Although the African lily (Agapanthus) can usually only be cultivated as a container plant in this country, it generally does not require much care. A pruning in the sense of a size limit does not actually make any sense with this plant species.

The size limitation by division of the rhizome

With many plants in the garden, regular pruning serves not only to limit the plant size, but also to rejuvenate the leaf mass. The African lily is also cared for in a similar way, but the reduction in size of specimens that have become too large runs here by dividing the rhizome. This has the pleasant side effect that propagation by division yields better results than sowing seeds anyway. The hard rhizome is usually shared with:

  • splitting axe
  • saw
  • ground spade

Cut off faded inflorescences

During the flowering period in midsummer you can stimulate the formation of new flowers by cutting off wilted inflorescences. However, you then have to forego harvesting the seeds, as they would have to remain on the plant longer for them to fully ripen. Visually, cutting off withered blossoms is usually an advantage, as they impair the impression of the green leaves and any other blossoms.

Removing yellow leaves

There can be various reasons when the African lily suddenly has yellow leaves. Wintering out in strong sunlight can definitely cause sunburn on the sensitive leaves, which shows up in the form of yellow spots. Some types of African lilies gradually get yellow leaves in the winter quarters, despite suitable conditions. This is quite normal in leaf-weeding subspecies of Agapanthus and you should remove the leaves to prevent mold and rot.

tips and tricks

Check your potted African lilies for spots and overall discolored leaves before wintering. If you have a leaf-feeding agapanthus, you can also remove the leaves directly during the winter. In addition, these subspecies do not require light for hibernation and sprout new leaves in spring.

Category:

Vegetable garden