This spectacular bulbous houseplant would be desirable to see many flower growers in their collection. However, not everyone decides to start it, because they do not know how to care for hippeastrum during the growing season, after flowering, how to propagate it. Experienced owners of these plants claim that this is not difficult to do, knowing some of its features.
History of hippeastrum in indoor floriculture
They learned how to take care of hippeastrum at home in countries with a cold and temperate climate at the very end of the 17th century, when greenhouses were actively built and botanical gardens were created on private property. Exotic plants were brought by botanists, sailors, as well as numerous "hunters" for plants.
In the 18th century, many students of the great C. Linnaeus took part in dangerous expeditions, which often ended tragically. The predecessor of hippeastrum is consideredgenus Amaryllis, which was described in 1737 in Herbert's Hemera plantarum. Plants related to it were previously called lilionarcissus and lilies by botanists.
Hippeastrum got its name not immediately after its description. For a long time, confusion reigned in the taxonomy of plants. Some species, called amaryllis, were later assigned to hippeastrums, while others "moved" into close genera.
Description of the plant
The flower belongs to the Amaryllis family. Its homeland is tropical America. In nature, there are about 75 subspecies and many varieties of hippeastrums, which differ in color and shape of flowers. They are combined into the species Hippeastrum hortorum. Plants have a large bulb - up to 20 cm in diameter, which is only half buried in the soil.
The belt-shaped leaves are collected in a basal rosette, which reaches a length of 50 cm. 2-4 flowers are combined into an umbrella-shaped inflorescence located on a long peduncle (up to one meter). Wide perianths (up to 20 cm in diameter) are bell-shaped and painted in a variety of shades: pink and white, burgundy and red, variegated and yellow. They have large bright yellow stamens.
Flowering
During the growing season, during the growth of leaves and bulbs, the plant lays flower buds of the hippeastrum indoor flower. How to take care of him at this time? With good lighting, comfortable temperature, necessarythe amount of nutrients and the correct rest period, the bulb releases the peduncle first, and then the leaves.
A he althy bulb can have up to three flower buds, each with several gorgeous flowers of different colors (depending on variety). Hybrids, bred recently, are distinguished by huge flowers, the diameter of which reaches 20 cm with gracefully curved stamens. From the moment the peduncle appears to the complete dissolution of the flower, no more than three weeks pass.
When the bud is formed, you should lower the air temperature in the room, which will increase the duration of flowering. It is important to know that flower arrows appear in turn, so the flowering period can last up to two months.
How to care for purchased hippeastrum
This question is of interest to everyone who plans to replenish their collection with this luxurious plant. You need to know that hippeastrum can be bought in the form of a bulb, which is planted only half in the ground, and sometimes a third of its height, and the upper part should remain on the surface.
If you bought a flowering plant in a pot, you do not need to transship it after purchase. According to experienced flower growers, the acquisition of a dormant bulb has an undeniable advantage - its planting can be postponed for any period, thereby regulating the beginning of flowering. Before planting in the ground, store the bulb in a cool, dark place, wrapped in paper.
Features of care
It is believed that this is not a capricious flower - hippeastrum. How to take care of him at home? It is necessary to know that all agrotechnical measures with this plant are of a pronounced seasonal nature. The flowering and decorativeness of the plant depends on their correct implementation.
Choice of location and lighting
Hippeastrum belongs to light-loving plants, so it is desirable to keep it on the southeast, south, southwest windows. Light can be both direct and diffused bright. Plant hybrids that lose leaves during the dormant period are rearranged in a dark and cool place until the flower arrow appears.
Soil
When figuring out how to care for a hippeastrum flower at home, you need to pay attention to the composition of the soil mixture into which the bulb will be planted or an adult plant will be transplanted. You can use the ready-made composition for roses, bulbous, universal, or cook it yourself. To do this, mix peat, humus, sand (one part each) and soddy soil (2 parts).
Hippeastrums need a nutritious, water and breathable, light medium with a neutral or alkaline pH reaction. Soil prepared by yourself should be disinfected in an oven or microwave, otherwise untreated soil can become a source of bulb disease.
Humidity
Experienced growers who knowhow to care for hippeastrum, they say that the plant is almost indifferent to this indicator. Dust from the leaves must be removed by wiping with a damp cloth, but not by spraying, since moisture on the bulb is undesirable.
Correct watering
But the watering of this beautiful exotic should be taken very carefully if you are interested in how to care for the hippeastrum so that it blooms. At the beginning of the growing season, the plant needs moderate watering, which should be gradually increased from the moment the peduncle appears.
During the growth of the flower arrow and until the very beginning of flowering, watering should be plentiful, but the soil in the pot should be moist, not wet. It is advisable to carry out bottom watering or watering from a pallet, gradually adding warm water until the earthen ball gets wet. Do not allow water to come into contact with the bulb. Gradually, after flowering is completed, watering is reduced.
Temperature
During the active growth of a flower, it is quite satisfied with room temperature. Her lowering flower can be perceived as a signal to prepare for a dormant period. Hippeastrum develops well at +26° C. During the dormant period, it drops to +12° C.
Feeding
The pages of special floriculture publications are often adorned with photos of hippeastrum flowers. How to care for the plant after flowering in order to fully enjoy the magnificent flowers next year? Feeding should begin immediately after the flowering of the plant is completed. This is necessary in order for it to accumulate strength fornext season. After the end of flowering, long leaves grow intensively. They form bulbous scales that form new buds in the future.
If for some reason you decide not to send your flower for wintering, then during the period of leaf growth and flowering, the plant is fertilized with a solution of mullein (1:10) once every 10 days. The first top dressing is carried out when the flower arrow grows to 15 cm. If the plant has recently been transplanted, and enough nutrients are still in the soil, top dressing can be carried out a little later.
Undoubtedly, the vast majority of indoor plant lovers plant hippeastrum flowers for the sake of luxurious "bells". How to take care of them so as not to be disappointed in your undertaking? For top dressing, emphasis should be placed on phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which contribute to flowering, the accumulation of nutrients in the bulb, and the laying of peduncles. And it is better to refuse nitrogen fertilizers, as they can provoke the development of gray rot, and as a result, you can lose the plant.
With regular top dressing, the bulb should be transplanted after 2 years. A few reasons why the hippeastrum does not bloom:
- Most often this happens due to a lack of nutrients, as this flower depletes the soil very quickly. In this case, the answer to the question of how to care for the hippeastrum to bloom is quite obvious - the plant should be fed regularly.
- It happens that a plant directs all its forces to pest control (with a mealybug, spider mite or either a scale insect),and he's just not up to flowering.
- Recall that we have already talked about how to care for hippeastrum so that a beautiful exotic blooms, talking about proper watering. You will not wait for flowering if the soil in the pot is always waterlogged and the bulb begins to rot.
How to care for hippeastrum in autumn?
After flowering is complete, it is necessary to prepare the plant for winter rest. The timeliness and quality of the next flowering depends on how competently the preparation of the hippeastrum for the dormant period is carried out. In mid-September, watering is stopped, and after the leaves fall, the plant is transferred to a dry, dark and cool place, where it remains until the end of January or the first decade of February. After that, the pot with the bulb is placed in a well-lit place, top dressing and watering are resumed, and the plant enters the next stage of development.
Resting period
It is important for beginner flower growers to know how to care for hippeastrum after flowering. The rest period begins at the end of September and lasts until mid-January. If your flower spent summer on a balcony or veranda, then at the beginning of autumn it must be brought into the room and a gradual reduction in watering should begin. Soon you will notice that the leaves of the plant dry out. When this process is completed, the leaves will fall off. The stem must be cut off and the container with the bulb should be transferred to a dark and dry room.
It is equally important to know how to care for the hippeastrum in winter. The pot is laid on its side and stored in this position at a temperature of +6 to +12 ° C, without watering for 6-8 weeks beforethe moment when it is time for the hippeastrum to wake up. These plants need this winter rest to bloom regularly.
However, many flower growers say that you can do without it. In this case, the flower is kept all year round in a warm room on a sunny windowsill, watered with warm water after the topsoil has dried. Everyone who knows how to care for hippeastrum, avoiding a dormant period, achieve flowering plants in spring in March-May or autumn in October-November. The leaves of the hippeastrum, painted in dark green, in this case do not lose their attractiveness throughout the year and remain he althy.
How to transplant hippeastrum?
If you planned to transplant the bulb into fresh soil or into a large container, then at the end of the growing season, when the leaves die off, the bulb is dug up, carefully cleaned of the soil, the children are removed from it, wrapped in dry soft paper and stored until the end rest period in a cool place.
The new pot is chosen not too spacious. The roots must master the entire space in a fairly short time in order to prevent them from rotting from excess moisture. In a large pot, there is a high risk of many children appearing, which will negatively affect flowering. The pot with the onion is placed in a dark and warm place.
Only after the appearance of the peduncle expose the pot to the light. At the same time, watering and fertilizing are resumed.
Hippeastrum breeding
The plant is propagated in several ways: by children, parts of the bulb, seeds. The first two methods are considered the fastest and easiest. Let's take a look at each one.
Seed propagation
During flowering, the hippeastrum is pollinated. When the ovary is formed, do not cut the peduncle, but leave it until the seeds are fully ripe. The seed pod will eventually acquire an almost round shape and begin to crack, the seed ripening process is completed.
Full-weight fresh seeds are quite large, flat, give good germination. The small bulb of young plants grows rapidly. Flowering begins at 4-5 years. Seedlings are not satisfied with the dormant period. This method does not give a 100% guarantee of the complete transfer of parental characteristics, even if pollination was carried out by plants of the same variety. Quite often, the characteristic features of a plant are split and as a result, different flowers are obtained from one plant. For this reason, this method is often used by breeders.
Reproduction by babies
This method retains all varietal characteristics, however, the multiplication factor is quite low. Children are formed irregularly and not in all varieties. For example, La Paz, Giraffe sibisters give babies easily, and terry varieties are extremely reluctant.
Reproduction by children is the most common way that even novice flower growers can easily handle. When transplanting the bulb, remove the young bulbs that have grown during the growing season, being careful not to damage the leaves. The mother plant goes to rest.
Probably worth talking about how to care for baby hippeastrum. When separating a small onion should beat least 2 cm. It is desirable that it has good roots, but do not be discouraged if they could not be saved. Plant the bulb in sphagnum 2-3 cm, put the container in the light. In two weeks they will take root.
Children are transplanted into separate containers after three years. With proper care, they will bloom in the fourth year.
Dividing the onion
This method is used infrequently, because it does not guarantee a positive result, and the bulb has to be sacrificed. They resort to it only if there are no children on the plant. The bulb is divided from top to bottom into 6 parts, each leaving a part of the bottom. Then each piece is disassembled into scales, without separating them from the bottom. They are planted shallowly in the substrate, only with roots and a bottom. Pretty soon, at the bottom you will see small onions, which are removed from the division and planted for growing. They will flower in 4 years.
