Tigridia is a perennial flower native to Central and South America. The bud is formed by 3 large and 3 small petals, which at the base are "tiger" in color, hence the name of the plant. Among the Indians who once inhabited Mexico, flower corms were used as food, they were baked in bonfires like potatoes. And only in the XVI century the plant was brought to Europe as a decorative, but it did not get wide distribution on the mainland.
Description and features of tigridia
A perennial flowering plant grows to 0.7 m in height, with the first foliage appearing low from the soil level.
The root of tigridia is notable for its density, in shape resembles an onion. Buds appear in early summer, but can bloom in the fall. The flower blooms for no more than 10 hours, then fades. In its place will remain a seed box, the contents of which can be used for further planting.
Types and varieties of tigridia
Of all species of tigridia, only peacock is cultivated, which appeared in the vastness of Mexico. Corms are covered with membranous scales and grow up to 6 cm in the longitudinal dimension. Their diameter is usually not more than 4 cm. Gardeners and breeders have bred a number of varieties of peacock tigridia, but the following are widely used:
| Grade | Flowers |
| Alba | White petals are covered with red spots. |
| Aurea | On a rich yellow bud, carmine ripples are found. |
| Carminea | Spotted orange-yellow representative. |
| Lilacea | Red-purple petals are decorated with carmine spots. |
| Rosalind | A bud of pink color. |
| Canariensis | Yellow petals frame a bright red core. |
| Specialties | The red flower is covered with spots of golden color. |
| Wangutta | The outer petals are spotty, yellow-burgundy. |
| Chess | The color in appearance resembles a chessboard. |
| Multi-flowered | Gold patterns adorn the burgundy petal background. |
Tigridia planting in open ground
When planting an exotic plant, it is important to observe a number of factors and conditions that directly affect the growth and development of the flower. So, if at least one is not fulfilled, the plant risks not blooming at all, being frail and regularly exposed to diseases or attacks of insect pests.
Landing time
Perennial frost tolerance is poor, therefore, it is better to plant it in open ground in already established warm weather. In our latitudes, its offensive falls at the end of the spring period, or the beginning of the summer.
Landing place
The most important factor when planting a flower is its location, and since the culture is very sun-loving, a well-lit area is better for it. Penumbra can also be considered, it will not have a detrimental effect on the size of the buds and their color saturation, however, it will affect the stems and peduncles. They will need support, as they will grow very thin. So that the wind and the draft do not damage the tigrid, you need to choose a fairly protected place for it.
Not bad adjoins to the following annuals: gypsophila and lobularia.
Priming
The flower needs a loose, moist and equipped with drainage soil. In case of excessive land density, sawdust and sand should be added to the site. On the eve of planting, it is necessary to dig the soil and make fertilizers, for example, mineral, manure, compost. To neutralize the acidity of the soil, lime must be added.
Landing rules
To prevent diseases such as fusarium and others, it is necessary to soak tubers in a solution of fungicide diluted in the ratio indicated on the package.
The depth of its deposition depends on the size of the bulb, for example, the largest are immersed 10 cm in the soil, and the smallest - 5 cm. At the same time, it is worth observing the distance between the bulbs of 15 cm and the distance between the rows of 20 cm. Already after 4-6 weeks, the first shoots will appear, which will bloom in late summer. They will not have time to completely bloom to frost, so tigirdia should be grown in the house before being planted in open ground.
Caring for Tigridia in the Garden
Cultivation includes a set of measures for the care of perennials, in particular, such as watering, fertilizing, mulching and pruning. The plant lends itself well to cultivation, if properly engaged in its agricultural technology.
Watering
The plant needs abundant and regular watering, while eliminating the stagnation of moisture in the soil. If there is no rain, then moisten the soil every day and additionally spray the plant in the evenings. With excessive watering, the roots quickly decay, so it should be accurately dosed, all water should be completely absorbed and not remain on the surface of the earth.
Top dressing
Fertile soil does not need additional top dressing, but the poor need it. The first mineral fertilizers should be applied no earlier than 3-4 weeks after the planting of tigridium. When the buds begin to form, the plant can again be fertilized, not only by fertilizing, but also by spraying the foliage with the necessary solution.
Additional work (loosening, mulching, cutting)
The place where tigridia grows should be timely removed from weeds, because they not only violate the aesthetics of flowers, but also provoke the appearance of various insect pests.
In order for the moisture not to stagnate, but to penetrate the soil faster, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the tigridia after each watering. Mulching with organic matter will slow the evaporation of water and prevent the appearance of weeds.
Pruning
Pruning is carried out only after the tigridium has faded, when all the buds are wilted. In this way, you can preserve the health and energy of the bulbs before winter.
Tigrid Transplant
If you grow bulbs at home in early spring, then young plants will bloom somewhat earlier in the open ground. To do this, they should be planted in the fifth week of spring in a container with a special mixture.
In one small pot will fit about 4 bulbs, which should be deepened by 3 cm into the ground. Then provide them with regular hydration. As the plants germinate, it is necessary to increase the amount of watering, based on the fact that the soil should be moistened throughout the depth at which the bulbs are located.
Pots with large drainage holes and a high stand for organizing watering from below are excellent for transplanting. With the advent of arrows, it is worth placing the plant on a well-lit window sill. Tigrid should be planted on the street in early summer.
Breeding tigridia
Propagation of tigridia can be accomplished by 2 methods:
- Seed;
- Vegetative.
For the first method, it is necessary to preserve the dry flowers forming seed boxes. They are usually flat, dark in color. The collection should be carried out before the first frost, and sow in the winter. Then place in pots and leave in a bright warm place. Temperature, comfortable for seed germination at about +20 ° C. When the seedlings acquire 2-3 leaves, they can be planted in separate containers. Six months after planting, the first buds will appear.
The essence of the second method is to plant the kids. Within one season, a mature specimen is able to acquire several small bulbs. It is necessary to separate them from the parent tuber before planting in the spring.
Wounds received from the cut should be treated with activated carbon. Small bulbs, unlike mature tubers, practically do not dig into the soil when planting.
Diseases and Pests
An exotic plant is often attacked by pests, it is also susceptible to a number of dangerous diseases. You can cope with all this with various drugs and preventive measures.
| Problem | Remedy |
| Rotting caused by insufficient bulb ripening. | If you carry out the collection for storage after spontaneous dying of the ground part of the plant, then the problem will not arise. For preventive purposes, the bulbs must be soaked in solutions of fungicides such as Fundazole or Benlat. |
| Rust, scab | Timely treatment with fungicides or herbal infusions. |
| Mosaic | The virus is not treatable, so it is not possible to save the infected flower. Proper care will greatly reduce the risk of contracting this disease. |
| Scoops, caterpillars, thrips | Treatment with insecticides. |
| Slug | Only manual collection. It can be simplified if you use different materials to create a shadow in which insect pests will hide. |
| Bears | Destruction by hand, their moves can be filled with a mixture of soap and water. This measure will either destroy the inhabitants of the mink, or force it to crawl out. |
Tigridia in winter
Tigridia does not have frost resistance, sufficient to winter in the middle lane, so it must be dug up in the autumn. The air temperature in the storage room should not fall below zero, but it is not recommended and is too warm, above +10 ° C. It is important that the bulbs are already ripe. If there is a likelihood that before the frost the ground part of tigridia does not have time to completely fade, then it is worth resorting to the following measures:
- Extract corms from the soil without damaging the roots while maintaining an earthen lump;
- Keep in a warm, bright room until foliage withers completely.
Then you need to prepare the bulbs for storage, for this you should:
- Peel the tubers;
- To wash;
- Soak in a fungicide solution;
- Dry completely.
All this time, small bulbs should not be separated from the parent tubers, it is better to do this in the spring, immediately before planting.
Mr. Summer resident advises: how to store tigrid bulbs
Bulbs should be covered with sand or peat, then left with a standard indicator of humidity and low air temperature. A paper bag will perfectly serve as storage containers. Periodically, it is necessary to check the appearance of the bulbs in order to timely detect possible rotting and other defects. All diseased or dry bulbs should be discarded.
