Sontakka Plant Care:– Sontakka is a perennial tropical flower plant native to the Himalayan region of South-East Asian countries like India, Nepal and Bhutan. In the present scenario, this beautiful flower is distributed all over the world, grown by many gardeners. With its beauty, This plant has secured its position as the National flower of Cuba.
The main attraction of this plant are its amazing flowers that mimic the shape of a butterfly. So, It is also known as Butterfly lily. Apart from this name, It has got several identities. Some common names are:-Sontakka plant, White Ginger Lily, Camia, Sugandhi, Surulu, Kalyana Sauganthikam, Takhellei Angouba, Dolan Champa, Garland lily.
The botanical name of Sontakka plant is Hedychium Coronarium.This flower comes under the Zingerbaceae family, the same family in which our popular spice Ginger lies. The bulbs of this flower look like Zinger, So, called Zinger lily. However, these bulbs aren’t edible. The name Sontakka is given by
The plant produces flowers of different colours mainly, White, Pink and Yellow. Many people prefer white variety as it looks so appealing to the eyes and is hardy than other varieties. When it blooms, the fragrance coming from its flower makes the whole surrounding smell pleasing. So, It is getting popular day after day. Many of us also want to grow this flower. To grow it successfully, we should know the way to care for this flower. You can grow the flower in your Garden, Indoors, Terrace and Indoors. While growing the Sontakka plant indoors, Keep in mind that it should regularly receive Sunlight. It is better to keep near a window if grown indoors.
So, To help you all, We have discussed all the ways for Sontakka plant care. Read the article till the end to make the most out of it.
Sontakka Plant Care
This plant doesn’t demand much care though there are some things that you need to know. As the plant is native to an area of high rainfall and a moist environment, we should try to recreate a similar environment in the place where we grow the Sontakka plant.
Some of the Sontakka Plant Care tips are listed below:-
•Sunlight
This plant can be grown in both direct sunlight and partial sunlight. Semi-shade condition is considered best. Too much direct and bright sunlight causes leaf burn and yellowing of leaves. Too much direct sunlight causes the wilting of flowers and the dark green colour of leaves fades away. Under semi-shade conditions, the Sontakka plant grows best. The blooms also remain open for a long time and the leaves remain dark green as that in natural habitat. But, Keep in mind that Complete shade can stop flowering. (5-6) hrs daily sunlight is enough for Sontakka plant care.
•Soil
We can grow the Sontakka plant either in a pot or directly on the land. As the plant has an invasive growing nature, It is necessary to provide good space for its full growth. If you are planning to grow it on land, then, Select the place with filtered but regular sunlight and make the provision of proper drainage. If you are planning to grow it on Pot, then- You should select a big pot as the plant has invasive growth. To grow in a pot, we should make the potting mixture as follows:-
Soil:Sand:FYM = 2:1:1
We can also add vermicompost and Cocopeat to the potting mix. Vermicompost acts as fertilizer and Cocopeat holds moisture.
•Fertilizer
The Sontakka plant needs very little fertilizer. The FYM and Vermicomopost which we add during the preparation of potting mix is enough for a whole season i.e From sowing of bulbs to flowering. We can add little fertilizer during the flowering time for better blooms production.
•Irrigation
As this flower is native to the tropical climate, It loves moisture. Therefore, we should regularly make the soil moist for the better performance of the plant. Too much moisture should be avoided as it can cause the rotting of rhizomes due to the formation of fungi. To prevent this we can add a tablespoon of fungicide(SAAF Fungicide) to our potting mix. In irrigation, one thing to keep in mind is that we shouldn’t let the soil dry. The frequency of irrigation should be more in summer and less to half in winter. The Potting soil should be moist but not soggy.
•Pruning
One of the main tasks of Sontakka plant care is Pruning. The plant grows from bulbs. After sowing the bulbs, it produces pseudostem. When a pseudostem grows to a certain height, it produces blooms. One pseudostem produces flowers only once in a lifetime. Once it completes flowering, then – the pseudostem should be cut down from the ground level. This will help to divert the energy to other pseudostems which are yet to produce a flower.
Propagation Of Sontakka Plant
We can propagate the plant with the help of Bulb during February. There are clumps of bulbs in Sontakka like that of ginger. We can simply separate the clumps into individual bulbs with our hands. While separating bulbs, it is necessary to select bulbs with a minimum of one bud for propagation.
After selecting the bulb, we should prepare the potting mix as we discussed earlier. Now, It is time to sow the selected bulbs. We should sow the bulbs 2 inches below the soil. Water it regularly and in a few weeks the plant germinates and starts to grow fast.
After sowing Bulbs, they should be kept in semi-shade condition for (10-15) days. After this time, You should slowly move it toward direct sunlight. First, you should keep it in sunlight in the morning and evening for a little time. After some days, you can gradually increase the time duration and finally, you can keep it in direct sunlight.
Flowering
The flowering season starts from May and continues up to October when it reaches the maximum height of (1-2) meters. The pseudostem first produces floral buds which convert into flowers within a few days. The blooms open during the evening. During the night, it looks more beautiful under moonlight attracting the many nocturnal pollinators. During flowering, a pleasant aroma is diffused into the surrounding. This type of aroma is also found in Brahma Kamal Plant.
The flowers remain open for 2-3 days. Direct Sunlight causes the wilting of flowers. So, keep the plant in a semi-shade to keep the flower for a longer duration.
Uses
✓As the flower produces a pleasant aroma, it is widely used in making perfumes, soaps and other beauty products.
✓It is used to make Garlands. So-called Garland lily.
Final Verdict
Thus – This is truly a beautiful flower plant that we can grow in our gardens. If you follow all the above mentioned Sontakka plant care tips, then – You will surely get beautiful blooms.
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