Amaryllis - the secrets of a proud and impregnable culture. Amaryllis: the meaning of a flower

amaryllis, genus bulbous plants(amaryllis family).
1 species - amarylis belladonna, from South Africa. (A. belladonna L. - A. beautiful.)

In the language of flowers, Amarylis (Hipeastrum) is a symbol of Christmas, new life, and in Japanese symbolism it means attraction and excitement. Amaryllis is the name of a beautiful shepherdess described in the idylls of the ancient Greek poet Theocritus. (Amaryllis, the name of the beautiful nymph sung by Virgil)

These are bulbous plants that bloom almost simultaneously or even before the development of leaves (therefore, together with meadow saffron or autumn color, they are popularly called "naked girls").
In nature, only one species of amaryllis is known - Amarillis Belladonna (or Amarylis the Beautiful), and there are about 75 species of hypeastrum.
Often called amaryllis plants of the genus hippeastrum, also grown as indoor and greenhouse.
"Cavalier Star" (Hippeastrum) Hippeastrum hibrida Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae).
The genus name comes from Greek words hippeos - cavalier and astron - a star and refers to the beautiful large flowers. The genus includes 75 species of bulbous plants distributed in subtropical and tropical regions of America. Currently, there are a huge number of garden forms, combined under the name Hippeastrum garden - Hippeastrum x hortorum Maatsch. Among flower growers there is its erroneous name amaryllis.

Hippeastrum and amaryllis are often confused because both have large bulbs that produce thick peduncles with "umbrellas" of funnel-shaped flowers. A. belladonna is rare; the plant commonly sold in autumn under the name "amaryllis" is actually hippeastrum. Hybrid forms of hippeastrum have flowers of various colors - orange, purple, white, pink, red, sometimes with stripes of a different color along the edges or along the "petals". H.hybrida has hollow peduncles and 3-6 flowers per inflorescence, while A.belladonna has dense peduncles with 6-12 flowers per inflorescence. Hippeastrum blooms in winter or spring, amaryllis in autumn.

Flowering time for amaryllis is August-September, for happeastrum - winter-spring.

Legend of Amaryllis

In ancient times, there lived a beautiful nymph Amaryllis, who, together with her friends, had fun. Every day was interesting in its own way: the girls chatted incessantly, burst into laughter, danced, decorated themselves with wreaths of flowers of fabulous beauty and listened to the melodic sounds of the flute.

Where the light leg of Amaryllis stepped, wonderful flowers with a special aroma bloomed, filling the forest air with their fragrance. Even the birds envied the melodious voice of the young nymph when she sang, sitting on the bank of the stream. Amaryllis was very pretty.

But the beauty turned out to have a cruel heart. The charming nymph loved to captivate with her beauty a gaping shepherd boy or an ordinary passerby (at that time the gods still descended to earth to amuse themselves among mortals). And the poor young man who had ever seen Amaryllis was never destined to fall in love with another girl: he was dying of longing for unearthly beauty. And the nymph laughed at the unfortunate and shared her next victory with her friends. And the number of such victims of unhappy love for the coquette nymph grew inexorably. The guys stopped marrying, and the "earthly" girls did not find husbands for themselves. Children stopped appearing in the world, and people were on the verge of extinction. But the beauty did not let up, she, as before, charmed men.

The gods saw this and decided that if they did not stop Amaryllis, then soon there would not be a single person left on earth. Everyone will be in love with the young nymph and will die of longing for her. And they called the god of autumn - the god of withering, to punish the sorceress. God descended to earth and, seeing Amaryllis, fell in love with her. The god of autumn realized that it would be difficult for him to get rid of a beautiful girl and decided to turn the nymph Amaryllis into a beautiful flower. He transferred it to the distant desert of South Africa away from people and endowed it with deadly power - a poison that could kill anyone who would dare to disrupt the wonderful creature. From now on, at the beginning of autumn, the amaryllis flower bloomed in the desert lands of Africa, which can only be admired from afar, but you cannot touch it.

Centuries passed, amaryllis adorned the dull desert with its amazing flowers, delighting the god of autumn with its flowering. But in the depths of the flower, the soul of a beautiful nymph continued to live, who promised herself that she would no longer be so cruel to young men. But people were afraid to touch poisonous flower and bypassed her. Amaryllis still hoped and waited that there would be a person who would fall in love with her in the form of a fabulous flower, and then the spell of the god of autumn would fall off.

One day, a young scientist found himself in those parts, who was looking for new types of plants to create a cure for terrible diseases. Seeing an amaryllis flower, he fell in love with it without memory, dug it out of the soil and carefully transported it to Russia. He planted a magical flower at his home in the most convenient and well-lit place, so that the amaryllis would feel as cozy as at home. Every day, the scientist admired his inaccessible beloved for hours, patiently caring for the fastidious beauty. And one day a miracle happened, which the young nymph had been waiting for a long time. Love young man to the flower turned out to be so devoted that the spell cast by the god of autumn on Amaryllis was dispelled.

At night, when the whole house was asleep, a beautiful girl came out of the flower. It was no longer the former frivolous nymph, but a young dark sorceress with soft heart. Having known all the hardships of loneliness, she did not want to leave her savior to die of longing for her. When leaving, Amaryllis preserved a beautiful flower in memory of herself, which still blooms in early autumn to this day.

Amaryllis perennial bulb culture is great for growing at home. The leaves of the plant have a linear, linguistic structure. The aerial part is very dense and juicy. Inflorescences are formed at the end of the peduncle. A ripe bulb can produce two arrows at the same time. Flowering usually occurs in autumn. In favorable conditions, the re-emergence of buds in early spring can be achieved. The African heat-loving plant is hard to tolerate harsh climatic conditions. Breeders have bred a hybrid resistant variety hippeastrum.

For full development, a brightly lit area or room is required.

Lighting

Can grow well in direct sunlight and diffused room lighting. In a darkened room, inflorescences do not form.

How to choose a location

For cultivation, windows on the southwest or southeast side of the building are ideal.

Microclimatic conditions

You will need to ventilate the room daily. The amaryllis flower responds well to good air circulation. In the cold season, when the plant begins active vegetative development, the temperature should be maintained at a level of + 10 to + 15 degrees. During the summer dormancy, it is enough to provide standard room conditions - from + 18 to + 25 degrees.

The nuances of watering

It is recommended to water amaryllis in the warm season, immediately after the clod of earth has dried. At the rest stage, it is desirable to reduce the frequency of soil moisture. Watering should be no earlier than 2 days after the top layer of the substrate has dried.

The ideal place to keep amaryllis in summer is the cellar. Cool temperatures help retain moisture. It is important to monitor the condition of the soil. The soil may become sour or moldy.

Air humidity

AT winter time year, you need to move the flowerpot away from the heating system.

During the growing season, it is recommended to regularly spray water near the plant. Water drops on vegetative organs in the best way affect the development of amaryllis. It is not advisable to keep the flowerpot in close proximity to heating appliances.

Transplant Features

The container and substrate should be changed every two years. Experienced flower growers advise replanting amaryllis annually.

Periodic extraction of the bulb makes it possible to assess the state of the modified shoot. Lack of flowering is caused in most cases by an incorrectly selected container. The large diameter of the container does not correspond to the size of the earthen coma. The space created reduces the likelihood of abundant flowering. The distance between the tuber and the walls of the pot should not exceed three centimeters. When transplanting, you need to choose the previous level of deepening of the bulb - only half.

Improper transplantation can damage the root system. Therefore, in a few hours, the soil should be evenly moistened. When extracting, you need to carefully hold both the stems and the roots of the amaryllis.

On the mother culture, small bulbs are constantly formed. Planting material is conveniently separated at the transplant stage. You can temporarily delay transplanting by changing the top layer of the substrate or filling the pot with fresh mix as the soil settles. It is not recommended to disturb the plant until the peduncle is completely dry.

How to cut

Regular pruning is the key to the rapid development of a green pet. Particularly in need of removal of weakened areas of culture without a long dormant period. If the plant did not rest in spring and summer, decorative effect can be significantly reduced. The leaves are significantly smaller, and the stems are stretched.

For rapid growth, you need to periodically prune.

Removal of shoots should be carried out with sufficient sunlight. Stretched stems should be cut off. It is recommended to prune at the end of October. At the same time, sanitary cleaning should be carried out - remove all dried and yellowed areas.

Features of cultivation and care can be found in the plot:

Amaryllis - outdoor care

Amaryllis can be planted on open area. Perfectly combined flower with coniferous plants. culture is highly dependent on weather conditions. Therefore, during the period return frosts in the spring or a sudden drop in temperature in the fall, you will need to cover the amaryllis.

At the end of September, you can dig out the bulbs of the plant for storage or transplanting into a pot. It is also necessary to focus on the ripening period of the tuber. Often amaryllis in early autumn form inflorescences.

Growing in a container - more safe way. Amaryllis is not advisable to leave in the ground for the winter season. In a temperate continental climate, successful cases of breeding an exotic plant in the garden are known. Outdoors, the flowers are more luxuriant.

Outdoors, amaryllis blooms are larger and brighter.

For landing, it is desirable to prepare a site protected from the effects of strong gusts of wind and drafts. Dig a hole on the south side of the building. It is recommended to use decorative stones for the background. The soil should be fertilized in advance. Loosening after fertilization will increase the air permeability of the substrate.

When planting, you must maintain a distance of at least thirty centimeters between the tubers. Planting depth should not exceed fifteen centimeters.

Growing technology

substrate

For breeding amaryllis, it is necessary to prepare a high-quality soil mixture. The composition should include sand, peat and humus. It is important to maintain an alkaline or neutral pH of the substrate. The drainage layer will help protect the roots from stagnant water.

top dressing

Amaryllis requires regular fertilization. What components are suitable for an exotic plant? You can feed by special means for indoor crops.

At the final stage of flowering, the frequency of feeding should be reduced. At the dormant stage, you need to allow the plant to rest and stop applying fertilizers.

How to choose a container

Amaryllis should be planted in a shallow container. A pot made of any material will do. You can install the container indoors, in a garden, in a flower bed or on a balcony.

Regardless of the landing site, you need to arrange the tuber small enough. The top part must necessarily remain on the surface of the soil. In open ground can be protected modified escape thin layer of substrate.

For amaryllis, you need to prepare a shallow container.

In the winter season, dug bulbs should be stored in the refrigerator. You can combine planting material with gladioli. Storage conditions are similar. Tubers perfectly maintain germination until next spring.

How to land

For successful cultivation it is advisable to plant amaryllis in small flower pots at the end of November after entering the dormant stage. You can also plant in early spring, after the flower wakes up.

Expanded clay, broken shards of dishes or pebbles should be placed at the bottom of the container. Then pour two handfuls of sand and prepare the mixture. For indoor cultivation, a substrate of peat soil, leaf and sod soil, and pure river sand is suitable.

Before planting, it is necessary to moisten the tuber abundantly in a weak solution of Humisol. If the first signs of growth appear on the bulb, you need to place the flowerpot on the window on the south side of the building. After planting, you need to evenly moisten the soil.

The main problems of the flower

At home, mites, scale insects, worms, whiteflies and aphids often settle on amaryllis. Depending on the region, a flat red or spider mite can hit the flower.

Folk remedies do not always help amaryllis even at an early stage of infection. The plant quickly loses its decorative effect. As practice shows, "insecticidal" plants and insects also do not guarantee getting rid of pests. You can save the culture with the help of chemicals.

When buying, you need to carefully examine the tubers.

It is advisable to buy drugs in specialized garden representations. On the market and in a non-core online store, you can get a non-certified product. Be sure to inspect the packaging for compliance with the original. The kit must have instructions.

Shchitovka

Pests live on the lower leaves of amaryllis. It is quite easy to notice pests on veins, petioles vegetative organs and escapes. The upper part of the leaf plate is covered with small droplets. Scale insect excrement can be an excellent medium for sporulation of the fungus. Scale insects most often enter the house on new plants.

worms

Red rot

Over-watering amaryllis can cause fungal disease. Most often there is a red rot of tubers. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the substrate. Plants are especially susceptible to infection under conditions high humidity combined with over-watering.

Amaryllis needs careful care. It is much easier to prevent infection of the flower. Often, treatment requires several courses of chemicals.

All members of the family belong to the group of plants that are not susceptible to infection by insects through air or wind. Therefore, the main reason for the settlement of pests is the inattention of the grower and the purchase of plants from unverified companies.

Preventive actions

It is recommended to inspect amaryllis regularly. Before planting, be sure to clean the container from the remnants of the previous substrate. It is advisable to cook soap solution from laundry soap. The place of cultivation should be periodically pickled.

It is advisable to transplant the acquired amaryllis into disinfected soil and containers.

Root rot can be prevented by moderate watering and maintaining moderate climatic conditions. After the first signs of damage, you need to remove the amaryllis and carefully remove the damaged areas. Then it is necessary to sprinkle the places of cuts with crushed charcoal. Amaryllis with dried roots can be placed in a disinfected container. The soil must be sterilized for 30 minutes.

Reaction to culture

All areas of amaryllis are characterized by an increased concentration of toxic substances. Alkaloid lycorine stimulates vomiting processes. The ingestion of poisonous juice into the body causes swelling, pain in gastrointestinal tract and in the mouth, difficulty breathing.

Amaryllis bloom can lead to allergic rhinitis and skin irritation.

Reproduction of amaryllis

dividing the bulbs

Propagating amaryllis is easy enough. Traditionally, the plant propagates by dividing the daughter bulbs. Small tubers can be separated during transplantation. New amaryllis should be planted at a similar depth. After 2 years, the bulbs will reach the size of the mother plant.

Formation of a small bulb.

Planting small amaryllis is no different from the procedure for adult plants. The pot can be prepared in the calculation for the grown culture. The substrate should contain sand and turf soil.

plant from seeds

Amaryllis also propagate by seed. For the formation of fruits, you need to carry out self-pollination. You will need a small brush. It is enough to cross-pollinate at the time of flowering and let the amaryllis ripen.

The process can take more than one month. After flowering, seed pods will form. Each fruit contains three compartments. How to determine the readiness of the rudiments? At the ripening stage, the box changes color to yellow-brown. One box contains an average of 55 seeds.

The collected rudiments must be thoroughly dried. To do this, spread a clean cloth on a tray or pallet. From above, you can evenly scatter the rudiments. Complete drying will take about one month.

Then the planting material should be placed in a container of water. room temperature. AT aquatic environment the buds hatch. After 3 weeks, seeds with sprouts and formed roots can be planted in the ground. Roots are very fragile. Therefore, you should prepare a separate container for each amaryllis.

You can plant dried seeds directly into the substrate. To do this, you will need to prepare a shallow bowl or container. Be sure to make several holes in the container to drain excess water. The substrate can be prepared from sand and turf. The soil layer in the container should be no more than 10 cm. Seeds should be evenly scattered on the surface.

Fresh primordia retain their germination rate of about 80%. You can extend the shelf life before planting using stratification. It is enough to place the seed in the refrigerator. Seeds can be stored for no more than a year.

After planting, sprinkle the rudiments with a thin layer of earth no more than three centimeters. The substrate must be watered. The soil needs to be moistened daily. Dry soil can damage seedlings.

To preserve moisture, you need to cover the container with polyethylene. Seedlings should be aired every day. After 30 days, under favorable conditions, the first shoots will appear. Fertilizer can be added to watering. Fertilization should continue until September.

The plant will bloom only after 7 years. When propagated by bulbs, the first inflorescences will form already in the 3rd year of the life cycle.

Why culture does not bloom

Whimsical amaryllis cannot form buds for several reasons:

1. small or unripe onions;
2. a short rest period;
3. hot microclimatic conditions during the growing season.

The number of inflorescences and leaves directly depends on the size of the tuber.

How to choose planting material

It is advisable to buy amaryllis from trusted garden nurseries.

The plant can be purchased in bulb form. Planting material must be inspected for signs of damage by pests and diseases. Soft, springy tuber with dark spots is not recommended.

The average price for an amaryllis bulb is 157 rubles per piece. Blooming amaryllis in a pot is sold for 790 rubles.

Amaryllis is a popular houseplant found in the flower collections of many flower growers. Demanded due to its beautiful flowers and easy care. To make the amaryllis feel comfortable in an apartment, you don’t need to try hard. This task will be suitable for beginners as well. If you want to have a plant with beautiful flowers at home, but do not want to do much with it, choose amaryllis, as it is best suited for this purpose.

Conditions for growing amaryllis

In amaryllis, growing conditions differ depending on the vegetation phase. So, at a certain time, the plant actively grows, and at another time, it has a dormant time. Growers need to be aware of the inability of amaryllis to survive in very cold conditions where temperatures hover around freezing. The opposite situation, when the air is very hot and humid, as in the tropics, will also be detrimental to the plant.

Ideal conditions for the growth of amaryllis in different phases of development.

1. Location:

• In the growth phase, this window is in the southeast or southwest. You can put the plant on the south window, if you first shade it from the scorching daylight rays of the sun. Otherwise, the leaves will burn out from intense lighting.
• During dormancy, the plant is placed in a dark place, where the air is slightly cool and well ventilated.

2. Lighting conditions:

• In the growth phase, powerful diffused sunlight should fall on the plant for 14-16 hours every day. Both the leaves and the peduncle usually stretch towards the sun, which means that the pot will constantly have to be rotated so that they grow strictly vertically. You can also equip the plant with special props.
• During the dormant period, respectively, no Additional requirements do not extend for lighting.

3. Humidity:

The plant loves moisture very much, so it is recommended to water it regularly with settled water at room temperature, it is possible through a pan, excess water from which is drained after 6-8 hours. They make sure that the earthen lump is moist, but it is not necessary to bring the amount of moisture to excess. During flowering, more water is needed. If it stagnates, then rotting of the roots, wilting of the leaves, loss of flowers will begin. You can also spray the leaves - this will not harm the flowers. Moreover, it is recommended to moisten the buds before flowering. Optimal Humidity should be 60-80%.

During the dormant period, watering the plant at this time is prohibited. The soil is only periodically sprayed. Watering is resumed only when a new peduncle appears and germinates up to 10 cm. In the place where the pot will stand during the dormant period, the humidity should be 60-70%.

4. Ventilation

Amaryllis needs to ensure regular ventilation of the room, but without drafts.

5. Optimum room temperature:

• During the active growing season - 22–24ºС during the daytime and 18ºС at night. It is necessary to ensure that the plant does not suffer from constant temperature fluctuations.
• During the dormant period, both day and night, the temperature should be 10-12ºС.

How to plant amaryllis

Pot selection

Before planting amaryllis, choose the most successful pot. It should be a heavy and stable vessel. The flower will try to grow a powerful and tall peduncle, as well as a large number of leaves, which means that it can topple itself. In addition, during care, a light pot is more likely to hurt than a massive one.

The size of the vessel is chosen based on the parameters of the bulb. Ideally, it should be the main object in the pot. And this means that it should be up to 3-5 cm from it to all walls. As for the depth of the pot, it should be maximum, since the plant develops a large root system. You can choose a vessel that is wide at the bottom and gradually narrows at the top.

Soil preparation

It is very fashionable to plant several bulbs in one pot so that their simultaneous flowering is even more spectacular. In this case, the distance between them should be at least 2-3 cm.

The next step is to choose the soil. The easiest option is to go to a specialized store and buy ready-made soil for bulbs there. But any experienced florist abandon this venture and go to prepare the substrate himself. Do not forget to sterilize the soil: for this, it is doused with strong boiling water or kept over hot steam for about half an hour. You can also freeze it in the freezer.

The composition of the substrate, which you can prepare yourself, often looks like one of the following options:

• turf, garden soil and river sand equal parts and half of the humus;
• turf, garden soil, humus, river sand and peat in equal parts;
• humus, soddy land and sand in a ratio of 1:1:2.

At the bottom, it is necessary to fill up drainage 2-3 cm thick. To do this, you can take pebbles, gravel, expanded clay, accessible brick chips, small fragments of ceramics. Part of the drainage is mixed with the substrate and spread over the surface of the pot. It also has a large hole for water drainage.

Drainage from above is also covered with sand by 2-3 cm, in order to additionally be safe from root rotting due to water accumulation.

Planting amaryllis step by step

To plant a new plant, you need to choose the most beautiful and with a smooth surface, which have fairly good roots. It is necessary to ensure that the bulb does not have cracks, dents, scratches, places of decay and mold damage, spots. If the bulb has an unpleasant sweet smell, it is also not worth choosing.

Amaryllis transplant

How to transplant amaryllis at home

Amaryllis transplantation is carried out after it has faded, waiting for the peduncle to completely wither.

It is not necessary to replant the plant every year, but the operation is carried out no more than once every three years. If the amaryllis grows too fast, you can transplant earlier.

To renew the soil mix and give the plant more nutrients, every year replace the top 3-4 centimeters of soil in a pot with new ones.

1. Before transplanting, the plant is watered abundantly for 4 days.
2. On the day of transplantation, the amaryllis is carefully taken out along with the earth and carefully cleaned of it to inspect the condition of the roots. Rotting roots are removed with a sharp knife, and all sections are treated with powder. activated carbon or regular ash.
3. Then all bad scales are removed from the bulb and daughter plants are separated. They are used to plant in new pots. If you understand that the babies are too small to separate (sometimes they are only a few millimeters), you can not do this. But it should be borne in mind that in such cases, amaryllis may stop blooming in order to grow children.

Before an adult plant is planted in another pot, it must be fed. Several sticks of Agricola or other mineral fertilizer are applied under the roots.

Reproduction of amaryllis

Breeders and flower growers use all three possible methods of amaryllis propagation - dividing the bulb, children and seeds.

Amaryllis from seeds at home

This is the longest breeding method and the least successful. If the seeds are collected from hybrid plants, varietal characteristics are not preserved, and flowering appears only after 8 years. The only advantage is the slow aging of the bulbs.

To get seeds, you need two amaryllis. With a brush, pollen is taken from one and applied to the pestle of the other. As a result, a box is formed in which the seeds will then ripen. Ripening takes at least a month.

• Seeds are planted immediately, as germination drops sharply over time.
• Moisten the soil well before planting.
• Embedding depth 1-1.5 cm.
• Distance between seeds 3-5 cm
• The pot with seeds is placed in a warm shaded place.
• They expect about a month of germination, and 3 months after that, the seedlings dive into different pots.

dividing the bulb

This is the most risky method, since you can be left with nothing.

• Choose the healthiest onion and divide it into 4-8 shares, without cutting to the end. Make sure that each of them has 1-2 scales and part of the bottom. Be sure to treat the sections with activated carbon powder or ash.
• The bulb is planted in the usual way and grown at 25-27 ºС.
• On delenki, the first leaf grows first. They wait for the second, and plant the plants already in adult soil for bulbs, which is mixed with an equal amount of sand.

How to cut an amaryllis bulb, the video will tell:

Many flower growers have successfully used bulb division to propagate amaryllis, it's important to just do it right and not be afraid to take risks.

Reproduction by children

The most successful amaryllis. 2-3 years after planting, the bulb will bloom. Daughter bulbs are planted in the same way as new store bulbs, but a slightly larger pot is chosen. It is connected with rapid growth kids.

1. Find small onions on the mother amaryllis and separate them from the adult plant. The next step is to plant them in a pot with drainage and soil, placing the bottom down and lightly pressing down into the ground. Only part of the bulb is left above the surface.
2. Then lightly tamp the soil and water it well. Place new amaryllis in a bright and warm place.
3. There is no need to organize a rest period. Feeding and watering are not reduced, and rest is organized for flowers only after flowering.

Amaryllis is an exotic plant, but it is quite real in everyone's house. If you follow the rules for its care, you can often enjoy its flowers.

Amaryllis care at home

Watering and feeding

During growth, amaryllis is watered carefully. This is done when the height of the peduncle is at least 10 cm. This flower likes to receive a lot of water, but not in a stagnant form. Sometimes it is better to refuse watering than to flood the plant. It is best to add water to the pot every four days, making sure that water does not get on the bulb during watering. It should fall purely on the soil around.

In winter, so much water should not flow to the plant. It is enough not to spray more than once a week.

• Fertilize amaryllis every 12-14 days, starting this process when buds form.
• With intensive flowering, reduce the interval by half. There is no need to specifically select fertilizers. For this, any ready-made products for indoor flowering will fit - Kemira Lux, Emerald, Bona Forte, Ideal, Ava, Rainbow, Florist, Master Color, Agricola, Living World, Reasil, Bud, Life Force and others.
• Fertilizers with more potassium and phosphorus are preferable than nitrogen.

It is possible to use natural organic fertilizers- fresh manure is diluted from a ratio of 1.5 cups in 10 liters of water, and bird droppings - a third of a cup per 10 liters.

With the complete death of the leaves, top dressing stops. It is not carried out in the resting phase either.

Amaryllis bloom at home

Amaryllis in the wild enters the flowering phase in early autumn. AT indoor floriculture There are tricks on how to change this period. The simplest is to plant the bulbs at a different time. So, when choosing healthy specimens, they begin to grow immediately after planting, giving mature flower stalks as early as 7-8 weeks. Here you need to observe - if there are more than two peduncles, they are removed so as not to load the bulb abundantly with flowering.

When the first flower appeared and blossomed, some cut the peduncle and put it in a vase. Subject to daily renewal of water, he can hold out there for up to three weeks. You can not cut the peduncle, but it will last the same amount, and it will deplete the bulb much more. To maximize the flowering time, the vase or flower pot is placed in a cooler and darker place.

How to make amaryllis bloom Why amaryllis does not bloom

You must understand which reason you have listed. It must be eliminated and the result expected.

Amaryllis after flowering

1. When the flowers wither, the amount of incoming water and fertilizers is sharply reduced. Completely stop watering and feeding amaryllis when neither the peduncle nor the leaves are left.
2. Remove all dead leaves, but you should not force it. If a partially live leaf is left, it will still feed the plant.
3. When the dormant phase has finally begun, the pot is transferred to the dark. Remember that the roots are still alive, so the soil needs to be irrigated once a week with a spray bottle.

Another care option (but it is risky) is digging up the bulbs, cleaning them and folding them into carton boxes for storage. But you can disrupt some process and cause the roots to dry out.

Experienced flower growers know the tricks, because of which their amaryllis is twice a year - in early autumn and early spring. For this, a dormant period is strictly organized to rest the bulb and accumulate the necessary nutrients. In January, they take out pots with amaryllis from their place of rest, put them in a bright and insulated place, and water them. Monitor soil moisture. All this stimulates a phase of rapid growth.

Diseases and pests of amaryllis

1. Stagonosporosis (red burn)

• The bulb is covered with small red spots, the edges of the scales have the same border.
• Amaryllis is soaked for 2 hours in strong potassium permanganate purple, after which the largest foci are cut off and treated with brilliant green. The plant is kept in the air for a week, then planted.

2. Mold and rot

• The surface of the bulb is covered with red-gray spots. Then it becomes softer, smells of a sweetish type. The leaves are covered with red-brown stripes and spots.
• The affected leaves are completely cut off, and the bulb itself is sprayed with 0.05% Bordeaux liquid. You can choose Fundazol and HOM in the dilution indicated by the manufacturer.

3. Spider mite

• It is felt that the leaves are covered with cobwebs. This causes them to wither and dry out.
• Amaryllis is treated with Oberon, Kleschevit, Nisoran, Floromite, Neoron.

4. Onion mite

• The insect infects the bulb itself, which leads to inhibition of plant development and the absence of flowering. Even if there are flowers, they are deformed. And the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
• Bulbs are removed from the pots and placed in water at 35-40ºС for 5 minutes. After that, they are treated with Keltan and Rogor. There is also a more aggressive method - the bulb is closed in an airtight container with a sulfur checker, which is set on fire. Wait 2 hours and then get it back. To achieve the final effect, keep the amaryllis on fresh air another day.

5. Thrips

• There are many small brown dots on the leaves.
• They try to remove all pests from the leaves, wash the plant and transplant into a sterile pot and soil. Then the amaryllis is treated with Agravertin and Fitoverm.

6. Mealybug

• Dense scales are observed from the bottom of the leaves. They can be almost white and even dark brown. Around them, there are secretions of a sticky nature, similar in type to syrup.
• The sponge is impregnated laundry soap and foam. She actively rub the leaves.

9. Aphid

• Yellowness of leaves.
• All pests are harvested by hand, after which the leaves are wiped with soapy water.

10. Springtail

Springtails on amaryllis photo

• Small white insects are noticeable on the surface of the soil.
• Reduce moisture intake upper layer soil is replaced with a new one, treated with insecticides.

Amaryllis varieties and breeding tasks

The shops sell modern hybrid varieties of amaryllis, which are bred selectively. Real Amaryllis belladonna is extremely rare and is valued by avid flower growers.

AT this moment breeders achieve the following goals:

• Breeding large double and ordinary flowers. The most beautiful terry-type hybrids are The Snow Queen, Macarena, Celica, Pink Nymph, Merry Christmas, Promise. Of the non-terry varieties, these are Benfica, Moonlight, Matterhorn, Black Pearl, Exotica, Lemon-Lime, Rosalie.
• Search for unique shades and their combinations. In this sense, Clown, Charisma, Estella, Prelude, Santa Cruz, Neon and other varieties are good.
• Working with new forms of flowers. The recent trend in breeding is the breeding of amaryllis with narrow, partially corrugated petals along the edges. This can be seen in the varieties Evergreen, Night Star, Lima, La Paz, Santana.

This does not mean that classic amaryllis is not in demand on the market. Standard cultivars such as Durban (carmine-colored flowers with a white vein in the middle), Pink Gorgeous (pink-white petals), Parker (yellow center and purple-pink edges), Maxima (hot pink flowers with strong aroma), Hathor (yellow center and white petals) are no less popular.

Hippeastrum and amaryllis differences Photo of plants

Amaryllis and hippeastrum are from the Amaryllis family. Only in the first genus there are significantly more plants. At least 90 species grow only in the wild, and with breeding varieties, the hippeastrum family has up to 2000 varieties. They have a lot in common with amaryllis, so even experienced sellers can confuse these plants.

Differences between amaryllis and hippeastrum

In order not to repeat, below, each first paragraph - refers to amaryllis, the second - to hippeastrum.

1. Flowering time:

• amaryllis blooms in late summer - early autumn;
• hippeastrum - in late winter or early spring.

2. Place of origin:

• Africa;
• South America respectively.

3. Aroma intensity:

• bright;
• Hardly ever.

4. Flower size:

• in amaryllis 10-12 cm;
• hippeastrum 6-8 cm.

5. The number of flowers in one plant:

• 4-6, can reach 12 pieces;
• 2-4, maybe 6 flowers.

6. Natural coloring of wild plants:

• almost white, pink in different shades, red;
• red, pink, white, yellow, orange, purple, green and combinations of these colors.

7. The presence of leaves during flowering:

• no - they germinate only after the peduncle has grown;
• present during flowering.

8. Characteristics of the peduncle:

• a dense tube without voids, the color of which gives off a little purple;
• a hollow tube that is easy to crush when pressed, has a green color with a grayish-brown tint.

9. Peduncle length:

• in amaryllis 40-60 cm;
• hippeastrum 60-70 cm.

10. Characteristics of the bulb in shape:

• pear-shaped;
• slightly elongated or round, slightly flattened laterally.

11. Characteristics of scales:

• ash-gray in color, have a small fringe from the upper edge;
• very similar in appearance to the classic edible onion, but have a white or green surface color.

Description of amaryllis

Amaryllis (lat. Amaryllis) is the most common genus of the amaryllis family (lat. Amaryllidaceae). Initially, botanists attributed to him one type of plant - Amaryllis belladonna (or Amaryllis belladonna). Over time, approaches to taxonomy changed, and two more species of amaryllis were included here - Amaryllis sarniensis and Amaryllis paradisicola.

Amaryllis belladonna comes from southern Africa. Researchers claim that the plant spread from the Olifants River Valley from the Cape Province of South Africa. As for other species, here the geography is wider - South Africa, Japan, Australia, some islands of the English Channel - they can be considered the birthplace of plants.

For the first time, the genus Amaryllis was described by the famous Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus in 1753, who was engaged in taxonomy. He is credited with the name of this flower. Before his work, there was an opinion that amaryllis is just one of the subspecies of the lily. It was called Lilionarcissus. Linnaeus realized that single plant, but introduced a significant error in taxonomy by including a number of varieties of hippeastrum in the genus Amaryllis. To this day, many people confuse these plants.

The name of the plant is first found in the work of Virgil. In his poetic works, you can meet the heroine - the shepherdess Amaryllis or Amaryllida. This name in Greek means "sparkling".

Amaryllis - bulbous perennial flower with dark green smooth leaves. The green of the plant is so narrow and long that it looks like a belt. The leaves are arranged in two rows.

A mark of the beginning of flowering of amaryllis is the growth of a long hollow tube of 40-60 cm - this is a peduncle. The plant produces up to three peduncles. Leaves will follow. AT wild environment this occurs in late summer - early autumn. Each peduncle bears 2-12 flowers, depending on the variety. By type of inflorescence - an umbrella.

Amaryllis growing in wild nature, may have flowers with white, pink and red petals various shades. Breeders artificially bred many hybrid varieties yellow, purple, orange, green. A separate amaryllis flower looks like a lily and - a gramophone, being 10-12 centimeters in diameter.

Despite the seeming cuteness of the plant, amaryllis has poisonous parts. The alkaloid lycorine was found in the bulb. If it gets on the skin, it will irritate. All planting operations with the plant should be carried out exclusively with rubber gloves, and then wash your hands with soap and water. It is necessary to keep the flower away from pets and children.

Amaryllis, pale Svetlana!
How unexpectedly my heart was troubled
caresses of fleeting deceit,
Calyxes of barely opened lilies.
Oh, how sweet is the light of ignorance!
How long will the charm last?
Lots of golden haze
How long will my Svetlana live?

Balmont K. D.

The nymph Amaryllis was very pretty. Amaryllis had green eyes flecked with gold and hair that was reddish with a golden sheen, like dark amber. But this long-legged beauty, possessing a natural, alluring beauty, had a cruel heart. And where the light legs of the nymph stepped, wonderful flowers bloomed ...

Beautiful Amaryllis lived happily, spending time carefree with her friends. They chatted merrily, bursting with laughter, danced and sang to the melodic sounds of the flute. Even the birds envied the melodious voice of the young beautiful nymph when she sang while sitting on the bank of the stream.

The charming nymph loved to captivate young men with her beauty. Those who at least once saw this beauty were never destined to fall in love with another girl - they were dying of longing for the unearthly beauty of Amaryllis. And the nymph laughed at the unfortunate young men and shared her next victory with her friends.

The number of such victims of unhappy love for the coquette nymph grew inexorably. As a result, the guys stopped marrying, and the "earthly" girls did not find husbands. Children stopped appearing in the world, and people were on the verge of extinction. But the beauty did not let up - she liked to mortally charm men ...

The gods found out about this and decided: it is necessary to stop Amaryllis, otherwise soon there will not be a single person left on Earth. All men will fall in love with the young nymph and die of longing for her. And it was entrusted to the God of Autumn and Withering to punish the nymph-sorceress.

To save people from a beautiful girl, the God of Autumn descended to Earth. And when he saw Amaryllis, he also fell in love with her!

And then the God of Autumn decided to hide Amaryllis from the gods and people, turning the nymph into a beautiful flower. And then he moved the bulb of this unusual plant to the distant desert of South Africa, away from people. And he endowed this flower with deadly power - a poison that could kill anyone who would dare to pluck this wonderful divine creation.

Since then, at the beginning of autumn, amaryllis flowers have bloomed in the desert lands of Africa. The flowering of this amazing plant was admired only from afar, but no one dared to touch it. Blooming amaryllis every year adorned the dull desert with its flowers, delighting the God of Autumn with magnificent flowering.

And the soul of the beautiful nymph Amaryllis continued to live in the depths of this plant, who vowed not to be so cruel, but people were afraid of this plant and avoided it. Amaryllis still hoped and waited that there would be such a person who would fall in love with her in the form of a fabulous flower - then the spell of the God of Autumn would fall off, and she would again turn into a beautiful girl.

http://www.gardenia.ru

Amaryllis - a genus of spectacular bulbous plants from the Amaryllis family includes only one species - the magnificent flower amaryllis belladonna (amaryllis beauty). This is amazing plant often confused with another member of the amaryllis family - hippeastrum.

In the homeland of amaryllis in South Africa, the flower found a not too romantic and safe use. Amaryllis is a poisonous plant, the natives used its juice to poison the tips of their arrows. So the name "belladonna" is far from accidental: if a small amount of plant extract from the leaves was used as a means of reducing the pain of cramps and spasms, then the flower bulbs in large doses act as a dangerous poison.

In our homes, hybrid amaryllis is most often found. And often it has a pitiful appearance, although it is a beautiful flower, which can be grown in pots or in the garden. But for the plant to please with violent and beautiful flowering you need to take proper care of it. Caring for amaryllis is not at all difficult, the main thing is desire.

In the south, under normal open ground conditions, amaryllis blooms in April - May, and in rooms it can bloom in January - February. An arrow appears from the bulb, at the end of the arrow - an umbrella of one or more, more often 2 - 3 flowers. At the same time, dark green long leaves. During growth are photophilous. He needs bright lighting. When amaryllis blooms, watering should be regular and plentiful enough. After the end of flowering, the flower arrows are removed, do not regret, namely, it is better to remove when the arrow dries. During dormancy, the bulbs do not need light. Pots with resting bulbs are kept in a dry place at a temperature of about 10 C.

Having Amaryllis at home will provide you with protection and support. With energy hunger, it helps people feel strength and independence in themselves.

In the language of flowers, it means pride, restrained beauty. Despite the femininity and vulnerability of the image of amaryllis, florists decorate men's bouquets for them, in which they act both as tapeworms and in combination with other flowers.

In the field of Feng Shui, it is used when there is a shortage of the elements of fire in the house.

Beauty and love live in the fragrance of flowers that gently sway in the light breeze, nod their heads and speak of love. Let the people learn their language, the language of the heart. And may they understand these poetic dreams of the soul, plunged into the realm of nature...

"Full Amaryllis!"

J. Darrell has a book called "My Family and Other Animals". So, I could write a multi-volume book about my family.

I remember a story that happened almost 7 years ago.

Every summer vacation my family happily went with my grandparents to Ukraine, and always on their own minibus. Dad is an experienced driver, so we didn't care.

I will not describe all the joys of being with my grandmother, it will not fit in the book. I'll just say one thing. My mom loves flowers, we have a whole arboretum at home. She saw amaryllis on the windowsill and begged for a pot from her grandmother. We were going on the way back, as on the last journey. Grandmother pulled out the floor of the conservation cellar and managed to stuff it all into the bus.

Dad was shocked by this approach, but determined to bring it all home. One of the neighbors advised me to give a telegram allegedly about the death of a relative, it seems like we are taking an inheritance home. Everyone chuckled, but such a telegram was still concocted.

And so we got to the Belarusian border. The car is crammed full of vegetables, fruits, canned food, dowry for the granddaughter and other nonsense. The border guards were puzzled and delighted at the same time. Mom commanded: "Children, make mournful faces, we are from the funeral!" While dad methodically showed the car, everything was fine and the "mournful faces" worked out well for us. But then one of the border guards stuck his head out the window with right side, I saw my mother and asked: "Girl, what is it between your legs?" "Amaryllis!" Mom answered proudly! My brother and I just rolled away laughing, while trying to maintain a "mournful expression on our faces." The border guard explained something for a long time about radiation land, animal control, etc. Mom wringing her hands theatrically told him a sentimental story about the tragic death of his only grandfather. "The only thing left of him is only this lonely flower..." Mom almost sobbed. The border guard faltered and we were let through without any problems. When we got home and told about all the adventures to my grandfather, who did not even think about dying tragically, he could only say: "Well, full of amaryllis!"

Lilltetiger, Kaliningrad