African lilies are beautiful perennials that, if cared for well, bloom from early summer to fall. This also includes regularly removing the dead flowers - an important care measure that promotes a second flowering in August.
That's why you should remove the withered flowers of African lilies
As their name suggests, African lilies beautify the garden with their delicate blue flower buds. They make excellent cut flowers and attract butterflies and bees to the garden. But what happens when the first flowers wither? Should you cut them off or leave them alone?
First of all: You don't necessarily have to cut off anything that has wilted. The flowers do not need severe pruning and do well even without pruning. However, there is something to be said for removing the withered flowers:
1. Regular removal of spent flowers promotes flower formation and extends the flowering period until autumn.
2. Careful pruning also prevents seed formation. Otherwise, the African lily can quickly spread into the garden through self-sowing and displace other plants. If you cut off the withered flowers in good time, you can save time and effort later.
If you have several Agapanthus species in your garden, you can also prevent crossings between the plants and the creation of hybrids.
3. Wilted food is an entry point for fungal and bacterial diseases. Especially when it rains more frequently in summer, you should remove the dead flowers to prevent diseases.
4.Withered flowersare simply unsightly and catch the eye.
Harvest seeds at the end of the season
If you want to propagate your African lilies, you can leave the withered flowers at the end of summer. Then it’s time to wait and see. The seed buds will appear in a few days and the seeds themselves can be harvested immediately afterwards. However, propagation via seeds is rarely successful and in many cases the offspring looks very different from the mother plant. It is much easier to obtain new plants through division.
Recognize what has faded
Fortunately, pruning is a child's play task and can be easily achieved by even inexperienced hobby gardeners. There are a few things to consider:
- The withered flowers are limp and dry.
- The flower buds begin to wither from the bottom up. If more than half of the flowers in a bud have dried up, you can cut them off. It is not individual flowers that are removed, but rather the entire flower bud.
- At the time of cutting, the flowers can no longer be allowed to dry or used as cut flowers. If you want to dry African lily flowers, choose only fresh flowers.
- By the way, you should only remove the withered flowers, but leave the leaves and shoots standing. The leaves absorb important substances and energy from the air and then pass them on to the rhizomes. The rhizomes store nutrients and energy until next year, when they are used to produce flowers.
With the right planning, the cut itself can be done quickly and easily in four simple steps.
1. Choose a cloudy but not rainy day for cutting. The best time is early in the morning or – during long periods of heat – late in the afternoon. This prevents the interfaces from burning under the strong rays of the sun.
2. Take a pair of clean secateurs and cut off the flower buds including the stem. Shorten the shoot by two thirds.
3. Cut the stem at an angle so that rain and irrigation water can drain away. For the next two days, only water the African lily from below until the cuts have closed.
When it's hot, leave the leaves standing; if there are long periods of rain, thin them out
When cutting, stick to the rule of thumb: leave the leaves when it's hot and thin out the plant during longer periods of rain. Removing weak, ground-level shoots with yellow leaves improves air circulation and can prevent fungal infections.
Care for the African lily properly after cutting
With proper care after cutting, you can encourage a second bloom. It is important that you give the flower some time so that it can recover after cutting. So stop fertilizing and watering in the next 2-3 days. The African lily can easily store water and therefore does not need daily watering.
Fertilize after cutting
The African lily is a heavy feeder and requires regular fertilization in the summer months. It is best to administer liquid fertilizer every 14 days.
Watering after cutting
The flowering perennials are heat and drought resistant and can also cope with little watering. The only important thing is that you water them regularly and only from below. The interfaces should definitely remain dry. Wet, fresh cuts are entry points for various diseases.
The correct location after cutting
Location in heat: Potted plants react more sensitively to heat. The low soil volume is probably the most important reason why the substrate dries faster. In this case, the African lily will need sun protection in the afternoon so that the cuts do not burn.
If it rains more often in August, then rain protection makes sense. You should also make sure that the soil is permeable. Because stagnant water is more dangerous for the exotic African beauty than dry periods. The plant reacts particularly sensitively after a cut. You can therefore incorporate some quartz sand into the soil to improve its permeability.
Cut off the withered flowers of African lilies: summary
The withered flowers do not necessarily have to be cut. However, it is recommended. In this way you ensure that the flowering plants do not multiply and spread uncontrollably, promote the formation of new flowers and ensure an attractive growth pattern. In addition, removing the wilted material is an important preventive measure against bacterial and fungal diseases.
To make the cut, all you need is a pair of secateurs. Cut off the flower buds and stems. Shorten the shoot by two thirds. Then leave the plant alone for the next two days so it can recover. Then care for them as usual.
