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Bare-root Agapanthus - growing time?

DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
in Plants
I'm looking at planting a good quantity of Agapanthus and wondering about buying bare root plants to keep costs down. They're all going in well-drained, south or south-west facing positions with almost total protection from Northerly and Easterly winds (rosemary is growing rampantly in the same spot, one of which has been flowering profusely since late October!).

My question is, how long should I expect them to grow to a size where they'll start flowering to a reasonable level (IE more than just a single flower stalk per plant)? The varieties are 'Queen of the Ocean' and 'Polar Ice'.

I'm prepared to be patient for a year or so, but if I'm not going to get decent levels of flowering in the second year (IE summer 2022) then I'll rethink and buy fewer plants that are established.
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I haven't grown them for a long time, and always bought plants. I expect it'll depend where you're buying them - they should give an indication of the maturity. 
    I think a couple of years is probably realistic for flowering time though. They should grow well next year and be mature enough   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
    Fairygirl said:
    I haven't grown them for a long time, and always bought plants. I expect it'll depend where you're buying them - they should give an indication of the maturity. 
    I think a couple of years is probably realistic for flowering time though. They should grow well next year and be mature enough   :)
    Thanks for your input. There is nothing on the site about maturity time (it's Suttons I'm looking at). However I think I'll bite the bullet. I can buy 12 bare roots for £12 at the moment and I can always pop in a couple of established ones next year if I really feel the need for an instant flower boost!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Ah - I thought it was a good nursery you were buying from. Suttons are great for seeds, but I wouldn't go to them for something like that.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
    Fairygirl said:
    Ah - I thought it was a good nursery you were buying from. Suttons are great for seeds, but I wouldn't go to them for something like that.  :)
    Fair enough! I guess it's because I walk past some of their testing fields on one of my walking rounds that I give Suttons a bit more leeway than other growers! I presume for these agapanthus (agapanthi?) they are just shipping the bare roots in from the Netherlands or similar.

    Any recommendations for good agapanthus nurseries? I might wait til spring as many of the nurseries are out of stock at the moment.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I was looking for a very dark one a while ago and came across this nursery 
    https://fairweathersnursery.co.uk/wholesale-agapanthus-plants/

    I haven't used them though. 

    12 quid for 12 plants means they aren't likely to be very mature - probably little more than cuttings, so you may have to wait a while for them to get to a decent flowering size.  If you feel it's worth a punt, then crack on though. I always worry about not getting what you actually want, or any backup if they fail  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
    Brilliant, thanks for the recommendation.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    Two more top quality agapanthus specialists are Broadleigh (they supplied my plants which were excellent quality) and Hoyland. 
    Rutland, England
  • DevonianDevonian Posts: 176
    Thanks very much. Any advice on whether now is a good time to plant out? Pretty mild here year-round and agapanthus seem to grow semi-wild but I don't want to risk expensive new plants. I'm new to agapanthus as you can tell!
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    edited November 2020
    I’d say there’s no reason not to plant out now. Your protected site sounds perfect, especially if you’re getting evergreen agapanthus which are a little less hardy. My one reservation is that the planting bed might be too comfy for them. They’ll luxuriate, throwing out leaves aplenty but not seeing any need for flowers to maintain the line. I would incorporate lots of sand and grit into the planting area.

    From April onwards give them a weekly liquid feed, this being especially important from August to October when flowering buds for the following season are being formed.
    Rutland, England
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think most of the sites have good info on them too @Devonian, so worth taking a wee look  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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