Eucharis

Family. Amaryllidaceae.

The plant's homeland is Colombia, Peru. 

Description: Eucharis or Amazon lily is a small genus of herbaceous bulbous plants, consisting of 17 species.

The bulbs of this flower can reach 6 cm in diameter.

The leaves are large, dark green, basal, shiny leaves on long petioles, each adult bulb can release 3-4 leaves. The leaf blades are soft, with longitudinal venation, up to 30-40 cm long. Young leaves have a lighter shade and seem to be twisted into dense tubes. Each leaf blade can live for several years, but after flowering the leaves often die off.

The flower stalks are tall - up to 70 cm, leafless, each can have from 3 to 8 large, fragrant, white or greenish-white buds. Each flower can reach 10 cm in diameter.

The shades of the petals can be white, pink, red, greenish. The flowers resemble daffodils in appearance.

Height: Reaches 60 cm.

Care at home

When it blooms 

Depending on the conditions of maintenance, flowering can occur in spring, summer or autumn. Often, with proper care, eucharis blooms again during the season.

Well developed, mature plants are capable of producing 5 to 8 flower stalks each, and at the top of each flower stalk there will be several flowers.

The first and most abundant flowering will occur in the autumn months or early winter, with a second wave appearing in late spring - early summer.

Each bud is able to maintain its attractiveness for 1 week.

Transplanting

Eucharis does not like frequent transplants, so it should be disturbed only as needed. Adult specimens need to be replanted approximately every 3-4 years.

Transplantation is carried out in early spring - in March, immediately after the bush has finished flowering. It is not worth replanting during the flowering period - the bushes spend too much energy on the formation of buds.

You can plant 6 bulbs in a pot with a diameter of 25 cm, lightly sprinkling them with substrate. Eucharis prefers slightly cramped conditions and in such conditions it blooms more abundantly, do not rush to choose a large pot for it.

A container that exceeds the diameter of the previous pot by about 2 - 3 cm is suitable for placement. A shallow and wide bowl with sufficiently large drainage holes is more suitable for planting.

1. First, a good layer of drainage material in the form of expanded clay, broken brick or clay shards is placed on the bottom of the pot.
2. Before replanting, the old pot with soil is soaked for several minutes in warm water so that the soil becomes soft and it is easier to extract the bulbs from it.
3. Fill the pot with soil mixture for the flower.
4. The bulbs are placed at a depth of 2 - 3 cm. If there are no leaves, the plants are planted so that the upper part of the bulb remains above the soil surface. The fact is that with such planting, water will not constantly get to the top of the bulb after watering and it will be easier to observe the appearance of young leaves.
5. After planting, the soil is lightly compacted with your fingertips.
6. The surface of the substrate after planting should be 1 - 2 cm below the walls of the pot.
7. After transplanting, the bulbs are watered thoroughly and left until the first leaves appear.

The next watering can be done only after the start of new growth - approximately in 4 - 5 weeks. Sometimes after transplanting, watering should even be replaced by spraying. 

Instead of replanting, if there are no obvious signs of rotting, you can use transshipment. The essence of the method is that the plants are transferred to a new container together with the old lump of earth, without destroying it.

In a new pot, the soil lump is placed in the center and simply sprinkled with fresh substrate around the perimeter. After planting, the soil is slightly compacted to remove air pockets.

Transplanted plants experience stress for 2-3 weeks, so they are not exposed to direct sunlight.

Feeding is suspended for 2-3 weeks - during this time, the root system has time to adapt to the new conditions and has time to heal any damage received during transplantation. In addition, fresh soil already contains a sufficient amount of nutrients.

How to care 

The plant is unpretentious and easy to grow indoors.

This flower will appreciate being outdoors, protected from rain and wind during the warm season. Leaves should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Already in mid-August, the nights become too cold and the bush should be brought indoors.

The bulbs can even be planted in open ground during the warm season - this way they will increase the supply of nutrients and will bloom profusely.

Large shiny leaves should be wiped with a damp sponge from time to time to remove dust.

Peduncles with wilted buds are cut closer to the base with sharp sterile pruners.

Some specimens may shed some leaves after flowering - this is normal.

Old leaf blades turn yellow, and this is a normal process - they are removed by cutting as close to the base as possible.

Diseases and pests 

• Rot occurs due to excessive watering during the dormant period and insufficiently drained soil. Such plants are removed from the pot, the areas affected by rot are cut off to healthy tissue and the cut areas are sprinkled with charcoal powder. Planting is carried out exclusively in new soil, and after transplanting, watering is stopped for 5-7 days.
• A sharp change in temperature has a negative effect on the flowering of eucharis - the buds become smaller.
• An increased nitrogen content in the substrate will promote the formation of green mass at the expense of flowering - use only fertilizers for flowering plants.
• The bulbs may suffer from red burn.
• If grown in conditions that are too cool and damp, or if there is insufficient air movement, the plant may be affected by grey mould.
• Eucharis will not bloom if it is not given enough light or if it is planted in a pot that is too loose. 
• Flowering may also be absent if there is a sharp change in temperature or if the bush is exposed to cold drafts.
• Buds do not form when kept in a room with a temperature below 16 °C.
• If there is no dormant period, this plant may not flower. 
• Leaf blades will turn yellow en masse if the watering regime is incorrect - both when the substrate is overdried and when it is over-moistened. The leaves will also react to too much lowering of the temperature of the content.
• If direct sunlight hits the leaves during daylight hours in spring and summer, sunburn may occur.
• Watering with cold water can lead to the development of fungal diseases and rot.
• Eucharis may drop buds if its root system was damaged during transplantation. 

Insect pests may include scale insects and thrips, aphids and spider mites, as well as narcissus flies.

Soil 

A mixture of peat, leaf humus, sphagnum moss with a small amount of well-rotted manure. To improve drainage, add coarse river sand, perlite or vermiculite.

Eucharis prefers substrates rich in organic nutrients - for example, containing humus, manure, leaf and turf soil. The substrate should easily allow moisture and air to pass to the roots.

The soil with slightly acidic pH is preferable for growing. 

Reproduction 

It is propagated by small daughter bulbs, which are separated from the mother bulb when transplanting every 3-4 years. Only bulbs with a well-formed root system and several leaves are suitable for transplanting.

Often, not even one bulb is separated, but several at once - for example, 4-5 pieces. The separated bulbs are planted in separate pots, in a loose and nutritious substrate.

On seedlings placed in a shallow and tight pot, buds may appear within a few months after transplanting.

Eucharis can be grown from seeds, but the first flowering of such plants will occur at the age of about 5 years.

1. Freshly harvested seeds are suitable for sowing; they are sown on the surface of moist, loose, nutritious soil.
2. From above, the planting material is covered with a small layer of river sand.
3. The seedlings are covered with transparent plastic, glass or polyethylene film to maintain uniformly high humidity and placed in a warm place with bright lighting, but without direct sunlight.
4. Using bottom heat will encourage earlier germination.
5. The crops are aired daily by lifting the cap and removing the accumulated condensation.
6. The cover is removed completely when the first signs of growth appear.

Watering

Water generously during the period of active growth, keeping the soil evenly moist. Watering should be regular, with a slight drying of the substrate to a depth of 2 - 3 cm. during the period of active growth and budding.

After flowering, watering is significantly reduced. The need for further watering will be indicated by slightly drooping leaves.

During the dormant period, the frequency of watering is reduced so that the soil dries out to a depth of 3-4 cm between waterings.

For watering, use water at room temperature that has been left to stand for at least 24 hours. Eucharis can also be watered with filtered or bottled, softened water.

Excess moisture and the tray are drained immediately after watering.

To initiate flowering, you can dry the substrate a little.

In the warm season, you can bathe the flower under a shower with a water temperature of about 35 ° C. The soil should be covered with polyethylene film so that it does not absorb more water. 

Fertilizing

Feed with liquid fertilizers with a high potassium content every week during the period of active growth and bud formation.

After flowering, stop fertilizing. Resume fertilizing with the first signs of new growth.

Eucharis also likes organic fertilizing, so the most effective will be alternating mineral and organic fertilizers in the form of humus, well-rotted cow or horse manure, well-infused chicken manure solution.

All fertilizing is carried out only after abundant watering, otherwise too concentrated a solution can burn the plant bulbs. 

Growing conditions - temperature

Moderately warm conditions throughout the year at a temperature of 18 - 22 °C. In room conditions, you can do without coolness during the dormant period, but in the winter months it is better to keep it in a room with a temperature of about 16 - 18 ° C.

At this time, reduce the frequency of watering, stop feeding. The duration of the dormant period should be from 1 to 1.5 months.

Do not expose the flower to temperatures below 7 - 10 °C - leaf blades may suffer and bulbs may rot. With the onset of intense summer heat, plants also suffer - flowering periods may be shortened.

Light

A well-lit place, away from direct sunlight. The bush can bathe in sunlight only in the morning and evening hours. In spring and summer, during the daytime, when solar activity is high, the leaves should be protected from direct sunlight by shading.

Eucharis grows well under artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps or phytolamps, especially in the autumn and winter months, when plants lack natural sunlight.

The most suitable places for placement are considered to be window sills facing the east or west side. You can also grow Amazon lily on the north side, but in this case, the pot should be moved closer to the window, and if there is not enough sunlight, use a phytolamp. When growing on the south side, the flower is placed in the back of the room.

Spraying 

Air humidity should be at least 50 percent relative.

To increase humidity, place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles, well-moistened sphagnum moss, or use a room humidifier. Make sure that the water in the tray with pebbles does not touch the surface of the flower pot.

Use only soft water for spraying - it will not leave white spots on the leaves. Spray only in the morning hours so that the droplets of moisture have time to evaporate before dusk.

Remember that if droplets of moisture get on flowers and buds, unsightly brown spots will appear, which will dramatically reduce the attractiveness of the flowers. When spraying, cover the buds with your hand.

A small decorative fountain or pond placed next to the pot with a plant, or simply grouping several plants in a limited space will also help humidify the air.

Eucharis does not tolerate drafts - when airing the room in the autumn and winter months, take the flower to another room. Also, do not place the Amazon lily near heating devices or under an air conditioner.

Purpose

Indoor specimens look attractive at almost any time. Flower stalks can be used for cutting.

This is a very spectacular species that may require quite a lot of space for growth and development - do not place the Amazon lily in tight spaces.

Since the bush develops successfully under artificial lighting, it is quite suitable for landscaping office premises and hotel lobbies.

Note

The green mass of eucharis contains alkaloids - toxic substances that cause vomiting and allergic reactions when they enter the body.

When handling the bush, use protective gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap after contact. Keep children and pets away from the flowers.