Hippeastrum, home care for which a beginner grower can do, is a bulbous perennial plant from the Amaryllis family. The flower, introduced in the 16th century from the tropical climate of the South American region, attracted the Europeans, taking a worthy place among cultures with high decorative qualities when decorating the interior of various rooms.

Differences between amaryllis and hippeastrum

Often, hippeastrum is mistaken for amaryllis. However, while 85 species belong to the genus of hippeastrum growing in the tropics and subtropics of South America, then the latter includes one species, known as Amaryllis belladonna, with a range of growth in southern Africa.

Among the main differences are:

  • the shape of the bulbs, which is rounded in the hippeastrum, and pear-shaped in the amaryllis;
  • delicate aroma inherent in amaryllis;
  • the number of flowers in the inflorescence - amaryllis has 6-12 flowers, while hippeastrum has a maximum of 6 pieces;
  • flowering time - in amaryllis, the flowering phase is observed in autumn, in hippeastrum - in summer or spring;
  • flower stalk structure - if the arrow is hollow, then a hippeastrum in front of the flower grower.

Types and varieties of plants

Many species united in the genus of hippeastrum are divided into 9 groups depending on the timing of flowering, the origin and size of the flower. To understand this classification, you must be a nerd.It is not necessary for the grower and phytodesigner to determine whether the variety belongs to the species, and the variety to the group in order to decorate the window sills with beautiful representatives of the tropical flora.

Among the most beautiful varieties that can be purchased at the store, stand out:

  • Harrison's Hippeastrum, a native of Uruguay, has white flowers with red veins in the form of a fork in the center of the petals, needs high humidity and coolness in the resting phase.
  • Nelson's Hippeastrum is a not so common variety in stores that grows in Bolivia and stands out for its extraordinary shape and color of flowers.
  • Hippeastrum Leopold - a variety with large inflorescences formed by white-burgundy flowers with a dark green neck, grows in nature in Peru.
  • Hippeastrum Argentinean - white flowers descended from the Argentinean Andes plants are composed of pointed corrugated petals.
  • Hippeastrum Dorana is an inhabitant of the Orinoco river basin with pinkish flowers, whose petals are divided in half by a white stripe, exudes a delicate aroma during flowering.

Hippeastrum: features of growing

Before you get a decorative flower from South America, it is worth exploring a number of features related to its cultivation:

  • Light-colored varieties are a poor source of quality seed.
  • With the advent of summer, it is better to plant a flower on a flower bed.
  • The bloom of each flower lasts only 10 days.
  • The timing of flowering crops can be adjusted.
  • For cultivation, only large bulbs with a large number of nutrients are used.

Read also:Kalanchoe Blossfeld Home Care

Home Care

Hippeastrum flower with elegant inflorescences on high peduncles requires proper care from the grower, upon receipt of which all the expended forces and time will pay off in full.

Location and lighting

The photophilous culture needs a lot of soft light, which it can receive when it is on the windowsills of the south direction with shading from the direct rays of the midday sun.

Advice! To keep the flower compact, it is recommended to systematically rotate the pot.

Temperature mode

During the period of intensive development, the plant is provided with a temperature in the range of 17-25 ° C. If possible, then in the summer it is better to move the flower to fresh air with protection from direct light and precipitation.

Soil and pot requirement

For the cultivation of hippeastrum, a narrow pot is used, the wall of which should be 2 cm from the bulb. The nutrient substrate is prepared from sand, leaf and sod soils, humus in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1.

Attention! Before filling the pot, the soil mixture must be calcined in an oven for disinfection.

Watering a flower

The volume and frequency of hydration depends on the vegetative phase of plant development:

  1. After awakening, the representative of the tropics is watered rather sparingly.
  2. From the moment the arrow is ejected and until the onset of the flowering phase, watering increases and becomes plentiful
  3. After flowering, hydration is gradually reduced until it stops.

During the period of heavy watering, it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture: it should not be wet. The best option is to water from the pan, which avoids unwanted water on the bulb.

Air humidity

The plant adapts well to the dry indoor air and does not need additional spraying. However, the flower will be very grateful for organizing a warm shower and wiping the sheets with a wet sponge, which allows you to remove dust and facilitate breathing.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Additional meals are organized twice a month:

  • After completion of the dormant phase, the plant is fed with liquid nitrogen-containing mineral complexes.
  • When the flower grows green mass, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied that stimulate the formation of buds and flowering.

Caution! The concentration of fertilizers in top dressing is halved from that indicated on the package to prevent burns to the root system.

Flowering and pruning

The plant pleases gardeners with its flowers, usually in the spring, with each flower fading after 10 days. After drying, the flowers are cut, which allows for repeated flowering in the summer.

Transfer

The plant is transplanted with an interval of 3 years before immersion in peace or before waking up.

Wherein:

  1. A small pot is selected, at the bottom of which a drainage layer of expanded clay is placed.
  2. The bulb is placed in a new container through transshipment to minimize stress.
  3. The transplanted plant is covered with a substrate so that ⅓ of the bulb remains above the ground.

Rest period

With the advent of autumn, when the plant moves to housing, watering is reduced and the drying of foliage begins. After the leaves fall off, the stem is cut, and the plant is transferred to a dark, dry room with a temperature in the range of 6-12 ° C. The pot is kept on its side for 1.5-2 months, until the hippeastrum begins to awaken.

Pest and Disease Control

The culture is susceptible to attacks by pests such as aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and spider mites. To protect the plant from the above insects will allow treatment with an insecticidal preparation.

Among the diseases on the hippeastrum, foci of development of red rot, powdery mildew of a red burn mushroom can be noted, upon the detection of which the following protective measures are carried out:

  • In case of powdery mildew, the flower is sprayed with a systemic fungicide according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  • With the manifestation of red rot, all affected areas and roots are removed, and the bulb is planted in potassium permanganate solutions with a concentration of 1% or foundationazol before planting in new soil.
  • If a red burn mushroom is noted, then the bulb after removal of the foci of the development of the disease is treated with a mixture of chalk with copper sulfate in a ratio of 20: 1, dried and planted a week later in a new substrate, watered for disinfection with fungicide.

Hippeastrum breeding

Hippeastrum propagates in three ways:

  • Seed method - since it is very difficult to obtain seed material at home, the reception carried out according to the standard scheme is practically not used.
  • Kids - during the transplantation, the children are separated from the mother’s bulb with a sharp disinfected knife, the sections are treated with an antiseptic in the form of crushed wood or activated carbon, after which the separated bulbs are planted in separate pots.
  • Bulb Division - a large onion is divided in half with an equal number of flakes and bottom, and after treatment with an antiseptic, it is planted in a pot with light soil for the formation of children. After 2 months, the newly formed bulbs are planted in separate containers.

Important! The bulbs of the plant are poisonous, so when working with them you need to be careful and work with gloves.

Why does hippeastrum not bloom, how to make bloom?

Often, flower growers are faced with the problem of a lack of flowers from a tropical representative.

There may be several reasons:

  • Nutrient deficiency caused by the rapid depletion of a fertile substrate by a developing flower.
  • Waterlogged soil, provoking the development of rot.
  • The population of the hippeastrum with harmful insects, to which the plant spends all the accumulated energy.

There are several secrets that allow you to stimulate the plant and get a blooming hippeastrum:

  1. Extracting the bulbs before planting in hot water at 40-45 ° C allows you to speed up the growing process and see a bewitching bouquet in 3-4 weeks.
  2. The organization of the dormant phase flower from September to January gives the opportunity for a rested hippeastrum in 1-1.5 months to fully please the owner with luxurious flowering.
  3. The July pruning of all leaves, the cessation of irrigation and hydration along with top dressing a month later stimulate the plant to eject a peduncle in late summer or early fall.

Thus, despite all the difficulties associated with the cultivation of hippeastrum, flowers of marvelous beauty that blossom when the plant blooms are worth the time and effort.

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