Eukomis home care, winter storage and reproduction. Possible problems when planting and caring for eucomis

Eucomis genus perennials hyacinth family. AT natural conditions common in southern Africa. The name is translated from Greek as "beautiful-haired" or "beautiful tuft". Among the people, the names “tufted lily” or “pineapple lily” have taken root.

Description of Eucomis

Eucomis - fast growing bulbous herbaceous plant. The bulbs are large, ovoid, shiny, form a powerful root system. The leaves are collected in a basal rosette, numerous, belt-like, linear or lanceolate, glossy, often with brown spots in the lower part, wavy along the edge, reaching 60 cm in length.

Peduncle - thick elastic arrow with a bunch small leaves at the top, up to 100 cm long. The flowers are collected in a dense cylindrical long (up to 30 cm) brush, multiple, wheel-shaped, white or light green with a brown or purple tint. The perianth is divided into six pale-colored lobes fused at the base, which do not fall off after flowering. Stamens (six) filiform, fused with perianth. Ovary three costal, rounded. The fruit is a trihedral box, opening along the edges. Seeds are ovoid, dark brown or black.

Types and varieties of Eukomis

Homeland - tropics and subtropics of South Africa. There are 14 species in the genus.

Eucomis autumn (Eucomis autumnalis)

Ornamental plants with large bulbs and a rosette of long narrow leaves, which are valued for their long flowering.

Despite the tropical origin, plants of this species are quite hardy.

Eucomis bicolor (Eucomis bicolor)

Homeland - South Africa. Cultivated in Europe as early as 1878.

Plants 40-60 cm high. Light green flowers and bracts appearing at the end of summer have a purple frame.

‘Alba‘- cultivar with greenish-white flowers. Stems and leaves are uniform in color.

Eucomis crested, or eukomis point. The species was introduced into Europe from South Africa in 1778

Flower-bearing arrows, and the underside of the leaves are spotted. The color of the perianths can be greenish-white, pink or purple.

‘Stricta’- the leaves of this garden form, bred back in 1790, are streaked with longitudinal brownish-red stripes on the underside.

Eucomis Paul- a very rare species with large inflorescences of greenish-white or green flowers.

Eukomis zambeziensis- has inflorescences of greenish-white flowers.

Planting and caring for Eucomis

The main care for Eucomis is regular watering of the plant and top dressing. Watering is stopped when the leaves of the flower turn yellow. The plant begins a dormant period, which lasts until spring. It is recommended to store the bulb at a temperature not higher than 11 degrees. This is usually the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. When stored in room conditions you will not get a beautiful bloom. The bulb can be put in a paper bag.

Top dressing is carried out 2-3 times for the whole season. But it is important to know that Eukomis does not like fertilizers, which include nitrogen.

Eukomis is planted in open ground in June to exclude the possibility of frost. Deepen the bulb by 2.5-3.5 cm. For planting choose a sunny place, without drafts. The soil is loose, rich in humus, drained. After the appearance of the peduncle, the plant is fertilized every two weeks with a complex mineral fertilizer.

In the southern regions, the bulb can be left to winter in the soil, covered with dry leaves. The plant in a pot is transferred to a cool room. Since the development of the bulb consumes a lot nutrients from the soil, it becomes poor. In autumn or spring, be sure to transplant the bulb into fresh soil.

Eukomis in landscape design

The culture is valued by gardeners for its long beautiful flowering and the preservation of decorative qualities after it. With its exotic appearance, the pineapple lily attracts attention anywhere in the garden. When planting eukomis in a container, it is later used as a mobile design element, placed in different places.

Works well as a single composition. clear form, structure and bright long flowering will look original on a green lawn or a small hill near the house.

It is also used in rocky gardens. A representative of the flora can become a bright contrast that sets the tone for the entire composition. Favorably emphasize the greatness of the stones. Beautiful glossy leaves can be safely combined with any culture.

Undeservedly, eukomis is rarely planted in flower beds.

Eucomis care

The irrigation regime of this exotic has its own nuances. After planting, the bulbs are watered minimally, avoiding water on them. As soon as active leaf growth begins, watering is gradually increased. During flowering or hot weather, plants are watered abundantly. After flowering at pineapple lily dormant period begins. Therefore, watering begins to be reduced and completely stopped when all the leaves turn yellow.

Eukomis likes to "deliciously eat". They begin to feed it after the plant has "woken up" and started to grow. Every 2 weeks it is watered with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer without nitrogen content. When flowering ends, top dressing is stopped. When growing eukomis in room conditions, it is left in a pot for a dormant period, and in the spring the soil is replaced.

Possible problems when growing Eucomis

Untimely yellowing of the leaves, the appearance of brown spots with mold on them indicates the development of fungal diseases. This happens when improper care, namely when excessive watering. In this case, the flower must be pulled out of the ground, inspect the bulb. If it is not badly damaged, then putrefactive spots are removed, and it itself is treated with a fungicide and transplanted into new ground.

With a lack of lighting and low air temperature, the flowering of eucomis is inhibited or does not occur at all.

Of the pests, the pineapple palm is often affected spider mites, aphids and scale insects. To combat them, acaricides and insecticides are used.

Reproduction Eucomis

Eukomis forms a few daughter bulbs - babies, which are quite difficult to separate, because. have a common bottom with the mother bulb. They are left if there is no need for reproduction. Separate by rubbing the cut activated carbon or, processing in the "Maxim" tool. seed propagation Eukomis are used in plant breeding, because. seedlings do not retain maternal qualities completely. Seedlings bloom only in the second or third year.

Storage of Eukomis bulbs

It is also similar to storing Begonias: with a clod of earth either in thick paper or in a pot in the basement. If someone has experience in growing Eukomis in our region.

In the south of Ukraine, they may winter in open field with little cover. In more northern regions, the culture is similar to gladiolus. Bulbs are planted in early May, and at the end of September they must be dug up and stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator at 4–6 ° C. With such agricultural technology, eukomis bloom willingly and regularly, but they form very few children. Containers with eucomis can be planted in open ground only when the ground is already well warmed up and the threat of frost has passed. The landing site must be protected from the wind. Can be dropped off mature plant directly into the ground - gently, without damaging the root system, knocking it out of the pot. But in any case, we must remember that this exotic came to us from Africa and does not like dampness and strong winds. From large (4-9 cm in diameter) bulbs, a rosette of long belt-like leaves grows, then a strong flowering arrow from 20 to 100 cm high appears. The inflorescence resembles a pineapple: it consists of many star-shaped flowers collected in a dense multi-flowered brush, which, starting from the bottom, gradually unfold.

Lilies have proven themselves to gardeners as unpretentious, growing well on light soils in the gardens of many regions of the country. One of the Asparagus genera is distinguished by the uniqueness of its flowering - dense dense inflorescences with small buds. This is a pineapple lily, better known in scientific circles as eukomis or eukomis, its long racemose inflorescences are presented in the photo in this issue so that readers can appreciate the plant and its garden species at their true worth. Proper reproduction will allow you to form an exotic corner in the garden, and competent landing and care will keep the beauty throughout the summer. TABLE OF CONTENTS: The genus Eukomis (eukomis) belongs to the Asparagus family, although in other sources it is often referred to as Hyacinth plants, due to a slight resemblance. The pineapple lily received its scientific name in 1788 from the French botanist Charles Louis Peritier de Brutel, who considered that the word translated from ancient Greek as “beautiful-haired” was appropriate for this species. In the people, eukomis is simply called "pineapple palm" due to the interesting structure of the inflorescences. In the photo below you can see that the top of the brush has a mop leaf green, which are bracts of buds.

A perennial bulbous plant is a herb that can grow from 30 to 100 cm. The genus includes only 14 known species, while as garden culture only 4 decorative ones are used flowering plants. Large distribution in the wild can be seen in the subtropics and rainforests South America, some representatives are often found in areas of South Africa. The pineapple lily has a large bulb, on average its diameter in the section is 5-8 cm, this does not depend on the size of the plant itself. Representatives of eukomis differ from other genera in a very powerful, rapidly developing root system, which should be taken into account when planting a plant as a container culture at home. From a shiny ovoid bulb, very large ribbon- or belt-shaped leaves are formed, collected in a basal rosette. They are soft to the touch, smooth surface. Numerous leaf plates with an uneven wavy edge, less often at the base may have several spots Brown color. When planting in a pot, it is worth considering the impressive size of the leaves - up to 60 cm in length.
From the middle of the bulb at the beginning of summer, a powerful cylindrical peduncle is formed - an arrow. It is a very resilient stem, reaching a maximum of 1 meter in height. It forms small flowers, similar to stars, collected in dense racemose inflorescences up to 30 cm long. The buds can be white or creamy with a green, purple or lilac tint. There are species and hybrids that have several shades, for example, Bicolor. Perianths are divided into 6 parts, fused to the base, they do not fall off during flowering. At the top of the inflorescence, a "cap" of green bracts forms, they can often be confused with leaves. They are what make the pineapple lily look like exotic fruit which can be seen in the photo below. Most types of flowering occur in the warm season - the beginning of June-the end of July, there are also representatives that can maintain decorativeness until September.
After flowering, a round ovary is formed, consisting of three ribs. After, you can see the fruits of the "box" with many seeds inside black or dark brown. Seeds are collected for further propagation, with proper sowing and comfortable conditions a pineapple lily grown from such planting material will bloom for 3 years of life.

Garden types of pineapple lilies and their photos

Among all the known types of pineapple lilies, it is garden lilies that are very popular. ornamental crops. They are easy to grow on your site, knowing that eucomis is a heat-loving plant and severe frosts, characteristic of some regions, can destroy them during hibernation. But, let's talk about the nuances of care and planting a plant in open ground a little later, but for now we will learn about garden types of pineapple lily and see her photo. The most common in the southern regions is eucomis bicolor (eucomis bicolor). This is a tall plant up to 60 cm with an elastic peduncle strewn with small star-shaped buds. Powerful leaves and an elastic arrow up to 50 cm in height are formed at the roots. The flowers are collected in spectacular racemose inflorescences up to 30-35 cm long. At the top there is a cap of contrasting green bracts. Distinctive feature species Bicolor is that its flowers have a purple border. The bicolor pineapple lily blooms in mid-summer. When growing this species in open ground, you should be aware that minimum temperature its content is +10 degrees. If the mercury column has dropped to this value, then it's time to remove the Bicolor bulbs for wintering in a cool room.

Eukomis species Comosa (crested) is also a fairly popular horticultural crop in some parts of Russia. His homeland is considered to be southern part America, because the cultivation of the plant is possible only in regions with a warm climate. In height, the pineapple lily of this species reaches 80-100 cm. On a powerful peduncle-arrow, there are many star-shaped flowers of pale green color. Flowering can be observed at the end of summer, it lasts until the first cold weather (temperature drops below +10 degrees). The photo below shows one of prominent representatives all species of crested eukomis.

In the subtropical climate of South Africa, you can find another decorative look Eucomis - pallidiflora. It is often used in our country as a decoration for the garden. In America, this species is recognized as one of the best and is listed as one of the most beautiful garden crops. In height, the pineapple lily has average values ​​\u200b\u200bof 45-70 cm, but this does not prevent it from being very spectacular during the growing season. The plant blooms with pale green buds, collected in dense inflorescences. This species visually resembles a pineapple more than the rest, see this in the photo below.

Very popular in our country is the autumn eucomis or, scientifically, eucomis autumnails. It is a dwarf plant growing to maximum height 30 cm. Perennial during flowering, produces a peduncle with inflorescences very similar to candles. It differs from other species in the relatively large size of the bulb - an average of 8-11 cm. The inflorescence is very dense, in one it can contain from 120 pale yellow flowers with a green tint. The flowering period lasts from mid to late summer, less often until September. it great view for outdoor cultivation in regions with slight frosts in winter.

Reproduction and planting of pineapple lilies in open ground

Almost all garden types of pineapple lily, gardeners prefer to grow in open ground. In room conditions, as a container culture, the plant blooms only with sufficient light and good temperature regime, which is quite difficult to provide in some regions. Therefore, in pots with earth, it is preferable only to leave eukomis for wintering, and closer to summer, transplant into open ground, for example, in a garden or front garden. But, before that, depending on the method of propagation: seeds or bulbs, you need to know some of the nuances.

The easiest way is to grow eukomis from bulbs purchased in specialized stores. Some gardeners prefer to collect them themselves from an already grown plant in the garden. planting material formed during the period rapid flowering at the mother bulb. They are harvested by sprinkling charcoal over the separation points to prevent fungal spores from entering the rhizome. After collection, you can begin to seat the material or store it in a well-ventilated, dry place.
Planting a pineapple lily will require light, well-drained soil with a high humus content. In order for the soil to become light, river sand is added to it. To germinate the bulb before planting in open ground, you can take a container (for each bulb - a separate one) with soil from the garden, or with soil mixture prepared independently: equal parts of river sand, humus and sod. The containers should have good drainage, for this we make holes in the bottom and line a thin layer of pebbles or broken bricks.

After preparing the soil, the bulb is placed so that its top remains at ground level. It is best to do this from the beginning of March to the end of April. There will be enough time before landing in open ground for full development and adaptation.

When the bulb is planted and until the rosette of leaves appears, minimal watering should be observed, as there is a risk of fungus in the young root system. When advancing the peduncle, we increase the amount of moisture and the frequency of its application.
Before transplanting, the plant should adapt a little to external conditions. In mid-May, we begin to take out the pots for Fresh air to the garden, gradually increasing the time spent. Only after the soil has warmed up can the eucomis be transplanted to a permanent place in the front garden. To transplant the bulb into open ground, you need to gently shake it out of the pot and clean the rhizome from the old soil. In light drained soil, the plant will begin to develop rapidly.
In the southern regions, eukomis can be planted with bulbs in open ground without prior germination. It is important to observe a distance of 15 cm between plantings. For residents of regions with severe frosts, it is recommended to grow lilies in large pots for some time, which will not hamper the development of a powerful root system.
Propagation by seeds is often used in order to obtain a pineapple lily that differs in inflorescence from the mother plant. Sow the seeds immediately after harvest, as they quickly lose their germination percentage. Eucomis blooms, grown from such planting material only for 3 years of life.

Exotic lily eukomis care

Undemanding pineapple lilies love gardeners who know some rules for caring for exotic plants. They will please the excellent summer bloom. For a long time of popularity as a garden crop, eukomis has established itself as an unpretentious, but very light and heat-loving plant. Most species lack frost resistance, so their bulbs need to be dug up every year and put away for winter storage. Lily does not tolerate gusts of cold winds and drafts. This impairs flowering, so some gardeners grow it in pots, and take it out into the fresh air in the garden or on the balcony in summer. In the southern regions, we winter the lily in open ground, under spruce branches or sawdust.

Caring for an exotic lily begins with the fact that it needs bright lighting. If you grow eukomis in open ground, then the place should be well lit. Shade and partial shade will affect flowering in an unfavorable way.

After planting, minimum watering should be observed. When a rosette of leaves appears, it is gradually increased. During the period of active flowering, abundant watering is needed; in the heat, the air is also moistened. After flowering, the introduction of moisture is gradually reduced, by the time all the leaves turn yellow, watering is completely stopped.

For pineapple lilies, regular fertilizing with complex fertilizers without nitrogen is useful. This should be done at least 1 time in 2 weeks with mineral water-soluble preparations. Eucomis does not tolerate nitrogen, as it can cause a number of diseases of the plant bulbs.

Container cultures grown at home require an annual replanting in new pot with complete soil replacement. For garden species bulbs are harvested winter storage. In autumn, when the leaves turn yellow, they are dug up, then washed, disinfected with a light solution of manganese and removed, packed in paper or rag bags in a cool, dry room. For winter, a vegetable compartment in the refrigerator is suitable. For wintering a pineapple lily, a simple pot with soil mixture is also suitable - the perennial is stored in it at room temperature, and when the heat comes and the soil warms up, transplant it into open ground.

In the genus of perennial plants of the hyacinth family there is an amazing representative - eukomis. Or as it is also called pineapple lily. It reaches, depending on the classification, from 25 to 100 cm. The flowering period continues throughout the summer season. Flowers are snow white, pale pink, purple and green. This herbaceous bulbous garden plant grows very fast. strong root system It is formed from a shiny, massive bulb of an ovoid shape. Multiple leaflets of various shapes (belt-shaped, linear, glossy) form a rosette at the root.

The peduncle can reach up to one meter. Externally, it is represented by an elastic arrow with large quantity small leaves. Flowers form a brush cylindrical shape. The perianth consists of six fused lobes. As a fruit, the plant forms a box of three faces. Florists are grown both in containers and in the ground in an open area.

Application in landscape design

The culture is valued by gardeners for its long beautiful flowering and the preservation of decorative qualities after it. With its exotic appearance, the pineapple lily attracts attention anywhere in the garden. When planting eukomis in a container, it is later used as a mobile design element, placed in different places.

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Works well as a single composition. A clear shape, structure and bright long flowering will look original on a green lawn or a small hill near the house.

Also used in . A representative of the flora can become a bright contrast that sets the tone for the entire composition. Favorably emphasize the greatness of the stones. Beautiful glossy leaves can be safely combined with any culture.

Undeservedly, eukomis is rarely planted in flower beds.

Combination with other plants

Most often, pineapple lily is determined in a group planting with annual ground-blood garden plantings and gerberas. Such a voluminous self-sufficient composition will fit into any landscape style and retain its visual appeal until the very cold weather.

In a flower bed, a pineapple lily is combined with plants such as:

• lobelia;
• alyssum.

Plant propagation

Breeding culture occurs in two ways:

seeds

Planting material is purchased in specialized stores or collected independently in September. Often gardeners use a little trick: they do not wait until the seeds are ripe so as not to weaken the mother plant. They cut the arrow on their own. It must be put in a container filled with water, and wait until the box dries. Then you can extract the seeds. They are located in seed pods. They are sown for seedlings. Immediately after harvest, plant them in a container with nutrient soil.

In the spring, as soon as the danger of frost has passed, the seedlings can be planted in a permanent habitat. With its flowering, the plant will please the gardener only after 3 years. It can be completely different from the mother plant in color and foliage.

In countries with a warm climate, seeds can be planted immediately in open ground. Then flowering will decorate the garden next year.

child bulbs

During the active phase of growth near an adult plant, new ones are formed - “kids”. With the onset of dormancy, they are carefully separated and planted in prepared soil. The baby must be treated in a disinfectant solution, then with warm water. Almost the entire daughter bulb is immersed in the hole, only a small piece remains on the surface. Already after 7-10 days the first sprout will appear and the garden planting will begin its rapid growth. The distance between them must be at least 40 cm.

Watering is carried out with water at room temperature as needed. This method allows you to save all varietal characteristics. The place of separation must be processed. For this, crushed charcoal is used. Otherwise, there is a risk of infection with fungal diseases.

Landing and care

Site selection and soil preparation

Eukomis is unpretentious and does not require much time to care for him. Selected for landing open area with enough sunlight protected from gusty winds.

Preference is given to light soil, with a good drainage layer (fragments of stone, brick or gravel). It is necessary to add river sand to it. The plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering is carried out rarely, as needed. The representative of the flora tolerates drought much better than ground or melt water. The rule is violated only during active growth. In this case, regular and plentiful watering is necessary. After it, the soil is loosened and mulched to reduce the evaporation of moisture. As soon as the leaves begin to turn yellow, watering must be stopped.

Pineapple lilies need regular fertilizer. To bloom was lush and plentiful, use complex mineral supplement every 14 days. The fertilizer dissolves in water. Under no circumstances should nitrogen compounds be used.

Diseases and pests of pineapple lily

The main problem for eucomis is bulb rot. This is the result improper watering or storage of planting material. Culture is also under attack. aphid, mealybug, spider mite and whitefly. It is necessary to fight pests with solutions of special means.

Species diversity of eucomis

The genus includes more than 10 species. The most popular of them in garden design:

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• Wavy. Long belt-like leaves about 40 cm, wavy edges, no characteristic black dots. In a close brush is located from 40 to 50 flowers. Bracts are represented by numerous pale green hue, wavy shape.
• red stem. The leaves are spiky in shape. Bracts of traditional colors: red-purple and purple. Green color edging adds eccentricity.
• crested. Most often found in gardens. It reaches a height of up to 85 cm, a brush up to 30 cm. The color of the flowers is purple, pale green and pink.

Eukomis (eukomis) - translated means "beautiful tuft", a bulbous plant, of the hyacinth family. Perennial, native to South Africa. But lately it has been gaining more and more popularity in our regions.

Eucomis can be grown as potted plant or garden. Eukomis grows quickly, pleases with flowering in summer, in June-July. The blossoming inflorescence has a similarity with pineapple, for which he received the name "Pineapple Flower". The genus includes 14 species. Attracts flower growers with long flowering, originality and its high decorative effect.

Features of caring for Eucomis

Eucomis unusual plant and not quite adapted to our climatic conditions, but it is easy to grow and care for it. The flower looks great in the garden, both in single and group planting. Nearby it is good to plant geykhera, lobelia.

The main care is regular watering of the plant and top dressing. Watering is stopped when the leaves of the flower turn yellow. The plant begins a dormant period, which lasts until spring. It is recommended to store the bulb at a temperature not higher than 11 degrees. This is usually the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. When stored at room conditions, you will not get beautiful flowering. The bulb can be put in a paper bag.

Top dressing is carried out 2-3 times for the whole season. But it is important to know that Eucomis does not like fertilizers, which include nitrogen.

Landing Eukomis

It is recommended to plant the bulb in April - May. It is better to immediately decide where you will grow a flower, in open ground or in a pot. The earth is prepared loose, nutritious, with a neutral reaction. If planting in a pot, make drainage. The bulb is not deepened. So the flower will wake up after winter period rest and will not rot when watered.

Before the first signs of growth appear, water carefully, the soil should be slightly moist. As soon as the bulb begins to grow actively, watering is increased. Continue to water regularly and plentifully. A plant in a pot usefully takes out to the balcony for the summer. When the plant blooms, watering is reduced. Stop watering completely when the leaves turn yellow and let the flower rest until spring. At this time, you can transplant eukomis, separate the children. Until spring, the flower is not watered.

Eukomis is planted in open ground in June to exclude the possibility of frost. Deepen the bulb by 2.5-3.5 cm. For planting choose a sunny place, without drafts. The soil is loose, rich in humus, drained. After the appearance of the peduncle, the plant is fertilized every two weeks with a complex mineral fertilizer.

In the southern regions, the bulb can be left to winter in the soil, covered with dry leaves. The plant in a pot is transferred to a cool room. Since the development of the bulb consumes a lot of nutrients from the soil, it becomes poor. In autumn or spring, be sure to transplant the bulb into fresh soil.

Reproduction Eucomis

Children appear on the mother plant during active growth. They can be separated when the eucomis is at rest. Features of the variety with such reproduction are preserved. Another way to propagate a plant is seeds. After collecting the seeds, they are sown in containers. The seedling will bloom only in the third year. In this case, it is possible to obtain a completely new plant, different from the parent plant in leaves and color of flowers.

Difficulties in growing "Pineapple Flower" The main difficulty that can be encountered in growing eukomis is the rotting of the bulb. To avoid this, you need to properly store the bulb during the dormant period. In spring and summer, follow the rules of watering, avoiding moisture stagnation.

Do you want to decorate your garden with exotic flowers, but are afraid of difficulties in planting and care? Eukomis (eukomis), the cultivation of which even a novice grower can do, will debunk these fears.

This native of the African rainforests has an original pineapple-like inflorescence: lily-shaped flowers are densely collected on a flower arrow, at the end of which a rosette of bracts flaunts.

In this regard, he received his names "pineapple palm", "tuft lily".

Eukomis has an unusual inflorescence similar to appearance on a pineapple

Eukomis blooms in waves, and therefore, it retains its decorative effect for a long time. In addition, despite its tropical origin, it is quite unpretentious in growing conditions.

Types of eucomis

From 14 types of pineapple palm some of them are cultivated in horticulture:

Eukomis crested - blooms greenish-white, cream, purple or pink flowers. The flower arrow reaches a height of up to 1 m. The leaves are covered with purple dots. Its cultivation in open ground is possible only in the southern regions;

Eukomis bicolor (bicolor) is one of the most common species. It got its name for its original color: the flowers themselves are light green in color, and the edges of the petals, stamens and ovaries are burgundy in color, the leaves on the underside are covered with brownish spots. The peduncle grows up to 0.6 m in height. Flowering begins in the second half of summer;

Eukomis dotted - a medium-sized species (0.3-0.6 m), a distinctive feature of which is the presence of brown-red specks on the peduncles and the reverse side of the leaves. Up to 100 flowers are formed on the brush;

Eukomis wavy is a compact low plant (up to 0.45 m tall) with long leaves wavy along the edges without a characteristic speckled pattern. The inflorescence is dense, contains up to 50 flowers. The bracts also have a wave-like shape;

Eukomis autumn is a low-growing perennial (0.2-0.3 m) with a large bulb (8-11 cm). It blooms with white or cream flowers. Blooms later than other species. Tolerates slight frosts.

Reproduction and cultivation of eukomis (photo)

Pineapple palm can be grown from seeds and baby bulbs. The simplest and most efficient way is bulbous cultivation.

When buying bulbs in a specialized store, they should be carefully inspected. Healthy bulbs are elastic, they do not have putrefactive spots, their bottoms are dry, the scales fit snugly together.

If you already have a tufted lily growing on your site, then you can collect your own planting material. During flowering, babies form on the main bulb. They are separated in the fall after digging up the mother bulb for storage for the winter. Places of separation are powdered with charcoal powder. After planting material is stored in a cool dry room. With this method of reproduction, varietal characteristics of the mother plant are preserved.

In regions with a temperate and cool climate, eukomis is pre-germinated at home. In March, the bulbs are planted in pots with a light fertile soil. It is made up of equal parts of sheet and sod land, humus, peat, sand. Each bulb is planted in a separate pot, at the bottom of which drainage is necessarily done (expanded clay, pebbles, broken bricks).

Advice! The bulb is planted so that its top is slightly higher or at ground level.

Proper planting of the eucomis bulb

Planting material is pre-treated with a fungicidal (Maxim, Fundazol, blue vitriol) solution to prevent fungal infections

After planting, eukomis is watered carefully. At first, watering is minimal. During the active growing season, the volume and number of waterings are increased.

Important! Watered bulbous plants along the edge of the pot.

For enthusiastic gardeners, it will be interesting to grow a pineapple palm from leafy cuttings. To do this, at the base of the rosette, a sheet is separated and cut into pieces 4-6 cm long. The cuttings are stuck to a depth of 2-2.5 cm into a loose mixture of peat (perlite) and sand. The bowl with landings is moistened, covered with a film to create high humidity or placed in a greenhouse. Periodically, the cuttings are aired. The formation of young bulbs on the lower cut of the cutting occurs after 2-2.5 months. After that, each plant is transplanted into separate cups.

Eucomis seed propagation rarely gives positive results, as the seeds quickly lose their germination capacity. For this reason, they are sown immediately after harvest. Plants from seeds begin to bloom only at 3-5 years of vegetation and often do not retain varietal characteristics.

Eucomis planting

Plants must be hardened off 2-3 weeks before transplanting into the garden. They are taken out to the balcony or terrace and left for a while, daily increasing the period of "walk". As soon as the soil in the garden warms up (end of May), eukomis can be planted.

In the southern regions, pineapple palm is planted without prior germination at home.

When planting eucomis between plants, leave 15-20 cm in a row and 30-40 cm between rows.

Eucomis care

Despite its “exoticism”, eukomis is unpretentious in care. But this does not mean that this plant does not need care. When grown outdoors, it requires a well-lit area, protected from strong winds. In the shade, the pineapple lily will not bloom or bloom will be poor.

She prefers loose fertile soils with a neutral pH.

The irrigation regime of this exotic has its own nuances. After planting, the bulbs are watered minimally, avoiding water on them. As soon as active leaf growth begins, watering is gradually increased. During flowering or hot weather, plants are watered abundantly. After flowering, the pineapple lily begins a dormant period. Therefore, watering begins to be reduced and completely stopped when all the leaves turn yellow.

Eukomis likes to "deliciously eat". They begin to feed it after the plant has "woken up" and started to grow. Every 2 weeks it is watered with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer without nitrogen content. When flowering ends, top dressing is stopped.

Since eukomis is a heat-loving plant, it does not tolerate wintering in the open field. After the leaves die, the bulbs are dug up, disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide and dried. Store them in paper bags or canvas bags in a cool, dry place (cellar or refrigerator).

When growing eukomis in room conditions, it is left in a pot for a dormant period, and in the spring the soil is replaced.

Possible problems when planting and caring for eucomis

Untimely yellowing of the leaves, the appearance of brown spots with mold on them indicates the development of fungal diseases. This happens with improper care, namely with excessive watering. In this case, the flower must be pulled out of the ground, inspect the bulb. If it is not badly damaged, then putrefactive spots are removed, and it itself is treated with a fungicide and transplanted into a new soil.

With a lack of lighting and low air temperature, the flowering of eucomis is inhibited or does not occur at all.

Of the pests, the pineapple palm is often affected by spider mites, aphids and scale insects. To combat them, acaricides and insecticides are used.