In nature, hippeastrum grows in South America. The largest number of its species was found in the Amazon. This place is considered the birthplace of all hippeastrum, from where they spread to other areas of the tropical zone. In total, more than eighty of its wild species are known. Cultivation of these plants began in the 6th century: the handsome hippeastrum, care for which, despite some nuances, is not particularly difficult, quickly gained popularity among gardeners. Currently, about 2000 varieties of this plant have been bred, but only about 200 of them are actively grown.
Bright and conspicuous hippeastrum flower is often confused. with amaryllis, which naturally grows in South Africa. They really are very similar, but still they are different plants, though belonging to the same family. The difference between the two is that the hippeastrum has less flowers tied - 2–6, rather than 6–12, like amaryllis. The flowers of the hippeastrum are larger, and its long, tapered leaves can grow simultaneously with flowering or immediately after it. The flower stalk of amaryllis is leafless.
Hippeastrum, the care of which has its own subtleties, can bloom twice a year. Its flowers are large and bright, collected in an umbrella inflorescence. They can be monophonic (red, orange, white, raspberry) or have a two-tone color - these varieties of hippeastrum look most impressive. Bulbs are planted in pots with a depth of at least 15 cm: at the hippeastrum they are quite large, up to 20 cm in diameter. The distance from the bulbs to the walls of the container should be at least 2-3 cm. The most suitable substrate for the plant is a mixture of leaf and turf soil. Drainage is necessarily put at the bottom. The bulb must be buried in the ground by two-thirds - in part it remains above the surface.
With the advent of sprouts, the flower begins to be abundantly watered with water at room temperature. Once a week, it must be fed with special fertilizer for flowering plants. The flowering period will last longer if you put the hippeastrum in a cool place. If you do not need seeds, it is better to cut off the faded arrow before they form, since this process depletes the plant. Hippeastrum, care of which during growth involves keeping it in a well-lit and ventilated place, needs a period of rest. Usually it occurs in the fall, in September-October: at this time, most varieties of leaves die off. The pot with the bulb should be placed in a cool place with an air temperature not exceeding +12 degrees. At this time, care for the hippeastrum provides for rare watering, preferably through a tray, so that the earth in the pot is not completely moistened, and at the same time, the roots do not die out. The plant awakens in January – February, releasing flower arrows.
Hippeastrum, the care of which includes periodic renewal of the earth in the pot, requires a transplant every two to three years, as the old container becomes cramped for the bulb. This should be done a month and a half after the plant has finished blooming. The layer of the old substrate with a thickness of 2-3 centimeters should be removed from the surface annually, replacing it with fresh. Bulbs are carefully inspected during transplantation. The affected areas are cut out, sprinkling wounds with crushed coal. Before planting in new soil, all the bulbs, even apparently healthy ones, are useful to withstand for two hours in a solution of potassium permanganate.
In summer, hippeastrum grows well in the garden, in a half-shaded place. Often they are planted directly in the ground, at a distance of 30 cm from each other, but you can just put pots of plants in the garden, deepening them in the soil. To do this, dig a groove, at the bottom of which gravel or sand is necessarily poured to protect the plant bulbs from worms. Hippeastrums growing in open ground are watered every 7-10 days - this is quite enough. The earth needs to be loosened regularly. They dig up plants before the start of autumn frosts.