- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- When is flowering time?
- Properly cut torch lily
- hibernate
- Is torch lily poisonous?
- Torch lily does not bloom
- Torch lily seeds
- Is the torch lily hardy?
- The most beautiful varieties
With its flowering candles, the torch lily ignites a bright bonfire throughout the summer. Don't puzzle any longer about the maintenance effort, because here you will get all the answers about the skillful cultivation.
The torch lily comes from warm South Africa and needs winter protection in winter
Table of Contents
Show all- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- When is flowering time?
- Properly cut torch lily
- hibernate
- Is torch lily poisonous?
- Torch lily does not bloom
- Torch lily seeds
- Is the torch lily hardy?
- The most beautiful varieties
- Do not skimp on watering during the summer
- Do not sprinkle the flowers with water, but water directly at the roots
- Fertilize repeatedly with compost and horn shavings (€32.93) from May to August
- Give liquid fertilizer in the bucket every 14 days
- Full to sunny location
- Warm and sheltered from the wind
- Humic soil, loamy-sandy and well drained
- Gladly with a light lime content
- Cut off wilted flower stalks and leave the foliage
- Tie the leaves into a loose tuft with sisal or raffia ribbon
- Finally, cover the bed with straw, needle brushwood or leaves
- Only water a little on frost-free days and do not fertilize
- Waterlogging with consequent root rot
- Nutrient deficiency due to insufficient fertilizer application
- Winter damage due to insufficient protective measures
- Premature pruning in autumn instead of spring
- Small seed pots (€16.68) fill with peat sand, coconut hum or commercial seed soil
- Place 2-3 seeds on the moistened substrate and sieve thinly
- Keep constantly moist in a partially shaded, warm window seat
- Do not cut the leaves in autumn
- Instead, tie the foliage together, leaving the heart mostly exposed
- Cover with leaves, straw, fir fronds or reed mats
- Fire candle: pompous torches of flowers in orange-red with a long flowering period from July to October
- Ice Queen: royal splendor variety with creamy white flowers and a majestic height of 120 centimeters
- Saffron bird: the dainty variety impresses with iridescent flower candles in salmon pink and cream
- Vanilla: once the creamy-yellow flowers have exuded their charm, the evergreen foliage adorns the garden
- Little Maid: the yellow-flowering torch lily with a graceful height of 50 cm is recommended for pot cultivation
- Royal Standard: two-tone noble variety in red and yellow with a robust constitution and early flowering
- Luna: impressive rocket flower with light yellow flowers and a growth height of up to 120 centimetres
- Alcazar: popular tub flower thanks to its fiery red flowers from July to September, at a height of 40-90 centimetres
- Green Jade: slim silhouette and subtle greenish white flowers characterize the beauty
- St. Gallen: an extremely robust torch lily with orange flowers from August to October
care tips
It is no coincidence that the torch lily is a welcome guest in the green realm for hobby gardeners, because care is limited to these measures:
Cut off wilted flower spikes regularly. The foliage remains on the plant until spring, when it is cut off at ground level. A layer of fir fronds, leaves or straw will protect torch lilies from winter damage. If the temperatures are below zero and there is no snow, water the torch lilies on a frost-free day.
Which location is suitable?
Since the colorful ornamental shrub comes from the sun-drenched regions of South Africa, the chosen location should be as close as possible to the conditions there. The torch lily thrives in these locations:
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When is flowering time?
Depending on the variety chosen, the flowering period begins in June and continues into October in summer weather. The varieties are combined accordingly so that you can enjoy the rocket flowers over the entire period. For example, join early flowering 'Grandiflora' and 'Royal Standard' with late flowering 'Bernock's Triumph' and 'Evening Star'.
In addition, you can extend the flowering period by shortening withered stems to 20 centimeters after the first bloom. On the other hand, it is a misconception that plenty of fertilizer has a beneficial effect on flowering. Rather, an overdose of fertilizer causes increased leaf growth at the expense of the flowering period.
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Properly cut torch lily
Apart from the regular cutting of withered flowers, the torch lily makes no acquaintance with secateurs during the year. If you aim to harvest the seeds, do not cut off withered flowers at first. Leave the evergreen foliage on the plant until spring and then cut it off close to the ground.
Prune a torch lily during the transition from bud to bloom for a long-lasting ornament.
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hibernate
Due to its South African origin, the torch lily is considered conditionally hardy. It is less the frosty temperatures than the permanent winter wet that cause a rocket flower. Therefore, before the first frost, take these precautions:
In explicitly rough locations, dig up the roots to place in a pot of potting soil. In a bright, frost-free room, the torch lily comes well protected through the cold season and can be planted out again in May. Don't let the flower dry out completely during this time and stop fertilizing.
Is torch lily poisonous?
Good news for young parents and responsible grandparents: the torch lily is not poisonous. It can therefore be safely cultivated within the reach of children. For pets, there is also no danger from the ornamental shrub.
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Torch lily does not bloom
If a torch lily refuses to flower, this deficiency results from various causes. Although a perennial, the flower initially behaves like a biennial. So it is not uncommon for torch lilies to bloom for the first time in the second or third year after planting. If the young plant comes from sowing seeds, it can take up to 5 years before the first flower appears. Should an established rocket flower fail to flower, consider these triggers:
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Torch lily seeds
Aim for sowing seeds, do not cut off wilted flower heads. Instead, the fruit capsules now ripen in order to harvest the seeds inside. Since these are cold germs, fill the seeds with moist sand in a plastic bag. Stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, the seeds undergo a six-week stratification, without which germination does not take place. This is how the sowing proceeds afterwards:
Within 4 weeks, the tender cotyledons break through the seed coat. If at least 1 real pair of leaves has developed over the cotyledons, the young torch lilies are pricked out. Until the beginning of the planting season in mid-May, keep your youngsters in a bright, warm location without the blazing midday sun.
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Is the torch lily hardy?
Most torch lily species and varieties are not completely hardy. Nevertheless, you can stay in the garden during the cold season if you take the following precautions:
Torch lilies in pots are better placed in a bright, frost-free winter quarters.
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