Throughout the year, it waits for showers, and when it receives raindrops for a few hours, it releases its wants, resulting in gorgeous white, pink, and yellow blossoms, yes, we are talking about rain lily. Rain Lily
When the flowers arrive in any garden bed or container, nothing can be greater or more beautiful than the rain lily; sometimes it appears that the stars have fallen to the earth, especially when the white lily blooms.
Table of Contents
Rain Lily Bulbs – An Introduction
In botany, it is known as Zephyranthes, which is derived from the Greek god Zephyrus, who is known as the god of the west wind, and is so named because of the slender stem of its blossom. To be honest, explaining this terminology now is challenging.
Other names for it include rain lily, fairy lily, magic lily, and so on. However, rain lily is the most commonly used flower in India.
Raindrops are like nectar for it; although more flowers bloom in it during the monsoon season, I have seen that some flowers bloom in it as soon as the rain drops, regardless of the season.
Originally thought to be a plant of the American continent, it is now found all over the world.
Also Read: How to Start a Garden from Scratch
Rain Lily Bulbs Forms & Types
Thin strips of up to a foot long emerge from the earth in the rain lily, followed by a mature bulb approximately an inch thick, from which blooms emerge.
The flower has six petals.
New little bulbs sprout from the side of this bulb as it grows older or matures.
Rain lilies look very identical, however they may be distinguished by their colour. Rain lilies are typically seen in three colours: pink, white, and yellow.
- Carinata Zephyranthes Pink
- Candidatus Zephyranthes White
- Citrine Zephyranthes Yellow
Pink rain lily leaves are larger and longer, whilst white and yellow lily leaves are narrower.
After drying from the flower of the Yellow Rain Lily, seedpods are formed, inside which 8-10 seeds are formed, which are planted, and a new plant is ready.
Many hybrid lily varieties are now available in the market and can be obtained online.
Warning
Rain lilies include leaves, bulbs, and other parts, so if you have pets or small children in your home, put these plants appropriately so that pets or children do not eat their leaves.
Rain Lily, by the way, is widely utilized in medical science to treat a variety of disorders such as diabetes, breast cancer, tuberculosis, tumours, and so on.
Also Read: Great Tips to Keep Your garden Green
Where to Purchase Rain Lily Bulbs
It should be easily accessible at your local nursery and should cost no more than Rs.20-30.
If you can’t find anything at nursery, you can check it up online. There are numerous online Plant Stores that ship plants in good condition.
If you belong to a gardening Facebook community, you can ask there; there is a good chance that there will be merely a postal price for several bulbs.
By the way, once you have a bulb, you will obtain several bulbs from the same bulb year after year.
Rain Lily Bulb Soil Preparation
Any regular soil suitable for kitchen gardening can be utilised. In which proper drainage and aeration are essential.
You can use this measurement for this.
- 30 percent garden soil
- 30 percent river sand
- 40 percent vermicompost
When choosing a pot, keep in mind that there should be a suitable number of drainage holes in the container.
8-10 bulbs can be planted safely in 6 inch pots, and they grow well when kept close by. Plant the bulb one to one and a half inches below the surface of the soil.
Also Read: Trees & Plants as per Vastu Shastra
Rain Lily Bulb Care
Sunlight
The rain lily should be kept in a location where it may receive direct sunshine; it should not be kept in a shaded location. In the presence of sunshine, they increase the size of their bulb by producing food via photosynthesis and give birth to new bulbs.
Only huge bulbs may produce blossoms, therefore provide at least 3-4 hours of sunlight.
Water Irrigation
Continue to examine the soil’s top surface and water anytime the surface feels dry. There is no need to water every day; simply provide as much water as you require. Soggy soil damages rain lily bulbs.
Just keep in mind that the water should not sit in the soil and that any excess water should run out of the hole. When the buds begin to appear, make sure that the soil is moist but not soggy.
Fertilizers and Manure Chemicals
Make sure to add 30 to 40% of the Potting Soil. Aside from that, continue to apply Liquid Fertilizer even before the start of the flowering season and do not apply after blossoming.
Pests and Diseases
Continue to inspect the plants on a regular basis so that any type of insect can be spotted before its population grows.
Mealybugs are frequently spotted on it; to avoid them, a variety of sprays containing indigo oil can be employed.
Also Watch: The Peepal Tree & Its Benefits | Ficus Religiosa
Can Rain Lilies Grow In The Absence Of Soil?
I once attempted to grow rain lilies without soil and had success.
I had two glazed glass bowls that I didn’t want to throw away, so I decided to try some experiments.
A transparent tape was applied to the glued area to impede the passage of water; as a result, once water was added to it, the moisture persisted in it for 1-2 days.
I didn’t do anything unusual with this, simply kept 2-3 mature bulbs in the centre of the bowl and filled the rest of the bowl with 7-8 stones. And filled with water, but be careful that the water does not stagnate.
After a few days, when it rained, flowers appeared in the bulbs put in these bowls, which was additional delight to witness. You can also try it; the photo is provided.
Unique Advice
Because it blooms more in the wet season, put a new bulb or repot an old bulb in February, as soon as the roots are over.
It may take 2-3 months for the bulb to adjust to its new container and location, so it is critical to plant the bulb on time.
Put rain lilies of various hues in many pots of the same size (6 or 8 inches) and the view will be quite appealing when the blossoms bloom. Aside from that, put them in decorative pots on the window sill where there is natural light. It appears different.
You can alternatively plant them in a plain pot and then, when the blooms appear, place them in the designer pot alongside the pot in a certain position.
Please let us know how you felt about this information by leaving a comment. Keep visiting www.knowledgeshowledge.com for more fascinating and valuable facts on trees and plants.
