What to do when hypereastrum fades?
When flowers begin to wilt, do not cut off the entire shoot at once. It is best to remove individual, wilted calyxes on an ongoing basis. Thanks to this, the plant does not waste energy on setting seeds and can direct it to the development of remaining buds.
However, there is one absolutely key rule that must be strictly followed. Never cut off green, healthy leaves, even if they appear during flowering. They are now the energy factory for onions. Through photosynthesis, they produce nutrients that are stored in the onion, allowing it to regenerate after the enormous effort of producing flowers. Cutting off the leaves will drastically weaken the plant and may prevent it from flowering again in the future.
“No dormancy” method for quick flowering
If you are pressed for time, you can try an unusual method that, contrary to common recommendations, skips the rest period.
- Wait until the flower shoot completely withers and dries, and the leaves begin to turn yellow.
- Cut off any dead parts right next to the onion.
- Unlike the traditional method, don’t stop watering the plant.
- Place the pot in the sunniest place possible, e.g. on the windowsill of a southern window.
Intense light and constant humidity stimulate the onion to grow immediately. The effect may be surprising – a new flower shoot can appear even within a dozen or so days. The disadvantage of this method may be a smaller number of flowers, but for a quick result it is worth trying.
The traditional method with a rest period – for the patient
If you prefer to have full control and want the plant to bloom for a specific occasion, choose a proven method with scheduled rest.
- Wait until all above-ground parts of the plant – leaves and shoots – completely wither and dry.
- Once this happens, cut them off right next to the onion.
- Stop watering the plant completely and leave it in dry soil for about two months.
- When you want to “wake up” the onion, simply start watering it regularly and move the pot to a bright, warm place. Soon it should begin a new growth cycle, culminating in spectacular flowering.
You can also experiment and try growing new plants from seeds that may appear after flowering. This is an interesting way to expand your collection.
Hipeastrum or amaryllis? A short explanation
Although we commonly use the name “amaryllis”, the plant we most often buy in stores is actually hypereastrum. The real amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna) comes from South Africa and looks slightly different. Hipeastrum is its cousin from South America. Both plants belong to the same family, which is why their names are often confused and the care rules are very similar.
