How to Pot Ornithogalum Longibracteatum
Ornithogalum longibracteatum looks like an onion growing with the bulb above ground and sprouting long strap leaves from the top. Around the base of the bulb, numerous baby bulbs sprout, earning the plant the common name pregnant onion. Pregnant onions are good houseplants and their strange appearance always attracts attention. They are easy to care for and do not require frequent repotting as they prefer to be root-bound. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Purchase a new pot or thoroughly clean an old pot that is slightly larger than the pot currently housing the Ornithogalum longibracteatum. The pot should be about 2 to 3 inches in diameter larger than the bulb.
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Place a couple of loose stones or broken pieces of pottery over the drain holes of the new pot to keep soil from coming out, but still allow for drainage.
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Spread a handful of soil in the bottom of the new pot. Use any well-draining commercial houseplant potting soil. Potting soil manufactured for cacti and succulents works well if you combine about 2 parts cactus soil with 1 part peat moss.
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Remove the pregnant onion from the old pot and gently tease out any coiled and twisted roots that have wound around the inside edge of the container.
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Place the Ornithogalum longibracteatum in the new pot and position it so it is in the center and at the same depth it was in the old pot.
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Fill in the soil around the Ornithogalum longibracteatum and gently firm it with your hand so the plant stays in place. If you are planting an unrooted baby bulb, fill the pot with soil and set the bulb in a shallow hole in the center of the pot with the pointed end up. Do not bury the bulb.
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Water the pot thoroughly until the excess runs out of the drain holes in the bottom. Do not let the pot sit in a drainage tray filled with water.
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Place the newly planted Ornithogalum longibracteatum in a warm, sunny location that is shaded during the hottest part of the day. Let the soil dry between waterings, but do not let it dry out completely.
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Tips & Warnings
Ornithogalum longibracteatum sprouts baby bulbs just under the dry, paperlike outer sheath on the mother bulb. As they develop, peel away and remove the sheath to display the babies.
Do not let the bulb shrivel between waterings. This causes the Ornithogalum longibracteatum to enter dormancy and the foliage to die off. As you gain experience with your individual plant's needs, you can tell if it requires water before the plant begins to show signs of dehydration by judging the weight of the pot. A newly watered pot is much heavier than a dry pot.
Ornithogalum longibracteatum is toxic and some people are allergic to it. If you show any signs of skin irritation, wash your hands and be sure to wear gloves when handling the plant in the future.
