How to plant and care for Ixia properly?

Many gardeners are not only fond of growing various vegetable crops, but also like to plant colorful flowers at their dachas. In the design of your garden plot, planting ixia will perfectly help. Caring for this tropical plant is a lot of pleasure for gardeners.

In the southern regions of our country, Ixia takes root well in the open field. It has pointed petals and star-shaped flowers, the color of which depends on the perennial variety. Plant height reaches 70 centimeters. The perennial begins to bloom in late May - early June and continues to bloom for 4 weeks. During this period, an exquisite unobtrusive aroma spreads around. At night, the inflorescences sleep and close their buds, and in the morning they open again. Already in the first year after planting, the plant will delight with its splendor, if you follow all the rules for growing and caring for it.

There are many varieties of Ixia, here are some of them:

• green-flowered;
• hybrid;
• spotted;
• orange;
• one-brother;
• paniculate;
• multi-spikelet;
• early hymenokallis.

How to plant Ixia

Growing Ixia outdoors is much easier than growing indoors. In this case, she needs less care. Planting a plant can be carried out not only with a whole bulb, but also by dividing it into parts. In this case, the cut site is treated with ash.

In the southern regions of the country, this perennial can be planted before winter. It is recommended to plant a plant in the middle lane in the spring, because ixia may not withstand even the first frosts. When planting in winter, holes are dug to a depth of 8-10 centimeters and the top layer is mulched up to 8 centimeters. It can be removed in the spring. In order to plant Ixia before winter, it is better to use whole onions. If there is confidence that the plant will be able to withstand frosts, then it is better to plant it in late autumn so that it does not have time to sprout.

In spring, Ixia is best planted in May. Only large tubers will bloom, and small ones will sprout for the next season. Fertile soil can be poured into the bottom of the hole before planting the bulb. The depth of the hole during planting is 5-8 centimeters. The distance between the pits is 10-20 centimeters. After planting, you need to mulch the soil a little. The plant should be watered only after a few weeks, when small shoots appear. After that, watering should be frequent and abundant.

To prevent the soil from drying out and the appearance of signs of rotting on the bulbs from an excess of moisture, drainage can be added. Throughout the flowering time, it is necessary to feed. After the flowering of Ixia is complete, the tubers are dug up and stored until the next planting. If Ixia is propagated not in whole tubers, but in parts, then you need to watch that in each cut lobe there is a bud with rudiments of roots. Separation of tubers is planted only in spring. Vulnerable delenki do not tolerate winter cold. It must be borne in mind that Ixia, propagated by the method of dividing the bulbs, can bloom only the next year.

Choosing a landing site

Ixia is a rather capricious ornamental plant that requires attention. It needs high humidity and good illumination. Planting Ixia in the shady part of the site will slow down its growth and development. With a lack of sunlight, the inflorescences can wither. A place not shaded by garden trees and shrubs would be ideal for her.

This flower is rarely affected by disease. But it is better to plant it from year to year in different places. A well-lit area and fertile dry soil are suitable for planting Ixia outdoors.The landing site should be well prepared. To do this, it must be loosened and fertilized.

Advice

You can add some sand to help the soil absorb and retain moisture better. With moist soil, ixia develops better.

In flower beds, tropical flowers can be beautifully arranged around the edges. Planting them this way will create a framing accent for the entire floral arrangement.

Storing the bulbs

After the ixia has faded and its leaves have dried, for the winter period, the bulbs can be gently dug out and dried without damaging the roots. Then they should be disinfected in a manganese solution and dried thoroughly again. For storage, they are wrapped in paper and placed in a cool place, such as a refrigerator, or stored in a well-ventilated place at about 10 degrees.

It happens that some gardeners before winter plant Ixia in a pot to preserve the tubers until next spring. But then the flowers will begin to sprout and the plant will have no strength left for the formation of buds. If Ixia is grown in the southern zone, then the tubers can not be dug out, but simply insulated by covering the ground with autumn leaves or straw.

Plant care

Caring for Ixia is not a problem when planted correctly. This plant is very fond of moisture. It is necessary to water it with warm water during flowering, and on the hottest days you can simply spray the inflorescences.

Fertile and well-drained soils are well suited for the development of the tropical beauty Ixia. Ixia care also includes feeding. It is important to saturate the entire planting site with fertilizers. For better growth, you can add superphosphate, humus, magnesium and sprinkle with ash.

Dried flowers and leaves can be simply removed, making room for new ones to appear. In the fall, the stems and flowers of ixia are cut.

Planting, growing, caring for plants and creating flower beds is a whole art. Bright colors perfectly cheer up and make any garden cozy.

Ixia flowers are often used in wedding bouquets and can stand in a vase for a long time and exude a pleasant aroma. These adorable star plants can be easily grown in your garden and will delight every gardener with their colorful splendor every day.