Transplantation and care of hippeastrum at home, rules of cultivation
Blooming large lily-like flowers, hippeastrum periodically needs a transplant. True, you need to transplant a flower only at rest. Once a year, at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring, the bulb is moved from a smaller pot to a larger one. At the same time, the substrate is changed. Such a procedure will save the flower from diseases, pests and the appearance of small flowers.
Peculiarities of the plant
Hippeastrum is an amaryllis-like plant belonging to the Amaryllis family. Artificially raised. There are about 90 varieties of this plant. Hippeastrum is a perennial bulbous crop. The size of the pear-shaped bulb is 5 to 10 centimeters in diameter (depending on the type). At its base there is a bottom, along the edges of which a root system is formed.Many roots reach a length of 35 centimeters.
Unlike amaryllis, hippeastrum grows oblong, belt-shaped leaves up to 50 centimeters long during or after flowering. The leaves come from the bulb. A peduncle also emerges from this plant organ - a long leafless stem, 35-80 centimeters high. An adult hippeastrum can have several arrowheads. At the top of the peduncle there is an umbel inflorescence, consisting of 2-4 or 5-6 large flowers.
Hippeastrum blooms 1-2 times a year, each time throwing a new arrow (mainly in spring and summer). Late autumn-winter is a period of dormancy. The flower resembles a funnel-shaped bowl, has six or more petals and, depending on the variety, is scarlet, pink, orange or white. Does not give off an odor during flowering. Six filaments and a pistil emerge from the center of the flower. The fruit is a tricuspid box with black seeds inside. Hippeastrum must be well cared for, watered, fed and transplanted in time.
Main varieties
Hippeastrum is a flower native to the tropics. The plant is obtained by artificial crossing. Attempts by breeders to diversify the list of species of this culture do not stop to this day. There are several of the most popular varieties of hippeastrum.
red
This variety has large funnel-shaped red flowers. The petals are dotted with thin, barely noticeable burgundy stripes. In the center, the flower has a white or dark spot. The leaves are oblong, green. The bulb is round, 5 to 9 cm in diameter.
white
The hippeastrum of this species is white in color and has a large lily-shaped flower. There is a greenish spot in the center of the flower. The plant can launch two flower arrows simultaneously. The leaves are oblong, narrow.
Leopold
This variety has a large red or white-red flower with a greenish-white throat. The bulb is round, 7.5 cm in diameter, with a short neck. The leaves are belt-shaped, 45-60 cm long.
Nelson
This hippeastrum is native to South America. It has large beige flowers, the petals of which change sharply and turn bright red at the end. The middle of the flower is greenish. The leaves are long, narrow, oblong.
Harrison
The plant is native to Uruguay. It has large white flowers. Two red lines are visible on each flower petal. The leaves are belt-shaped.
Argentine
It is a type of hippeastrum native to Argentina. The flowers are large, red, with 6 petals. The leaves are green, belt-shaped.
Conditions of detention
Hippeastrum is a thermophilic flower. In our climate, it is grown as a houseplant. True, in the warm season (summer), the bulb can be planted in a flower bed. The flower will bloom in 3 weeks. In early autumn, the onion is dug up and brought to a warm room for storage. Until next summer, she can rest at a temperature of +10 degrees Celsius.
Temperature regime
The flower feels great at room temperature. The room where the hippeastrum grows should be 18-25 degrees Celsius. In late autumn and winter, during the dormant period, when the plant has withered, the flowerpot can be at a temperature of 10-11 degrees Celsius, not less. At zero mark, this tropical visitor dies.
watering
Hippeastrum is watered with settled water at room temperature. Watering is carried out only in spring and summer, when the plant actively grows and blooms. Water the flower sparingly, every other day.During the rest period, the frequency of watering is reduced, and sometimes completely stopped. True, in winter it is advisable to water the bulbs that are in the ground from time to time so that they do not dry out.
air humidity
The flower does not need high humidity. This figure should be 50 percent. In summer, in hot weather, the flower can be sprayed with water.
Priming
This flower is undemanding to the soil. It is allowed to plant it in any store soil mixture of neutral or slightly acidic acidity. You can prepare the soil yourself from equal parts peat, compost, lawn or garden soil, sand.
Lighting
During the period of active growth (spring and summer), the flower can stand on the windowsill. Hippeastrum feels good in the sun for a period of the day. At rest (in late fall and winter), the bulbous root should be in a dark, cool closet.
Seasonal Care Features
This flower must be constantly cared for so that it does not die. True, depending on the season, it needs different care.
Spring
In the spring, the bulb is planted in a pot or taken out of a dark pantry and placed on a windowsill. During this period, the plant is watered 1-2 times a week. When the leaves appear, watering is carried out every other day. The air temperature should be 18-22 degrees Celsius. When the flower sheds the peduncle, it can be fed every two weeks with commercial universal fertilizers for flowering plants.
Summer
In summer, the flower should be watered regularly, moderately. During watering, it is necessary to ensure that water does not get on the bulb, otherwise it will begin to rot. In hot weather, the hippeastrum can be irrigated with water. It is advisable to feed it with minerals every two weeks.
Autumn
During the fall months, the flower begins to prepare for the dormant period. Its leaves gradually wither, turn yellow. During this period, the frequency of watering is reduced. The plant is watered once a week. Completely yellowed and dried leaves and peduncles are cut off.
Winter
From December to February, the plant is dormant. During this period, the pot with the bulb is taken out into a cool dark closet, where the air temperature does not drop below 10 degrees Celsius. Once every 2 weeks, the hippeastrum is watered, taking care not to soak the bulb itself.
At the end of winter, the bulb is transplanted into a cool substrate and taken out to a warm room, placed on a windowsill and watered more often.
Planting and transplanting a flower
Planting or transplanting is carried out during a dormant period, that is, in autumn or winter. A soil mixture is prepared in advance from peat, sand, peat or garden soil and compost. You can transplant the bulb into ready-made, universal store-bought soil. The pot is chosen narrow, but deep. Its size should be twice the size of the bulb. Pebbles for drainage should be placed on the bottom. Then the soil is poured. The bulb is planted so that a third is above the soil surface.
Rules of care during and after flowering
During the flowering period, which usually takes place in spring and summer, the hippeastrum is kept at room temperature and watered every other day. Once every two weeks, the flower is fed with universal liquid fertilizers. After flowering in the warm season, sprouts can remain on the windowsill.It should be watered 1-2 times a week, the soil should not dry out.
Completely yellowed and faded leaves can be cut to the ground. Usually, after some time, the flower again sheds leaves, a peduncle and flowers. True, in late autumn, after the next flowering, when the leaves completely wither, it is better to take it to a cool pantry and leave it alone for the whole winter.
Breeding methods
Hippeastrum reproduces in several ways. The easiest way to propagate a flower is to divide the old bulb during the dormant period.
Vegetative
With this method, the small leaves that have appeared with part of the bulb are cut from the plant and transplanted into a separate container. Usually, vegetative propagation is understood by dividing the bulb.
bulb division
With this method, all the varietal characteristics of the plant are fully preserved. Division is carried out before planting or transplanting. Large and healthy samples are taken. The bulbs are divided into 4 parts. Each section must have its own roots. The cuts can be sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Each piece is planted in a separate container in a moist substrate. After a few days, the plant takes root in a new place and releases leaves.
Seeds
In order to get seeds independently, during the flowering period, the pistil must be artificially pollinated with pollen from the stamens. Inside the pod, the seeds ripen in 2 months. The box should turn from green to brown. Ripe seeds are removed and immediately sown in the ground.
They can be soaked in the nutrient solution for 30 minutes before planting.Seeds are germinated on a damp towel or immediately sown in moist sandy-peat soil. They are kept under the film for some time. The seedling pot should be in a bright place. Seedlings germinate after 15-20 days. In the phase of 2-3 leaves, they are dipped in separate pots.
Children
An adult bulb periodically forms several babies (small side bulbs). Over time, these children develop their own roots. During the dormant period, they can be separated from the mother bulb and planted in separate pots.
How to Trim and Shape Properly
Hippeastrum should be dormant in winter. Before wintering, all dried and yellowed leaves and peduncles are carefully cut to the ground. A naked onion is brought to light in the spring and watered slowly. When the first leaves appear, the frequency of watering is increased.
The plant does not need to be trained. It throws out 1-2 peduncles, on each of which 2-6 flowers bloom. When the flowers have bloomed and produced seeds, they are cut. If there is no need for seeds, the stems are cut immediately after flowering.
Plant rejuvenation
Before transplantation, the flower can be rejuvenated, that is, cut off old leaves, peduncles, and also remove old scales from the bulb, leaving only white ones. In order to stimulate the formation of a peduncle, the bulb is soaked for 2 hours in warm water before planting. The flower after such a procedure will bloom in 3-4 weeks. Then it will bloom for another month.
Solve common problems
This tropical plant, if not properly cared for, can become diseased or attacked by harmful insects.If the hippeastrum is planted in fertile soil, watered, fertilized, kept warm over time, the flower will develop normally.
The leaves are turning yellow
If the flower is wilted, its leaves turn yellow. It is not necessary to fight against this problem, it is a natural process. Just cut off the yellowed leaves. During dormancy, the frequency of watering should be reduced.
True, if the leaves turn yellow during or before flowering, you need to water the plant more often, put it in partial shade, feed it with complex fertilizer.
Rots
If the flower begins to rot, it is better to cut off all the leaves and dig up the bulb. Rotten places should be removed or cleaned with a knife. Then the bulb can be treated with a fungicidal agent (Maxim, Fundazol). Before replanting in the open ground, you can dry it for 1-2 weeks at room temperature. It is advisable to plant the dried onion in a new pot and a new substrate.
does not bloom
If the plant does not bloom, it should be placed in the sun and fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Watering the flower should be moderate and regular.
don't push
If the planted bulb does not grow, it can be dug up and immersed in warm water or a nutrient mixture for 2 hours. Before planting, the roots can be treated with a rooting stimulant.
small buds
If the plant blooms too often, lacks nutrients or moisture, then the buds become small. The flower should be able to bloom 1-2 times a year. During the rest period, watering should be reduced, and the flowerpot should be placed in a cool, dark place.
burnt red mushroom
This disease is called stagonosporosis. In a diseased plant, orange-red spots are visible on the leaves.If signs are detected, it is necessary to reduce watering and quickly put the plant into dormancy. Then cut off all the leaves, tear off the onion, inspect it carefully and clean off the brown spots.
The bulb should be etched in a solution of a fungicide (Rubigan) or a copper-containing preparation. Then it is dried and planted in a new substrate.
Powdery mildew
With this disease, a white powdery coating appears on the leaves. With a small lesion, the foliage can be irrigated with a fungicide solution (Topaz, Fundazol). In case of severe infection, all the leaves should be cut off, the onion should be dug up, treated with fungicide and transplanted into a new soil mixture.
Red rot
Stagonosporosis can appear on the bulb as rotting reddish-brown spots. The onion must be dug up, cleaned of rot, treated with fungicide, dried for 7 days and planted in a new substrate.
Spider
This tiny red insect, weaving a cobweb on leaves or peduncles, is fought with the help of acaricides (Kleschevit, Fitoverm). If this does not help, the leaves are cut off, the bulb is transplanted into new soil.
Shield
It is a small brown insect with a shield that usually colonizes. Scale insects are removed from the plant mechanically - with a cotton swab dipped in soapy water. Insecticides are used against mealybugs: Actellik, Aktara.
cochineal
It is a tiny white hairy insect that forms large colonies. Insecticides are saved for him: Fitoverm, Inta-vir.
Additional tips and tricks
It is not recommended to water or feed the hippeastrum during the rest period, that is, in autumn and winter. True, the soil in which the bulb is located should be slightly moistened.It is better to place the plant in a dark place for the winter so that it can rest. If in the fall the flower is actively watered, fed and kept in the light, it will throw off the peduncle again. True, due to frequent flowering, the flowers will become smaller.