Guide to growing Blazing Star - Tritonia
Members of the Tritonia genus are hardy bulbs that are sometimes treated as annuals by gardeners.
They range from 15cm to 60cm in height. Tritonia blooms in the middle of summer and carries red, orange, yellow, pink or white funnel shaped flowers.
The foliage is sword shaped and flat.
Some common names for members of Tritonia are Blazing Star and Montbretia.
How to grow Blazing Star
Blazing Star and other Tritonia species can be grown from seeds or corms. The Corms should be buried in the autumn at about 8 to 10cm deep with a spacing of 10 to 20cm. Tritonia Seeds should be sown in spring and lightly covered. Ideally it is best to grow Blazing star in a sunny part of the garden that has good drainage and a sandy soil that has had manure added to it. It should take about three years for Blazing stars that have been sown from seeds to flower.
If you want to start Blazing star off indoors then do so about two months in advance; they can be transplanted outdoors just after the last frost of spring. Germination of Blazing stars and other Tritonia takes from one to three months at a temperature of 12 to 15 degrees centigrade.
Caring for Blazing Star
It takes a little (not much) effort to look after Tritonia species such as Blazing star and Montbretia; give them a good mulch in the winter to protect them from the elements; they should be fed once during the growing season and watered regularly. Once they have flowered they not require watering. If you require more Tritonia plants then plant the offsets that they readily produce.