How to care for hippeastrum to achieve flowering?

Some gardeners may ask: why hippeastrum does not bloom? Perhaps it is all about improper care. Indeed, under favorable conditions, flowers on this bulbous plant appear twice a year. It comes from South America. Its leaves are dark green, and the flowers are especially appreciated for their variety and beauty. They can be snow-white, and purple, and other shades. Inflorescences are large, on the peduncle of them there can be up to five pieces.

How to plant a hippeastrum?

Some of the nuances that are useful to know when growing hippeastrum at home:

• plants whose flowers are painted in light shades give a few high-quality seeds;
• if possible, then for the summer period it is worth moving the hippeastrum to the garden;
• flowering times can be controlled;
• only large bulbs are suitable for planting, they have accumulated a sufficient supply of nutrients.

At home, this plant is grown in pots that are long and narrow in shape. The distance from the bulb to the edge should not exceed two centimeters, while the depth should be sufficient for a developed root system.

The bulb is immersed in the ground two-thirds. It is not necessary to fill the pot; it is better to wait until the earth settles. Only then add the right amount. The soil must be prepared beforehand: mix two parts of turfy land and one peat, humus, sand. You can use a special soil mixture designed for bulbs. It is better to sterilize the soil. It is important not to forget about the drainage layer. Land must contain adequate levels of nutrients.

At home, care for the hippeastrum should include the right choice of location for the plant. It loves light, so it is optimal to grow it near a window located on the sunny side. It withstands direct sunlight. He also has a dormant period during which all the leaves fall. At this time, it is better to transfer the pot to a dark, cool place. The temperature that is needed for growing hippeastrum is up to 25 degrees in the summer. In the cold season, it may be lower.

Watering and dressing rules

In order for the plant to grow well and bloom at home, you also need to approach it with water wisely. At the beginning of winter, in order to awaken the hippeastrum from a state of rest, they take out a pot of onion and put it in a well-lit place. Before the start of the growing season, that is, until a flower arrow is formed, it is not necessary to water. Otherwise, there is a risk of ruining the bulb with excessive moisture. When the flower stalk begins to grow, the plant should receive enough water, gradually it will increase. It is important not to overdo it: if you start to water excessively, then the leaves will begin to grow, and the flowers will not appear. It is better to do this through a pallet or along the edge of the pot.

After the hippeastrum fades, leaves begin to grow in it, future peduncles are laid. Therefore, the plant should receive enough moisture. By the end of summer, when the dormant period begins, watering should be stopped. Only if the room is warm, gradually water the edge of the pot.

Tip

If you want to speed up the distillation, then you need to lower large bulbs in warm (about 40 degrees) water for two hours. Then plant, flowering will come in three weeks.

Hippeastrum at home needs to be fed. It must be carried out when the peduncle grows to 15 cm.If the flower has recently been replanted, then this can be done later: in the soil, in this case, there are enough useful elements. It is better to choose phosphorus-potash fertilizers, rather than nitrogen. The concentration of minerals should not be too high so as not to burn the roots.

Transplantation and reproduction

Hippeastrum can be transplanted about a month after flowering has ended, or before the end of the dormant period. It is enough to do this every two to three years. But it is advisable to replace the upper part of the earth annually to provide a sufficient amount of the substances necessary for growth. It is worth transplanting using a transshipment method that allows you to keep the roots intact.

Reproduction of this plant at home is carried out using seeds or dividing the bulbs. If the seed method is chosen, then the flowers must be pollinated. The peduncle in this case does not need to be cut, a seed box will ripen on it. The resulting seeds must be sown immediately after collection. If you put this matter aside, they will rise much worse. The depth should be about a centimeter, the sprouts will hatch after a couple of weeks. You need to put them in a bright place. From time to time they need to be fertilized with highly diluted mineral fertilizers.

It is best to use this method if you plant the hippeastrum in the open ground in summer. Bees can pollinate the plant, and the bulb will receive many nutrients from the earth. So the plant will not weaken, and seed ripening will not affect subsequent flowering.

At home, it is easier to propagate hippeastrums by daughter bulbs. If they reached 2 cm, then in the process of transplantation they can be deposited, previously separated with a sharp sterile instrument. After two, at most three years, the plant will begin to bloom. Until this time, leaves should not be removed even during dormancy.

However, sometimes such a situation arises that “babies” do not appear on the bulb. Then proceed as follows: cut it into two or four parts. They are sprinkled with crushed coal and dried for a couple of days. After that, they are planted in the earthen mixture, without deepening. Each lobe should have a part of the bottom.

You can also cut the bulb not completely, but simply make cuts. They should also be treated with powdered charcoal, then put the onion on prepared soil. Watering is only necessary through the pan. After some time, small bulbs will appear. Use this method is best in November, when there is a large supply of nutrients.

Growing problems

Even with seemingly proper care at home, the question of why the hippeastrum does not bloom may become relevant. This happens for the following reasons:

• insufficient soil nutrition;
• waterlogging, which leads to rotting of the bulb;
• pest damage.

You can also come across diseases. The most common and dangerous is a red burn, or staganosporosis. Its signs are red stains and dots on the bulb. If such marks are found, then they should be immediately cut out, and the bulb treated with an agent against infection, for example, Fitosporin. For other diseases, treatment is carried out in the same way. It can be powdery mildew, which is characterized by white bloom, and red rot. If pests are wound, then they are disposed of with the help of insecticides.

Caring for hippeastrum will require some effort. It is important to comply with the conditions of detention, water and feed on time, and also send to rest for a while. But as a result, you can get beautiful flowers that will serve as a real decoration for any home.

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