Eucharis (Eucharis) comes from the subtropical forests of the Amazon.
In this regard, this plant received a second name - the Amazonian lily, although it looks more like a narcissus in the shape of a flower.
Eucharis gained popularity in indoor floriculture due to its graceful white flowers with a delicate pleasant aroma.
Of all the existing species of this plant for growing at home, suitable:
• white eucharis;
• large-flowered or Amazonian eucharis (grandiflora);
• eucharis serratus (calliphuria).
Despite its tropical origin, the Amazonian lily is unpretentious in care and, subject to simple rules, will please its flowering twice a year.
Eucharis: home care. Reproduction, transplantation
Breeding
Eucharis is propagated vegetatively and by seed. At home, the first method is used. Amazonian lily forms a large family of daughter bulbs. Separate them only after they are quite strongly separated from the mother bulb. It is better to do this in March-April. Separated children are planted in separate pots with pre-prepared soil.
Children are ready for transplant
Transfer
Eukharis is difficult to tolerate an earthen coma disorder and root damage, so it should be transplanted rarely - once every 3-4 years. A sign that a transplant is necessary is the formation of numerous daughter bulbs. Separate them from the mother bulb or not, depends on the goals of the grower:
• if you need to propagate the plant, then each baby is planted in a separate container;
• if you want to get lush flowering from a plant, then it is better to transplant the onion family without separation.
The best time to transplant is March. Healthy plants are transferred to a new pot without destroying the earthen coma. Sick specimens before transplantation should be examined for the presence of rot of the bulb. In this case, the earth is carefully shaken off or washed off the roots, the damaged parts are cut off, the sections are disinfected and treated with fungicides. Bulbs with leaves are buried in the soil by 4-5 cm.
Planting eucharis: bulbs with roots and leaves are planted to a depth of 4-5 cm
If the leaves are absent, then the bulb is planted so that its top remains above the ground. This will facilitate monitoring the development of the plant.
For planting, experienced flower growers are advised to use narrow and tall pots with holes at the bottom. Thick drainage is mandatory to prevent stagnation of moisture and decay of the root system.
If you got a bulb without roots and leaves, then take a container for it so that the distance from the edge of the pot to the bulb is no more than 2-3 cm. The substrate must be diluted in half with sand and slightly moistened. The planted plant is placed in a bright, warm place.
The first 14-20 days after transplanting eucharis is watered moderately - as the soil dries. If bulbs with leaves have been planted, then they can be sprayed regularly. New sprouts in leafless bulbs will appear approximately 30-45 days after planting.
Eucharis: home care. Soil, temperature and humidity, watering, top dressing
The soil
Amazon lily needs fertile soil with good air and moisture permeability. This must be taken into account when self-compiling the soil mixture. For its manufacture, components such as humus, sheet soil, sand, peat (1: 2: 1: 0.5) are used. At the bottom of the pot, a layer of drainage from expanded clay, coconut shells, small gravel is required for the outflow of excess moisture. If you choose from the mixtures sold in stores, it is better to opt for soils for amaryllis.
Location
Eucharis grows well in partial shade and does not tolerate direct sunlight. At home, its optimal placement would be east or west windows. In summer, the plant can be sent to fresh air, after having arranged it with protection from the midday sun and precipitation.
Temperature and humidity
This native of the tropics is thermophilic, therefore the most optimal temperature range during the period of growth and flowering is + 24-28С. Large temperature differences affect the size of the flowers - they are smaller. After flowering in eucharis, the dormant stage begins: at this time, the plant is kept within 17-18C. At + 10С and lower, the plant can discard leaves, and the bulbs begin to rot. The eucharis does not present any particular claims to air humidity in the room. It should be sprayed only during the period of active vegetation. During flowering, this procedure must be carried out carefully so that moisture does not get on the flowers, because drops of water cause brown spots to form on them. Dust off the leaves with a damp cloth.
Watering
It is necessary to water eucharis sparingly, avoiding overdrying and excessive moistening of the soil. The next watering is carried out after drying of the soil by 1/3 of the volume (with waterlogging of the soil, the root system of the plant rots). Irrigation water should be at room temperature. Excess water accumulated in the pan after watering is drained. During dormancy, the "drinking regime" is reduced - the earth in the pot remains half dry.
Top dressing
Eucharis is fed during the active vegetation period every 2 weeks, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers for flowering plants. After flowering, the Amazonian lily has a dormant period and feeding must be stopped.
Eucharis: home care, flowering conditions
With appropriate care, eucharis blooms at home 2-3 times a year. Flowers open in turn, each of them blooms for 8-10 days, exuding a delicate pleasant aroma. The timing of flowering Amazonian lilies can be regulated by a specific scheme of watering and top dressing.
Life cycle diagram of eucharis (Roman numeral - month number, one cell - half a month). Yellow is the resting period of the plant, green is the active vegetation, red is flowering.
If eucharis does not bloom at home, then this happens for the following reasons:
• Incorrect landing. Before a young plant begins to bloom, its bulb must grow children for 3-4 years. To speed up flowering when planting in one pot, you can plant several onions. The closer the landing capacity, the sooner flowering will come.
• Large temperature differences inhibit plant growth and provoke rotting of the bulb. As a result, flowering does not occur, and if, nevertheless, the plant has laid flower arrows, the flowers are small.
• The resting stage has not been observed. It begins after flowering and lasts 1-1.5 months. The amount and volume of watering this period is reduced and contain eucharis in a semi-dry state (the soil in the pot should dry half of its volume). You can determine the degree of drying of the substrate by the weight of the pot, special moisture indicators or wooden sticks, immersing them in the ground. At the same time, it is necessary to organize good lighting. When new sprouts appear, watering the plant increases and resume feeding.
Eucharis: home care. The main problems in growing eucharis
Errors in care affect the appearance of eucharis. The gradual yellowing and dying of leaves is a natural process. Mass yellowing and death of leaves occurs when improperly watered (excessive or insufficient), low air temperature (below + 10 ° C) or the influence of direct sunlight. In this case, you need to remove the bulbs from the soil and inspect them: if they become soft to the touch, change color, this indicates a process of decay. To save the flower, the damaged parts are cut out, the wounds are dusted with charcoal powder, dried in air and planted in a new substrate.
With a lack of moisture, the leaves of eucharis lose turgor. If after irrigation their shape is not restored, then the cause may be hypothermia in a draft during transportation.
Twisting and heavy dropping of leaves is a sign of damage to the root system or frostbite by drafts.
Eucharis leaves drooped due to drafts
Deformation of adult leaves occurs when the air around the plant is dry. Rubbing them with a damp sponge will help them recover. If all leaves (both young and old) lose their shape, then the reason is most likely the appearance of pests, an excess of fertilizers, and overcooling of soil and roots.
With a deficiency of nutrients, the plant can throw off old leaves at the same time as new ones appear. Most often this occurs in winter with insufficient lighting.
One of the most common diseases of the amaryllis family, to which eucharis belongs, is gray rot, the causative agent of which is the fungus Botridis. It develops with high humidity and low air temperature and waterlogging of the soil. At the initial stage, the leaves lose their elasticity, become soft, turn brown at the edges. Then gray mold appears on the infected areas and they die off. At the first signs of the disease, the affected parts of the plant are removed, the rest is treated with a copper-containing fungicide (Topsin-M, Fundazol, copper sulfate solution).
Another common fungal disease of eucharis (and the entire Amaryllis family) is stagonosporosis or red burn. It is characterized by the appearance of elongated red spots on leaves, peduncles, buds, bulbs.
Red burn on the bulbs of eucharis
With a severe defeat, the leaves are deformed, the peduncles bend and wilt, putrefactive foci develop on the bulb. As a result, the plant is inhibited and dies. The progression of the disease is favored by sharp jumps in temperature and excessive watering. Over time, black crusts of pycnidia, sources of fungal spores, form on the spots. To combat the red burn, it is important to use only high-quality planting material. Bulbs must be pickled before planting with a fungicide (Oksikh, Maxim. Rovral, Abiga-Peak) for 30 minutes and dried (2 days).
Of the pests, eucharis can be affected by a mushroom mosquito, a mealybug, a spider mite, thrips and scale insects.
Mushroom mosquitoes (sciarides) are small black midges whose females lay eggs in the roots of plants. Damage is caused by larvae eating root tissues. As a result, the plant lags in growth, wilts, does not bloom. To combat these pests, soil in a pot can be shed by Actara (0.8 g / l of water). Further adjust the irrigation - mosquitoes breed in waterlogged soil.
Amaryllis mealybug settles under the scales of the bulb. Causes curvature of leaves and peduncles, and further drying out of the plant. In case of severe damage, eucharis must be sprayed with an insecticide (Aktara, Akarin, Vertimek).
Spider mites infect plants in dry indoor air. If there are few pests, then the ground part of eucharis is washed with soapy water and higher air humidity is maintained. With a massive lesion, the use of acaricides is justified (Sunmayt, Akarin, Kleschevit, Fitoverm).
