Watsonia thrives with just sun, water, and amended soil. These plants multiply easily and produce tall 4-6 foot blooms. They make excellent back-of-the-border plants and require no special care.

Outdoor Beds

1. First, choose a location with well-draining soil. Then, amend the soil with peat moss, compost, ground bark, or decomposed manure. Watsonia needs full sun to grow best.
2. Next, plant the corms 4 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart. The corms resemble flat, fat gladiola bulbs. Look for a small point or a piece of last year’s stem, and plant that side facing up.
3. After planting, water well to settle the soil around the corms. Roots and sprouts will emerge in the fall, and blooms will appear in the spring.
4. You can cut the flowers without harming the plants. In the summer, let the plants die back naturally.
5. Once the foliage dies, you can remove the leaves as the corms become dormant. The growth cycle will restart in the fall.
6. Over time, Watsonia will form large clumps. If blooms diminish, dig up the clumps and separate the corms. Replant them right away to keep the cycle going.

Try Using Barrels and Pots

For planting in barrels or pots, follow the same steps as for outdoor beds. However, use very large containers since Watsonia grows tall!