Alstroemeria (Alstroemeria), or Alstroemeria, or Alstroemeria is a rhizome tuberous South American herb from the Alstroemeria family. Alstroemeria is sometimes called the Peruvian lily or the Inca lily. There are from 50 to 100 species of this flowering plant.
Alstroemeria flower description
Alstroemeria's roots are juicy and fusiform. Stems are erect and flexible. The leaves are located in the upper part of the stem, linear in shape, slightly curved, thin and solid. The peculiarity of alstroemeria is that its leaves are inverted by 180 degrees, because of this, the upper part of the leaf is below, and the lower one is on top. The flowers are pink, yellow, lilac, orange and red and have a spotted color. With proper care, alstroemeria can bloom 2 times per season - in spring or summer and early autumn. The fruit looks like a capsule in which spherical seeds ripen. Alstroemeria tolerates winter frosts very badly, therefore, in regions with cold winters, it is most often grown in a greenhouse or greenhouse, less often as a houseplant.
Growing alstroemeria from seeds
Sowing seeds
Alstroemeria is propagated by both seedlings and seeds. If you want to see flowering in the near future, then it is better to give preference to seedlings, since alstroemeria grown from seeds will bloom only after a year, or possibly two. You also need to remember that varietal traits are not preserved when planting by seed. If there are seedlings of the required variety and type in the nursery, then it is better to purchase them. Well, if you still want to grow alstroemeria from seeds, then the best time to plant seeds in open ground is the second half of April-first half of May. Seedlings will appear in about 20 days, but the similarity is not always good. Therefore, it is better to first plant the seeds for seedlings, and then transplant them into open ground. For seedlings, seeds must be planted in the second half of February or the first half of March.
Alstroemeria seedlings
Before planting alstroemeria seeds, it is necessary to stratify them. To do this, you need to place the seeds in a damp cloth and store in the refrigerator for about a month. Then prepare containers with moist and fertile soil and plant the seeds there. They need to be deepened by about 1 cm. After planting, there is no need to water the plant; you should immediately cover the containers with plastic wrap or glass to create a greenhouse effect. The temperature for growing seedlings should be 18 degrees.
After the appearance of two real leaves, the seedlings need to be transplanted into separate pots, it is better to use peat, seedlings in open ground can be planted directly in these pots. Seedling care is very simple: you need to moderately moisten the soil and apply mineral fertilizing a couple of times.The first feeding should be at a time when the seedlings have one real leaf. An excellent fertilizer for this time is a weak mullein solution. The second feeding is made with a solution of superphosphate, potassium sulphide and saltpeter.
Before planting seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to harden them. To do this, it is necessary to take out the seedlings daily to fresh air, starting from 10 minutes and gradually increasing the time. The seedlings will be ready for transplanting when they can spend in the fresh air around the clock. Alstroemeria should be transplanted into open ground in the second half of May. At this time, the soil will already warm up well, and night frosts will definitely not return.
Planting alstroemeria in open ground
Transplanting and caring for alstroemeria is not at all difficult, just follow a few simple rules. The place for planting alstroemeria should be where there are no strong winds and drafts, and there is diffused sunlight. To prevent the sun's rays from burning the delicate alstroemeria, it must be planted in partial shade.
The soil should be loose, nutritious, moisture-permeable, neutral or slightly acidic. The best soil for alstroemeria will be sandy or clayey. If the soil on the site is too heavy, then during digging, rotted manure and leaf compost must be added to the soil.
The planting holes should be about 30 cm deep to accommodate the roots of the plant. The distance between the holes should be from 30 cm to 50 cm, it all depends on the variety that is chosen for planting. Before planting, you need to make a drainage layer of rubble at the bottom of the hole, and a layer of humus on top. Then you need to transplant the seedlings along with an earthen lump or peat pot, filling the empty spaces with ordinary garden soil. After planting, it is necessary to carry out abundant watering.
Alstroemeria care in the garden
Mulching
It is quite easy to care for alstroemeria, you need to regularly water, loosen the soil around the plant, remove weeds and properly prepare the flower for winter. To grow a beautiful flower that will bloom profusely, you need to mulch the soil. This is necessary so that the roots do not grow and thereby harm the flowering. You can mulch the soil around the plant with sawdust, peat or crushed tree bark, such a shelter will protect the soil from overheating. Mulching will also allow you to remove weeds less often, since they will grow much more slowly and in smaller quantities.
Pruning
It must be remembered that during flowering it is imperative to remove those inflorescences that have already wilted, this will make the flowering more lush and longer. To preserve the neat appearance of the plant, it is necessary to remove the extra stems that grow inside the bush and interfere with the proper growth and development of other stems.
Watering
Alstroemeria should be watered regularly, but in moderation. In summer, once a week is enough. Do not overmoisten the soil too much, because of this, the root system can rot, but a lack of moisture will lead to a loss of decorativeness of alstroemeria. After each watering, you need to carefully loosen the soil and, if necessary, remove weeds.
Fertilization
As for fertilization, the plant needs organic and mineral fertilizers 3 times a month. The first feeding should be high in nitrogen and the next two with phosphorus. Occasionally, you need to scatter wood ash under the plants.
Alstroemeria in winter
After the flowering period is over, the arrows must be completely cut off. And at the end of autumn, cut the entire bush so that about 20 cm remains. Then cover the plant with spruce branches or dry foliage, on top with plastic wrap and cover it with a mixture of garden soil with humus. This will make it easier for the plant to endure winter frosts.
Reproduction of alstroemeria
In addition to the seed method, alstroemeria can be propagated by dividing the rhizome. This procedure should be carried out after the end of flowering.The bush must be carefully dug up and carefully divided into divisions so that each has several strong shoots. Places of cuts should be treated with charcoal powder. Large plots can be planted directly into the open ground, and small ones can be planted in pots and put into greenhouses to allow them to grow. You don't have to dig out large and strong bushes, but simply separate several divisions from them in early spring and plant them in the soil.
Diseases and pests
Various diseases and harmful insects rarely infect alstroemeria. Over-watering can lead to gray mold. To save the plant damage, the areas must be immediately removed and the plant must be treated with a solution of special fungicides. If the plant is already heavily infested, then it should be completely removed so as not to infect other plants.
With improper care, spider mites and caterpillars may appear on alstroemeria. To get rid of these harmful insects, you need to carefully treat the plants with special preparations.
Very rarely slugs appear on alstroemeria. To prevent this, you need to carefully mulch the soil around the plant and make a groove that will be filled with rubble. Pests will not make their way through such a barrier.
Types and varieties of alstroemeria
The following species are grown in culture: psittacina, haematantha, nana, brasiliensis, aurea, aurantiaca. There are several more species, but they are grown much less often. Most often, not species, but varietal crops are grown. The most popular varieties of alstroemeria:
Alicia - this variety is hybrid. The flowers are pink or white. Flowering lasts from June to September.
Beauty - grows 1.3-1.7 m in height. The stems are strong and straight. This variety blooms twice: in spring and autumn. The flowers are lilac or bluish-lilac.
Harmony - grows up to 1.6 m. It blooms in spring and autumn. The flowers have a bronze tint and interesting dark touches.
Canaria - stems are thick and one and a half meter. It also blooms twice. Canary yellow flowers with small dark specks.
King Cardinal - a variety that is quite demanding on lighting. Flowering lasts from late spring to early autumn. The flowers are red in shape and resemble orchid flowers.
White Wings - the bush grows up to 2 m in height. The stems are powerful, the leaves are large. The flowers are snow-white. Flowering lasts throughout the summer with short breaks.
Virginia - Large shoots grow up to 70 cm. Flowers are white with a wavy edge. Flowering begins in early summer and continues until late autumn.
Orange Queen - The flowers have an apricot hue and a dark brown speck.
