On the windowsills of urban and rural houses, you can often see a bright flower with a wonderful smell. Indoor amaryllis is unpretentious and pleases with flowering for a long time. Caring for amaryllis at home is simple and does not require much time.
Amaryllis, what a flower, description
This perennial plant belongs to the Amaryllis family. Translated from the ancient Roman language, amaryllis translates as "sparkling", the famous poet of those times Virgil gave the flower such a name. But gardeners prefer to call the plant a March rose for the spring beginning of flowering.
Home decoration
In the wild, amaryllis is found in southern Africa. According to the classification, the genus is a variety of lilies. Karl Linney mistakenly attributed it to hyperarum varieties for the apparent similarity of many morphological characters. Even now, some flower growers confuse these two varieties. But, despite large peduncles, the latter are odorless.
How it blooms, when and with what frequency
It is important to know what amaryllis is, how to care for it, and what to do after a period of rest. According to external data, this is a beautiful plant with dark green leaves, juicy and smooth to the touch. They are quite long and arranged in two rows. When the time comes to bloom, the amaryllis throws an arrow, which is the peduncle. Its length can reach half a meter. Some types of plants give up to three powerful peduncles, where there can be about ten bright and fragrant flowers. Their color depends on the variety of amaryllis. Following the emergence of umbrella inflorescences, new leaves begin to grow.
The beginning of flowering in the natural environment is the end of summer. With greenhouse content, it is easy to make a flower bloom by a certain date, if you create a certain microclimate. The rules of how to grow amaryllis, how to care for to bloom earlier:
- change in landing time;
- increase in room temperature;
- compliance with irrigation conditions.
Within two months, the plant will give a flowering arrow. In countries where the climate is cool, amaryllis is grown exclusively at home.
Important! The principles of care depend on the phase of development in which the flower is currently located.
During the period of active growth, the plant needs moderate watering. But when flowering begins, he needs abundant hydration, but without stagnation of water. Moisture should not fall on the bulb. The main thing is that the soil around it remains moist.
When winter comes, the intensity of irrigation is reduced to once a week. In order not to loosen the flower, leave no more than two peduncles. The rest are used for decorative purposes.
During the flowering period, the pot with the plant is taken out to a cooler place with low light. The dried leaves are cut off, but some of them are left on the bulb to provide it with nutrition.
What to do after flowering
Amaryllis faded, what to do next can be found in the literature. First of all, before the dormant period, fertilizer should be abandoned. Some experts advise digging the bulb and store in a dry container until the spring season. At the same time, they should not dry out. You need to take care of moistening the seeds. Do this with cotton napkins or towels. The procedure is carried out weekly.
Rest period
If you allow the bulbs to gain strength during the dormant period, then the amaryllis is able to please its flowering several times a year. To achieve this, several rules must be observed:
- Do not use too large containers for planting so that the plant is not distracted by the development of children.
- When planting, the bulb is placed in the ground. At great depth, the formation of peduncles slows down.
- After planting, it is necessary to feed the plant, since a lack of nutrients will adversely affect the number and size of buds.
- The lack of sanctification must be compensated for by installing fluorescent lamps.
Thinking about whether the amaryllis faded, what to do after that, it is necessary to give the flower a rest during the rest period so that it does not die in the future. Infected bulbs are tedious to work out with special chemicals before planting.
Note! Avoid sudden changes in temperature in this room.
In a state of rest
The rest period is 4 months. This is the optimal value for normal development and flowering. At the same time, the following care features are observed:
- Amaryllis care at home after flowering does not require much time. You need to choose a place where there is no direct sunlight. In this case, do not remove all the leaves so that the beneficial substances from them fall into the bulb.
- After the flower begins to bloom, experts recommend waiting until the peduncle dries up and, picking the bulb, separate young children from it, treat existing wounds and remove dried roots. Then you can put it again in the same pot or send it to storage in a cool place.
- To protect the seed from pests and diseases, it is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- When stored without land, a preventive inspection is carried out every week to timely detect lesions or to prevent drying of the bulbs.
Important! Material for planting should be large and healthy.
Bulb planting after a period of rest
When the rest regime ends, the pots with the rested plants are transferred to a well-lit place, they begin to water actively in order to ensure rapid growth. If young plants are planted with seeds, then they will have to wait for flowers for a long time, at least seven years. Well, children who give adult bulbs will allow you to admire the luxurious flowers in three or four years.
Planting young plants
When using old bulbs, you need to carefully inspect them, treat them from potential diseases and rot, remove damaged and dried roots and disinfect with charcoal.
Each child should have its own pot, which will give an opportunity to develop normally. Capacity is selected based on the size of the seeds. A transplant is best done annually. Most often this is done after the flowering is over and it is usually autumn.
For planting, it is better to use ceramic pots that let oxygen through. Normal is one in which there is a gap of two or three centimeters between the wall and the bulb. As the soil, a composition of peat, sand and humus is used. Before using it is recommended to pour over boiling water. First, drainage is placed.
On a note! So that the plant develops normally, the bulb is covered with soil. Coverage - 2/3 of the height.
If seeds are used for planting, then they can be collected from the mother plant, but this is a long business and the result may disappoint, as it is difficult to identify them.
The beginning of active development
Amaryllis Care Mistakes
In order for amaryllis to please lush flowering, it is necessary to properly care for it. This is not always the case for gardeners without experience. The pallor of the leaves and the insufficient brightness of the flowers are usually associated with exposure to the planting of direct sunlight. Better move the container to a darker place. When the room is damp and cold enough, the petals begin to darken. The lack of moisture makes the plant faded and lethargic. When infected with pests and pathogenic bacteria, amaryllis discards leaves that are already yellowed.
With improper care, flowering can be short or not at all. This may be due to the following factors:
- skipped the rest period;
- the room is cold;
- the plant does not have enough light.
If the soil is poor in nutrients or the bulb has been damaged, the flower will grow poorly and will not eject the peduncle.
Note! Every grower should know that amaryllis is poisonous. Small doses of juice will not do much harm, but you should still follow safety measures when working with it and do not give into the hands of children.
The flower is whimsical in care and, when creating a normal microclimate in the house, it can please you with bright colors for a long time. The main thing is to know what to do with amaryllis after flowering. This will preserve the beauty of the plant for many years.
