Not every gardener dreams of large shrubs, there are many who prefer low plants with beautiful lingering flowering. South American Ifeon is a lush tropical plant that can feel fine in the open ground in the southern latitudes of Russia. In areas with a harsh climate, it can be easily grown as a houseplant and enjoy flowering for several months in a row.
Types and varieties of ifeon
Ifeon is a small flower, only about 20 cm tall. Its green part can be compared to broadleaf grass, since it does not have shoots, foliage grows directly from the bulbs. If you rub it, you can hear a light onion aroma. The plant loves moisture, in natural conditions it grows in a humid warm climate, where the air and soil do not dry out. Botany relates the ifheon to the Liliaceae family.
Interesting. Petals of a six-pointed inflorescence can have both a pointed shape and a rounded shape.
Breeders bred several varieties of Ifeon, differing among themselves by the color of the buds and the saturation of the tone.
Ifheon Jessie (ipheion jessie)
The ifeon jessie is famous for its deep blue petals. Many people compare it with the alpine blue bell - so the flowering of the jessie ifeion has a description of a saturated shade. Its leaves, like other varieties, leave directly from the bulb, forming a rosette. This variety is often used for landscape design, decorating the slopes of hills and hills, simulating the flow of a mountain stream. In height, Jesse can reach from 15 to 20 cm.
Single-flowered Ifeion (ipheion uniflorum)
Ifeyon Uniflorum has one flower on one peduncle, for which he received his name. The inflorescence resembles a large six-pointed David star, reaching 3 cm in diameter. A flower loves sunny lawns. Constant winds negatively affect the health of the plant, therefore, it actively grows in windless areas.
Uniflorum during flowering
The single-flowered Ifeion is a species of Liliaceae, which, in turn, is divided into several varieties:
- ifheon (ipheion jessie) - dark blue during flowering;
- Wisley Blue - light blue, with a gradient overflow from blue to white;
- Ifheum Album blooms in white with a faint pinkish tint;
- White Star - has the sharpest petals of all varieties, blooms with snow-white flowers;
- Charlotte Bishop - has pink buds, which are smaller in size than other varieties by half - only 1.5 cm in diameter.
Features of outdoor cultivation
The tropical jessie canon is more adapted to outdoor cultivation than others. Although, like other varieties, he does not know how to winter in Russia on his own. Even a slight drop in temperature below zero can destroy the bulb. Since this plant is perennial, it can overwinter only protected from frost.
There are two effective ways to preserve bulbs in the cold:
- After the plant has flowered and went into a dormant period, the bulbs, together with the ground in which they grew, are placed in a pot and left in a cool room until March. Once a week, dug bulbs should be checked for drying of the soil and, if necessary, moisten it, but not abundantly.
- When a large amount of ifeon is planted in the open ground and it is too laborious to dig it out for wintering, you can leave the bulbs outdoors for the winter, but the top layer of the soil should be covered with a 10-centimeter layer of mulch from mowed grass, fallen leaves or lapnik. Additionally, you can use covering material. After heavy snowfalls, the areas where the ifheon grows cannot be cleaned of snow.
Bulb wintering under the straw
Since all plant varieties, including Jesse's ifheon, are moisture-and heat-loving, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the soil. It must not be allowed to dry out, especially during the flowering period. The plot on which these flowers grow should be sunny, ventilated, but without drafts. If the location of the land has a constant windy side, plants on this side should be protected by a large bush, fence or other structure.
Additional Information. Bulbs need to be deepened by 5 cm into the ground, but it is not necessary to maintain a distance of 10 cm between them recommended by some gardeners if you want to get a thick bush with a large cluster of flowers.
Iphone transfer
Ifeyon, landing and care in the open field for which does not include special difficulties, requires compliance with the basic rule of transplantation. During flowering, it is undesirable to touch the plant. It is in a phase of active growth, bulbs form children, which later become adult and independent plants. Therefore, it is better to transplant the flower after it has flowered, dropped the leaves and prepared for wintering.
Ipheon leaf pruning
It is not difficult to take care of the flower; it does not require annual molding of the bush and regular pruning of leaves. However, if yellow or dry specimens began to appear in the green cap of the foliage during the period of active growth, they should be disposed of so that a possible infection would not be transmitted to healthy leaves.
Ipheon diseases and pests
The main problem of plants of this species is waterlogging of the soil, which can lead to rotting of bulbs and death of the plant. At the slightest sign of stagnation of water in the area where the flower is planted, it is necessary to significantly reduce the frequency and abundance of watering and by the next season choose a higher place for a flower transplant. In addition, it is advisable to add sawdust or mowed grass mixed with soil to the soil in a new place; pour drainage from gravel, crushed stone or expanded clay to the bottom of each well.
Densely populated flowerbed
With a dense population of plants, there is a danger of attracting aphids, which are very fond of densely growing greens. To rid a beautiful flower of this pest, you need to evaluate the density of leaves every year and, if necessary, thin out the planting by resettlement. If the aphid has already wound up, before planting the bushes, the foliage should be treated with an aqueous solution with ammonia or a mild soap solution.
How to grow ifeyon at home
At home, you can grow any variety, choosing the most favorite form of petals and their shade.
Important! Bulbs should also be planted during dormancy, as well as for growing in open ground.
Soil must be light, allowing oxygen to flow to the bulbs. A small amount of sand or special universal soil mixtures for indoor plants can be added to the soil composition.
Awakened after rest
Be sure to cover the bottom of the pot with drainage, put a deep pan under the pot into which excess moisture will drain, saving the plant from stagnation of water.
Choosing a place to settle pots with colored stars growing in them, do not forget that this is a tropical plant, and it needs a lot of light. You can place them directly on the windowsills, without worrying that direct rays can scorch the greens. However, if the summer where the ifheon grows is too hot and the leaves of the flower dry from time to time, it is better not to put it on the east side.
The plant loves moist air, so it is important not to forget to spray its foliage daily. In cases where the flower is located on the windowsill on the sunny side of the apartment, spraying is best done in the evening hours to prevent the effect of the lens on wet sheets and not to provoke sunburn.
Interesting. If you plant several bulbs of different varieties in one wide pot, you will get a multi-colored fountain of David stars, which will cheer you up with your positive for several months in a row.
A growing ifheon at home, like his street relatives, should retire.
Variety of colors in a pot
At this time, it must be provided with certain conditions:
- remove all dried and dead leaves and peduncles;
- loosen the soil, allowing the bulb to breathe;
- place the pot with the sleeping bulb in a cool dark place for the entire rest period;
- as necessary, spray soil with water to prevent drying out - a dried bulb will not germinate in the new season after sleep;
- after the wintering is over, the pot is returned to the warm sunny windowsill, watered, fertilizers are applied that are universal for all flowering houseplants, and await seedlings.
Methods of breeding ifeon
There are two ways to get new plants:
- daughter bulbs;
- seeds.
Reproduction by daughter bulbs can be done with a transplant, which is necessary for the plant once every three years. For this, during the dormant period, children are separated from the adult bulb and removed into light soil with a lot of mulch or humus. With the onset of a new season of active growth, a young plant will emerge, which can only bloom next year.
Obtaining new ifeyons from seeds is not particularly difficult:
- seeds are harvested after ripening;
- quenched in a refrigerator at a temperature of + 5 ° C for several days;
- seed is sown on a fertile moist soil layer;
- cover with a film or glass, simulating a greenhouse;
- once a day, ventilate and spray from the spray gun;
- sprouts having three to four leaves are ready for picking.
Additional Information. Plants derived from seeds for the first time bloom only after three years.
A low, but very bright ifeon of any kind will decorate a garden plot or window sill, adding juicy greens, thanks to emerald leaves. Floral colors, which are rich in petals, will cheer you up throughout the flowering period, lasting up to three months.
