Milky star withered - how do you treat it after blooming?
How a milk star is cared for after it has faded depends on whether it is a hardy or frost-sensitive variety.
also read
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- Caring for ornithogalum (milk star) properly - tips for care
For all varieties, however, you should never cut off the leaves, only the faded inflorescences.
Care for the hardy milk star after flowering
Hardy milk star species such as Ornithogalum saundersiae and O. bellatum stay in the garden all year round. If they have faded, it is best to just leave them alone.
If you are very annoyed by the sight, you can cut off the faded flowers, but not the leaves. The onion plant draws nutrients from the leaves that it needs for flower formation in the next year.
The leaves pull in by themselves in autumn. Winter protection is not necessary for hardy species. Some gardeners recommend a light cover with leaves or brushwood, which must be removed again in spring.
Do not cut Ornithogalum dubium
- Cut off only faded inflorescences
- Let the leaves stand
- Place the pot in a bright, warm place
- later take out the tubers
- Winter frost-free
Orange Milky Star (Ornithogalum dubium) is cultivated as a houseplant because it is not hardy. When the flowers have finished blooming, place the pot in a bright and warm place on the windowsill. With a little luck, the plant will bloom again, albeit a little more sparsely.
You may only cut off the faded inflorescence. The leaves stay there until they turn yellow and pull in on their own.
Then take the bulbs out of the flower pot, shake off the earth and let the tubers dry well. To overwinter, put them in a paper bag or wood wool and store them in a dark, cool place until the next winter.
Tips
The milk star reproduces via seeds or through the formation of daughter tubers. If you grow the bulb in the garden, you don't have to worry about propagation any further. You can also dig up the tubers and move the daughter tubers to another location.
