agapanthus subfamily. The taxonomy was changed in 2013, the genus has only 7 species, see the "World Checklist of Plant Families" (WCSP - controlled by the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew).
Agapanthus is a native of South Africa (South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique). Translated from Greek Agapanthus - means love flower. Despite the fact that agapanthus is classified as amaryllis (you cannot argue with phylogenetic analysis), it does not have bulbs as such. Sometimes in the basal neck there is a thickening of the stem, but not more.
Agapanthus africanus is a perennial herb with a powerful rhizome and ribbon-like, long leaves up to 50 cm long. It blooms all summer until late autumn. A blue inflorescence rises on a high arrow. Popular varieties: 'Albus' - with white flowers, 'Sapphire' - with dark blue flowers, 'Aureus' - with mottled leaves (yellow stripes), 'Variegatus' (leaves are almost completely white with small green stripes), etc.
Agapanthus bell-shaped Agapanthus campanulatus or African bell is a perennial herbaceous species, large enough - 80-100 cm in height and up to 50 cm span of basal leaves. The narrow, belt-like leaves are evergreen in some forms. Umbelliferous inflorescences on erect peduncles. The flowers are funnel-shaped in the original species lilac-blue. Variety 'Isis' - lavender flowers, variety 'Albus' - white flowers, variety Variegatus - miniature variegated variety (cream, almost white stripes).
Agapanthus blooms in summer, while tall inflorescences require a tie to the support, otherwise they will break from the wind.
Agapanthus care
Agapanthus is unpretentious and easy to care for, therefore it is very popular in Europe, the USA (California), New Zealand - in open ground it grows in 9-11 climatic zones, withstands up to -5 ° C as much as possible with shelter. In some regions it is recognized as an invasive plant, considered a weed. This plant is described in the catalog of indoor flowers, for the reason that it can be grown as a greenhouse plant - all year round in flowerpots or tubs. It is only important to provide a cool room for the winter for deciduous species. Just save the bulbs in the basement or on the insulated balcony.
It blooms better in sunny places, although it can easily tolerate shade. Agapanthus is good for decorating spacious light halls, balconies and stairs. With good care, large tuberous specimens bloom from 20 to 200 umbrellas of light blue inflorescences during flowering.
Temperature: Normal in summer, preferably moderate around 22-24 ° C, does not like the scorching hot sun. In winter, it is necessarily cool 10-15 ° С, at least + 6 ° С (plants in pots require a warmer winter than those planted in open ground).
Lighting: The plant is photophilous, prefers a certain amount of sunlight, you can put a flowerpot on the southern and southwestern sides with shading in the hottest hours from 11 to 15 hours. Agapanthus bears a semi-shady location, but it blooms poorly and reluctantly.
Watering: During the period of growth, especially in hot weather, watering is quite plentiful, with drying of the upper layer of the earth. Do not leave water in the tray after watering. As soon as it gets cold, watering is rare, after thorough drying. In winter, the bulbs are kept dry. When preserved in winter in a heated room, agapanthus does not shed leaves, depriving itself of a dormant period. In this case, it should be watered as needed, preventing strong overdrying of the roots.
- Agapanthus is sensitive to excess watering. With an excess of moisture in the soil, the leaves turn yellow and fall, so drainage is mandatory in the pot, and pieces of charcoal can be added to the soil.
Fertilizer: From May to August, they are fed with special mineral fertilizers for bulbous plants, every 2 weeks. You can use organic, but in moderation.
Humidity: Agapanthus does not need to be sprayed, you can wipe the leaves with a sponge or rinse the leaves in the shower to wash off the dust.
Transplant: Does not need a transplant until it is time to divide the bush or until the plant begins, as if to protrude from the tub - does not like spacious pots. On average, a transplant is obtained in 3-4 years. It is advisable not to cut or damage fleshy rhizomes during transplantation (it does not bloom for a very long time after that). The soil is 2 part of the sod, 2 part of the humus, 2 part of the sheet earth and 2 part of the small gravel (zeolite granules, vermiculite are possible). Good drainage is mandatory.
- Agapanthus grows well only on slightly acidic and acidic soils, the admixture of lime in water and soil leads to soil latching, therefore, when a white crust or plaque appears on the surface of the earth, the top layer of the earth is replaced with fresh soil. And water for irrigation is used well filtered, rain or boiled.
Reproduction: By dividing the bush, rhizomes (after flowering, blooms every 5-6 years) and seeds. Divide the rhizomes in the spring, with the beginning of growth you need to cut off a piece of rhizome with green growth and put it in a small pot. After planting, for the first two days, shade the agapanthus, water moderately. Flowering can be expected in 2-3 years.
Growing problems
Of the plant pests, agapanthus is most susceptible to attack by scale insects and spider mites. At the same time, the leaves turn pale, turn yellow and dry out. If any pest is found, you need to wipe the leaves on both sides with a soap sponge to mechanically clean the pests or remove the cobwebs. Then spray the plant with actellic 0.15% (1-2 ml per liter of water). So that the solution gets on the leaves on both sides. In the garden, agapanthus can be eaten by snails and slugs.
Agapanthus does not bloom
If agapanthus does not want to bloom, make sure it is not planted too much in large dishes. Secondly, remember whether there was an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, from an excess of humus in the soil or feeding with a large dose of organic matter, agapanthus grows the leaf mass, but does not bloom. Excess fertilizers also lead to decay of the bulbs. Another reason for non-flowering is the deep planting of bulbs, they must at least a third protrude above the surface of the soil. The lack of cold wintering also has a bad effect on flowering.
