Hipeastrumor otherwisezwartnica(Hippeastrum) is an onion plant from the Amaryllidaceae family, known for its beautiful, huge flowers, appearing out in the winter. In our climate,hipeastrum is grown inhomes as a potted plant that blooms during the winter. We suggest how to care for hipeastrum so that it blooms as long as possible, andwhen to plant hipeastrum bulbsso that they bloom just before Christmas. Learn allsecrets of growing hipeastrum !
Hipeastrum, switch - Hippeastrum
Fig. shutterstock.com
Hipeastrum bulbsare very large, depending on the age, plants can reach a diameter of 5 to 12 cm. Onions grow from 2 to 7 green leaves and an inflorescence shoot in the form of a stiff, straight and hollow stem, up to 60 cm high. At its top, the wart produces 2 to 4 very large, funnel-shaped, wide-open flowers, which can reach 10 to 25 cm in diameter. Eachhipeastrum floweris composed of 6 fleshy petals with curled stamens growing out of its center.
Hipeastrum, varieties - varieties
In pot growing, we can find mainlyhybrid hipeastrum varietieswith flower colors from white, through orange, pink to red. There are also varieties with multi-colored flowers, for example with white petals and red at the edge, or with striped petals.
There are so many varieties of hipeastrumthat it is impossible to list them all here. We present 10 interesting varieties that show how varied the appearance of the flowers of the grasshopper can be.
Hipeastrum 'Apple Blossom'- a variety of white flowers with pink petal tips,
Hippeastrum 'Bestseller'- a blooming dark cherry variety, characterized by a short flower stalk,
Hippeastrum 'Dancing Queen'- one of the most beautiful varieties of Dancing Queen with flowers in white and red stripes,
Hipeastrum, switch - Hippeastrum
Fig. shutterstock.com
Hippeastrum 'Exotic Star'- a variety of dungeons forming striped, green-white-red flowers with green throats, they look very exotic,
Hippeastrum 'Nymph'- an unusual variety with very large flowers resembling a peony flower, the flowers are white with pink stripes,
Hippeastrum 'Orange Sovereign'- a variety with orange-red flowers,
Hippeastrum 'Picotee'- creates very elegant flowers, each flower petal is white, surrounded by a red outline,
Hippeastrum 'Red Lion'- an intensely red flowering variety, thanks to this color it is perfect for Christmas decorations,
Hippeastrum 'Star Of Holland'- Creates scarlet flowers with a white throat,
Hippeastrum 'White Dazzler'- a variety with pure white flowers.
Hipeastrum, switch - Hippeastrum
Fig. shutterstock.com
Hipeastrum and amarylis - differences
It is worth noting here thatHippeastrum is often confused with another species - amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna) , and even in stores it is usually sold as amaryllis. Meanwhile, it is quite difficult to find onions of real amaryllis. Therefore, when buying onions under the name of amaryllis, let's also check the given Latin name. Usually it will be written Hippeastrum, which means we are buying the bulbs of the curvaceous, not the real amaryllis.
How to distinguish hipeastrum from amarylis ? The most visible differences are the number of flowers, of which amaryllis can have much more (hipeastrum has up to 4, and amaryllis up to 12), and the structure of the stem (hipeastrum is hollow, and full of amaryllis). Plants bloom at other times of the year as well - decoctions usually bloom in winter or early spring, and amaryllis bloom in late summer.Hipeastrum , not amaryllis, will be a great winter decoration of our apartments.
When to plant hipeastrum bulbs?
To answer this frequently asked question, we need to know thathipeastrum blooms 4-6 weeks after planting the onionThe onions should therefore be planted in the ground about 4 weeks before the planned date flowering date. The whole period when it is recommended to plant the bulbs isfall-winter months from October to JanuaryHowever, it is best to plant hipeastrum bulbs in December or January, when the day starts to get longer.Then we can count on more abundant flowering than in the case of bulbs planted in October-November. On the other hand, most people plant their bulbs in November in order to get a flowering plant for Christmas. How to get hipeastrum blooming in late December is thoroughly discussed at the end of this article.
Hipeastrum - cultivation
Hipeastrum can be purchased as an onionor already in bloom. When buying onions, make sure that they do not have any visible damage or stains. If we are already buying a growing plant, it is worth choosing a copy with which flower buds have not yet opened. Then the plant will start flowering only at our home and we will enjoy its flowers as long as possible.
Hipeastrum bulbs are planted in potsfilled with permeable and fertile soil (usually these conditions are met by ordinary soil for potted flowers), necessarily with a good drainage layer at the bottom (drainage can be made of pebbles or expanded clay).We put it into the ground to such a depth that 1/3 to half of the onion protrudes above the soil surface and place it in a visible place (the more light, the more beautiful the inflorescences) at normal room temperature.In the home cultivation of hipeastrum, window sillsare perfect, even those above radiators. Dry air is not a threat to the plant, but it needs a lot of heat.Staircase cultivation temperature should be between 18 and 25 ° C
Onions of hipeastrum, zwartnicy
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Hipeastrum onion planted in a pot
Fig. shutterstock.com
During the growth of the flower stemthe hipeastrum pot should be turned every few daysso that the stem grows straight up and does not bend towards the sun.
The flowering of the stem plant takes several weeksWhen the petals are dry, they can be stripped off, leaving the entire flower stem (it is involved in photosynthesis). We water the plant all the time and feed it with fertilizer until summer (during this period the onion grows in size).When the leaves of the hipeastrum start to turn yellow(usually in August) we stop watering and fertilizing, letting the green parts dry and the plant dormant.
When the green parts are dry, the pot should be moved to a cool and dark place. During this period, we do not water or fertilize at all. You can also dig out the onion and store it in dry peat.The storage temperature of the compact onionshould not fall below 10 ° C.
Hipeastrum on the window sill is about to bloom: -)
Fig. pixabay.com
Hipeastrum, sporangia - reproduction
The dormant periodhipeastrumshould last from 2 to 3 months. Put the pot with the plant back in the apartment in December or January, starting the whole cycle anew. At this point, the plant can also be propagated, as older bulbs can produce from 1 to 2 daughter bulbs. We separate the daughter onions from the mother onions and plant them in separate pots. Before planting, it is worth treating them with a fungicide. They will not bloom sooner than after 2 years. Until then, we care for them in the same way as the onions of a flowering plant, so that they undergo a period of growth and rest.
Theoretically,hipeastrumcan also be propagated from seeds, but in home cultivation, seeds do not always set. It is even better because setting the seeds weakens the onion, and we care about a he althy and strong onion.
Hipeastrum blooming for Christmas
Fig. shutterstock.com
Hipeastrum for Christmas
Flowering contour is often sold in the run-up to Christmas , which is slightly earlier than the natural flowering period of these plants. We can also get a flowering plant in December. For this purpose, in October, the stored onions are put into perforated plastic bags and then in the refrigerator. Cooling down to 3 to 7 ° C should take 3 to 4 weeks. Every few days we take out the onions for a few minutes to ventilate them (this prevents them from molding). Aftercooling is over, plant the hipeastrum bulbs inpots and place them in a warm and bright place. Then proceed as in the normal growing mode.
If we decide toinduce early flowering of the wart , so that the flowers can be admired before Christmas, however, we must take into account that during this period the day is the shortest of the year and flower shoots, looking for light , they can stretch out a bit.If the flower stem is too limp, tie it to a stick.
