One other gardening undertaking on the schedule for fall’s cool days is the division of long-standing clumps of Agapanthus.
The genus Agapanthus contains six to 10 species, all of that are native to South Africa. The frequent title, “Lily of the Nile,” is deceptive, for the reason that River Nile is in Africa’s northern area. The plant is extensively grown on this planet, and there are quite a few varieties, together with pure picks and hybrid cultivars.
After I moved to my present dwelling 4 many years in the past, the backyard included a big part of Agapanthus, which had been spreading for a few years. I noticed the clump as extra an issue than an asset. A good friend volunteered to uproot the clump along with his Bobcat (an grownup toy). The burdensome work was completed in a short while, leaving solely the hauling job.
On the time, I regarded the Agapanthus as a typical plant, nearly weed-like. Actually, it is a fascinating addition for the backyard, offering good top, wonderful foliage and blossoms, and straightforward care. I finally appreciated the plant.
This Agapanthus grows evergreen and effectively within the Bay Space’s Mediterranean local weather. There are some dwarf hybrids, e.g. “Tinkerbell,” however most varieties develop luxurious inexperienced foliage in clumps 2-to-3 toes tall and vast, with flower spikes rising 3-to-4 toes excessive, producing engaging shows. The lengthy bloom interval ranges from June to October, relying on the range.
Agapanthus crops develop readily in well-drained soil and full solar. As soon as established, they're sturdy growers, requiring little irrigation or care, though annual mulching with well-aged compost will help wholesome improvement and beneficiant blooming.
Clumps of this plant turn into bigger annually and must be divided each four-to-six years to keep away from congestion (lowered blooms). They are often replanted as a swath or separate options within the backyard, or shared with different gardeners.
There are three Agapanthus varieties rising carefully collectively inside my South African perennial mattress, offering attention-grabbing blossom colour comparisons.
A. praecox ssp orientalis ‘Getty White’ (white)
A. orientalis spp. orientalis (unlisted selection)(medium blue)
A. africanus x pendulus ‘Storm Cloud’ (darkish blue)
After they completed blooming in October, we lower the flower stalks low. We might have left the seed heads on show and as chook meals.
We then determined to divide the clumps, which had been within the floor for greater than six years. That’s a great observe to be performed in Autumn, however the problem now could be to maintain the varieties separate. It may be troublesome to establish crops with comparable kinds when they're out of bloom.
This expertise justifies photographic documentation of the backyard, even when the plant names are identified and maybe even famous on a backyard map or plant checklist. That’s one other decision for the brand new 12 months.
Dividing Agapanthus clumps begins by lifting the clumps, which might be giant and heavy. This may be performed finest by trenching across the clump, pushing a flat spade underneath the clump, and lifting at a number of areas across the clump. Then, roll the clump out of the mattress and onto a flat space.
The plant grows from rhizomes, that are principally underground, serving as storage organs. Thick, white, fleshy roots develop out of the rhizomes.
As soon as the clump is out of the bottom, the rhizomes and roots might be divided with a pointy spade, taking care that every part has not less than two rising factors. With bigger clumps, dividing might be best utilizing two backyard forks back-to-back.
Dividing is the onerous half; replanting is comparatively simple, as lengthy house is offered with full solar publicity and well-drained soil. If my new swath of crops has randomly combined blossom colours, that may very well be a function fairly than a bug.
Hopefully, we can have extra seasonal rains through the subsequent few months; common watering within the spring would assist the crops to ascertain.
Tom Karwin is previous president of Mates of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society.