Hippeastrum - predominantly Brazilian flower, attracting with its inflorescences. He won the hearts of many gardeners and lovers of indoor plants. Its long paired leaves emanating from the bulb surround a 50-centimeter peduncle with inflorescences-umbrellas, surprising in a variety of colors. There are several hundred varieties of plants that differ in the shape and color of the petals.
Hippeastrum Care Rules
Hippeastrum flower can be grown both in a pot on the windowsill and in the open ground. The main thing is that the climate meets the needs of the plant.
Blooming hippeastrum
When kept indoors, it does not need to be transplanted often - only 1 time in 3 years. Frequent transplants harm the bulb.
Fertilizers and fertilizers
The feeding regimen directly depends on the growing season of the flower. After the end of the dormant period, mineral fertilizers are introduced into the soil, contributing to the rapid and proper formation of leaves. After the appearance of the fourth leaf, the period of formation of the flower carrier and budding begins, for which universal fertilizers are suitable, marked on the packaging with the mark "for flowering plants". When the bulb releases the arrow, it is time to change the fertilizer in favor of potash and phosphorus compounds.
Important! The warnings on packaged concentrates and the recommended dosage cannot be ignored, otherwise the plant will die from chemical burns.
Watering mode
The quality of soil moisture also depends on the period of plant development: until it blooms, it is watered infrequently in small portions. Hippeastrum care begins after a period of rest, when the plant released the first arrow leaf. As a rule, awakening occurs in January.
Important! When watering the hippeastrum, one must not allow moisture to fall on the bulb, otherwise the plant will die. It is safer to pour water into the pan on which the pot stands, but this method is relevant for adult plants, the roots of which have grown to the very bottom of the pot.
When the first peduncle appears after the third leaf, it should be watered more abundantly throughout flowering.
Water without getting on the bulb
In August, when the plant completed its flowering cycles, it leaves during the hibernation period and no longer needs watering.
Soil for growing
Hippeastrum is a bulbous plant, for its healthy development, nutritious soil is required, which does not crumple, has a loose structure. Also, the onion is demanding on acidity - it must be either neutral or alkaline. An ideal option for growing is a ready-made soil mixture for bulbous plants. It has in its composition all the necessary nutrients, moreover, it is quite light and loose. You can not plant a plant in clay soil - the bulb will rot.
Additional Information. If the soil into which it was decided to plant a flower becomes heavier and looser over time, it will be possible to add coconut shavings to its composition.
Hippeastrum pot
When choosing a pot, it is important to pay attention to the depth of the pan - it should be suitable for lower watering, and the bottom of the pot should have a sufficient number of holes through which moisture will enter the soil. Planting the plant in a pot with a small tray is not recommended.
Pot with pan
The pot itself should not be too wide and deep, otherwise the roots developing from the bulb will not be able to reach the wet bottom of the pot. It is a priority to have products made from natural materials such as clay or ceramics, as they have the ability to breathe. If the plant has already been planted in a plastic container, the earth around the bulb often needs to be loosened, allowing air to flow to the roots.
House temperature and humidity
For Hippeastrum of any kind, home care does not imply specific indicators of humidity. They are close to the average apartment, so you should not worry about additional spraying or some other type of moisturizing. A comfortable environment for humans is great for keeping plants.
How to adjust flowering time
Often there are instances of hippeastrum that do not bloom. This does not mean that the grower got a sick specimen. Hippeastrum has no blooming varieties, they were bred not out of love for the green leaf, but to create a variety of colors of buds and petals.
When a hippeastrum grows in open ground, for it the wintering period begins in the natural environment. Cooling comes, there is no watering. The bulb discards leaves and falls asleep, gaining strength for the next season. With the advent of spring, comfortable air temperature and sufficient lighting return. The plant wakes up, the first leaves and peduncle appear.
Important! The plant did not have the proper conditions for hibernation, which is why hippeastrum does not bloom.
Hippeastrum care at home for which does not provide a change in temperature, is not able to understand the sequence of seasons, and therefore it is impossible to predict the period of its flowering, and sometimes even wait for it. Therefore, in August, when the plant completed its last flowering cycle and dropped the leaves, the bulb should be placed in a cold, dark place. An excellent option would be a closed box on an unheated loggia. There the plant should oversleep for two to three months.
Upon returning to the warm windowsill, the bulb will begin to wake up and will certainly please with its inflorescences. That's all you need to know about hippeastrum how to care for blooming. With such a change in temperature, a plant can survive several cycles - up to four. This means that it will bloom several times, delighting with its gramophones for two weeks for each cycle.
During and after flowering
You need to remember how to properly care for the hippeastrum during its flowering, so as not to reduce the time to admire it. Waking up from sleep, the plant is in favorable conditions, where the air temperature is close to 22˚C. It should not be moved to a cooler place, it is important to maintain a constant environment.
Bulb Awakening
Since the temperature of the air outside the window is often much lower than that prevailing in the room, it is not worth putting the awakened flower on the window sill, the window of which is opened to ventilate the room, since the cold air currents will inhibit the vegetation processes, after which it may not be possible to make the bloom .
Around the awakened bulb there should not be many other larger plants that block the light, otherwise the arrow will begin to stretch, spending energy on growth, due to which flowering will be sparse and short-lived.
Attention! There should be enough light for the plant so that it does not waste energy on the struggle for lighting.
After about two weeks of gramophone pleased with its color, flowering ends. The bulb is significantly reduced and thinned. If the sleep period is still far away, it must be carefully fed through the lower watering. It is able to bloom several times a year, with a sufficient amount of nutrients in the soil.
Possible care problems
Like many indoor bulb plants, hippeastrum is susceptible to damage by pests.
Bulb damage with a red burn fungus
Disease
A plant can get sick from an elementary lack of light, because of which its long elastic leaves turn yellow, nutrients from the bulb are not consumed, which leads to decay of the entire root system.
Pests
Among the dangerous and popular pests can be identified:
- red burn fungus;
- powdery mildew;
- scale shield.
By observing the irrigation regime and the free content of the plant at a sufficient distance from neighbors, you can avoid meeting any pests.
Attention! At the first manifestations of spoilage of the leaf plate by parasites, a copious abundant one-time spraying with an alcohol solution is sufficient to ensure an early treatment of the flower.
Breeding instructions
Propagation is possible in several ways, depending on how many new plants need to be obtained.
Bulbs
After the hippeastrum has faded, all that needs to be done next is to transplant the onion-baby from an adult plant. It will become an independent flower, it can bloom for 3 years of life.
Seeds
Getting varietal plants from seeds is not easy, since most representatives are mixes. To obtain the desired variety through seed germination, it is necessary to pollinate buds with a cotton swab during flowering. When varietal seeds are tied, they can bloom in the same shades as the parent plant.
Landing on the windowsill or in the garden of any kind of hippeastrum is the desire of many gardeners. He will bloom not once a season, if he is provided with proper care. The plant itself hibernates and awakens with the arrival of heat. Colorful umbrellas are sure to decorate the home without requiring close attention.
