Agapanthus

This has been here longer than we have - lovely sprays of blue flowers for an albeit limited time... however, the million dollar question is, can I pull some out and replant? The pot they are in seems to get fuller by the year. I am unsure how many were in the original pot, and I am unsure if it is only my perception that they seem to be multiplying every year, but there really is not an inch of space inside this pot, which is 50cm across. Can this clump be broken up? I have seen them for sale at £12 a stem... god only knows how many are in there...

 

Jack there is a misconception about agapanthus I think, viz., the more congested they are the better they flower. They do well with some restraint but eventually they need dividing so that is what I would do.
When they have finished flowering is when I would do it....gives the plants time to grow and settle; water well of course. I would prob divide into 3 or 4 clumps
Here in Cornwall we all grow agapanthus, as they do on nearby St. Michael's Mount, and they thrive in the open ground. In fact they grew so well here they took over a large part of the garden. I divided and sold them.
I now have just a few clumps, about to flower.
(Tempted and fell for agapanthus Golden Drop last week......supposed to flower for many weeks on top of dwarf variegated foliage :rasp

 

Agreed with @Verdun. They can be split into several clumps but best done after finishing the display for the year.

They just keep expanding and if your pot is earthenware, you may find one day that they've divided the pot into several pieces as the tough root mass expands
Getting them out may also render the pot divided into several sections too

 

I'll dig a few out of the middle first maybe - to be honest I haven't seen any dirt or soil in there for a while - it is just a thick mat of vegetation. The pot is rather lovely and I wouldn't want to lose it but thank you for the tip - I will definitely be taking it apart after the flowers die down

 

They are not easy to divide - I usually use a saw

 

Yes, saw or serrated knife but straightforward enough
Used to sell them

 

I have had no luck whatsoever with my agapanthus planted in thew open garden about four years ago. It always makes plenty of green but never flowered!
Last backend, I saw a programme in which Monty Don was potting up three aggy plants in a large pot. He said congestion encourages flowering.
We had a pot about 500mm across doing nothing, so lashed out on three plants and planted them up in my own mix of John Innes 3.
At the moment i have what must be about 40 flower buds!
I will post a photo when they open.

Are you saying then, that in winter I could split my plants into 6 and make two pots of them?
Or would my pot go another year?
By the way, I over wintered it in the cold greenhouse.

 

Not in winter David.....You could remove one plant and reposition the remaining 2. Plant a smaller pot with the remaining agapanthus. However a photo will help determine how "congested" it is now.
I think it is true that a certain amount of congestion helps flowering.....otherwise the plants just want to grow.
Good you are using a soil based compost too

 

Hi @David E Peacock - I get plenty of flower from agapanthus in open ground here in Nottinghamshire. But the plant is in a raised bed, and I think that means soil is a bit warmer in summer. It is all mixed up with a purple eucomis - that doesn't flower so well, perhaps needs even more warmth.

 

Just be prepared to break the pot to get it out!

 

CarolineL, I find eucomis needs more moisture than generally supposed. Yes, warmth and sun but doesnt like to get too dry so maybe why yours....Sparkling Burgundy?.... .is shy of flowering!

 

I must admit that my Sparkling Burgundy is often left without water until the foliage goes limp yet it's a reliable bloomer nonetheless. The very similar Oakhurst on the other hand seems to be very shy to bloom.

 

When you think about it, eucomis holds a lot of water in its foliage. Warm free draining soil here, over winters too. If left to get too dry I find it loses vigour. Already mine are 40cm tall or more.....without the flowers
Never grown Oakhurst longk....must look it up

 

My advice is don't bother. It's not as hardy and is less impressive. Here are the two together..............
Eucomis comosa "Oakhurst" and "Sparking Burgundy" by longk48, on Flickr

@Jack Snakes - apologies for going off topic!

 

See what you mean longk will pass on that one