The word hippeastrum means a knight's star, a club used by medieval knights. The Polish name of this onion beauty is zwartnica.Hardly anyone, except for experts, calls it that.In common use it also functions as amaryllis, although Amaryllis is a completely different plant, very similar, but still other.
The natural habitats of hippeastrum are savannas and periodically drying forest areas. In order to survive the deadly drought, the plant goes into a dormant phase, during which only the onion remains in the ground. Only with the onset of the rainy season, fresh leaves appear. Knowing this natural rhythm, you can successfully grow these beautiful plants at home.The most important thing is to leave the leaves after flowering long enough.
In April or May, after the frosts are over, place the pot in the open air so that the onion can get stronger and resume vegetation in the winter. It is best to trim the leaves only when they turn yellow.After their removal, the pot is moved to a room with a temperature of 15-18 ° C.
Step by step
1. We plant the onion so that it is embedded in the ground to about half its thickness.
2. Fill the space between the onion and the wall with the substrate and decorate with moss.
3. Pour a little water into the saucer. At the beginning, we water carefully, because spilling the onion may end up rotting (we only water it to the stand, never from above).Only with the development of the shoot we increase the water ration. Place the pot on a bright windowsill in a room with a temperature of 18-20 ° C.
4. Ready! Hippeastrum can beautifully decorate our apartments.
Good to know
We can get our own hippeastrum variety quite easily.To do this, use a soft-bristled brush to transfer the pollen of one variety to the stigma of another.After about 8 weeks, the seeds ripen, which can be sown immediately.
