Crinum - Crinum.

Crinum is a bulbous, member of the Amaryllidaceae family. It grows wild in the subtropics and tropics. This culture grows on the sea coasts, along the banks of rivers and lakes, and also in areas of periodic flooding. Several varieties are found in the Cape of South Africa with periods of drought.

Translated from Latin, "crinis" means "hair". Crinum is named so because of the shape of the leaves. Elongated, in the form of a sword or lines, hanging down - all signs of hair. The bulbs are large, have an elongated neck, their length is 0.6-0.9 cm, and their diameter is about 25 cm.The leaves are also very elongated, reaching a length of up to 1.5 m. Young foliage is not flattened compared to the foliage of other varieties of this family, it rolled into a tube. This sets the species apart from the rest. On the peduncle there is an umbrella-shaped inflorescence, it bears large flowers of pink or white color. The fruit is a capsule containing large and dense grains. Their shells have reserves of water, it will be enough for germination and the emergence of a new flower bulb, and no liquid from external sources is needed.

This culture is used to decorate rooms, halls, cinemas, terraces, lobbies, and concert halls. Krinum can be grown indoors and in a winter garden with cold climates. There are varieties cultivated in the aquarium.

Agrotechnical techniques for indoor growing krinum.

Illumination level.

The plant needs bright light, no shadow is needed. If the lighting is more intense, then the crinum will grow faster and more actively. At the end of winter, the culture gradually learns to bright light in order to avoid the appearance of burns. It is advisable to place the flower pot on the southern windowsill, and there should be no contact of foliage with the glass of the window, because the leaves can burn.

In the summer, if possible, you need to take the flower out into the street, the place should be protected from heavy rain. If you grow a plant in the summer in indoor conditions, then the room must be often ventilated. In the autumn and winter seasons, it is required to light well and regularly ventilate the room. In poor light conditions, the lower leaves wither very quickly, but the growth of young foliage still continues. Can be grown under artificial light sources with 16 hours of daylight hours.

Temperature conditions.

Vegetation falls into two categories.

South African, homeland - Cape province, South Africa (arid climatic conditions). Vegetation is cultivated in a greenhouse with a cold microclimate. In the summer season, the plants are kept outdoors, and in the subtropics, you can leave flowers outdoors for the winter season, but you will need to easily cover them. In the spring and summer seasons, temperature conditions are required in the range of 22-27 degrees. In the winter season, the bush grows well at a temperature of 2-6 degrees.

Homeland - the tropics. Plants are grown in greenhouses with a warm microclimate. In the summer season, flowers are transferred to outdoor conditions, and the place must be protected from strong winds. In the spring and summer seasons, the krinum needs a temperature regime in the range of 22-27 degrees. In winter, the plant is dormant. During this time period, a cool temperature of 16-18 degrees (at least 14 degrees) is required.

Moisture level.

The humidity level can be anything. For hygiene reasons, regular wiping of the leaves with a damp cloth or sponge is necessary.

Watering.

When the plant is actively growing, you need to water it with large volumes of warm water. Watering is carried out when the surface soil layer dries up.When the crop finishes blooming, watering is reduced, but the soil must be constantly moderately moist. In the winter season, at the dormant stage, they rarely watered, the krinum is rearranged in the cool. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, because the bulbs have a sufficiently dense and voluminous root system that does its job, despite the season of the year.

If you want the crinum to bloom in winter, the dormant stage is transferred to the last summer days or to the first autumn, watering in this case is reduced. When the flower arrow begins to grow, you need to water it again as usual. To stimulate flowering, do not water the bush for one to two weeks.

Fertilization.

Vegetation is fed twice every 30 days. For this purpose, a liquid top dressing is used for flowering indoor vegetation, and the dose recommended on the pack or sachet of fertilizer is used. Top dressing begins when young leaves appear, and ends when all flowers wither.

Rest stage.

The dormant stage begins after flowering ends. At this stage, there is a gradual withering of old leaves, they are replaced by new ones. The flower needs deep rest, otherwise it will not bloom next year. In spring, the plant begins to bloom again.

Soil mix.

To prepare a soil mixture, you need to combine leaf and clay-sod soil, peat, humus and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1: 1: 1. Also, a little charcoal is poured into the substrate.

Transfer.

Crinum is transplanted before it begins to grow rapidly. Mature plants are transplanted every two to four years. When planting, the bulbs should rise 1/3 above the surface soil layer. Planting is required in large and deep containers, because the root system of this vegetation is powerful and strong. The old soil should be carefully removed along with the damaged roots. At the bottom of the tank, it is necessary to build a good drainage system using expanded clay.

Reproduction.

Reproduction can be done using bulbs or by seed.

Take your time to separate the young bulbs, as they decide how the plant will bloom - abundantly or poorly. The separated baby will begin to bloom in two to four years (depending on its size). The bush is planted in a container with a diameter of 9-12 cm.A year later, the plant is transplanted into a larger container, and a year later - into a container with a diameter of 15-17 cm.When young seedlings grow, they need to be fed and watered more often. In large containers (sizes - 19-24-28 cm), the culture grows for 3-4 years, a large number of baby bulbs appear, it begins to bloom profusely in three to four years.

Harmful insects and diseases.

In the axils of the leaves, the appearance of a mealybug may occur. A spider mite is also harmful to the plant. If the krinum is overflowed with water during the dormant stage, then it can be affected by root rot.

Varieties of culture.

Crinum "Abyssinian" (Crinum abyssinicum).

The bulb has a short neck and an oblong rounded appearance, it reaches 7 cm in thickness. The leaves are linear, there are six of them, they become already towards the top. The edge of the leaves is rough, the length of the leaf is 0.3-0.45 m, the width is 1.6 cm. The peduncle reaches a length of 0.3-0.4 m, it has an umbrella-inflorescence with 4-6 flowers. Flowers are sessile, white in color, pedicels are shortened. The perianth tube is thin, 5 cm long. The petals are long, 2 cm wide, 7 cm long. The variety comes from the Ethiopian highlands.

Crinum "Asian" (Crinum asiaticum).

The bulb reaches 10-15 cm in breadth, the neck can be 15-35 cm in length.The leaves are thin, whole, in the form of a belt, there are 20-30 pieces of them, they are 0.9-1.2 m long, 7-10 cm in breadth. Inflorescence - an umbrella, on it there are 20-50 flowers that do not have aroma, which sit on stalks 3 cm long.The perianth tube is vertical, up to 10 cm long, its outer side is in the form of a light green pattern. The petals are linear, white in color, 5-10 cm long, reddish stamens are spread on different sides. The plant blooms for a long time, namely, from March to October days. The variety comes from stagnant bodies of water found in the African tropics.

Crinum "Big" (Crinum giganteum).

The bulb is large, has a shortened neck. The width of the bulb reaches 10-15 cm. The leaves are green in color, the edges are in the form of waves, and veins are clearly visible on the outside of the leaf. The leaf reaches 0.6-0.9 m in length, and 10 cm in breadth. The peduncle is powerful, 0.5-1 m long. The umbrella-inflorescence bears 4-6 flowers, but there are inflorescences that contain 3-12 flowers ... The flowers are sessile, have an aroma, and are 20 cm long.The perianth tube is bent, stretched, painted in a light green color, its length is 10-15 cm, the throat is bell-shaped, reaches 7-10 cm in length. The petals are white, in breadth are 3 cm, in length - 5-7 cm, stamens of the same color, slightly shorter. Crinum usually blooms in the summer.

Crinum "Majestic" (Crinum augustum).

The bulb is 15 cm wide, the neck reaches 35 cm long.There are a large number of leaves, they are plump, in the form of a belt, they are 0.6-0.9 m long, 7-10 cm wide. flattened. The inflorescence is an umbrella, on it there are more than twenty flowers sitting on shortened legs, and the flowers also smell nice. The perianth tube is powerful, reddish, slightly bent or vertical, its length is 7-10 cm. The petals are straight, lanceolate, the outer side is bright red. The petals are 10-15 cm long and 2 cm wide. The stamens are widened and red in color. The plant blooms in spring and summer. The variety comes from the slopes of the Seychelles and Mauritius. Cultivated in a greenhouse with a warm microclimate.

Crinum "Maiden", or "Virginia" (Crinum virgineum, or virginicum).

The bulb of a plant is large, brownish in color. The leaves are thin, in the form of a belt, they become narrower towards the apex and base, their outer side has pronounced veins in diameter. The leaves grow 8-11 cm in breadth, 0.7-0.8 m in length. Umbrella inflorescence is made up of six flowers, completely sedentary or located on shortened legs. The perianth tube is bent, has a light green color, stretches in length to 8-11 cm. White petals of the same size. Crinum usually blooms in autumn. Homeland - the south of the Brazilian territory. The plant is cultivated in a greenhouse with a favorable microclimate with a positive temperature.

Crinum campanulatum (Crinum campanulatum).

Small bulb in the form of an oval. Leaves with grooves, linear type, distinguished by pointed edges, leaf length - 0.8-1.1 m.The peduncle is narrowish, green in color, the inflorescence is in the form of an umbrella, consists of four to eight flowers, which are located on shortened legs, about two cm long. The perianth tube is oblong, wriggling, in the form of a cylinder, its length is four to six cm, in addition, there is a pharynx in the form of a bell. The outer side of the tube is red, covered with greenish stripes. The petals are closely spaced. The base of their color is white, and the stripes are reddish, and then the color changes to pink, green, red. The plant blooms on summer days. Homeland - Cape South Africa, the flower grows in a pond.

Crinum amabile.

The bulb is small, its neck stretches 21-36 cm in length.Leaves of 26-29 pieces have whole edges, the shape of a belt, their length is 1.3-1.5 m, width is 8-11 cm. The umbrella inflorescence includes twenty thirty flowers, sitting on flower legs, two to three cm long. The flowers are fragrant, bright red in color with a whitish or purple tone.The perianth tube is vertical, dark purple in color, eight to ten cm long. The petals are of a linear type, inside they are painted white, ten to fifteen cm long, 1.7 cm wide. The stamens are not narrow, purple in color. Crinum blooms in winter, in most cases, on March days. It can bloom again. The plant is found in the tropics and in the mountains of Sumatra.

Crinum "Reddish" (Crinum erubescens Aiton).

The bulb is in the form of an oval, in width reaches 10 cm. A large number of leaves in the form of a belt, their length is 0.6-0.9 m, width is 5-8 cm. The edges of the inner surface of the leaf have a slight roughness. The peduncle is very elongated - 0.6-0.8 m. It has four to six fragrant flowers of large size, completely sessile or located on shortened flower legs. The outer surface of the flower is red, inside it is white. The perianth tube is vertical, light red in color, its length is ten to fifteen cm. The petals are lanceolate, directed in the opposite direction. Crinum blooms on summer days. Homeland - the American tropics.

Crinum "Meadow" (Crinum pretense).

The bulb is in the form of an egg, its neck is short, its diameter is ten to fifteen cm. Usually six to eight leaves grow, they are linear, their length is 0.45-0.65 m. The peduncle stretches 0.3 m in length, and 1.7 cm in width. Inflorescence umbellate, there are six to twelve white flowers on it, they are either completely sessile, or are on shortened flower legs, the flower is seven to ten cm long. The petals are lanceolate, grow 1.65 cm in breadth, as long as a tube. Red stamens, widened. The plant blooms in summer. Homeland - the east of the Indian country.

Crinum bulbispermum, or Crinum capense.

The bulb is bottle-shaped, has a narrow and elongated neck. Leaves are greenish-gray in color, narrow, linear, with grooves, their length is 0.6-0.9 m. They are directed vertically, have a rough edge. The peduncle is almost round in shape, its length is 0.4 m and more, there are four to twelve flowers on it. The flowers are large, fragrant, white in color (at times there is a purple tint). They are located on flower legs three to five cm long. The perianth tube is slightly bent, presented in the form of a cylinder, grows in length to seven to ten cm, there is an edge in the form of a whitish funnel. The outer petals (3 pieces) have a pinkish-purple color (or white) on the outside. In length, they reach seven to ten cm.The variety blooms in July and August days. Homeland - the south of African territory, where krinum grows in a shaded place on sandy soil. It is cultivated in a greenhouse with a cool microclimate.

Crinum macowanii.

The bulb is large, round, its width is twenty-five cm, the neck is also twenty-five cm long.Leaves grow in breadth up to ten cm, in length - 0.75-0.85 m. The peduncle grows to 0.75-0.85 m. yourself ten to fifteen flowers. The perianth tube is greenish in color, bends, grows in length to eight to ten cm. The petals are pink in color, their length is eight to ten cm. The plant blooms late in the fall. Crinum comes from the Natal mountains, South Africa. A flower is cultivated in a greenhouse with a cold microclimate.

Crinum "Mura" (Crinum moorei).

The bulb is large, about 21 cm in diameter, and the neck length is 46 cm. A large number of babies can form. The plant has 13-14 leaves in the form of a belt, their edges are in the form of waves, the leaves grow in length to 0.75-0.85 m, in breadth - 5.5-9.5 cm.The surface of the leaf has embossed veins, the edge is pale white. The flower stalk is strong, greenish in color, 46-61 cm long. The inflorescence is umbellate, includes six to ten flowers. Pink flowers are located on flower legs eight cm long.The perianth tube bends, grows in length to seven to twelve cm, and it also has a funnel-shaped pharynx. The petals are four cm wide and seven to twelve cm long. The light pink stamens are not so long as the petals. A pistil sticks out above the petals. Crinum blooms on summer days. Popular with gardeners. Wildlife can be found in the mountains of Natalie, South Africa. It is cultivated in a greenhouse with a cold microclimate.

Crinum "Powell" (Crinum x powellii).

This hybrid variety was bred by crossing the Mura crinum with the Onion seed crinum. A bulb in the form of a ball, 16 cm in diameter. Leaves in the form of a belt, grow up to one meter in length. Peduncle without foliage, has 1 m growth, it has an umbrella inflorescence, consists of fragrant flowers, the diameter of which is fifteen cm. The perianth is painted in bright pink colors.

Crinum "Flowering" (Crinum pedunculatum).

The bulb reaches ten cm in thickness, the neck grows up to 16 cm in length. The bush bears twenty to thirty leaves, 0.85-1.11 m in length. Twenty to thirty flowers make up the umbrella inflorescence. The flowers are fragrant, whitish-green in color, located on flower stalks 2.6-3.9 cm long. The corolla tubule is longer than the petals, the stamens are reddish, widened. Crinum blooms in summer. Homeland - the east of the Australian continent. Vegetation is cultivated in a greenhouse with a cold microclimate.

Crinum "Ceylon" (Crinum zeylanicum).

The bulb is round, 13-16 cm in diameter, has a shortened neck. The number of thin leaves in the form of a belt is six to twelve. The leaves grow in breadth up to seven to ten cm, their length is 0.75-0.95 m. The border of the leaf is slightly rough. The peduncle is strong, reddish in color, reaches 0.9 m in length, the inflorescence is umbellate, has ten to twenty flowers sitting on shortened legs. The perianth tube droops, is painted in a green or red tint, reaches seven to fifteen cm in length, and there is also a pharynx located in the horizontal plane. The petals are lanceolate, oblong, three cm in breadth, their top is spread in a horizontal plane. The petals are painted in dark purple colors, their edges are whitish, the surface is covered with stripes. The pistil is longer than the stamens. The variety blooms in the spring season. Homeland - Asian tropics. Grown in a greenhouse with a warm microclimate.

Crinum scabrum.

The bulb is round, reaches ten to fifteen cm in diameter, has a shortened neck. The leaves are plump, with grooves, shiny, in the form of a belt, painted green. Their edges are pointed, the length of the leaf is 0.75-0.95 m, and the width is five cm. The peduncle is strong, the inflorescence in the form of an umbrella consists of four to eight fragrant flowers, sitting or located on shortened legs. The perianth tube is bent, painted in a pale green shade, reaches a length of 9-16 cm. The pharynx is 5-7 cm in diameter. The petals are 2.6-3.6 cm wide. The top of the petals is white, in the middle there is a rich red stripe. The plant blooms in May and June days. Homeland - African tropics. Crinum is cultivated in a greenhouse with a warm microclimate.

Crinum "Broadleaf" (Crinum latifolium).

The bulb is round, grows in breadth to 16-21 cm, has a shortened neck. A large number of thin leaves in the form of a belt are green in color. They reach 0.7-1 m in length and 8-11 cm in width. Umbrella inflorescence consists of 11-19 flowers, located on shortened legs. The perianth tube is green, bends, grows in length to 8-11 cm.The pharynx is located in a horizontal plane, in length, like the tube, 8-11 cm.The petals are oblong, lanceolate, their bottom is light red, in length reach 31 cm. The plant blooms in August-September days. Homeland - the east of India. Crinum is cultivated in a greenhouse with a cold microclimate.