Ixias - Mixed - 50 bulbs p-pack (216)

Ixia bring a riot of colour to your garden and are a firm favourite for many gardeners.
 
Ixia
How to plant, care for and grow Ixia

Family	Iridaceae
Name derived from	In Greek ixias means chameleon plant.
Common name	Wand flower
Sun Exposure	Full sun and semi-shade.
Flower Colours	Purple, mauve and blue, red, orange, pink, yellow, cream, white and turquoise-blue-to-green. The centre contrasts the rest of the flower and is usually darker.
Frost Tolerance	High
Predators	Aphids and mealybugs rarely attack.

 
Ixia is a corm and should be planted in a large display in your garden to brighten up the bed. There are about 50 different species and they are indigenous to South Africa. The flowers will open fully during the day and then they will close a little during the night. At maturity they are 60cm tall.
Seasons and planting

 
Ixia prefers well-draining soil. When planting the corms, loosen the soil to 30cm and work in sand to increase drainage. You should mulch after planting and water the plant regularly and deeply during winter and spring. Ixia should be planted at a depth of 2cm with 5cm spacing between the corms. The lowest temperature that this plant can tolerate is -2°C.
After flowering, you can leave the corms in the ground for the next season if they are in well-draining soil or you expect little to no rainfall during summer. If not, you can lift them in December. If lifting, ensure that you lift every corm - even the smallest cormlets that developed during the winter season. Make sure that the corms and cormlets are dry and are stored at room temperature inside a paper bag or cardboard box.
Propagation
Ixia can clone themselves and the plants will grow from the cormlets and flower in the following season. You can also sow the seeds and expect the plant to flower after two years.