As one of the most valued flowering plants for both landscaping uses and cut flowers, alstroemeria, or Peruvian lily, blooms profusely from late spring through summer. The colors of the trumpet-shaped blossoms vary from pink to dark orange to red.
Growing Alstroemeria From Seeds
Fill peat pots about half-full with potting soil.
Put three seeds in each pot and cover with a scant ¼ inch of potting soil. Moisten the soil lightly.
Put each pot into a plastic bag and seal it. Set all the bags in a spot where the temperature will stay at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Put all the bags into the refrigerator after three weeks, with the temperature set at about 40 degrees F. Leave them in the refrigerator for another three weeks.
Take the bags out of the refrigerator, take the pots out of the bags, and return the pots to the 70 degree F spot. The seeds should start to germinate in about 2 weeks after you remove the pots from the refrigerator.
Wait for the seedlings to grow several inches tall. Then, prepare a flowerbed in a sunny location outside. Make sure the soil drains well---if it doesn't, mix it with plenty of compost or sand until water drains through it quickly.
Dig out a hole for each plant that is 6 inches deep and space the holes 12 inches apart. Put the plants, still in the peat pots, into the holes and push the prepared soil in around them.
Water the plants well and continue to give them water regularly, often enough to keep the soil moist. To test for moisture, stick your fingers into the soil close to one of the plants. If the soil is really wet, you can hold off watering for another day or so, but if it's barely moist or really dry, you need to water that day. If the weather is especially hot, check the soil every day to be sure your plants are getting sufficient water.
Growing Alstroemeria From Nursery-Grown Plants or Roots
Prepare the soil so that it will drain properly, mixing in compost or sand as necessary.
Set your plants out in the soil, 8 inches deep and at least 1 foot apart. Cover the roots up well with an inch or two of soil.
Water your new plants thoroughly and regularly. Test the soil for wetness to determine when you need to water.