genus Ornithogalum dubium , usually called starof Bethlehem , needs minimum care , particularly in Mediterranean clime where the soft winters and dry summer resemble the weather in its aboriginal Australia . It get in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 9 and rarely has trouble with insect pest or disease job . Outside its natural habitat , you may grow star of Bethlehem by successfully controlling how much water it bring .
Fertilize After Blooming
Fertilize star of Bethlehem in later outflow after the last of the flowers slice . fuse 1/2 teaspoons of balanced fertilizer — look for 10 - 10 - 10 , 14 - 14 - 14 or 20 - 20 - 20 — in 1 quart of pee and then pour it over the land around the fundament . Each 1 dry quart encompass about 1 straightforward human foot of soil , which is enough for a individual plant . For enceinte plantings , mix 2 tablespoon of plant food with 2 1/2 gallons of body of water for every 10 square substructure you are fertilizing . Star of Bethlehem does n’t require any extra fertiliser during the twelvemonth .
Water in the Growing Season
Keep headliner of Bethlehem moist with 1 inch of water per week during the fall , winter and bounce growing time of year . If you have fast - draining soil or slow - draining soil , conform how much you irrigate so the soil stays moist . too juiceless or plastered dirt can damage the medulla oblongata , though err on the side of too picayune water system rather than too much . If you ’re not certain , stick your finger 2 to 3 inches thick in the dirt . If it experience dry , water the plant . If it has rained , you may need to irrigate less or not at all .
Cut Back Dead Leaves
Once star of Bethlehem stops flower , the leave persist greenish into midsummer then gradually die back . rationalize off the dead leaves at the base where they come forth from the grime after they ’ve turned brownish and brittle . habituate a pair of scissors hold or garden shears . Clean the blades — and any other part of the tool that comes into contact lens with the flora — in a solution of 1 part received rub intoxicant to 1 part body of water .
Keep It Dry Through Summer
In summer , when flowering stop and the leaves bend brown and dry up , principal of Bethlehem goes torpid . The incandescent lamp needs to stay put ironic during dormancy . In Mediterranean - style climates where summers are naturally dry , you could only leave the bulbs in the ground . If your region gets rain through the summer , either transplant the bulbs into pots and keep them dry through the summer , or produce the bulb in pots year - stave and transfer into a ironic place in summer . If you institute the electric-light bulb in a pot , utilise a gage that has drainage holes .
Container Growing Tips
Star of Bethlehem grows well indoors . piss the containers weekly to keep the potting soil slenderly moist from declination through fountain , and always habituate container with drain holes . Set the pots in a room with an consistent temperature between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit through the winter and spring to boost flowering . Fertilize container - grown star of Bethlehem in belated spring using 1/2 teaspoonful of 20 - 20 - 20 plant food diluted in 1 quart of piddle . In summer , when the leaves die , cut back the deadened parts , stop watering and set the pots in a dry stain . They wo n’t look like much again until surrender , so put them out of the way and make elbow room for more attractive summer container plant life .
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