The amaryllis is a colorful flowering plant that brings some life to the stall, especially in winter. But how is the bulb flower properly planted and cared for?
- The amaryllis is particularly popular in winter.
- However, the bulb flower needs a lot of care.
- Also note: the amaryllis is poisonous.
If you are fed up with the monotonous winter, you are in the right place with an amaryllis. The onion flower is especially popular in autumn and at Christmas time, as its bright colors bring some light into the dark. Everything you need to know about the planting time, planting location and care of the flowering plant can be found here.
Amaryllis: where does it come from?
Strictly speaking, the name Amaryllis is incorrect. The plant belongs to the Amaryllis family, but botanically it belongs to the Hippeastrum genus . The generic name Hippeastrum goes back to the Greek words "hippeos" for knight and "astron" for star and describes the star-shaped flowers of the plant . It is therefore known in German as the knight's star.
The knight star originally comes from the Peruvian Andes, Brazil or Bolivia . Due to its origin, the life cycle of the plant is geared towards tropical conditions . That means: During the cool and dry season, the amaryllis remains as a tuber or onion underground and only begins to sprout at milder temperatures and a lot of water. Since the rainy season in South America begins in November, the amaryllis usually sprout in autumn.
The botanically true amaryllis (Amaryllis bella-donna) is known in Germany as the belladonna lily and shows its pink and fragrant flowers in late summer *. In contrast to the knight star, however, this comes from South Africa.
When do amaryllis need to be planted?
The planting time of the amaryllis is relatively flexible, since the bulbs do not sprout under unfavorable conditions. So you can store them well at five to eight degrees Celsius in a dark place without anything moving. Only when the substrate has a temperature of ten degrees, room temperature prevails in the area and the plant is in a bright location , does it slowly sprout .
You can then choose the perfect planting time yourself. Since the plant is particularly popular at Christmas and New Year, there are various options:
- Planting in late September / early October - flowering in Advent
- Planting period in early November - flowering at Christmas
- Planting time December / January - flowering in spring
Planting amaryllis - a guide
When planting the amaryllis, the substrate plays a major role: due to its South American origin, a humus-poor substrate with a high proportion of mineral components is ideal. A normal potting soil mixed with a lot of sand or clay granulate would also be suitable. It is important in any case that there is no waterlogging, otherwise the onion will start to rot and can no longer be used.
Therefore, the amaryllis should only be planted in a vessel that has a bottom opening that can serve as a water drain. Fill the pot with potsherds or expanded clay balls as drainage and cover the whole thing with an air and water permeable fleece.
Then proceed as follows to plant the amaryllis :
- Fill the flowerpot two-thirds with substrate.
- Plant the onion or tuber with the tip facing up.
- Leave between three and five centimeters of space between the plant and the edge.
- Fill the flowerpot with soil so that half of the onion is still visible.
- Carefully pour onion.
Then find a bright and sunny location for the amaryllis. At temperatures of 18 to 23 degrees Celsius , it will slowly begin to sprout. Until then, it can take six to eight weeks. The more it shows off its flower stems and leaf stubs, the more you should water them * and start fertilizing.
Find out here : Winter plants: You should bring these flowers into the house.
Planting amaryllis in a glass: how it works
Alternatively, an amaryllis can also be planted in a special hourglass-shaped glass . To do this, put boiled water in the belly of the glass and add a piece of charcoal to prevent rotting. Then place the amaryllis onion on the top of the glass, about five to six centimeters away from the water . Make sure to change the water regularly so that the roots don't start to rot.
After the first flowering, however, you need to plant the amaryllis from the glass in a pot if you want it to bloom again next year. Cover half of the bulb with substrate and remove the withered flowers.
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Amaryllis plant: how it works with care
So that you have something of your amaryllis over several years, you should take good care of it. Just follow the instructions for the whole year and you will enjoy the plant again:
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Autumn : |
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Can Amaryllis be planted in the garden?
Known as the Knight's Star (Hippeastrum), due to its sensitivity to frost, it is only suitable for growing in a pot. However, there is the so-called garden amaryllis (Crinum x powellii) , which also belongs to the amaryllis family and can be planted in the garden in spring. However, this comes from South Africa and is only distantly related to the knight star. In German it is also known as hook lily.
Is the amaryllis poisonous?
In fact, the amaryllis' poisonous content is considerable . The alkaloid lycorin in particular causes violent nausea, severe sweating and dizziness up to cardiac arrhythmias and paralysis . Even eating a few grams of the onion can be fatal . Therefore, you should definitely keep children and pets away from the plant.
Skin contact with the amaryllis is also extremely unpleasant: the plant sap causes irritation, swelling and inflammation. It is therefore important that you always wear gloves when working with the plant. You should only remove clippings from the compost if there are no animals around.
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* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
