Category: Home & Garden

Jacob asks about crop rotation:

“I live in the Upper Midwest (Zone 5a), and thought with the recent cold snap, I might spend some time planning our garden for 2024. I’ve watched many of your videos and read several of your books, so I started searching for your ideas on crop rotation and  succession planting… and didn’t really find any. I think I remember some ideas you shared in Grow or Die – a six or eight crop rotation, maybe? – but didn’t really find anything on your Youtube channel or website.

So, I think I have my answer already – it’s probably more important to just get something in the ground, mix it up, and not plant something back-to-back in the same spot every year – but if you have time, I’d like a more explicit answer: what are your opinions on planned crop rotation and succession by plant family? In your experience and reading, is there any advantage to following certain plant families with others when planting in the same spot – for example, brassicas with nightshades, etc.?”

Though I did write about crop rotation in Grow or Die, I’ve stopped paying much attention to it over the years.

We don’t completely disregard it as a practice, but we spend little time planning rotations.

It works more like this:

In February of 2023, we planted potatoes in a patch of garden that was previously a lawn.

After we harvested the potatoes, we planted the area with a cover crop of sunn hemp.

We slashed that down and cover the area with woven nursery fabric in the fall.

Next month, we’ll plant it with something else. Probably cabbages or radishes. Or maybe corn.

Then next year, it’ll probably be planted in potatoes again. Who knows?

We have various garden areas and styles we use, from row gardens to tighter, highly improved beds, to our Grocery Row Gardens.

What I’ve realized over the years is that nature doesn’t rotate crops all that much. Generally, if you have cleavers or chickweed or some other weed growing in a patch, that same patch tends to self-seed and regrow year after year. It may have some different plants growing there at other times of the year, but it’s often growing the same things year after year.

If we’re tearing the ground down to bare soil and replanting the same crop without anything else growing at other times, crop rotation may be more important. It’s also more important to rotate if we’re growing a crop without adding any nutrients back to the soil before we grow it again. If potatoes are pulling what they need from the ground, and then we plant them again and again without properly re-mineralizing the soil, we’re likely to get deterioration in quality and yields. We’re also likely to have a build-up of potato pests and diseases.

Yet if we grow potatoes, then follow them with peas, then follow the peas with mustard, we’ve probably starved out the potato pests, or confused them until they left, or they were consumed by something else.

We don’t try to get “perfect” rotations. We just don’t plant the same thing in the same spot repeatedly.

That said, I had a neighbor in Florida who planted the same zipper peas in the same spot year after year and always seemed to do fine with them.

In the Grocery Row Gardens, we have perennials that stick around for years, with annuals that come and go as we find gaps to plant them. Some think that keeping certain plant species around from year-to-year, even annuals, may keep their beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil for them, making them grow better rather than worse. Perhaps this balances the pests that would also remain. I don’t know. But I don’t sweat over rotation all that much.

And I bet if I put some compost on the old potato patch and replanted it this spring, it would do just fine.

There is obviously some benefit in rotating legumes with other crops, since they add nitrogen. See: corn / soybean rotations in commercial farming. Or cotton / peanut here in the South.

Nature is complex and filled with variables. We just do our best to figure out what works. Yet I wouldn’t worry too much with trying to get things perfect.

We’re in Northridge, California today, visiting with Terry Sanders:

I live and garden in a very ordinary suburban neighborhood. This is a photo of part of my front yard with roses and butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii, Zone 5- 9) in bloom.

This is a photo of one of the parking strips in front of my house. During the Covid lockdown I removed all of my grass and installed drip irrigation and mostly pollinator plants. The pink flowers are gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri, Zone 5 – 9) and Penstemon digitalis (Zone 3 – 8).

The parking strip in summer. A red rose blooms with a blue salvia that looks like Salvia uliginosa (Zone 6 – 9)

I am very lucky to have very good soil because I live on a creek that used to flood during the winter before it was cemented in. Pretty much everything grows.

My front yard. I like to collect old wooden chairs and paint them

My front yard from the street with everything overgrown

Intricately patterned tiles add even more color.

A wicker sculpture forms a focal point in the lush greenery.

An array of perfect pink roses.

Cheerful marigolds (Tagetes patula, annual) covered with flowers.

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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Protecting trees from frost is a winter pastime in the Deep South.

When the temperatures drop, you’ll see ghostly figures rising from lawns here and there about your neighborhood; which, on closer inspection, reveal themselves to be small trees and shrubs covered in sheets and blankets.

A Southern Lady Gardener worth her salt knows that certain plants aren’t quite able to take the overnight swings down below freezing that happen in between sunny 60 to 70-degree days in January.

One December we had a week that rose into the 80s, followed by a night that dropped down near 20.

That wreaks havoc on any plant that can’t adjust!

Even supposedly cold-hardy plants, like mulberries, will sometimes freeze to the ground during these swings.

Tomorrow night we have a 15-degree night forecasted, so we’re using one of our favorite tricks to protect trees on frosty nights:

Those Satsuma trees should sail right through the overnight lows without damage.

If you have extended periods of freezing weather, this frost protection trick might now cut it. However, we rarely fall below 32 degrees for more than a day at a time, and that isn’t enough cold to freeze a barrel of water.

All that water acts like a battery, holding warmth and slowly releasing it overnight.

It’s significantly more effective than simply covering a tree, and it’s less work and effort than stringing Christmas lights around your trees. (If that even works now that we’ve been plunged into a LED dystopia where you can’t get honest incandescent bulbs anymore!)

It’s especially useful if you have lots of trees to protect. Once you have the barrels, you can use them for years. Just tuck one up next to a tree, fill it with water, then cover the tree and the barrel together with a sheet or a blanket.

We usually use 55-gallon drums, but this time we only have 30-gallon barrels to use since all the big barrels are keeping our greenhouse warm!

The weather has been swinging all over the place. Some sites say to expect 15 degrees on Tuesday, but Weather.com currently has the expected low at 17:

That’s still too cold for little trees, even the cold-hardy Satsumas we have.

The barrels make a great difference! Last winter, temperatures fell to 16 degrees overnight one night, and 18 the next, with the weather never rising above freezing for over two days. My little Satsumas and lemon tree didn’t suffer any damage, except for a few leaves that snuck out of the blanket covering one of the trees. Yet other people lost trees they had covered with just sheets.

Try the barrel method of protecting trees – you’ll be impressed!

Eric Sternfels sent in these photos today, of a beautiful community-created garden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania called Ned Wolf Park. We’ve visited this garden a couple of times before (Revisiting Ned Wolf Park) and it is always a pleasure. This garden is special because it is created and maintained by volunteers in the community, so everyone can enjoy this beautiful space.

Starting in early spring, the garden is filled with low carpet of blue chionodoxa (Chionodoxa forbesii, Zone 3 – 8) flowers.

Orange tulips are cultivar of darwin tulips called Tulipa ‘Dordogne’ (Zone 3 – 8). Darwin tulips are one of the groups that tend to perenialize and come back year-after-year it grown in good conditions.

A pink tree peony (Paeonia hybrid, Zone 3 – 8) is paired with Amsonia ’Storm Cloud’ (Zone 4 – 9) and Heuchera ‘Silver Scrolls’ (Zone 4 – 9).

An unnamed german iris (Iris hybrid, Zone 3 – 8) is surrounded by Cotinus ‘Grace’ (Zone 4 – 10) with dark purple leaves that complement this iris and the clouds of small flowers that will develop in the the fluffy seeds that give the cotinus the common name of “smoke bush.”

Iris tectorum ‘Alba’ (white Japanese roof iris, Zone 4 – 9) is shown with Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’ (Zone 4 – 9).

This Echinacea is the variety ‘Pica Bella’ (Zone 4 – 9). This is a compact version of the wild purple coneflower, and according to research by Mt. Cuba Center, one of the varieties that pollinators love the most.

Nigella ‘Cramer’s Plum’ (annual) has showy white flowers which then develop into these incredibly beautiful seed pods.

Wider view of part of the park in summer, a perfect spot to sit and catch up with friends and neighbors.

Pink fall leaves on a very old Burning Bush, Euonymus alata (Zone 4 – 8) growing next to the mural of the park’s emblem.

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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As for me, when snowy winter weather has me stuck indoors, the bright green foliage of my goldfish plant (Nematanthus gregarius) is a welcome sight – it makes me feel like a beautiful green shrub has sprouted in my kitchen!

Without even a thought to the eye-catching blooms, I love seeing the way its foliage catches the sunlight and admiring the gorgeous shine on those waxy leaves.

If this description of my own houseplant’s foliage sounds unfamiliar to you, rest assured, there are actually many different types of goldfish plants, and while their foliage and blooms vary somewhat from species to species, luckily their care requirements are similar.

Although these houseplants have a reputation as being somewhat fussy, once you understand their needs, you’ll be able to keep them happy.

In this article you’ll learn about growing requirements such as light and water needs, what types of pests to look out for, the different species and cultivars to choose from, and even how to propagate them.

Here’s a sneak peek at what I’ll cover:

What Are Goldfish Plants?

Goldfish plants are flowering houseplants named for their goldfish-shaped blooms.

These epiphytic plants have creeping or climbing growth habits, with some being more vining, and others more bushy.

They have oval-shaped leaves that are hairy, smooth, or glossy depending on the species.

Most have medium green leaves, though some sport a darker tint, and there are also cultivars with green and white or green and yellow variegated foliage.

As for their renowned blooms, these are red, orange, yellow, or pink, and look like small fish swimming among the green foliage.

Flowers grow along the leaf axils of the stems and mature specimens can be covered with dozens of blooms at once.

It’s easy to confuse these houseplants with their close relative, the lipstick plant.

But you can differentiate these two by their flowers – the blooms on lipstick plants are held at the end of their stems – on goldfish plants, they are produced along the stems, at leaf axils.

As houseplants, blooming is primarily in spring and summer, but flowers can appear throughout the year on some species.

If flowers are pollinated, they will produce round (or roundish) white, pink, or red berries.

Cultivation and History

Goldfish plant is a common name given to certain species in the Nematanthus and Columnea genera.

Native to Central and South America, these species are members of the Gesneriaceae or gesneriad family, and are related to such houseplants as African violet, Cape primrose, and gloxinia.

These species originate in humid tropical or subtropical forests, and some of them come from high elevation cloud forests.

The Nematanthus genus was originally described in 1821 by German botanist Heinrich Schrader. The genus name means “thread flower” in reference to the appearance of the long flower stems on the species N. corticola.

As for Columnea, it was classified in 1753 by the father of taxonomy himself, Carl Linneaus, and named in honor of Italian botanist Fabio Colonna.

Also known as “flying goldfish plants” or “dancing dolphins,” these epiphytes can be grown as houseplants – but some of them are easier to care for than others.

For the more finicky types, gardeners may have better luck cultivating them in greenhouse conditions.

Goldfish plants require a mild climate – most of them are not well-suited for growing outdoors year round except in mild tropical or subtropical climates such as those found in Hawaii.

You’ll learn more about individual USDA Hardiness Zones of different species later in the article, so keep reading!

Goldfish Plant Propagation

The easiest way to propagate these houseplants is by taking stem cuttings.

While you can root cuttings in either water or soil, water rooting tends to be faster and more reliable so that is the method I’ll describe here.

I’ll also guide you in transplanting goldfish plants grown from cuttings as well as nursery-purchased specimens which have outgrown their pots.

From Stem Cuttings

To propagate a new specimen from stem cuttings, first gather your supplies. You’ll need three-inch pots, growing medium, a jar, water, and sterilized scissors or garden pruners.

Before taking your cuttings, first sterilize the scissors or snips by wiping the blades down with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.

Take cuttings that are three to five inches long from healthy stems. You can root just one cutting per three-inch pot, or for a fuller specimen, up to three or four cuttings per three-inch pot.

Remove the bottom set or two of leaves from each cutting, then stick the cuttings in a jar filled with water, making sure that the remaining leaves are not under water.

Place the jar in a location that stays between 65 to 70°F and has bright, indirect light. Change the water out every few days to keep it fresh.

The cuttings should grow roots within three weeks. Once they have roots that are an inch or so long, you can pot them up.

When you’re ready to plant the rooted cuttings, prepare your pots with growing medium, filling the pots so there’s about an inch of space at the top.

Need a growing medium?

Whatever houseplant growing medium you choose, make sure it is well-draining, but also good at holding moisture, and make sure its pH is in a range of 6.1 to 7.3.

Insert the cuttings into the holes, one to two inches deep, then pinch the growing medium closed around the stems. Gently level and pat down the growing medium to ensure good contact.

Place the rooted cuttings in indirect bright light, avoiding direct sun for the next week or so.

It will take goldfish plants grown from cuttings approximately one year to bloom.

Find more guidance about propagating houseplants from stem and leaf cuttings in our guide!

Transplanting

Whether grown from cuttings or purchased via nursery, Nematanthus and Columnea species will need to be potted up to larger containers when their roots get too cramped in their current pots.

You can always pull your specimen out of its container to check its roots, but there are signs to look for without unpotting your houseplant:

Are you noticing roots emerging from the pot’s drainage holes? Or are there roots circling around on the surface of the growing medium? Are you required to water your goldfish plant twice a week or more to keep it from drying out?

All of these are signs that a specimen needs to be transplanted to a larger pot. On the other hand, don’t repot more often than you need to – slightly potbound specimens are more likely to bloom.

To transplant your goldfish plant you’ll need growing medium and a pot that is just one size larger than the houseplant’s current container, one that is equipped with drainage holes.

Remove the goldfish plant from its current container. If it’s in a hanging basket, remove the hanger first.

If the houseplant is potbound, gently loosen the outer portion of the root ball by rubbing it with your fingers or the palm of your hand.

Place a layer of growing medium in the bottom of the new container, then situate the root ball on top of this, centered in the pot.

The top of the root ball should be about an inch below the rim of the new container. If it’s too high or too low, adjust the amount of growing medium below the root ball.

When the specimen is at the right level back fill with growing medium, then water in the houseplant.

How to Grow Goldfish Plant

To keep your Columnea or Nematanthus species happy, you’ll want to offer it the best possible combination of light, water, temperature, and humidity.

Light

Let’s start by looking into lighting requirements.

These species are epiphytes that grow in part shade in their natural habitat, so they can handle some direct sun, but shouldn’t be allowed to bake under the sun’s rays for long periods of time.

The best case scenario would be to offer the specimen some direct sunlight in the morning, with bright indirect light the rest of the day.

These houseplants are ideal candidates for growing next to east-facing windows.

Some indoor gardeners grow them next to west-facing windows – but if you choose this type of location for your specimen, make sure the window isn’t too hot during summer.

If you live in a northerly latitude like me, an east-facing window may not provide enough sun during the winter months.

In this case, locating the plant a few feet from a south-facing window may work well for you during winter, when the sun is less intense.

For indoor gardeners using light meters, the ideal range for these houseplants is 1000 to 2500 foot candles – but make sure that the light is diffused.

You may be able to achieve that light exposure by placing the houseplant close to a south-facing window that has a sheer white curtain on it. But all homes are different, so the best way to know for sure is to check with a light meter.

Read our guide to using and choosing a light meter to learn more.

Water

As epiphytes, Nematanthus and Columnea prefer a well-draining growing medium that remains fairly moist, but not soggy.

They also benefit from receiving water a little less frequently in winter than during the growing season, since days are shorter and the sun is less intense.

So from spring through autumn, water when the top half inch of the growing medium is dry.

But during winter, allow the top two to three inches of the growing medium to dry between waterings.

Be sure to water evenly or leaves can drop – a houseplant watering can with a narrow spout can help with this.

Humidity

Goldfish plants hail from moist forests, so they don’t mind high humidity.

However, they adapt fairly well to the humidity levels found in most homes. An indoor air moisture level of 40 percent is acceptable for these plants, but higher humidity will improve the growth habit of the Nematanthus or Columnea.

When growing a more finicky species such as C. microcalyx, you will need a humidity level of 50 to 85 percent.

Check your humidity levels first, and if you find your indoor air moisture levels lacking, use a humidifier – especially during winter, when air tends to be dry from heating.

Temperature

Goldfish plants do best in daytime temperatures between 70 and 80°F, and nighttime temperatures between 60 and 70°F.

Be sure to keep them at temperatures above 55°F, or they can sustain cold damage.

Also, avoid exposure to temperatures above 80°F, which can cause leaf drop. This means that those of us in locations with very hot summers should avoid summering these houseplants out of doors.

Growing Tips

• Grow in bright, indirect light with some direct morning sun.
• Water when the top half inch of soil is dry, or when the top two to three inches are dry during winter.
• Provide extra humidity if indoor levels are below 40 percent.

Pruning and Maintenance

Although goldfish plants are certainly not the most high-maintenance houseplants you’ll find, they do need a bit more attention than pothos or hoyas, for example.

Here’s what you’ll want to know about:

Encouraging Flowering

The main attraction of goldfish plants are their “schools” of colorful goldfish-shaped blooms – and you’ll want to know how to encourage them to make an appearance.

Reduce watering in winter to encourage spring blooms, as noted above in the watering section.

Also, be sure to keep these houseplants in snug pots – and don’t repot too often.

Repotting

As noted previously, keeping goldfish plants in somewhat snug pots will encourage flowering, so don’t be overeager to repot your houseplant.

Pot up approximately every two to three years, preferably in late spring during a period of active growth, and follow the instructions indicated in the transplanting section above.

When repotting be sure to upgrade to a container with drainage holes that is only one size larger than the current pot.

That means there should only be about an inch of room between the edge of the old pot and the new one – you can place the potted specimen into the new pot to check for this.

Not sure if your specimen needs repotting?

As previously noted, it may be time to repot a specimen if it is drying out too quickly, or if roots are emerging from either the drainage holes or the surface of the growing medium.

Pruning

There are a few different reasons you may wish to prune your goldfish plant: to deadhead spent blooms, to create a bushier specimen, or to keep the stems at a desired length.

When pruning to reshape your Nematanthus or Columnea, wait until the plant has done flowering in spring or summer.

Whatever your purpose for pruning – when you pull out those scissors or snips, make sure to wipe down the blades with hydrogen peroxide first to sterilize them, and clip stems right above a pair of leaves to keep the specimen looking its best.

Goldfish Plant Species and Cultivars to Select

When looking for a goldfish plant to purchase, you will find a selection of options.

The vines of N. wettsteinii reach 18 inches long.

Managing Pests and Disease

If you’re an experienced houseplant parent you will be familiar with the most common pest and disease problems that indoor gardeners have to deal with.

On the other hand, if cultivating houseplants is a new hobby for you, here’s what to look out for in terms of pests and diseases:

Mealybugs

If you see what looks like fluffy, white debris on the stems of your goldfish plant, you’re likely seeing mealybugs. These sap-sucking pests like to congregate on stems and roots.

After spraying with neem oil, make sure to keep the plant out of direct sun, since sun falling on oil covered leaves can cause them to scorch.

Plan to reapply the product once a week for three to four weeks.

If you’ve struggled with mealybugs before, you might want to tap into even more guidance. Learn more about treating mealybug infestations in our article!

Scale Insects

While mealybugs might be the most easily recognized houseplant pest, scale may be one of the hardest to spot.

That’s because scale insects are well-camouflaged, and will have you wondering, “Is that scale, or is that just a spot?”

Sap suckers like mealybugs, scale insects feast on nutrients from these plants, weakening them, and eventually killing them.

Neem oil can be used to treat scale as well as mealybugs.

Learn more about identifying and controlling scale insects here.

Spider Mites

You may also have to contend with spider mites at some point.

These tiny pests tend to hang out on the undersides of leaves, making them difficult to spot.

The first sign you notice may be a houseplant that looks unwell, with stippled yellow dots on the leaves. As the infestation progresses, you’ll likely see webbing on the foliage.

If you find spider mites – or any other pest – on your goldfish plant, place the houseplant into quarantine to avoid spreading these pests to any of your other houseplants.

Neem oil can be used to treat spider mite infestations as well, so follow the steps outlined above.

You can learn more about dealing with spider mites by reading our article!

Root Rot

As for diseases, your biggest concern will be root rot – luckily, it is also very easy to prevent!

But if your goldfish plant is drooping, has yellowish foliage, and damp soil, root rot is likely already a problem.

Here’s how to prevent this disease: aim for a growing medium that is kept moist but not soggy.

There are many factors which can lead to soggy soil – a pot without drainage holes, letting the pot sit in a saucer full of water, and plants that are potted in oversized containers.

If it’s too late for prevention, I have to warn you that it can be very tough to help a plant recover from root rot – it doesn’t always turn out well.

But if you’d like to try, remove the specimen from its pot, inspect and trim any rotting roots, address the issue causing the soggy soil, and repot if needed into fresh, well-draining growing medium, and an appropriately sized container.

Learn more about root rot and how to deal with it in our guide.

Best Uses for Goldfish Plants

All goldfish plants look right at home in hanging planters, while the cascading foliage of C. ‘Broget Stavanger’ and C. microcalyx looks especially spectacular when elevated and allowed to trail.

The bushier types like N. gregarius are attractive in hanging baskets as well, but can also grace table tops when pruned to stay compact.

And since goldfish plants are considered to be nontoxic, they are safe for use in households with pets and small children.

For those in mild climates, Nematanthus and Columnea species can be kept outdoors year round – just be sure to compare your USDA Hardiness Zones to the hardiness of the type you’re growing, since this varies from species to species.

IF YOU THINK nothing’s on the to-do list in winter, fellow gardeners—that we’re all meant to be dormant, like the cannas in the cellar and the herbaceous perennials outside and the flower beds—well, think again.

Most of us in colder zones, especially, may not be actively prepping or planting outdoors at the moment, of course. But even within the realm of seed-related activities alone, there’s plenty wanting our attention.

That’s what Ken Druse and I realized when we got to talking seeds the other day on the phone. And one thing led to another, and even though it’s not yet full-on seed-starting time, we found ourselves with a list of tasks—and no, not just the task of seed shopping (though he did hunt down seed for Eryngium leavenworthii, above).

Ken Druse is an old friend, the author of 20 gardening books, and my collaborator on our Virtual Garden Club online class series. And he’s currently sorting through leftover seeds, and also a pile of seed catalogs, over at his New Jersey home. Seedy tasks for winter days was the subject of our conversation.

Read along as you listen to the Jan. 15, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

thinking about seeds, with ken druse

 

 

Margaret Roach: How’s it going over there, Ken?

Ken Druse: Hi, Margaret. Did you get some snow finally?

Margaret: Oh my goodness, the first actual winter day. I guess we got 8 eight or 10 inches.

Ken: Good for you.

Margaret: Something like that.

Ken: And now it’s 45 degrees and everything’s melting.

Margaret: Yeah, it hasn’t warmed quite that much yet, but yes. Yes, it will. And then we’re supposed to have high winds and whatever. Yay! I think there’s a stretch of cold weather coming for much of the Northeast after this week, so that’ll be interesting to see. So how are you doing with your seedy tasks?

Ken: I thought that there was nothing to do-

Margaret: Right.

Ken: … this time of year.

Margaret: Right. And it’s not just seedy tasks, either. It’s like with the weird weather that we were just speaking about for a second, which has mostly been unseasonably warm till now, I am kind of worried about some of the stuff that’s in storage both in my barn and in the cellar. Do you know what I mean? The temperatures aren’t right in those places. And by “right,” I mean typical in those places.

Ken: Well, I’m glad that we have some snow because we haven’t had snow for a couple of years, measurable snow, and I always think snow: good. That’s the blanket, the insulating blanket for the plants. They do so much better when they have snow. Even though it’s melting, I think we’ll still have a few inches on the ground, so that’s good. And I thought, “Well, I’m going to grow those wonderful tomatoes that I grew last year.” The ‘Juliet,’ right, that you recommended [above]. And they were so successful. They’re like giant grape tomatoes, or very small or tiny plum tomatoes.

Margaret: Yes.

Ken: So I went to where I thought the seeds were from last year because I had plenty left over, and I couldn’t find them.

Margaret: Oops!

Ken: So I looked another place, and another place, and I ended up with—I don’t know—six jars with seed packets, and then all the seed packets of things I had harvested from the garden in a box in another place. And I took a picture [above], which I think I sent you, and then I’ve still found more since then.

So I have got to get this under control. I’ve got to label the seeds if they’re not labeled, put the date on and maybe where they came from. Definitely the date, boy. Especially on my seeds.

Margaret: Especially on the ones you’ve saved yourself.

Ken: Yeah, and maybe the date to sow them, right on the packet, which I can get from your calculator.

Margaret: Right. I have the online seed-starting calculator.

It’s like you just want to look at the new catalogs, and there’s that temptation, but… It reminds me of everything in life. I want to… [Laughter.] “Ooh, look at, maybe I’ll get a new sweater.” Well, you know what, Margaret? Look at the sweater drawer, and how’s that looking? ‘Cause it’s looking a bit of a mess.

And I’m just making up one example, but it’s pare down, tidy up, organize, make an assessment of the status of what’s on hand in all of these things in our lives. And then act, right? To supplement or pare down, or again, even more or whatever; make a decision. But yeah, I have some seeds here or there and everywhere, too, I think.

Ken: I have two sets of clothes. Clothes that fit and clothes that I hope someday will fit again.

Margaret: Oh, I see. Two wardrobes. O.K. [Laughter.] So you’ve been doing that. And again, with the weather and stuff, I keep thinking, “Oh, I need to check in the barn.” Because I have all my Japanese maples out there and I have…

So it is not just where are my seed packets, and what do I need and not need to order again. But it’s also just kind of taking inventory of some of the resting things. Right? Like I went-

Ken: Check on dormant things. That’s right.

Margaret: Yeah, because I went in the cellar and I have a lot of tubers and different things, bulbs. I have all my cannas down there and so forth, and I thought, “It’s not as cool as it usually is; it’s just not.” And I thought, “Well, maybe I’m going to put a little bit of… Maybe a cloth over the top of some of these things, to keep a little moisture in, so to speak.” And yeah. Have you been looking at any of that stuff?

Ken: No [laughter], but maybe after we talk. I keep the Eucomis, the pineapple lilies, in their pots, and I let them go completely dry when they’re dormant. But in the past I’ve had things go so dry that either they’ve desiccated completely, which doesn’t happen very often, or they get a slow start; they’re small. Well, last year some of the Eucomis didn’t bloom at all, and I think it’s because they got too dry. So I’m just going to go check. I don’t want to water them like normal in the summer at all, but it’s just a sprinkle. So the medium is dry, but not desert bone dry.

Margaret: Right. Right.

Ken: Which happens, especially when the heat’s on in the house, even though they’re in a place where there isn’t any supplemental heat, but it’s still… Usually it’s 40 degrees, and this year it’s 50 degrees.

Margaret: So it’s a good time to do that as well. Sort of check that inventory as well. It’s slightly different from checking what seeds we have on hand. But nevertheless important, because this is our stock, and those can be expensive to replace, that’s for sure.

Ken: Well, we’ve talked about storing… I know you store your Japanese maples, deciduous things, in the complete cold. And that’s mostly so the pots won’t break, I imagine. Well, partially for that.

Margaret: Right. It’s an unheated barn. Yes, exactly.

Ken: But I’ve got evergreens.

Margaret: And I have a couple also in there. Yes.

Ken: Oh, yeah? Good. I have a banana shrub, which is Magnolia figo, which is a broadleaf evergreen. And it does so well, just takes a little nap. And then I bring it out in the spring and it blooms and everything. It doesn’t even drop the buds. Illicium, do you know what Illicium is?

Margaret: Yeah. I don’t know what it’s common-

Ken: Hardy anise. Yeah, anise, the spice comes from Illicium and I have Illicium parviforum, and it has yellow leaves that are attractive and they also smell great, the leaves do. So those are a couple of things that I’m going to check on.

You have a fig tree.

Margaret: Right. I have at least one big fig in there. And then there’s a conifer or two. And those are tricky because those are not awake, but they have foliage. So first of all, I position those near a window in the barn, so that there is some light. I mean, obviously it’s not much light, but it’s a little light. And those, I worry if they get a cue from I don’t know what temperature, light, daylength—who knows what—to start to wake up a little bit. I worry because they have all that foliage on that they could really dry out badly, get harmed.

Ken: And you can’t let the medium in those pots dry out completely.

Margaret: No, but I can’t water them, either—thoroughly water them. That’s a problem, too.

So anyway, back to seeds, really, you’ve sort of taken stock of everything. And are you doing germination tests, or what do you do next?

Ken: Next I clean up where I’m going to sow the ones that I sow indoors, and also be mindful of the ones that are going to be sown outdoors. And some of those can get sown right away. And then we talked in the last class a little bit about winter sowing, and we’re going to talk about that more.

Margaret: You mean in our Virtual Garden Club classes online?

Ken: Right. And I’m doing some seeds in the empty milk jugs. Well, they’re empty until I fill them. I have one set out there already…and label them! You know how you sow something and you think you’re going to remember what it was?

Margaret: Yeah, yeah. Sure.

Ken: Label, label, label. I never-

Margaret: It’s so important. So you said you’re sort of getting this spot ready, your indoor seed-sowing gear, you’re getting that all ready. And so are you using the same germinating mix that you’ve always used, or are you experimenting like so many people now with less peat?

Ken: I’m going to use the Johnny’s mix because I have some left over from last year, and I’ve kept it closed. And I know it’s a peat-lite mix, has other things in it, too. So I’m not going to be experimenting this year. I’ve done coir. I haven’t tried the one with the paper called PittMoss.

Margaret: PittMoss, right, a brand that’s I think recycled composted newspaper maybe, or something like that. And yeah, there’s all kinds of different things. Organic Mechanics is another brand that has alternatives, coir and other elements in it, that are not peat. I have a small bag each of a couple of different things, and I’m tinkering.

So if people want to try, and we always warn: Don’t 100 percent change over if you don’t know what a mix is going to be like, because they have different properties. And the watering, and how the seeds respond to them may be different. So don’t lose all your seeds [laughter] by choosing a mix that doesn’t suit your care regimen. So you’re getting all that ready and I assume-

Ken: Yeah, so actually I’m actually sowing for the hardy annuals. And-

Margaret: So you’re winter sowing some stuff.

Ken: Hardy perennials and hardy biennials. Well, maybe some tender perennials, too. I mean things like four o’clocks, we treat them as annuals, but they are perennials, they’re just not completely hardy. So-

Margaret: Not where we are. Right.

Ken: Right. Trying some of those. And I know you could do things like spinach pretty soon.

Margaret: Well, the first thing I always sow will be onions and their relatives, leeks, indoors. And that’s not until February usually here.

But what I found in terms of when I looked around and had that epiphany, what you were talking about where you found seeds all over the place and I found my little stashes here and there. And I kind of looked at the dates and saw, “O.K., I have plenty of this, I have plenty of that, but I’m going to need this and I’m going to need that because these are too old.”

What I found is that there were certain things that I always wish would self-sow outside. Speaking of winter sowing, because the natural version of winter sowing is things that self-sow really well, like a lot of annual poppies do, and Verbena bonariensis does, and I don’t know, larkspur I suppose… I’m thinking off the top of my head of things.

My angelica, Angelica gigas [above], does and so forth. But sometimes they don’t sow where you want them, or in the density where you want them, right? They have a mind of their own, of course, from year to year. And you want to kind of change that up a little bit.

And I thought, “You know, Margaret, there’s a couple of these sort of areas where…” I have one with the tall verbena, the Verbena bonariensis, and I really want it thickened up. I want more plants in this one area that’s between some pavement cracks and crevices. [Below, V. bonariensis with a spicebush swallowtail butterfly at Margaret’s.]

And I thought, “Buy a packet of seats before you forget.” This was last fall, when I was kind of cleaning up the area, and I was thinking, “It’s too sparse here.”

And same with Nicotiana. I was sort of thinking, “O.K., I had a lot this year, as I’ve had for 20-something years, self-sowns, but I don’t have enough of the dark colors anymore. And I don’t have enough of the really tall ones.” I mean, some of them could get to be 6 feet—5 certainly, and even occasionally 6, but like 5 feet for sure. And I thought, “You know what? It’s time to repopulate this a little bit, add a little bit of more genetics into the mix again, refresh it.” And again, heavy it up in the areas where it’s getting sparse. I want more of an oomph kind of look. So I bought some Nicotiana and I bought some Verbena bonariensis.

When would you sow those? Would you sow those—before a late snow or something in late winter or when?

Ken: I’d sow the Nicotiana right now. And maybe not all of them. Maybe do some more… Do them every three weeks or something. I mean Nicotiana is going to be fine, as you know. You were talking about the Verbena bonariensis, a plant I cannot grow. I get these stunted little plants. There’s some kind of… It’s not a disease, it’s some kind of critter that attacks them.

Margaret: Oh, interesting.

Ken: And ruins the leaves. And I always get a couple of plants from last year’s plants. But I was thinking, have you ever tried the new short ones [like ‘Lollipop’]?

Margaret: I’ve seen that. I’ve seen this new variety that’s a scaled-down version, and I have never. And I thought, “Well, but I love how it’s…” Well, the common name is tall verbena.

Ken: They’re like wands, with the flowers.

Margaret: The tall one can be hip height or even taller, and I really love that. But maybe there’s some use for that, the shorter one. Maybe I would like it, or combine the two. I don’t know. I haven’t tried it. Maybe I should add that to my order.

But like I said, I really wanted, with Nicotiana, I wanted some of the darker ones. There’s ‘Hot Chocolate’ and ‘Chocolate Chip.’ There’s one called Night Flight, ‘Select Night Flight.’ Select Seeds had it, and that’s one that can get to be 5 feet or more. And it has dark… Those all have dark flowers. [Above, ‘Select Chocolate Chip’ in photo from Select Seeds.]

And so we’ll see if the experiment works. Right? If where I put them they take, and they bring back the look that I had 10 years ago when I had more of that in the population. Because when things self-sow, they express different traits. It’s not like a hybrid where it’s the same thing every year, where you buy a pack of seeds every year and you get the exact same thing. It’s not like that.

Ken: F1, the tomatoes for the first cross.

Margaret: Have you ordered anything or are you seeking anything the way I was seeking those two particular things?

Ken: Well, I saw a couple of things. I saw one thing this year, which I’ve never grown from seed. Which is we used to call it periwinkle, and we used to call it vinca. These common names are so worthless, but it’s Catharanthus [below].

Margaret: Catharanthus. Yeah.

Ken: Catharanthus roseus.

Margaret: So one of its common names was vinca, but it’s not a vinca vine in the same way. Huh. It’s a lookalike kind of?

Ken: Well, it’s shrubby. It’s like a-

Margaret: Does the flower look like a vinca?

Ken: I guess it does, I guess. But I saw one-

Margaret: What attracted you?

Ken: It’s like the color of grape jelly, sort of. Or even blackberries with a little white eye and it was… I shouldn’t say it, drop-dead gorgeous. That’s what it-

Margaret: Do you remember where you found it?

Ken: Yeah, I saw it at my friend’s garden, she had it in a pot and she used to work at a nursery. So I thought, “I’ve got to track this down.” And I did. I tracked it down from seed, so I’m going to try that.

And last year I saw something that just knocked me out, which was Eryngium, you know like a thistle. It’s Eryngium leavenworthii [photo, top of page]. And it’s an annual, so that’s all I was thinking about. Oh, it’s an annual and it’s magenta and it’s like a little thistle and it’s really beautiful. And then you said to me when we were talking about it a while back,  “Like Kansas,” and I thought, “This is a native plant and it’s an annual?” ‘Cause you never think about… Well, California poppies, but that’s not that cold. But you don’t think about a plant from a cold place that’s an annual. I don’t think of that.

Margaret: Yeah, the Eryngium leavenworthii, the leavenworthii tipped me off that it was probably from somewhere in the middle or south of the United States. And sure enough, it’s throughout Texas and elsewhere sort of above that. And it’s great. Now you said magenta—I think of it as kind of like a shocking purplish almost. I don’t know. It’s really vivid whatever it is.

Ken: Vivid is a great word for it. Traffic-stopping vivid.

Margaret: And I wonder if… Will it self-sow? So you grew it first time last year, did you say?

Ken: Right, so I saved seed and I also bought seed. Well, that’s another story. So I couldn’t find the tomato seeds. I couldn’t find some other seeds in packets. So I thought, “I’ve got to get these again before they’re sold out.” So I ordered ‘Juliet,’ I ordered ‘Sun Gold’ tomato. I ordered a few more things: $30. And then of course, the next day I found them.

Margaret: Of course you did. Yes. It’s kind of like when I find my glasses ’cause I was looking for them for an hour, but I was wearing them [laughter]. It’s not usually an hour, it’s usually five minutes. But anyway, you get the idea.

Ken: It doesn’t cost $30.

Margaret: No, but it’s pretty funny. It embarrasses me for at least $30 worth of embarrassment. So yeah, the Eryngium are great. I mean, sometimes they self-sow to a fault. I love… I don’t know if anyone’s ever seen, speaking of native ones, Eryngium yuccifolium, the rattlesnake master.

Ken: Wow. Yes.

Margaret: Big, tall and silvery, crazy thistly-like heads. And that sharp foliage, that’s common to Eryngium also. And that’s really dramatic and wonderful, more for a meadow-y situation, kind of a wilder area, I think, because again, it’s going to self-sow.

But yeah, I’m stalking seed of tassel flower, Emilia coccinea [above, photo from Select Seeds].

Ken: Oh, that’s pretty. And that’s self-sows sometimes, too.

Margaret: I didn’t have any self-sow, but I grew it in a big container when I grew it a couple of years ago. And then of course, these are things that you’re not going to find at the garden center, and that’s why we’re mentioning be on the lookout for seed. Because if you just want regular marigolds of a common variety, and there’s a lot of great ones, or orange zinnias or yellow zinnias, you’re going to be able to find those. So if you don’t get them or you don’t have room to start them, O.K., you have a backup at the garden center.

But with some of these things you don’t. Like the annual vines. A lot of times they just don’t have the selection that I want and the sort of more unusual ones. But the Emilia, the year I grew that… It has these little, like it says, tassel flowers, like fire-engine orange-y red. There’s a couple of different varieties and so forth, different shades. But this one pot of them, I mean the pearl crescent butterflies were covering it the whole summer during the bloom time. It was amazing. And I see that Select Seeds company has it. So I’m going to definitely get a packet of that.

Have you ever grown calendula? Because I miss mine; I used to always have calendula self-sowing in my vegetable garden for many years. And it’s an edible flower as well, besides being kind of insect friendly and so forth.

Ken: Sometimes they call it pot marigold.

Margaret: Yes, exactly.

Ken: You can add it to soups. And there’s some really cool, wild ones in sunset colors now, too. Used to just be… They looked like marigolds, but now there’s some more interesting ones. Yes. Years ago I grew them and I think I sowed them outdoors ’cause they’re cold-tolerant. They’re hardy annuals, I guess.

Margaret: Yes. And so they’re easy. And the great thing is you can do a succession. So you can do them really early and have sort of spring into early summer. And then you might a second succession of peas, like you’re going to do fall peas, you could do fall calendula. You could sow more calendulas and have a second crop. You could do that with a lot of annuals. But they’re really good for that because they like that cooler season, again. There’s one, again I think it’s from Select Seeds, it’s called ‘Radio,’ and it’s like a cactus-shaped flower. It looks like a cactus flower. What would you say, dahlias come in cactus flowers and some zinnias, I think, that cactus-shaped flower.

And it’s bright orange and it’s just so distinctive. And I thought, “Oh wow.” There’s a lot of bicolored ones with sort, the backs of the petals are a different color. It’s the Flashback Series from Frank Morton at Wild Garden Seeds. And you’ll see those in other catalogs as well. I mean, there’s a lot of really dramatic ones. [Above, his ‘Solar Flashback.’]

So in the last couple of minutes, what about… What other things, anything else that you’re… I was looking at Nigella the other day. I haven’t grown that in a million years.

Ken: I had Nigella and it was so weedy and there were so many.

Margaret: It was?

Ken: Year after year, but after about probably 10 years gone, never saw them again.

Margaret: And that’s what happened here, too. I had it for a long time and then never again. I was thinking of nasturtiums, too, because you can just kind of direct-sow them after the big frost danger’s past, and you can start them a couple of weeks ahead of time. But there’s kind of trailing ones, the longer trailing ones, what is it, Tropaeolum majus, I think is the species. But then there’s the Tropaeolum minus that are more mounding, that are kind of more petite.

Ken: I don’t know.

Margaret: And they’re great. Like edgers and…

Ken: Edible, too.

Margaret: Edible, too. For the edges of pots, and the colors now are astonishing. So anyway, you could just get… So you want to tell us anything else? You’re still on your to-do list over there.

Ken: I’m thinking about what we’ve been talking about this time of year and some seed… Well, read the packets, because some seeds… They call it stratification. They need the cold.

Margaret: To germinate, right.

Ken: To germinate. So be sure you read that because maybe it is the time of year to sow some seeds and it’ll tell you that on the back of the packet probably.

Margaret: Or to pre-chill them by putting them in a whatever it says. Put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. I mean, it’ll tell you some of the ways you can do it.

Ken: It’s usually not freeze, but often refrigerate.

Margaret:. Exactly. All right, so read our packets. I think Select Seeds and I think Johnny’s, too, both have really good growing information. Both of those have really good instructions and tell those details like that.

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MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 14th year in March 2023. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Jan. 15, 2023 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

Tolerant of heat and salty soils, Aztec lilies aren’t too tricky to grow and care for, once you have ’em figured out. For some help with that, our guide has you covered.

Read on to learn the important aspects of S. formosissima cultivation, from propagation to pest management. It’ll be a helpful resource for your journey of discovery.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

What Are Aztec Lilies?

Aztec lilies – aka Sprekelia formosissima or Jacobean lilies – are herbaceous, bulbous perennials from the Amaryllidaceae family, which also includes plants like amaryllis (Hippeastrum), onions, daffodils, and ornamental alliums.

In spite of their common name, Aztec lilies are not true lilies.

Aztec lilies originate from Mexico and Guatemala, where they grow wild on exposed outcrops and rocky slopes. As a result, they’ve evolved to flourish in heat, full sun, and rocky to sandy soils.

From the underground bulbs grow three to six skinny green leaves, each with a central crease and maximum length of 15 inches.

Mounted on stiff stalks up to a foot in height are six-inch crimson to scarlet red flowers, each with six curved petals and yellow-tipped stamens. On occasion, the petals may be pink, have white to light green midribs, or even have white edges.

Blooming anytime in spring to summer – although they typically don’t bloom every year – each flower is open for only a few days before it fades.

Each bulb can produce more than one flower, but usually in sequence, rather than simultaneously.

While open, the flowers attract pollinating hummingbirds and butterflies, which, when pollinated, lead to three-capsuled pods that contain black seeds.

Nearly evergreen in USDA Zones 8 to 11, these plants grow about eight to 12 inches tall and wide. They can also form larger clumps by spreading laterally through bulb offsets, but this is generally a slow process.

These plants can be left in-ground for the winter when they’re grown in Zones 8 to 11. In cooler zones, the bulbs will need to be lifted and stored somewhere warmer during the cold months before they can be planted again in spring.

Speaking of expansion, Aztec lilies found their way into Western horticulture by way of Spanish explorers and colonists.

The Spanish brought S. formosissima back to Europe, where it was introduced to the legendary Carl Linnaeus sometime in the early 17th century, during the Jacobean era of British history – hence the common name, Jacobean lily.

Linnaeus actually identified the plant as Amaryllis formosissima, which it went by until its reclassification into the Sprekelia genus, created in 1821 by William Herbert to honor the German gardener Johann Heinrich von Spreckelsen.

Nowadays, Aztec lilies are a pretty planting option whether they’re grown out in the landscape or inside the home. They do especially well in southern gardens, where it’s nice and warm.

Aztec Lily Propagation

Trying to grow some Aztec lilies of your own? These plants can be propagated from seed, via bulb offsets, or by planting out purchased bulbs. Let’s take a look at each method.

From Seed

Growing Aztec lilies from seed definitely comes with caveats.

For one, you need more than one plant for pollination to occur, since Aztec lilies aren’t self-fertile. So if all you have is a single specimen, then seed production won’t happen.

Additionally, it takes three to seven years for seeds to grow into bloom-producing, mature adult bulbs. So if time is of the essence, then seed propagation isn’t for you.

But if you have multiple Aztec lilies and aren’t deterred by a long wait, let’s begin!

Step one: acquire seeds. They can be purchased, obtained from a friend, or collected from your own Aztec lilies.

If you collect seeds yourself, wait until the seed pods become tan and crispy before using a sharp, sterile blade to remove them from the plant, cut them open, and harvest the seeds within.

You can also tie gauzy organza bags around the seed pods – they’ll catch the seeds when they naturally drop from the seed pods, all while allowing for ventilation to reduce disease risk.

Once a seed pod appears, the seeds should be ripe after about four to six weeks.

Once you have seeds, sow each one into an individual three-inch container filled with a 50:50 mix of perlite and coconut coir. Sow each seed as deep as it is wide – about a half-inch deep. Lay each seed flat on its side.

Moisten the media and expose the containers to bright, indirect light indoors. Keep the media moist as you wait for the seeds to germinate, which should take a couple of weeks.

To ensure that the bulbs will be developed enough to withstand outdoor conditions, keep growing your seedlings indoors in a bright, indirectly lit location for at least two years prior to transplanting.

Keep the growing media moist all the while, and repot them when there is less than an inch or two of space between the developing bulb and the side of the container.

Via Bulb Offsets

Aztec lily bulbs grow offsets, which eventually produce new shoots and roots.

As more offsets are produced, the flowers, leaves, and stems on the parent bulb don’t grow as large, and the specimen can become cramped in its growing site, whether outdoors in the garden or in a pot.

Separating offsets from the mother bulb alleviates these issues, and even yields more plants.

However, the drawback of this is that they don’t like being disturbed and may not flower for a while after division. But hey, at least you’ll eventually have more Aztec lilies!

To divide, wait for the foliage to die back in fall before lifting the plant from its growing site or removing it from the container.

Brush off the soil from the bulb and roots so you can see what you’re working with, then snap or pull away the offsets by hand.

Plant each offset two inches deep in its own six-inch container of well-draining, yet moisture-retaining media.

Water the media, place the containers in bright, indirect light, and care for the offsets like you would seedlings until the bulb is large enough to transplant.

Via Bulbs

If you’re in Zones 8 to 11, you’ll need to plant your bulbs in fall at least six – preferably eight – weeks before the first frost. For plants grown as annuals in colder zones, plant the bulbs in spring after the final frost date.

For growing Aztec lilies in-ground, prepare patches of deep, rich, and well-draining sandy loam soil with a pH of 7.0 to 7.8 in a full sun location. You might wish to conduct a soil test to check if any amendments are needed.

If you’re working with clayey, acidic, and/or barren soil, you’ll have to amend it with some coarsely textured grit, limestone, and/or humus, respectively.

Plant each bulb four inches deep, basal plate down, and space them eight to 12 inches apart. Water them in well.

If you want to grow your Aztec lilies in containers, prepare a six-inch-wide, eight-inch-deep container with drainage holes for each bulb.

You can also put multiple bulbs in containers larger than that, as long as they’re spaced at least four inches apart – this’ll allow the shoots to help each other stay upright.

Fill your chosen containers with a well-draining, yet moisture-retaining medium, such as a 50:50 mix of perlite and coconut coir. Plant the bottoms of the bulbs four inches deep, cover them with media, then water in well.

Bulbs for containerized houseplants can be planted whenever you’d like.

How to Grow Aztec Lilies

Now that you’ve got bulbs in the ground or in your containers and Aztec lilies a-growin’, let’s learn how to best care for them!

Climate and Exposure Needs

Just a reminder: Aztec lilies need to be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 11 to ensure their year-round survival outdoors.

S. formosissima houseplants shouldn’t need thermostat alterations. If the temperature is comfortable for you, then it’s comfortable for them!

Light-wise, full sun exposure is ideal, although partial sun is also acceptable in especially warm climates.

Aztec lilies grown as houseplants should receive as much light as possible – spots near south- or east-facing windows are perfect.

Soil Needs

The ideal soil for S. formosissima is well-draining, fertile, and neutral to slightly alkaline. Provide an organically rich, sandy loam with a pH of 7.0 to 7.8, and you’re golden.

Every year in spring, work a one- to two-inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure into your planting beds, being careful to not disturb the bulbs.

Pruning and Maintenance

As the plant prepares to go dormant in fall, its foliage will die back – be sure to trim this off after it has turned brown and withered.

During the growing season, remove any leaves that appear damaged or diseased. You can also snip away flowers as they fade, if you’re not trying to harvest the seeds.

After about three to four years, your Aztec lily will likely start to outgrow its container or planting site. You’ll need to repot container-grown specimens and dig up and divide outdoor-grown clumps.

In-ground bulbs in USDA Zones 8 to 11 can remain buried for the winter. Cover the soil with a couple of inches of mulch, and they’ll be well-insulated during temperature dips.

Bulbs growing in climates colder than Zone 8 will need to be lifted once the foliage dies back in fall, before the first frost.

Lift the bulbs by sticking a spade, trowel, or gardening fork into the ground adjacent to the bulbs, then pushing the handle down to unearth the bulb and surrounding soil.

Dispose of any damaged, mushy, discolored, or otherwise unhealthy-looking bulbs.

Clean the healthy lifted bulbs, cut off any remaining stem tissue an inch above each bulb, and trim off any roots.

Place them on a newspaper-lined tray in a dark, well-ventilated place with ambient temperatures of 60 to 70°F to cure. Keep them there for one to three weeks until they’ve dried out.

Place the cured bulbs in paper or mesh baggies, then store them in a dark, dry place at 40 to 50°F until it’s time to plant them again the following spring.

Where to Buy

As a not-too-common bulb, the Aztec lily may be a bit harder to find than, say, a tulip or daffodil.

To start, I’d recommend that you browse plant shops, online vendors, and catalogs that specialize in ornamental flowering bulbs.

If you don’t find any leads there, you can always look for sellers that specialize in southern plants, as S. formosissima is a southern gardening favorite.

Plant swaps and horticultural shows are fine places to look, too. And don’t forget to ask your gardening friends for spare bulbs, offsets, or seeds!

You may come across ‘Oriental Red,’ a robust cultivar that blooms prolifically during the growing season.

Managing Pests and Disease

For the most part, you won’t have to worry about many pests and diseases. But there are definitely some you should be aware of.

And don’t forget – the best form of preventative plant health care is cultivating your specimens properly.

Pests

Let’s go over a couple of annoying pests that can damage your plants: mealybugs, and slugs and snails.

Mealybugs

Covered with a white and mealy wax, mealybugs are small, segmented bugs that tend to congregate in crevices, on leaf undersides, and at other inconspicuous, hard-to-spot locations on the plant.

Feeding with piercing-sucking mouthparts, these pests extract fluids from plant tissues, which can cause chlorosis, stunted growth, dieback, and even plant death.

They also produce honeydew as they feed, which can attract ants and lead to the formation of black sooty mold.

Strong sprays of water can knock mealybugs off of plants, while sprays of horticultural oil can kill them.

Narcissus Leaf Scorch

Caused by the fungus Didymella curtisii, narcissus leaf scorch results in reddish-brown scorching and spotting on the leaves. As the disease progresses, the foliage turns yellow and brown before dying.

These symptoms also occur in flowers and on flower stalks, which is no bueno.

Surviving between bulb scales and in old leaf debris, the fungus spreads via fruiting bodies, especially in wet and humid conditions.

Infected leaves and flowers should be removed ASAP, while severely infected specimens should be dug up and pitched.

To prevent this disease from the get-go, dispose of leaf detritus before it accumulates, and always store bulbs at proper temperatures.

Root Rot

Whether caused by pathogens or purely an abiotic issue, root rot begins when plants sit in oversaturated soils.

When roots are deprived of oxygen for too long, they essentially suffocate, become necrotic, and die. As a result, the bulb doesn’t receive the nourishment it needs and rots, and the shoots above the soil line wilt and die back.

To prevent root rot, not overwatering is essential… and to alleviate root rot, you must stop overwatering, ASAP.

To help out a severely root-rotted plant, dig it up and remove any necrotic roots. If more than half of the roots and/or more than half of the bulb is rotted, then the specimen is probably toast.

Best Uses for Aztec Lilies

A fiery-hot beauty like the Aztec lily has many aesthetic applications. 

It dazzles anywhere a pretty flower is needed, but it’s especially awesome as an in-ground floral display, a border planting, a container specimen, and an addition to rock or alpine gardens.

And although it’ll go through a brief dormancy period, it’s also a stunner as an indoor houseplant.

‘Glacier’ is generally ready for harvest after 56 days. Cukes are 4-5 inches and have thin, ribbed skin. They have an abundant yeild. Can be trellised in a greenhouse, and do not require pollination. Cucumbers are known space hogs in the garden but can be managed quite easily if grown on a trellis. There are bush varieties that take up less space too. Plant in full sun and maintain an even moisture level for even-sized fruit. Warm temperatures are needed for germination and pollination. With a growing season of only 55 to 65 days, it can be grown just about anywhere. Cucumbers seem to do best when night temperatures are around 60 degrees and day temperatures are around 90 degrees. Plant no sooner than 3 or 4 weeks after your last average frost date. Cucumbers can tolerate partial shade and love rich soil that is high in organic matter and well-drained. Work in 1 lb of well-balanced fertilizer / 100 SF when preparing soil. Be sure to plant varieties of cucumbers that are scab and mosaic resistant.

Important Info : Time from planting to harvest is about 60 days. Keep cucumbers picked, as the vine will stop producing if seeds are allowed to mature. Cucumbers do not do well where air is polluted.

Google Plant Images: click here!

Characteristics

Cultivar: Glacier  
Family: Cucurbitaceae  
Size: Height: 0 ft. to 0.83 ft.
Width: 0 ft. to 5 ft.  
Plant Category: annuals and biennials,  
Plant Characteristics: seed start,  
Foliage Characteristics:  
Flower Characteristics:  
Flower Color: yellows,  
Tolerances: heat & humidity,  

Requirements

Bloomtime Range: not applicable  
USDA Hardiness Zone: undefined  
AHS Heat Zone: Not defined for this plant  
Light Range: Sun to Full Sun  
pH Range: 5.5 to 7.5  
Soil Range: Some Sand to Clay Loam  
Water Range: Normal to Moist  

Plant Care

Fertilizing

Light

Conditions : Full Sun

Full Sun is defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous, direct sun per day.

Watering

Conditions : Moist and Well Drained

Moist and well drained means exactly what it sounds like. Soil is moist without being soggy because the texture of the soil allows excess moisture to drain away. Most plants like about 1 inch of water per week. Amending your soil with compost will help improve texture and water holding or draining capacity. A 3 inch layer of mulch will help to maintain soil moisture and studies have shown that mulched plants grow faster than non-mulched plants.

Planting

Problems

Diseases : Verticillium or Fusarium Wilt

Wilts may be contracted through infected seed, plant debris, or soil. This fungus begins and multiplies during the cool, moist season, becoming obvious when weather turns warm and dry. Plants wilt because the fungus damages their water conducting mechanisms. Overfertilization can worsen this problem. Able to overwinter in soil for many years, it is also carried and harbored in common weeds.

Prevention and Control: If possible, select resistant varieties. Keep nitrogen-heavy fertilizers to a minimum as well as over-irrigating as they encourage lush growth. Practice crop rotation and prune out or better yet remove infected plants.

Pest : Cucumber Beetle

Cucumber Beetles have a greenish-yellow cast to their hard wing covers, which have a dozen black spots. The western spotted cucumber beetle is orangish with 3 rows of black spots. The most destructive of the cucumber beetles is the western striped cucumber beetle – it has greenish yellow stripes. The larvae of these beetles have legs, are white and slender and about 1/4 – 1/2 of an inch long and have brown heads with brown patches on the first and last segments.

Adult beetles chew holes in leaves and flowers and are notorious disease spreaders of such things as mosaic virus and bacterial wilt. This is transmitted through their mouth parts.

Prevention and Control: If you can find resistant varieties, plant them. Floating row covers help to keep out adults, but should be removed at the onset of flowers. Birds, tachinid flies, and handpicking are the safest control. Insecticides can be used; make sure the product you are using is labelled for cucumber beetle control. Follow all label procedures to a tee.

Pest : Thrips

Thrips are small, winged insects that attack many types of plants and thrive in hot, dry conditions (like heated houses). They can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating. Most of the damage to plants is caused by the young larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue. This leads to distorted growth, injured flower petals and premature flower drop. Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses.

Prevention and Control: keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out. Remove or discard infested plants, keep them away from non-infested plants. Trap with yellow sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites. Sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant. Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension office for legal chemical recommendations.

Pest : Whiteflies

Whiteflies are small, winged insects that look like tiny moths, which attack many types of plants. The flying adult stage prefers the underside of leaves to feed and breed. Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 months. If a plant is infested with whiteflies, you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is disturbed. Whiteflies can weaken a plant, eventually leading to plant death if they are not checked. They can transmit many harmful plant viruses. They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew (coveted by ants) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty mold.

Possible controls: keep weeds down; use screening in windows to keep them out; remove infested plants away from non-infested plants; use a reflective mulch (aluminum foil) under plants (this repels whiteflies); trap with yellow sticky cards, apply labeled pesticides; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant.

Pest : Aphids

Aphids are small, soft-bodied, slow-moving insects that suck fluids from plants. Aphids come in many colors, ranging from green to brown to black, and they may have wings. They attack a wide range of plant species causing stunting, deformed leaves and buds. They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing/sucking mouthparts. Aphids, generally, are merely a nuisance, since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage. However aphids do produce a sweet substance called honeydew (coveted by ants) which can lead to an unattractive black surface growth called sooty mold.

Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a month without mating. Aphids often appear when the environment changes – spring & fall. They’re often massed at the tips of branches feeding on succulent tissue. Aphids are attracted to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing.

Prevention and Control: Keep weeds to an absolute minimum, especially around desirable plants. On edibles, wash off infected area of plant. Lady bugs and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden. There are various products – organic and inorganic – that can be used to control aphids. Seek the recommendation of a professional and follow all label procedures to a tee.

Fungi : Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew is usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light. Problems are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid. The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit. Leaves will often turn yellow or brown, curl up, and drop off. New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted. Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early.

Prevention and Control: Plant resistant varieties and space plants properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation. Always water from below, keeping water off the foliage. This is paramount for roses. Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer. Apply fungicides according to label directions before problem becomes severe and follow directions exactly, not missing any required treatments. Sanitation is a must – clean up and remove all leaves, flowers, or debris in the fall and destroy.

Fungi : Leaf Spots

Leaf spots are caused by fungi or bacteria. Brown or black spots and patches may be either ragged or circular, with a water soaked or yellow-edged appearance. Insects, rain, dirty garden tools, or even people can help its spread.

Prevention and Control: Remove infected leaves when the plant is dry. Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of. Avoid overhead irrigation if possible; water should be directed at soil level. For fungal leaf spots, use a recommended fungicide according to label directions.

Miscellaneous

Plant Images

Daikon radish and greens pickles and farm eggs, with white sweet potatoes cubed and roasted in our home-rendered lard, along with homemade hot sauce (from our peppers) and a glass of water with a homegrown lemon slice.

We get the uncoated paper plates so we can compost them, and use them for the occasional meal when we don’t want to do dishes.

The white sweet potatoes roasted up deliciously crispy and taste like an amazing crunchy desert. It’s a unique flavor, different from the orange sweet potatoes.

Yesterday I started curing three slabs of bacon. In a week, I’ll pull them out and smoke them.

The more we can raise ourselves, the better. Breakfasts are almost completely harvested from our farm now.