Before deciding how to care for such beautiful indoor flowers, like amaryllis, you should decide what we actually have on the windowsill. The fact is that often in the literature mix two kinds of amaryllis - South African and American, also called hippeastrum. There are no fundamental differences in the care of these flowers, only need to take note of the flowering time, the amaryllis blossoms from February to April, and hippeastrum pleases with its flowers from August to September. So do not be upset if the newly acquired plant does not want to bloom on time, perhaps it's just a different kind. However, after experiments with the timing of planting bulbs, you can change the flowering time of plants by almost any.
It should also be taken into account that there are hybrids of these two species of amaryllis, they differ in large flowers, of which there may be 2-3 pieces on the arrow. And recently at home, it has become increasingly common to grow hybrids of two species of amaryllis.
So, how to properly care for the amaryllis? To answer this question, one must remember about the fact that the amaryllis can be in 2 stages: flowering and rest. And, consequently, care after the amaryllis after flowering will be different from leaving during the activity of the flower.
Care of the plant during growth and flowering
Amaryllis is quite unpretentious to the humidity, so in this respect, special care is not required - it will bloom without spraying. But the dust can be washed from the leaves with a soft cloth or periodically wash the flower under a warm shower. And with watering one should be more careful if you give too much water, then you can not wait for flowers - only the leaves will develop. Therefore, the plant should be watered only with the appearance of the peduncle. At first it is made with warm water, and with reaching flowerpots of length 5-8 cm, plants should be watered at room temperature. Watering first moderate, after it is slightly increased, but with caution, too abundant watering for the benefit will not go.
Moreover, the root system is extremely sensitive to waterlogging, so it is recommended to plant bulbs in a mixture of humus, coarse sand, peat and turf ground, in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 2, while not forgetting the drainage layer - expanded clay or special granules.
Lighting the plant requires a bright, so after the emergence of the stalk, the pot is immediately exposed to the window. But in doing so, you need to make sure that the flower does not stand close to the cold glass, the optimum temperature for the beginning of growth is 25-30 ° C. Amaryllis fertilizers need liquid mineral, at the beginning of the appearance of leaves for deciduous plants, and after for flowering plants. Although it is possible and alternate mineral fertilizers with organic. Make fertilizer every 2 weeks.
Care after the amaryllis after flowering?
As already mentioned, after flowering, amaryllis enters a period of rest, and therefore at this time, they will not have to take care of them. Watering will need to be gradually reduced, dry leaves carefully removed, and the plant transferred from a dark dry place. The optimum temperature for
And finally, the transplant. Every year, only young plants are transplanted, digging bulbs for the winter, and in winter planting in larger pots. Adult amaryllis such a frequent transplant is not required, land change is enough once every 4-5 years.