A perennial beautiful plant that sprouts from the bulb can be a real decoration for the home. This is an exquisite Gimenocallis flower . Home care requires some knowledge, but if you do not follow the rules, the plant simply will not survive.
Plant description
The genus Gimenokallis has about 60 species. The preferred locality for growth is the tropics. Translated from Greek, the word means "beautiful film." At home, there are few species of such a flower as Gimenokallis. Growing and care is carried out, as a rule, only over a pair of species - Caribbean and Pleasant.
The Caribbean has a rounded shape of the bulb, which in diameter does not exceed 10 cm. The leaves of the plant are dark, green in color, their length is a maximum of 90 cm and a width of about 7 cm. Throughout the year, the plant does not drop leaves. This species can bloom throughout the winter, the flowers are large, white and smell pleasant.
Pleasant, or as it is also called, Early grows out of a larger bulb. The leaves are similar in color, but narrow, their length is about 40 cm. In winter, this leaves the leaves, and the flowers will adorn the plant from the beginning of summer until the very early fall. Flowers smell pleasant, and if you take care of the plant correctly, it will bloom twice a year.
How to contain hymenocallis?
Home care is as follows:
- It is very important to arrange the right lighting. For normal development, it must be scattered. Direct hit of rays is allowed only in small quantities. If the flower grows in the apartment, the best place would be windows facing the west or east side. If the windows face south, it is best to darken them a bit. If this is a private house, the plant is best kept in the garden. In winter, the flower will need additional artificial lighting.
- Despite the fact that the plant is tropical, it does not like heat. The ideal temperature range is from 18 to 22 degrees. It is this regime that will allow the plant to develop normally. When it does not bloom, it is best to keep it at a temperature of about 16-18 degrees.
- To create optimal humidity, it is better to use a spray gun. Water should be at room temperature, and it is only necessary to spray the leaves, trying not to touch the flowers with drops.
- During flowering, it is necessary to water abundantly with settled water, the main thing is not to dry the flower, then it will delight the eye for a very long time. After flowering, watering should be limited.
- The plant feels better in a small pot. If the roots will have a lot of space, flowering will not be so active. Additionally, quality drainage is required.
- Gimenocallis is very demanding on the soil. Planting and intensive care after it are carried out once every one to two years. If the plant is already an adult, it must be transplanted every 4 years. Transplantation is carried out when the plant is resting from flowering.
What does a flower like?
Most of all, he loves moisture, so gimenokallis, home care should be accompanied by abundant watering, especially when the plant is blooming. As soon as the earth in the pot dries up, it must be watered immediately. It is also recommended to pour a little water in the saucer itself, under a pot. The main thing is to give abundant watering only when Gimenokallis dries. Otherwise, there may be waterlogging, which leads to death. When the plant fades, you need to stop watering.
In addition, he loves hymenocallis fertilizers for the soil. Gymenokallis - a flower, the care and top dressing of which can be carried out using conventional fertilizers for other types of flowers. They are sold in specialized stores, they contain a large number of minerals. Top dressing is poured directly under the plant into the soil, once a week. When hymenocallis does not bloom, it needs to be fertilized once a month.
Germination
Transplantation is carried out with preliminary preparation of the bulbs, for this they need to be germinated. She herself resembles a pear covered with golden scales. Thanks to preliminary preparation, the plant will develop faster, respectively, will bloom earlier.
Germination capacity must be taken small. Putting the onion, you need to sprinkle it with peat to half, but it can be replaced with sawdust from wood. The main thing is to prevent stagnation of water, otherwise the material for planting will rot. It is recommended to do such preliminary work before landing in a room where the temperature is not higher than 15 degrees.
Landing and care
Gimenokallis, planting and care (photo of the plant can be seen here), which is carried out in the first half of May, will definitely thank the gardener with a beautiful view. In the ground, you need to make a small depression and put the bulb in it, it should be completely covered with earth. The first leaflet will appear in 30 days. The main thing in this period is to protect the plant from frost, because Gimenokallis does not tolerate temperature extremes.
The home flower is quite moody, so after planting it needs more light, nutrients, enough moisture. When watering, it is better that the water gets into the soil at a distance from the root. It is recommended to make small recesses for this, where the water will drain.
It is forbidden to feed the soil with organic fertilizers, this can destroy the flower. For this, fertilizers containing potassium, nitrogen or phosphorus are used.
Bulb storage in winter
Gimenokallis, which requires special care at home, will decorate any interior with its white flowers and bright leaves. In addition, the flower bed will also look very beautiful until the onset of frost. The main thing is not to miss the moment when you need to dig out the bulbs. There are lovers who, digging a bulb from the open ground, transplant the flower into a pot and plant it at home, on the window.
If gimenokallis will be used only as a flower for the garden, the bulb in the autumn will need to be dried and left for several days in a cold place. When the leaves are dry, they need to be removed.
Before storing the bulbs, rinse the bulbs, then dry them again, until the flakes are characteristic to crunch. Bulbs overwinter only in a place with normal room temperature, and it is better to keep the bulbs in a plastic container where several holes are made beforehand.
Some gardeners argue that it is better to store the bulbs in a cardboard container, and before sending the hymenocallis to winter, it is better to pour it with sand or shavings.
From time to time in winter you need to check the planting material, as it may wake up. As soon as sprouts appear, such onions need to be planted in the ground and given them proper care. In the spring, a plant from a pot can be transplanted into the open ground.
Breeding
Such a flower as Gimenokallis care at home requires not only the description above. You should also know how the plant reproduces. This happens with the help of children who appear on the bulb. For reproduction, bulbs older than 4 years can be used. Before wintering, small children should not be separated from the main root, as they will receive the necessary nutrition throughout the winter.
If the children are very small, it is better to separate them immediately, since they will not be able to give a single leaf, which means that such an onion will simply freeze in the ground. If Gimenokallis does not give children for a long time, the bulb just needs to be divided into 4 parts, and then the reproduction process will be accelerated.
For such a species as Gimenokallis Caribbean home care and reproduction are carried out similarly.
Problems and diseases
The most common disease is anthracnose. If the plant is sick, dark spots begin to appear on its leaves, and in a very neglected form they will be like brown streaks. Treatment is carried out by removing the affected leaves, and all places of the cut are treated with fungicide. You will also need to reduce watering, and ventilate the room.
There may be red spots on the bulbs - this is a staganospore. The disease may later spread to leaflets. If the disease is detected immediately, the onion is treated with Fundazol.
There are other problems you may encounter:
- Overflowing the flower, then the leaves will turn yellow below. If the plant is constantly waterlogged, gray rot appears.
- When there is little water, the flower will wither, and the color itself will fall away. The green part of the plant turns pale.
Conclusion
After reviewing the recommendations for the care, cultivation and maintenance of the plant, it will be possible to grow an excellent decoration for the garden, apartment or office, which will also smell good. All this is a flower of gimenokallis. Home care (photo, shows the beauty of the plant) is simple, the main thing is to follow the advice of experienced florists.