Pankracium is a very beautiful flowering plant. It will conquer any grower with beautiful flowers, although it requires some care. The genus of plants belongs to the Amaryllis family, about 50 varieties are registered in it. On the coast and meadows of the Canary Islands, the West Indies and the Mediterranean, pankracium grows in open ground, but in our latitudes it is grown as an exotic houseplant.
Plant description
Pankracium is a bulbous herbaceous perennial. The neck of the bulb is usually located above the surface of the earth. Bulb sizes can be 5-12 cm. It has an elongated, pear-shaped shape. Over the year, small bulbs form in the rhizome. A bunch of V-shaped leaves grows directly from the bulb. Glossy dark green sheet plates have a sinewy structure. The sheet length can reach 50 cm.
In February, a tall, fleshy peduncle grows from the base of a leaf rosette. Its length is about 70 cm. The top of a bare stem is crowned by a loose umbrella inflorescence. In the inflorescence can be up to 10 buds. Flowers open gradually, 2-3 pieces each. An open flower has a small umbrella and long, narrow petals. Six petals resemble spider legs. Snow-white flowers exude a strong vanilla flavor. Flowering lasts about 3 weeks and, under favorable conditions, can be repeated after six months.
At the end of flowering, small seed bunches with black small seeds ripen on the peduncle. The body of the box is filled with a white porous substance.
Types of Pankracium
Although in nature there are about 50 species of pankracium, you can buy only a few of them at the flower shop. Most popular is beautiful pankracium. The plant forms a bush about 70 cm high. Its soft, tapered foliage is painted in bright green color and has a shiny surface. In August-September, one peduncle grows, on which there are 7-15 buds. Large white bell-shaped flowers with long, separated petals smell like vanilla. The life span of each flower is 2-3 days.
Pankracium Illyrian. The plant has a larger, orange bulb. Belt-shaped leaves are painted in dark green tones. It blooms in February and August, releasing one arrow at a time with 6-12 buds at a time. Petals have a wider, rhombic shape. Snow-white flowers resemble a mill.
Pancratium marine. The plant has an elongated bulb 8-10 cm high. Above the ground there is a bunch of bluish-green tapeworm leaves up to 60 cm long and 2 cm wide. An umbrella inflorescence with 2-6 fragrant, large buds is located on a bare, wide peduncle. From the funnel-shaped core with a diameter of 7 cm, 6 white lanceolate petals diverge in different directions. Flowering occurs from August to September.
Pankracium Ceylon. The plant has a basal rosette of smooth linear leaves. During the flowering period, it releases several dense, but thinner peduncles at once. Only one snow-white flower with a diameter of about 7 cm blooms on each peduncle. The central part is a funnel, and wide, lanceolate petals are located on the sides. They are slightly twisted outward. Flowering is accompanied by a pleasant spicy aroma.
Growing
Reproduction of pankracium is possible by seed and vegetative methods. Seeds can be purchased at the store or try to collect yourself. Seeds are formed only after cross-pollination. When the seed box is fully ripe, it is cut and opened. Inside you can find several black seeds with an uneven surface.
Seeds are sown in a light peat-sand mixture to a depth of 1-2 cm, moisten the soil and cover with a film. The bowl is left in a warm, bright room. The first shoots will appear within 2-4 weeks. Now the shelter can be removed. The grown plants dive in separate pots at the age of 2-3 weeks.
Much easier and more effective is the reproduction by children. Periodically, a small onion with its own leaves appears near the mother's bulb. Pankracium is completely dug up and carefully freed from an earthen coma. Bulbs are separated by a blade, dried for several hours and planted separately.
Young seedlings are kept in a warm, well-lit room and regularly watered. Rooting takes about a month, after which the plant begins to produce new leaves.
Care Rules
Caring for a pankracium at home does not cause much difficulty. The plant is planted in spacious pots with a thick layer of drainage (expanded clay, pebbles, charcoal). For planting, use a soil mixture of the following components:
- soddy soil;
- leaf soil;
- deciduous humus;
- peat;
- river sand;
- bone flour.
The transplant is carried out every 3-4 years, trying to update the maximum amount of soil. The bulb is not completely buried. About a quarter of its height should remain above the surface.
Pankracium prefers bright sun and long daylight hours. With frequent airing, even direct sunlight on the southern windowsill is not afraid of him. The optimum air temperature is + 18 ... +25 ° C. Cooling is allowed in winter, but at a temperature of +13 ° C the bulb dies.
Some gardeners grow pankracium in the open field as an annual plant. Alas, no shelter saves in the cold winter. Drafts and sharp fluctuations in temperature are also undesirable.
From March to October, the pankracium needs frequent watering. However, water stagnation must not be allowed. Bulb plants are especially susceptible to rot. In winter, the plant provides a dormant period. It is characterized not so much by cooling as by a decrease in watering. In the natural environment, the pankracium also has to endure drought.
For active growth and flowering, pankracium needs regular top dressing. It is recommended to fertilize weekly, alternating organic and mineral compounds. Fertilizer is applied in liquid form, adding to water for irrigation.
The plant is not demanding on air humidity. On especially hot days, it is still recommended to spray the leaves from the spray gun and wipe them from dust.
A feature of pankracium is that it often grows new foliage, but also dries old leaves. It is necessary to regularly remove the dried parts of the plant and peduncle after flowering.
Possible difficulties
Pankracium often suffers from excessive watering. Cooling or lack of light can only aggravate the situation. If the leaves began to blacken at the base and droop, then a fungus develops on the plant. Remove damaged parts and treat the soil with fungicide.
Insects do not hit pankratsium, so you do not have to worry about the attack of parasites.
