The one known as plant diet belongs to the Iridaceae family and to the genus Dietes, which is composed of 6 species of rhizomatous and perennial plants that have their origin in South Africa. The best-known species are iridoid diets, bicolor diets, Robinson’s diets, and Grandiflora diets, and they are often used as isolated specimens although they can also be grown in pots, both indoors and outdoors.
It is a herbaceous plant whose leaves are ribbon-shaped, light green in color, and can reach almost a meter in height. Its flowers are very attractive and last very little, but luckily they come out continuously. They are yellow in color but in a very pale hue, also having very particular dark spots. It blooms in spring and summer but it can also do it the rest of the year, although it will be with less intensity.
Basic care
- Location: it needs to be in a place with full sun, although it can do well in semi-shady areas.
- Temperature: if the plant is in areas with a Mediterranean or subtropical climate, it can tolerate cold, but not continuous or extreme frosts.
- Soil: it has to be very well drained and have organic matter. In addition, the garden soil must be of good quality and mixed with sand and leaf mulch, which you can substitute for humus.
- Irrigation: it is very important that a lot of water does not accumulate since it would harm you a lot, being one glass of water per week enough, and always waiting for the soil to dry well between watering and watering. It is very resistant to drought, so it is better to wait for it to dry completely so as not to risk waterlogging.
- Fertilizer: before planting you will have to fertilize with humus, and during flowering apply a mineral spraying agent for bulbous plants every 15 days.
- Pests and diseases: it is very resistant to both, so unless you overdo it with watering or don’t take care of it, there will be no problem.
- Multiplication: it can be from seeds sown in spring or autumn or by division of rhizomes after flowering.
