Cultivation methods of Hippeastrum
Do you know these? Topics related to the Hippeastrum bulb flowers, cultivation methods of Hippeastrum, please refer to the detailed introduction below.
Many Hippeastrum enthusiasts enjoy reading articles by experts to consolidate their cultivation skills. This article is a summary of Hippeastrum cultivation methods, covering various issues in the cultivation process.
I. Single plant and group cultivation of Hippeastrum have their own characteristics: (Choose according to personal preference.)
1. Single plant flowering, can have multiple flowers per spike, up to 4-6 flowers, or even 7, and double or triple spikes will be more spectacular. If the nutrients are sufficient, the bulbs can be cultivated to be very large.
2. Group cultivation, although the number of flowers per spike is less than that of a single plant, due to the multiple plants, the spikes can stagger each other, resulting in a better effect with multiple spikes growing simultaneously. This can form a relatively long flowering period. However, the bulb size of group-cultivated Hippeastrum may not be as large as that of a single plant.
Usually, the flowering period of Hippeastrum can last from half a month to one or two months, depending on the number of spikes and the number of flowers per spike.
(Also suitable for other types of Hippeastrum.)
Supplement: Whether it is group cultivation or single plant cultivation, it is generally necessary to control its division and propagation when the bulb size is considered appropriate.
For group cultivation, it is appropriate to have 2 to 5 plants per pot.
If you need to propagate Hippeastrum, the best time is during the dormant period in winter when the leaves fall, which is the best time to divide the bulbs and adjust their quantity.
II. How to control the division and propagation of Hippeastrum
Hippeastrum is very prone to producing small bulbs, but if you prefer a single plant and do not want it to produce many small bulbs, measures can be taken to control it.
Because when the small bulbs grow, they will divert nutrients from the mother plant to some extent, so the nutrients cannot be concentrated in one bulb.
If the mother bulb does not need to be propagated, the small bulbs can be removed in advance when the first signs of a large bulb appear. The small bulbs of Hippeastrum are produced from lateral buds in the position of the outer layers of the bulb epidermis. After removal, there may be some damage to the outer layers of the mother bulb, but the central bulb plate remains intact, which will not affect the continued growth of the mother plant. The outermost layers of epidermis will gradually dry out and can be easily removed. Generally, after about one month, the impact will basically disappear.
The best time to remove the small bulbs is when the young leaves of the small bulbs are visible at the position of the outer layers of epidermis. (Usually after 1 to 3 outer layers of epidermis.)
This allows the nutrients to be maximized for a single plant, and therefore, it will grow better and produce more flowers.
Using this method, the propagation of Hippeastrum can be controlled. If you want it to produce small bulbs, do not remove them. Also, shallow planting can reduce the chances of producing small bulbs.
This method of controlling propagation is simply explained as pinching off the side shoots and removing the tillers of Hippeastrum. After removing the side buds, the same nutrients for a single plant will be more abundant.
For Hippeastrum, extensive management is very helpful for its growth, as it is a rough-growing flower that is easy to care for.
(Also applicable to other types of Hippeastrum.)
III. Three common types of Hippeastrum sprouting in spring
Hippeastrum has three common types of sprouting from bulbs.
1. Flowering before leaves, the flower spike appears first, followed by leaf buds after a period of growth. When flowering, the leaves are very short or even not visible.
2. Flowers and leaves appear simultaneously, with flower spikes and leaf buds appearing almost at the same time (only a few days apart). When flowering, the leaves are still growing and not very long.
3. Leaves before flowers, leaf buds sprout first, followed by flower spikes after a period of growth. When flowering, the leaves have basically finished growing and are relatively long.
IV. Overview of Hippeastrum winter management (involving ground planting)
1. During the winter, as long as the temperature remains above zero, there is no problem (the limit low temperature that Hippeastrum bulbs can tolerate in the dormant state with leaves fallen is 0 degrees). Even if the lowest temperature is around 8 or 9 degrees, large day-night temperature differences have little effect on overwintering.
2. For ground planted Hippeastrum in northern and southern regions, the bulbs can be dug up around November and stored indoors for overwintering.
In the south and海南 regions, even without digging up the bulbs, they can naturally overwinter.
3. For potted Hippeastrum, if not dug up, place it in a warm and sunny indoor area and manage it as usual (watering can be maintained, except for not fertilizing during the overwintering period, watering should still be based on the dryness of the surface soil), with extensive management. Let the leaves wither naturally (a phenomenon of complete defoliation may occur between 0 and 15 degrees; above 15 degrees, fewer leaves fall, maintaining a period of evergreen dormancy), and grow naturally.
4. In winter, in addition to temperature, dormancy is also affected by short-daylight, and it may not necessarily show defoliation. During the overwintering period, if the temperature is low, the leaves can fall completely, entering a defoliation dormancy state. If the temperature is high, fewer leaves fall, only showing growth cessation, which is evergreen dormancy.
5. If Hippeastrum bulbs are dug up in November to enter the dormant state early, after more than one month of dormancy, potting them around mid-December can make them sprout and flower earlier. The flowering period will be around January and February, which is the period around the Spring Festival.
6. In the natural state, Hippeastrum will naturally awaken in January and February each year. When the bulbs show signs of sprouting, they can be planted (in northern regions, ground planting can be done in March and April; in southern regions, it is February and March). The natural flowering period of most types of Hippeastrum is from February to June.
V. Seed collection and germination of Hippeastrum
1. It takes more than one month for Hippeastrum to go from fruiting to fruit maturity.
Usually, when the fruit naturally turns yellow and shows signs of splitting, it can be harvested.
2. The fruit of Hippeastrum has three chambers, each containing several black, thin, and light seeds, in the shape of a slice, with a total of dozens of seeds in one fruit, and about a hundred seeds in four fruits.
3. When propagating Hippeastrum by seed, the fresher the seeds, the better. Use the water floating method to germinate, and plant after the white roots appear.
(Water floating method: Float the seeds on the water surface without sinking, and plant when white roots appear; if any seeds sink, they can be planted immediately. Suitable for light seeds such as Hippeastrum and lilies.)
4. Using seeds to propagate Hippeastrum takes at least 2 to 3 years to bloom.
VI. The number of flowers per spike of Hippeastrum is related to the size of the bulb and the variety
1. Whether it is foreign or local Hippeastrum, as long as the bulb is large enough, it is more likely to bloom and produce more flowers.
The diameter of the Hippeastrum bulb should exceed 4 centimeters to have a chance of flowering.
Of course, it also depends on personal cultivation skills. Hippeastrum is easy to rebloom and management is extensive.
You can start with a small bulb, and as the bulb grows larger each year, the number and frequency of flowering will increase to some extent.
Larger bulbs not only produce more spikes (double or triple spikes may appear) but also increase the number of flowers per spike.
2. However, the variety should also be considered. Some varieties of foreign Hippeastrum have stronger flowering ability than local Hippeastrum, with up to 7 flowers per spike being common.
A typical example is the foreign Hippeastrum 'Afre' which not only has large flowers but also a high number of flowers per spike. 'Neon Light Rose' and 'Evergreen' are also varieties with many flowers per spike.
VII. Cutting leaves during the hot summer is equivalent to doing a disservice to Hippeastrum.
Hippeastrum has more and healthier leaves during the midsummer, which is more beneficial for flowering next year.
During the midsummer, the more leaves a single plant has, the better, and it is more likely to bloom next year.
During this critical period of flower bud differentiation, cutting all the leaves will prevent them from growing properly and accumulating nutrients, which will definitely affect future growth and even flowering next year.
Therefore, during the midsummer, be careful when cutting leaves, especially healthy new leaves. Cutting leaves at this time will affect its future growth and even reblooming next year, which is equivalent to doing a disservice to it.
VIII. Overview of autumn and overwintering management of potted Hippeastrum
A. Autumn management from September to November
In September and later, the growth of Hippeastrum has entered the later stage, and autumn is the last growing period of the year.
Usually, after mid-October, it will gradually enter a state of dormancy, and in colder temperatures, it will show defoliation, leaving only the bulb to overwinter. It will not resume growth until early spring of the following year.
If the bulb diameter exceeds 4 centimeters at this time, there is hope for flowering in the future.
Watering should not wait for the soil to completely dry out. If the soil is completely dry before watering, it will affect root growth and may cause problems later on.
As for fertilization, based on the condition of the plant, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can be supplemented to promote bulb growth and prepare for overwintering.
B. Overwintering management from December to the following February
1. Overview
During the overwintering period, if Hippeastrum bulbs are not dug up and left in the pot, watering is still necessary, but the frequency should be reduced appropriately, based on the condition of the surface soil. The purpose of watering is to keep the bulbs firm. During the natural defoliation of potted Hippeastrum, try to let the leaves wither later, as the longer the leaves remain on the plant before turning yellow, the more helpful it is for bulb growth.
During the dormancy period of Hippeastrum, note that watering is still necessary, do not stop watering, continue with extensive management, and keeping the bulbs warm is most important.
2. Whether to cut leaves during the overwintering period.
My view is that if no division, transplantation, or forcing flowering is done at this time, the leaves on the plant should be retained as much as possible and allowed to wither naturally.
This is because whether Hippeastrum will defoliate in winter mainly depends on temperature. If the temperature is consistently above 15 degrees, it is normal for there to be no defoliation (evergreen dormancy, growth cessation, but fewer leaves fall). Only when the temperature is between 0 and 15 degrees, there may be a possibility of large-scale defoliation.
In summary, let it be natural during the overwintering period and try to let the leaves wither naturally. If the leaves do not fall, there is no need to cut them off forcefully, unless forcing flowering is required.
The reason is that Hippeastrum will still perform photosynthesis before the leaves turn yellow, and the longer the leaves remain on the plant, the more helpful it is for bulb growth.
On the contrary, if Hippeastrum has a large number of leaves falling prematurely in winter, or if they are cut off by hand, it will definitely affect bulb growth and reblooming.
This article shares the full content of the cultivation methods of Hippeastrum (wonderful summary article), hoping to help you and also looking forward to everyone visiting more green plant and flower experience knowledge!