How to grow Lycoris to make it bloom
You may not know how to grow Lycoris to make it bloom and the content about the planting methods of Lycoris in the green plant flower planting. Next, 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 damp slopes, streamsides, and mountain summits in hilly areas with slightly thick soil layers in the crevices. It grows leaves in autumn, has bright red flowers, blooms from August to September, and bears fruit in October. Lycoris used to be mainly wild but is now mostly cultivated artificially, which is suitable for courtyard planting and has high horticultural value. It is cold-resistant, shade-loving, moisture-loving, drought-resistant, and thrives in loose, fertile, slightly acidic humus soil. Lycoris has the habit of summer dormancy. Its leaves are beautiful in winter, and its flowers in autumn, making it an excellent perennial herbaceous flower.
Propagation methods
1. Bulb division: Use bulb division in spring and autumn, dividing bulbs every 4-5 years. Plant the bulbs near the mother bulb and minimize damage to the fibrous roots when separating the small bulbs. Choose flat, well-drained, and fertile shady plots for planting. It can bloom in about one or two years. Keep the soil moist and control watering to avoid bulb rot.
Cultivation methods
1. Potting soil preparation: For potting soil for growing Lycoris, use fertile sandy loam soil that is fertile, moist, rich in humus, and well-drained. The growing medium can be mixed with 2 parts of deciduous leaf soil, 2 parts of garden soil, and 1 part of sand. Add a small amount of decomposed manure or use fertile garden soil directly as the potting soil.
2. Selection of planting pots
The best pots for planting Lycoris are clay or purple sand pots. 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 or winter using bulb division, choosing large bulbs that have been growing in the field for over 3 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 general, warm regions plant in autumn, while cold northern regions plant in spring. The planting depth should be such that the top of the bulb is slightly covered with soil. After planting, water thoroughly, keeping the soil moist, but not too much to avoid bulb rot.
4. Daily care
Lycoris enjoys growing in a sunny environment. Insufficient light can lead to poor flowering. In spring and autumn, keep it in a semi-shaded place, avoid direct sunlight in summer, and place the pot in a sunny and well-ventilated area when grown indoors.
Usually, fertilize 2-4 times a year, the first time after defoliation and before flowering, using decomposed cake fertilizer or compound fertilizer. The second time is from late October to early November, before the growth 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 it to enter dormancy gradually. When digging up bulbs after the plant withers, prevent damage to the fibrous roots, otherwise, it will affect flowering. Dig the bulbs on a sunny day when the soil is dry, remove the soil, slightly dry them, and then store them. Alternatively, after cutting the leaves, place them in a greenhouse with soil 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.
Lycoris needs frequent watering during its vegetative growth period to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged to prevent bulb rot. Twenty days before flowering to the flowering period, an adequate water supply is necessary to ensure uniform and prolonged flowering. When the surface soil is dry and grayish-white, water should be supplemented. No more watering or fertilizing should be done during the dormancy period.
The above is the complete content on how to grow Lycoris to make it bloom and the explanation of its planting methods, for your comprehensive understanding and reference!