Babiana - planting and outdoor care for a tropical stranger

Please tell us about such a flower as babiana, is planting and care in open ground in the middle lane possible at all? Several bulbs were given to me by my friend from the south, when we visited her in the fall. I have safely forgotten about them, and recently I found them. I planted them in pots, because I don't know if they will grow in the garden under our conditions. In winter, it is very cold here, maybe leave it in the house, and shouldn't be put out on the street?

Its dense, narrow leaves resemble the foliage of gladioli, and its multi-colored flowers look like strange bells or freesia flowers. The inhabitant of the hot tropics is not known to all flower growers, but those who are lucky enough to see her bloom are happy to look for and grow new varieties. This is a babiana, planting and care in the open field for which has its own characteristics. All concerns about planting are primarily associated with the thermophilic nature of this plant. As a pot culture, babiana is more common, and completely in vain. Knowing all the secrets of this beauty, it is quite possible to grow it in the garden and admire the abundant flowering until autumn.

Babiana - planting and care in the open field

The flower belongs to the iris family, and its homeland is the tropics, where babiana grows among stones and on plains with sandy soil. By its nature, it is a herbaceous perennial, however, with a tuberous root system. It grows in the form of compact bushes, consisting of many stems. They have up to 5 long narrow leaves covered with villi. They are very dense, like gladioli... Depending on the type of flower, they can be narrow or wide enough, up to 5 cm.

Closer to July, babiana begins to bloom, and clusters of several flowers bloom to the top of the stems. Their color is the most diverse, from delicate white and pink flowers to gorgeous reds and purples.

The plant got its interesting name for its edible tubers. In Africa, in the homeland of baboons, they are a favorite delicacy of baboons and bushmen - local indigenous people.

Where and how to plant

At home, babiana reproduces mainly vegetatively - by bulbs. They are planted in a flower bed only after the ground warms up and the frosts go away. They make holes up to 5 cm deep, with a group planting, the distance between them should be at least 10 cm.

It is necessary to plant babiana in a well-lit place where there are no drafts. However, the bushes should not be in direct light all day, otherwise they will shed their buds. The beautiful African woman is not demanding on the soil, but she does not like too dense soil. It should be loosened by adding sand.

How to care

Caring for a tropical wonder is based on its main requirements. This is a sufficient amount of moisture, warmth, but not heat, and additional food is desirable.

During the growing season, babiana needs the following procedures:

1. Abundant and regular watering, especially in hot summer.
2. Frequent spraying of bushes.
3. Top dressing with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers after planting, during the formation of buds, at the end of flowering. It also does not hurt to apply fertilizer once a week directly during the flowering of the bushes.

Features of wintering babiana, depending on the growing climate

In the month of September, the bushes begin to prepare for the dormant period, and their aboveground part gradually dies off.This is where you should think carefully about what to do next. In the south, where it is warm in winter and snows at least 40 cm, the bulbs can be left to winter in the soil, additionally covered.

In the central and middle lane, bulbs may not survive the winter in the garden, especially if there is little snow and severe frost. In this case, it will be more expedient to dig them up, dry them and store them in the cellar until April, when the planting time comes.

Growing babiana in the garden