Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By ROY NICOL
Roy is a Professional Gardener and Horticultural Consultant, specialising in large garden year-round maintenance and garden development. He is an RHS Master of Horticulture and uses his research in the application of no-dig methods in ornamental garden settings. Roy has been a Professional Gardener for more than six years and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Professional Gardener's Guild and Association of Professional Landscapers (Professional Gardener).
IN THIS GUIDE
Dierama are delicate South African plants, also known as Angel’s Fishing Rods or Wandflowers.
They are a perennial which can look great among other perennials and ornamental grasses, with their bell-shaped flowers hanging from thin and arching stems.
Dierama can be purchased as potted plants, or grown from bulb-like corms.
New plants can also be propagated by means of division of mature clumps, but if you are an experienced gardener, you might also consider taking on the challenge of growing Dierama from seed.
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Equipment Required | Seeds, pots or seed trays, potting medium, propagator, cold frame, greenhouse(?) |
| When To Sow | August – September |
| When To Plant Out | May – June |
If you are considering growing Dierama from seed, it is important to note that it can take up to 5 years or so from sowing seeds to flowering.
So you should not expect to quickly enjoy their blooms in your garden if you do choose to propagate the plants in this way.
You should also note that Dierama plants which are grown from seed may differ slightly from the parent plant if other cultivars are growing close by.
If you are not deterred, the process of growing Dierama from seed is actually relatively straightforward – it is just the time to maturity which makes this a difficult task.
To grow Dierama from seed:
- Collect seed from a mature Dierama as soon as they ripen in late summer or early autumn.
- Sow the seeds immediately into small pots or seed trays of seed compost.
- Place the pots or trays into a cold frame for germination to take place.
- After a few months, the seedlings should have emerged – and can be pricked out and potted on.
- Grow on the seedlings in frost-free conditions, then plant out the following spring.
Read on for further guidelines to help you with this process.
1) Collect Dierama Seed
Dierama which are mature and flowering will produce a lot of seed, which you can collect once it is ripe.
Collect seeds on a dry, calm day and place them in a paper envelope so they are kept dry..
2) Prepare Trays & Sow
Prepare seed trays or small pots – fill these with John Innes Seed Compost or a similar homemade seed starting mix.
A propagator can be useful, as Dierama will germinate best when the medium is at around 17°C.
Moisten the medium before sowing – seeds should be placed on the surface of the medium and covered only very lightly if at all, as they need gentle light to germinate.
“If the seeds do not germinate after a few weeks, they can be ‘cold stratified’ by being placed in the fridge for 4 weeks and then brought back to a temperature of 12-18°C, after which germination should occur after 4-8 weeks,” says Master Horticulturist Roy Nicol.
3) Place In A Sheltered Spot
Place the trays or pots into a cool yet frost-free location, which is reasonably bright, but out of direct sunlight.
A cold frame can be the ideal spot.
Be patient! Dierama germination can be erratic and it can take anywhere between around a month and four months for germination to take place.
Do not give up too soon if you do not see results quickly.
As you wait for germination to take place, make sure that you keep the medium moist – but take care not to overwater and avoid saturation.
4) Prick Out & Pot On Seedlings
When germination does finally take place, as soon as seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out and pot them on into their own individual 7cm pots.
5) Overwinter Then Plant Out
Grow your Dierama seedlings in a frost-free location such as a greenhouse until the spring.
After the last frost date in your area, in around May or June, you can plant out your young Dierama plants into their final growing positions in your garden.
But remember, you are unlikely to see flowers for quite some time – the Dierama may take five years to flower.
Be sure to choose the right location for planting out.
Dierama requires plenty of warmth and moist yet free-draining soil conditions, and will not thrive in a chilly, shaded or waterlogged spot.
Both heavy clay soils and light and sandy ones should be enriched with plenty of well-rotted organic matter before planting.
