Vallota (Vallota) - a bulbous flowering plant from the Amaryllis family. In the natural environment, distributed in the subtropical zone of South Africa, the homeland of the Wallota is the Cape region, which is part of South Africa. At home, the flower has been grown since the mid-17th century.
A perennial plant develops at an average rate, usually its height does not exceed 0.5 m. The flowering of the wallota occurs in the summer, but some specimens with a strong bulb can bloom twice - in spring and autumn.
Vallota attracts attention with spectacular red flowers, similar to large bells, and elegant golden stamens. The name is given by the name of the French biologist Pierre Vallo, who gave the first scientific description of the plant.
Be sure to look at the hemanthus flower from the same family. They look very nice in pairs.
| Growth rate is medium. | |
| Flowering wallota occurs in the summer. | |
| The average difficulty of growing. | |
| It is a perennial plant. |
Useful properties of wallots
Despite the fact that the exotic beauty Wallot is poisonous, it is beneficial. The positive properties of the plant are its beauty. The contemplation of a blooming wallota causes an incomparable aesthetic pleasure.
The joy of communicating with a representative of the flora improves mood, increases the tone of the body. The plant emphasizes the individuality of the interior, creates a cozy atmosphere in the house.
Vallota: home care. Briefly
In order for the wallota to develop harmoniously at home, you should find out the preferences of the plant and create a favorable environment for it:
| Temperature mode | Not higher than + 28 ° C - in the summer; contain in winter at + 12 ° C. |
| Air humidity | Medium, sprayed in summer. |
| Lighting | In the summer in the heat - scattered, the rest of the time - bright sunny. |
| Watering | In the spring - in the summer - once every 7 days (in the heat more often); in winter - once every 12 days. |
| Wallot soil | Loose nutritious; earth mixture from garden soil, humus, sand and peat, taken in equal parts. |
| Fertilizer and fertilizer | In spring and summer - with diluted liquid mineral fertilizer - once every 14 days; in the fall, the frequency of top dressing is reduced, in the winter it is stopped. |
| Wallot transplant | In the spring, every 2.5 years; more often replace the topsoil. |
| Breeding | Kids and seeds. |
| Growing Features | Vallota does not take off leaves for the winter, they remain green. Therefore, the plant must continue to be looked after: kept cool and sometimes watered. The more leaves you can save during the winter, the better the flower will feel. |
Wallot care at home. In detail
Vallota is a beautiful overseas plant. Indoors, it takes root well and blooms lushly, if you create a favorable atmosphere.
Rest period
After flowering, Wallota will hint that she needs a dormant period of withering of the peduncle. Often this happens in mid-September. Completely withered peduncle is removed. Vallota is rearranged in a cool place and kept at a temperature of about + 12 ° C.
Watering should be sparse to support the leaves and not cause rotting of the roots. Top dressing stops.
Flowering preparation
In early April, Wallota will begin to wake up and release leaves. It is at this time that a phased preparation for flowering begins. Extremes must not be allowed in a hurry, the quality of future flowering depends on this. Gradually increase the temperature of the content, without leading to a sharp increase.
They feed the plant with complex liquid fertilizer, diluting it in half. When the peduncle appears, the dose of phosphorus in the dressings is increased: the element stimulates flowering. The substrate should always be moderately moist. Make sure that there is no stagnation of moisture.
Bloom
Plants from the Amaryllis family bloom not just beautifully, but bewitchingly. The flowering of the wallota is an unforgettable sight, despite the fact that the color gamut of the species is mainly limited to red - orange shades. One bulb forms two or more strong peduncles, the height of which does not exceed 0.4 m. On each of them up to 7 large flowers - gramophone blossoms.
Their diameter often exceeds 5 cm. Flowers are collected in inflorescences - umbrellas. Golden stamens emphasize the delicate texture of the petals. The life span of a peduncle is up to a week. During flowering, Wallot continues to be fed. Water carefully, trying not to wet the flowers. They protect the plant from drafts and sudden changes in temperature.
Temperature mode
For plants with southern roots, it is imperative to maintain the temperature regime, otherwise they will develop unevenly, slow down growth, and will not bloom. In winter, the wallot plant at home should be kept at a temperature not exceeding + 28 ° C, and in summer at + 12 ° C.
The flower does not tolerate drafts and sudden changes in temperature. In the summer, Vallota enjoys breathing fresh air in the garden or on the balcony.
Spraying
The flower feels comfortable when the room is medium humidity. Caring for the wallot at home recommends spraying it every day in the summer. This must be done very carefully, without getting on the flowers. To maintain humidity at the proper level, an open container of water is placed next to the plant, sometimes an air humidifier is turned on. Periodically wipe the leaves with a soft damp cloth.
Lighting
A southern plant is pleased when light falls on it. The rays of the sun have a beneficial effect on its development, activate vitality. Home wallota loves bright sunlight, but on hot days it must be shaded, otherwise burns can not be avoided. The most suitable for the placement of wallots are windows facing the south, southeast and southwest.
Windows of the north direction are excluded: the flower will stretch, suspend the vegetation. But in winter, experienced gardeners recommend placing the pot with the wallot on the northern windows, so that the plant can relax and fully relax. In spring, the flower is returned to its former - well-lit - place.
Watering Wallots
It is necessary to monitor the surface of the soil and prevent the formation of crust on it. Watering the walls during flowering and intensive development is carried out when the soil begins to dry out.
Usually this happens once every 7 days, during the heat - a little more often, to prevent the leaves from drying out (wallota is very painfully experiencing all the changes associated with them). After flowering, the frequency of watering is reduced, in winter, watering is necessary on average every 12 days. For irrigation use lukewarm well-defended water.
Wallot pot
The result of the harmonious development of the wallota is its lush, continuous flowering. It is important for the grower to create optimal conditions for the plant to show its wonderful "bells" to the world. Of great importance is the pot for wallots. If you buy too spacious a container, a lot of children will form, and instead of blooming plentifully, the wallot will take care of them, giving strength to the development of the bulbs.
Therefore, the pot needs a little cramped. The bulb diameter of an adult flower is approximately 80 mm. The distance from it to each wall of the pot should be no more than 40 mm, which means that the diameter of the container for an adult wallota is 160 mm. A young plant needs a pot whose diameter does not exceed 100 mm. The height of the container should not be larger than its diameter.
When buying a pot, you should always look so that there are drainage holes at the bottom.
Priming
Nutrients from the soil should flow freely to the roots of the plant, then the wallota will develop well. This is possible if you take a loose and permeable soil to plant a flower. In the store you can buy a universal substrate for flowering plants and supplement it with charcoal powder, chopped spruce bark, sphagnum.
To improve drainage properties, brick crumb, vermiculite is added to the ground. You can independently prepare the soil mixture, taking in equal proportions humus, garden soil, peat, sand. Improve the composition of the same components as the finished substrate.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
In order for the wallota to harmoniously develop at home and bloom beautifully, top dressing and fertilizer are needed. Use a universal complex fertilizer for flowering plants. The tool is used in diluted form after evening watering. Liquid fertilizer is better absorbed by the roots, while reducing the risk of overfeeding the plant.
An overfed flower will build up green mass and bloom poorly. This will reduce the decorative properties of wallots. Top dressing is carried out during the period of intensive vegetation once every 14 days. After flowering, reduce the frequency of the procedure, and in the winter stop completely. Feeding the plant, it is shaded for a day.
Transfer
Vallota is a bulbous plant. She is very sensitive to any external influences. Typically, wallot transplants are performed every 2.5 years, in the spring. The plant is very carefully taken out of the pot, trying not to damage the bulb and roots. A flower transplant is an occasion to change the pot, soil and increase the drainage layer.
Transplanting the wallot, do not deepen the bulb so that there is no decay of the base of the stem. The third part should rise above the surface of the substrate. After the procedure, Wallot will get used to a new place for a long time and will not continue to develop immediately. Having grown roots, the flower will develop its upper part.
After transplantation, the Wallot should be placed in a place protected from direct sunlight. Instead of replanting an adult plant, the top layer of the substrate is often replaced. After three weeks, the Wallot can be fed.
How to trim the wallot?
Vallota needs pruning to get rid of completely dried leaves. If the sheet is not completely discolored, do not touch it until the entire surface dries. After flowering, completely wilted peduncles are also removed.
Wallot propagation
Wallota propagation is possible in two ways.
Growing Wallots from Seeds
Spend in October or November. Seeds are soaked in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate and germinated between layers of moistened gauze or filter paper. Sown in a substrate to a depth of about 50 mm. Cover with glass or film, germinate with lower heating. Shelter is removed to water and feed the seedlings. After 20 days, seedlings appear. After 3.5 months, small onions are transplanted, completely immersed in the ground. The plant is moderately watered. A year later, in the spring, the grown bulbs are transplanted so that the root neck is slightly visible above the soil surface. Vallota planted with seeds will bloom in 3 years.
Wallot propagation by children
Carried out after transplantation. Formed bulbs are carefully separated from the roots of the mother plant and planted in small pots, buried in the substrate by 2/3. At first, seedlings are rarely watered. Vallota, grown from children, blooms in its second year.
Growing a beautiful large plant from small seeds is a lengthy process. Therefore, the second method of reproduction is most often used. It is also popular because the flowers planted by children are more like a plant - "mother".
Diseases and Pests
Diseases and pests rarely affect the plant. Due to improper care, problems often appear:
- the tips of the leaves dry wallots - it’s hot for the plant (ventilate the room, protecting the flower from the draft; spray it);
- brown spots on the leaves - a sign of gray rot due to the content at high humidity and in shading (cut the affected leaves, treat the plant with fungicide; ventilate more often);
- leaves wither, wrinkle - a sign of fusariosis (remove all damaged parts, sprinkle the cut points with sulfur or charcoal powder; if the plant is badly damaged, it cannot be saved);
- wallota does not bloom - lack of rest period; keeping in a poorly lit place and growing in a spacious pot (keep cool in the winter and rarely water; move to a lighter place; transfer to a closer pot).
Most often, wallota is affected by aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, and spider mites.
Types of home wallots with photos and names
In home culture, two types are widespread:
Vallota speciosa
The height of the plant is about 0.65 m. The diameter of the flowering bulb is up to 45 mm. Flowers are very similar to lilies. Bright red petals with an orange tint have an oval shape, slightly pointed at the end. Umbrella inflorescences are wide open and directed upwards. The leaf plates are long (about 40 mm) and wide (up to 30 mm), have a belt-like shape, painted in a dark olive color. The species blooms in mid-August.
Vallota purpurea
On one peduncle, 6 to 8 flowers with a diameter of up to 50 mm are simultaneously formed. Scarlet petals are pointed at the end. The length of the green narrow leaves does not exceed 0.35 cm. It blooms in early autumn.
Blooming wallota brings joy to the house. When its bright red umbrellas unfold, inspiration comes and sadness disappears.
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