Babian is a charming plant from the hot south African tropics. It belongs to the flower to the family of Casatikovy (Iris). In the natural nature of elegant babians grow on sandy plains or on rocky hills, blooming in the spring, in the rainy season. The unusual name of the flower was obtained thanks to monkey-baboons, which are glad to be tugged by the tubers of the plant. In the homeland, this flower is called "Babul flower". The edible bulbs of Babian to taste not only monkeys, but also to the indigenous residents of South Africa - Bushmen, which use them in food. In our region, the plant is infrequently found, many do not even know about its existence, but, those flowers who were lucky enough to acquire a tropical beauty, admire her sophisticated beauty. With proper caring and compliance with the rules of storage of tubers, Babian is growing remarkably and multiplies in the open ground, decorating charming bright flowers of flower beds, rocaria, alpine slides. You can also grow a beautiful-flowing plant in a pot at home.
Babian, description
Babiana is a low herbaceous perennial with a tuberukovka. Its height rarely exceeds 25 cm. Plants stems, depending on varieties, can be simple or branched. The leaves are rigid, have a ribbed, elongated, a bit corrugated form, sometimes pubescent. Externally, the leaves are similar to the leaves of gladiolus. Each stalk of the plant forms a 3-5 leaflet.
Babian flowers can be a variety of shape and bright colorful coloring. Preferably collected in the inflorescence-bell or a busy inflorescence, with 3-7 flowers of pink, purple, yellow, red, blue or purple color. Flowers of some varieties of Babian exuded a very gentle pleasant smell. Babian fruits - rounded box containing numerous seeds.
Babian, photo
Babian - Views
- Babiana straight (Babiana Stricta) - A low beautiful plant, up to 25 cm high with a straight, thin stem. Leaves outwardly resemble gladiolus leaves: pubescent and sword-shaped. The inflorescence looks like a dense brush, on which flowers are located from 6 pieces predominantly purple, less often white, blue, cream. Babian Strict - a perennial, breeds seeds and clubnellukov. Clubnelaukovitsa have a slightly extended shape, have a fibrous shell, which disintegrates at the base on the fibers.
- Babian Folded (Babiana Placata) - Low rise plant, up to 20 cm tall. The leaves are straight, pubescent, rise to the inflorescence, at the end have sharpening in the form of peaks. Flower shape - tubular, flowers of flowers from white to violet. There are flowers with white or yellow stains on the petals. Bibian folded exudes a pleasant gentle aroma, resembling the smell of cloves, flowering time - spring.
- Red - Blue Babian (Babiana Rubrocyanea) - low, a rare plant with thin hairy leaves, which are clearly visible to the veins. Flowers blue, closer to the yv acquire a more rich red shade.
How to grow Babian in the open soil
Babiana is a thermal-loving tuberukovka plant-perennial, with a decrease in temperature below 15 degrees of heat slows down its growth and stops flowering. The flower is grown as a room culture or in containers, which in the summer season are put on the street for the decoration of flower and rocaries. In the southern regions, Babian is successfully grown in the open ground. Agrotechnical cultivation of Babian in the open soil is similar to growing gladiolus. The dates of landing, the flow of tubers and their rest of them coincide. After the growing season and the end of flowering, in the last days of September, the tubers are digging and stored until the next spring in the cool room. Wintering in the open ground bulbs will not be transferred.
Choosing a place and time for landing Babian
Place for planting Babian bulbs should be sunny and protected from wind. As a native of the tropics, it is afraid of frosts and strong cold winds. Planting the bulbs in the open ground is carried out in the spring when the air temperature warms up and the threat of night frosts on the soil will take place. The ideal temperature for good flower growth is 22-28 degrees. At lower temperatures, the plant will stop growth and slow down the flowering. If there are no optimal conditions for growing babian in the open ground - you can put on the bulbs in the container and grow the flower in the room, and when the air temperature warms down - to make the container on fresh air. 
Landing Babian
Pubian tubers plant only in light, fertile and well-drained soil. The soil must absorb and hold the moisture needed to grow the plant. Too dense soil must be diluted with sand, peat peat, perlit. The land when landing should be well heated. Punning planting depth - 5-7 cm, observe the distance between tubers about 10 cm. For the season, several blooms are formed from one bulb. Babian flowering continues until autumn.
Babian, care
Proper plant care and compliance with the optimal conditions for the cultivation of southern beauty will help for a long time to admire its gentle fascinating blossoms throughout the season.
Watering Babian
Babian flowering start - the beginning of August, which continues until mid-September. Throughout the period of flowering, the plant needs a rich watering. Without a sufficient number of moisture in the ground, Babian will not be able to grow and slow down the flowering. It is impossible to allow soil drying. Watering should be combined with spraying the leaves, alternating them every other day. The plant does not tolerate drought and speaks well to spraying with water into hot dry weather.
Up. Babian
As a feeding plant, potash and phosphate fertilizers are needed, which are entered into the ground three times over the growing season:
- 2 weeks after the landing of tubers.
- during the appearance of flowers.
- in August, shortly, 2 weeks before the tubers for wintering.
Periodically you can make organic feeders that have a beneficial effect on the growth and flowering of the plant.
Storage of Babian Lukovits
After the end of flowering in September-October, the ground part of the plant dies. The bulbs need to dig and move the winter in a cool, dry and dark room. Temperature of tuber storage should not exceed 10 degrees of heat. Prepare storage containers with sand or peat. If Babian grew in a pot on the street, it should be put in the room and continue watering until it drops all the leaves. The bulb can be left in the same pot, where she grew and moved to a dark, cool room.
Babian reproduction
The plant is breeding with children and seeds. It is quite problematic to grow Babian from seeds, it takes a lot of time and the result of growing is not always positive. From the seed flower grows very slowly, with proper care, it will bloom only for 3 years. Therefore, the most affordable, fast and optimal method of breeding Babian is a neat compartment of tubers from adult bulbs, which grow around it for the season. Separate kids is better in spring, before planting, so as not to damage them.
Purchase of Babian bulbs: what to pay attention to?
Babian bulbs you can buy in a flower shop or at the exhibition. When buying, you should carefully examine all instances. There should be no spots and damage on the clubneukovitsa. You can purchase an adult plant in a pot for further reproduction. Carefully inspect the leaves - if they are wishes or led, it is better to give up from such a purchase. Most likely the plant will not give abundant and prolonged flowering. 
Diseases and pests Babian
Babian is subject to pest insect attacks that irreparable harm. The plant ceases to grow and does not bloom. Among the pests, Babian can be allocated:
- Gladiolusovy TRIPS . Especially dangerous pest, which is powered by a plant juice. Subsequently affected by the plant shroud and dies. The insect is difficult to notice with the naked eye, as it is quite small, about 1.2-1.4 cm. Damage to stems, flowers and tuberukovyans are delivered and larvae and adults of the trips. For processing affected stalks, leaves, as well as bulbs before storage, it is recommended spraying with a decisum solution.
- Root bulb. Translucent pest affects the underground part of the plant. It feeds on organic residues of fallen foliage, roots of plants. Actively multiply in high humidity. To reveal the parasite, the bulbs inspect. With a slight lesion, the tubers are soaked at 12 o'clock in the insecticide, with a full damage to the onion tick, the tuber is removed so as not to infect healthy instances.
In addition to these dangerous pests, Babian can attack the waves, a web tick, torment Cherver. On their presence indicate dark spots and a web on the stems. Insecticides are used to combat them. 
Possible difficulties in the cultivation of Babian
- Holding the root associated with the mooring of the soil.
- Lack of floweros. The reason may be insufficient lighting or moisture for growth and flowering plants.
- Yellow leaves. The plant is not moisture, or it received burns from direct sunlight on them.
Babian is a decorative beautiful flower plant with bright flowers, it looks especially gentle and touching in the garden. It can be planted into the container, in the flowerbed, include in the composition of the Alpine slide. During the flowering period, it will decorate the garden and give the plot special charm. From a large amount of bulbs, you can create luxurious colorful cleans and admire their gentle blossom, enjoying a pleasant aroma.
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