Alstroemeria ‘Garden Hybrids’

Bare roots should be planted at the earliest opportunity following delivery to a depth of 2.5cm (1″) deep. Once planted, they will remain in their dormant state until the spring. Above ground you won’t see much happening over the winter, but the roots will be establishing ready for your alstroemeria plants to grow away quickly once the warmer weather arrives. Grow alstroemeria in a sunny or semi shaded position in fertile, moist, well drained soil. Alternatively, plant the bare roots in patio containers in soil based compost such as John Innes No.3. When handling bare root alstroemeria, take care not to damage the fleshy roots.

These plants are lifted from the nursery field when dormant, and sent to you in late autumn or spring for planting. They often look dead on arrival, but they are just resting in the dormant period and will establish quickly for a strong start in the garden come spring. Set out in prepared soil in holes wide enough and deep enough to lay out the roots. Tread down the planting soil to knock out air pockets. Water well to settle. Apply a mulch to protect roots from cold temperatures. If conditions prevent immediate planting, set roughly into loose soil or a pot of compost (‘heeling in’) to protect the roots. The growth points of most bare root perennials should be set about an inch below the soil surface. New growth will appear in spring.

Throughout the growing season, water Peruvian lilies regularly and feed container grown plants each month. When picking alstroemeria pluck the flowers rather than cutting as plucking stimulates the rhizome encourage further growth. In autumn, cut back the old Alstroemeria flower stems and apply a dry mulch of chipped bark or straw to the base of the plant to protect it from cold winter weather. Alstroemeria prefers to be left undisturbed but can be divided in autumn or spring if clumps become overcrowded. Caution: irritant to skin and eyes.