Hippeastrum

Hippeastrum is a bulbous flowering plant from the Amaryllis family. It attracts attention with spectacular funnel-shaped flowers and elongated wide leaves. The height of the plant is up to 0.5 m, although the height of the peduncle is sometimes higher. The birthplace of hippeastrum is the southern, subtropical part of Brazil.

Under natural conditions, the flower is common in the tropical and subtropical zone of America, in the Amazon. In Russia, the plant was imported from Europe in the XIX century. Until now, it enjoys the great love of gardeners. Many species are grown at home. The bulb can vegetate in a flowerpot for up to 5 years.

Be sure to pay attention to such wonderful plants of the Amaryllis family as marshmallows and amaryllis.

The difference between hippeastrum and amaryllis

Both plants are worthy representatives of the Amaryllis family, both plants have beautiful large flowers - gramophone and elongated glossy leaves. It is 10-15 cm higher than amaryllis.

It blooms more often, usually 2 to 4 times a year. Amaryllis planted in the ground can bloom twice a year; at home, it opens only once. But up to 12 flowers are formed on its peduncle, and only 6 at the hippeastrum. Leaves growing at the base of the amaryllis in autumn or spring die off in the summer. Therefore, the plant has no leaves during flowering.

At the base of the flowering hippeastrum, 3 broad leaves are formed, and the 4th leaf serves as a substrate for the inflorescence. Hippeastrum flowers are larger than amaryllis flowers, their colors are more diverse. Almost odorless, amaryllis smells very nice.

Beneficial features

A plant with spectacular flowers, emits powerful positive energy. Looking at bright beautiful flowers, one cannot help but feel a surge of vivacity. In people who are next to a flowering plant, increased efficiency and increased mental activity. But charging the optimism of others, the plant quickly expends its strength, so the plant periodically needs to rest.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

Despite the fact that the plant has tropical roots, the hippeastrum at home manages to take root if optimal conditions are created for it:

Hippeastrum care at home. In detail

Bright juicy colors of the flower give joy and decorate the house. When a flower feels care, it also grows with desire and blooms magnificently.

Bloom

Plants from the Amaryllis family always bloom lushly. Hippeastrum flowering is a picturesque and touching phenomenon. An umbrella is formed on a long leafless peduncle of 6 large flowers - gramophone. Flowers with long stalks are painted in different colors: from white to all shades of red and their combinations. There are copies of a different color.

Any color of the petals seems gentle and not at all aggressive, despite the saturation of tones. The lack of aroma is fully compensated by the spectacular appearance of the flower. The life span of each flower is 10 to 13 days. Then the fruit is formed in the form of a tricuspid capsule with small seeds.

Blooms from twice a year. It is necessary to send the plant on vacation in time, not to strive for frequent flowering, otherwise the bulb will quickly exhaust its strength, and the flower will lose its decorative effect.

Why does hippeastrum not bloom?

Sometimes it does not live up to the expectations of the owners and refuses to bloom. There are various reasons for this behavior.

1. When the flower is abundantly and often watered, the clay is heavy clay, and the drainage layer is small, the bulb rots due to moisture stagnation. A sick plant does not have enough strength to bloom.
2. The plant absorbs nutrients from the soil very quickly. If they are not replenished with top dressing, the flower will quickly deplete and will not bloom.
3. Sometimes, with improper care, insects attack him. The plant directs forces to defense and long-term recovery after the use of insecticides.

How to make bloom?

There are several ways to make blooms, but resorting to them is better in the most extreme cases, so as not to deplete the plant.

1. In early July, cut leaves. The flower is not watered for a month, and after the resumption of watering, they begin to feed it. In this case, the hippeastrum will bloom beautifully in early September.
2. The bulb before planting is kept in hot (up to 40 degrees) water for 2.5 hours. Then the bulb dried in the air is planted and after three weeks they enjoy flowering.
3. If you stop watering in mid-August and move the flower pot to a darkened dry place, it can bloom after 1.5 months.

Care after flowering?

The splendid flowering of hippeastrum next year depends on a properly organized rest. In the first half of September, the flower is no longer watered.

When the foliage and peduncle wither (not earlier!), They are carefully trimmed. The flower pot is transferred to a dry, dark place and left there until January.

Temperature mode

In order for the hippeastrum plant to develop well at home, it is important to observe a strict temperature regime. In winter, the flower can be kept at a temperature not lower than + 13 ° C; optimal at this time is considered to be + 18 ° C. In summer, the plant vegetates harmoniously when the thermometer does not rise above + 25 ° C.

Spraying

Despite the fact that he has adapted to live and even blooms several times a year, he remains a tropical guest, sensitive to dry air. He is pleased when the indoor air humidity is slightly above average.

Florists with extensive experience do not recommend spraying the plant, especially during flowering. Raise the air humidity in other ways: periodically wipe the leaves from dust with a clean, damp cloth. A flower pot is installed on a pallet with wet expanded clay.

Lighting

For a flowering plant, it is very important to choose the right lighting. According to the rules, the flower must be placed in the eastern or southeastern parts of the house, where it can receive a sufficient amount of diffused bright light.

When placed in the southern part, the plant is shaded on hot days. The northern part of the house is strictly forbidden to the plant: it will not bloom from a lack of light. In order to form a beautiful symmetrical crown, the bush must be constantly rotated around its axis, exposing to the sun either side or the other.

Watering

In January, they begin to bring home from hibernation. He is gradually accustomed to the light. The plant is not watered so as not to damage the bulb. Watering resumes when he has an arrow. Rarely watered at this time, so that moisture does not lead to the formation of a large number of leaves in the absence of flowers.

Apply lower watering, pouring water into the pan. If watered from above, make sure that water does not get on the bulb (this can cause it to rot). When the peduncle begins to grow, watering is intensified and continues to be abundantly watered while flowering continues. By the end of August, watering is being reduced. In mid-September, the plant is rearranged in a cool room, watering is stopped.

Pot

Hippeastrum is a plant with a powerful root. While the flower is resting, he continues to supply the bulb with nutrients. It is important that the rhizome fits freely in the pot and touches the soil: this way, access to nutrients will be open. A thick drainage layer should also be placed at the bottom of the pot.

The plant will bloom beautifully in a relatively narrow container. Between the walls of the pot and the bulb should be no more than 25 mm. Therefore, the pot is chosen tall and narrow, at the bottom of which drainage holes are made.

Priming

The plant needs a nutritious loose soil that has a neutral or alkaline reaction. You can buy ready-made soil for bulb plants. Sometimes the substrate is prepared independently from one portion of peat, sand, humus and a double portion of turf land.

To make the mixture more loose, it is diluted with vermiculite, a coconut substrate; add brick chips. Also, coal powder, crushed sphagnum are added to the soil.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

For a flowering plant, top dressing and fertilizer are very important. The first time the plant is fertilized when the height of the arrow is 0.15 m. Then top dressing is carried out every three weeks. Finish feeding when its leaves turn yellow. As a fertilizer, solutions containing phosphorus - potassium compounds that promote lush flowering are used.

Nitrogen fertilizers can lead to gray rot, deadly to the flower. All finished fertilizers are used in half diluted form. Top dressing is carried out after evening watering. Then the plant is shaded for two days.

Transfer

One month after the end of flowering or in the first days of January, a hippeastrum transplant is performed. An adult bulb is transplanted every 2.5 years. More often they simply refresh the top layer of the substrate: the bulb quickly absorbs the nutrients in the soil.

When transplanting, it is important not to deepen the bulb completely: half of its upper part should remain above the soil surface. Top dressing resumes 14 days after transplantation.

Pruning

The plant dries up the leaves after flowering. When they are completely dry and the nutrients pass into the bulb, it will be possible to trim the leaves and peduncle. This pruning is not done before.

Rest period

In mid-September - the first half of January, the plant dormant period. Gradually stop watering. A signal to stop watering is the complete drying of the leaves. The flower pot is turned on its side and in this position is stored in a shaded, dry place. Top dressing is prohibited at this time. In early January, a rested plant begins to wake up gently, gradually accustoming to light and moisture.

Hippeastrum breeding

Reproduction at home is carried out in two ways. Fresh seeds have a high germination capacity.

Growing hippeastrum from seeds

The process is long but easy. Seeds are sown on a moist substrate. Cover with a film and germinate in a warm place, watering and airing. When shoots appear, the film is removed. When two leaves appear, they are transplanted into separate pots. Flowering will come in two years.

Bulb propagation by children

Such reproduction is more preferable. During the transplantation, the bulb plants - the children are separated from the mother's bulb (the cut points are dusted with coal powder) and planted in small tight pots. If there is more than 2.5 cm between the baby and the wall of the pot, the flower will not bloom for a long time. After planting for two years, the leaves of the hippeastrum are not cut.

Propagation by seeds is rarely carried out also because at home they are difficult to obtain without natural pollination.

Diseases and Pests

If you take care of the plant irresponsibly, it will be attacked by diseases and pests. Such troubles often occur with a plant:

1. Onions and leaves hippeastrum red spots (red mushroom burn) - sick and dry scales are removed from the bulb. Carefully cut damaged areas and roots. The slice is dusted with a mixture of copper sulfate and chalk (1:20). It is dried in air and planted in soil treated with fungicide (the roots and the lower part of the bottom should be in the soil, and the upper part of the bulb above it).
2. Onion rot - from waterlogging. The bulb is radically cleaned from damaged areas. They are treated with foundationazole and transplanted into sterile fresh soil (the pot should also be changed or washed well).
3. White plaque on top - Powdery mildew damage from overmoistening with high humidity and rare airing. Affected leaves and parts of the bulb are removed. Replace the top layer of the substrate. The plant is well sprayed with powdery mildew - Fundazol, Skor, Topaz (you can dip it in a basin with a solution). In the future, it is recommended to put the flower in a more lit place, minimize the amount of nitrogen fertilizers.

Often, hippeastrum is affected by cyclamen and spider mites, aphids, thrips, and mealybugs. Insecticides are used from insects.

Types and varieties of home hippeastrum with photos and names

There are approximately 70 species. In room culture, one variety is now grown, on the basis of which many varieties are bred.

Hippeastrum hybrid, or garden (Hippeastrum hybrida)

A flower with a juicy large bulb. Sometimes produces two peduncles. On one high (up to 0.7 m) peduncle 4 to 6 funnel-shaped flowers are formed. The diameter of the flowers is up to 0.2 m. The color of the petals is white, red, white and red (striped). Inflorescence is an umbrella. Flowering occurs in winter or spring. Emerald broad leaves are elongated, distinguished by delicate gloss.

Popular varieties of hippeastrum

Varietal classification was created taking into account the color of the petals.

• White: 'Mont Blanc', 'Early White', 'Picotee Petticoat', 'Christmas Gift'.
• Pink: 'Mazai', 'Pink Perfection', 'Apple Blossom'.
• Reds: 'Scarlet Baby', 'Red Lion', 'Scarlatto', 'Safari', 'Cardinal'.
• Mixed varieties: 'Susan' - pink with a pearl shimmer; 'Best Seller' - scarlet with cherry tint; 'Germa' - golden; `Minerva` - scarlet with a snow-white border and a green spot in the center.

Creates a festive mood in the house. Bright lush umbrellas of flowers maintain comfort and emphasize the elegance of the interior. The ability to adjust the beginning of flowering allows you to pre-prepare a bouquet as a gift, to which everyone will be happy.

Watch the video: Four Easy Steps To Reflowering AmaryllisHippeastrum (April 2024).