28 January 2025
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New compost should stimulate a wealth of flowers in summer
One of my favourite plants are agapanthus , those stately South African natives that flourish so well in our climate . With their lustrous , strappy leaves and clusters of gamy or white blossom held on strong stems , followed by interesting seedpods that look fabulous frosted in winter , they are a delight to grow .
They care a sunny , sheltered slur with robust , well - drain ground and because their stems are so robust , they make excellent plants for cutting . We have some in our border and a few in patio container . They usually all give a marvellous summer showing but last year the pot ones only produced one peak between them .
I topdress them each spring with fresh compost and fertiliser but this year it was obvious that they either needed dividing or repotting in fresh compost . Because the plants were easy to remove from their pots it was clear their roots were not too clog , so repot them would be the good thing to do for now .
Agapanthus like their roots to be snug , so I only replanted them in the same pot using peat - free Dalefoot potting compost with some added Growmore for an supernumerary boost .
Hopefully this will be enough to return them to glory , and in two or three age ’ time I ’ll fraction them .
Agapanthus are easy to divide – just lift them and wear out apart the rootballs with a nigger or two garden forks held back - to - back and jiggle apart . ensure each new slice has sizable roots and topgrowth , and replant them at the same deepness as they were growing previously , watering them well and mulch the territory with well - rotted compost or manure . ,
How to re - pot
Fresh compost will give a boost
1 . Take the rootball from its pot and carefully remove some of the old compost .
2 . summate crocks at the base of the pot , then wise compost until the rootball can sit on it and be just below the back talk on the container .
3 . Nestle the rootball onto the compost and infill around it , firm down the compost to remove air pocket .
4 . Finally , water the lot well and resurrect it up on feet so supererogatory liquid can run away .
Keeping rootballs good for you
1 . Look for and deal with creamy vine weevils that eat beginning and kill plant . These roots look healthy , but it give to check over .
2 . Remove any weeds that are growing among the roots . The roots of this dandelion had gone justly through the pot so I ’m glad I take in it .
