A flowering ornamental plant, which is called an elegant beauty, is nerina. Planting and care depend on the growing conditions - in the open ground or at home. How to do this - read the article.
Flower description
Nerina (nerin) is a heat-loving bulbous plant native to South Africa. The flower belongs to the Amaryllis family. The genus has thirty species. The flower has the same name with the ancient Greek nymph.
A distinctive feature of the plant is the presence of long dark green leaves of a belt-shaped form. An umbrella-shaped inflorescence has seven to fifteen flowers. Each has six strongly curved petals with wavy edges. Thanks to this flower structure, upright stamens are clearly visible.
Due to the bizarre shape of the petals, the nerin is called the "spider lily." Flowers have different shades: pink, scarlet, raspberry, white. They resemble segments of a bowl cut into pieces.
The stem of the inflorescence is leafless, it is called the "naked woman". In almost all species, the flowering period occurs at the end of summer or the beginning of autumn and lasts about two months. The rest period falls on the summer months. The exception is Bowden's Nerin. In this decorative plant, leaves appear later than inflorescences.
In open ground, the flower is grown only in a warm climate with moderate rainfall. Excessive hydration is detrimental to the plant. Cut flowers are used to make bouquets. For three weeks they retain their original appearance.
Nerina Bowden
This is one of the varieties of the flower. Its bulb is capable of forming a large number of children. Green leaves are long, fifteen to thirty centimeters. Their surface is glossy, with small grooves.
Peduncle reaches a length of forty-five centimeters. The inflorescence is large, has the shape of an umbrella, its length is twenty-four centimeters. In inflorescence there are up to twelve flowers. They are mounted on legs of a trihedral shape, up to six centimeters in length. The flowers are pink.
Pleases with the lush bloom of the nerin Bowden. Planting and care require compliance with certain requirements for lighting, temperature, watering, humidity and top dressing. This variety is the coldest flower of its kind.
Outdoor cultivation and care
In our country, in the area of the city of Sochi, a nerin flower is grown. Landing and care in this area are carried out in the open ground.
Bulbs of plants are left in the ground for the winter. Nerin flower is grown in open-air areas. Landing and care in the open ground are carried out in other areas with a mild climate: on the Black Sea coast, in the Krasnodar Territory, in the south of Crimea. Here, for the winter, bulbs are dug up and stored in a cool room in humid peat. In other regions of Russia, nerin is grown as a houseplant.
Choosing a landing place
The nerin flower, which is planted in sunny, moderately moist, wind-protected areas, does not drop foliage all year round. Excessive hydration is undesirable, as the process of bulb decay may begin. A sandy soil with good drainage, which was fertilized with compost or peat, is suitable for the plant.
Nerina: landing and care
Landing in the open air begins in July-August. Since the bulbs are large, the distance between them should be at least seven to ten centimeters. It is better not to disturb the bulbs, otherwise they will take root for a long time and will not tolerate the winter well. After planting, the soil on top is covered with a layer of mulch. You can use sawdust, wood shavings, grass cutting. Mulch will save plants from freezing in the winter.
Flowering should be expected in early October. In the first year it will be weak. Flowering continues for two months. The length of the peduncle reaches a height of fifty to sixty centimeters. If you plant a plant later, the number of flowers will decrease, their quality will deteriorate.
Nerine Bowden is a cold-resistant plant. It withstands frosts up to eight to twelve degrees below zero. But afraid of rainy winters. After flowering, non-cold-resistant nerins are dug up, leaving a lump of earth on the roots, and sent for storage.
Nerine Bowden: Home Care
Prefers garden soil with the addition of peat and sand flower Nerin. Home care consists in watering, top dressing, observing the temperature regime, lighting and humidity. You need to feed the plant once every two weeks. A fertilizer for tomatoes or strawberries is suitable for this. It is diluted with water and watered with a flower.
The temperature in the room should not exceed fifteen degrees of heat. Dry air affects the color of the leaves: they begin to turn yellow. It is recommended to place the flower pot on a pallet with wet gravel. Watering plants begins in the spring, once every four days is enough. Autumn leaves turn yellow, the frequency of watering should be reduced to four times a month.
In winter, nerin is watered as necessary. Planting and care at the same time is carried out in room conditions. At this time, the flower is at rest. The air temperature in the room should be reduced to ten degrees of heat. With good care, the nerin grows to sixty centimeters in height.
Features of indoor flower care
Nerin is at rest twice a year. The first time - in the winter after flowering, the second - in the summer. The color of the leaves does not change until spring. Flower buds are laid when the plant is at rest.
It is considered a capricious flower of nerin. Planting and care are carried out in compliance with all the rules, otherwise the plant may not bloom, growing indoors. Florists are trying to bring room conditions of the flower to natural conditions.
But this can not be done, since you have to lower the temperature in the house to ten degrees of heat or lower. And this temperature is not suitable for permanent residence of a person. Therefore, it is advisable to use a loggia or balcony with insulated walls and floor, if any.
You can use another way. When the nerin fades, watering is reduced, and with the onset of December completely stop. After the leaves have completely dried, they are removed, and the flower pot is sent to the refrigerator for storage until March.
The flower from the refrigerator should not be immediately placed in a warm room. He needs to be given time to adapt. Therefore, a pot of plants is placed in the coolest, dimly lit room.
In late March - early April, the bulbs awaken, but not for long. By mid-July, the leaves dry out, which is the approximation of the second dormant period. While the leaves are green, they cannot be pruned, even if the plant needs peace. This happens when there are problems with watering.