Among the amaryllis' family rich in botanical pearls, we can find many beautiful and eagerly cultivated species in many homes, such as hippeastrum and clivia.However, it is worth trying less known plants.
One of them, and certainly deserving of wider dissemination, is the nerina Nerine sarniensis. She came to us from what is now South Africa. More than 20 species of these bulbous perennials are found in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Their botanical name derives from the mythological Greek sea nymph Nereid, who was to look after the sailors.Three centuries ago, the first onions reached Europe on the Channel Islands, where they are still grown as cut flowers.
Nerina is an easy plant to grow. When planting bulbs in spring, we place them so that their upper part protrudes above the surface of the substrate, which reduces the risk of infection by fungal pathogens. They grow best in light and well-drained soil. It can be a mixture of equal parts fine sand, clay and compost. Drainage is necessary for the bottom of the pot. The position should be as sunny as possible.
From pure white to juicy red
Despite many similarities, nerin differs significantly from amaryllis. The flowers are composed of six petals, typically, however, are half the size of the hippeastrum. The petals are narrow, symmetrically arranged in the shape of spider's legs, strongly corrugated at the edges.They grow on a long, up to 40 cm tall, bare flower stem with full center.There are seven to fifteen flowers.
Their color ranges from pure white to salmon red to blood red, depending on the variety. They don't smell. The leaves are long, dark green, and even. An interesting fact is that they appear before the flowers develop.
Nerina blooms much better in narrow pots, even several bulbs together.It can also be planted in boxes on the balcony and in sunny beds after the May frosts have subsided.During the growing season, it is recommended to water abundantly every 10 days, letting the soil dry out in the meantime. Fertilization is not required as it promotes leaf growth.
At the end of August, the aboveground part begins to die down, going into a dormant state lasting up to 8 weeks. For this time, we stop watering and protect the plants in the ground against excessive rainfall. Sometimes flower shoots begin to appear only in late autumn.
Growing in the ground has one major disadvantage - it happens that plants will not bloom before the first frost.Water the nerin sparingly, but regularly during this period. It falls into a dormant period after it fades. Then we move the bulbs to the coolest possible, frost-free room and store them without watering until spring.
Nerin reproduction
Nerina is easily propagated from incandescent bulbs separated during planting in spring or from seeds. We sow them shortly after harvesting into light soil.After about 3 weeks, seedlings emerge and we pick them twice at intervals of a month.We do not dry them for the first year, they bloom after two years.
Nerina is very resistant to diseases and pests. Just be careful of over-watering, which can cause gray mold or root rot. Inflorescences are perfect for a vase, they last up to 2 weeks.
