Hippeastrums are famous for their luxurious flowers of the most different forms and colours. And although the flowering of this indoor bulbous culture lasts up to a month and can be repeated up to three times a year, the flowers will inevitably wither, and only leathery elongated leaves remain above the soil surface. Then they may turn yellow.
Hippeastrum vegetation after flowering
Hippeastrum flowering requires enormous strength from the plant, therefore, after the huge flowers wither, the bulb is in dire need of restoration. And this extremely important period with a single flowering usually lasts nine months. If, after flowering, the hippeastrum is transplanted, it will be found that the bulb has noticeably lost weight, and the upper scales have lost their elasticity.
Growing leaves and intensive feeding during the growing season will help the plant regain its former strength and lay the beginnings of future flower stalks:
- As the flowers fade, the arrows are cut off, leaving 10–15 cm above the bulb. Then, when the arrow dries, it is twisted around the axis with a slight turn.
- Leaves appear gradually, approximately one in 3-4 weeks.
As in the flowering period, during the growing season, the plants are watered abundantly and be sure to feed. Watering is carried out carefully, on the soil that has dried up from the previous time, without falling on the foliage and bulb:
- AT room conditions you can pour water into the pan, making sure that the moisture does not stagnate and the roots remain healthy.
- If the hippeastrum is planted in the garden after flowering, a shallow trench is made around the bulb in the soil, where it is carried out.
Top dressing is carried out in moist soil or combined with watering. Regular application of liquid fertilizers, especially potassium and phosphorus, will help to quickly restore strength to the bulb.
After flowering, it provides for feeding at least 2 times a month, for seriously weakened and young plants they are made more frequent, for example, once a week.
As a fertilizer, you can use complex compositions for ornamental flowering or bulbous plants.
Rest period for hippeastrum
Traditionally, the "hibernation" period for hippeastrum is arranged in autumn and early winter. To restore strength and lay flower buds, the bulb takes from two to three months. The exact duration cannot be known in advance, since it depends on the intensity of the last flowering and the care of the hippeastrum after it.
A sign of readiness for rest can be the wilting of leaves on a tight large bulb. However, today there are a number of varieties and hybrids that practically do not lose leaves. In this case, you can notice that new leaf plates no longer appear:
- At the end of the growing season for hippeastrum, watering is reduced, and in September or October it is completely stopped.
- The last top dressing is carried out 4 weeks before the plants are sent to hibernation.
If the hippeastrum, after flowering, retires in September or early October, then by the New Year holidays we can expect that a strong bulb will give a new peduncle. For this period of time, the plant imitates the South American winter, providing:
- lack of lighting;
- temperature within 12–14 °C;
- low, not higher than 60%, air humidity;
- extremely stingy watering, preventing the death of the roots.
For young, non-flowering bulbs and children, a dormant period is not needed. If plants of different ages grow in one container, it is better to plant them before “hibernation”.
This will allow you not to injure the plant with a transplant when it comes out of the dormant period, and will give the bulb additional nutrition. Usually hippeastrums after flowering go into "hibernation" transplanted in a pot. But you can also dig bulbs. In this case, they are stored on their side, without cutting off the foliage and sprinkled with sawdust. The temperature regime is the same, that is, 12–14 ° C. Often with this method it is possible to achieve earlier flowering, but there is a risk of losing the bulb due to drying.
- If it is dense and grown over the summer, the plant has completed its rest and is ready to bloom.
- But if her scales are sluggish, the grower made a mistake and sent the bulb into hibernation early. It is better to transplant such a plant and continue to actively feed and water it.
Only healthy dense bulbs that have fully recovered during the growing season should be sent to rest.
Such a hippeastrum will wake up on its own in a few weeks, releasing a powerful peduncle or first leaf.
How to grow hippeastrum - video
2012-07-21
Until now, at the sight of an opening hippeastrum flower, something joyfully trembles inside me. This feeling of celebration comes from childhood. "Home lilies" - that's what the hippeastrums were called then ... I learned to be friends with them for a long time. The first bulb presented to me pleased with flowering after 7 years. But it is precisely thanks to the stubborn reluctance of that bright red "savage" to bloom that winter is now for me - the season of blooming hippeastrums.
You rarely see healthy bulbs, so I carefully check every new bulb (and I usually order them and receive them by mail) for the presence of rot and remove everything that causes even the slightest suspicion of rotting. If I see red strokes on the scales (the so-called red burn is a fungal disease), I remove them to healthy ones. Then I soak the bulbs for two hours in a solution of Oxychoma or Homycin (I breed according to the instructions) and let them dry for three days, while I sprinkle the slices (where I had to remove something) with crushed activated charcoal. Further, if the bulb looks healthy, I soak it for two hours in a warm, bright pink solution of potassium permanganate (warm water also helps the bulb wake up after a dormant period). And I plant in a slightly moistened, disinfected soil. Last year, for the prevention of diseases and rot, I tried the Glyokpadin biofungicide: I put a tablet of the drug in each pot before planting. Since the period of its protective action is about 1.5 months, after it I use Alirin B and Gamair for watering. The result pleased - not a single patient for the entire season.
Slowly I conjure over them
When planting the bulb, I deepen it by one third of the height. If planted deeper, flowering may not occur and the bulb itself is very crushed. The size of the pot is very important: its diameter should be larger diameter bulbs by 2-3 cm, and it’s good if the pot is high - I always put a layer of expanded clay on the bottom. While the hippeastrum (and I along with it) is waiting for the flower arrow, I leave it on the desktop in the kitchen - under supervision. When a sharp peduncle appears from a pot-bellied, cheerful bulb, I move the pot to the windowsill, closer to the light. I start watering after the flower arrow grows to 8-10 cm, for the first time - with warm water through the pan, then - in small portions along the edge of the pot. When the first flower blooms, I move the pot to the most prominent place. And admire. Because this is a very important rule in the care of any plant - to contemplate and admire.
So that the peduncle does not bend as it grows, regularly turn the pot in different directions to the light.
Meanwhile, they are gluttons
To support the bulb during flowering, once every 10 days I add liquid fertilizer for flowering to the water for irrigation. And when the plant has faded, be sure to let the peduncle dry on its own, this adds strength to the bulb. I rearrange the faded hippeastrums to the lightest window sill, where they are restored until May. I water without fanaticism, but I don’t let the soil dry out and feed it with liquid “Biohumus” twice a month. In May, I plant all hippeastrums in the country, in open ground: I choose a sunny area for them and for the first month I feed them twice with liquid fertilizer, and then until September - with Biohumus. Bulbs remain in open ground until October, our Kabardino-Balkarian climate allows it. But in September I build a film shelter over them so that they do not get wet from the rains. This year, when planting bulbs in flower pots, I added 1 tbsp to the bottom. l. (as I read, for more lush flowering). The experience turned out to be unsuccessful: the vigorously growing arrows suddenly froze in growth for a moment and bloomed without reaching the prescribed height. The second arrows bloomed as usual - tall and beautiful. When I transplanted the bulbs into open ground in May, I found that the ash at the bottom of the pot had turned to stone, and the roots were tightly braided around it (apparently, when they grew, they rested against this block, so the plant froze).
I wish I had a second fridge...
I usually dig out hippeastrum bulbs in mid-October, as soon as the temperature starts to drop below + 13 ° C. I wash the dug bulbs in warm water and soak them in a solution of Oxychoma or Homycin. After that, I plant the children and growing seedlings in pots, which I immediately put on the windowsill. I clean the adult bulbs in a dark corner and wait until the leaves on them turn yellow, after which I carefully cut them off and put the bulbs in a box with dry peat at the bottom. I store a tightly closed box in the refrigerator, in the vegetable compartment. Of course, this method is not ideal, it is better to choose a drier place: due to the high humidity in the refrigerator, the bulbs have to be constantly checked and periodically replaced with peat, and the number of bulbs increases annually. This year, as an experiment, I will send some of them to the cellar, after wrapping them in sphagnum ... Unless, of course, my husband gives me a personal refrigerator for flowers ...
To make it bloom for the holiday
Exactly 45 days before the cherished date, I plant bulbs that have rested for two months in a cool place. By the way, when you drive out a newly acquired bulb, you cannot guarantee the sharpening result: some varieties are slow-witted. Yes, and some old acquaintances like to play pranks. Well, if the bulb grows too fast, you need to move it to a cool place, this will slow down the haste. Accordingly, a “deeply thoughtful” bulb can be easily stimulated by rearranging to a warmer place. But there are also special cases. Once my husband gave me a blooming hippeastrum, and now it blooms every year ... on my husband's birthday! When I try to drive it out by another date, it either slows down in development (once I planted it for Christmas, so it sat without leaves and peduncle for two months in dry soil!), Or it blooms in just two weeks, just to be in time exactly to your favorite day. I had to reconcile. And my husband's hippeastrum, of course, is one of his favorites.
Favorite varieties of hippeastrum
For easily driven out, I would include varieties 'Exotic Star' (all arrows bloom at the same time, but only two flowers bloom on each), 'Charisma', 'Christmas Gift', 'Ice Queen', 'Dancing Queen'. Stably shoots out two flower arrows ‘Lady Jane’ – by the way, this beauty is amazingly hardy: she came to me almost half rotten, but in just one season she fully recovered. But ‘Benfica’, ‘Double Dragon’ and ‘Cherry Nymph’ can be capricious and bloom later than necessary. Or am I just not very good at red varieties? All the same 'Exotic Star' is very unpretentious and steadily builds up a baby per year. In fertility, only ‘Rosetta’ can be compared with him.
One more baby in three years I was given a 'Christmas Gift' and 'Charisma'. The rest of the varieties do not want to breed yet ... I almost forgot about the "savage"! The same, my first hippeastrum, which stubbornly did not want to bloom. It has been growing with us for 16 years. Simple red flowers are much smaller than those of hybrid varieties, but they smell wonderful, it also blooms exclusively on its own schedule, but it grows children like a champion.
Disappointed 'Hercules' - very prone to all sorts of diseases, something constantly happens to him. About 'Apple Blossom' and 'Gervase' - these are my last year's acquisitions - I can’t say anything concrete yet, except that they are very beautiful. And in the near future I have narrow-petal sibisters.
While waiting for my first child, I came up with a name ...
Pollinating the hippeastrum yourself, getting your seeds, and then guessing and looking forward to what a completely new, your own variety will be - believe me, this is not much comparable pleasure. And even if you have to wait three or four years for flowering, the process itself is so exciting that you don’t think about the timing! In order for pollination to be successful, you must wait until the pistil begins to open its core. This happens on the second or third day of flowering. Pollen from the stamens is applied to the opened pistil, preferably from a different variety, and not necessarily fresh (I store the stamens in glass vials, in the refrigerator - that’s why I’m talking about the second refrigerator ...). We repeat the pollination procedure for three days in a row, each time - preferably in the morning. Pollinated hippeastrum quickly fades.
And we are left with a ripening seed box, reminiscent of a three-sided tomato, which slowly grows, and then suddenly cracks, revealing dense rows of seeds in winged sacs. Their germination rate drops quickly, so I sow right away! hippeastrum seeds grow well in moist peat under a film. Babies look very touching. They always grow with me in close companies, as they grow, I transfer them to larger pots, fertilize them regularly, and plant them in open ground for the summer. And so - until finally they begin to bloom. By the way, my first "brood" seems to bloom just this year. Even when the seeds had just germinated, I decided that I would call the very first flower ‘Flower Club’. Svetlana Yagdarova
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Hippeastrum is an unusually beautiful plant, its large flowers immediately attract attention. Such a plant during flowering looks bright and elegant. Blooming hippeastrum is a great gift for any grower.
Caring for this houseplant is simple, but there are a few things you need to know about hippeastrum transplants.
Many flower growers are wondering: is it necessary to transplant the hippeastrum bought in the store.
If you purchased a flowering plant (and most likely it is), it's definitely not possible. It is worth waiting for the end of flowering, and after that it is worth starting a transplant.
Imported flowers go on sale in a special substate. According to the international convention, it is forbidden to move land across the state border. Therefore, it is the substate that is used instead of the earth, remember this point.
Such a transport substrate is a sterilized peat that does not have nutrients and minerals needed by the plant for life and development. Long-term presence of roots in such soil can lead to rotting, starvation of the plant and other troubles.
This houseplant is transplanted when it is at rest(from September to January). For proper development plants and annual flowering hippeastrum are transplanted once every three to four years.
The soil for this flower is suitable for light, rich in humus, and the hippeastrum will also grow with pleasure in ordinary soil for indoor plants.
You can make the soil mixture yourself: to do this, mix turfy soil, leafy soil, humus, peat and sand in equal frequency.
At the bottom of the flowerpot, it is necessary to lay a layer of drainage (pebbles, expanded clay) to prevent root rot. The old soil must be carefully cleaned from the roots of the plant.
Cut off rotten or broken roots so as not to damage the bulb.
The pot or flowerpot should be twice the diameter of the bulb, deep enough. But if the flowerpot is too large, then the hippeastrum will give babies instead of flowering. The distance from the bulb itself to the edge of the pot is 2 cm.
The bulb, when planted, should one third protrude from the ground. If this rule is not observed, then the bulb is threatened with decay, and in connection with this, the death of the plant may occur.
When transplanting from the bulb, it is necessary to remove dry scales, which are well removed.
Flower transplant after flowering?
Hippeastrum should be transplanted 30-40 days after flowering. This must be done so that the root system is enriched with the necessary nutrients from the new soil.
If it is not possible to transplant so often, then enrich the soil. To do this, remove the top layer of earth 2-4 cm high and pour in a new earthen mixture rich in humus and organic matter.
The choice of bulbs upon purchase and their transplantation
In flower shops you can find different varieties of hippeastrum bulbs. On sale, they are either loose or sold in small technical pots.
When buying dry bulbs, they must be carefully examined.
There should be no traces of mold and rot, seals, redness and dark marks.
The neck and the bulb itself should be strong and dense. The scales should be slightly brown.
If hippeastrums are bought in pots, then a careful examination is also necessary. The bulb should be firm, the top scales dry and brown, the roots (which can be seen in the drainage hole) should be white with no signs of rot.
If the scales are wet and soft, then the bulb has begun to rot, it is better to refuse such a purchase. If the plant already has leaves, then they should not have any dark and red spots.
Planting takes place at any time of the year. You can even guess the flowering of hippeastrum by a specific date (for example, by the New Year). It should be remembered that flowering will come later 4-8 weeks after germination.
And you should take into account the time required for the onion to wake up.
Landing is carried out in a light, permeable soil rich in organic matter. It is necessary to deepen the bulb into the ground only two-thirds. After that, the plant will need heat (from +18 C), watering until the sprout appears is not needed.
Large bulbs will do just fine, but smaller bulbs will need bright light or a south-facing window sill.
In order to accelerate flowering it is necessary to select only large bulbs, immerse them in warm water at a temperature of +40 C for 2-3 hours. After that, immediately plant the bulbs in the ground. Flowering in such plants will begin in 20-25 days.
In the garden, these plants bloom better, the bulb grows in size and gives many daughter bulbs, which is very pleasing.
At the end of May, when the frosts end, the hippeastrums are planted in holes spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate. The place should be chosen well lit by the sun.
Already in July, hippeastrums planted in open ground, may start flowering. During heavy rains or frosts, plants should be covered with a film. In autumn, bulbs should be dug up before the first frosts, it is very important not to forget about this.
The name hippeastrum translates as "cavalier star" And indeed, the extraordinary beauty of hippeastrum flowers amaze with their size and colors. Growing such a flower is a pleasure, so do not deny yourself.
In the Amaryllis family, only the genus Hippeastrum has about 90 species. The most popular flower is appreciated by gardeners for its stunningly beautiful and high-rising inflorescence. However, it is difficult to achieve such a result, because the tropical lord of the world of flora is finicky and requires special handling. Let's figure out together how to properly care for hippeastrums so that they reciprocate.
Types and classification
Landing
If you bought an already flowering hippeastrum, then you need to prepare a new pot, fill up the drainage, add required amount earth (universal mixture for ornamental house plants), and transfer the plant from the container for sale there. Make sure the roots are not damaged.
Hippeastrum bulbs are acquired in the autumn-winter period, when the plant is at rest. Before spring planting in the ground, the bulb must be soaked in warm water for 2-3 hours (this is how the plant is forced out). Then it should be planted so that almost half of the bulb is above the ground.
Blooming hippeastrum fascinates with its beauty. Only once a year he pleases us with huge flowers-stars. And what is the disappointment when the long-awaited flower does not appear, or the plant begins to fade altogether. To avoid such troubles and be able to enjoy the contemplation of this wonderful flower, you need to know some care secrets and stick to them. A grateful plant will surely delight the eye with generous flowering.
Description of hippeastrum
Appearance
Hippeastrum (lat. Hippeastrum) is a perennial bulbous plant. The leaves are linear, shiny leaves, 50–70 cm long, 4–5 cm wide, have shallow grooves on the surface. The leaves are arranged in two rows. During the flowering period, the plant produces a powerful, tall (up to 60–80 cm) peduncle.
The name of the flower is translated from ancient Greek as "star rider".
Hippeastrum during flowering - a matter of pride and admiration
The flowers are funnel-shaped. Their color range is quite wide: red, white, orange, pink, purple, sometimes yellow or greenish shades. The main tone can be supplemented with strokes or specks.
The flowers are large - up to 20 cm in diameter, collected in an umbrella inflorescence. Hippeastrum has a very faint smell. Some species do not smell at all. This is a great benefit for people prone to allergic reactions.
Hippeastrum flowering - video
Natural habitat and home maintenance
The birthplace of hippeastrum is the American tropics and subtropics, in particular the Amazon basin. It was brought to Europe in the 16th century and quickly gained admirers around the world. In 1799, Johnson's first hybrid hippeastrum was bred. Today, these flowers are widely grown as houseplants and are also grown for cutting. Hippeastrums are not very difficult to care for. Even beginner flower growers can easily cope with this task.
A variety of varieties of hippeastrum
This plant belongs to the Amaryllis family and has about 90 species and more than 2 thousand varieties.
In indoor floriculture, hippeastrum hybrida is most often cultivated. The classification of varietal hippeastrums is based on two features: the size and shape of the flower. Depending on this, plants are conditionally divided into 9 groups, which are indicated in the table.
The most popular groups and varieties of hippeastrum - table
| Group name | Popular varieties |
| Large-flowered simple | Apple Blossom, Charisma, Showmaster, Minerva, Hermes |
| Medicinal simple | Lemon Star, Magic Green |
| Small-flowered simple | Santa Cruz, Giraffe, Baby Star, Bianca, Neon |
| Terry large-flowered | Blossom Peakok, White Piakok, Sweet Nymphs, Dancing Queen, Aphrodite, Lady Jane |
| Terry mid-flowered | Alfresco, Unique, Double Record, Elvas, Pasadena, |
| Terry small-flowered | Zombie |
| sibistre | La Paz, Emerald, Chico, Rio Negro, Tiramisu, Melfi |
| orchid | Papilio, Exotic Star, Ruby Star |
| Tubular | Pink Floyd, Amputo, Santiago, Germa, Rebecca |
Magnificent hippeastrums in the photo
Simple large-flowered hippeastrum with a rim 
Simple large-flowered hippeastrum striped 
Simple mid-flowered hippeastrum 
Simple mid-flowered hippeastrum with curly margin 
Simple small-flowered hippeastrum 
"Star" splendor 
Charming bouquet 
Terry mid-flowered hippeastrum 
Terry large-flowered hippeastrum 
sibistre 
orchid hippeastrum 
Orchid Hippeastrum
Similarities and differences with amaryllis
Amaryllis is often referred to as a hippeastrum variety, but this is erroneous.
Drainage - required condition to prevent excessive soil moisture and rotting of the bulb and roots
The bulb is planted in a slightly damp soil mixture, deepening it to a maximum of 2/3 of the height.
Narrow pot and shallow planting contribute to creating optimal conditions for hippeastrum
After planting, the plant needs only heat. It is not necessary to water until hippeastrum sprouts appear.
If any damage is noticed on the bulb, it must first be healed. This procedure includes pruning rotten parts, keeping for 30 minutes in a fungicide solution (Fundazol, Maxim) or ordinary greenery and drying for a day.
It is necessary to plant such a bulb in the ground, where the humus is replaced by a small amount of sphagnum (peat moss).
It is advisable to deepen the reanimated bulb into the soil by no more than 1/4 of its height. With such a landing, it is easier to control its condition and, if necessary, carry out spraying. After the bulb has recovered, it is easy to add the soil mixture to the usual level.
Having planted the plant in moistened soil, it is placed in a warm, slightly shaded place (you can cover it with an empty pot) and watering is excluded until the peduncle is forced to a height of 10 cm.
The optimal frequency of hippeastrum transplantation is once every 3-4 years. A favorable time is the threshold of the rest period or its end. It is advisable to use the transshipment method when transplanting - to move the plant along with an earthen clod. In this case, the root system is minimally damaged, which contributes to the rapid rooting of the bulb and its active development.
Transshipment method - a transplant method with minimal damage to the root system
Basic rules for caring for hippeastrum
Watering and feeding
As discussed above, the intensity of hippeastrum watering is directly related to its life cycle. However, it is important to provide the plant not only with the necessary amount of moisture, but also to properly deliver it to the root system.
For example, it is not recommended to pour water on the bulb - it can rot. It is better to combine top watering with watering in the pan. Thus, moisture will be evenly distributed over the earthen coma, which will prevent root rot. The main rule for watering hippeastrum: it is better to underfill than overfill. You also need to regularly wipe the leaves from dust or wash them with warm water.
During the growth of the peduncle, when it reaches a height of 12–15 cm, it is useful to water the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After 5-6 days after this, you need to feed the plant with phosphorus fertilizer.
Hippeastrum is fertilized regularly, at the beginning of the growing season - once every two weeks with liquid nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (7:3:6) fertilizer (for deciduous plants). After the appearance of the leaves to stimulate the active formation of buds, hippeastrum requires less nitrogen and much more potassium, so the ratio of mineral components changes to 4:6:12 (for flowering plants). The frequency of feeding is maintained.
A month before the onset of the dormant period, hippeastrum needs fertilizer with a small part of nitrogen and phosphorus and a large amount of potassium (4:4:12).
Carefully read the fertilizer application instructions on the packaging and do not exceed the specified concentration of minerals. Otherwise, you can burn the root system of the plant.
Timely balanced top dressing contributes to high-quality flowering and growth of deciduous mass. The bases of the leaves form the scales of the bulb and it increases in size. With insufficient nutrition or the complete absence of top dressing, the bulb will use the nutrients accumulated from the leaves, but they are not enough to ensure flowering.
Some flowering secrets
Sometimes hippeastrum disappoints flower growers by refusing to bloom. Why? There may be several reasons:
- Most often, the plant does not throw out the peduncle due to the depletion of the bulb. Hippeastrum requires a solid amount of nutrients to bloom. It is not surprising that the soil in the pot quickly becomes depleted. To avoid such problems, it is necessary to fertilize regularly and in sufficient quantities.
- A plant affected by pests (spider mites, scale insects or scale insects) tries to fight them and does not have the strength to bloom.
- Hippeastrum does not bloom even when the bulb rots due to waterlogging of the soil.
To admire the blooming hippeastrum from year to year, such situations should not be allowed. It is also useful to know some tricks of experienced flower growers to ensure 100% flowering of this plant:
- processing the bulb before planting with hot (43-45 ºC) water for three hours will make the plant bloom in three weeks;
- if you stop watering from August, move the plant to a dark, dry place and keep it there until the end of January, then resume watering, the flowers will delight you in 1.5 months;
- if you cut off all the leaves in July and do not water the hippeastrum for a month, and introduce a liquid complex top dressing with the first watering, the flowers will bloom in August or September.
To avoid burning the roots, fertilizer should be applied only after the soil has been pre-moistened.
Immediately after flowering, it is necessary to cut off the faded peduncle, continuing watering and top dressing. And prepare the plant for a good rest (rest period). The next flowering directly depends on this.
rest period
The natural dormant period of hippeastrum lasts quite a long time: from September to January. If your plant grew on outdoors, by the beginning of autumn it must be brought into the house and gradually reduce watering until the leaves completely stop and dry out. You can independently cut the yellowed leaves, from which the bulb has already taken nutrients.
The quality of the next flowering depends on the dormant period.
After that, you should put (or put the pot with the plant on its side) in a dark and cool (5-12 ° C) room. Many flower growers contain them at more than high temperature- about 17–18 °С. The soil must be slightly moistened once every 2-3 weeks to prevent the roots from drying out. Wetting and spraying the bulb is not recommended.
The dormant period should last 1.5–3 months, depending on the planned time for the subsequent flowering of the plant. During this time, the hippeastrum does not "show signs of life." The development of leaves and peduncles occurs only inside the bulb.
After the dormant period, it is time for the hippeastrum to wake up. Leaves and flower stalks appear on the surface of the bulb.
Simultaneous appearance of leaves and peduncle
Problems waking up after hibernation
If the bulb does not wake up, you can, of course, be patient and wait for it to wake up on its own. But, as a rule, full-fledged flowering from a “late” bulb will not work.
In this case, it is worth remembering in what state the plant “retired”. After all, the peduncle is laid in the bosom of every fourth leaf. If last year the green mass was not sufficiently grown, the bulb will be weakened.
And if there were less than four leaves, then in the new season the hippeastrum will certainly refuse to bloom. Dry content can hardly help here. It is necessary to provide a very warm temperature, actively water and feed.
Care mistakes and their correction
It is not very difficult to care for hippeastrum, but it is necessary to follow the rules of watering, fertilizing and lighting at different periods of the plant's life cycle.
Common hippeastrum care mistakes - table
| care mistakes | Their manifestation | Ways to fix |
| Lack of a dormant period (air temperature above 18 ° C, regular watering and / or top dressing) | Lack of bookmarking flower buds and, as a result, flowering. | Follow the described rules for watering and fertilizing, maintain temperature regime corresponding to each stage of the plant life cycle. |
| Low air temperature (below 17°C) during flowering | ||
| Poor lighting during active growth | ||
| Violation of the rules of watering and fertilizing (its absence) | ||
| Over watering | Abrupt cessation of growth, rotting of the bulb, development of pests in the soil. | Dig up, release from the ground, if necessary, remove the damaged parts of the plant, transplant into clean soil. |
| Keeping at low temperature or in damp | Darkening or blackening of colors. | Cut off damaged flowers, move the plant to a warm and dry place and adhere to optimal growing conditions. |
| Insufficient potash fertilization or keeping during the growing season in a room that is too dry | Browning of leaf tips. | feed mineral fertilizer with the content of macro- and microelements and carry out top dressing in accordance with the phase of plant development, humidify the air. |
| Too bright lighting | Fading of flowers. | Provide diffused lighting, avoiding direct sunlight. |
Diseases and pests of hippeastrum
Hippeastrum is not too susceptible to disease. It is most often affected by red burn (red burn fungus or stagonosporosis), red rot and downy mildew. Some pests can also bother this plant: spider mites, scale insects, aphids, worms. You can determine what a plant is sick with by its appearance.
The main diseases and pests of hippeastrum and how to deal with them - table
| Diseases and pests | Causes | External signsplant damage | Effects | Prevention and treatment measures |
| Red burn (red burn fungus or stagonosporosis) | Fungal infectious disease. Mature spores are carried by the wind, infecting healthy plants. | Red oblong spots on all parts of the plant. | Severe damage leads to curvature and wilting of leaves and peduncles, disease of daughter bulbs | With a slight lesion, it is enough to spray the affected areas with fungicides. The effect of this procedure lasts up to a month. The most effective are products containing copper: copper sulphate, Hom, AbigaPik, Celeste Topa suspension concentrate. You can also use drugs such as Maxim and Rovral, Skor, Vitaros, Previkur, Ordan, Fundazol, Topaz. Bulbs with significant damage must be dug up, all diseased areas removed, including roots and peduncle (in a flowering plant). Only immediate treatment gives a positive result. Do not leave a diseased plant for a dormant period. Several effective ways to process bulbs:
After processing, the bulbs should be dried for at least two days. Plant them in clean soil and ensure that the soil is loosened daily until new roots form. |
| Viral disease. | Silver spots on leaves. | The softness of the leaves, weak, short peduncles or their absence. | Treat the leaves with a fungicide. | |
| Excessive waterlogging | Sluggishly hanging leaves, rot on the scales of the bulb and roots (on the upper scales it may look like red spots, as with a red burn). | Withering of the leaves, lack of peduncles, with severe damage - rotting of the root system and death of the plant. |
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| Infection from other plants or through open windows, buying an infected bulb. | White cotton-like coating secreted by mobile insects 0.5–1.2 mm in size. | Significantly slow down the development of plants, sucking the juice out of them. |
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| Shchitovka | small and dangerous pest houseplants with a hard, shell-like surface that exudes honeydew (sticky liquid). | Creates a favorable environment for the development of various fungal diseases. Plants stop growing, drop leaves and flowers. |
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| Aphid | Dense clusters of sedentary green, gray or orange insects 1–5 mm in size on young shoots. | Sucks the juice from the plant. Buds, flowers and leaves lose color saturation and fall off. |
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| Cobwebs on the underside of the leaves, woven with an almost imperceptible tick, 0.1–0.3 mm in size. | The leaves and peduncle are covered with "marble" spots, become brittle, twisted, turn yellow and fall off. |
The most common diseases and pests of hippeastrum in the photo
Red scorched bulb 
leaves affected by stagonosporosis 
Partial defeat of the bulb with red rot 
The root system is almost completely destroyed by red rot 
Leaves and peduncle affected by downy mildew 
Abundant distribution of mealybug on leaves 
reproduction
Hippeastrums reproduce in two ways: seed and vegetative.
seed method
The seed method is quite complicated and lengthy. Seeds are formed only 1.5–2 months after flowering. But they do not form on their own. It is necessary to artificially pollinate pistils and stamens. The grown ovary looks like a large tricuspid box.
Hippeastrum seed ripening
Inside the box, rows of flattened seeds of irregular rounded shape are located. They are characterized by a black color with a brown tint and the presence of thin black wings.
Seeds ready for sowing
In the spring they are planted in sandy-leafy soil. It is important to consider that freshly harvested seeds have one hundred percent germination. From the dried seeds, as a rule, only 30% of the total germinate. Seedlings will please you in 15-5 days.
Germinated hippeastrum seeds
When the leaves grow to 6–10 cm, they are transplanted into pots, 6–7 cm in diameter. At this time, the bulb grows.
The grown seedlings of hippeastrum
The period before the first flowering of young plants of different varieties ranges from two to five years. This method is more acceptable for breeders. Most amateur gardeners consider it costly and ineffective. At the same time, there is no guarantee that the maternal characteristics of the plant will be preserved.
Vegetative method
It is much easier to propagate hippeastrum vegetatively. Several variants are being practiced.
Reproduction by daughter bulbs
This is natural, and therefore the most optimal and simple way. Bulbs of the age of three, with proper care, usually give 3 children.
Bulb separation
They are separated with a sterile sharp instrument, after treating the cuts with crushed coal. Planted in accordance with the rules for planting an adult bulb.
For two years, the newly planted plant is not deprived of foliage and is not sent to rest. The growth of the bulb and the formation of a peduncle in it depends on the intensity of leaf growth. With good care, children will throw out flower stalks in 2-3 years.
dividing the bulb
split bulb
The division is carried out during the maximum accumulation of nutrients in the bulb - in November.
Division process algorithm:
- Remove the top layer of soil, leaving only the bottom of the bulb in the soil.
- Remove outer dry scales.
- Cut the leaves along with the top of the bulb.
- Cut the bulb into four equal parts to the surface of the soil.
- Insert needles with a diameter of 5–6 cm into the cuts to prevent the parts of the bulb from closing.
- Adhere to all the rules for caring for an adult plant.
- With the appearance of leaves, carry out top dressing and continue to fertilize according to the standard scheme.
- Divide the bulb the next spring and plant the pieces in separate flowerpots.
You can divide the bulb in another way: cut it, leaving a piece of bottom and scales in each part. It is useful to sprinkle slices with wood or activated carbon. The resulting slices are planted in a light peat mixture.
surface planting in a light substrate
After 40–50 days, babies appear, which must be planted in pots in the spring.
Attention! When seating, one should not forget about the presence of toxic substances in the hippeastrum bulbs and adhere to safety rules.