Agapanthus, also called African lily, is a gorgeous flowering plant from southern Africa. It produces beautiful, blue, trumpet-like flowers in the summer. It can be planted directly in the garden, but growing agapanthus in pots is very easy and worthwhile. Keep reading to learn more about planting agapanthus in containers and care for agapanthus in pots.
Planting Agapanthus in Containers
Agapanthus needs extremely well-draining, but somewhat water retentive, soil to survive. This may be hard to achieve in your garden, which is why growing agapanthus in pots is such a good idea. Terra cotta pots look especially good with the blue flowers. Choose either a small container for one plant or a larger one for multiple plants, and cover the drainage hole with a piece of broken pottery. Instead of regular potting soil, choose a soil-based compost mix. Fill your container part of the way up with the mix, then set the plants so that the foliage begins an inch (2.5 cm.) or so below the rim. Fill in the rest of the space around the plants with more compost mix.
Care for Agapanthus in Pots
Care for agapanthus in pots is easy. Place the pot in full sun and fertilize regularly. The plant should survive in the shade, but it won’t produce many flowers. Water regularly. Agapanthus comes in both half hardy and full hardy varieties, but even the full hardy ones will likely need some help to get through the winter. The simplest thing to do is to bring your whole container indoors in the autumn - cut back spent flower stalks and faded foliage and keep it in a light, dry area. Don’t water as much as in the summer, but make sure the soil doesn’t get too dry. Growing agapanthus plants in containers is a great way to enjoy these flowers both indoors and out.
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