Proper care for eucharis at home

The flowers of this houseplant seem to be made of the most delicate snow-white porcelain and are distinguished by their exquisite dullness. The noble beauty of the flowers is emphasized by large leaves of a deep green hue. The plant is called eucharis - in room conditions it is simple to care for, but it implies knowledge of the basic rules and the creation of optimal conditions.

Description

Eucharis is a bulbous plant, its underground shoot has a spherical shape and grows up to 6 cm in diameter. The birthplace of the flower is the tropics of Central and South America, the lower tier of an evergreen forest.

In appearance, the flowers are very similar to daffodils: spectacular, large - up to 12 cm in diameter, collected several pieces (3-10) in inflorescences, snow-white, with an exquisite, pleasant aroma. The flowers are located on the peduncle, which sometimes extends up to 60 cm.

The leaves of eucharis are dark green, lanceolate, reach a length of 55 cm, a width of 20. Longitudinal veins protrude above the surface of the leaf plate.

The well-groomed plant Eucharis grandiflora is full of grace and majestic beauty, blooms twice a year - in late autumn (winter) and spring. Eucharis remains decorative even between blossoms - thanks to beautiful leaves that the plant never loses completely. Complete falling of leaves is usually a consequence of improper conditions of detention or stress.

Tip
Leaf loss is a difficult test for eucharis, for this reason the remaining bulb is forced to germinate in a warm place as soon as possible.

Kinds

The genus Eucharis belongs to the Amaryllis family and has approximately 20 species, but only a few of them have spread in indoor floriculture:

• Eucharis Sandera - a distinctive feature of the species are snow-white flowers, which in shape are more reminiscent of lilies than daffodils.

• Eucharis is snow-white. On one peduncle of the plant there are about ten small flowers of white color with petals slightly bent back. In the apical part of the flowers there are yellow blotches.

• Eucharis is large-flowered. This species is otherwise called Amazonian Lily. On one inflorescence, 5-6 flowers are located, in appearance resembling daffodils. E. large-flowered is most popular among flower growers, since caring for it at home is uncomplicated. Compliance with all recommendations ensures flowering plants in August and March.

Caring for eucharis is quite simple, even a beginner grower can cope with all the activities. Despite its tropical origin, the plant is not particularly pretentious to living conditions.

Lighting and temperature

For good development, the flower needs bright diffused light at least 3-4 hours a day. Perfect for creating such conditions, the window sill of the window facing east or west. In the summer months, the plant must be shaded from burning midday rays.

The period of active growth of eucharis occurs in the summer, the temperature regime in the range from +20 to + 25˚C will be optimal. From November to January, the thermometer in the room where eucharis is located should not fall below +13 and rise above + 15˚C. Later, the time for the formation of peduncles comes when the temperature should be maintained from +18 to + 20˚ С.

It is not recommended to take eucharis out to the street, the flower categorically does not like drafts and temperature changes. The plant does not react very well to heat, therefore it is better to keep it in cool rooms than on the south balcony.

Humidity and watering

Like most exotic flowers, eucharis prefers warm and humid air. Very pleasant flower will be periodic spraying from the spray gun. Wiping the leaves with a wet sponge or rags and a warm shower will not only increase humidity, but also allow you to remove dust accumulated on the plant. Another way to moisten the air for eucharis is to place wide containers of water near the plant. Sometimes such vessels are replaced by an aquarium or a compact fountain.

Tip
purity.bigbadmole.com/en/ recommends not spraying during the flowering period, as even the smallest droplets of water can cause brown spots on the petals.

Watering is crucial when caring for eucharis. Thanks to the correct watering, the plant will have an attractive appearance and decorativeness. Moreover, the correct does not mean abundant. As with the care of other bulbous plants, the rule must be observed: lack of water is better than its excess.

The maximum number of irrigations during the period of active growth is 3 times a week; In late autumn and winter, when the plant is at rest, it is enough to water it no more than 1 time per week. Bulb of eucharis is extremely sensitive to excess moisture in the substrate and easily rots, especially if the room temperature is not higher than + 14˚ С.

Tip
The state of the top layer of the soil mixture will help to navigate in the amount of watering. If it is dry, then moisten the soil, and no matter how many days have passed since the last watering.

The soil

Planting of eucharis begins with the choice of a pot - 5-10 cm of volume per one bulb. It is the optimal size of the container in which the flower will be grown that will ensure its frequent and prolonged flowering. The best option is a ceramic wide pot, as it is quite heavy, and the plant will not fall under the weight of the leaves.

The peculiarity of eucharis is that the mother plant blooms longer and more willingly when there are also children in the pot. For this reason, during the transplantation, you should not separate young bulbs - you need to resettle the plant with them in a container larger than the previous one. This will ensure the flowering of several eucharis at once.

Tip
Separate the bulbs from each other only if the plant needs to be propagated, since single eucharis grow slowly and bloom very soon.

The substrate should have a good moisture capacity. Variants of the soil mixture for eucharis:

1. Take 1 part of turf land, 2 parts of leaf, 1 part of peat soil and 0.5 part of coarse sand.
2. Compost - 2 parts, 4 parts of sheet soil, 2 parts of coarse sand, 1 part of loam. It is permissible to replace the compost with rotted cow manure or bone meal. Sand is added to the substrate so that it is more loose, vermiculite or perlite will serve as an alternative.

Tip
To prevent rotting of the root system, add some charcoal to the eucharis soil.

At the bottom of the pot you should definitely pour a layer of drainage - take a special, purchased in the store, or building expanded clay, or ordinary pebbles (gravel).

The land should be warm when planting eucharis, this will accelerate rooting. If you neglect this rule, then the bulb may rot. One cannot immediately notice such a thing - rotting starts from the bottom and sometimes the flower grower takes care of an already dead flower for a long time.

In no case can you wait until eucharis drops the leaves. This is due to the fact that the plant tolerates leaf fall extremely painfully, as a result the bulb often dies.

To revive the rhizome, remove it from the substrate and place it with the children in a root solution (purchased at any flower store). You do not need to separate the onions from each other, just carefully remove the remaining soil from them. Carefully plant the onion in pre-prepared soil and pour over the residues of the root (overflow is contraindicated in this case!).

If new sprouts appeared, it means that the plant has become more active and you can begin to water and fertilize it. Move the pot to a brighter place, while remembering that drafts and direct rays of the sun to eucharis are contraindicated.

Top dressing

A large amount of nitrogen contained in the complex fertilizer is undesirable: because of the excess of this mineral, eucharis often ceases to bloom. Therefore, choosing a mixture for feeding, pay attention to its composition - nitrogen should be kept in the fertilizer to a minimum.

Feeding is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks. The best option would be: light watering, top dressing, another watering. This will ensure erosion of fertilizer in case the concentration of the solution exceeds the desired one and will help to avoid a burn of the root system.

As a fertilizer, any universal mineral mixture suitable for flowering plants is suitable. It will not damage the flower and the alternation of organic and mineral fertilizers.

It is necessary to feed eucharis the entire period of flowering and active growth. Then fertilizer should be discontinued for several months.

The resting state of eucharis occurs immediately after flowering. That is, if a plant blooms 3 times in a year, then there will also be 3 periods of dormancy.

Diseases and Pests

The flower is resistant to most diseases and pests. However, like all bulbs, eucharis is prone to a “red burn" (stagonosporosis). The causative agent of the disease is a fungus, the main symptom is the appearance of longitudinal spots of red on the leaves. The treatment consists in removing damaged parts of the plant and soaking it in a solution of copper sulfate or other copper-containing fungicide (for example, "Maxim", "Khom").

Sometimes eucharis is affected by a scab, a spider mite or thrips. The methods of control are very simple: clean the leaves of insects with a sponge dipped in soapy water. After that, treat the plant with 0.15% Actellic insecticide solution.

Breeding

Eucharis is spread by seeds and bulbs. Reproduction by seeds is a laborious and lengthy process, therefore it is used in very rare cases. In addition, plants obtained in this way bloom no earlier than 5 years later.

Most often, flower growers propagate eucharis with bulbs, separating them during transplantation. Divide the bulb of the mother plant into parts, each of which should have 4-5 small bulbs. This will ensure minimal damage to the plant.

Plant the bulbs in a pre-prepared and slightly moistened soil mixture, deepening them by 4-5 cm. If you plant the bulbs one at a time in the container, the plant will not bloom until the desired number of children has grown.

Transfer

Systematic top dressing and a few onions in the pot provide the beauty of the plant: it looks like a lush bush and blooms profusely. That is why a frequent transplant for eucharis is harmful. In addition, the flower is extremely difficult to tolerate damage to the roots, so the transplant should be carried out by transshipment.
How to transplant eucharis:

1. Carefully remove from the container, being careful not to damage the roots and the ground.
2. Move the fully preserved earthen lump with the plant into a larger pot (the diameter of the new container should be 2-3 cm larger than the diameter of the previous one).

For more than 5 years, it is impossible to grow eucharis in one container, since the limited space completely filled with new bulbs often causes the death of the flower.Transplantation should be done when the plant is dormant after flowering, usually March is the optimal time for the procedure.

Planted bulbs should be buried in the substrate by 3-4 cm. The top of the sprouted bulbs should be left on the soil surface, this will allow to observe the growth process.

Tip
After planting, water the plant rarely; this will provide protection against damage to bulbs that have not yet been strengthened. Replenish the lack of moisture by frequent and plentiful spraying.

Why does not bloom

One of the main reasons why eucharis does not bloom is the too large capacity where the flower is grown. An excessively spacious pot promotes active root growth, and the plant no longer has the strength to form buds. For the same reason, it is not recommended to make frequent flower transplants. Eucharis blooms excellently only if the flowerpot for it is selected a little cramped.

Tip
Plant new bulbs on an existing plant, filling them with extra space in the pot. Transplanting eucharis into a smaller container to provide flowering is optional.

The plant often does not bloom due to the fact that the physiological state of dormancy was disturbed, therefore it is very important to observe all the rules of care associated with this period of eucharis life.

Fertilizers "Bud" and "Bloom" stimulate the formation of buds, so enter them after watering in the soil mixture. This will provide flowering.

Immediately after budding, keep the illumination at the same level, greatly reduce watering, stop feeding. This will provide the plant with a full dormant period, and it will bloom again.

Useful Tips

The recommendations of experienced gardeners will help to timely detect and eliminate the causes of the deterioration of the appearance of the flower:

1. The leaves of eucharis begin to turn yellow if the irrigation regime is violated. It is excessively plentiful or rare, produced by cold or hard water.
2. Leaf fall indicates problems with the root system. Carefully inspect the roots, cut off the rotted ones. After this, sprinkle the damaged area with activated carbon and place the plant in a fresh substrate and a new container.