Hippeastrum is a flower belonging to the Amaryllis family. Distribution areas - tropical and subtropical zones of America, Amazon river basin. The plant first appeared in Europe in the 16th century.
Description
The flower is ranked as bulbous perennials. The bulb has the shape of a cone, contains a short thickened stem and closed scales. Its size depends on the type of plant and can range from 50 to 100 mm.
The foliage is linear in shape, 50-70 cm long, placed opposite, in two rows. The color is green, but there are varieties with crimson leaves. Inflorescences have the shape of an umbrella and consist of two to six flowers of both sexes.
The flowers are in the form of a tube or funnel, color from dark red to white. The fruits are a tricuspid box in which the seed of the hippeastrum ripens, almost 100% germination is noted.
Comparison of Hippeastrum and Amaryllis
Beginning flower growers quite often do not see the difference between hippeastrum and amaryllis, or even consider these flowers as one plant. These representatives of the flora are indeed relatives and are assigned to the same family, but they have different genera.
Despite a certain similarity of these flowers, these plants have a lot of differences:
| Feature | Hippeastrum | Amaryllis |
| Rest time | From September to the end of winter. | From June to the end of summer. |
| Bloom | February March. | Autumn (when grown at home - closer to the beginning of winter). |
| Breeding | When grown indoors, children are practically not formed. | New babies are formed annually. |
| The appearance of the peduncle | Hollow. | Corpulent. |
| The number of flowers in the inflorescence | 2 to 6. | 8 to 12 |
| Smell | Not felt. | Saturated. |
| Peduncle formation | After the formation of the fourth sheet plate or in parallel with it. | Initially, a flower stalk is formed, and at the end of the growing season - foliage. |
| Life Cycle Capability | It is allowed to send artificially to rest at any time of the year, as well as to stimulate flowering by a given time. | The cycle of life cannot be changed. |
Types and varieties of hippeastrum
The plant includes ninety species and approximately 2000 varieties, but hippeastrum hybrida (hybrid) is grown in most cases under indoor conditions. Given the size and shape of the plant, a special classification was created in Russia that divides all flower varieties into 9 groups:
| Group | Varieties |
| Large flowered |
|
| Medium flowered |
|
| Small flowered |
|
| Large-colored terry |
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| Terry-flowered terry |
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| Terry small-flowered |
|
| Sibistr |
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| Orchid-shaped |
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| Tubular |
|
Home care at different periods of flower development
When caring for a flower at home, it is recommended to pay attention to the season of the year:
| Season and period of development | Temperature mode | Lighting and location | Humidity |
| Mid September - end of January (dormant phase) | + 10 ... + 12 ° C. | It does not need lighting, it is recommended to place it in a dry, darkened area. | Moistening is carried out once every 7 days. |
| End of January - beginning of February (foliage formation) | + 25 ... + 30 ° C. | Dim light, advise to place in a darkened room. | Light watering (soil is almost dry) |
| The beginning of February (the formation of a flower arrow) | At more than + 20 ° C, the development of the peduncle is accelerated, at less than + 18 ° C this process slows down. | Bright diffused lighting, the plant is placed on the windowsill. | Moisture is gradually increasing, the ground should be slightly moist. |
| The end of February - mid-March (vegetation) | + 16 ... + 20 ° C. | Bright diffused lighting, the plant is located on the windowsill on the south side of the house. Periodically, you should rotate the flower around the axis so that there are no deformations. | Regular watering. |
| Mid March - November (active foliage) | + 18 ... + 22 ° C. | Bright lighting is recommended to be placed on the street, in a place where direct sunlight does not fall. | The rate of moisture application is gradually reduced until it stops completely. |
Watering
Abundantly water the plant is required only at the flowering stage, while flooding should not be allowed. As the dormant period approaches, the frequency of watering is better to reduce, and when the death of all foliage occurs, completely stop. It is allowed to pour only a little water into the sump so that the root system remains in a viable state.
At the dormant stage, the soil where the flower is grown should be dry, because a high level of moisture can cause the appearance of young foliage, which will negatively affect the condition of the flowers.
Top dressing
Feeding the plant is advised immediately after it fades. Fertilizing is required to build strength for the next year. After flowering is completed, rapid foliage growth is observed, the formation of bulbous scales, which subsequently contribute to the appearance of new buds. At this stage, it is advised to take the flower to fresh air.
In the process of foliage growth, the plant should be fed once every ten days, the mullein solution is considered the best fertilizer (1 liter of the product is diluted in 10 liters of clean water).
Transfer
A flower transplant is required to be done annually, only if this condition is met, the plant looks majestic. The best periods for transplantation are considered to be:
- before storage at rest;
- after the end of "hibernation";
- before flowering;
- after flowering (if it concerns only the acquired plant).
Choosing the right time and deciding to perform a transplant, you should first perform a series of actions:
- dead scales are carefully removed from the bulb;
- the rhizome is examined, if necessary, areas with dead or rotten roots are cut off, the cut zones are treated with fungicides.
The soil for planting a hippeastrum should be selected loose, light, with a low level of acidity and a large number of nutrients and mineral salts. When buying land, it is worth stopping the choice on the soil for bulb plants, after which it is mixed with sand or vermiculite.
With self-preparation of the earth, mix sheet soil (3 parts) and humus (one part).
To grow a hippeastrum, a pot with walls will be suitable, which will be located at a distance of about 3 cm from the bulb. A layer of drainage is necessarily located at the bottom of the container.
When planting the bulb, it is necessary to verify that most of it is on the surface.
Breeding
The simplest method of flower propagation is the use of children, but gardeners are increasingly performing bulb division.
For high-quality division, it is necessary to prepare a strong healthy onion, which is cut into two halves so that on both slices there is the same amount of bottom and scale. The cut area is sprinkled with charcoal or activated carbon. Next, the lobule is planted in a mixture of peat.
After about 2 months, new babies will form. When spring comes, they will need to be transplanted into a pot.
The plant is allowed to propagate with the help of seeds, but in order to obtain flowers, it will be necessary to pollinate artificially. It should be remembered that during the first two years the seedling almost never blooms, and there are no maternal signs in it.
Care Mistakes
When caring for hippeastrum, novice growers can make a number of mistakes:
| Care Mistakes | Signs | Elimination |
| There is no rest time (temperature over + 18 ° C, watering or fertilizing does not stop). | There is no formation of buds and therefore flowering. | It is necessary to observe the specified watering rules, control the temperature and humidity level at each stage of the plant's life. |
| Unsuitable temperature during flowering (less than + 17 ° C). | ||
| Inadequate lighting during vegetation. | ||
| Failure to comply with the rules for fertilizing and watering. | ||
| Excessive hydration. | The plant abruptly stops growing, bulbs rot, pests form in the ground. | The bulb must be dug up, cleaned of soil and examined for damage. Transplant a flower into a new land. |
| Low temperature or high level of dampness. | Hippeastrum blackens. | Remove the affected buds, move the hippeastrum into a warm and dry room. |
| Potassium deficiency or plant maintenance during the growing season in a room with dry air. | The tips of the foliage become brown. | Fertilize and adjust the feeding schedule, moisten the air. |
| Strong lighting. | Flowers turn pale. | Place the plant in a place with diffused light, where there is no risk of exposure to direct sunlight. |
Disease and treatment
One of the most dangerous pathologies for hippeastrum is a red burn of the bulb. If it reveals stains or splashes of the specified color, the lesions should be immediately cut out. All affected foliage and dead root system are removed. All slice areas are treated with Fundazol, Maxim or Fitosporin. The treated bulb is dried for a week, and then again checked for the presence of lesions, if there are none, then the bulb is planted in a new pot.
In addition, the plant may suffer from fusarium or anthracnose. The treatment is similar to the previous disease. Be sure to remove all affected areas, and then the places of the slices are treated with tools that contribute to the acceleration of healing.
It should be remembered that diseases are formed due to improperly selected soil, excessive nitrogen content, non-compliance with irrigation regimes, and lack of lighting.
If all these conditions are met correctly, then the plant will delight the owners for a long time with a healthy appearance and good flowering.
