- Star of milk faded - How do you treat it after flowering?
- Caring for the hardy milk star after flowering
- Do not cut Ornithogalum dubium
The flowering period of the milk star can last for many weeks in a favorable location. But at some point even the strongest plant has withered. How you continue to care for the milk star after flowering depends on the species.
The milk star is a bulbous plant
Star of milk faded - How do you treat it after flowering?
How a milk star is cared for after it has faded depends on whether it is a hardy or frost-sensitive variety.
For all varieties, however, you should never cut off the leaves, only the faded inflorescences.
Caring for the hardy milk star after flowering
Hardy milk star species like Ornithogalum saundersiae and O. bellatum stay in the garden year-round. Once they've faded, it's best to just leave them alone.
If you are very bothered by the sight, you can cut off the faded flowers, but never the leaves. The onion plant obtains the nutrients it needs for flowering next year from the leaves.
The leaves will retract by themselves in the fall. Winter protection is not necessary for hardy species. Some gardeners recommend a light cover with leaves or brushwood, which must be removed again in the spring.
Do not cut Ornithogalum dubium
- Cut off only faded inflorescences
- leave the leaves
- Place the pot in a bright, warm place
- remove tubers later
- winter frost-free
Orange milk star (Ornithogalum dubium) is maintained as a houseplant because it is not hardy. When the flowers have faded, place the pot in a bright and warm place on the windowsill. With a bit of luck, the plant will bloom again, albeit a little more sparsely.
You can only cut off the faded inflorescence. Leaves remain until they turn yellow and retract by themselves.
Then take the bulbs out of the flower pot, shake off the soil and let the bulbs dry well. For overwintering, put them in a paper bag or excelsior and store in a dark, cool place until next winter.
tips
The milk star reproduces by seeds or by the formation of daughter tubers. If you grow the onion plant in the garden, you don't have to worry about propagation. You can also dig up the tubers and place the daughter tubers in a different location.