Sprekelia is a flowering plant belonging to the Amaryllis family. It originates in the highlands of Guatemala and Mexico. It begins to bloom in early spring, or in summer with large beautiful flowers.
Sprekelia splendid (Sprekelia formosissima) - an evergreen bulbous plant that grows up to 30-35 centimeters. The bulb itself is black with dark red stripes, about 5 centimeters in diameter. The leaves are narrow and flat: the number of leaves is from 3 to 6, the length of which is 40-45 centimeters. The color of the leaves is rich green, sometimes red at the base.
The flower bud grows on a tall stem. It is an asymmetrical red bud. It consists of 6 petals, three of which "look" up and are slightly bent back, while the other three grow down, representing a tube with stamens. The stamens of the flower are red, at the end of which there are yellow anthers. Sprekelia blooms magnificent in spring or early summer.
Sprekelia care at home
Location and lighting
To prevent sprekelia from withering and blooming, it must be placed in a place with enough light, it also feels great in direct sunlight. To stimulate flowering, the plant must absorb sunlight for at least 4 hours a day.
Temperature
Sprekelia belongs to heat-loving plants, therefore it is not recommended to take it out into the fresh air in summer. A comfortable temperature for a flower is a temperature in the range of 23-25 degrees. In winter, during the dormant period, the bulbs are kept at a temperature of 17-19 degrees.
Air humidity
Sprekelia copes well with dry indoor air; it does not need additional humidification and spraying.
Watering
In the spring and summer, sprekelia should be watered abundantly. Watering is best done from the bottom into the pan of the pot. At the end of the summer season, you need to water less, and after the leaves of the flower dry out, you can stop altogether.
The soil
The soil for growing sprekelia must be loose and breathable. The mixture can be prepared from turf, humus, peat and coarse sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Sprekelia begins to feed with the appearance of a peduncle. Top dressing is carried out about 2-3 times a month until the end of summer.
Transfer
The most optimal time for transplanting sprekelia is considered to be early spring (March). At the bottom of the pot, it is imperative to lay out gravel to create drainage. The bulb should be deepened half of its own length. The pot in which the sprekelia bulb will be planted should be of such a diameter that there is about 3 centimeters between the seedling and the walls of the pot.
Dormant period
In sprekelia, the dormant period lasts approximately 5 months - from November to March. In early and mid-autumn, the plant is rarely watered; in November, watering stops altogether.After the leaves wilt, the bulbs must be dug out of the pot and placed in dry peat, or left in pots and kept at a temperature of 17-19 degrees in a dry, dark place. With the arrival of spring, in March, the sprekelia bulbs are planted in a pot and kept dry until the upper part of the peduncle appears, after which watering begins.
Reproduction of sprekelia
Sprekelia can multiply both by "children" (most often) and by seeds. In the case of reproduction by children, they must be carefully cut off during plant transplantation. Then the sections must be sprinkled with activated carbon and planted in containers with sand (coarse-grained) or sphagnum moss so that the top is on the surface. Children root at a temperature of 20-25 degrees.
Artificial pollination can produce sprekelia seeds. Sprekelia seedlings develop rather slowly, in the first year or two they do not have a dormant period. In the first few years, there is no dormant period. The flowering of seedlings begins at the age of 3-5 years.
Diseases and pests
Sprekelia does not tolerate overflow and stagnation of water in the soil. Also, sprekelia does not like not rotted organic matter (manure), in this case the bulb will immediately rot. Of the pests, the plant can be harmed: spider mite, false shield, mealybug.
