The amaryllis flower attracts with its large bright petals. They can be completely different shades - from white to maroon and even green. You can grow it in an apartment or on a personal plot. The flower has its own characteristics of content.
Origin
Africa considers the birthplace of the amaryllis flower. In its natural environment, it loves warmth and is hard to tolerate cold climates. Planting it in the harsh conditions of Russia became possible thanks to the development of hybrid resistant varieties.
Scented flowers
A person who decides to purchase a plant bulb for the first time will be interested in what an amaryllis flower looks like. Its leaves are distinguished by a linear, linguistic structure. The aerial part of the flower is dense and juicy. At the end of the peduncle, an inflorescence is formed, which consists of six to twelve buds. Their size is about eight centimeters. One bulb can shoot two arrows.
Amaryllis blooms most often in autumn. Under good conditions, it may re-bloom in early spring. Buds open after the leaves die.
Manyconfuse amaryllis with its hybrid hippeastrum. Both plants have beautiful flowers. But in amaryllis, they have a fragrant aroma.
Care and propagation of indoor flowers Amaryllis
The flower will feel great on windows on the south side of the house in direct sunlight or diffused room lighting. But in the darkened part of the room, inflorescences may not form.
The flower loves good air circulation, so the room should be ventilated daily. In the cold months of the year, a temperature regime of 10-15 degrees Celsius above zero is enough for him. During the warmer months, the air temperature should fluctuate between 18-25 degrees Celsius above zero.
Watering the plant depends on the air temperature - in cold weather, moisturizing is carried out no earlier than two days after the top layer of the substrate dries out, in warm weather, moisten the soil immediately after it dries. The condition of the soil should be monitored so that it does not turn sour and does not become moldy. Do not spray the flower itself, but it is advisable to spray water near it.
Features of transplant:
- Change of container and substrate should be done once every one to two years.
- The container should not be large, as the space created will reduce the abundance of flowering. The distance from the tuber to the walls of the pot should be about three centimeters. It is better to choose a heavy ceramic pot that will not allow the plant to turn itself over during flowering.
- When transplanting, it is important not to damage the rootsystem. To remove the bulb without damage, the soil should be moistened a few hours before manipulation.
- It is not recommended to disturb the flower with a transplant until the flower stalks dry.
The plant needs constant pruning. Especially if it blooms often. Otherwise, the stems will become more elongated, and the leaves will decrease. Shoots are removed when the plant has enough sunlight. Usually pruning is carried out at the end of October. They remove elongated stems, and also remove dried and yellowed zones.
Outdoor care
The plant can be planted in open ground. Especially successful is its combination with coniferous plants. During periods of spring and autumn frosts, the flower must be covered. At the end of September, its bulb can be dug up to be transplanted into a pot or stored until spring.
The amaryllis flower, which takes time to care for, can be grown in a container. So it will grow outside until the onset of cold weather. It is noteworthy that flowering in the open is more lush.
The hole should be dug on the south side. The place should be sheltered from drafts and winds. It is desirable to feed the soil and loosen it. Decorative stones are suitable for the background.
When planting several tubers, it is important that the distance between them is at least thirty centimeters. The tubers are planted at a depth of fifteen centimeters.
Growing Technology
Amaryllis flowers are planted according to a specific technology:
- Substrate - prepared from a high-quality soil mixture. It should consist of sand, peat, humus. The drainage layer can protect the roots from possible stagnant water.
- Feeding - the flower needs constant fertilization. For this, special tools designed for indoor cultures are used. Top dressing can be reduced at the end of the flowering period. Fertilizer is stopped when the flower enters the dormant stage.
- Choice of Container - Shallow containers of any material work well. They can be installed indoors, on a flower bed, on a balcony. The tuber should slightly peek out of the ground. Dug bulbs for the winter can be stored in the refrigerator.
- Planting - the bulb should be placed in the ground in late November or early spring. Expanded clay, pebbles are laid at the bottom. Two handfuls of sand are poured on top, then the prepared mixture. Before lowering the tuber into the substrate, it should be moistened in the Humisol solution. After planting, the soil is moistened with water.
Like any plant, it can be susceptible to insects. What are the main problems with amaryllis?
Main issues
Plants living in the home often encounter mites. We are talking about the flat red and the spider web parasite. The plant immediately loses its decorative effect. Folk remedies are rarely able to cope with the problem. Chemical preparations are much more effective. It is important that the product is certified and chalk instructions for use.
Othera dangerous parasite is the scale insect. These creatures are light and dark brown in color. They settle in the lower part of the plant, then the leaves of the amaryllis flower turn yellow. Excrement of parasites leads to the formation of fungus. They are introduced on new plants.
Chicks can damage the root system. Their presence can be seen by the cotton balls in the axils of the leaves. The insects themselves are quite large, and they lay eggs on the leaves.
Excessive watering can also destroy the plant. This causes a red rot that attacks the tubers. Fundazol can get rid of the problem. At the first sign of illness, the amaryllis is removed from the container, the damaged areas are removed, and the cuts are treated with crushed charcoal. A flower with dried tubers is placed in a disinfected pot. The soil needs to be sterilized for thirty minutes.
From the pests listed above, "Aktellik" has proven itself well. Most often, the cause of flower infection is the carelessness of the owner, as well as the purchase of plants in unverified stores. Preventing an infection is much easier than curing it. Often multiple courses of chemicals are required.
Prevention
The white amaryllis flower, like its other varieties, must be regularly inspected for parasites. The place of cultivation can be etched with a solution of soapy water (only laundry soap without additives is suitable). When transplanting, the container must be cleared of the remnants of the old substrate. Root rot can be avoided withmoderate watering.
Amaryllis does not bloom
Often amateur flower growers complain that the amaryllis flower does not bloom. This behavior of the plant is associated with the following negative factors:
- The bulb has not yet ripened, has not reached the desired size.
- The rest time was too short.
- At the vegetation stage, the plant was in a hot microclimate.
It should also be understood that the number of inflorescences depends on the size of the bulb. When purchasing a bulb, it is worth checking its appearance. If the tuber is soft with dark spots, you should refuse to buy.
Reproduction with a bulb
Amaryllis flower can be propagated at home. During the next transplant, you can separate the child bulbs from the main tuber. Two years after planting in the ground, they will become the size of the mother plant. The process of planting a new bulb is no different from planting a mature tuber.
Seed propagation
Amaryllis flower is able to reproduce by seed. In order for the fruit to form during flowering, it is necessary to pollinate the flower. This will require a small brush. With its help, cross-pollination is carried out, that is, pollen from one flower is transferred to another. Then you need to let the plant mature.
The process takes more than one month. When the seed pods are formed, you need to wait until they turn yellow-brown in color. Each fruit has three compartments. They contain about fifty seeds. Themmust be collected and dried thoroughly. To do this, the rudiments are laid out on a clean cloth or pallet and left for one month.
Prepared primordia are placed in water at room temperature. There they hatch, and after another three weeks they can be planted in the ground. The root system is still very fragile, so a separate container is being prepared for each amaryllis.
Dried seeds can also be placed in the ground. For this, a shallow container with holes for draining water is suitable. Sand and turf are suitable as a substrate. The seeds are scattered on the surface. Seeds do not have to be planted immediately, they can be stored in the refrigerator, but not more than one year.
The beginnings in the ground must be sprinkled with a small layer of soil. Watering is best done every day so that dry soil does not damage them. Moisture can be retained with polyethylene covered on top. But seedlings must be ventilated every day. A month later, the first sprouts should sprout. Then top dressing is added to watering.
A plant that appeared by seed will only be able to bloom after seven years. While the bulbous version will give an inflorescence in the third year of life.
A flower not for a child's room
The bloom of the amaryllis flower is unusually beautiful, but you should not put it in the children's area. All its sections have an increased concentration of toxic substances. The plant can cause a gag reflex. If the juice of a flower enters the body of an animal, swelling, pain in the mouth and stomach, and breathing problems will appear. Children andpets should not have access to the plant.
In rare cases, the flowering of amaryllis may cause allergic rhinitis, irritation of the skin. In this case, the flower should say goodbye.
If the flower does not cause allergies, you can enjoy it for many years. In order not to harm yourself with poisonous juice, all manipulations with it should be done with protective gloves.
