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Plants kind hymenocallis or lily-spiders came to Europe in the era of great geographical discoveries, butdid not become as popular as hippeastrum or South African amaryllis. In fact, if a hymenocallis appeared on the window, leaving home does not differ much from caring for other bulbous plants, but a rather rare plant becomes an original decoration of a window sill.
Peculiarities of the home flower of hymenocallis
The requirements for growing conditions and care for hymenocallis of various species can vary considerably. This is due to the fact that some of the plants are the indigenous inhabitants of the foothills, and the remaining hymenocallis grows in the subtropical, rather damp zone. Therefore, in the first case, the onion plants need a short rest period, and the inhabitants of the subtropics, where there is no change in the season, remain evergreen throughout the year.
In this indoor hymenocallis flower:
- is large, up to 10 cm in diameter, with a pear-shaped bulb;
- pointed, lanceolate, up to a meter long and up to 7 cm wide, leaves of dark green or variegated color;
- is a vertical, hollow inside flower stalk with an umbrella inflorescence on top.
Bloom occurs in the winter months and can last up to 100-120 days. On the peduncle, from 3 to 7 large white flowers of the characteristic “arachnid-like” shape are successively opened.
Home care for hymenocallis at home
With the exotic look of a flower, hymenocallis is not whimsical, so the basic care requirements are very close to the care that other ornamental bulbous plants receive in the home.
In order for hymenocallis to feel good, develop, bloom and grow an onion, it needs to create the right conditions.
Lighting should be bright and durable. Even in winter, evergreen species require a lot of sun, so it is better to create additional illumination for them at 10–12 hours a day. The optimal arrangement of the pot with the flower of hymenocallis is the southern window.
In the period of foliage growth, that is, in spring and summer, the plants feel good at normal room temperature. As part of the care of hymenocallis, the pots can be taken out into the air, protecting the plants from the cold wind.
In winter, especially when there is a lack of light, the temperature is reduced to 12–18 ° C, depending on the species. If phytolamps are installed, an evergreen, for example, Caribbean hymenocallis can remain at room temperature.
These conditions are not suitable for deciduous species. Their dried onions are transported to coolness, where they are stored until the sprouts awaken at a temperature of 10–12 ° C.
Watering a plant is one of the most important steps in taking care of hymenocallis at home. On the one hand, the culture does not tolerate excessive dryness of the soil, to which it responds by withering leaves and rapid loss of flowers. On the other hand, abundant watering threatens with waterlogging and rotting of the root system and the bulb itself. To avoid this, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the soil and the flower of hymenocallis.
When the plants have faded, and only the foliage is above the soil, watering is reduced a little, but not stopped. If a deciduous species grows in the house, watering is stopped for the duration of a short-term rest.
With soil moistening, it is possible to combine such a procedure for the care of hymenocallis, such as wiping foliage with a damp cloth. This will improve the appearance of the flower and its well-being on hot days and with excessively dry air.
Throughout the entire period of activity, plants are fed using ready-made, liquid mixtures for flowering ornamental species or bulbous ones. The interval between supplements is 2-3 weeks.
When fertilizing hymenocallis, you should carefully use top-dressings with a high nitrogen content. On the one hand, such compounds stimulate the development of foliage and bulb growth, but on the other hand, an excess of this element adversely affects the quality and duration of flowering, and an unprepared for wintering bulbs sometimes rot.
The indoor hymenocallis flower, especially deciduous species, cease to fertilize for the entire time of wintering.
Planting hymenocallis and care for it
If necessary, the plant can be easily transferred to a new pot. Gimenokallis for planting and care, which follows this, is relatively calm. But transshipment often knocks the rhythm, which is customary for the culture, flowering is postponed, so they try to replant it more often than after 3 or 4 years.
And yet, if the roots are completely covered with the whole lump of substrate, or babies appear on the bulb, transplantation cannot be avoided. The flower of hymenocallis needs spacious containers, where a rather thick drainage layer is necessarily made at the bottom.
The container is then filled with the substrate and half a half or two-thirds deep in the center of the substrate. Soil compacted and abundantly moisturize.
The best soil mixture for hymenocallis is the one in which the plant will be provided with nutrients, air and moisture. Therefore, the substrate is mixed from garden soil, humus, coarse sand and peat so that the resulting soil is loose and well structured. The mixture is steamed or otherwise sterilized. To reduce the risk of developing rot in the substrate, crushed charcoal or sphagnum moss is added to the substrate.
