How to Grow a Torch Lily
With their bright re tubular blooms, torch lilies, also known as torch plants or red hot pokers, are impossible to miss. The eye-catching blooms can grow as long as 10 inches and last up to a month, sitting atop impressive 2 to 4-foot stems, with long sword-shaped leaves. Butterflies and hummingbirds will love torch lilies, but rabbits and deer will gladly leave them alone. Plant torch plant seeds directly in your garden in early spring, and wait for the blaze of color to follow. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Compost or well-rotted manure
- Torch lily seeds
- Watering can or hose with spray nozzle
- Organic mulch
- All-purpose fertilizer
Instructions
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Choose a location in bright sunlight, with moist, well-drained soil. To improve soil with poor drainage, work three inches of compost or well-rotted manure into the top of the soil. Plant the torch lily seeds and cover them with 1/4 inch of soil. Water the planting area with a watering can or a hose with a spray nozzle, but be careful not to dislodge the seeds.
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2
Thin out the torch lily seedlings when they've grown to a height of two inches. Pull out the weaker, smaller seedlings, and leave 18 to 24 inches between the healthiest seedlings.
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Give torch plants about an inch of water every week. Don't allow the soil to become soggy, because the plants will rot.
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Spread a three-inch layer of organic such as bark chips or pine needles mulch around torch plants to enrich the soil, control weeds and retain moisture. If you live in a cold winter climate, add a fresh layer of mulch in late autumn to protect the plants.
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Feed torch plant a good quality all-purpose fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Don't fertilize torch plants during fall and winter.
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Use torch plant blooms in cut flower bouquets are often as you like. Remove the blooms, along with the stems, when they fade.
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