If you are interested in a beautiful inflorescence of several large, funnel-shaped flowers, know that before you is a native of South Africa - amaryllis. It is found only in one species, but the flowers come in different colors: burgundy, pink, but most often red.
Do you have amaryllis? Home care for him is not so difficult, but nevertheless some subtleties should be noted: what determines the intensity and duration of flowering, the suitability of the bulb for the next year.
The similarity of amaryllis and hippeastrum
Amaryllis is a colorful bulbous plant. Its long arrow of a peduncle with 4-6 fragrant flowers will probably not leave anyone indifferent. Flowers resemble large lilies. The leaves are long, oval, dark green. When the beginning of the peduncle appears, as a rule, the leaves have already grown and formed a basal rosette. Fading, the plant slowly goes into a dormant state, which lasts in the Amaryllis in winter. Therefore, if you want your plant to bloom in the winter, get its “twin” - hippeastrum. This houseplant is often confused with amaryllis, but both of them have significant differences.
You have purchased Amaryllis. Home care will include aging the plant in a dormant period in winter. Hippeastrum, on the contrary, delights with flowers closer to Christmas, and in the summer it “has a rest”.
And another feature of hippeastrum is the presence of many of their breeding species - more than 80 hybrids.
Here plants with large flowers, small, double, a wide variety of colors and shades. Mostly
red flowers have amaryllis.
Planting and caring for it can be carried out even in open ground, since vegetation begins in the spring and lasts the entire spring-summer period. Many amateur experimenters can boast of successfully growing a flower stalk in a flower bed. This cannot be done with a “relative”: the hippeastrum at this time is in a period of rest.
Features of indoor amaryllis care
Watering is very important for the formation of the peduncle and the inflorescences themselves, as well as for the duration and intensity of flowering. If you see that your bulb has released an arrow, do not water it immediately, but transfer it to a lighted place. The arrow will begin to develop. When she will reach
10 cm in height, start abundantly and regularly water the plant. This approach will continue flowering and preserve the life of the bulb.
A houseplant needs to be replanted after two years. After you transplant amaryllis, home care will be minimal. It will grow little by little, and after 20 days it can be fertilized with fertilizing for flowering plants. The closer the plant is to the “hibernation” period, the less intensively it needs to be watered and fed. When the arrow has faded, do not cut it and do not tear off the yellow leaves, but wait until they dry. Thus, the bulb gains strength and nutrients for the next growing season.
After the amaryllis multiplies, care at home for the “children” becomes not so difficult. In general, these flowers give 1-2 small bulbs in their lifetime. It is difficult to achieve their education, because you need to adhere to all vegetative periods and other wisdom of floriculture. But if you wait, then plant the "kids" one in a pot. Choose the dishes 5-7 cm wider than the bulb in diameter, because before flowering, it will grow for two years.
So, you have purchased the amaryllis flower. Care for it should be correct, and then after a while a small bulb will give you a colorful arrow with chic inflorescences. Of course, its flowering conquers!