Amaryllis

Family. Amaryllidaceae.

Homeland of the plant. The plant originates from the tropical regions of South Africa.

Description. The genus Amaryllis includes 2 species of bulbous plants, which are related to hippeastrum. At home, the most commonly found plant is Amaryllis Belladonna.

The leaves are long, linear or belt-shaped, quite wide (3-4 cm wide), with a blunt tip, light green, appear after the peduncle and remain until the beginning of the following summer. They should not be removed until they naturally die and dry out.

During the flowering period, a large leafless arrow is formed up to 40-50 cm high, which carries 2-5 large funnel-shaped fragrant buds of white, pink, dark red or purple color on short peduncles, collected in umbellate inflorescences. Each flower reaches a diameter of 10-13 cm.

Some varieties have two-color contrasting petals or buds with striped petals.

If pollination occurs, a fruit is formed - a seed capsule. At home, as soon as the flower begins to fade, it should be cut off to maintain a neat, attractive appearance.

The bulbs are large, about 6 - 7 cm in diameter, drop-shaped, covered with brown scales on top. Inside, the scales are pubescent. The larger the bulb, the larger the bud will be.

The dormant period is short, occurring in mid-summer.

Height. 50 - 75 cm. The final size will depend on the conditions of maintenance and varietal characteristics.

Home care

Planting 

Approximately every 2 years, just before the dormant period, the bulbs are planted in fresh soil. An excellent time for planting will be the period when the first signs of growth appear.

When planting, it is necessary to maintain such a depth that the bulbs protrude from the ground by about a quarter of their height.

If the bulb has outgrown the size of the pot, slightly increase the size of the container so that it is 5 cm wider than the bulb.

If you plant it in a pot that is too large, flowering may not occur, and a large amount of substrate will be able to accumulate moisture and the bulbs may rot.

If several bulbs are planted in one container, then a distance of 3-4 cm should be maintained between them.

Plants are better suited to planting in unglazed clay pots, the walls of which are able to pass moisture and air. In addition, such pots have an impressive weight and will not tip over under the weight of the flower.

Healthy planting material should not have any signs of disease - the bulbs should be strong, with a smooth and even surface, without dents and soft spots.

Abundant flowering can be expected from plants whose bulbs reach a diameter of 7 cm.

As a pre-planting preparation, the bulbs are treated with fungicides.

1. Before planting, lay a generous layer of drainage in the form of expanded clay, clay shards or broken bricks on the bottom of the pot.
2. When planting, it is advisable to pour a layer of sand mixed with crushed charcoal under the bottom of the bulb to drain moisture.
3. The bulbs are placed in the center of the pot and covered with fresh soil, which is tamped down with your fingertips to remove any air pockets.
4. After transplantation, scanty watering is carried out.

Under no circumstances should flowering specimens be replanted.

Flowering time 

Flower stalks usually appear in autumn and spring - as soon as the foliage fades (approximately 6-10 weeks after planting the bulbs), with good care, repeated flowering is possible.

Dense planting and excellent lighting promote flowering.

You can force the plant to bloom at any time of the year. A month or two before the expected flowering, you can arrange a dry regime - limit watering to a minimum until the leaves dry out and die off, then organize abundant watering.

Each flower on the peduncle can retain an attractive appearance for 6 days, and up to 12 buds are formed on each peduncle.

The total duration of flowering is from one to one and a half months.

Reproduction, growing from seeds

1. Sowing of seeds is carried out in the spring in a loose, well-moistened and nutritious substrate. 
2. The seedlings are covered with a layer of earth about 1 cm thick on top.
3. To create a greenhouse effect, make a shelter in the form of transparent glass or a plastic cover.
4. Shelter helps maintain high air humidity and promotes rapid seed germination.
5. Instead of watering, moisten the soil with a sprayer, keeping it evenly moist. 
6. The container with the crops is placed in a warm place with a temperature of about 23 ° C.
7. The location should be brightly lit but out of direct sunlight.

With the appearance of the first shoots, the shelter is removed daily, gradually increasing the ventilation time and hardening the seedlings.

Diving is carried out with the appearance of 2 - 3 true leaves on each bush - approximately 2.5 - 3 months after the appearance of sprouts.

You can sow seeds at once in separate cups of 2 pieces. and then the dive can be avoided.

The first fertilizing with a very weak solution of mineral fertilizers is carried out 10 - 14 days after the dive.

Young seedlings often develop without a dormant period, so care for them will be continuous for 1–2 years and the same at any time of the year.

Adult and large bulbs of the plant can be divided into several parts after the above-ground part dies, since at this time all the strength of the plant and the largest supply of nutrients are in it.

The bulb in the upper part is freed from the soil, leaving only the root system in the substrate.

1. The outer brown shell at the top is removed from the bulb and the leaves are completely removed with a sharp, sterile knife, along with the top of the bulb.
2. Using a sharp knife, cuts are made to the surface of the soil in such a way that the onion is divided into 4 parts - slices. Depending on the diameter and condition of the bulbs, there can be from 2 to 8 such segments.
3. To prevent the segments from closing and overgrown again, knitting needles or wooden skewers are inserted into the cracks that appear, which must first be sterilized.
4. The bulb continues to be cared for as an ordinary plant, with the only difference that watering at first should be very moderate, and the first fertilizing is carried out from the moment the leaves appear in each part.
5. The next season, such bulbs are removed from the substrate and divided completely, cut into pieces, planted in separate small pots.

The bulbs can be immediately divided into 4 parts by cutting them off completely, treating the cut areas with charcoal and planting the parts in separate containers, but in this case there is a high probability of rot.

The first buds of such plants appear after 1-3 years. 

How to care, pruning

Growing amaryllis requires compliance with certain agricultural techniques.

After the flowering period, the stems - flower stalks wither - they must be cut off together with the flowers (as close to the bulb as possible), leaving only the leaves.

The leaves should be cut only with a sharp and sterile tool and only when they have completely turned yellow or dried out. The leaf blades continue to feed the bulb until the last moment and should not be cut off ahead of time.

Sometimes you may need support for very long flower stalks.

In general, when growing, it is important to observe the temperature regime and provide a rest period after flowering.

In the warm season - in the summer, you can take the pot outside, placing it in the shade from direct sunlight, protected from strong wind and rain.

In the summer months, the bulbs are even buried in open ground so that they receive a sufficient supply of nutrients.

Soil

For growing amaryllis, soil consisting of equal parts of perlite and peat, with the addition of nutritious humus and light turf and foliage soil, is suitable.

To increase moisture permeability, a small amount of coarse river sand is added to the soil.

The substrate should not only easily allow moisture to pass to the roots of the plant, but also allow the root system to breathe. 

Diseases

• Large bulbs can rot if over-watered and insufficiently drained, causing the leaves to turn yellow. Saving rotten bulbs is difficult, but possible. Rotten areas are cut off with a sharp sterile knife and the cut areas are sprinkled with crushed coal. After drying these bulbs a little in the air, they are planted in fresh soil.
• Among fungal diseases, bulbs can be affected by red burn and fusarium.
• Anthracnose and gray rot may occur on leaf blades. 

What to do if amaryllis does not bloom? 

• Plants will not bloom if the temperature regime is not observed during the dormant period, or if there is not enough light or nutrients. Feed the bush and place it in a well-lit place.
• If you keep the flower in a pot that is too spacious, the buds will not form.
• Excessive amounts of nitrogen in fertilizers or soil lead to abundant growth of green mass at the expense of flowering.
• Too small bulbs that have not reached three years of age also do not bloom.
• Planting too deep also results in the absence of flower stalks.
• Plants do not bloom even when kept in a too cool place, at low air temperatures. 

Insects - pests

Of the insects, some danger is posed by spider mites, thrips, mealybugs and amaryllis bugs, onion mites, aphids, and false scale insects.

Watering 

When the first signs of growth appear, start watering with water at room temperature.

The first watering can be sparse - excess moisture in the absence of sufficient green mass or peduncle can provoke the onset of rotting.

Watering should be abundant during the growing season (from the moment when the height of the peduncle exceeds 10 cm) and flowering.

Water the amaryllis with softened water. The higher the temperature, the more often you should water.

Before each subsequent watering, the top layer of the substrate - about 2-3 cm - should dry out.

The need for watering during this period is indicated by slightly drooping leaves of the plant that have lost turgor.

During the dormant period, you can either not water at all for 8-10 weeks, or water very sparingly until new shoots appear.

Bulbs without signs of growth should be stored in almost dry soil; at this time, you just need to protect the root ball from drying out completely.

Excess water that appears in the tray after watering must be drained.

Fertilizer 

A plant in a pot has a limited feeding area and is in dire need of feeding during the growing season.

After the dormant period (November - December), fertilizing with liquid fertilizers begins once every 2 weeks, as soon as the height of the peduncle reaches 10 cm.

Continue feeding until the next dormant period (September - November). 

You should not stop feeding after flowering has ended - the bulb still needs to stock up on nutrients for subsequent bud formation next year.

Amaryllis responds positively to both mineral fertilizers and the introduction of organic matter in the form of humus, well-rotted horse or cow manure, a weak solution of chicken manure.

Very good results can be achieved by alternating these fertilizers.

It is better to dilute nutrient solutions to half the dose recommended on the package.

Mineral nutrient solution is added only after abundant watering, into a moist substrate. Contact of chemicals in dry soil with the root system can cause burns.

Lighting 

Bright lighting, protection from direct sunlight during the flowering period.

Direct sunlight causes the bright colors of the petals to fade. Leaves can bathe in sunlight in the spring and summer only in the morning hours. Shading will be necessary only during hot daytime hours.

If there is a lack of natural light, it is recommended to use artificial additional lighting using fluorescent lamps.

The duration of daylight should be at least 14 hours.

With the death of the above-ground part and the transition to dormant mode, lighting will no longer play any role, and in order for the bush to rest, it is better to move it to a dark place.

During the period of active growth and budding, windows facing southeast or southwest will be considered the most suitable for growing.

When growing on the south side, arrange light shading with a tulle curtain.

Rotate the flowerpot a quarter turn around its axis every week so that the plant does not lean towards the light source and develops symmetrically and densely on all sides.

Temperature, dormant period

During the growing season (winter - spring), amaryllis prefers a temperature of 21 - 24 °C, and from September to November (or early December) - about 13 °C.

To awaken dormant bulbs, they can be placed in a very warm place with a temperature of 23 - 25 °C.

At night, a slight decrease in temperature to 15 - 20 °C is desirable.

The minimum temperature in winter is about 4-7 °C, representatives of this species do not tolerate frost.

Cool wintering during storage ensures long flowering.

The bushes do not like sudden changes in temperature conditions, they should be accustomed to any changes gradually.

Spraying 

The flower thrives in a fairly dry atmosphere in living quarters.

Additional air humidity will be needed only with the onset of particularly hot summer days. During this period, you can spray the leaves with room temperature water from a fine spray bottle.

Make sure that drops of moisture do not fall on the flowers and buds.

To increase air humidity, you can use a room humidifier or place a container of water next to the pot - this will be enough.

Amaryllis prefers well-ventilated rooms with sufficient air circulation, but without exposure to cold drafts.

Purpose

A spectacular, beautifully flowering, perennial species that is often used for forcing for a certain holiday. Cut flowers delight the eye for a long time in vases with water.

Thanks to its bright appearance, amaryllis is currently widely used in floriculture.

Note

All parts of the bush are toxic to humans, as well as domestic cats and dogs - it contains poisonous juice. The juice from the amaryllis bulbs was previously used by natives to lubricate arrowheads. A sign of poisoning can be severe vomiting.

Keep the flower in the house out of the reach of children and animals, and after any work, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

Plants are often crossed with crinum - the resulting hybrids are called amacrinums.

Hippeastrum and amaryllis - differences

• Hippeastrums can be larger than amaryllis - they reach a height of 80 - 100 cm, they bloom more readily and more often indoors.
• Amaryllis can bear up to 12 flowers on each peduncle, while hippeastrum can have up to 6 flowers on peduncles.
• The diameter of the flowers is larger in hippeastrum, and amaryllis often blooms even before the leaves appear.
• Amaryllis bulbs have a smooth surface, while those of hippeastrum are covered with scales.
• Amaryllis are much more willing to form small daughter bulbs. 
• The shape of the bulbs is also different - in amaryllis it is elongated in height and resembles a pear, while in hippeastrum the bulb is rather round or flattened. 
• Peduncles in hippeastrum appear after the formation of several leaves, and in amaryllis the flower arrow appears first.
• The flowering period of amaryllis occurs in the fall, while hippeastrum is distinguished by flowering that occurs in late winter or early spring.
• The peduncles of hippeastrums are hollow, while those of amaryllis are completely filled.
• Blooming amaryllis fill the house with a pleasant aroma, while hippeastrum flowers are odorless.
• Hippeastrum often blooms repeatedly, while amaryllis blooms only once a year.
• Hippeastrum is more unpretentious and adapts more easily to home conditions, amaryllis is more finicky and requires careful care. 

Amaryllis varieties:

Amarуllis belladonna

Plants of this species are distinguished by very large pink flowers (diameter reaches 16 - 18 cm), which appear even before the leaves grow. Each bulb of this variety bears one to three flower stems, which have from 3 to 8 buds at the top. The flowering period occurs in August - September and lasts for 6 - 8 weeks. 

Amaryllis Apple Blossom

A low plant, the flowers of this variety actually resemble apple blossoms in hue - the greenish throat of the flower smoothly turns into pink tips of the petals. The diameter of the flowers reaches 18 cm. Dark green, belt-shaped, gracefully arched leaves appear simultaneously with the peduncle. Each bulb has 2 - 3 peduncles, each of which bears 4 - 6 flowers at the top. The flowers open gradually and the flowering period of this variety is very long.

Double amaryllis - the plant has very lush and delicate flowers with a large number of petals arranged in several rows. Flower colors may vary. This type includes the Double line of varieties - for example amaryllis double dream - Amaryllis  Double  Dream.