The Alstroemeria you ordered has just arrived at your door.
Now what?
Do you leave it in the pot it came in? Or pop it straight into the garden? Or in another pot?
Alstroemeria are quite easy-going plants. The most important thing is that they have a healthy root system when planted on.
If you’ve ordered your Alstroemeria from us it will come in a 9cm pot, ready to be potted on into a larger one and they are fast growers so will easily fill a 3 litre pot within 6-8 weeks in growing season.
Read on to find out how you can help your new Alstroemeria establish well and grow into a strong healthy plant that flowers from June to November.
In Containers
Alstroemeria are repeat bloomers through the Summer which makes them great choices for containers in the garden or a sunny balcony or patio. The short and Inticancha varieties such as ‘Noah’, ‘Little Miss Roselind’ and ‘Inticancha Navayo’ make fantastic container plants as they are nice and compact.
Here's how to get them in the pot:
- Place some broken pottery ,tiles or gravel loosely at the bottom of your pot or container
- Add good quality, fresh compost, mixing in some slow release fertiliser
- Free-draining soil is essential
- Place the well-watered plant onto the compost. Put more compost around it. The compost should finish level with the top of the rootball, 2-4cm below the rim of the new container (to allow for watering space)
- Once in place, pat the compost down firmly but gently so as not to damage the stems – you want the plant to be secure but the compost should still be light and airy, not compressed too much
- Water in lightly
- Whenever the compost is getting a little dry give it a drink. If the very top of the compost is dry that’s healthy, but the compost needs to be moist around the roots
- Remember to feed regularly once your alstroemeria starts flowering, use a liquid feed high in potash
In the Garden Border
Alstroemeria make wonderful border plants especially the medium and tall varieties such as ‘Marguerite’, ‘Pandora’ and ‘Apollo’.
Their rainbow colour selection make alstroemeria a bright, eye catching feature that will keep producing flowers for up to 4 months a year, flowering from early Summer into Early Autumn.
Here’s how to plant your babies into garden borders:
- Mix fertiliser and organic matter into the soil around where you want to plant: bonemeal or blood fish and bone are good choices
- Make a planting hole in this soil to the depth that the top of the plant’s root ball is level with the top of the soil
- If the soil is dry, fill the empty hole with water and leave it to drain
- Place the plant in the hole, filling around it with the soil and organic matter mixture. Add the plant and firm with your hands or a lightly applied foot
- Water well, even if rain is forecast – this helps settle the soil
- You can add a layer of mulch to help keep the roots moist but be careful not to let the mulch pile up against the stem
- Water occasionally and thoroughly for a month or three, until the roots get established. Occasional deep watering is better than a frequent sprinkle.
Once you’ve followed these instructions for Alstroemeria in pots or in the garden, you’ll be guaranteed flowers ‘til the cows come home (or at least the first frosts in the Autumn).
Just make sure that when the cows come home your Alstroemeria aren’t in a place they can be trampled...
And please pop us a message on social media and let us know how your planting goes, we’d love to hear from you!
