Eucharis is a popular indoor plant with snow-white flowers not only in Russia, but throughout the world. This success is explained not only by the beauty of flowering and foliage during the dormant period, but also by the unpretentiousness and ease of reproduction. Despite its exotic origin, the flower is not too demanding on lighting and temperature, but we will learn from this article what kind of soil it prefers.
What composition is recommended for houseplants?
The soil for eucharis must have characteristics such as high nutritional value, looseness and moisture capacity, so that water does not accumulate inside the pot, and oxygen flows freely to the roots.
You can check whether the soil is suitable in this way: if the soil moistened and clenched in a fist sticks together into a lump, this soil is not suitable . When squeezed, the lump of earth should crumble and not stick together.
- The main components for the soil can be leaf soil, turf soil or black soil.
- Humus or compost is used to enrich it with useful substances.
- You can loosen it with coarse sand, peat or vermiculite.
- Charcoal is often used to disinfect soil: this helps avoid rotting.
The plant is not picky about soil acidity : slightly acidic (pH 5.1-5.8) or neutral (pH 6-7) soil is suitable.
ATTENTION! The flower should not be planted in alkaline soil and moistened with hard water. In this case, lime is released onto the surface of the earth, which does not allow oxygen and nutrients to pass through.
How to prepare the soil yourself?
For mature plants
When making your own mixture for soil, you can use ingredients such as:
The proportion will be 1:2:1:1, or 3:1:1 in the absence of turf land.
There is another option for the composition of the mixture:
- 1 part leaf soil;
- 1/2 part of dry coconut substrate;
- 1/2 part sand.
Add half a glass of dry mullein or a glass of fresh horse manure to half a bucket of this mixture. To avoid possible fungal spores or pests, it is worth calcining all components in the oven for about 20 minutes at 200°C.
All ingredients should be mixed well, a medium fraction drainage made of pebbles, expanded clay, broken ceramics, coconut shells or small crushed stone should be placed on the bottom of the container, and already prepared soil should be placed on it.
IMPORTANT! When using fertilizers, it is necessary to avoid high nitrogen content due to its negative effect on the flowering of the plant.
For kids
For Eucharis children, the soil does not have excellent characteristics, however, in order for them to take root more quickly, some gardeners advise warming the soil to 25-30°C . It is better to plant up to five or six children at once in one (rather cramped) pot.
Possible problems
If such a plant is not properly cared for, problems may arise with it:
- Eucharis does not bloom . If you care for the bush correctly, it will bloom 2, and sometimes 3 times during the year. However, it happens that eucharis does not want to bloom. To fix this, you first need to understand why this happens. In order for the transplanted division to bloom as soon as possible, it must include several bulbs. This is because one bulb, planted in a separate pot, will not bloom until it has grown many children, and this usually takes 3-5 years. This reason is the most common for the lack of flowering. Another bush may not form flowers due to sudden changes in temperature or drafts. In this case, it will be enough to start caring for the plant correctly, and it will bloom regularly again.
- How to make it bloom? To do this, for the winter the bush is placed in a shaded and cool place, watering is greatly reduced (the lump of soil in the pot should dry out almost completely), and you should also stop adding fertilizers to the soil. As a result, with the onset of spring, the bush will begin to grow actively and will certainly delight you with lush flowering.
- Yellowing of foliage . In the event that only one or two leaf plates turn yellow, then this is a completely natural process. But if the foliage turns yellow en masse, and dark spots appear on its surface, this means that urgent measures need to be taken to save the flower. Yellowing of foliage is observed when: the plant does not have enough water due to excessively scanty or infrequent watering, liquid regularly stagnates in the soil mixture, and also due to hypothermia of the bush.
- Flying leaves . In the case when the foliage not only turns yellow, but also dies, you need to remove the bush from the pot and carefully examine its root system. Cut out all areas affected by rot and treat the wounds with charcoal powder. After this, the bush is planted in fresh substrate. At first, the eucharis should be kept warm, and it should also be provided with moderate watering and reliable protection from direct rays of the sun. If there are no rotten areas on the root system, then the leaf flying is due to improper care.
Transfer rules
Eucharis needs to be replanted no more than once every 3-4 years due to lack of space for the plant in the old pot.
REFERENCE! Remember that eucharis should not have a too spacious pot or a single planting: this may cause it to stop blooming. Therefore, plant transplantation does not involve complete separation of the children and the mother bulb.
More detailed information about transfer rules can be found in this article.
Reproduction methods
The flower can be propagated in two ways - by bulbs and seeds.
Children
This is the easiest way to reproduce. It is best to separate the children from the mother bush during transplantation - in early spring or autumn, but always during the period when the plant is dormant.
The separated children are transplanted into separate containers in nutrient soil. They are covered with film on top. Watering is carried out as needed. The first moistening of the soil is carried out no earlier than 2 weeks after planting. As soon as the first shoots appear, the film is removed.
Seeds
Eucharis ripens seeds, which, in theory, can be used for planting. But in practice this method is not used.
The percentage of seed germination does not exceed 5%. This method is used only by breeders when it is necessary to grow rare plant varieties.
Eucharis: signs and superstitions
Popular rumor generally notes the positive effect of eucharis on the energy in the house . According to the teachings of Feng Shui, the plant takes on all the negativity from the room and its inhabitants and fills the cleaned space with positive energy.
All presented types (photos and names) will help improve relationships between spouses and children. Eucharis has its maximum effect on household members during the flowering period: it restores mental balance and fills with strength.
There are signs associated with the state of the flower:
- The sudden wilting of the plant is associated with a strong negative flow from household members. This may be due to a serious conflict or a serious illness of one of the family members.
- The lack of flowering with proper care is also associated with unhealthy relationships in the family, where there is no mutual love and understanding.
- If 3 flowers bloom on a peduncle at once, then the family will soon expect an addition.
- In a wedding bouquet, eucharis (Amazon lily) serves as protection for the bride from envious people and the evil eye.
- In a home where there is a small child, the plant helps to reveal his talents, charge him with energy and creative inspiration.
Possible difficulties during cultivation
The house flower Eucharis, which looks like a lily, is unpretentious and quite easy to grow. But flower growers may face some problems.
No flowering
Reasons for lack of color:
- insufficient humidity;
- improper care during rest;
- planting a flower in a pot that is too large, which causes it to gain a lot of green mass;
- frequent temperature fluctuations.
Knowing what exactly caused the lack of buds, you can organize care so that the eucharis will again delight you with lush flowers.
Yellowing of leaves
Leaves may turn yellow under the influence of the following factors:
- fluid stagnation;
- hypothermia;
- insufficient foliage moisture.
Most often, the cause of yellowing of leaves is incorrect temperature conditions - in winter such a lily needs coolness, and during the period of active growth it needs warmth.
Leaves turn yellow due to improper temperature conditions
Diseases and pests
Insect pests that can attack lilies are aphids, spider mites, scale insects, thrips. Their presence will be indicated by such a sign as the curling and falling of leaves. Insecticides are used to get rid of pests.
If there are not many insects, the plant can be treated with a solution of laundry soap.
Diseases occur due to improper care. Most often, home flowers are affected by red rot. It is necessary to remove parts of the plant damaged by the fungus, and then treat it with a fungicide.
Description
According to the botanical classification, Eucharis does not belong to lilies at all, but to daffodils (Amaryllis family). It most often grows in groups , since the root system is bulbous and quickly forms daughter shoots.
The leaves are long, about 30 cm long and up to 15 cm wide. They are soft and thin, growing from a bulb on a long petiole, their top smoothly descends downwards. The leaf blades are painted dark green.
It can bloom twice a year , producing a long straight arrow. At its top, 3 or 6 white buds bloom. Their shape resembles a daffodil: 6 ovoid petals are located around a funnel-shaped core. The buds are large - for example, Eucharis grandiflora has a flower diameter of 15 cm .
Each Eucharis “lily” blooms for only a week, but thanks to the gradual opening of the buds, the total flowering period lasts up to 3 weeks.
Home care
Caring for eucharius does not require effort and comes down to following simple rules for maintaining a houseplant.
Lighting
The unpretentiousness of eucharis begins with lighting: the plant can bloom anywhere in the house. Even the location on the northern windowsill does not negatively affect the condition of the flower.
A sufficient amount of light for the plant will be provided on a western or eastern window . On the south side of the house, the flower should be kept half a meter from the window or shaded with curtains.
Temperature
Heat-loving eucharis is kept at a wide range of temperatures. In summer it can withstand thermometer readings up to 30 °C, and in winter – from 16 to 18 °C.
If the temperature drops to 15 °C, then eucharis loses the ability to flower for at least the next season. At temperatures below 10 °C, the bulb begins to rot, and the foliage begins to turn yellow and fall off.
It is recommended to transfer the plant to the summer temperature regime already in February , increasing the indicators to 21 ° C. Wintering should begin in October–November.
In winter, on a windowsill, the soil in a pot can cool more than the surrounding air, especially in regions with severe frosts. This promotes rotting of the bulbs, so it is better to move the plant away from the window. This measure will protect the eucharis from drafts during ventilation.
If it is not possible to put the pot away for the winter, then it should be wrapped on all sides with foil insulation, the shiny side out.
Watering
One of the problems that gardeners face when caring for eucharis is the watering regime. The plant can tolerate both short-term drought and waterlogging of the soil. But in the first case, you may not wait for flowering, and in the second, you may encounter fungal diseases and rotting of the bulbs.
The optimal method of watering is to moisten the half-dried top layer of soil . If Eucharis has limp leaves, then urgent watering or reducing the light intensity is needed. The volume of water is determined by the first drops from the drainage holes.
Before watering, the water is allowed to settle for 3 days or softened with apple cider vinegar (1 tsp per 1 liter of water). If this is not done, hard water will increase the alkalinity of the soil, and the plant will get sick. The water temperature is preferably slightly warmer than room temperature : the container can be placed to the radiator half an hour before watering.
Experienced gardeners recommend arranging conditions for the plant to rest - reducing watering to 2-3 times a month. Eucharis can be at rest from late autumn to the first days of spring. Frequent spraying stimulates the formation of new leaves , so the procedure can be carried out daily.
Pests
Indoor eucharis is sometimes attacked by pests. The following can live on the plant:
- Spider mite . The main sign of its presence is a web-like coating covering the lower parts of the leaves. Mechanical cleaning of the plant will help you cope with the mite: the leaves are wiped with a sponge soaked in a solution of laundry soap. Then the treatment is carried out with Actellik.
- Scale insects . A sign of damage is the appearance of plaques on the leaves and petioles. When there are a lot of pests, the leaves of the flower begin to turn yellow, dry out and fall off. To get rid of parasites, Fitoverm and Actellik are used.
- Thrips . Appear on the plant at elevated air temperatures and low humidity. They settle on the underside of leaves. Pierce the surface of the leaf and suck out the juice. The outer side of the leaves turns gray-brown. To control pests, all flowers and buds are picked off, and then the plant is treated with an insecticide (for example, Aktara).
Eucharis - home care
Eucharis is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family. The flower's homeland is South America, and it is most often found on the banks of the Amazon. The decorative flowering crop, also called the Amazon lily, was brought to the European continent in the mid-19th century. The plant quickly attracted the attention of flower growers.
More about the flower
A bulbous plant with dark green oval wide and long leaves that grow on petioles can bloom up to twice a year at home. The inflorescences, depending on the specific species, resemble lilies or daffodils. The attractiveness of eucharis lies not only in its high decorative value, but also in the fact that the culture grows safely at home for 15-20 years.
Flower care
The decorative flowering tropical line does not lose its foliage and even during the dormant period decorates the room, and when it begins to bloom, it fills the room with a subtle aroma. This is all true only when the plant is properly cared for.
Lighting
Tropical lily feels great indoors in partial shade. The flower can be safely placed on windows with a northern orientation. If the room is lit only from the south side, the pot of eucharis should not be placed on the windowsill, but on a bedside table or counter nearby. Active exposure to direct rays of the sun can leave burns on the leaf plate.
Temperature
The plant feels good all year round at temperatures of 18-25, but can easily tolerate increases up to 30 degrees Celsius. From October the temperature decreases, and by spring it begins to increase. It is not recommended to take the flower out into the open air. Temperature changes and drafts lead to irregular flowering and shredding of inflorescences. If the air does not warm up above 16 degrees Celsius, the lily may die.
Humidity
The Amazon lily prefers high levels of humidity. To create appropriate conditions, the air around the flowerpot is sprayed daily, with the exception of the flowering period. Drops falling on the petals can ruin the appearance of the inflorescences. Spraying can be replaced with a tray with moistened small stones, on which the pot is placed.
Watering
Stagnation of moisture leads to rotting of the bulb, but the flower also does not like drought. Eucharis should be watered when the top layer of soil dries out. It is best to use something like a ruler with a mark of about 2-3 cm. If, after lowering to the groove, the substrate ceases to be wet, water the plant. Take warm, settled water and pour it over the edge of the pot. The latter eliminates direct contact between the bulb and moisture.
Priming
Eucharis needs a nutritious and moisture-intensive substrate. Of the ready-made mixtures, any universal one for ornamental flowering crops, which is mixed with a small amount of charcoal and sand, is suitable. You can take ordinary garden soil if it is loose and fertile enough.
The soil is prepared independently from peat, leaf soil and sand, taken in a ratio of 1:3:1. Another option involves mixing equal parts of peat, leaf soil and sand, to which two parts of turf soil are added. Before use, the ingredients must be calcined for at least 20 minutes in the oven. It is better to take a ceramic pot rather than a plastic one, which will tip over under the weight of the onion. A two-centimeter drainage layer of broken bricks, ceramic shards, and pebbles is placed on the bottom of the container.
Treatment of diseases
At the slightest deviation, the normal functioning of eucharis is disrupted - in the photo you can see the main diseases associated with an imbalance of watering and spraying.
First of all, the inflorescences are destroyed - the plant does not bloom for a long period - up to a year. Then the diseases spread to the root system, which dries out or, conversely, rots. At the same time, the leaves turn yellow and quickly fall off, normal reproduction becomes impossible, the number of shoots decreases, and after a certain time the eucharis dies.
Therefore, in order to get a beautiful flower at home, which can be seen in the photo, it will need very high-quality care.
You will need to frequently inspect the leaves and root system, identifying diseases in the early stages, and regularly replant and propagate in order to prevent depletion of the Amazon lily.
Of course, caring for it will take a lot of time and effort, but the result will be worth it in any case - after all, you will not be able to see such extraordinary delicate beauty anywhere else.
