Hyacinth family. Homeland South Africa. More than 100 species are found.
The most common species in culture is Lachenalia aloevid Lachenalia aloides. This is a potted plant with a rosette of long lanceolate or belt-like leaves about 20 cm long, dark green with small brown spots. Bright multi-flowered inflorescences on peduncles about 30 cm long, collected in brushes. The flowers are drooping, yellow-green in color, with reddish speckles, up to 3 cm long. It blooms in winter. There are varieties with bright red flowers, with almost green, olive.
Lachenalia - care and cultivation
Lachenalia is not a plant for beginners, too special care conditions, with a mandatory cold rest period. Always dry watering, preventing waterlogging. In addition, lashenalia is sensitive to stale indoor air, cigarette smoke, and requires regular ventilation.
Temperature: normal room temperature in spring and summer. Although lashenalia does not like hot dry weather, when there is no rain for a long time, and the temperature is above 28 ° C - at such a time you need more fresh air (under the shade on the balcony or open the windows). In winter, a cool content is desirable, within 12 ° C, but not lower than 6 ° C.
Lighting: Lanchenalia is light-loving, preferring bright diffused light with some direct sunlight in the morning or evening. It will grow well on the east and north-west windowsill. On the south window under the shading.
Watering: moderate in winter, during flowering, after a good drying of the upper part of the soil. During the rest period, they do not water at all at low temperatures. Lachenalia does not tolerate both overdrinking of an earthen coma and excess water.
Fertilizer: during budding and flowering, it is fed weekly with complex fertilizer for ornamental flowering plants, at a dose two or three times less than recommended by the manufacturer (NPK ratio - in equal shares). Very sensitive to excess salts.
Air humidity: periodically the plant is sprayed, and the long leaves are wiped with a damp sponge.
Transplant: Annually in the fall. Soil - A mixture of sod, leaf and peat soil mixed with sand. Good drainage is mandatory. Lachenalia does not like too spacious pots. 7-8 bulbs are planted in one pot with a diameter of about 15 cm at once to make the bush more lush. Bulbs are completely dropped into the ground. To prevent the bulbs from rotting, you need to use the upper drainage. I.e. bulbs are buried in the ground at half the height, and drainage from washed expanded clay or gravel is poured on top.
Reproduction: daughter bulbs during transplantation, in the fall, sealing the bulbs to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. New plants bloom in the second year. They also propagate with seeds, plants bloom, usually in the third year. Seeds are sown in wide plates, in coarse sand, sprinkling on top of 2-3 mm.
