With royal splendor, the imperial crown is impressively staged in the spring garden. At the same time, the onion flower vigorously drives away voracious voles from the bed. Explore the skillful care of a truly royal perennial here. Frequently asked questions are not left without practical answers.

The imperial crown gives every bed a majestic touch

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant imperial crowns correctly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. The right planting distance
  5. What soil does the plant need?
  6. What is the best planting time?
  7. When is flowering time?
  8. Cut imperial crown correctly
  9. cast imperial crown
  10. Fertilize Kaiserkrone properly
  11. pests
  12. hibernate
  13. Increase imperial crown
  14. How do I plant correctly?
  15. Is Imperial Crown Poisonous?
  16. Imperial crown does not bloom
  17. How does the crown imperial drive away voles?
  18. Beautiful varieties

    19. Plant imperial crowns correctly

    When autumn knocks at the garden gate, it's time to ensure next year's abundance of flowers in the perennial border or cottage garden. If you plant the Kaiserkrone in this sequence between mid-August and mid-October, there is a good chance that the first flowers will bloom as early as next year:

    • Thoroughly loosen the nutrient-rich soil in a sunny to shaded location
    • Dig small pits with a depth of 20-25 cm at a distance of 35-60 cm
    • Sprinkle sand on the sole to prevent tuber rot
    • Mix the excavation with sifted compost and horn shavings
    • Plant one flower bulb at a time, press down on the substrate and water

    The planting in the tub is the same, although instead of sand you should use some potsherds, expanded clay (€19.73) or grit (€46.95) as drainage.
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    care tips

    An imperial crown is far less capricious than its exotic appearance suggests. The care program only includes the following measures:

    • Fertilize the heavily consuming plant repeatedly from March until the end of the flowering period
    • Do not let the substrate dry out
    • Pour watering water directly onto the roots
    • Cut off wilted flower stalks to conserve energy for seed formation
    • Only remove the foliage when it has completely yellowed and withered

    In winter-harsh regions we recommend a light winter protection as a precaution. Before the first frost, cover the plant with a layer of leaves fixed with needle brushwood. The mulch is removed again in good time before the new shoots.
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    Which location is suitable?

    The flower unfolds its oriental magic to perfection in a sunny to shaded, warm and wind-protected location. The more sunbeams hit the plant, the more intense the photosynthesis takes place with the resulting flower sculpture. The exorbitant floral commitment of the plant also requires plenty of nutrients. Therefore, choose a location for the Kaiserkrone with nutritious, humus-rich soil, fresh and moist and first-class permeable.

    The right planting distance

    To determine the best possible planting distance, take the expected growth height and halve this value. For a plant that is 70-80 cm high, the distance is 35-40 cm. Plant majestic specimens that reach a height of up to 120 cm at a distance of 60 cm from the neighboring bed.

    What soil does the plant need?

    Crown imperial relies on consistent access to nutrients to perform as a magnificent flower. Therefore settle the plant in this soil:

    • Rich in nutrients
    • Humic and sandy-loamy with a fresh, moist consistency
    • Well drained, loose and profound

    In the planter, the flower stages an exotic flair if you treat it to high-quality and structurally stable potting soil.

    What is the best planting time?

    The optimal planting time for the royal onion flower is from mid-August to mid/late October. The earth is still warm from the summer sun and is richly populated by busy soil organisms. In this perfect soil, the subterranean outlasting organ establishes itself in time for winter and puts out its roots.
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    When is flowering time?

    From April to mid/end of May, the magnificent flower spoils us with its unmistakable bloom. So that there is no floral sadness at the location in the subsequent period, wisely chosen plant neighbors should be on hand. The carpet-forming clematis praecox is excellently suited or comparable, summer flowering ground cover.
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    Cut imperial crown correctly

    Thanks to its hardy bulb, the imperial crown thrives as a perennial in the bed for many years. So that the plant can play this botanical card perfectly, professional pruning becomes the focus of the care program. How to do it right:

    • Cut off withered flower stalks together with the tuft of leaves with a sharp, disinfected knife
    • Leave the lanceolate leaves on the plant until they are fully retracted

    Please consider the high poison content of this plant not only when cutting imperial crowns. Be sure to wear gloves and long-sleeved clothing when doing any maintenance work on this flower. The cuttings should be immediately covered with leaves on the compost so that animals do not feast on them and suffer fatal poisoning.
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    cast imperial crown

    Keep an eye on the substrate surface of imperial crowns. When the upper 2-3 cm dry, the flower is watered. Give the water directly to the roots, because sprinkling spoils the impressive bloom. In bucket culture, the daily thumb test gives more detailed information about the current watering requirement. Experience has shown that the watering can is used more often here than in the bed.

    Fertilize Kaiserkrone properly

    When it comes to the nutrient supply of a crown imperial, you should not skimp, because you are caring for a heavy feeder. At the beginning of budding, give a well-measured portion of compost with horn shavings (€32.93) and add nettle manure over it. This fertilization is repeated every 14 days until the end of the flowering period. Alternatively, provide the plant with a long-term fertilizer in the specified dosage. In the pot, the flower thanks the regular application of liquid fertilizer with a vital willingness to bloom.

    pests

    Since the imperial crown belongs to the lily family, the cunning lily cockerel always has the flower in its sights. From the end of March keep an eye out for the 6-8mm small, shiny red beetles. While the pests nibble on the leaves, they also lay their eggs on the plant so that the voracious larvae can attack them later on. How to keep the plague at bay:

    • Read the beetles regularly
    • Spray the affected plant several times with wormwood or tansy tea
    • Protect the bulbs with neem preparations

    If the infestation pressure gets out of hand, the specialist trade offers effective insecticides. This includes Compo Schädlings-frei Plus or Lizetan Schädlings-frei from Bayer Garten.

    hibernate

    In the year of planting and every year in rough locations, we recommend anticipatory protective measures. To prevent the plant from being damaged by frost and moisture, cover it with leaves and fir fronds from the first frost until mid/late February. In the pot, carry the drawn-in flower into the frost-free winter quarters so that the bulb does not freeze through behind the relatively thin container walls.

    Increase imperial crown

    In order for more specimens of this royal flower to thrive in the garden, the plant supplies suitable propagation material on its own. If you dig up the bulb in September/October, you will see several daughter bulbs at the base at first glance. As offspring, they have the potential to become a magnificent imperial crown if treated as follows:

    • Clean the dug up bulb from soil and put it on a solid base
    • Cut off the onions with a sharp knife
    • Fill small pots with standard or pricking soil, plant a daughter bulb and let it root
    • Alternatively, plant the tubers immediately in loose garden soil in a sunny location

    Sowing seeds, on the other hand, turns out to be a gardening adventure. The cold germs must first be subjected to stratification in order to then care for them over a longer period of time until several pairs of leaves have developed. A long line of patience of several years is required until the first blossom.

    How do I plant correctly?

    After 3 to 4 years in the bed, the imperial crown has largely spent itself. Transplanting and dividing now acts as a makeover for the flower beauty. Dig up the bulb between July and September and place it on a firm surface. With a knife or spade, the easily visible onions are separated. After the soil has been optimized with compost at the previous location and at the new location, plant the mother onion and its daughters again.

    Is Imperial Crown Poisonous?

    Botanically classified as a member of the lily family, the imperial crown is considered poisonous for humans and animals. A high content of steroid alkaloids is essentially responsible for this. Consuming small amounts of leaves, flowers or bulbs is harmful to health. Nausea, vomiting and life-threatening cardiovascular problems occur. Therefore, do not cultivate the flower in the family garden or on the balcony when children and pets are in the immediate vicinity.
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    Imperial crown does not bloom

    If our hopes for a fantastic abundance of flowers are in vain, the following causes are behind the dilemma:

    • Low-light location - solution: Transplant into a sun-drenched location
    • Compacted soil - solution: optimize the soil with compost and sand
    • Planting too deep - solution: dig up the bulb and plant it again at a maximum depth of 25 cm
    • Nutrient deficiency - solution: Administer an immediately acting mineral-organic fertilizer

    Last but not least, the flower requires a little patience until the first bloom. Even with the most careful planting, flowering in the first year is not guaranteed. A seedling-propagated plant even takes up to 5 years before presenting its corolla to us.
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    How does the crown imperial drive away voles?

    With an unpleasant garlic smell that emanates from the onions, the Imperial Crown warns approaching enemies of its high poison content. Troubled hobby gardeners therefore swear by the flower as a biological repellent against voles and moles. Being a hardy plant, the bulb exerts this beneficial effect all year round. In the case of a single specimen, however, you will hope in vain that the pests will not appear. Only in larger groups does the offending smell accumulate to such an extent that the rodents take to their heels.

    Beautiful varieties

    • Aureomarginata: Stunningly beautiful with variegated, creamy yellow edged foliage and scarlet blooms
    • Garland Star: A majestic specimen with orange-red flowers and a growth height of up to 120 cm
    • Vivaldi: Yellow-orange flowering plant that is well suited for the container thanks to its compact silhouette
    • Rubra Maxima: A red-orange rarity that gives the cottage garden a noble touch; Growth height 60-100 cm
    • Chopin: The flower impresses with its delicate shape and elegant blossoms in muted red; Growth height 60-70 cm

Category:

Vegetable garden