Caring for hippeastrum. Favorite flowers Planting hippeastrum at home

Bloom. The flowering stage begins from the moment the flower arrow appears until the buds wither. The flowering period is on average three weeks. The flower arrow grows for two weeks, the buds bloom for 1-2 days (they can all bloom at once, they can bloom one by one) and the flowers remain in bloom for about a week. The duration of the flowering period depends on temperature conditions (the higher the temperature, the faster the peduncle grows, the faster the buds bloom, the buds wither faster), on the number of peduncles (when the bulb blooms with several peduncles, the flowering period can be up to 1.5 months), on the varietal characteristics (terry varieties bloom 1-2 days earlier than non-terry varieties).
Flowering usually occurs once a year (in autumn or winter, or early spring), and with good care again in the summer. The timing largely depends on care (when the bulb was put to rest) and also on varietal characteristics (there are varieties that bloom at a certain time).

The growing season or growth period. During this period, the hippeastrum recovers after flowering, increases the leaves and volume of the bulb, and lays flower stalks for future flowering. This period is very important, future flowering depends on it. Lasts on average about 8-9 months, and sometimes longer. The timing depends on the recovery of the bulb. It takes longer for very thin bulbs and bulbs to recover after illness (rot, red burn).

Rest period. It begins from the moment the bulb is placed in a dark, cool place, and lasts an average of 3 months. The duration depends on the previous season and storage conditions. Healthy, well-fed bulbs are sent to rest.

Caring for Amaryllis

Caring for Hippeastrum - in the section of the Encyclopedia of indoor plants.

Planting hippeastrum

Question: When can hippeastrums be replanted? And how often?

It is advisable to replant once a year; hippeastrums are voracious and quickly consume the supply of nutrients in the soil. You can replant either before sending it to rest, or after a period of rest, i.e. before flowering. In some cases, for example, purchased hippeastrum has faded, it can be replanted after flowering. It is not advisable to replant during the flowering period.

Question: How to plant a bulb correctly? Is it necessary to bury it?

Hippeastrums are planted so that a third of the bulb rises above the ground.

Question: When replanting, do I need to remove dry scales?

From a healthy bulb, only those scales that can be easily removed can be removed. Brown scales that are close to the bulb and cannot be removed do not need to be removed.

Question: What soil should I plant in?

The soil should be light in composition, with good water and air permeability, rich in organic matter. Slightly acidic pH - 5.6-6. You can use store-bought soil or mix it yourself. There is a large selection of purchased soils; there are special soils for bulbous plants.

It is better to add sand or vermiculite to the purchased soil for greater looseness. If you want to make the soil yourself, then the composition is as follows: clay-turf soil, leaf soil, humus, peat and sand (2: 1: 1: 1: 1)

Question: Is it possible to grow hippeastrums in open ground?

It's possible for the summer. In the garden they grow very well and reserve strength for future flowering. Just don’t forget about pests (there are more of them in the garden than in indoor conditions), rodents and the fact that the weather is changeable. During frosts and heavy rains, the bulbs need to be covered. You need to dig up the bulbs before the first autumn frosts.

Feeding hippeastrum

Question: How to properly feed hippeastrum?

The composition of the fertilizer depends on the stage of development. The most important element is potassium. Fertilize approximately once every two weeks.

During the flowering period, emphasis is placed on phosphorus-potassium and a low nitrogen content.

At the beginning of the growing season, the emphasis is on nitrogen-potassium, in the middle nitrogen-phosphorus in equal proportions, slightly more potassium.

A month before the dormant period, feeding is stopped.

A few rules: you can’t fertilize on dry soil, after replanting, the first fertilizing is no earlier than 1.5-2 months, carefully read the instructions and dilute according to the instructions, do not overdose.

Question: Is it better to feed with organic matter or mineral fertilizers?

Hippeastrums are good with both organic and mineral matter. Ideally, it is better to alternate them. There are also special fertilizers for bulbous plants.

Watering hippeastrums

Question: How to water hippeastrums correctly?

Flowering period. Until the arrow has grown by 10-15 cm, water as it dries (i.e. the top layer should dry well between waterings). As soon as the peduncle begins to open, watering should be increased, but no swamp. Hippeastrums do not like the bay.

Growing season. Water as the top layer dries.

Rest period. Watering once every 1.5 months is not very abundant. Watering must be careful; under no circumstances should water get on the bulb, otherwise the upper scales may rot.

Reproduction

Question: What are the methods for propagating hippeastrum?

Seeds, babies, dividing the bulb.

Seed propagation of hippeastrum

As a rule, it is used in breeding to develop new varieties and hybrids. When propagating a variety by seed, 100% compliance with the parent form in seedlings is not guaranteed. Self-pollination does not provide a 100% guarantee that the same variety will be obtained. There are species that cannot self-pollinate. This method of reproduction is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming. An onion grown from seeds blooms with good care in the 5th-6th year.

The pollination process is simple: the stigma of a flower of one variety of hippeastrum is pollinated with pollen of other varieties, pollinated several times from the moment the stigma lobes diverge until complete divergence.

Only healthy bulbs are selected for pollination.

It takes about 1.5-2 months for the seeds to ripen. Seeds can be collected when the seed pod begins to open. Not all seeds are suitable for planting; there are “dummy” seeds (that is, there is no embryo inside), so the seeds are sorted before planting. The largest, plumpest seeds are selected (the embryo can be felt to the touch). The sorted seeds can be sown in the ground, lightly sprinkled with soil, or placed in water (with activated carbon) and wait for germination; as soon as the white root emerges, plant it in the ground (with the white root down). The distance between seeds when planting is 1.5-2 cm.

For seed germination and seedling growth, light, warmth and proper watering are important. The soil should be slightly moist, temperature 20-23 degrees. If these conditions are not met, the seeds may not germinate or may rot. The germination rate of fresh seeds is almost 100%.

Seedlings need to be transplanted as they grow. Don't forget to apply fertilizer.

Spring seedlings are stronger than autumn ones, so seed propagation is best done in the spring. In addition, autumn seedlings need additional lighting in winter.

Reproduction of hippeastrum by children

This method allows you to preserve all varietal characteristics, but the reproduction rate is low. Children are formed irregularly. The formation of children largely depends on the variety, for example, La Paz and Giraffe seabirds easily produce children, but terry varieties are reluctant.

The babies are separated from the mother's bulb during transplantation. When separated, the baby should be at least 2 cm, with good roots. With good care, children bloom in the 4th year.

Hippeastrum propagation by dividing the bulb

This method is rarely used among amateur flower growers. Firstly, because you need to cut a healthy onion. Secondly, there is a risk of losing the bulb and not getting babies (there is a high probability of infection in the wound). But the reproduction rate is high and the resulting children retain their varietal characteristics.

Adult, healthy bulbs are selected for propagation. Dried bulbs that have been in storage for a long time, as well as bulbs during the flowering period and immediately after flowering, are not suitable for division.

Selected bulbs are washed in clean running water and cleaned of old outer scales. The roots and bottom, if it is too high, are cut off with a sterile knife (the bottom cannot be cut off completely). 1/3-1/4 is removed from the top of the onion. After which the onion is cut vertically into 8-16 parts (segments). The width of the segment is 1-2 cm. The number of segments depends on the size of the bulb; the larger the bulb, the more segments. Then each segment is cut into 3-5 divisions, consisting of two scales, fastened at the base with a piece of the bottom. Depending on the size of the uterine bulb, you can get 50-60 or more divisions from one bulb. Before planting, the cuttings are treated with a fungicide (in Maxim, in Vitaros or in foundation).

The cuttings are planted in perlite, sawdust, river sand or in substrates prepared from these components with the addition of peat. The thickness of the substrate layer should be at least 10-12 cm. Substrates that are heavy in mechanical composition are not suitable for planting cuttings. Before planting, the substrate is steamed or poured over the entire thickness of its layer with fungicides to destroy the harmful microflora present in it.

The distance between divisions when planting is small - 1200 - 1500 divisions per 1 m square. Plant in boxes or on racks with bottom heating. Planting is carried out to a depth of no more than 1/3 of the height of the division. Deep planting leads to rotting of the cuttings, a decrease in reproduction productivity, and retards the growth and development of the resulting daughter bulbs.

Planting can also be carried out in segments, without dividing them into divisions. But the productivity of reproduction, despite the large number of daughter bulbs formed by one segment, is lower, since the number of planting units obtained from one bulb is significantly less than when dividing the bulb into segments. Planting in segments is used only when it is necessary to divide small bulbs that have a small amount of scales.

The formation of daughter bulbs occurs a month after planting the divisions at the place where the scales are attached to the bottom. Each division forms 1-2, and individual divisions up to 6, daughter bulbs. Three months after planting the divisions, the newly formed daughter bulbs have an independent root system and 2-3 leaves. At this age, the plants are replanted. The success of reproduction using the paired scale method depends on the temperature and humidity of the substrate.

The temperature of the substrate during the formation of daughter bulbs is maintained within 22-24°C, the air temperature is 1-2°C lower. Lower temperatures, as well as sudden changes in temperature during the formation of daughter bulbs, lead to a sharp decrease in reproductive productivity.

The substrate must be kept moist at all times. Overmoistening and drying out of the substrate reduces the productivity of reproduction. Air humidity is maintained within 75-80%. Increased humidity and air stagnation, decreases and sudden changes in temperature contribute to the massive development of stagonosporosis.

Fertilizing is carried out after the plants have an independent root system and leaf apparatus. Plants that are grown on substrates that do not contain nutrients (perlite, sawdust, river sand) especially need feeding. Fertilizing is carried out with liquid organic or mineral fertilizers twice a month.

Care during the formation of daughter bulbs and in the initial period of plant life consists of systematic watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and protecting plants from diseases and pests.

Choosing a bulb in a store

Question: How to choose the right onion in the store? What should you pay attention to?

During the forcing season (autumn or spring), hippeastrums can be bought either in bulk (without soil in a plastic bag on which the variety and supplier are written) or in a pot.

When purchasing, carefully inspect the bulb. The neck, bottom and the bulb itself must be strong and dense. The top scales should be dry brown. There should be no compaction, darkening, redness, or rot.

When buying a bulb in a pot, pay attention to the roots (they can be seen through the drainage hole (the roots should be white)), the feel of the bulb (should be strong), the upper scales should be dry brown (soft, wet - rotten), on the leaves (if they exist) and the bulb should not be red.

When buying an onion at a discounted price, try to find out the reason for the discount. Prices are reduced for faded bulbs at the end of the planting season. Sometimes they sell flooded bulbs with rot at reduced prices. And it’s also worth noting that mis-grading is very common in stores.

Questions about hippeastrum flowering

Question: How long does hippeastrum bloom?

On average, the flowering period takes 3 weeks (from the moment the peduncle appears until the buds wither). The flowering period is extended when the bulb blooms with several peduncles (after all, the peduncles do not always bloom at the same time, sometimes one after the other).

Temperature also affects flowering times. At a temperature of deg. 25 The peduncle grows quickly, the bud opens quickly, and the bud quickly fades. Optimum temperature deg. 18-20. There is a little trick: as soon as the bud opens, the hippeastrum can be moved to a cooler place (degree 16), then the flowering will last longer.

Question: Hippeastrum grows leaves and does not want to bloom. How to achieve flowering?

First of all, you need to think about the conditions under which hippeastrum is kept.

1. The bulb may be too small. Typically, bulbs smaller than 6 cm are children, or bulbs that spent a lot of effort on flowering and are too weak after flowering. It is too early for such bulbs to bloom; they need to increase their volume, i.e. fertilizing (nitrogen-potassium) and light are needed; there is no need to arrange a rest period.

2. For flowering, it is very important that the bulb regains its strength during the growth period and lays a flower arrow (usually the arrow is laid after every 4th leaf).

3. The bulb lacks nutrients. Consider how long ago you replanted your bulb. It is advisable to replant even an adult bulb every year, since during the growth period the hippeastrum consumes all the nutrients in the soil. In addition to replanting, the bulb needs proper feeding to restore its strength. During flowering - phosphorus-potassium and a small nitrogen content, after flowering nitrogen-potassium and a small phosphorus content.

4. Lack of light. Think about what kind of lighting you have. Hippeastrums are light-loving and can be easily placed on a sunny southern window.

With such illumination, during the growth period (spring-summer) they will get stronger and lay a flower arrow, and maybe more than one. A bulb that has not received enough light, for example, has stood on a northern windowsill all spring and summer or, in a place where the sun's rays rarely reach, may not flourish.

5. In what container is the hippeastrum planted? The pot should not be very spacious. The distance from the bulb to the wall of the pot is no more than 3 cm.

6. Don't forget about the rest period. After a rapid period of growth, the bulb needs to rest for two to three months in a cool, dark place.

Question: The bulb is 3 cm, why doesn’t it bloom?

It's a baby, too small to bloom.

Question: A third flower stalk has appeared, I’m worried about the bulb. Will she have enough strength?

A well-fed bulb quietly blooms with three peduncles. If you are worried about the onion, then as soon as the bud opens, the peduncle can be cut off and placed in water.

Question: On the third arrow, the flowers were not as large as on the first two. Why?

I didn't have enough strength. As soon as the buds open, it is better to cut off such a peduncle and place it in water.

Question: How many flowers can there be on one peduncle?

From 2 to 6. The quantity depends on the age of the bulb and varietal characteristics.

Question: Why does hippeastrum have a peduncle longer than 80 cm?

Or there is not enough light. The more light, the shorter the peduncle.

Question: A peduncle has appeared, the bulb has 60 cm leaves. Do I need to trim the leaves?

There is no need to trim the leaves. This is stress; strength will be needed to heal the wound (cut site) and to produce new leaves. Why waste her extra energy? All her energy is now spent on flowering.

Question: Is it possible to get flowering by a certain date? I want it to bloom for the New Year.

Yes, you can. The calculation is as follows: on average, the dormant period lasts 2.5 months (10 weeks), from the moment the flower shoot appears until the buds open, about 3 weeks pass. In total, it turns out to be 13 weeks (a little more than 3 months). This means that in order to get flowering for the New Year, you need to send the bulb to rest in early October.

Question: Is it possible to achieve flowering on northern windows?

Hippeastrums are light-loving and feel more comfortable on southern, western, and eastern windows. You can make it bloom on a north, north-west, or north-east window. But the hippeastrum grows the bulb and recovers poorly after flowering, it spends a lot of energy on flowering (the bulb noticeably loses weight), produces long leaves and not so many, peduncles are very long and elongated.

Question: The peduncle rotates around its axis. Is this normal?

It's okay, he's reaching for the light.

Question: The buds have withered. When should you remove the peduncle?

In order not to weaken the flower stalk after the buds have withered, you need to cut it off.

Question: Is it true that it is very difficult to get the next flowering from the Dutch?

It is a myth. Flowering does not depend on the “Dutch”, but on the conditions of detention.

Hippeastrum growing season

Question: After flowering, the bulb has voids. Is this normal?

She spent energy on flowering, which is why voids were formed. There is nothing wrong, the bulb needs to recover. Over time, the voids will close. Try to water more carefully so that water does not get into the “voids.”

Question: The bulb after abundant flowering (there were 3 peduncles) lost a lot of weight. How can I help her recover? And will it be restored to its original size?

In room conditions, the bulb can be restored to its original size, it all depends on care. To recover, she needs: a sufficient amount of light, proper feeding, watering. The slowest to recover are the bulbs that bloomed with three peduncles. Such bulbs spent a lot of effort on flowering and can easily skip the next flowering.

Question: Hippeastrum bloomed with three shoots last year. This year it refuses to bloom. Care according to the rules (light, feeding, rest). The bulb is strong, grew 10 leaves during the growing season, and retired on its own. Why didn't it bloom?

It is possible that the hippeastrum missed flowering. I spent a lot of effort on the previous flowering. And during the growing season I only managed to grow the bulb. Continue care, it will bloom next year.

Question: Hippeastrum has bloomed, the shoot has dried up, but there are no leaves? What is he going through now: growing season or immediate dormancy?

Vegetation. There are varieties that bloom in a leafless state. Leaves appear within a month.
If the flowering bulb was recently purchased, it may not have roots. She spent all her energy on flowering, now she is growing roots, then leaves will appear.

Question: Hippeastrum has faded. The first leaf appeared and turned yellow almost immediately, a little later two more leaves appeared, and they turned yellow and dried out. The bulb is strong, dense, no rot. I replanted it, but there were no roots when replanting. Watering is neat. It is on the east window. What with her?

Most likely the problem is the lack of roots. Healthy leaves will appear as soon as the bulb has roots. You can stimulate the formation of roots with “kornevin” or “heterauxin”.

Question: The purchased hippeastrum has bloomed and was planted in peat upon purchase. I want to transplant. Can I replant after flowering?

It is possible and even necessary. When replanting, be sure to inspect the roots; in the store they often flood, and rot forms on the roots and bulb. Old peat must be removed from the roots and treated with Maxim (or another fungicide) before planting.

Question: Hippeastrum leaves are falling down too long, what kind of support can I come up with?

In the store you can find various supports, similar to those shown in the photo. If you connect them together, or use them separately, you get convenient support for the leaves. The supports can be plastic or bamboo. You can use woolen thread to tie the leaves to the support.

Question: How to properly cut off a peduncle after flowering?

Cut so that about 10 cm of the peduncle remains from the neck of the bulb. After the remainder of the peduncle dries, it can be easily twisted out. You can see from the remainder of the peduncle whether the bulb is healthy or not. A healthy bulb has a dry peduncle; a diseased bulb has a slimy, soft, red peduncle.

Question: Leaves appeared from the ground, what are they?

These are leaves from the baby.

Question: The leaves have a red tint. What is this red burn?

If the purple discoloration is uniform on all leaves and begins at the base of the leaves, then this is a varietal feature and indicates that the bulb blooms red or with a predominance of red and dark red color. Varieties with purple foliage: Red Lion, Benfica, Lima, Papilio Butterfly, Rapido, La Paz.
If sudden red streaks or spots of redness appear on the leaves, then the cause is rot or “red burn.”

Hippeastrum dormant period

Question: The leaves of the hippeastrum began to turn yellow and wither. Maybe he's going to retire?

Look at the onion. Have you grown up? Did you grow leaves during the growing season? If yes, then the bulb is going to rest. You need to put it in a dark, cool place and reduce watering. The bulb will take all the nutrients from the leaves.

Question: I bought hippeastrum in early November and it bloomed. During 4 months of growth, it grew 7 leaves. Should he be retired (it’s March now)?

It’s too early to retire; the bulb hasn’t had time to recover. Send in early fall.

Question: How to send an onion to rest?

Place the onion in a dark, cool place. There is no need to cut off the leaves; the bulb will take nutrients from them. After some time, the leaves will turn yellow and wilt and can be easily removed.

Question: Why retire?

My hippeastrum blooms once a year without a dormant period.

And if you don’t want to kick them out, you don’t have to arrange a rest period. In this case, it is difficult to predict flowering.

Question: How to determine whether the hippeastrum bulb is awake?

The bulb woke up as soon as the peduncle or leaves appeared.

Question: When to “wake up” the bulb? Or wait until she wakes up?

At rest for more than 2 months. If it is in a cool place, then it is enough to bring it into a warmer, bright place and the forcing effect will work. If you don’t do anything, she will wake up on her own when she deems it necessary.

Question: Hippeastrum retired three months ago. Now there is no flower shoot or leaves, the bulb has lost weight. What to do?

The bulb gave all its strength to the previous flowering and did not recover. Take out the bulb, replant it in fresh soil, let it grow and restore its strength. Such a bulb is unlikely to flourish.

Question: Hippeastrum was sent to rest (in a dark, cool place). No sooner had the leaves dried than new ones appeared. What to do with him?

Option one, the bulb has rested and is ready to bloom. You can keep it in a dark place for a little while (a week or two) (wait for the peduncle) or immediately place it on the windowsill.
Option two, they retired early. The bulb did not have time to regain its strength and continues to grow. Take it out and let the bulb recover.

Question: Is it necessary to send the baby hippeastrum to rest?

No. There is no need to give children a rest period.

Difference between hippeastrum and amaryllis

Both plants belong to the same Amaryllidaceae family.
At first, both hippeastrum and amaryllis belonged to the genus Amaryllis. Subsequently, taxonomy, due to significant differences in the structure of plants, resulted in two different genera. The botanical name amaryllis went to the species amaryllis belladonna, the rest got the name hippeastrum.

Signs	Hippeastrum	Amaryllis
Number of species	Approximately 50-70 species, although some sources mention up to 85 species	one species Amaryllis Belladonna
Origin	subtropics and tropics of America	South Africa
Number of chromosomes	X=11. In most cases, incompatible with other genera of the Amaryllis family.	X=11. Freely crosses with other genera of the Amaryllis family, including Crinum, Nerine, Brunsvigia.
Evergreen or deciduous	Depends on the species, most species are deciduous, with a pronounced dormant period, but there are species without a pronounced dormant period (evergreen), for example, Hippeastrum Papilio.	With a pronounced dormant period, the leaves are shed during the dormant period. A dormant period is necessary for the development of the flower bud.
Flowering period	Usually blooms once a year. The flowering period depends on forcing: early forcing means autumn flowering, late forcing means flowering in winter and spring. Some hippeastrums bloom twice a year, usually blooming again in summer.	End of summer, autumn. Flowering once a year.
Peduncle (main difference)	Hollow, cylindrical, up to 90 cm high, the color of the peduncle is usually green, but can be green with purple, gray or brown shades	Not hollow, up to 96 cm high, with a purple tint.
Number of flowers on a peduncle	Usually from 2 to 6, but some species have up to 15 flowers with a weak odor or no odor. The number of flowers depends on the species and variety, for example, the species wild Hippeastrum fosteri develops up to 15 flowers on one peduncle, the small-flowered Rapido has up to 9, the small-flowered Jaguar has up to 8, the terry medium-flowered Alfresco has up to 8.	from 6 to 12 fragrant flowers.
Color of flowers	Red, pink, orange, yellow, green, cream, white; one-color or two-color; with stripes, veined, speckled.	Shades of pink range from deep pink-red to almost white.
Shape of flowers	Various: double, long-tubular, orchid-like, similar in shape to Leopoldii and Reginae, etc.	funnel-shaped
Flower size	Depends on the variety and type: from 5 cm to 22 cm	from 9 to 13 cm
Perianth petals	6 similar or different in shape and size (depending on the type)	6 similar in shape and size
Bracts (protective casing of the inflorescence)	2	2
Perianth tube	Depending on the species, it can be very long, up to 15 cm, or very short, 2-4 cm.	short
Leaves	Depending on the type, the leaves are green, glossy or matte, silky or hard, long, belt-shaped. Appear before or simultaneously with the flower arrow. Leaves length up to 90 cm, width 3.5-5 cm.	The leaves are narrow, bright green, glossy. The shape is grooved. Leaf length is up to 60 cm, width up to 3.5 cm. They appear after flowering (i.e. they bloom in a leafless state).
Bulb, shape	symmetrical. Depending on the type, the shape can be different, round, round-conical or slightly elongated.	pear-shaped
Bulb, diameter (adult, capable of flowering)	7 cm - more than 10 cm. The size depends on the variety: most wild species, tubular and small-flowered varieties have small bulbs, large-flowered and double-flowered varieties have large bulbs in an adult plant capable of flowering. The size of the bulb depends on the variety (in small-flowered varieties the size of an adult bulb is smaller than in large-flowered ones)	more than 12 cm.
Scales	white in color, the structure resembles onion scales, the scale breaks easily (without effort)	grayish in color, have pubescence on the inside (the pubescence looks like cotton wool or cobwebs), it is difficult to tear the scales
Seeds	The seed capsule contains about 30-45 flat, black, disc-shaped seeds with flying wings. The embryo is covered with black protective tissue.	The seed capsule contains about 20 thick, bulbous, light pomegranate seeds.
Seed germination (germination)	Usually about 2 weeks, sometimes a little more.	About 56 days.
Features of children's education	Usually babies appear closer to the drying scales.	An interesting feature in adult bulbs is that children appear between the scales in the middle of the bulb, and several growth points are obtained.
Features of cultivation	In indoor conditions it grows and blooms well. Typically, the growing season occurs in spring–summer, the dormant period occurs in autumn, the beginning of winter, and the flowering period occurs in late autumn, winter, and spring.	In indoor conditions it is difficult to grow and bloom, because its biological cycle is disrupted. The plant is native to Africa and blooms when it is spring in Africa, during the rainy season. After flowering it vegetates, and during periods of drought and high temperatures it rests. In our conditions, African spring occurs in autumn, so it blooms here (in Russia) in autumn. During the growth period (in our conditions, winter-spring) it lacks light. The plant is very light-loving. Best grown in the garden in direct sun. The temperature should not be lower than 10 degrees, so in the fall they need to be dug up and put in a warmer, brighter place.

The article used the experience of forum members: Veta, Severina, Elena Prekrasnaya, Olga Gr, Faust, ITALIA, Lucien, Apsara, Vesna, Simona, Romashka. Thanks for the experience and advice.

The genus Hippeastrum belongs to the Amaryllis family. It includes ninety species. Hippeastrum is native to the tropical and subtropical zones of South America, especially the Amazon River basin.

General information

Sometimes this plant is confused with amaryllis - they are indeed close, but not the same. Hippeastrum is a perennial flower that grows from a bulb. Its foliage is linear, growing more than half a meter in length and five in width.

Flowers similar to umbrellas form inflorescences and appear on a high peduncle. After flowering, a box of seeds appears, which have a very high germination rate when fresh.

This plant has features that need to be remembered.

• varieties whose inflorescences are white or light in color usually produce few high-quality seeds.
• In summer it is advisable to bury plants in open soil
• The flowering of hippeastrum lasts only 10 days.
• To do forcing you need to take only large bulbs.

The following varieties are quite popular: hippeastrum hybrid , charisma , papilio , picoti . The mix is ​​a mixture of different hippeastrum seeds.

Hippeastrum care at home

To grow hippeastrum, you need to choose a place for it with a lot of light, but the rays should not fall directly on it - the light needs to be diffused, but bright.

During the growing season, the temperature should not be lower than twenty degrees, but not higher than twenty-five.

Watering and feeding hippeastrum

Watering the plant during the growth period of green mass is minimal, but it must be increased little by little before flowering begins. Before flowering begins, watering should be done abundantly, but only so that the ground is not wet.

You can use only settled, not cold water for the procedure. You need to water so that the liquid does not get on the bulb.

At the end of flowering, you should begin to reduce watering and later stop it altogether.

For hygienic purposes, the leaves of the hippeastrum should be wiped with a damp cloth from time to time. When the peduncle reaches 15 cm in height, you should water the ground with a manganese solution.

And after five days, fertilize the flower with phosphorus fertilizer. In general, fertilizing during the growing season should be done every 15 days with a product for deciduous plants. With the appearance of foliage, products for flowering plants are used.

Hippeastrum transplant

Hippeastrum transplantation is carried out 3-4 years after planting, and then every year. This procedure must be performed before the start of the rest period or immediately after it ends. The pot for replanting should be taken a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one.

The soil for replanting should contain 2 shares of perlite, a share of leaf and turf soil and a share of humus. It is also necessary to put drainage in the container. The flower must be moved by transshipment so that the hippeastrum rhizome is not damaged.

The bulb must be covered with substrate so that a third of it is on the surface.

Hippeastrum dormant period

From the beginning of autumn until January, the flower begins a dormant period.

At this time, watering should be gradually reduced. This will cause the foliage on the plant to dry out and fall off. After this, the shoot will need to be cut off, and the hippeastrum itself will need to be kept in a dark and dry place where the temperature will be about 10 degrees. There is no need to water. The plant will remain in this state for about six to seven weeks, and then awaken.

Stimulation of hippeastrum flowering

To be sure that the hippeastrum will bloom, you can resort to some tricks. Let's say, keep the bulbs in warm water for three hours, the water temperature should be about 44 degrees.

You can also stop watering the flower in August by moving it to a dry, warm room. So the hippeastrum should remain until January - at which time it can be watered again.

To help the plant bloom, you can cut off all the foliage in July and stop watering for 30 days. When watering the flower for the first time after a break, add complex fertilizer to the soil.

Hippeastrum propagation by seeds

Hippeastrum can be propagated using seeds or vegetatively.

You need to sow the seeds as soon as you collect them, since fresh seeds germinate very well. If you allow the material to dry out, its germination rate will immediately drop significantly. There are no special requirements for the sowing process - the seeds just need to be placed in the soil.

Hippeastrum propagation by dividing the bulb

But it is better to use the vegetative method for propagation.

When replanting, you just need to take the children from the bulb and plant them, having previously powdered them with charcoal.

And another vegetative method is dividing the bulb.

At the end of autumn, you need to dig up the bulb, remove dry scales from it and make 4 vertical cuts. A knitting needle (not an iron one) is pushed into each lobe.

The bulb is looked after like an adult hippeastrum. When the leaves appear, you need to start fertilizing the plant. Next spring it will be possible to divide the material and plant it in separate containers.

Diseases and pests

Various problems can arise with hippeastrum.

• For example, lack of flowering - this usually happens with a lack of fertilizer or poor soil. Also, flowering does not begin if the bulb is rotten.
• Yellowing of the plant's leaves is most likely due to root rot or the appearance of sap-sucking pests, but in this case, the yellowing is followed by drying out of the foliage.
• Sticky marks on the leaves appear due to scale insects.
• Hippeastrum can also be affected by aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites.

Hippeastrum is a beautiful indoor plant that is often grown on windowsills. It earned its fame thanks to its original colors that attract attention.

It is a bulbous plant native to Latin and Central America. Belongs to the genus Amaryllidaceae.

Florists have developed many interesting varieties. It differs from real amaryllis in that hippeastrum has up to 6-7 flowers on a hollow peduncle.

You will learn in this article how to care for Hippeastrum at home, how to replant a flower, what soil is needed for Hippeastrum and much more.

Home care

The Hippeastrum flower does not require any special care at home. It develops well and blooms at home. It is considered an excellent plant for forcing; it is only important to create the necessary conditions for flowering and choose the right time to start the growing season.

Conditions and temperature

Moderate temperatures in summer are suitable for it, within 22-25 degrees. Hippeastrum tolerates wintering calmly. However, special care is required for Hippeastrum in winter. At this time, the bulbs go into a dormant state, so they need to be provided with cool conditions, about 10-12 degrees Celsius. It is not recommended to lower the temperature below this limit, as well as to store it in too warm conditions to avoid unwanted germination or drying out of the bulb.

Humidity and watering

Indoor Hippeastrum come from arid areas, so they do not really need additional spraying, and at low ambient temperatures this can also cause damage. Also do not spray during the flowering period.

Watering should be taken with full responsibility: Severe waterlogging can damage the bulbs. Between watering, you need to let the soil dry out a little.

Towards the end of the growing season, when flowering stops and the leaves begin to dry out, watering is gradually reduced. Bulbs that have fallen into a dormant period do not need watering; but if they are too dry, you can moisten them slightly.

Placement and lighting

For Hippeastrum, choose a light location. It feels good both in diffused light and in direct sunlight. Good light is important for full flowering. Lack of lighting can even cause home hippeastrum to refuse to bloom.

Soil and planting

It is recommended to plant in soil made from a mixture of turf soil, peat and sand. Since the plant has a clearly defined dormant period, there is no need to completely replace the soil every year; you can do this less often if additional feeding is available.

The dormant period lasts approximately from late October to early February. The plant's flower stalks begin to dry out, and then the leaves. The flower stalks themselves are cut off when they are dry, and the leaves are left until they are completely dry, then they can be carefully plucked off.

After the leaves have dried, the bulbs are moved to a dark, cool place: during this period, light and moisture are not needed.

Growing and Reproduction

For full flowering, a dormant period must necessarily pass; it usually lasts 2-3 months. It is necessary to prepare for flowering in advance; this takes 6-8 weeks. Pots with bulbs are planted in the ground and brought into a warm room.

Before planting, the bulbs should be checked and cleaned of dry roots. It is not recommended to take the pot too large; its diameter should not be more than 10 cm than the bulb itself. After which you should water it lightly, but not too much, so that the still dormant bulbs do not rot. In a few weeks the plant will produce a beautiful bud.

Fertilizers are given during the period of active growth, approximately once every 3 weeks. A month before the start of the dormant period, feeding is stopped. Fertilizers for Hippeastrum should be applied either mineral or for beautifully flowering plants.

Flowering lasts approximately 3-4 weeks. At this time you need to feed. To achieve the beginning of flowering, keep the bulb slightly damp, but without flooding. When the first sprout appears, watering is increased slightly.

Flowering occurs in about 1 or 2 months, depending on conditions and the availability of sufficient light.

After flowering ends, the dried arrow is cut off, but the leaves are not touched. The green peduncle is not cut off, but allowed to dry on its own.

After this, it continues to grow green mass and recover. The next flowering will be much more effective if the plant is given a period of rest.

During flowering, the bulb produces one or two arrows, on which are located 4-6 large flowers, slightly reminiscent of a lily in appearance.

Useful video

You can learn more about caring for “Hippeastrum” at home in the video below:

Diseases and pests

Hippeastrum does not always bloom at home. In some cases, flowering cannot be achieved. This often happens due to improperly organized rest period. In addition, watering affects the condition - if it is excessive, the bulb may begin to rot. A lack of minerals and an incorrectly chosen location may also be the reason for the lack of flowering in hippeastrum.

Sometimes it is attacked by pests. The most common - spider mites, scale insects and scale insects. They are fought with the help of special drugs. You should choose those pest control products that are recommended for use indoors.

Benefits and harms

Indoor flowers Hippeastrum are poisonous plants. Care should be taken when working with bulbs. After any work, you should wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

Pets and children should not touch the poisonous parts of the plant to avoid an allergic reaction and poisoning.

Hippeastrum– an interesting plant that can transform any interior. Its bright flowers leave no one indifferent. A forced period of dormancy may cause concern, but if it is organized correctly, hippeastrum will delight you with flowering twice a year.

Hippeastrum - basic home care

How to care for hippeastrum, observing all conditions of maintenance and home care... This tropical bulbous plant impresses with the size of its bell-shaped flowers (diameter up to 20 cm) and the bright pink-red color of the petals, thanks to its simple care.

Hippeastrum is often mistaken for amaryllis and vice versa. Indeed, both plants are very similar in appearance, however, these are two different genera of the same Amaryllis family! Hippeastrum is translated from Greek as “cavalier star”.

The main and reliable difference from amaryllis is the different structure of the peduncle stem. When you cut the peduncle of a faded plant, look at its cut: the tubular hollow structure of the peduncle will tell you that this is a hippeastrum.

In color, the flowers of hybrid hippeastrums can be white, pink-red, orange, cream, and the color can be in the form of a multi-color pattern, strokes, dots; according to the shape of the inflorescence - double or simple.

Hippeastrum is one of the best forcing plants because it can be easily forced at home. With a little knowledge and skills in growing and caring, you can regulate the process and timing of obtaining flowers.

A climate close to tropical, subtropical with bright but diffuse lighting is quite suitable for it. Favorable temperature in summer is considered to be 20-25?C. In winter, hippeastrum requires a period of rest and a decrease in air temperature to 12-15? C.

Under normal home conditions, hippeastrums bloom in late winter or early spring, and amaryllis in autumn. Often there is a repeated wave of flowering of large bulbs...

For hippeastrum to bloom, planting needs to be planned:

• in December-January - for October,
• in February-March - for January,
• in April-May - for March.

But already 2 months before the planned planting, you need to prepare the bulb for the dormant period (forcing). And for this you need to lower the temperature and stop watering. From the moment of planting to the start of flowering in the early stages, plants need 6-7 weeks, for later forcing - 3-5 weeks.

Preparing hippeastrum for dormancy and storage.

In winter, hippeastrum overwinters only as a houseplant with a pronounced dormant period from approximately the end of October to the beginning of February.

At the end of August - September, they gradually stop feeding and begin to reduce the number of waterings until they stop completely by the end of October - November, or at least in December. By this time, the hippeastrum will begin to gradually shed its leaves, and the nutrients from them will naturally pass into the bulb.

Leaves that have not yet withered should not be specially trimmed in order to preserve nutrients for subsequent flowering. Sometimes there are one or two unwilted leaves left on the bulb; they can be cut off or carefully bent so that they do not interfere with storage on racks in a cool place.

In a dormant state, the bulbs do not need lighting; they usually retain living roots, so they need to be watered a little occasionally (once every 3-4 weeks). Pots with resting bulbs are kept at a temperature of about +5...+12 °C for at least 8-10 weeks.

How to get flowering hippeastrum?

7-10 weeks before the desired date, for example, Valentine's Day or March 8th, bring the pots with rested bulbs into a warmer and brighter room and water them a little. Further abundance of watering should be adjusted depending on the intensity of foliage growth, temperature and dryness of the surrounding air, as well as the humidity of the earthen clod.

How to make hippeastrum bloom for the New Year.

To please yourself and your loved ones on New Year's Eve with a beautiful bright scarlet star with a delicate scent and persistent character, place a small pot with a planted hippeastrum bulb on your window in October.

To do this, at the beginning of September, I chose a strong onion from those that I had and stopped watering it for 7 weeks. Then she cut off the dried leaves, shook off the roots from the ground and planted them in a pot that had a slightly larger diameter than the bulb itself. It grows well on a mixture of peat and soil; it is advisable to sprinkle expanded clay or sand on the bottom.

To achieve the first arrow, you need to keep the soil in the pot slightly moist. When the sprout appears, it is advisable to water the plant more abundantly. And after 1-2 months, hippeastrum will delight you with its luxurious lily flowers.

Flowering will last 3-4 weeks. During this time, you need to feed the flower at least once. Hippeastrum is suitable for complete mineral fertilizers or a solution of mullein one in ten.

After flowering has ended, it is better to cut off dried hippeastrum flowers, place the pot in a well-lit place and water it moderately. The peduncle should not be cut off, but should be allowed to dry out on its own to maintain nutrients.

Before the next flowering in the fall, hippeastrum is given a period of rest, then the growing season will be at the most favorable time - spring-summer, when there is maximum light.

If you don’t do this, but rather actively fertilize the bulb all year round, then you can get a delicate bouquet of your favorite flowers by March 8th.

Usually, an adult bulb is transplanted into new soil in the month of October and wait for the unforgettable southern star to rise against the backdrop of our almost always dark winter sky.

One fundamental note on the care and maintenance of hippeastrum.

As a rule, each bulb produces one or two long flower shoots with 4-6 huge flowers, reaching 20 cm in diameter, sometimes more. Sometimes a well-developed bulb produces a third arrow, but it is better to remove it at its earliest development.

Younger hippeastrum bulbs that have not reached 3-4 years of age are not recommended to forcibly shed their leaves, although in winter they also have their own dormant period with limited watering. Everything should happen naturally. The time will come and the hippeastrum itself will decide when to bloom.

The bulb should be smooth and heavy, with good living roots and dry scales of a brownish-golden hue. They are able to live and bloom for 20 years or more, and if you properly care for the hippeastrum bulbs, then the wonderful color of the indoor “lily” can be observed twice a year.

Hippeastrum transplantation and appropriate care.

Adult bulbous hippeastrum plants are replanted every 2-3 years, immediately after flowering. Young bulbs are planted annually in early spring with a complete replacement of the soil or transshipment. Hippeastrum blooms more readily and much faster in cramped containers.

Depending on the size of the bulb, choose a fairly heavy pot, 15-20 cm in size, so as not to tip over during flowering. Can be planted in a small group at a distance of 10 cm from each other in a slightly larger container or container.

For planting, we take an earthen mixture consisting of approximately equal parts of turf, leaf, humus soil and sand. We shake off the roots from the old soil, and remove those that have rotted in an old pot or dried out during long-term storage.

At the bottom of the pot we make a drainage layer of 1-2 cm, pour a mound of soil and place the onion on it. Having carefully straightened the roots, we fill about a third or up to the middle of the bulb with soil. Compact the soil and water through the pan.

When transplanting, do not forget to separate the baby. Sometimes it has to be broken off or cut off. We plant the baby in a separate pot, just like an adult plant. With proper care, hippeastrum babies usually bloom around the third or fourth year.

Hippeastrum

In the tropics of America, up to 80 species of hippeastrum, the closest relative of amaryllis, grow. For growing at home or in garden floriculture, hybrid hippeastrum is used. This flower has a fairly large bulb, up to 20 cm in diameter, elongated leaves, about 60 cm and up to 7 cm wide. Hippeastrum blooms with large flowers, up to 18-20 cm in diameter, which are collected on a long peduncle measuring 120 cm. Flowers can have different colors: white, pink, yellow, red or a combination. The flower blooms from the end of winter until April.

Caring for hippeastrum at home

Despite the fact that the flower loves light, direct sunlight can harm it. It is believed that he is not very critical of room temperature conditions and for him any temperature is optimal, but this is not entirely true. In order for the peduncle to develop normally, the temperature must be at least +20°С. As for the substrate, it does not play any significance during this period, since the flower blooms due to the internal dimensions of the bulb stored over the previous season. This is a very important factor to consider when propagating this flower. In August-September, the growth of leaves ends and their death begins, and in October-January new flower shoots appear. Leaves that have stopped growing and died should be cut off. During this time, the plant should be stored at a temperature of +10°C, in a dry, dark place.

In the midst of winter, which is December-January, the flower moves to a warm place that does not have bright light. After the peduncle grows to 5-10cm, it is installed in a well-lit place.

Hippeastrum can be grown without allowing it to rest. To do this, keep the flower in a well-lit place and constantly water it without over-watering it. In this case, its flowering period may shift to October-November or March-May.

During the period of active growth, this plant requires abundant watering, as soon as the earthen ball begins to dry out. As soon as the plant begins to enter a dormant period, watering is immediately reduced, and after the leaves are shed, it is stopped altogether. To prevent the roots from losing their vitality, you can pour water into the pan once a month. At this moment, the substrate in the pot should be dry so as not to provoke the growth of leaves during the dormant period, as this can harm the peduncle. Watering is gradually resumed after the peduncle grows more than 5 cm in length.

As soon as the hippeastrum has finished blooming, you can start feeding it so that it gains strength for the next flowering season. During the period of energy gain, large leaves begin to actively grow, which form new flower stalks for the next season. After the flower stops blooming, it is better to take it outside until September. At this time, they enter a period of rest.

If you plan to not allow the flower to rest, then during the growth period it is necessary to carry out regular feeding every 10 days. To do this, you can use complex mineral fertilizers or dilute mullein in water in a ratio of 1:10.

After flowering, they are cut off so that the bulb does not lose excess energy, after which the bulbs are transplanted into pots with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bulb (about 6 cm). The substrate is prepared from equal parts of turf soil, leaf soil, sand, peat and humus. Everything is the same as for amaryllis.

Reproduction of hippeastrum

This flower reproduces by transplanting children, but as practice shows, propagation is possible by dividing the bulb, which is what many gardeners do. To do this, you need to take a mature and high-quality onion, after which it is cut so that each part contains a piece of the bottom and scales. The cut areas must be sprinkled with charcoal or activated carbon. After this, the chopped slices are planted in the peat mixture. In about 40-50 days, the babies will sprout and be transplanted into pots next spring.

Reproduction is also possible by seeds, but this is a very labor-intensive process that includes forced pollination of the flower. In this case, the young plant will be able to bloom only in the 2-3rd year. At the same time, the maternal characteristics of the plant are unlikely to be preserved, which is not entirely acceptable.

Diseases and pests

Diseases such as red burn fungus, downy and powdery mildew, and red rot can cause serious harm to this beautiful flower. You can determine what exactly ails a flower by carefully examining its appearance. If the bulb and leaves of the plant are covered with red spots, this means it is a fungal infection. If a white coating is observed, it means powdery mildew, and if traces of rot are visible on the bulb, then this is the same rot.

In addition to diseases, the flower can be attacked by: aphids, spider mites, scale insects, which can be gotten rid of by treating the plant with insecticides.

Very often, a flower does not bloom precisely because it is affected by either pests or diseases.

Hippeastrum - home care

On New Year's Eve, my favorite flower bloomed, pleased and congratulated me - the magnificent king among bulbs - hippeastrum! You will learn the secrets of caring for hippeastrum at home from today’s article, I will share all the knowledge and show you photos.

The proud and majestic flower has long conquered the hearts of flower growers; it is not without reason that there are more than 80 species created by breeders.

I will not hide that caring for a flower requires a certain skill, but in an apartment it is not at all difficult, especially if you treat the hippeastrum with love and attention.

The flower belongs to the amaryllis family, brought from South America in the 16th century. The flower received its name from the famous breeder Hippeastrum Johnson at the end of the 18th century, who bred the first flower hybrid. The flower first appeared in Russia in the middle of the 19th century; it was brought to the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden, which at that time was collecting a collection of new, unknown flowers from all over the world.

In our country, hippeastrum is often mistakenly called amaryllis. Indeed, the flowers come from the same family and are incredibly similar. But there are differences.

Firstly, real amaryllis does not bloom indoors, even with good care. The flower grows only in the wild; it is difficult to grow even in the garden; due to climatic conditions, it does not have enough light. The arrow of a real amaryllis is dense, unlike hippeastrum, in which it is hollow inside.

The shape of the amaryllis bulb is pear-shaped and at least 12 cm; a similar relative practically does not grow a bulb of this size. A blooming amaryllis smells fragrant throughout the entire garden; there are at least 6 flowers on the shoot, but usually more. Whereas hippeastrum cannot boast of a strong aroma. And it has only 2 to 6 flowers on one peduncle.

Generally speaking, caring for a flower comes down to flowering and a dormant period; in the second period, it is important to preserve and prepare it for the next flowering. Hippeastrum usually blooms once a year, in winter and autumn, but with quality care it can bloom again in summer.

Hippeastrum - home care

Hippeastrum usually blooms for 3 weeks (the moment the peduncle appears is wilting). Keep in mind that in warm weather, for example, at 25 degrees, the flower blooms quickly, but also fades just as quickly. The ideal temperature for flowering is 18 - 20 degrees, but if you want to prolong the process, move the plant to a cooler room (16 degrees).

Immediately after flowering, trim the peduncle so that about 10 cm remains from the neck of the onion. After some time, when the remainder has dried, remove it - unscrew it. By the way, from this residue you can understand whether the bulb is healthy or not. The remainder of the peduncle, with proper care, is dry in a healthy flower. In the patient, the peduncle is soft, slippery, sometimes with redness.

After flowering ends, the plant begins to grow leaf mass, and the bulb regains its strength after abundant flowering.

If the leaves then begin to turn yellow, do not be alarmed - the flower is about to retire.

Choosing the right onion

In flower shops you can buy already grown flowers. If you want to grow hippeastrum from a bulb, buy it there.

Take a good look at the bulb: it should be strong and dense in structure. The scales are always dry and brown. Look to see if there are any traces of rot, spots, or redness on the onion.

The same requirements apply to flowers bought in a pot. Examine the bulb; it is usually clearly visible.

Pot, soil and feeding for hippeastrum:

Choose a small pot for your home flower - it likes to be cramped. The distance from the walls of the pot to the onion should not exceed 3 cm.

The soil of hippeastrum should be loose, rich in organic matter. Stores sell soil for bulbs, but you can make your own. Mix peat, sand, humus.

The flower responds well to any type of feeding: organic matter and mineral fertilizers.

Before flowering, be sure to feed with nitrogen with the addition of phosphorus and potassium. There is no need to feed during the dormant period.

Hippeastrum - lighting and temperature conditions

In apartment conditions, the flower loves bright sunlight. Place the pot on a southeast, southwest and south window.

At normal room temperature, hippeastrum feels great; it does not need special temperature conditions. A temperature of 18 - 23 degrees is good, but during the dormant period, if possible, give the flower a cool winter at 10 - 13 degrees.

Properly watering hippeastrum

When caring for hippeastrum, it is important to ensure proper watering. While the arrow is small, water the flower when the soil in the pot begins to dry out. When the arrow begins to grow, increase watering, but this does not mean that there should be a swamp in the pot.

During the dormant period, water not too much, once every month and a half. Try not to get water on the bulb while watering, otherwise it will rot.

Rest period

In home care, it is important to provide the hippeastrum with a period of rest. It usually lasts from early autumn to January. But many gardeners know that this period can be successfully shortened or increased, as desired. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that the duration of the rest period should be 10 weeks. Experienced gardeners, by creating artificial dormancy for the plant, can ensure that the hippeastrum begins to bloom 2 or even 3 times a year.

During the dormant period, remove drying leaves from the flower. Place the pot in a darker place and reduce watering.

Hippeastrum - flower transplant

It is advisable to replant the flower once a year. It is quite voracious, and the supply of nutrients in the soil is quickly depleted. Usually the plant is replanted before it is sent to rest, but if you replant it later, it’s okay.

When planting, do not bury the bulb; a third of it should rise above the ground. Remove dry scales from the bulb; there is no need to remove brown ones.

Hippeastrum - photo

What to do if hippeastrum does not bloom

Sometimes, despite all efforts and good home care, hippeastrum is in no hurry to please the hostess with flowering. Analyze the conditions of keeping the flower.

• If you want to speed up flowering, soak the bulb for 3 hours in hot, 45 degrees, water. Flowering will begin after 25 days.
• To ensure that the flower blooms not only in winter, but also in summer, cut off the leaves in July and stop watering for a month. Then fertilize well and start watering generously. Hippeastrum will bloom in August or September.

I hope, my dears, that now you can provide proper care and maintenance of hippeastrum at home, and it will delight you with beautiful and abundant flowering. With love... Galina Nekrasova.

galinanekrasova.ru











fertile, neutral, soil mixture No. 2

direct sun rays, diffuse sun rays

seeds, daughter bulbs, division

Hippeastrum - bulbous plants of the family Amaryllidaceae. They are well known to many lovers of tropical flowers, because they have been grown as indoor plants since the 18th century.

They are often sold in stores or catalogs under the name “amaryllis.” It is not right. Although amaryllis and hippeastrum belong to the same family, they are still different plants: with bulbs, flowers, different shapes and sizes, leaf shapes and rosette structures. But most importantly, amaryllis flowers are much more modest and do not give that stunning decorative effect like hippeastrum flowers.

How many species of hippeastrum are found in nature is still unknown. Some experts stop at the number 50, others insist on 80. The Latin name is Hippeastrum- can be translated as “knight’s star.” This proud name suits him surprisingly.

The first hybrid was bred at the end of the 18th century: an English watchmaker with the “rare” surname Johnson crossed amaryllis royal (Аmaryllis reginae) And striped amaryllis (A. vittata). Hybrid named after him A. johnsonii, later renamed to Hippeastrum x johnsonii. To our modern eyes it looked quite simple. Then they got large flowers by crossing hippeastrum palatial (N. aulicum) With striped (N. vittatum). And the varieties selected after crossing hippeastrum Leopold (N. leopoldii) And hippeastrum spotted (N. pardinum), became a real triumph for English and Dutch breeders.

Today there are already more than a thousand varieties of hippeastrum. According to the size and shape of the flower, according to the origin and timing of flowering, they are divided into 9 groups:

• cultivated wild species;
• hybrids with long-tubular flowers ( Trumpet-flowered);
• hybrids with Amaryllis belladonna ( Belladonna);
• hybrids with Hippeastrum regina ( Reginae);
• Leopold hybrids ( Leopoldii);
• hybrids with orchid-shaped flowers ( Orchid-flowered);
• hybrids with double flowers ( Double-flowered, or Doubles);
• miniature flowering hybrids ( Miniatures);
• varieties and hybrids that cannot be classified into other groups.

The most common varieties are those belonging to the Leopold hybrids group.

In nature, these exotic flowers bloom in the forests of Northern and Southern Brazil, on the mountain slopes of the Peruvian Andes, in the mountain forests of Mexico, in the Antilles in winter and spring, summer and autumn. And at home, hippeastrums can grow for ten years and delight with flowering all winter long.

Temperature in winter is 16-18°C.

Watering is moderate in summer and stopped completely in winter.

We have put together for you the most complete collection of tips and secrets for caring for hippeastrum at home. From the article you will learn all the most common difficulties that arise when growing hippeastrum, as well as all the necessary information on watering, lighting and other rules for caring for this flower.

You should pay attention(!) to the fact that hippeastrum is often confused with amaryllis, which can cause certain difficulties. Choose your seedlings carefully to prevent disappointment.

Hippeastrums are very beautiful perennial flowers, numbering more than 90 species. This will allow you to choose plants that suit you and your garden and interior, and satisfy any taste preferences. Hippeastrum will be able to please everyone and decorate a wide variety of flower arrangements.

General information about Hippeastrum

Sometimes this plant is confused with amaryllis - they are indeed close, but not the same. Hippeastrum is a perennial flower that grows from a bulb. Its foliage is linear, growing more than half a meter in length and five in width.

Flowers similar to umbrellas form inflorescences and appear on a high peduncle. After flowering, a box of seeds appears, which have a very high germination rate when fresh.
This plant has features that need to be remembered.

• varieties whose inflorescences are white or light in color usually produce few high-quality seeds.
• In summer it is advisable to bury plants in open soil
• The flowering of hippeastrum lasts only 10 days.
• To do forcing you need to take only large bulbs.

The following varieties are quite popular: hippeastrum hybrid , charisma , papilio , picoti . The mix is ​​a mixture of different hippeastrum seeds.


Latin – Hippeastrum.

Amaryllis family. Homeland - tropical America. About 75 species are common in nature. Currently, there are a large number of varieties that differ in the shape and color of flowers, all of them are combined into the species Hippeastrum hortorum. This plant has a large bulb, up to 20 cm in diameter, which only goes halfway into the soil.

The belt-shaped leaves are collected in a basal rosette, about 50 cm long. The flowers are collected in groups of 2-4 in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence on a long (up to 1 m) peduncle. The perianths are wide, up to 20 cm in diameter, bell-shaped, in a wide variety of shades: white, pink, red, burgundy, yellow, variegated. It has large stamens with bright yellow anthers. Blooms in February - early March.


Story

Growing amaryllis and hippeastrum in countries with temperate and cold climates became possible only from the end of the 17th century, when active construction of greenhouses began in botanical gardens and private estates. Foreign rarities were brought by sailors, botanists, and plant hunters encouraged by traders. In the 18th century, many students of K. Linnaeus took part in difficult and dangerous expeditions, which sometimes ended tragically. The genus Amaryllis, the predecessor of Hippeastrum, was established in 1737 in the work Hemera plantarum. Botanists previously referred to the plants classified as lilies (Lilium) and lion daffodils (Lilio narcissus).

• In his description of the garden of the burgomaster of Amsterdam G. Clifford, Linnaeus mentions four species of amaryllis, including A. belladonna, and in the famous book “Species of Plants” (Species plantarum, 1753) he already lists nine species of amaryllis. Later, in the process of botanical research, descriptions of amaryllis from Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil and other countries appeared.
• In 1821, W. Herbert established a new genus - Hippeastrum. He attributed to him more than 15 American species discovered by himself or published earlier, including some of Linnaeus's amaryllis.
• Their former names have become synonymous. Later, many hippeastrums were described by other botanists, for example, R. Baker - 25 species, R. Filippi - about 15, H. Moore - more than 10. Now there are descriptions of about 80 species of hippeastrum and one type of amaryllis.

Hippeastrum did not receive its modern name immediately after Herbert described this genus. For a very long time, confusion and confusion reigned in the taxonomy of these plants. True, some species, previously called amaryllis, were classified as hippeastrum, others “migrated” to neighboring, close genera.


Hippeastrum flower - features

Hippeastrum flowers are bulbous perennials. The round, sometimes conical bulb of the hippeastrum consists of a short thick stem and closed scales. The size of the bulbs, depending on the type, ranges from 5 cm to 10 cm in diameter. At the base (bottom) of the bulb there is a bunch of cord-like roots.

• The leaves of hippeastrum are linear, grooved on the surface, keeled below, 50-70 cm long, 4-5 cm wide, arranged in two opposite rows. Some varieties may have purple leaves, but they are mostly green.
• An umbrella-shaped inflorescence of 2-6 bisexual flowers 13-15 cm in length and up to 25 cm in diameter is formed on a cylindrical, hollow, leafless peduncle 35-80 cm high.
• The flowers, funnel-shaped or tubular, are located on long petioles; the color of the flowers is very different: dark red, bright red, orange, pink, white, etc.
• The fruit is a tricuspid capsule, spherical or angular, in which small hippeastrum seeds ripen. The germination rate of freshly harvested seeds is almost one hundred percent.


Homemade hippeastrum has several features that must be taken into account if you decide to grow it:

• – varieties with light and white flowers produce few full-fledged seeds;
• – in the summer, hippeastrum is best kept in the garden, buried in the ground;
• – the timing of the flowering of hippeastrum can be adjusted by timing it to certain dates - this is very convenient, considering that a blooming hippeastrum is a wonderful gift that replaces an expensive, exquisite bouquet;
• – each hippeastrum flower blooms for only ten days;
• – for forcing you need to use only large bulbs, which have accumulated a large supply of nutrients.

Home phytodesign of the highest class

The hippeastrum flower can be used to decorate any room, but it looks most impressive in the living room, hall, office, and dining room. It is best to place the composition in the center of the room, on tables, or special flower stands. In this case, it is advisable to decorate the flowerpot. This flower is quite beautiful when cut and in various compositions. Amaryllis and hippeastrum are plants with which not every indoor flower can compare in terms of expressiveness and attractiveness. To enhance the impression of its beautiful creation, experts recommend using not one plant, but several. It is recommended to combine them into a luxurious ensemble. These flowers look unusual in the interior of an apartment due to their catchy and sophisticated beauty.

When composing floral masterpieces, you must also remember that homemade hippeastrum stimulates performance. Therefore, it is often recommended to place pots with this plant in offices, home offices, and libraries.


Exhaustion

Stimulating energy allows you to maintain the necessary mental balance and promotes making the right decisions. It is this property that imposes the following growing condition: during flowering, the pet is exhausted, it needs regular rest, and it is impossible to stimulate the release of buds all year round.

Hippeastrum is a beautiful homemade creature that is distinguished by large, attractive, bright flowers. It is not so whimsical in cultivation, although it requires compliance with some simple rules. It starts to hurt when care is significantly disrupted. Hippeastrum is often used in phytodesign, allowing you to create unusual, stylish compositions.

Hippeastrum care at home

To grow hippeastrum, you need to choose a place for it with a lot of light, but the rays should not fall directly on it - the light needs to be diffused, but bright.

• During the growing season, the temperature should not be lower than twenty degrees, but not higher than twenty-five.
• Hippeastrum is an indoor plant, light-loving, but does not tolerate direct sunlight.
• During the growth period, hippeastrum can withstand any room temperature, but temperatures above 20 degrees are considered comfortable for rich flowering.
• The soil in the pot and the presence or absence of fertilizing are of little concern to him: during the flowering period, he spends the energy collected in the bulb over the past season.
• When forcing a peduncle in water or an inert substrate, this should be taken into account.

The dormant period of the flower is very pronounced: in August-September the leaves stop growing and completely die off, and in October-January a new arrow appears.


Bulb selection, planting, transplanting

When choosing hippeastrum bulbs, take the matter seriously. Carefully inspect each bulb. They should be smooth, heavy, with dry scales of a brown-golden color, with good living roots.

• When buying hippeastrum in a pot, already with leaves, pay attention to its appearance. A healthy plant has leaves that are bright green, shiny, and adhere well to their bases.. In the weak and sick - drooping and dull.
• If the bulb has a red border and a dotted pattern, these are signs of a fungal disease(red burn or red rot). It is better to refrain from such a purchase: the plant will have to be treated for a long time.
• The next step is planting. Hippeastrums grow in any garden soil. But maximum decorativeness can be achieved if the soil composition is as follows: turf soil, humus, peat in a ratio of 1:2:1 with the addition of wood ash and bone meal. The latter can be replaced with double superphosphate (2 tsp per 1 liter container). Phosphorus provides plants with lush flowering.

The pot for hippeastrum should not be too large: the distance between its walls and the bulb is the thickness of a finger. Otherwise, the flower will grow a root system, lush leaves, have children, and refuse to bloom. But at the same time, the container must be quite stable, since this plant is large, and the flowers of some varieties reach 20–22 cm in diameter. They are especially heavy in terry forms. And when planting, the bulb is buried 1/2 of the height, that is, it is half visible from the pot.




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Care during the rest period

Keeping hippeastrum during the dormant period requires low temperature (+10 degrees), darkness and dryness, but not a basement. Trim off all yellowed and dried leaves. Around December - early January, we take the pot with hippeastrum out of the darkness and place it on a shady windowsill. When the peduncle hatches and grows to 10 centimeters, we move it to the illuminated side.

By the way, it is quite possible to grow hippeastrum without a dormant period. To do this, just keep it in a sunny place and water it as needed. With this care, it will bloom either in March-May or in October-November.

Alternate flowering with rest

Hippeastrum loves systematic care. A dormant period is required; without it, flowering simply will not occur. After the first buds appear, the temperature must be maintained at +18°C. If conditions permit, it is better to take the pot out onto the balcony, where your pet will have enough light and fresh air. As it grows, it is recommended to increase watering, but do not flood the soil.

Hippeastrum at home begins to be fed closer to summer every two weeks. From the middle of the summer season, you can use potash fertilizers to lay the conditions for flowering next year.

Once the plant has flowered, it is recommended to provide it with rest so that it can gain strength until next year. In winter, the temperature should be around 12°C, the bulbs are best kept in a dry room, no watering is required. Exact compliance with the conditions will ensure bright flowering next season.


Rest period

The resting period of hippeastrum is from September to January. If your plant spent the summer holidays in the yard, then by the beginning of autumn it’s time to bring it into the house. At the same time, they begin to gradually reduce watering, as a result of which the leaves of the plant dry out. After complete drying, the leaves fall off on their own, and the stem is cut off, the plant is transferred to a dry and dark room, the pot is placed on its side and stored at a temperature of 6-12 ºC without watering for 6 to 8 weeks until it is time for the hippeastrum to wake up.

From the beginning of autumn until January, the flower begins a dormant period.

• At this time, watering should be gradually reduced. This will cause the foliage on the plant to dry out and fall off. After this, the shoot will need to be cut off, and the hippeastrum itself will need to be kept in a dark and dry place where the temperature will be about 10 degrees. There is no need to water. The plant will remain in this state for about six to seven weeks, and then awaken.
• Hippeastrum needs a period of rest in order to bloom annually. It usually lasts from late summer to late October. When preparing hippeastrum for the dormant period from the end of summer, you need to limit watering and fertilizing. In many hippeastrums, the leaves die off completely.
• Hippeastrum, if desired, can be grown without a pronounced dormant period. Then you need to keep it all year round on a bright, sunny window in a warm room, water it with warm water as the soil dries out, preferably in a tray. With this care, hippeastrum can bloom in the fall in October - November or in the spring in March - May. The dark green leaves of hippeastrum remain healthy throughout the year and do not lose their beauty.

Summer flower maintenance

In summer, if desired, hippeastrum can be planted in open ground. In open ground, hippeastrum blooms better, the bulb quickly increases in size and produces many daughter bulbs. In autumn, with the onset of cold weather, hippeastrum is brought into the house.

Hippeastrum after flowering.

As soon as flowering is over, the plant needs to be prepared for rest, because the quality and timeliness of the next flowering directly depends on how correctly you prepare the hippeastrum for the rest period.

From mid-September, watering stops completely, and after the leaves fall and the wilted peduncle is trimmed, the plant is placed in a dark, dry room with a low temperature, where the hippeastrum will remain until the end of January or beginning of February. Then the pot with the bulb is placed in a well-lit place, watering and fertilizing are resumed, and the next period of active growth of the hippeastrum begins.

Dishes.

Narrow and tall pots are better suited for growing hippeastrum, because in addition to the bulb, hippeastrum also has roots that are quite long and during the dormant period they do not die off, but continue to feed the bulb.

You also need to observe the planting depth of the hippeastrum. The bulb should rise from the ground by one third. And don’t try to fill the pot too much with soil; it’s better to wait until it settles on its own and add soil to the desired height. Pots should not be too wide in size; it is enough if the distance between the wall of the pot and the bulb is only 2-3 cm. In too wide a container, hippeastrum may not bloom for a long time.


Earth mixture:

turf soil, peat, sand, humus in a ratio of 2:1:1:1. The soil mixture for hippeastrums must be nutritious, water- and breathable with a neutral or alkaline pH reaction of the soil. Also do not forget about the drainage layer. Also, when transplanting hippeastrum, you can use ready-made purchased soil for bulbous plants.

Lighting.

Hippeastrum is a light-loving plant, so it is advisable to keep it on south-west, south or south-east windows. The light can be either direct sunlight or bright diffused light. Hippeastrum hybrids that lose leaves during the dormant period can be moved to a cooler, darker place with the hippeastrum bulb.

Air temperature.

Hippeastrum grows well at room temperature. In summer, the usual room temperature is +20 +25 C. In winter, the air temperature may be slightly lower.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering the plant during the growth period of green mass is minimal, but it must be increased little by little before flowering begins. Before flowering begins, watering should be done abundantly, but only so that the ground is not wet.

• You can use only settled, not cold water for the procedure. You need to water so that the liquid does not get on the bulb.
• At the end of flowering, you should begin to reduce watering and later stop it altogether.
• For hygienic purposes, the leaves of the hippeastrum should be wiped with a damp cloth from time to time. When the peduncle reaches 15 cm in height, you should water the ground with a manganese solution.

And after five days, fertilize the flower with phosphorus fertilizer. In general, fertilizing during the growing season should be done every 15 days with a product for deciduous plants. With the appearance of foliage, products for flowering plants are used.


Proper watering

During the period of active growth and vigorous flowering of the plant, watering should be strong and plentiful, after the soil in the pot dries out. But gradually, as the dormant period of the hippeastrum approaches, the amount of water needs to be reduced, and after all the leaves have died, it should be stopped completely. It is only permissible to add a small amount of water to the tray of the pot to maintain the viability of the rhizome.

• The soil should feel dry during the dormant flowering period, as excess moisture can trigger the growth of a new leaf, which will subsequently harm the hippeastrum flowers. After the new peduncle begins to grow, we begin to water again, but little by little.
• At the beginning of winter, in order for the hippeastrum to wake up and come out of the dormant period, it is placed on a bright window. During this period, the hippeastrum has no leaves, it is not watered, otherwise the bulb can easily be destroyed. Until the flower arrow appears, the hippeastrum does not need to be watered.
• After the peduncle appears and until the flower shoot grows to 7-10 cm, watering the hippeastrum should be weak, otherwise the leaves will begin to grow to the detriment of the flowers. It is better to water in a tray or along the edge of the pot, without getting water on the bulb. As the peduncle grows, watering increases.

After the hippeastrum blooms, the leaves and bulb begin to grow, new flower stalks are laid for the next year, during this period watering should be regular. By the end of summer, watering stops. At this time, the hippeastrum begins a period of rest. The pot with hippeastrum can be placed in a cool place and not watered. If the room temperature is high, you can water it occasionally a little at a time so that the bulb does not dry out. Hippeastrum does not need high air humidity, so it does not need air spraying; it prefers dry conditions.


Water procedures

Water the hippeastrum at the beginning of the growing season, you need to do it very sparingly, gradually increasing watering only from the moment the peduncle appears - a signal that the plant has begun the growing season. As the flower shoot grows and before flowering begins, watering should become abundant, but nevertheless moderate, so that the soil in the flowerpot is moist and not wet. It is best to water from the bottom or from a tray, gradually adding warm water until the earthen ball is wet. Avoid getting water on the bulb. After flowering, watering is also gradually reduced until it stops completely.

When the hippeastrum peduncle reaches 12-15 cm in height, water the soil with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, and after 4-6 days feed the plant with phosphorus fertilizer. In general, hippeastrum is fertilized at the beginning of the growing season twice a month with liquid mineral fertilizer for deciduous plants, and after the leaves appear and for better formation of buds - with fertilizers for flowering plants in the same regime. Make sure that the concentration of minerals is not too strong, otherwise, instead of fertilizing the plant, you will burn its roots.

Do not forget to wash the leaves from dust in a warm shower or wipe them regularly with a damp sponge.

Feeding and fertilizers for hippeastrum

You need to start feeding the flower immediately after it has bloomed. This is necessary for the flower to accumulate strength for the next year. During this period, after the end of flowering, large, long leaves grow especially intensively, and they form bulbous scales that lay new flowers in the future.

• It is better to take the hippeastrum outside until September (the beginning of the quiet period).
• If you have decided not to send the hippeastrum to a dark place, then during the flowering and leaf growth period the plant needs to be fertilized once every 10 days. It is better to do this with a solution of mullein (1 to 10).
• The first feeding of hippeastrum can be done when the height of the flower shoot is approximately 15 cm.

If the hippeastrum has recently been transplanted and there are enough nutrients in the soil, fertilizing can be done later. When feeding, focus on phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. They promote flowering, accumulation of nutrients in the bulb, and the formation of future flower stalks. But it is better to exclude nitrogen fertilizers, they can provoke gray rot, and the plant can be irretrievably lost.


Transfer

Hippeastrum transplantation is carried out 3-4 years after planting, and then every year. This procedure must be performed before the start of the rest period or immediately after it ends. The pot for replanting should be taken a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one.

The soil for replanting should contain 2 shares of perlite, a share of leaf and turf soil and a share of humus. It is also necessary to put drainage in the container. The flower must be moved by transshipment so that the hippeastrum rhizome is not damaged.

The bulb must be covered with substrate so that a third of it is on the surface.

Immediately after the end of flowering of the hippeastrum, it is necessary to cut off the wilted flowers and plant the onion in a small pot 2/3 in the ground. If the plant is not strong enough, it is recommended to replant it rarely - once every 3 years. The diameter of the pot in which the hippeastrum bulb is placed should be 6-7 centimeters larger than the diameter of the bulb. The composition of the soil for planting is similar to amaryllis soil - leaf and turf soil, sand, peat, humus (1: 1: 1: 1: 1).

Transfer.

Hippeastrum is replanted once every three to four years before the dormant period or before leaving it. It is very important to choose the right pot for the flower: the distance from the bulb to the wall of the pot should not be more than 2 cm. The soil should be approximately the following composition: two parts perlite (or coarse sand), leaf and turf soil and one part humus.

The soil must be sterilized before use. Don't forget about the drainage layer. Planting of hippeastrum is carried out by transshipment in order to cause as little damage as possible to the root system of the plant. The bulb is placed in the ground so that at least a third of it is above the surface.

30-40 days after the end of flowering, the hippeastrum can be replanted. Annual replanting is not at all necessary, but in this case, change the top layer of soil every year, because hippeastrum quickly consumes nutrients from the soil, and this will later affect flowering. You can also replant hippeastrum before it comes out of dormancy, that is, at the end of December.


Bloom

• And the third method of persuasion: cut off all the leaves of the hippeastrum in July and do not water it for a month, and with the first watering, introduce a liquid complex fertilizer (to avoid burns, first moisten the soil thoroughly, then add fertilizer). In August or September, your hippeastrum will bloom like a darling.
• To be sure that the hippeastrum will bloom, you can resort to some tricks. Let's say, keep the bulbs in warm water for three hours, the water temperature should be about 44 degrees.
• You can also stop watering the flower in August by moving it to a dry, warm room. So the hippeastrum should remain until January - at which time it can be watered again.

To help the plant bloom, you can cut off all the foliage in July and stop watering for 30 days. When watering the flower for the first time after a break, add complex fertilizer to the soil.

Which breeding method should I choose?

Hippeastrum indoors reproduces in various ways, usually no difficulties arise. The most difficult thing is to use seeds, since to obtain them it is necessary to ensure artificial pollination of the flower. This method is not recommended for use in the absence of experience. In addition, the first flowering after planting the seeds occurs only after 2-3 years.

Simple methods of propagation, which are accessible even to beginners, are dividing the bulbs and vegetative propagation by children. The plant can have children at any time of the year, their number depends on what variety is grown and what conditions are met.

Children are separated during transplantation. They must be carefully cut or broken off, after which all sections are sprinkled with crushed coal. The pots are taken small so that the distance between the wall and the bulb (baby) is only 2-3 cm. Dutch varieties are propagated using scales, since the number of children is minimal. The question of how to care for hippeastrum at this time is easily resolved. The soil is taken as for an adult plant; no special conditions need to be created.


propagation by seeds

Hippeastrum can be propagated using seeds or vegetatively.

You need to sow the seeds as soon as you collect them, since fresh seeds germinate very well. If you allow the material to dry out, its germination rate will immediately drop significantly. There are no special requirements for the sowing process - the seeds just need to be placed in the soil.

Hippeastrum can also be propagated by seeds, but to obtain them, flowers will need to be forcibly pollinated, and the seedling rarely blooms in the first two years and does not retain maternal characteristics.

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Children

The easiest way to propagate this flower is by propagation by children. However, gardeners are increasingly practicing dividing the bulb. For successful separation, you need a good, strong onion, which should be cut in half so that each part has an equal piece of scales and bottom left. Sprinkle fresh onion cut with charcoal or activated carbon, and then plant the slices in a light peat mixture. In about 1.5-2 months, new babies will appear. Plant them in new pots when spring arrives.

By dividing the bulb

But it is better to use the vegetative method for propagation.

• When replanting, you just need to take the children from the bulb and plant them, having previously powdered them with charcoal.
• And another vegetative method is dividing the bulb.
• At the end of autumn, you need to dig up the bulb, remove dry scales from it and make 4 vertical cuts. A knitting needle (not an iron one) is pushed into each lobe.

The bulb is looked after like an adult hippeastrum. When the leaves appear, you need to start fertilizing the plant. Next spring it will be possible to divide the material and plant it in separate containers.

How else to increase the number of plants

Hippeastrum is easily propagated by daughter bulbs that are completely identical to the mother plant. Children more than two centimeters are separated from the main bulb during transplantation. Young plants bloom in 2-3 years.

But what to do if some varietal hippeastrums do not produce children? In this case, hippeastrum can be propagated as follows: cut a healthy hippeastrum bulb into two to four parts with a clean and sharp knife so that each lobe has a part of the bottom. Carefully treat the onion sections with crushed coal and dry for two to three days. After the cut dries, each share can be added to a mixture of sand and peat or perlite. There is no need to bury such an onion; it should simply lie with its bottom on the surface of the earthen mixture.

But you can not completely cut the hippeastrum bulb to the end, but just make deep cuts so that the bulb is divided into two or four parts, but does not fall apart completely. The sections are treated in the same way with crushed coal and also dried for two to three days. After which the bulb is simply placed on an earthen mixture of sand and peat or perlite. Watering of such bulbs is carried out only through a tray. After some time, babies appear at the base of the cut onion.

Other methods

Hippeastrum can be pollinated and propagated by seeds. In this case, sometimes a completely unpredictable result is obtained (so to speak, the breeder is his own breeder).

• After pollination of the hippeastrum, a seed box is formed on the peduncle.
• In this case, there is no need to remove the peduncle; wait until the seeds ripen.
• But remember that such a procedure can greatly weaken the bulb, which will again affect flowering in the future: the flowers will be smaller, or the plant will not bloom at all.
• It is good to carry out experiments with hippeastrum seeds in open ground, where bees fly and the bulb will gain nutrients from the ground while the seeds are ripening.

Hippeastrum seeds are sown immediately after collection, otherwise they quickly lose their viability. Planting of seeds to a depth of one centimeter, seedlings appear in two to three weeks. Hippeastrum seedlings are light-loving, so place them in a bright place. To help small hippeastrums grow better, you can feed them with a weak solution of liquid mineral fertilizers. Young hippeastrums do not need a rest period.


Reproduction

Hippeastrums reproduce by seed and vegetative methods. It is better to sow seeds immediately after collecting them, while they have one hundred percent germination. If you allow the seeds to dry out, then the ability to germinate becomes only thirty percent. Actually, sowing seeds is a simple, routine procedure, so there is no point in talking about it, especially since the seed method can only be used if there are seeds, and they can appear if you artificially pollinate the flower.

It is much easier to reproduce vegetatively, namely, by separating the hippeastrum babies from the mother bulb. This is done during transplantation. Separating the baby with a sterile sharp instrument, treating the cuts on it with crushed coal, we plant it in a separate pot and do not deprive the young plant of foliage for two years, even during the dormant period.

There is another way of vegetative propagation of hippeastrum - by dividing the bulb. It is carried out in November, when the bulb contains the maximum amount of nutrients. Remove the top layer of substrate so that only the lower part of the bulb remains in the soil. Remove outer dry scales.

Cut off the leaves, taking some of the top of the bulb. Cut the onion vertically into four equal parts so that the cuts reach the surface of the substrate; vertically insert plastic or wooden knitting needles with a diameter of 5-6 cm into the cuts so that the parts of the onion do not overlap.

Care for the bulb as you would an adult plant, avoiding allowing the substrate to dry out. As soon as the leaves appear, fertilize and continue fertilizing as usual. Next spring, divide the bulb and plant the parts in individual flowerpots.


Growing difficulties

The most common problems in growing hippeastrum are red rot, downy mildew and red burn fungus. And, of course, the above-mentioned pests - scale insects, aphids, scale insects and spider mites, which are destroyed with special insecticides.

• You can determine what the plant is sick with by how the hippeastrum looks. If there are red spots on the leaves and the bulb, then it is a fungal burn, if the white coating is powdery mildew, and if the leaves hang limply and rot is visible on the scales of the bulb, then this is rot.
• If there are signs of rot, all affected areas should be removed, diseased roots should be dried, the bulb should be dried, and immediately before planting in a new sterile substrate, the bulb should be treated with foundationazole. Powdery mildew is treated with special commercially available preparations.

And the red burn is eliminated by removing the bulb from the ground and cutting out all the lesions to healthy tissue. Then the wounds are sprinkled with a mixture of chalk and copper sulfate in a ratio of 20:1 and the bulb is dried for a week, after which it is planted in a fresh substrate, pre-treated with fungicides.

Diseases and pests

Various problems can arise with hippeastrum.




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Pests.

The main pests of hippeastrum are spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects, and onion mites. Pests visible to the naked eye can be removed manually with a sponge or cotton wool soaked in an alcohol solution, after which the plant is repeatedly treated with a solution of Actellik, Fitoverm or Karbofos.

When planting in open ground, do not plant hippeastrum next to other bulbous plants, such as lilies, otherwise hippeastrum may be damaged by onion mites. The bottom of the bulb begins to rot and gradually the entire bulb rots.

Diseases.

One of the most dangerous diseases of hippeastrum is red bulb burn, or staganosporosis. At the first detection of red stains and dots on the hippeastrum bulb, without regret, cut out all foci of infection to healthy tissue. Trim off any affected leaves and dead roots. All sections and the bulb itself must be treated with phytosporin, foundationol, and Maxim.

Dry the treated hippeastrum bulb for a week and see if new foci of infection appear. If everything went well, then plant the hippeastrum bulb in a new pot and a new substrate. At first, minimal watering and only in a tray with solutions of phytosporin and foundation to ensure disinfection. In this case, planting the bulb should be as high as possible, this will allow you to control the condition of the bulb. If everything goes well, then the soil can then be filled to the desired height. The main thing is to preserve the onion.

In addition to the red burn, hippeastrum can be affected by anthracnose and fusarium. Treatment is almost the same as for a red burn: removal of damaged tissue, repeated treatments with phytosporin, foundationazole, Maxim.

Remember, diseases appear from an incorrectly selected soil mixture, excess nitrogen fertilizers, improper watering (too much, or water got into the middle of the bulb), from lack of light. If the keeping conditions are chosen correctly, then the hippeastrum will delight you with its flowering for a long time.


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Problems during cultivation: how to eliminate them?

Hippeastrum, planting and caring for which is not so difficult, may lose its decorative appearance if the necessary conditions are not met. The most common problems are:

Red rot

It attacks bulbs and is considered a frequent visitor. The leaves become lethargic, and traces of rot appear on the bulb and its scales. What to do in this case? At the first signs of infection, you must immediately remove all affected areas, carefully cut out diseased areas to healthy tissue, and remove all dead roots.

The bulb should be dried (5-7 days is enough); before planting, experts recommend treating it with foundationazole. After this, the hippeastrum is planted in a new substrate so that most of the bulb remains above the surface. Only the roots and the bottom of the bulb remain in the soil. This will make it easier to observe the plant at first.

Downy mildew

appears when the humidity is too high and there is no ventilation. If you find signs of the disease, then you need to treat the plant with any specialized remedy for powdery mildew (you can buy it in flower shops). The conditions of detention also need to be changed.

Red fungal burn

– one of the most common diseases. It appears in the form of red spots on the leaves and bulb.

• Treatment should be started immediately, as the plant may die.
• The bulb must be removed from the soil, cleaned of diseased and dry scales, and all lesions cut out.
• The wounds should be sprinkled with a mixture of chalk (twenty parts) and copper sulfate (one part).

After this, the onion is dried for about a week, then planted in fresh soil. It is recommended to steam the substrate; it can be additionally treated with fungicides. Planting is done so that the bottom and roots of the onion remain in the soil.


Doesn't bloom

It also happens that hippeastrum does not begin to bloom at home. This happens for various reasons: excessive watering or lack of water, the bulbs are too small. Change the growing conditions, try periodically applying special fertilizers. The lack of flowering is also the result of the fact that your pet did not enter a state of rest.

Among the pests, it is necessary to note such as spider mites, thrips, and aphids. They are easy to detect; treatment is treatment with special preparations.

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If it doesn’t bloom, then why?

Sometimes this happens due to a lack of nutrients, because the hippeastrum plant is a gluttonous plant, and there is very little soil in the pot, so it is quickly depleted. For this reason, fertilizing should be sufficient and regular, as should watering. And it happens that a plant throws all its energy into fighting pests, such as spider mites, scale insects, and then it has no time to bloom. Hippeastrum does not bloom even when the soil is waterlogged and the bulb begins to rot.


Hippeastrum is a genus of perennial bulbous plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, which has about 90 species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics of the Amazon River basin. In Europe, they became acquainted with the flower in the 18th century. Since that time, hippeastrum has been cultivated as a houseplant, which has gained popularity with its bright, spectacular flowering, the presence and decorativeness of which directly depend on compliance with the conditions of keeping the flower and proper care for it.

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Description

Spectacular and fairly easy to grow hippeastrums have long been of interest to breeders. Varieties differ in the size and color of the corolla. Based on these characteristics, they are divided into 9 groups, among which there are simple and double, large-, medium- and small-flowered.

At home, hybrid hippeastrum is most often cultivated. This is a fairly large plant with long (up to 70 cm) linear (4–5 cm wide) shiny leaves and shallow grooves along the entire length. Most representatives of the species have green ones. There are forms with a reddish (purple) tint of foliage, which makes the plant even more attractive. The leaves grow in pairs, in 2 rows.

During flowering, the plant produces a tall (up to 60-80 cm) and powerful peduncle. It bears an umbrella inflorescence consisting of large (length 15 cm, width up to 25 cm) funnel-shaped buds. Corollas can be painted in a wide range of shades: from white, pink, orange to red and purple. Sometimes there are even yellow and greenish ones. The background shade can be supplemented with specks and strokes.

Hippeastrum blooms once a year, in spring. The alternate opening of its buds ensures the duration (3-4 weeks) of this spectacular spectacle. At the end of flowering, fruits are formed - seed pods.

Hippeastrum is often confused with amaryllis or considered to be two names for the same flower. These opinions are wrong. Hippeastrum and amaryllis are related, belonging to the same family and very similar in appearance, but belonging to different genera.



Features of the growing season

The life cycle of hippeastrum consists of 2 phases: a period of rest and active vegetation.

Each phase of the cycle has a certain duration and its own characteristics.



Streptocarpus - conditions of detention, reproduction, flower care

Rest period

The natural dormant period of the hippeastrum begins in September. Its approach is indicated by gradually drying leaves, fading flowers and an increasing size of the bulb. After the leaves dry, they are removed.




The bulbs are stored in a cool (10-12 °C), dark and dry place directly in the pot. They must be covered with light-proof material. Storage of bulbs removed from the container is allowed. In this case, they are placed in boxes or bags made of dense material.

Ideally, the hippeastrum rests for 8 to 10 weeks. The presence of a dormant period and its duration is a decisive factor determining the decorative flowering of a plant. An insufficiently rested hippeastrum will form small buds or refuse to bloom at all.



Stages of vegetation

The active growing season of the flower begins at the end of January, beginning of February. It consists of several sequential stages.

A feature of hippeastrum and one of its differences from amaryllis is that the life cycle of the flower can be corrected. For example, you can stimulate the beginning of flowering for a certain month or send it to rest.

Growing conditions

Hippeastrum grows in any room, but it looks different.

For good development and flowering, the plant needs to create certain conditions that are not the same throughout its growing season.

Lighting

During the dormant period, the flower does not need light. Its bulbs are stored in the dark. Then they are gradually accustomed to light: in the first days they are placed away from its source, in the back of the room.

With the appearance of leaves, hippeastrum is placed on window sills. During active growth and emergence of the peduncle, the plant needs good lighting, excluding direct sunlight.

Light is also necessary after flowering for the ripening of the bulb and seeds. To avoid deformation of the leaves and peduncle, the pot with the plant is periodically rotated around its axis.

Air temperature and humidity

The optimal temperature for storing hippeastrum bulbs is 10... 12 ° C. During the transition period between dormancy and growing season, the plant needs warmth: 23... 25 ° C. During flowering it is cool: 16...20 degrees Celsius. At higher temperatures, the flowering time will be noticeably shortened.

For a vegetative flower, not only the temperature regime is important, but also the presence of fresh and humid air in the room. Therefore, in the warm season, it is often taken out into the open air, protected from direct sunlight and waterlogging.

Care measures

Caring for a plant in different phases of its growing season is not the same.

During the dormant period, with the correct placement of the bulbs, the flower requires almost no attention. It is enough to carry out an inspection once a month. During this, the soil is slightly moistened, avoiding water getting on the bulb.

Caring for a vegetating plant consists of carrying out the usual activities for gardeners (watering, fertilizing and replanting). A sharp change in conditions and their prolonged violation provoke a refusal to flower.

Watering

The hippeastrum is watered with settled water at room temperature, adjusting the frequency and abundance of moisture at different stages:

• During the transition period between rest and growing season, when the first leaves appear, water rarely and in small portions. The soil should be dry between waterings.
• When the flower arrow appears (beginning of February), water more often. The soil should be slightly moist between moistenings.
• During flowering, water regularly and abundantly.
• After this, during the active growth of leaves, the frequency and abundance of watering is gradually reduced, reducing to 1-2 times a month by the beginning of September.

The ideal option is to alternate watering from above and below, through a tray. The first is carried out carefully, along the edge of the pot, trying not to get on the bulb. This can cause it to rot. This alternation of moistening methods promotes uniform distribution of moisture throughout the earthen clod. This is important to prevent root rotting. For the same reason, hippeastrum tolerates insufficient moisture better than excess water.

Top dressing

Throughout the growing season, hippeastrum is fed once every 2 weeks with mineral fertilizers. Fertilizing is carried out after watering, which is important to prevent burns of the roots.

Fertilizers are selected taking into account the growing season of the flower:

• At the very beginning, when the first leaves appear, fertilizing is carried out with liquid fertilizers for deciduous plants containing large amounts of nitrogen, as well as phosphorus and potassium. The ideal nutrient ratio is 7:3:6.
• After the leaves grow, apply fertilizers of a similar composition, but with a lower nitrogen content: respectively 4:6:12.
• During the emergence and growth of the peduncle to a height of 13-15 cm, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is supplemented by moistening the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A week after this, any phosphorus fertilizer is applied.
• In August (a month before the onset of the dormant period), fertilizing is carried out with fertilizers rich in potassium and containing nitrogen and phosphorus (12: 4: 4).

Regular, timely and balanced application of fertilizers will ensure high quality flowering and leaf growth necessary for bulb formation.

Transfer

Hippeastrum is replanted every 3-4 years. The optimal time for this procedure is the end of the rest period. To replant, you will need a new pot and a substrate of a certain composition.

Narrow plastic pots with a drainage compartment and holes for water drainage are suitable for hippeastrums. The diameter of the container is selected to match the onion. It is placed strictly in the middle. There should be 3-5 cm left from the sides of the bulb to the walls of the pot.

A large number of babies are formed in a wide pot. This leads to its depletion, which results in a refusal to flower.

Hippeastrum is picky about soil composition. The main indicators of its suitability for growing a flower are:

• high air and water permeability;
• average acidity level (maximum pH limit = 6).

Such a substrate can be prepared from 2 parts of clay-turf soil mixed with leaf soil, humus, peat and sand, taken in an amount of 1 part. To grow a flower, commercial soil for bulbous plants with the addition of a small amount of sand is suitable.

Transplantation technique

The plant is replanted using the transshipment method, which preserves the integrity of the roots and facilitates the rapid adaptation of the bulb to the new pot. Before the procedure, the flower is watered.



The roots are carefully examined. If there is damage, dark spots or rot, the bulb is freed from the soil and treated:

• cut off all damaged areas;
• lubricate the cut areas with brilliant green;
• incubate for 30 minutes in a fungicide solution (Fundazol, Maxim).

Drainage is placed at the bottom of the container. 1/3 of the substrate is poured on top of it and an earthen ball is placed on it. The voids are filled with the remaining soil. Deepen by 2/3.

In case of transplanting a damaged and treated bulb into a substrate, sphagnum moss is used instead of humus. The soil is poured over the drainage. The bulb is buried no more than 1/4. With such a planting, it is more convenient to control its condition. Subsequently, making sure that everything is in order with it, the soil is filled up to the usual level.




After planting, place the container with the bulb in a warm, shaded place and do not water it until the first leaves appear.

After separation, they are planted for growing in individual or common containers, buried 2/3, and left in the light.




Caring for them consists of regularly moistening the soil with small portions of warm water. The bulbs do not rest until the first flowering; you should not artificially force them to do this.

Pests and diseases

The succulent leaves of hippeastrum attract sucking insects. Most often these are aphids, mealybugs and spider mites.

Pest control is as follows:

• Aphids are destroyed with Actellik.
• Spider mites are washed off with warm water.
• If the plant is severely infested with mealybug, the plant cannot be saved. Single clusters of insects are removed manually using a solution of karbofos (20 to 40 drops per 1 liter of water) or soap.

Hippeastrums rarely get sick. Among the possible diseases, the most common are anthracnose (treated with the drug “Fundazol”, treating once every 2 weeks) and viral mosaic (incurable, the affected plant is destroyed).

Secrets of flowering

It happens that hippeastrum refuses to bloom. The reason for this is most often a weakening of the bulb caused by:

• absence or very short period of rest;
• soil depletion resulting from the absence of fertilizing and replanting;
• the formation of a large number of children on the bulb;
• gross and prolonged violation of the conditions of keeping the flower;
• pest damage.

Some secrets will help induce flowering:

1. 1. Before planting, soak the bulb in warm (43–45 ºC) water for 3 hours. The peduncle will appear after 3 weeks.
2. 2. In August, stop watering the flower and place it in a dry and dark place until the end of January. Resumption of watering stimulates the appearance of flowering after 1.5 months.
3. 3. By cutting off the leaves in July and not moistening the plant until the end of the month, you can cause flowering at the end of August, if you fertilize with liquid complex fertilizer with the first watering.

A little attention and work, and the hippeastrum will surprise you with the beauty of its flowering.