Ismene blooms innocently glow in white while their shape cannot be more refined. There is also an enchanting scent. Does the onion bloom willingly year after year, or does it require special care? If so, every effort will be worth it!
Ismene rewards good care with snow-white flowers
Start in the house
The Ismene can be cultivated whole as a houseplant. Then she needs a lot of light. But even specimens that come into the garden bed usually start the new vegetation period in a warm house. Propulsion gives them a head start that even the best outdoor care cannot give them. For propulsion, the tubers are planted in pots in April, watered moderately and placed in a light and warm place.
plant out
Plant the Ismene, also known as the beautiful lily, in the garden soil from mid-May. Planted out too early could be destroyed by an unexpected late frost. The depth of planting is 8-10 cm, the distance between two bulbs is 15 - 20 cm.
Put the onions in the pot in the bed to protect them from voracious voles. Keep an eye on the Ismene afterwards, as other pests such as aphids can also attack it and must be combated promptly.
pour
The amaryllis plants, to which the Ismene belongs, do not tolerate waterlogging. Develop a sure instinct when watering, because the bulbs of this plant do not do well even in dry conditions.
- water moderately at first
- Increase the watering amount as soon as the inflorescence appears
Fertilize
Ismenas exhaust themselves when they bloom. They therefore need to be supported with plenty of nutrients during the growing season. A special flower fertilizer or a long-term fertilizer can be used. Over-fertilization damages the onions, so it is important to follow the recommended dosage.
To cut
Cutting is not part of maintenance. Faded flowers should only be cut off if seed formation is not desired, so that seed formation does not unnecessarily consume energy. To your delight, you can always cut flowers for the vase, this does not harm the plant. However, the flowers in the vase last shorter than on the plant.
hibernate
First, the complete withering of the above-ground parts of the plant is awaited. The tubers are then dug up and allowed to dry in a cool place for several weeks. Without soil that is shaken off, they are then wrapped in newspaper and allowed to hibernate in the dark at 8 to 10 °C.
tips
If you discover small spring onions when digging up the Ismene, you can be happy. New plants can develop from these in the spring. But the onions also have to be overwintered first.