Amaryllis - home care after flowering
Content:
On the windowsills of urban and rural houses, you can often see a bright flower with a wonderful smell. Indoor amaryllis is unpretentious and pleases with flowering for a long time. Caring for amaryllis at home is simple and does not take much time.
Amaryllis, what a flower, description
This perennial plant belongs to the Amaryllis family. Translated from the ancient Roman language, amaryllis is translated as "sparkling", the name was given to the flower by the famous poet of those times Virgil. But gardeners prefer to call the plant a March rose for the spring beginning of flowering.
Home decoration
In the wild, amaryllis is found in southern Africa. According to the classification, the genus is a type of lily. Karl Linnaeus mistakenly attributed it to hyperastrum varieties for the obvious similarity of many morphological features. Even now, some growers confuse these two varieties. But, despite the large peduncles, the latter are odorless.
How it blooms, when and with what frequency
It is important to know what amaryllis is, how to care for it and what to do after the dormant period. According to external data, this is a beautiful plant with dark green leaves, juicy and smooth to the touch. They are quite long and are arranged in two rows. When it's time to bloom, the amaryllis throws out an arrow, which is a peduncle. Its length can reach half a meter. Some plant species produce up to three powerful peduncles, where there can be about ten bright and fragrant flowers. Their color depends on the amaryllis variety. In the wake of the appearance of umbellate inflorescences, new leaves begin to grow.
The beginning of flowering in the natural environment is the end of summer. With greenhouse maintenance, it is easy to make a flower bloom by a certain date, if you create a certain microclimate. Rules on how to grow amaryllis, how to care for it to bloom earlier:
- changing the landing date;
- an increase in the air temperature in the room;
- compliance with watering conditions.
After two months, the plant will give a flowering arrow. In countries with a cool climate, amaryllis is grown exclusively at home.
During the period of active growth, the plant requires moderate watering. But when flowering begins, it needs abundant hydration, but without stagnant water. Moisture should not get on the bulb. The main thing is that the soil around it remains moist.
When winter comes, the intensity of watering is reduced to once a week. In order not to weaken the flower, no more than two peduncles are left. The rest are used for decorative purposes.
During the flowering period, the pot with the plant is taken out to a cooler place with low light. The dried leaves are cut off, but some are left on the bulb to provide nourishment.
What to do after the end of flowering
Amaryllis has faded, what to do next can be found in special literature. First of all, before the dormant period, fertilization should be abandoned. Some experts advise to dig up the onion and store it in a dry container until spring. However, they should not dry out. You need to take care of the moisture of the seeds. This is done with cotton napkins or towels. The procedure is carried out weekly.
Rest period
If you give the bulbs the opportunity to gain strength during the dormant period, then amaryllis is able to please with its flowering several times a year. To achieve this, several rules must be followed:
- Do not use too large containers for planting so that the plant is not distracted by the development of children.
- When planting, the bulb is placed in the ground. At great depths, the formation of peduncles slows down.
- After planting, it is imperative to feed the plant, since the lack of nutrients will negatively affect the number and size of buds.
- The lack of consecration must be compensated for by installing fluorescent lamps.
Thinking about whether the amaryllis has bloomed, what to do after that, it is imperative to give the flower a rest during the rest period so that it does not die in the future. Infected bulbs need to be worked off with special chemicals before planting.
In a state of rest
The rest period is 4 months. This is the optimum value for normal development and flowering. At the same time, the following care features are observed:
- Amaryllis home care after flowering does not take much time. You need to choose a place where there is no direct sunlight. In this case, you should not remove all the leaves so that the nutrients from them get into the bulb.
- After the flower has begun to fade, experts recommend waiting until the peduncle dries up and, after taking out the bulb, separate the young children from it, treat the existing wounds and remove the dried roots. Then you can replant it in the same pot or store it in a cool place.
- To protect the seed from pests and diseases, it is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- When stored without soil, a preventive examination is carried out every week in order to timely identify lesions or prevent the bulbs from drying out.
Planting the bulb after a rest period
When the resting regime ends, the pots with rested plants are transferred to a well-lit place, they begin to actively water in order to ensure rapid growth. If you plant young plants with seeds, then the flowers will have to wait for them for a long time, at least seven years. Well, the children who give adult bulbs will allow them to admire the luxurious flowers in three or four years.
Planting young plants
When using old bulbs, you need to carefully examine them, treat them for potential diseases and rot, remove damaged and dried roots and disinfect them with charcoal.
Each child should have its own pot, which will give the opportunity to develop normally. The capacity is selected according to the size of the seeds. The transplant is best done annually. This is most often done after flowering has finished and it is usually autumn.
For planting, it is better to use oxygen-permeable ceramic pots. Normal is one in which there is a gap of two or three centimeters between the wall and the bulb. A composition of peat, sand and humus is used as a soil. Before using it, it is recommended to douse it with boiling water. Drainage is placed first.
If seeds are used for planting, then they can be collected from the mother plant, but this is a long process and the result can be disappointing, since it is difficult to determine them.
The beginning of active development
Amaryllis care errors
In order for amaryllis to please with lush flowering, it is necessary to properly care for it. This is not always possible for flower growers without experience. The pallor of the leaves and insufficient brightness of the flowers are usually associated with exposure to direct sunlight. It is better to move the container to a darker place.When the room is damp and cold enough, the petals begin to darken. Lack of moisture makes the plant dull and lethargic. When infected with pests and pathogenic bacteria, amaryllis sheds leaves that have already turned yellow.
With improper care, flowering is short-lived or not at all. This may be due to the following factors:
- the rest period is missed;
- the room temperature is low;
- the plant does not have enough light.
If the soil is poor in nutrients or the bulb has been damaged, then the flower will grow poorly and will not throw out the peduncle.
The flower is whimsical to care for and, when creating a normal microclimate in the house, is able to delight for a long time with bright colors. The main thing is to know what to do with amaryllis after flowering. This will preserve the beauty of the plant for many years.
