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Turquoise Ixia

Ixia viridiflora

When to plant -- Your bulb will sprout in the fall.  Until then, it should either be kept in a small paper bag, or you can plant it in soil, if you don't water it until around September.  Either way, keep it indoors at about 60-75 degrees until the fall. 

Pot size -- Your bulb can be planted into a 4-6" pot that has drainage holes.  Avoid using a black pot, which can overheat the roots. 

Soil -- Ixia needs well-draining soil.  You may use regular, high-quality potting soil if you add 1 part perlite for every 2 parts soil.  

Planting the bulb --  To reduce the chance of rot, surround the bulb with a layer of perlite.  The way to do this is to fill the pot most of the way with soil, lay down a thin (1/4-1/2") layer of perlite, place the corm on this, then cover it with some more perlite, and continue filling the pot with soil.   Plant the bulb with the smooth, domed end up (the other end may have a "bunched up" look - this is where the roots were attached).  The top of the bulb should be about 1-2 inches under surface.

Do not water if the bulbs haven't sprouted yet!  Water lightly if the bulbs have sprouted - just enough to evenly moisten the soil.  Keep the pot in a cool spot out of direct sunlight until the bulb sprouts. 

Sunlight -- Once your bulb sprouts, move it to a sunny spot.  This Ixia prefers full sun, although some mid-day shade might be needed in very warm areas.

Watering:  Until the leaves are a foot tall, water the soil carefully so that it is lightly moist throughout.  I use a moisture meter to monitor the soil moisture down at the root level. You can buy this at garden and hardware stores for about $4.  Simply stick the probe in the soil to the level where the roots are.  Once the plant is actively growing, water whenever the soil is about 1/2 dry.  Avoid letting the soil completely dry out during the growing season, and also avoid letting it get completely saturated.

Feeding -- Feed once a month during periods of active growth using an organic bulb fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended dose.  Fertilizers that are low to moderate in nitrogen are preferred.  

Dormancy care -- The biggest risk of mold is during the "senescent" period, while the leaves die back, after the plant has flowered in the summer.  Water very cautiously during this time.  A small amount of moisture is okay, to keep the soil from becoming bone-dry.  Once the leaves have completely died back, remove the bulb from the soil and separate the baby corms.  Store them all in a cool, well-ventilated place until the fall.  In hot-summer areas, consider storing the bulbs in front of an air-conditioner.  The bulbs are relatively short-lived and may need to be replaced by either seed or cormlets after 4-6 years. 

Have fun growing it!

Jeff

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