Content
- Milk Star: care and varieties
- ancestry
- blossom
- leaves
- growth
- use
- Is milk star poisonous?
- Which soil does the plant need?
- Which location is suitable?
- What is the best planting time?
- The right planting distance
- Milk Star multiply
- Milk star in the pot
- Pour milk star
- Fertilize the milk star properly
- Cut the milk star properly
- How do I properly plant?
- faded
- overwinter
- Diseases
- Yellow leaves
- Milk star does not bloom
- Tips
- sorts
The star is a beautiful, pure white beauty for the garden
Milk Star: care and varieties
Milk stars are bulbs that bloom from spring to fall. But if you plant the plant in your garden, you should consider the toxicity in addition to the site conditions. Although milk stars are easy to clean and undemanding, it is advisable to use intuition when cultivating.
ancestry
Milk stars belong to the genus Ornithogalum. The onion plants with the subterranean over-life organs occur with some kinds in Europe. Their distribution area extends into northern Africa. Milk stars also occur in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia. The asparagus species grow on meadows, on slopes and on damp soil in forests.
Useful information:
blossom
Milk stars develop racemose inflorescences, which consist of at least two single flowers. Each flower has membranous bracts at the base. The single flowers are radial symmetry and dreizählig constructed. They have six bracts, which are the same design. They shine in a pure white and have on their underside a yellowish to green colored streak. A species develops orange flowers.
The flowers open in direct sunlight. They are reminiscent of sparkling stars in the night sky, which brought the plants their German name. The flowering period begins at houseplants in February and extends into September. Outdoor plants will bloom later. If you dig the bulbs out of the ground in autumn and place them in a pot, the plant will again be stimulated for a growth spurt. Just in time for the Christmas season, the plants develop new flowers.
leaves
As monocotyledonous plants, milk stars develop grass-like leaves. They grow at the base and are elongated. There are species with smooth leaf margins and those with leaves that are hairy at the edge. In all species, the leaves appear fleshy. Partially, the leaves have a silvery streak.
growth
Milk stars are geophytes that grow as perennial herbaceous plants. They develop onions, which serve as Überdauerungsorgane. In autumn, the plants pull the nutrients from the above-ground parts of plants and store them in the onion. So the plants spend mild winters in the soil. They use the stored energy in the spring to germinate. Most milk stars reach stature heights between 25 and 30 centimeters. Some species grow up to 40 centimeters or isolated up to a meter high.
use
Milk stars can be grown both outdoors and cultivated in the pot. They are suitable for planting of light woody plants. In the vicinity of other bulbous plants, milk stars provide a colorful accent in the spring bed.Hardy species look good in half-shady rockeries. As a cut flower are the varieties of Ornithogalum thyrsoides.
Here the dairy star convinces:
Is milk star poisonous?
All parts of the milk stars contain cardenolides. Concentration is highest in onions. These chemical compounds are among the steroids that have effects on the heart. Milk stars carry the chemically active substances in the form of glycosides in the organism. Ingestion causes stomach and intestinal complaints, nausea and vomiting. It can cause headaches. High doses can lead to cardiac arrhythmia. The latex may cause irritation on contact with the skin. A high risk of poisoning exists in cats and dogs.
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Which soil does the plant need?
A loose substrate provides permeable conditions, from which milk stars benefit. They prefer a fresh soil because the bulb plants are sensitive to wet conditions. A high content of nitrogen ensures a strong growth and a high vitality. For the cultivation of the plants is suitable unit earth, which is tuned to the claims of hyacinths. Mix the substrate with sand to improve the soil structure for the milk star. The onion plants tolerate calcareous conditions in the substrate, but you prefer a low-calcium environment.
Suitable substrate:
Which location is suitable?
Milk stars prefer a warm location, which may also lie in the sun. Ideally, they thrive in partially shaded places. Temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius provide the bulbous plants optimal growth conditions. Higher temperatures are no problem for the herbaceous plants.
When cultivating milk stars in the pot, a bright and warm space on the windowsill is ideal. You can also put the plant in the winter garden or plant it in a greenhouse. When cultivating the milk stars as indoor plants, direct sunlight should be avoided. During the summer months you can place the bucket in a sheltered and warm place outdoors.
What is the best planting time?
If you want to plant species sensitive to frost, you should wait until spring. Late frosts can damage the onions. Also the repot should take place in the spring. Hardy species can be planted ready in autumn. If you want to sow seeds, you do not have to orient themselves to the seasons. Sowing is possible in autumn or spring.
The right planting distance
The minimum distance to the nearest planting partner should not be less than 15 centimeters. Ideal is a planting distance of 20 centimeters. In cramped conditions, there is a risk that the milk stars will not drive out. Pay attention to the depth of soil when planting the onions. Milkystar tubers should be inserted ten centimeters deep into the substrate.
Milk Star multiply
Every two to three years you can share thickly grown clumps and multiply in this way. Dig out the onions completely after the flowers have withered. With a sharp knife, you can cut the onions into several small pieces and plant them again.
An increase over self-collected seeds is possible. The development of seeds requires successful fertilization by insects. Once the plant has withered, remove the seeds from the flowers. Sprinkle the seeds on a moist and nutrient-poor substrate. Vogelsand, Bimskies or Anzuchterde is ideally suited. Make sure the seeds are not covered by the substrate.
The light germinators need a light and warm location with temperatures of at least 20 degrees Celsius. Keep the substrate evenly moist by spraying. After about two weeks, germination begins.
Milk star in the pot
Milk stars are suitable for cultivation in the tub. The house plants can be maintained in the pot throughout the year, so that the plants do not go into hibernation. During this cultivation, notice that milk stars lose their power over time. The hibernation also serves for regeneration.
Potted plants need to be repotted regularly. This is the case when the nutrients of the earth have been used up or the plant has developed daughter tubers. This measure takes place immediately after the rest period in spring. In potted plants that do not go into hibernation, repotting takes place before flowering ..
How to make milk stars:
Pour milk star
Immediately after planting or repotting you should not pour the onions. Wait until the plant is expelled with the first watering. As soon as the first green shoots come out of the earth, you can start casting. When the plants have grown, they need moderate water during the growth phase.
Make sure that the substrate is evenly moist but not too wet. In most cases, the spring and summer precipitation water is enough to cover the water needs. Only in long-lasting periods of drought should you additionally water the onion plants. Soak the floor extensively with water instead of supplying it with small amounts of water several times. In autumn, you can slowly reduce the watering.
Pour potted plants when the substrate has dried to the surface. Make sure that there is no water left in the coaster. Waterlogging causes the roots to rot. Indoor plants need water even in winter. Onions that hibernate in the cellar do not need to be poured.
Fertilize the milk star properly
Milk stars have a moderate need for nutrients. They need nitrogen and enjoy fertilization outdoors, which is repeated every 14 days to four weeks. You can follow this period of time, but you should pay attention to the frequency of fertilization on the soil condition. Nitrogenous fertilizers are useful as a nutrient source when diluted with water. Ideal is a nitrogen concentration of 0.1 percent. Use the fertilizer sparingly. In winter you do not have to fertilize the stored onions and potted plants.
Cut the milk star properly
In autumn, you can cut back the foliage. Once the plant has completely died, you should remove the plant parts so that they do not rot on the bed. Cut the plant material near the ground with a sharp secateurs. Alternatively, you can detach the yellow leaves with a light draw from the leaf base. In this method, the leaves should be completely withered, otherwise you may damage the onion.
Many species are suitable as a cut plant. Cut off the flower stems just before opening the flowers and place the cut flowers in a vase.
How do I properly plant?
Milk stars cultivated in the pot should be transplanted every spring. With this measure, the nutrient content of the soil is improved and you save yourself additional fertilizer inputs over the year. Free-range plants only need to be transplanted or lightened when stocks are too dense.
faded
When milk stars fade, the leaves begin to wither slowly. The plant extracts the excess energy from the above-ground parts of plants and stores them in the onion. Therefore, you should not cut back the plants directly after flowering. There is a risk that the plants can not store enough nutrients. These energy reserves will be missing next spring and they can not drive out.
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overwinter
Most milk stars do not survive the frosty temperatures of the winter months in Central Europe unscathed. They are adapted to mild winter temperatures. Dig the bulbs out of the ground in the fall and store the bulbs in a dry and cool place in the basement. Ideal are temperatures of ten degrees Celsius. Dry conditions are necessary so that no decay processes occur. If the air is too dry, carefully spray the onions with water to prevent them from drying out.
The dead plant parts can be cut off and composted. There are hardy species that can be left in the bed even in winter. Make sure that the earth does not wet in winter. Moisture causes the onions to rot in the soil and not expel them next spring.
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Diseases
Milk stars are insensitive to diseases and pests. In the summer months it can occasionally come to the attack by aphids. As an effective control measure, the removal of pests with a sharp jet of water has proven. Only wrong care measures can affect his vitality. The most common problem is root rot caused by waterlogging.
Yellow leaves
In autumn, the leaves of the milk stars wither, making them yellow. There is no need to worry about this time of the year, as this process indicates the beginning of the rest period. If the bulbous plants in the field already get yellow leaves, root rot is a possible cause. Check the bulbs to prevent damage due to waterlogging. Beware of houseplants that suddenly get yellow leaves. Here you should make sure that no water stops in the coaster.
Milk star does not bloom
Older milk stars become lazy in the field after a few years. They develop fewer flowers, as the planting distance decreases in wild stocks. The plants need at least 20 centimeters to the next plant, so that they can unfold unhindered. Dig out the onions and place the tubers at a greater distance in the ground. Remove onions as they additionally weaken the main onion. In the context of this care measure, you can remove dried leaves.
Tips
Milk stars bloom in their natural range from autumn to spring. In the cultivated in the field species, the flowering phase shifts. It makes more sense to cultivate the milk star as a houseplant. In winter, a plant lamp is recommended, so that the natural flowering times are promoted.