Xela's Garden

African Corn Lily [V]

Genus: Ixia.

Species: Ixia.

Planted 04.12 in pots for Vistabile lobby border
Bought 04.12 from Wilkinsons @ £198 a pk of 20 or 3 pks for £6

The African Corn Lilies are very free flowering, producing long graceful racemes of blooms in a wide range of brilliant colours on strong, wiry 16 to 18-in. stems. Flowering out of doors in June—July, each stem carries six or more flowers of striking beauty, most having a prominent dark centre. The narrow grassy foliage is an added attraction and it complements the flowers.

There is a beautiful mixture available in shades of yellow, orange, pink, red and purple. Plant out of doors about the end of October or November, 3 in. deep and 3 in. apart in a sandy loam and in a sunny position where they can be left undisturbed. In cold winters provide a cover of straw or bracken to protect the top growth.

For late spring or early-summer flowering, plant ixias between September and November, five to seven corms to a 6-in. pot in a mixture of sand, leafmould and good garden soil. The pots should then be buried to their rims in peat or ashes in a frame or in the shelter of a wall and protected from frost by glass or straw. In February, when the shoots appear, they can be brought into a cool greenhouse and placed on a sunny shelf. They like a fresh, cool atmosphere and should be kept moist by regular watering.
[Source: http://www.thegardeningbible.com/how-to-grow-ixia-south-african-corn-lilies ]

Bulbs Ixia (summer flowering)

Each corm produces about twelve star shaped flowers on wiry stems between mid May/mid July. There are various hybrids with bright coloured blooms with dark centres. Colour range is from white through yellow, Rose red, pink and purple often sold in mixed colour packs.

They will grow outdoors in light soil but try them in containers. Either in a cool or cold green house or in the home. Height is 30 -45cm (12 – 18in). Lift and store after flowering. Can be used as a cut flower.

Planting Instructions:
When planting, dig a hole about 4-6″ bigger than the bulb. Plant the bulb in Bulb Fibre Compost adding a handful of Miracle- Gro Bulb Booster to the hole first.
Water thoroughly and ensure that the plant doesn’t dry out during the growing season.

Feeding instructions:
Top dress in the spring and throughout the growing season, simply scatter a handful of fertilizer around the stem of the plant and cover over with half a layer of the appropriate compost for that plant.

Ixia need a covering of leaf mould or compost during the winter which should be removed when new shoots appear in the Spring.

Slow release fertilizers will feed plants for a whole season.
Liquid fertilizers are faster releasing but washed away easily, so they need to be applied every 4-5 watering’s throughout the growing season, i.e April to September. [Source: http://www.summerhillgardencentre.co.uk/bulbs-ixia-summer-flowering/ ]

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