This perennial bulbous plant came to us from South and Central America. It is better known as "upstart", because blooms profusely from April to July. This unpretentious plant covered with flowers will decorate your home even on the gloomiest day.
Instructions
Step 1
The ideal soil for zephyranthes will be a neutral mixture of turf, leafy soil, peat and sand in equal parts. You can use the ready-made mixture. Pay attention to the air permeability of the soil, its lightness and looseness. Once every two weeks, the flower needs to be fed, alternating mineral dressings with organic ones.
Step 2
Zephyranthes should be transplanted into fresh soil every spring. The pot must be chosen low and wide, planting several bulbs at once, for greater density of the bush. The tops of the planted bulbs should rise slightly above the soil surface. If the plant should not be repotted, then the bulbs grow strongly and can break the pot. Also in this case, they are deformed and take on an ugly shape. You can grow zephyranthes outdoors, then next year the plant will form larger flowers and give abundant flowering. Some growers grow this plant this way, planting it every spring and digging out the bulbs in the fall.
Step 3
In the wild, the period of active growth of this plant falls on the rainy season. Therefore, at home, zephyranthes requires high humidity. This is both plentiful watering and daily spraying. However, stagnant water in the pot will cause the bulbs to rot. In the autumn-winter period, watering is reduced. And for those species that shed their foliage during the dormant period, they stop altogether.
Step 4
An ideal place for this flower would be an east or west window. A bright place without direct sunlight. In a dark place, the plant will form a powerful leaf apparatus to the detriment of flowers. Here he will need additional artificial lighting. On the south window, on the contrary, the plant will deteriorate from the scorching rays of the sun; it is necessary to shade the flower from direct rays.
Step 5
This flower is not picky about temperature. Small drops are not terrible for him. It tolerates well both 18 and 25 degrees. In winter, during the dormant period, to stimulate good flowering, the temperature in the room where the flower is located should not exceed 14 and fall below 5 degrees. At lower temperatures, the plant will die. In summer, zephyranthes can be kept outdoors until the first frost.
Step 6
This plant is propagated in two ways. By separating smaller bulbs from the main bulbs or by seeds. In the first case, the plant will bloom the next year. In the second, three years later. The seeds are used only fresh. They are planted in the same mixture as an adult plant. Cover with foil and place in a shaded place with a temperature of 22 degrees. Seedlings will appear in 3-4 weeks. After 2-3 months, the plants are transplanted in separate containers.
