Description: The genus includes more than 20 species native to South and Central America.
Perennial corms with simple or branching stems 30-70 cm tall. The leaves are xiphoid, light green, evenly folded. The flowers are solitary or 2-3 at the top of the peduncle. The perianth consists of six lobes. The fruit is a capsule. Seeds are angular, compressed.
A flowering curtain in the garden makes a completely unusual impression. tigridia peacock(Tigridia pavonia). Its bright flowers sparkle like large exotic butterflies above the light green foliage. The plant was brought to Europe in the 16th century. In Mexico, it has long been cultivated by the Aztecs, who considered it medicinal and used the roots as an anti-fever and stomach remedy. Many travelers, meeting Tigridia for the first time, mistook it for some kind of unusual tulip.
Unfortunately, tigridia is still very rare in our gardens. Apparently, many are confused by the fact that her flower lives for 8 hours, opening only in the first half of the day. But, since in a group of 15-20 plants 5-7 flowers bloom daily for 5-6 weeks (late July - August), this is quite enough to create a high decorative effect.
| Tigridia peacock- T. pavonia (L. f.) Ker-Gawl.
Homeland - Central America (Mexico and Guatemala), they can only spend the winter in the south. In other areas, their culture is similar to gladioli.
Has numerous garden forms and varieties with different flower colors: |
A beautiful plant 25-70 cm tall. The corm is irregularly shaped, up to 6 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter, covered with dark brown, dry, filmy scales. By the end of the growing season, the old corm is completely depleted, and in its place a nest of new ones (usually according to the number of maternal scales) and several children are formed. The leaves are broadly xiphoid, light green, folded along. One full-fledged corm produces 3-5 peduncles, each with up to 5 buds. Flowers open alternately. Flowers of six lobes, 10-15 cm in diameter. The outer perianth lobes are large, uniform violet-orange or bright red, the inner ones are small, yellowish-orange, spotted in the same way as the pharynx. Blooms in July-August. One flower lives for 8-10 hours, the total flowering period is 15-25 days. The fruit is an oblong multi-seeded capsule with brown, large, flat seeds.Location: photophilous. It is thermophilic, but is not afraid of light frosts. In a sunny place, protected from strong winds, their stems develop strong and do not require garter.
The soil: prefers light, loose, fertilized, well-drained, non-acidic soils.
Care: the same as behind gladioli. On hot days, watering is required. For the winter, corms are dug out of the soil before frost.
In the middle zone, it is possible to plant corms directly into the ground in mid-May to a depth of up to 10 cm (from the bottom) with a distance of 15X15 or 15X20 cm. Sprouts appear on the surface after 4-5 weeks. The plants develop powerfully, but bloom only in August and do not have time to bloom before frost. Such planting also negatively affects the quality of replacement corms. Therefore, it is better to grow tigridia.
At the latitude of St. Petersburg, as the experiments of A. A. Knyazev and I. I. Timofeev (1943) showed, it is advisable to plant tigridia corms in advance (from March, April) in pots, with the adjustment of plants in greenhouses or hotbeds and planting (with preservation coma) in open ground in the first ten days of June.
The culture of tigridia is justified in the north in pots dug into the ground (preferably with the soil heated with fresh horse manure; the latter, mixed with tree leaves, is placed on the bottom of the holes in a layer of 25-35 cm, on top of which is a layer of loose soil of 25-30 cm, in which pots of tigridia are dug in). Before freezing, you can bring the plants indoors, place them in a bright place and continue watering, which will prolong the growing season by 1.5-2 months. During this period, the corms develop and ripen most intensively.
Typically, tigridia are planted 3-4 pieces in 12-centimeter pots with garden soil, to a depth of 3 cm, counting from the top of the corm (it is advisable to pour a 1.5-2 cm layer of sand under the bottom). At first, water moderately, after germination - more abundantly. Keep at normal room temperature. They are transplanted into the garden in nests when the frosts have passed, without destroying the coma, with a depth of 3-4 cm. During preliminary growing, the plants become somewhat elongated, weaken, and it is difficult to do without a garter. It is advisable to tie it to thin pegs painted in muted tones (preferably gray-green).
During the dry season, tigridia needs abundant watering. Fertilizers are applied in the same sequence and in the same proportions as for gladiolus cultivation. In the south, flowering plants can be had in the middle, in the north - at the end of summer.
The first frosts kill the above-ground parts of the plants. The corms are dug up by cutting off the stems and leaves. Dry for at least a month at room temperature. 1 - 2 weeks after the start of drying, shake off the remaining soil, cut off the roots with pruning shears and shorten the stumps to 2 cm. After a month, the corm nests are ready for winter storage.
The best storage method is to cover them with sand. This method is suitable for dry storage, as the sand protects against drying out. After all, tigridia bulbs do not have protective scales. In damp places, sand gradually absorbs moisture and the bulbs become moldy.
If the room has high humidity, it is better to store it in a nylon net, hanging it from the top beam. This ensures good ventilation. You can divide nests only 3-4 days before planting, so that the broken areas dry out.
Diseases and pests: The death of corms from rot during storage causes great distress to the grower. Apparently the reason is that they ripen poorly. To reduce mortality, it is useful to treat them with fungicides - fundozol or benlate - for 30 minutes in a 0.1 - 0.15% solution before final drying.
Reproduction: seeds and corms. During vegetative propagation, it forms up to 5 replacement corms per season.
If tigridia blooms in the second half of July, then the seeds have time to ripen. They must be collected before frost. It is recommended to remove excess boxes so as not to weaken the plant. Winter sowing in a bright room is recommended. Pre-sowing treatment is not required. Germinates at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. It does not like root injuries, so the seedlings should be picked into pots and planted in open ground without disturbing the coma. Seedlings usually bloom 6-7 months after sowing. Corms are planted in open areas in late May-early June. Planting depth is 10-12 cm at a distance of 15-18 cm. To speed up flowering, it is recommended to grow seedlings in pots.
Usage: in group plantings and borders. Tigridia are especially beautiful against the background of conifers or shrubs. Interesting plantings near a pond or large stone. In front of the Tigridia group, other brightly flowering species are undesirable, as they will create excessive variegation. It is preferable to place these plants on the lawn or among ground cover (phlox subulate, arabis, low sedum, thyme, etc.).
Name: Tigridia
Where used: group plantings, border design
Origin: America
Humidity: during the growth period requires abundant watering
Location: Sunny
Soil: Regular fertile soil with a mixture of peat and sand
Pests and diseases: Mole crickets, thrips slugs. Scab, rust, viral mosaic.
Growth height: up to 40 cm
Planting seedlings: February March
Planting in the ground: May
Flowering: August - September
Suitable for cutting
Tigridia is an elegant bulbous plant.
Tigridia is a genus from the Iris family (Iridaceae). These are perennial bulbous plants with folded, linear, lanceolate or sword-shaped leaves. Stems can be simple or branching. The colors of the flowers are varied: pink, lilac, red, yellow, blue, white. Most often they are two-color, speckled. There are about 55 species in the genus. 
Landing of Tigridia
Loose and light soil with good drainage and neutral acidity. Tigridia grows poorly on heavy soil and does not tolerate stagnant moisture. It is necessary to provide the plant with drainage.
Before planting, loosen the soil well, add fertilizers, sand, and sawdust, especially if it is dense. This will make it permeable. If the soil is acidic, it would be a good idea to add a lime solution. It is worth planting bulbs in open ground when the weather is warm. The holes are moistened before planting
Many people make such a landing hole for tigridia. A drainage layer, expanded clay, pebbles are placed below, then a layer of horse manure and loose soil on top. This way it takes root and blooms better.
When and how to plant Tigridia in the spring?
After acquiring tigridia or removing it from its winter resting place (refrigerator or cool cellar), the plant must be cleaned of sand or sawdust and treated with stimulants. 
The plant bulbs are prepared very carefully for planting in open ground, then they are planted in a prepared place, usually in early May. But it is best to navigate the weather in your Region, when a stable thaw arrives - then transplant the tigridia bulbs to the site.
Caring for Tigridia
The plant loves light, although it can grow in partial shade. But in a well-lit place it develops normally, its stems do not stretch. The plant must be protected from wind and drafts.
Common procedures include mulching the soil with humus, peat and weeding. If the shoots of tigridia are stretched out, it is good to make a support and tie them up.
Tigridia corms are dug up with the onset of frost. By this time, its above-ground part, as a rule, dies off. They are kept at room temperature for a month. Before drying, it would be a good idea to treat them with fungicides to prevent rot.
Then the bulbs are removed for storage. They can be kept in sand in a dry room; this protects them from drying out. If the humidity is high, they need to be provided with good ventilation.
You can put the bulbs in a nylon net and hang it. Another storage option is to put them in the refrigerator in a paper bag.
It is worth handling the corms very carefully; they are quite sensitive and rot forms at the site of damage. Often, after flowering in the fall, the tigridia bulb dies, leaving new bulbs, which are stored all winter. 
Watering
Tigridia needs abundant watering in dry weather. The rest of the time, in moderation, they focus on drying out the top layer of soil. It would be a good idea to spray the tigridia, being careful not to get it on the flowers.
At the end of flowering, watering is reduced to prepare the plant for winter. It is stopped when the above-ground plant dies.
Winter hardiness
Tigridia does not overwinter in open ground. And at the first frost, the bulbs are dug up.
Top dressing
After planting, it is good to apply a complex composition with nitrogen. Feeding tigridia is usually carried out when the bulbs begin to sprout in open ground and at the beginning of budding.
Bloom
Tigridia flowers open only in the first half of the day. One flower lives 8 hours. It blooms from July to September.
Withered inflorescences are removed, this preserves the plant’s strength for the formation of new buds.
Trimming
When tigridia fades, it is better to remove the seed capsule.
Growing seedlings
Seeds for seedlings can be sown in winter or in early spring, then by autumn strong bulbs will have formed. For this purpose, ordinary soil with a mixture of peat and sand is suitable. 
Crops are regularly moistened. They germinate at a temperature of 20-25°C. Grown seedlings dive into separate containers. They are moved to open ground in May. Do this with a clod of earth so as not to injure the roots. They can bloom in about a year.
Reproduction of Tigridia: Corms
Divide nests better in spring. In one season, a tigridia bulb can produce about 5-8 children.
In the spring, the bulbs are taken out and checked for damage, rot, and mold. The children are separated from the adult bulb and first planted in boxes or pots. After planting, they are watered very moderately, increasing the moisture gradually as they germinate. You can also water through a tray.
In June they can be moved into open ground. Tubers must be planted with a clod of earth. Divide the nests of bulbs a few days before planting so that the broken areas dry out.
Diseases and pests of Tigridia
The plant may suffer from scab, rust and viral mosaic. For prevention, the leaves are sprayed with antifungal agents. Mustard solution helps a lot. Tigridia, mole crickets, and thrips slugs are annoying. Insecticides are used against them.
Varieties and types of Tigridia
Tigridia is a perennial bulbous flower, and the plant got its name due to the unusual variegated color of its petals. Despite the fact that tigridia is considered very unpretentious, it is just beginning to be grown in the gardens of our country.
If you want to decorate your garden with these exotic flowers, be sure to pay attention to this article. In it you will find useful information about planting and caring for plants, and descriptions of varieties with photos will help you choose the species suitable for cultivation.
Description of the tigridia flower
By botanical characteristics Tigridia is a perennial flowering plant. Its roots are bulb-shaped and highly dense. It is noteworthy that the tubers of the plant contain a lot of starch and useful substances, so several centuries ago in the homeland of the culture, in North America, these tubers were eaten instead of potatoes.
Picture 1. External features Tigridia The height of mature plants can reach 70 cm, and the fan of leaves begins to bloom directly above the soil surface. The first buds appear in June, but the flowering period itself can last until the first autumn frosts (Figure 1).
Note: After blooming, the bud will delight you for only 8-10 hours, after which it will fade. Therefore, if you want to create an original flower arrangement based on Tigridia, you need to plant several plants at once.
The bulbs of the crop are quite productive, and during the growing season they can simultaneously produce about 6 flower stalks, each of which contains 2-3 buds, the color of the petals of which differs depending on the variety.
After flowering is complete, a box of seeds is formed in place of the withered buds, which can be collected for further growing of young plants.
Types and varieties
There are about 50 varieties in cultivation, although most of them are not suitable for growing in temperate climates. The most popular is the peacock tigridia, which is grown mainly in warm tropical climates.
The following varieties are popular in our country:
- Alba- a variety with white flowers, the base of which is densely covered with red dots.
- Carminea- a species with bright orange petals with yellow spots at the base.
- Rosalind- an unusual variety with soft pink inflorescences.
- Tubular found in the mountainous regions of Mexico and has an unusual rich pink color petals.
- Chess view At first glance, you are attracted by the unusual color of the petals, which are covered with small light spots, arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
Figure 2. Popular crop varieties: 1 - Alba, 2 - Carminea, 3 - Rosalind, 4 - Tubular, 5 - Chess Growing tigridia in open ground
You can grow this unusual tropical flower in your flowerbed using seeds or bulbs. But, since tigridia is an exotic crop for our latitudes, some cultivation features should be taken into account.
Choosing a planting site and preparing the soil
The main requirement in growing tigridia should be the selection of a place for planting it. This culture loves sunlight very much, so it is better to plant it in well-lit areas.
If there is no place on your site that would be evenly illuminated throughout the day, the flower can be placed in partial shade. This will not affect the size and color of the flowers, but the stems and peduncles will be thinner, so each plant will need support.
It should also be taken into account that the crop is very sensitive to drafts, so it is better to place the flower bed in secluded corners of the garden, protected from strong winds, which can damage the thin and fragile stems of the crop. If this is impossible, each bush is tied to a small peg.
The soil in the flowerbed should be light and loose, since tigridia, like other bulbous crops, does not tolerate dense, waterlogged soil. To make the soil looser, it is recommended to add sand or sawdust to the soil when preparing the bed.
Planting with bulbs
Easiest to grow beautiful flower using bulbs (Figure 3). It should be borne in mind that they are very sensitive to low temperatures, so there is no need to rush into early spring planting in the ground. It is better to wait until the spring frosts are completely over to eliminate the risk of planting material freezing.
The depth of planting bulbs depends on their size: for large specimens the depth should be at least 10 cm, and for small ones - only 5 cm. It should be borne in mind that planting material should be placed at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other, regardless of size.
Figure 3. Features of planting flower bulbs To speed up the onset of flowering, it is recommended to germinate the bulbs in advance. To do this, at the end of March, they are planted in boxes with light and loose soil and actively watered during the first week. It is better not to water from above, but to moisten the soil through a tray. This way you will be sure that the moisture has completely saturated the soil and the bulbs receive all the necessary nutrients. Such bulbs are transplanted into the ground at the end of May, when consistently warm weather sets in.
Flower propagation
As mentioned above, tigridia can be propagated by seeds or bulbs. When using seeds, you should not use direct sowing in the ground, but rather a seedling growing method.
If you prefer to propagate the crop by bulbs, you need to dig it up by the roots in the fall mature plant, and separate several children from the mother bulb, which will be used for cultivating new plants. In the future, it is enough to wrap the planting material in a damp cloth and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. This way you can save it until spring planting in the ground.
Planting by seeds
Since the seed propagation method is considered more complex than when growing a flower from bulbs, we will dwell on it in more detail. In temperate climates, it makes no sense to sow seeds directly into the ground, since they will not have time to germinate and grow stronger. Therefore, preference should be given to the seedling method (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Propagation of crops by seeds To do this, the seeds are sown in containers with light and loose soil and kept in a greenhouse or at home. In this case, the temperature should be quite high, about +20 degrees, since the planting material of the crop is very sensitive to a decrease in temperature and may not germinate.
Note: It is advisable to fill containers for seedlings with light peat-sandy soil, and after planting the seeds, the soil is regularly moistened.
Shoots appear quickly and relatively early - just 2-3 weeks after sowing. If the crops are too dense, it is advisable to plant them in separate pots so that the sprouts have time to get stronger before transplanting into the ground. The seedlings are planted in the flower bed at the end of May. During the warm season, they will have time to form a strong bulb and become strong enough for wintering.
Tigridia care
Although the tiger is considered exotic flower for our latitudes, it is considered unpretentious in care. The main activities in the flowerbed include regular watering and loosening, as well as periodic fertilizing, which will help not only increase the green mass, but also make flowering more intense.
Watering
Despite the fact that tigridia, like other bulbous crops, does not tolerate stagnation of moisture at the roots, it requires fairly intensive and regular watering. In the absence of natural precipitation, watering is carried out daily, and in the evening the leaves are additionally sprayed to increase air humidity.
During watering, you need to accurately dose the amount of moisture: it must be completely absorbed into the soil and not remain on the surface. If this condition is not met, root rot may begin.
If you cannot pay enough attention to watering the flower bed, it is better to mulch the plantings with peat or leaf humus. This will preserve moisture in the soil and reduce the frequency of watering.
Top dressing
If the growing area has high soil fertility, additional fertilizing during the growing season will not be required. However, if the soil on your site is poor, it is still worth adding additional nutrients.
The first time a liquid solution of mineral fertilizers is applied a month after planting the bulbs in the ground. The second time the plant is fed during the period of bud formation, it is advisable not only to water the soil, but also to spray the leaves of the crop with the resulting solution.
Loosening and mulching
A flowerbed with tigridia must be regularly cleared of weeds, since they not only spoil appearance flower arrangement, but can also cause the spread of pests.
In addition, after each watering or rain, it is necessary to carefully loosen the soil around the flowers. This will prevent moisture stagnation and potential root rot, and will also help water penetrate the bulbs faster. It is also advisable to cover the bed with a layer of organic mulch (leaf humus or peat) to slow down the evaporation of moisture and prevent the spread of weeds.
Trimming
Tigridia will need pruning after flowering has finished. You should start the procedure only after all the buds have completely withered. This will help maintain health and vitality bulbs before the upcoming winter.
Experienced gardeners also recommend installing small supports near each bush. The fact is that the stems and peduncles of tigridia are quite large, and during the flowering period a strong gust of wind or the weight of the inflorescence itself can damage them.
Preparing for winter: storing bulbs
Since tigridia is a thermophilic perennial crops, special attention should be paid to its wintering. In temperate and harsh climates, it is not recommended to leave plant bulbs in the soil for the winter, since low temperatures in most cases lead to the death of planting material, even if the flower bed is protected by a shelter (Figure 5).
In order for tigridia to survive the winter well, you need to perform the following measures::
- Ensure full ripening of the bulbs by planting the crop in open ground in a timely manner. In addition, you need to regularly remove faded buds so that the bulbs have time to accumulate enough nutrients before winter.
- If the first frosts have begun and the leaves of the plant have not yet wilted, you need to carefully dig up the plant and move it along with the earthen lump to a cool but well-lit room. When the leaves have completely withered, the bulb is carefully removed and cleaned of soil residues.
- Before storing, the bulbs are dried without separating them.
Figure 5. Preparing bulbs for winter storage Subsequently, the bulbs are placed in containers with dry sand or peat and stored in a cool room at a temperature of no more than +10 degrees, periodically spraying the soil with water.
Diseases and pests
As a rule, tigridia rarely becomes a victim of pests, but if not proper care it may show signs of rust, rot or scab. To prevent this from happening, you need to take several important preventive measures.
Firstly, it is advisable to treat the bulbs with a fungicide solution before storing them. Secondly, you need to strictly regulate the watering schedule, avoiding waterlogging of the soil. In addition, it is recommended to carry out preventive spraying of leaves with antifungal drugs once or twice a season.
Tigridia in landscape design
Tigridias can be an excellent garden decoration if you know how to place them correctly (Figure 6). First of all, it should be taken into account that the flowering time of one bud is only a few hours, so this crop will look impressive only in group plantings.
Figure 6. Tigridia in landscape design When planning a flower bed, it is important to take into account that it is not advisable to plant other tigridia next to it. bright flowers, which will obscure the beauty of the plant. The best neighbors are conifers, arabis or phlox.
The video shows how to plant tigridia and other bulbous plants at home.
Tigridia is a plant of the Iris family, brought to our latitudes from the South and Central America. Despite what a heat-loving flower Tigridia is, planting and care in open ground is also possible in middle lane Russia. It is enough to choose the right place for planting and treat the plant with care during its development.
Favorable conditions for planting tigridia
Since tigridia is a heat-loving bulbous flower, best place For its planting there will be an area protected from strong winds on the sunny side. It is possible to plant tigridia in open ground in the Moscow region in partial shade. The brightness of the color and the splendor of flowering will practically not suffer from this, but it is advisable to tie pegs to each stem - the stems become thinner from lack of sunlight and may not be able to withstand the weight of the buds.
Some gardeners tie tigridia to pegs to prevent the stems from breaking due to gusts of wind.
The soil is suitable loamy or sandy. It is important that it is not too hard, otherwise the delicate bulbs simply will not be able to develop. Therefore, before planting, you can add sawdust to the soil and loosen it thoroughly. Fertilizers mixed with sand for better moisture conductivity will also not hurt. Otherwise, if the liquid stagnates in the soil, the bulbs may begin to rot.
Tigridia prefers a neutral soil composition, so if the soil on your site is acidic, treat it with lime mortar.
Methods for planting tigridia
Planting tigridia and caring for it in open ground begins with choosing a growing method.
Planting seeds
It is advisable to sow tigridia seeds in winter, in pots or boxes, so that after the frosts have passed, the bulbs can be planted in open ground. In this case, by autumn the bulbs will have time to get stronger - in next year You can already wait for the blossoming buds to appear.
Suitable for seedlings sandy soil, you can add a little. The sowing depth is small - about 3 millimeters. Each plant should be at least 5 centimeters apart from each other, so that later they do not have to be replanted several times.
At first, abundant watering of the seeds is necessary, but moderate moisture is more suitable for adult bulbs.
The seeds sprout quickly - with proper care, the first shoots will appear within 2-3 weeks. You can separate the sprouts into separate containers, or you can leave them together, provided that the plants are sufficiently separated from each other, as in the photo. Tigridia is planted in open ground by the end of May.
Using bulbs for planting
Planting and caring for tigridia in open ground in the spring is best done with the help of already sprouted bulbs. The seeds may not ripen before the onset of autumn cold, and the entire flowerbed will simply die with the onset of the first frost.
Large bulbs are planted to a depth of 10 cm, small ones - 5 cm. The distance between individual plants should be at least 15 cm - tigridia blooms magnificently only when it is given greater freedom.
Features of tigridia care
After the tigridia has been planted, caring for it in the open ground is not difficult; it is enough to follow some rules of watering and fertilizing.
IN hot weather You need to make sure that the soil near the bulbs does not dry out. However, surface watering will not work - it will only harm the flowers. Therefore, before watering tigridia, carefully loosen the soil so that the liquid reaches the bulbs and moistens them properly.
If the summer is rainless, the above-ground part of the flower may also suffer from drought. In this case, the leaves and buds are additionally sprayed with water, but not in the middle of the day, but in the evening or morning.
After the tigridia has flowered and its above-ground part has completely withered, the dried leaves and stems are removed and watering is no longer carried out.
If the soil was well fertilized before planting, then the plants do not need additional feeding. But on depleted soil it is better to make two feedings so that tigridia produces lush and bright buds. Specially selected ones can be used as fertilizer. The first time the soil is fed is after the leaves appear on the plants. The second is before the buds begin to bloom.
Let's summarize:
- It is best to plant tigridia on the sunny side of the site, where there are no strong winds.
- The soil is sandy or loamy, neutral reaction. You can add peat.
- When to plant tigridia in open ground? The bulbs are planted after the last spring frosts have passed, and the seeds begin to germinate in the winter, in pots.
- Watering is sufficient to ensure that the bulbs remain moistened but do not begin to rot. The soil should be loosened before watering.
Video about Tigridia
The Tigridia genus, according to various data, belongs either to the Kasatikov or Irisov family, but still most scientists are inclined to the first option.
This flower is quite exotic and is not yet grown very often, although in general its care is not particularly burdensome, and its decorative value is high.
Varieties and types
The genus is small in number, and only a few species are grown in culture, the most common of which is. This type native to the central and southern regions of North America.
It is a bulbous perennial that grows up to half a meter or slightly taller. The foliage is xiphoid, folded. From one healthy tuber, up to five flower stems appear, on each of which up to five buds can form.
The flower is six-lobed, large, multi-colored - the outer part of the perianth is usually purple and orange or deep red, the inner part is smaller, orange or, more often, spotted. Flowers appear and open one by one and thus flowering lasts almost a month, although the life of one inflorescence is only 9 hours.
The following varieties have been bred from this species:
- Alta – inflorescences are white with red,
- Aurea – yellow-carmine petals,
- Canariensis – the outer part of the flower is soft tones, and the inside is red,
- Lilation – petals of a lilac hue with red and carmine splashes.
The shoot of this species is shorter than that of the Peacock, and it branches well. The foliage is also smaller. Flowers of a delicate pink hue.
The name of the species speaks for itself - on the petals of this species, the spots are placed in a checkerboard pattern.
Tigridia planting and care in open ground
Caring for tigridia is not particularly burdensome, but still the flower is quite exotic and its cultivation has its own nuances. The planting area should be well-lit and not exposed to drafts.
When grown in warm regions where early planting can be done, the shoots of the plants will be stronger and it will be possible to do without supports, provided sufficient quantity sun and lack of wind.
The soils are preferably light, loose, nutritious, with drainage, the reaction is neutral, acidic soils are not welcome. If the substrate is too heavy, for example, clay, then it is mixed with sand and pebbles. Otherwise, caring for the plant is similar to caring for gladioli.
In warmer parts of the mainland, for example, in Ukraine, southern Russia and Belarus, planting can be done in the soil in late spring. The bulbs are completely buried in the ground, and at least 15 cm are left between individuals. After a month or a little more, sprouts will begin to hatch. The bushes grow large, but will begin to bloom only at the end of summer.
If you are interested in how gladioli are grown when planting and caring in open ground, as well as many other recommendations for maintaining this plant, read this.
Tigridia seedlings
It is worth noting that when planted directly into the soil in late spring, the new bulbs do not develop particularly well, so even if you live in warm regions, it may be advisable to plant in pots in advance.
In more northern regions, located at the level of St. Petersburg, it is better to plant early (in early spring) in pots and grow them in greenhouses before the beginning of summer.
As a rule, tigridia bulbs are placed in pots in a mixture of peat, sand and turf soil, 3 pieces each. They are watered a little, and when the sprouts hatch, the watering is increased. Before transplanting to a flower bed, they are grown in ordinary room conditions. If such growing is not carried out, the shoots may begin to stretch upward unnecessarily and will have to be tied to supports.
At the beginning of summer, transplantation is carried out in open ground, this is often done together with the potty. It is advisable that before the procedure, put 30 cm of horse manure mixed with foliage in the holes, and the same amount of soil on top, and then lower the pot with the plant.
Watering tigridia
Watering is carried out as the soil dries; in hot weather, the amount of liquid is increased. Water for irrigation should be warm and, preferably, deep watering.
That is, dig a piece of tube with holes next to the plant and pour water into it. Heavy watering is needed during flowering.
Fertilizers for tigridia
After planting, it is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 35 g per 1 m2. A month after planting, add full liquid mineral fertilizer, the dose indicated on the package.
During budding, it is a good idea to add nitrophoska - 50 g per 10 liters of water for irrigation. The same solution can be sprayed on the leaves.
Tigridia in winter
When the flowers wilt, the shoot is cut off. This is necessary so that the bulbs are better prepared for the subsequent wintering. If the stems are too tall or fall over, do not forget to provide supports for them.
After the first light frost, the green part of the bushes will die, after which it is cut off and the bulbs are dug up, carefully clearing off some of the soil, but leaving some of it - it will fall off later.
They are dried in the room for at least 30 days. 10-15 days after you start drying the material, remove the remaining soil from it, cut off the roots, and cut the stumps to 2 cm.
For storage in a dry place, it is best to take sand. If the storage area is too damp, then it is better to simply hang the material in a nylon mesh.
In the spring, before planting, the tubers are separated. This is done 4 days before planting, because the places where the bulbs were pressed one to the other should dry out.
Tigridia growing from seeds
In southern latitudes, where flowering begins in mid-summer, you can collect tigridia seeds and propagate the plant using them.
Sowing is carried out in the middle of winter; preliminary stratification, that is, treatment with low temperatures, is not required. Sowing is carried out in a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 1 to 1.
The substrate is not allowed to dry out by lightly watering it periodically. The seedlings begin to hatch 10-20 days after sowing.
At the end of spring, seedlings can be planted in a flower bed, and by autumn, the bulbs obtained from young plants will already be suitable for further propagation.
About how to collect, store bulbs and plant them, that is, about vegetative way reproduction, as mentioned above.
Diseases and pests
When growing tigridia, you can encounter various problems. Most often, gardeners have to deal with bulb rot in winter . To ensure better storage of planting material, it is treated with fungicidal preparations, for example, a weak solution of foundationazole.
Occasionally occurs rust damage . Wherein red spots appear on the foliage . To combat this fungus, cut off the affected areas and apply a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or similar fungicides.
No flowering It often happens when fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are applied to nutrient soils, and the foliage begins to grow strongly, but flowering, on the contrary, does not occur.
Tigridia bulbs love to eat mole crickets . By affecting the root system of the plant, they destroy it. This pest can be detected by small piles of earth on the ground surface. The best way to combat them is with traps containing manure, honey or beer. Also, once you find a nest, you can fill it with soap and water. If there are too many pests, then they resort to chemicals.
Thrips feed on plant juices. This pest reproduces extremely quickly in warm weather, and in addition can affect many different plants. He leaves behind yellow dry spots on the foliage which soon dies and dries up.
Because of thrips, flowering ends earlier than expected. They fight this insect by placing sticky paper around the plants and using infusions of tobacco, celandine, and insecticides.
Sometimes Tigridia is attacked slugs . To combat them, it is enough to sprinkle lime or crushed eggshells around the plants. These pests can also be collected by hand.
