Nerine - Nerine

Nerine: description of the flower

Nerine flower: photo

Thanks to modern technologies, flower growers all over the world have the opportunity to grow an extraordinary variety of different plants in their garden or window sills. Such extraordinary flowers include nerine from the Amaryllis family, this family includes more than 30 species. In nature, this plant can only be found in South Africa and in tropical forests. The nerine flower stands out for its unusual look, which will not leave anyone indifferent, so the growers domesticated it and began to grow it on their plots. The stem is leafless, for which the flower is called “a naked woman, but about 12 flowers come out on one peduncle. Nerina belongs to bulbous perennials, the bulb protrudes more and more from the ground as it grows. The plant is also known as the spider lily because of its resemblance to lilies, also called sea nymph, cape flower and Guernsey lily. Flowers are very unusual in shape, are formed on a peduncle, its length reaches 45-50 cm, the inflorescence consists of several buds in the form of a funnel. Late flowering period - September, October, bloom for a long time about 2 months. The flowers are small from 4 to 5 cm with long petals, wavy edges. Depending on the type, they can be red, white, orange, pink. In our climatic conditions, it is best to grow these flowers at home or on a veranda or balcony. And in the southern regions, the Nerine flower will be a wonderful decoration for your garden and will be able to overwinter in the open field.

It is worth noting the important fact that the Nerine flower is still very poisonous, causes burns on the body and mucous membranes, and poses a particular danger to animals and small children. Therefore, before you start such a flower at home, you should take this factor into account.

Nerine: landing and care

Nerine flower: photo

In winter, the Nerina flower needs to provide good access to light, during this period they especially need it due to the formation of many leaves. The light should not be direct, slightly diffused. Home care is simple, it consists only in watering, observing the temperature regime and basic care procedures. Fertilizers for tomatoes or strawberries are suitable as a top dressing, you just need to add to the water and pour under the root. In the summer, it is enough to water it once every four days, and when the leaves turn yellow, then watering is reduced to four times a month. In winter, Nerina has a dormant period, the temperature regime must be reduced to ten degrees Celsius. The plant reaches a height of 60 cm. It is dormant twice a year, the first time after flowering in winter, the second time in summer before flowering. The flower is considered quite whimsical, so growers are trying to bring living conditions closer to natural ones. It is very important to comply with all the conditions for planting, otherwise the flower will constantly be at rest and will not bloom even once. It is also quite difficult to observe the required temperature regime at home, due to the fact that during the period of winter dormancy, the temperature should not be higher than 10 degrees, in this case, an excellent solution would be to take the plants into a warmed loggia or balcony. There is another tricky method - when the flowers fade, the leaves turn yellow, this is already in December, we remove the leaves, and send the pot with the bulb to the refrigerator for storage. With the onset of spring, we take out the pot, but to avoid stress, we first leave the plant in the coldest room or balcony, dimly lit. In July, the leaves dry up again, a second dormancy period begins, this period lasts about 2 months.You do not need to trim the leaves, they should dry naturally.

Nerine: planting and transplanting a flower

Nerine flower: photo

In the second period of dormancy, it is impossible to transplant and feed, you need to transfer the plant to a very warm place, but not dry. Nerine is transplanted every 4-5 years, and in August, at the end of the summer dormant period, it is necessary to get the bulb out of the soil and transplant it to new soil and start watering. In order not to replant often, you can simply replace the top layer of the earth. It is necessary to make a soil mixture consisting of clay, sand and compost soil or humus, all one piece at a time. Take care of the drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.

Planting a nerine flower occurs in two ways - with the help of a bulb or seed. Outdoor cultivation is possible, but in our country only the Black Sea coast is suitable for this. The seed method of growing is very difficult, only experienced florists can cope with it. We plant in a mixture of sand and vermiculite, as soon as the seeds are ripe. The temperature for germination should not be lower than 22 degrees. For best results, you can create a greenhouse effect with regular film. After the first shoots appear, the film must be removed, and the temperature must be lowered by 1-2 degrees. Then, after the sprouts get stronger, they must be separated from each other and transplanted into separate pots with pre-prepared soil, recommended for growing adult flowers. For 3 years in a row, a young plant should not go dormant. Planting with a bulb is much easier. We plant 2 onions in a bowl, so that the top is barely visible. Watering is carried out once only during planting, and then only when the first shoots appear. With this method of landing in a state of rest, Nerina leaves already in the first year. A container for planting must be chosen flat, for example a bowl, no more than 12 cm in depth, in a deep container, the growth of a flower slows down. After about 4 weeks, the first pedicels and buds should appear, if you did everything correctly, if the planting was done incorrectly, the buds will not open.

Diseases and pests

The nerine flower is a very resistant plant to all kinds of pests and insects, but it can still be attacked by aphids, especially in the open field. The development of this disease is very rapid, so it is necessary to take immediate action. At the initial stage, it is possible to spray with a soapy solution, and if there are many traces of damage, then it is better to immediately treat it with chemicals. It is necessary to very carefully water it after a dormant period, because the onion, from habit, can rot from excessive moisture. Basically, this plant suffers from improper care, as it is considered very whimsical.

Varieties

• Nerine Boudenii

Nerine Bowden: photo

Nerine Bowdena is a native of South Africa, the bulbs are large, about 5 centimeters. The bulb is brownish, scaly, protrudes very strongly from the ground. The leaves reach a length of up to 30 cm with a width of 2 cm, long, belt-like in shape. Leaf blades with a groove, with many veins, glossy. The stalk of Nerine Bowden is naked, up to 45 cm long, at the end buds are formed, inflorescences in the form of an umbrella. The inflorescence forms up to 12 bright pink flowers, lilac variants are possible. The flowering period of Nerine Bowden is from September to November.

• Nerine flexuosa

It is considered a very rare species. The bulb is not more than 4 cm in diameter. The peduncle is very high, in natural conditions it can reach up to 90 cm. The leaves are also narrow and oblong in the amount of 6-7 pieces. Exotic flowers in the form of bells, the edges of the flower are wavy. The flowering period is also autumn. The color is light pink or white.

• Nerine curvifolia

The flowers are bright red, very similar to lilies, the petals are glossy, the stamens stand out strongly. Leaves are curved, oblong, reach full growth only after the flowering period.

• Nerine sarniensis

The homeland of this species is the Cape Province in South Africa. On a long peduncle there are large flowers with curled edges. Color - white, red, orange. Medium-sized, elongated bulb. Leaves are straight, reach full growth at the end of flowering. Up to 20 buds can bloom on one inflorescence, but they are small compared to other species.