Luxury gippeastrum: home care

Hippeastrums belong to the family of amaryllis and are successfully grown by flower growers all over the world. They are easily amenable to hybridization, their flowers have many shapes and colors. All the valuable for the cultivation of hippeastrums to date - hybrids.

Flowers of gippeastrums are luxurious: they are kept on strong, thick stems that go through every 4 leaves, and are arranged in groups of 2-6 flowers in one flower arrow. The number of arrows thrown depends on the size of the bulb: the larger it is, the more flower buds will give. The maximum number of flower arrows on a bulb is three. Young plants with small bulbs do not bloom.

Bloom

Flower shops sell large strong bulbs in the dormant period or plants that soon should blossom. To wake the sleeping bulb, it is recommended to lower it to the warm water for 2 hours. Further, the bulb is planted in a tall, narrow pot, into which it is necessary to fill drainage and soil mixture for bulbous ones. Hippeastrums are planted by placing the bulb in the ground at ½ height.

If blossoming gippeastrum is bought, care at home is to give him a bright place (but not under direct sunlight) and a careful weekly watering. Water should be taken at room temperature, and do not allow it to hit the onion.

The flowering period lasts about three weeks: two weeks goes to the growth of the peduncle, 1-2 days to the bud opening. Blossoming flowers stay on the peduncle for up to one week. Flowers can be blossomed in turn, paired or all at once - it depends on the variety. Terry forms bloom 1-3 days earlier than non-marble.

Flowering usually occurs during the cold season, but a skilled florist can make the hippeastrums bloom at any time. Usually, the gippeastrum blooms once a year, but with optimal care it is possible to re-bloom in the summer.

Time of growth. Vegetation of hippeastrum

When flowering is over, the question arises: "How to preserve the faded hippeastrum?" Care at home is easy, but requires compliance with a certain scheme.

The flower arrow is highly pruned; after drying, it is twisted. A discolored plant should grow foliage and restore a weakened bulb. This takes approximately 9 months.

It is necessary to water abundantly and regularly fertilize hippeastrum. Care at home requires feeding at least 2 times a month with a solution of Mullein or a special flower fertilizer. Hypeastrum emits long, heavy linear leaves of a juicy green color. The larger the leaf accretion, the more abundant watering. If the leaves become brittle and fall to one side, you need to increase the lighting. To do this, the flower can be placed on the terrace or prikopat for summer in the garden. If desired, you can propagate the variety you like.

If the bulb is well restored, and the plant has released many leaves in the summer, the next season can get a strong, ready-to-abundant blossom hippeastrum.

Reproduction of plants is carried out in three ways: seeds, division of a bulb and children.

Seeds mature after artificial or natural pollination within 1.5-2 months in three-nest seed capsules. Germination is lost quickly, so you need to sow immediately, seeding the seeds to a depth of 1-2 cm. After 3-4 years from the seed, you can get blooming gippeastrum. Care at home is the maintenance of seedlings in a bright place with a temperature of 18-20 ⁰ . They are placed in shallow containers with good drainage. Rest the first 2 years is not needed, but in winter watering should be moderate.

The easiest way to reproduce is by babies. They are separated from the mother bulb when they reach a diameter of 2 cm and have roots. Just like the seedlings, they do not need peace for the first time. They also begin to bloom for 3-4 years after planting.

Some modern hybrids do not give birth to children. You can resort to the division of the bulb: the bulb is cut into several pieces with a sterile knife, each part must have a part of the bottom with roots. The obtained segments are dried in air, the slices are poured with crushed charcoal. Plant the pieces in a mixture of sand and peat (1: 1), place the pot in a transparent bag. Between the scales will begin to form new bulbs.

Sometimes the florists, without cutting the bulb completely, make an incision on it. It also stimulates the formation of children.

Autumn dreams. The rest period of hippeastrums

Growing gippeastrum at home, you need to provide him peace. At the end of summer, top dressing stops, watering is reduced. In September, watering is stopped.

When the leaves dry up, the bulb moves to a dark cool place for 2-3 months. There are varieties that do not shrink leaves. In this case, the leaves are cut.

Thick roots do not die during hibernation, so it is advisable to leave the bulb in the pot.

When the rest period is over, the gippeastrum is transplanted into fresh soil and placed in a warm, bright place. Watering before the birth of the peduncle is not performed. Then the plant repeats its life cycle.