- How do you water ornithogalum correctly?
- Do you need to fertilize a milk star?
- Is Ornithogalum pruned?
- Do you have to watch out for diseases and pests?
- How do you care for Ornithogalum in winter?
Ornithogalum is a poisonous bulbous plant that comes in hardy and non-hardy varieties. While the frost-hardy species can easily be cared for in the garden bed all year round, frost-sensitive milk stars have to be overwintered indoors in winter. Tips for care.
Ornithogalum practically does not need care in the open ground
How do you water ornithogalum correctly?
- Watering is not necessary outdoors
- water the pot regularly
- do not water after flowering
- Absolutely avoid waterlogging!
Watering is usually not necessary outdoors. You should only water a little during very long dry periods.
If Ornithogalum is cultivated as a pot plant, water regularly so that the soil never dries out completely. But avoid waterlogging, as this causes the onions to rot.
Do you need to fertilize a milk star?
Adding some mature compost to the planting sites before planting eliminates the need for fertilizing the garden bed.
When caring for in the pot, give some liquid fertilizer at fortnightly intervals before and during the flowering period. If the milk star has faded, you must no longer fertilize.
Is Ornithogalum pruned?
Cutting is not necessary. You can cut off the faded inflorescences if you want to prevent the plant from multiplying itself.
You should never cut the leaves of the milk star. They will retract by themselves after a few weeks anyway.
Do you have to watch out for diseases and pests?
Diseases only appear if you improperly care for the plant. Too much moisture is usually responsible for root rot.
Occasionally aphids attack the milk stars, especially if they are grown in tubs. Rinse the lice off with water.
How do you care for Ornithogalum in winter?
Frost-hardy varieties do not need special winter protection. However, you are welcome to sprinkle some brushwood or leaves over the planting site before the frost begins.
Frost-sensitive varieties are removed from the pot as soon as the leaves have retracted. Take the tubers out of the ground, shake them off well and then let them dry. Store the bulbs in wood shavings or paper bags in a dark, frost-free place.
tips
When ornithogalum blooms depends on the particular variety. Some varieties flower in spring, others in summer and autumn. Non-hardy milkstar like Ornithogalum dubium has its flowering season in winter.