How to plant Lycoris
Today, I will elaborate on how to plant Lycoris and share some related experience on the cultivation of this plant, including precautions. Let's learn about it together.
Lycoris, also known as black garlic, crow garlic, garlic grass, or婆婆酸, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Amaryllidaceae family, Lycoris genus. It grows wild in moist shady slopes, streamsides, and mountain summits in hilly areas with slightly thick soil layers. It produces leaves in autumn, bright red flowers, with a blooming period from August to September and fruiting in October. Lycoris was mainly wild in the past but is now mostly cultivated artificially, suitable for courtyard planting and has high horticultural value. It is cold-resistant, shade-loving, moisture-loving, drought-tolerant, and prefers loose, fertile, slightly acidic humus soil. It has a summer dormancy habit. Lycoris is欣赏ed for its leaves in winter and flowers in autumn, making it an excellent perennial herbaceous flower.
Propagation methods
1. Bulb division: In spring and autumn, propagate by dividing bulbs every 4-5 years. Take the daughter bulbs near the mother bulb and plant them, minimizing damage to the fibrous roots. Choose flat, well-drained, moist, and fertile land for planting. Flowers can bloom in about one or two years. Keep the soil moist, control watering, and avoid bulb rot.
Cultivation methods
1. Potting soil preparation: For planting Lycoris, use fertile sandy loam soil that is moist, rich in humus, and well-drained. The potting mix can be made by mixing two parts of decomposed leaf soil, two parts of garden soil, and one part of sand, and adding a small amount of decomposed manure or using fertile garden soil directly as potting soil.
2. Selection of planting pots
It is best to choose clay or purple sand pots for planting Lycoris. New pots should be soaked in water for a few days before use, and the pot diameter should be over 15 centimeters.
3. Potting
When potting, first cover the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot with broken pot pieces, then add coarse sand soil, fine sand soil, and potting soil. Plant bulbs in autumn and winter, selecting large bulbs that have been growing in the field for over three years and can bloom, with a diameter of over 7 centimeters. Plant one bulb per pot or 3-4 bulbs in a large pot. In warm regions, planting usually occurs in autumn, while in cold northern regions, it is often done in spring. The planting depth should be such that the top of the bulb is slightly covered with soil. After planting, water thoroughly, keep the soil moist, and avoid excessive watering to prevent bulb rot.
4. Daily care
Lycoris enjoys growing in a sunny environment. Insufficient light can lead to poor flowering. Keep it in a semi-shaded place in spring and autumn, avoid direct sunlight in summer, and place the pot in a sunny and well-ventilated area when grown indoors.
Generally, fertilize 2-4 times a year. The first application is after defoliation and before flowering, using decomposed cake fertilizer or compound fertilizer. The second application is from late October to early November, before the growing period after flowering, to promote larger flowers. After flowering, reduce nitrogen fertilizer and increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to make the bulbs strong and full. Stop fertilizing and watering in autumn to allow for gradual dormancy. When digging up bulbs after the plant withers, avoid damaging the fibrous roots, as this can affect flowering. Choose a sunny day and dig when the soil is dry, remove the soil, slightly dry, and store. Alternatively, cut the leaves and place the pot in a greenhouse for dormancy, maintaining a room temperature of 5°C-10°C, keeping the room dry and well-ventilated to prevent bulb rot. After the flowers fade, cut off the残花.
In the vegetative growth period, water frequently to keep the soil moist but avoid waterlogging to prevent bulb rot. Supply adequate water 20 days before flowering and during the flowering period to ensure uniform and extended blooming. When the surface soil is dry and grayish-white, supplement water. Do not water or fertilize during the dormant period.
The above shares the complete content on how to plant Lycoris and the precautions for its cultivation, which green plant enthusiasts can refer to.