Fresh flowers in winter create a special and fabulous mood. Especially since the long-awaited New Year’s holidays are coming very soon.
On these special, festive days, you want to add a little real live magic and surprise everyone around with special beauty.
In this article, we want to show you how easy it is to grow one of the most beautiful indoor flowers at home – the majestic Amaryllis, especially for the New Year holidays.
Sometimes amaryllis is also called “room lily”. One, two or even three flower stalks can develop from a large amaryllis bulb.
Classification of amaryllis by color
In terms of color, the flowers of hybrid amaryllis can be white, red, pink, orange, cream, lilac, purple, almost black, while the color is both uniform and in the form of a color pattern – strokes, spots, lines.
In terms of shape, the inflorescences of indoor amaryllis are full (double) or simple. The flowers are large, funnel-shaped, up to 25 cm long.
Planting and flowering period
They bloom in March-April. After flowering, broad linear bright green leaves develop, which may die in September-October.
By changing the timing of planting bulbs, amaryllis can be made to bloom at almost any time of the year. These bulbs can bloom before Christmas and the New Year or a little later, depending on when the bulbs are planted. From September to October, the season for selling amaryllis bulbs in stores begins. In the Florium.ua online store, you can choose a variety to your liking. In order for amaryllis to bloom at Christmas, the bulb must be planted in November.
It matters how the bulb was fed in previous years. Self-made fertilizers from banana peels, tea or coffee are not enough for the bulb, it definitely needs balanced mineral liquid fertilizers. Therefore, there is an opinion that they have a one-time flowering, but by feeding the plant, it will thank you with a lush flower.
By purchasing several bulbs and planting them at intervals of two weeks, amaryllis will bloom in your apartment all winter.
Choosing a pot for amaryllis
The size of the pot should be chosen based on the size of the bulb. The size of the bulb depends on the group or variety.
Miniature hypeastrums have a bulb size of 14 cm in circumference.
And large-flowered ones – from 26 to 32 cm.
For a group of miniature amaryllis called Sonatini or Kolibri (varieties Pink Rascal, Viridi Rascal, White Rascal, Baletino, Alaska, Swan Lake), a 2-3 liter pot is enough, but this group looks better in a group planting.
In order for the development of large-flowered hypeastrum to be harmonious, you need a pot of 5-6 liters (the varieties Striped Amadeus, “Fairytale”, “Spartacus” are currently on sale in the Florium online store).
Caring for amaryllis bulbs
For better rooting, you can hold in a thick solution of potassium permanganate or rhizome. It is desirable to add a third of the volume of perlite and about a teaspoon of potassium sulfate fertilizers to the peat. Be sure to put expanded clay for drainage or small stones in a layer up to 3 cm high at the bottom of the pot.
Watering amaryllis bulbs
Water amaryllis bulbs either in a tray or on the side of the bulb, so that water does not fall on the bulb. Water the bulb about once every three days.
Preparation for flowering
Place the pot on a warm windowsill.
With the appearance of the peduncle, gradually turn the pot so that the peduncle grows evenly. You can also tie it to a support.
After 6-8 weeks, under good conditions, the flower will bloom and will delight you with its huge flowers.
Bulb feeding
After flowering, the bulb needs feeding with liquid fertilizers, about once a week, if there is an opportunity to send it to the open ground in the summer, for example, to the country.
Preparation for the second wave of flowering
In summer, some varieties give a second wave of flowering. After the open ground, the bulb should be planted in a pot. There is an opinion about cutting off the leaves and a forced period of rest. Of course, fed in open ground, the bulb goes dormant for about a month in autumn, but can continue to vegetate and grow leaves. But the cycle begins again.
Amaryllis decoration for the Christmas holidays
I really like to decorate my house with these plants for Christmas and New Year. Blooming amaryllis with Christmas tree toys, flickering illumination create a fairy-tale mood.
An amaryllis flower lives for about a week, with 3 to 5 flowers on the peduncle, which are quite heavy, so it is advisable to establish a support, especially for representatives of the Galaxy groups (Large-flowered simple amaryllis).
Amaryllis stand on the balcony, in the kitchen, in the room.
It is fascinating to watch all the stages from the formation of the arrow, the tearing of the cover on the inflorescence, the opening of first one, then two flowers, the entire inflorescence…
That’s it, now when the amaryllis starts to bloom, you can use it as a wonderful New Year’s decoration for your home or make a gift for your friends and loved ones, which they will definitely be delighted with!
The Florium.ua website has more than 40 exclusive varieties from Holland and South Africa.
Now they have a special promotional price. Hurry up.
Sincerely, experienced gardener, Olesya.
Read also, I received a parcel from Florium.
Published: 19.11.2019
