Alstroemeria

Family. Alstroemeriaceae.

Origin. South America.

Description. The genus contains about 50 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants. The root system is represented by tubers, which serve to store moisture and nutrients.

The leaves are oblong - lanceolate, green, with almost parallel veins, glossy. An interesting feature is that often the leaf blades are turned over and the lower side of the leaf becomes the upper side. In the upper part, the stems are divided into several thin shoots, on which buds are formed. each stem is capable of bearing up to 10 - 20 flowers at its top.

Alstroemeria flowers  are so interesting and varied that they are often compared to orchids - shades include orange, pink, purple, red, yellow, white or salmon. 

Often the petals have yellow spots or all sorts of specks and specks.

The flowers have no aroma; the buds open sequentially from the base of the peduncle to its top.

The original name of the plant was “Peruvian lily” or “lily of the Incas,” but then the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus named these flowers in honor of his friend, also a botanist, Klaus Alstromer.

Height. The height varies greatly between varieties and can range from 30 to 90 cm.

The size is greatly influenced by growing conditions. In indoor culture, dwarf, miniature varieties are mainly kept.

Planting and care

Growing in open ground

The maintenance of this decorative flower requires compliance with certain rules of agricultural technology.

For outdoor cultivation, seeds can be sown when the threat of the last frost has passed. Usually the seeds are sown in April - May, but if you want to get good strong bushes by autumn, then the seeds should be sown for seedlings in February or early March and the young plants should be transferred to open ground in May.

When sowing in open ground, as when growing through seedlings, the first shoots can be noticed after 20 days. 

• Before sowing, the seeds must undergo cool stratification in the refrigerator in damp gauze. The stratification period should be about 4 weeks.
• Sowing is carried out in moist, nutritious, light soil, covering the seeds with a layer of soil of about 1 cm.
• The seedlings are placed in a cool room with a temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius and stored in shade from direct sunlight.
• The first shoots that appear within 3-4 weeks must be carefully cared for. With the appearance of the first true leaves of astrometry, young plants are fed with organic fertilizers - for example, well-rotted cow manure dissolved in water.
• The first picking is carried out when 3-4 true leaves have formed.
• Before planting the bushes in open ground, the seedlings should be pre-hardened. For hardening, the boxes with seedlings are taken out into the fresh air for several hours a day, gradually increasing the time spent outside.

For planting in a permanent place, choose a plot of land protected from strong winds and direct sunlight during the daytime.

Alstroemeria will feel quite good when grown under trees or shrubs - in their openwork shade.

For placement in the garden, planting holes are prepared with a depth of 35 to 50 cm, maintaining a distance between plants of 30 - 50 cm. A small drainage layer of crushed stone or expanded clay is placed at the bottom of such pits.

Transshipment is carried out from cups together with a lump of earth. After planting, the soil around the root system is carefully compacted to remove air pockets.

When growing in open ground, the area is periodically weeded, the soil around the bushes is loosened and protected from weeds with mulch.

For tall varieties, a net with large cells is pulled - over time, it will serve as a support and prevent the plants from falling over.

After flowering, the long stems of alstroemeria are cut, leaving only 20 centimeters from the ground, and hilled in such a way as to cover the root system with a small layer of soil.

To protect against frost, a layer of fallen leaves, spruce branches or non-woven material is laid on top.

Most often, only young specimens need shelter. With age, the bushes become stronger and tolerate winter well in the southern regions.

If there is a real threat of freezing of the rhizomes, then they are dug up and stored in a dark and cool place until spring, planting in open ground when the threat of frost has passed.

Reproduction, growing from seeds 

Propagated quite easily by dividing large specimens during transplantation. Make sure that each division receives its own tubers and well-developed leaves.

The cuttings obtained in this way will bloom in 1-2 years.

You can also grow a bush from seeds, including those collected by yourself.

You can also get indoor alstroemeria from seeds, including those collected by yourself.

1. Seeds are collected only from fully ripened and dry seed pods. Considering that such boxes open at the slightest touch and there is a risk of self-seeding in the ground, then before harvesting the seed boxes can be placed in a plastic bag.
2. As a pre-planting preparation, the seeds should be soaked in warm water for several days and scarified - slightly rubbing the hard top layer with sandpaper.
3. The seeds have a fairly high germination rate - they are sown in a loose, nutritious and well-moistened substrate to a depth of about 0.5 cm.
4. The crops are covered with glass or transparent plastic to maintain uniform humidity; within 2 to 6 weeks the first shoots can be seen.
5. Some gardeners advise keeping seedlings at a temperature of around 4°C for several weeks until seedlings emerge.

Plants obtained from seeds bloom at the age of 2 - 3 years. Unfortunately, alstroemeria obtained from personally collected seeds may not inherit all the attractiveness of the parent plants. 

Sometimes cuttings are used as a propagation method.

Flowering time 

The flowering period begins in late spring or early summer and lasts about 2 weeks, the flowers appear in waves.

With proper care, re- blooming may occur within a year, although it will not be as abundant. 

Transplant 

Planting a flower in fresh soil is carried out annually, in the spring, with the beginning of new growth.

1. Pots for planting bush alstroemeria should have large drainage holes and be a little cramped.
2. After transplanting, the soil around the tubers is compacted slightly with your fingertips to avoid the appearance of air pockets.
3. The transplanted flowers are shed abundantly and drain the excess moisture that appears in the pan after watering.
4. If part of the soil has subsided significantly after watering, add fresh substrate.

Flowering plants are not replanted - they wait until the end of the flowering process.

Since representatives of this species have a long taproot, the planting pot should be at least 30 cm deep and have large drainage holes.

Fertilizer 

The plant loves soils with a high content of nutrients and responds positively to both mineral and organic fertilizers, which are applied every 2 weeks during the period of active growth and flowering.

During the development of green mass, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are necessary. In order for plants to form a sufficient number of buds, fertilizers with a high phosphorus content are used.

Fertilizing is carried out only after thorough watering, since the contact of fertilizers with the root system in dry soil can cause burns. Well-rotted mullein, a very weak solution of chicken manure or vermicompost are used as organic fertilizers.

During the year, fertilizing begins with the beginning of new growth in the spring and stops only after complete flowering. 

Diseases and pests 

• Alstroemeria tubers can rot if they are planted in a pot that is too large or if they are watered too much without ensuring good drainage of excess moisture.
• Gray rot appears in case of excessive watering. The disease manifests itself as a fluffy white gray coating on the leaves and stems of alstroemeria.
• Fusarium and late blight can also arise from fungal manifestations.
• If there is a lack of light, flowering will be less lush  or not at all.
• High soil pH (above 7.0) causes the plant to experience a lack of iron and manganese - and the leaf blades turn yellow - chlorosis begins.
• If the conditions are too dry, the bushes may shed their leaves and buds.

Properly cared for specimens are rarely attacked by pests - sometimes, if the air in the room becomes too dry, spider mites appear. Rarely, but you can notice such a pest as thrips on the stems and leaves.

Watering

Young seedlings develop a root system and need regular watering, especially during the period of active growth. Adult bushes will rather endure a short-term drought than a flood.

Watering should be abundant, between them the soil should have time to dry out to a depth of 3-4 cm. Regular watering of alstroemeria is necessary during the period of budding and flowering.

Excess moisture from the tray is drained a few minutes after watering.

For watering, use softened rain, melted or bottled water at room temperature.

In the winter months, when alstroemeria is dormant, the frequency of watering is reduced to a minimum, protecting the soil from completely drying out.

Soil 

Well-drained, nutritious soil with a high content of organic matter in the form of peat and leaf humus. The soil should have a slightly acidic pH.

To improve drainage, up to 30 percent of the soil should be coarse river sand.

In order to further loosen the soil and maintain the pH level at the required low level, a small amount of finely chopped pine needles can be mixed into the soil for growing alstroemeria.

The soil should easily allow air and moisture to pass through to the root system. 

Containment temperature

Cool maintenance is preferable; with the onset of too warm weather (above 22° C), flowering may stop and tubers will begin to grow abundantly.

During the budding and flowering period, it is advisable to place it in a cool room with a temperature of about 16 - 18 ° C. If the temperature is exceeded at this time, the flowering period may be significantly reduced.

In winter, it is advisable to provide a cool and fairly dry dormant period at a temperature of about 10 ° C - such wintering promotes rest and accumulation of strength for subsequent flowering.

In spring and summer, maintain the room temperature at 16-20 ° C, during the dormant period - about 4-10 ° C.

The flower does not withstand frost - the rhizomes die at sub-zero temperatures, but even with the onset of extreme heat, the plants suffer - they can shed all their leaves and dry out.

Lighting

Lighting directly affects flowering - only bushes that receive enough light will bloom profusely.

Direct sunlight should not fall on shoots and leaves during the daytime in spring and summer, when solar activity is especially high.

Alstroemeria can be placed at home on the eastern or western window, where it will receive sunbathing in the morning and evening hours. In autumn and winter, when solar activity decreases and the weather is often cloudy, flowers are placed on a window facing south.

For the formation of buds, the duration of daylight should be at least 14 hours.

If there is a lack of natural light, you can use additional lighting with fluorescent or phytolamps. Such measures will help alstroemeria in the winter months, when daylight becomes too short.

Care

Of course, tall varieties are not suitable for indoor growing - for indoor growing, choose compact species.

Alstroemeria will feel great when grown outdoors in the warm season. Place the plant so that it is not exposed to raindrops or direct sunlight.

In the fall, before bringing the flowerpot indoors, inspect it for pests and treat it with Actellic.

Remove flower stalks with wilting buds in a timely manner - this will extend the flowering period.

When pruning, remove weak shoots and stems growing inside the bushes.

During sanitary treatment, yellow leaves are removed, which allows you to preserve the attractive, fresh appearance of alstroemeria for longer.

Without pruning, the bushes will become too dense and produce a large number of very small flowers.

Before the onset of the dormant period, the frequency of watering is significantly reduced.

With the onset of winter, all the above-ground parts are cut off and the pots are taken out into a cool place, or the tubers are dug up and stored in a dry, cool place.

Spraying 

To increase humidity, use a room humidifier.

Spraying is not recommended even in the morning, as moisture on flowers and buds spoils their appearance.

To increase humidity, you can use a tray with wet pebbles or a layer of sphagnum moss, well moistened and placed near the pot with plants. Evaporating from the surface of the flower, the water will naturally humidify the atmosphere around the flowers for a long period of time.

Also, to increase humidity, you can place a room humidifier or some container with water next to the flower.

With high humidity, it is worth remembering about good air circulation.

Purpose

Alstroemeria is loved by florists and is often used to make bouquets.

Cut compositions do not lose their attractiveness for a long time (for several weeks) standing in a vase. Even in water, plants will open new buds.

For cutting, you should not use stems with already opened flowers - it is better to separate a twig with half-opened buds from the plant. 

Note

Flowers are considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity, and are often given as a sign of friendship.

The sap of the plant is poisonous and can cause contact dermatitis - use protective gloves when working with alstroemeria and wash your hands thoroughly after contact with the plant.