Ismena , also referred to aswasphead(Hymenocallis) is a thermophilic bulb plant that produces beautiful funnel-shaped white flowers that appear at the top a tall, sometimes 90 cm stem.Ismena cultivationcan be grown in a pot, as well as in a garden bed, provided, however, that we dig out the bulbs for the winter. We advisehow to care for the ismena flowerto decorate the garden for as long as possible, what are the best conditions forismen winteringand how toreproduction of wasmen from newcomer bulbs.
Ismena, Hymenocallis littoralis
Photo. pixabay.com
What does ismena look like?
Marshmallow is an onion plantnative to tropical America, mainly Mexico. The decoration is primarily made of wonderful,snow-white ismeny flowers , which emit an intense fragrance. They smell most strongly in the evening.
Ismena flowers appear in late spring or summer(usually from June to July) as white umbellate inflorescences, gathered in an amount from 3 to 6 at the top momentum. Ismena grown in warm conditions in a pot can sometimes bloom twice a year.
Ismena flower has a very interesting appearance , because a wide cup is mounted on a tube, surrounded by six narrow, long, fancifully twisted sepals of the perianth. It looks like the plant has a long mustache.The inflorescence shoot is smooth, thick and fleshy, very stiff, it can reach up to 90 cm in height.
The leaves of ismenaare narrow, stiff, green, up to 50 cm long. Collected in a rosette.Ismeny onionsare quite large, firm, up to 14 cm in circumference.
Hymenocallis festalis - is the most popular species of the genus Hymenocallis festalis. Its white, strongly fragrant flowers can be up to 15 cm in diameter. Plant height during the flowering period up to 90 cm, leaf rosette width up to 45 cm.
Hymenocallis amancaes, orPeruvian Dipwortcreates fragrant yellow flowers, and its height does not exceed 40 cm.
Hymenocallis speciosa, also known asWormwood , produces smaller but very numerous flowers, up to 15 pieces per shoot. They have an intense vanilla scent. Plant height up to 45 cm.
Ismen flowers can be admired from June to July
Fig. pixabay.com
Gardens are eagerly cultivatedhybrid varieties of Hymenocallis x hybrida- Hymenocallis x hybrida:
Ismena 'Sulfur Queen'- the plant produces fragrant slightly yellow and greenish veined flowers up to 20 cm in diameter. 2-5 flowers may appear at the top of the shoot, usually in the second half of summer. The plant is shorter than the species and its height does not exceed 60 cm.
Ismena 'Advance'- has pure white flowers, up to 15 cm in diameter.
Ismena 'Diana'- blooms white at an extremely early date. Perfect for sprouting in a pot in early spring for an accelerated flowering period.
Ismena, Pond - cultivation
Ismeny onions are planted at the turn of April and May . When planting, be careful not to damage the thick and brittle roots that sprout from the heel of the onion. Plant the onion vertically, heel down and the neck up.
Ismena requires fertile, moist soil, but at the same time very well drained In too moist and compact soil, ismeny roots quickly rot, and the whole plant becomes sick and dies.The ismena cultivation site in the gardenshould be warm and sunny with the soil warming up easily, and sheltered from winds. In the case of potting at home, choose a bright place, but preferably with slightly diffused light.
Ismena flower on the garden bed
Fig. pixabay.com
Błonczatka has high thermal requirements , and the minimum required temperature is 15 ° C. That is why it is best to plant it in pots and grow it in greenhouses or apartments, and only place it outside in summer.
Ifismeny bulbs are planted inpots, remember to fill the pots with fertile and humus soil with the addition of compost and coarse sand mixed with each other, preferably in equal proportions. There should be drainage at the bottom of the pot. For this purpose, before pouring the soil on the bottom of the pot, a layer of pebbles or expanded clay should be poured in.
Hymenoptera planted in a group by the lawn
Fig. Frania, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
The pot in which we plant the ismeny onionshould be at least 10 cm in diameter. 3 onions can be planted in a pot with a diameter of 25 cm. Place the onion in the pot at such a depth that its neck only slightly protrudes above the ground.
Ismeny onions can also be planted in the gardenbut this method of cultivation is not always successful. In addition to proper soil preparation, it is also worth digging a larger hole for the plant and at its bottom, just like in a pot, create a drainage layer of small pebbles or expanded clay. Only on this are we pouring earth.In the garden, ismeny bulbs are planted at least 10 cm apart
Ismena flower, Hymenocallis
Fig. pixabay.com
Proper watering is very important in ismena care.Water little water until new shoots emerge. Only when the shoots start to appear should we start watering more intensively and make sure that the soil is constantly moist, but not too wet.
The fertilization of the ismena should be started after the appearance of flower buds.It is best to use a multi-component mineral fertilizer for flowering plants. It can be a liquid or soluble fertilizer for potted or balcony flowers, which, after dilution with water, are used to water the plants. We use the fertilizer every 2 weeks for up to 2 months after flowering. When the plant has flowered, the fertilizer ingredients will be used to feed the onion, which must after all winter and bloom again next year.
The care of the ismena during the growth periodconsists mainly in regular watering and fertilizing. It is also extremely important to remove weeds growing in the beds between plants and to combat slugs.Sometimes aphids can appear on flowers. We can remove them by spraying with potassium soap or using natural preparations Agrocover, Emulpar 940 EC or Insect Control.
Ismena flower, Hymenocallis
Fig. pixabay.com
Ismena, wintering - wintering
When the Hymenoptera wilt again, limit wateringand let the onion dry. Around mid-September, even if the leaves of the plant are still green, the bulbs should be dug up. Trim the remaining leaves and gently clean the bulbs of excess soil. You can dry them a little more. Then place the bulbs in an openwork box and cover them with slightly damp peat or sawdust.
If the ismena grows in the pot, you can leave the onion in the groundand just stop watering. In winter, the soil should be slightly moistened so that the onion does not dry out completely.However,wintering an ismena in the ground can be unreliable , and the bulbs often rot. Mainly because sometimes we do not realize that the dry surface of the ground can be very wet deeper. Therefore, it is better to put the onions in a box with peat or sawdust.
Sunlight during winter dormancy is not needed, but the bulb storage temperature should not fall below 15 ° C. The idealtemperature for storing ismeny onions over the winter ofis 16-18 ° C and therefore similar to that for freesia. This is quite important, because it may turn out that the garage or the basement is too cool to store hymenic onions until spring.
Ismena - reproduction
Ismena is propagated by separating incoming bulbs.This is best done when transplanting bulbs or planting them after winter dormancy. The separated bulbs bloom from the second year of cultivation. In the first year, they only produce a leaf rosette.They need this time for the onions to grow and strengthen in preparation for flowering for the next year.
