If you have planted your torch lily in the right place, you will save yourself a lot of care work. We will show you what needs to be considered.
Torch lilies (Kniphofia) are very popular with gardeners all over the world and can therefore often be spotted in public places such as parks. It is their torch-like bloom in summer that keeps people captivated. In order to be able to drive out its beautiful flowers, the plant also makes a few demands on its owner, which should not be neglected when planting, propagating and in terms of care. The decorative plant, which is now available in more than 70 subspecies worldwide and which is also available in dwarf form, always needs the right watering, pruning, winter preparation and fertilization in order to be able to be kept in any garden for a long time and form magnificent flowers in summer. The hobby gardener or enthusiast can find out here in more detail how this is best done.
❀ Site, soil and weather requirements
The beautiful torch lily with its red, often orange or yellowish flowers prefers sunny locations, provided they are well protected from wind and weather. This is important so that the plant does not snap or become damaged despite the best care. It is important to know that the torch lily needs nutrient-rich soil that is slightly moist but not too wet. So once the soil has dried slightly, the plant will not be damaged if it is watered again in good time. The fact that the soil or the earth around the torch lily should be permeable and loose is due to its sensitivity to waterlogging. In winter, care must be taken to avoid too much moisture as much as possible so that the plant does not rot due to snow and the like. Since the flowers of the Asphodel family occur in summer, a greater amount of nutrients are readily accepted during this time.
❀ Casting
After winter, regular watering of the torch lily is especially important to help the plant grow back and strengthen for the year. Will it becomeIncreasingly drier in the summer and even dry periods set in, it should also be watered a little more often to keep the soil slightly moist. However, even during this time, waterlogging must be avoided at all costs. It is therefore advisable not only to water lightly, but also to loosen the soil around the plant from time to time. By the way, nothing should be left to chance when watering, because the plant can also get sunburned quickly. This means that if you get the plant wet when you water it, you can damage it with the sun's rays refracted by the water droplets. Therefore, only the soil around the plant should be watered, preferably in the evening or morning when the sun is not yet high in the sky or has already set.
❀ Fertilize
In this area of plant care, the torch lily makes it particularly easy. Because it needs anything but frequent and heavy fertilization, although it prefers nutrient-rich soils. Too much fertilizer actually damages the plant, making it easy prey for disease or pests. Therefore, fertilizing should only be carried out with caution and it is better to use less than too much. If you want to do something good for the plant, you can add some compost to the soil when planting it to enrich the soil with nutrients. The following spring, more compost can be added for the purpose, but only if incorporated into the well-drained soil around the plant. Otherwise, the torch lily does not require any further fertilization, so that you can save a lot of time and possibly money here.
❀ Pruning
There are only two times a year when pruning of the plant is necessary at all. In this way, the gardener also saves some work in garden maintenance. On the one hand, it is possible to cut the leaves of the plant in spring, before the flowers sprout. This helps it to strengthen and develop plump stems, but also new he althy leaves and beautiful flowers more robustly. On the other hand, you can cut the torch lily or its flowers in autumn when the flowers have withered. They are removed completely, if necessary also with the stalk.
❀ Hibernation
Torch lilies can survive the winter outdoors and are considered perennial plants, but most subspecies must be protected by at least some measures to make it easier for them to overwinter. It is therefore also important that the foliage of the plant is not cut off before winter,but to keep it. It serves to protect the plant body. Laying twigs around the torch lily can help protect its roots from the frost. If you want to lay out leaves here, they must be dried thoroughly beforehand to avoid excess moisture. If you want, you can offer the plant an additional protective layer of fleece - this also helps against the strong sun in winter.
Conclusion
Caring for torch lilies - advantages and disadvantages
Benefits✔ in terms of fertilizing and pruning, there is usually very little to care for the torch lily
✔ watering only needs to be done moderately and preventively in the event of dryness
✔ some varieties of the torch lily are winter-proof without having to be protected
✔ you will be rewarded for the care with attractive flowers and colors in summerCons
✘ A few precautions must be taken during the winter so that the plant can survive frost and cold temperatures
✘ Waterlogging must be avoided in any case, which can be difficult in winter, for example - the plant unfortunately rots quickly
✘ With insufficient or wrong care, the torch lily becomes susceptible to diseases and pests
Basically, the torch lily is also suitable as a garden or container plant for beginners or beginners who have not yet gained much experience with the plant. Nevertheless, care must always be taken to prevent waterlogging, which can take a little more work. This is not to be neglected, as waterlogging quickly causes the plant to rot.