Excellent decorative flowering and decorative leafy plant; found in the eastern promontory region of South Africa. Bulbous, lily family, well adapted to indoor conditions. The botanical name is given in honor of the German archaeologist and botanist August Ferdinand, Count von Velt (1741-1801). Among the not very popular common denominations, besides the modern name “winter rocket”, weltheimia is also called “cylindrical lily”.
Weltheimia is a winter torch. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Shannon Lundberg
Contents:
Description of weltheimia
Rod Veltheimia (Veltheimia) has from 2 to 6 species of plants of the family of hyacinths growing in South Africa. In nature, Weltheimia grows in hilly areas, sea coasts, choosing shady places.
This imposing, winter-flowering bulbous plant could become a popular potting crop if the color of its inflorescences and the duration of flowering could be admired not only at a temperature of 10-14 ° C, but also in an ordinary heated living room. By the Christmas holidays or a little later, on a long, leafless peduncle covered with brown spots, like a rocket, an apical racemose inflorescence of drooping, narrow-bell-shaped, pale pink or salmon flowers appears, which, if kept cold, lasts 2-3 months.
In appearance, weltheimia is very similar to Kniphofia, popular in ornamental gardening. The leaves are collected in the form of a rosette, light green, oval-lanceolate, wavy along the edge. Old plants with several peduncles look especially attractive.
Highly decorative plant, grown as a pot plant in greenhouses and rooms.
Veltheimia bracts (Veltheimia bracteata). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Nestor & Cathy White
Features of growing Weltheimia
Location
The plant is kept in cool (+ 12 ° C), well-lit rooms. Reacts negatively to drafts.
Lighting
Welthemia prefers bright light
Watering
Watering is regular from spring to summer, strictly limited during the dormant period. After flowering, watering is reduced, after the leaves die off, watering is stopped before the start of growth
Air humidity
Mainly moderate humidity
Reproduction
Reproduction by baby bulbs in late summer or early autumn (optimal – September), which are separated during transplantation and planted in several pieces in low, wide pots, without burying them in the ground. Less commonly – by seeds, which are tied by artificial pollination of flowers. A plant grown from seeds blooms in the 3-4th year.
Transfer
Transplant every two years, in September. When transplanting, the roots are carefully examined, removing all dried and rotten ones, and the bulb is planted so that it rises by one third above the surface of the earth. The pots had to be large as the plant has large foliage. The soil mixture is made up of sod, leafy soil and sand.
Veltheimia bracts (Veltheimia bracteata). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com camden white
Welthemia care
Weltheimia is a beautiful plant, but due to the fact that it needs cool content for good growth and successful flowering, it is not so popular.
For weltheimia, during the emergence of new shoots and the appearance of peduncles, they provide good lighting, without direct sunlight. After flowering, the plant, after a short time, goes into a state of dormancy (usually this period begins in summer and lasts until September), the plant is transferred to a semi-dark place… The leaves of the plant gradually dry out. By September, the plant begins to grow new leaves and is transferred to a well-lit area.
Weltheimia prefers cool content. During the appearance of new leaves (usually in September), the temperature can be within 20 ° C, not higher than 22 ° C. But by November, it is gradually reduced to 12-14 ° C, since at a higher air temperature it is very difficult to achieve flowering. When the plant has flower stalks, the room temperature should be in the range of 10-12 ° C.… The flowering field of the plant remains green until the beginning of summer.
Veltheimia is watered during the growing season (from mid-September to the end of February) in moderation, two to three days after the topsoil dries up. Watering must be done neat and better than the bottom, since it is undesirable for water to get on the bulb, especially at low temperatures (10-12 ° C)… After the plant has faded, water is continued sparingly until the leaves are dry. The bulb is left in a pot and placed in a semi-dark place and the substrate is kept moderately moist. When shoots appear (usually in September), watering is resumed.
Air humidity does not play a significant role.
Weltheimia is fed with the appearance of foliage and until it turns yellow every 4 weeks with a semi-concentrated fertilizer without nitrogen.
Weltheimia is transplanted every two years, in September. When transplanting, the roots are carefully examined, removing all dried and rotten ones, and the bulb is planted so that it rises by one third above the surface of the earth.
The growing substrate is used consisting of turf, leafy soil and sand in equal amounts. Good drainage is placed on the bottom, at least 1/3 of the height of the pot. The pots are wide.
Weltheimia is propagated by seeds, bulbs.
The seeds are tied from artificial pollination. The seed is small, 5-6 mm, the seeds are harvested when completely dry. A plant grown from seeds blooms for 3-4 years… V. Capensis begins flowering at the age of five. Seeds are sown in autumn, in wet sand or peat and sand, not deeper than 2-3 mm are slightly covered. Maintain moisture and periodically ventilate the seed bowl. Seeds germinate in two to three weeks.
During transplantation in September, the formed bulbs are separated from the mother bulb. Places of cuts are sprinkled with crushed coal, dried. They are planted in the substrate in such a way that the top is above ground level. The substrate for planting bulbs is made up of leafy, turfy land, peat and sand (2: 1: 1: 1).
Veltheimia bracts (Veltheimia bracteata). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Elena Ioganson
Possible difficulties in growing Weltheimia
The plant does not bloom.
The reason is too high a temperature. For the best flowering, the plant needs a temperature of 10-12 ° C.
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Types of weltheimia
Veltheimia bracts (Veltheimia bracteata), or Veltheimia green-flowered (Veltheimia viridifolia)
The bulb is round, white or slightly greenish, covered with dry scales of the previous year. Leaves 30-45 cm long, 8 cm wide, green, rosette, belt-like, broadly lanceolate, wavy along the edge and grooved along the midrib. On a peduncle up to 60 cm high, an inflorescence (sultan) of 30-40 almost sessile, hanging, pink, non-opening flowers develops.
There are various varieties and varieties:
Lemon Flame – with lemon-greenish flowers.
Cape Weltheimia (Veltheimia capensis)
Homeland – South Africa. Grows on sandy hills, sea coasts, in shady places. In culture from the middle of the 18th century. Bulbous perennial plant. Bulb, half submerged in the soil, pear-shaped or oval, up to 7 cm in diameter. Its outer scales are scarious, light brown or lilac. Leaves are light green, often spotted at the base, up to 30 cm long, 10-12 cm wide, oval-lanceolate, wavy along the edge, with several longitudinal folds, obtuse at the top or drawn into a small cap.
The flowers are drooping, collected in a racemose inflorescence on a leafless peduncle up to 50 cm tall. Pedicels at the bottom with reddish-brown spots. The perianth is narrowly bell-shaped, almost cylindrical, up to 4 cm long, its base is light red, the upper part is yellow-green.
