Streptocarpus Care and Grow: Easy Guide
If you love indoor flowers, then you
will surely like these exotic beauties. They are unpretentious in care,
shade-tolerant, bloom for a long time, rarely get sick. Growing streptocarpus
at home is a pleasure. The magnificent shades and patterns on the petals of its
flowers amaze even the most sophisticated flower growers. It is not surprising
that Streptocarpus is becoming more in demand and popular from year to year
among indoor plant lovers and flower growers around the world. Streptocarpus Care
Home care for streptocarpus
In terms of beauty and
decorativeness, our handsome man is not inferior to many types of violets, and
some of his species look even more advantageous than Saintpaulias. At the same
time, it is much easier to grow streptocarpus flowers. They are not capricious
for any reason and do not shed their leaves for the winter, they grow both in
natural light and in artificial light, both on the windowsill and in the back
of the room. And abundant flowering, under appropriate conditions, can continue
all year round, without a break for hibernation. In order for your pet to meet
this description, we will introduce you to the main points of the rules for
raising it in your home.
Lighting.
The flower loves bright diffused
light and long daylight hours. From midday sun rays, especially in hot summer
weather, you need to create protection. From April to October, plants are
placed on the western or eastern window sills, you can take them out to the
terrace. In winter, it is better to rearrange the pot to the south window and
use the backlight so that the daylight hours lasts at least 14 hours.
Temperature.
Streptocarpus develops best at a
temperature of + 20 … + 25 ° C. In winter, cooler (+ 14 ° C) rooms are
suitable. On very hot days, it is recommended to spray the plants and ventilate
the room more often.
Humidity.
This flower needs high humidity,
about 50-70%, although it can adapt to drier air. For spraying, fog machines
should be used, because drops on flowers and leaves lead to the development of
mold and a decrease in decorativeness. In winter, it is necessary to place the
streptocarpus further from the heating devices.
Watering.
The plant tolerates mild drought
better than flooding the soil. Between waterings, the soil should dry out by
2-4 cm, depending on the total depth of the pot. Irrigation should be carried
out along the edge of the pot or through the pallet. Long-term contact of
leaves and shoots with water is highly undesirable. The liquid should be above
room temperature and well cleaned.
Fertilizer.
To give strength to streptocarpus to bloom for a long time and
abundantly, it is necessary to make fertilizing in the ground. This is done
during the budding and flowering period 3-4 times a month. A solution of a
mineral complex for flowering plants or violets is added to the soil. The
dosage recommended on the package is reduced by 20%.
Pot
A plastic pot is suitable, wide, but shallow. The ratio of the
height of the pot to the diameter is 1 to 1.5. The root system grows
superficially and quickly takes up all the space allotted to it. Each next pot
will be a couple – three cm deeper and wider than the previous one. At the
bottom, be sure to lay a drainage layer in the form of expanded clay or clean
river pebbles, 2-3 cm will be enough. Well, do not forget about the drainage
holes – after all, the flower prefers bottom watering, just through the holes
in the bottom of the pot
Diseases
The most common disease of streptocarpus is root rot. The
disease arises from excessive watering of the plant, aggravated by low air
temperature and stagnation of water in the sump. The symptoms are as follows:
the tips of the leaves dry, the petioles become weak and wither, brown spots
appear in various places of the plant – on the leaves and buds.
Only a complete replacement of the soil in the pot will help to
stop the process. Remove the diseased plant from the pot, inspect the root
system. If rotting has just begun, cut the decayed areas to healthy roots,
treat the cuts with fungicides and sprinkle with crushed coal. Disinfect the
pot, only then use it as directed. Plant the treated plant in new soil and
continue to avoid watering mistakes.
Other fungal diseases that can appear on the leaves of
streptocarpus are gray rot and powdery mildew. The plant gets sick when it
stands in a cold draft, in constantly wet ground, and there is a swamp in the
pan. The same deplorable effect occurs from creating a greenhouse effect for a
plant – heat, humidity, musty air. For treatment, fungicides (Topaz) are used.
Pests:
With proper plant care, insect pests rarely pay attention to
this indoor flower. But, if the room is too dry and stagnant air at an elevated
temperature, expect trouble. More often than others, under these conditions,
thrips and spider mites appear on streptocarpuses, less often – aphids. Isolate
the affected plant urgently. Carry out preventive treatment of all healthy
plants – they may contain insect larvae.
Wash off the parasites from the affected bush in the bathroom
under the shower, and after it dries, treat with any modern insecticide
(Fitoverm, Aktara, Aktellik). Place the treated plant in a large bag and seal
it there for a few hours. Carry out this treatment a couple more times with an
interval of a week, until the insects are completely destroyed. Further,
Propagation:
Streptocarpus can be propagated by seeds and vegetative methods.
Seed propagation is usually used for selective work, because babies do not look
like a mother plant, but they can have their own unique characteristics worthy
of a new variety. Seeds without preliminary preparation are sown in a shallow
container with a mixture of vermiculite, peat and perlite. It is convenient to
mix fine planting material with river sand. It is distributed on the surface,
then the soil is sprayed from a spray bottle and covered with a transparent
material. The greenhouse should be kept in diffused light and at a temperature
of + 21 … + 25 ° C. It is important to regularly ventilate it and remove
condensation.
Seedlings appear together in 1.5-2 weeks. As the plants grow,
they are taught to lack shelter, but they maintain high humidity. With the
appearance of two true leaves, the seedlings dive at a greater distance into a
soil mixture of peat, sphagnum moss, leafy earth and vermiculite.
To propagate an ornamental variety while preserving the maternal
traits, the following vegetative propagation methods are used:
- Division of the bush. The plant, 2-3 years old, is
freed from the soil during spring transplantation and carefully divided
into parts. Usually babies (smaller sockets) are separated by hands, it is
enough just to untangle the roots. If necessary, the mustache is cut with
a sterile blade. Places of cuts are treated with activated carbon. The
children are immediately planted in new soil and covered with a
transparent cap for several days to increase humidity.
- Rooting cuttings. Almost any part of the plant
can be used as a cutting. A baby without roots, a whole leaf or a single
piece of it at the cut point is treated with charcoal, and then slightly
buried in wet moss. The planting is covered with a transparent cap. It is necessary
to remove condensate in a timely manner and spray the soil. With the
appearance of roots, young plants, along with a lump of old moss, are
transplanted into a new pot with soil for adult plants.
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