Storage of hippeastrum in winter
Hippeastrum is a bulbous plant that does not tolerate low temperatures. The flower bulb dies at a temperature of +8ABOUTC, therefore, in the autumn period, it must be dug up and prepared for storage. Read:hippeastrum home care!
In order to plant hippeastrum next year you need:
- prepare a suitable storage container;
- remove all peduncles and leaves;
- dry the onions;
- treat the bulbs from pests and fungal diseases.
Once properly prepared for winter, the hippeastrum bulbs will last until next spring, when they can be planted in open ground or in separate pots.
During storage, hippeastrum bulbs can sprout. Such bulbs rot very quickly, so they must be planted in a pot with infertile loose soil so as not to remove the hippeastrum from the dormant period.
Bulb storage container
After digging the bulbs out of the soil, all peduncles and leaves are removed. Root system hippeastrum cleaned of soil residues and put in storage containers. Plastic crates work best. They are well ventilated, so the bulbs will not rot. Boxes with planting material are placed in a warm room for a day to dry.
Treatment of bulbs from pests and fungal diseases
Before sending the bulbs of the hippeastrum for storage, they are ventilated. Boxes with planting material are placed in a draft so that the bulbs are ventilated from all sides. The boxes must be kept in a ventilated area for at least three days.
Thrips can settle on the bulbs, which feed on the sap of bulbous plants, so the bulbs are treated with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate from insect pests.
Due to thrips, the planting material can rot, therefore, the bulbs must also be treated with insecticidal preparations. Volatile insecticides work best. Place the bulbs in a vacuum bag and process them with Dichlorvos. In ten minutes, the pests will die, and the bulbs can be sent to storage in the cellar.
After storage, the bulbs are planted in fertile soil, into which phosphorus and potassium-containing fertilizers are applied. During spring, hippeastrum will form flower stalks and bloom in large, beautiful flowers. Then, in the fall, the flowers are dug up and prepared for storage for the next year.