with orchids subtlety and refinement of inflorescences. Care and cultivation of streptokarpus will not cause difficulties even for a novice grower. Bright, wrinkled lanceolate leaves up to 30 cm long frame a riot of floral bouquet. Flowers are gramophones solitary on a long arrow, but they come out of each bosom of leaves, bloom for a long time and hover above the flowerpots, forcing them to admire themselves. Photo Streptocarpus with proper care at home
Houses Streptocarpus can be grown on the east or west window. In the back of the room, a special spectrum lamp and an ordinary fluorescent lamp will be required. On the south window in the summer, shading is required, on the north - light is not enough. Direct sunlight will ruin the leaves and flowers. Like many ornamental plants, streptocarpus in the care and cultivation does not tolerate drafts and stagnant water in the pot.
Air humidity in 60-70% will create a comfortable environment. Will help the pallet with pebbles and moss. In winter, the flower will gain strength for flowering, if it is kept at a temperature of 16-18 degrees, excluding top dressing and reducing watering. One and a half months of rest is enough for the plant to recover. In addition, the flower needs determining factors:
- the right substrate;
- watering and fertilizer;
- transplant;
- breeding.
Container and soil composition for streptokarpus
A distinctive feature with good care for streptokarpusami at home is the rapid growth of the bush. Pots required low, but wide. There must be a drainage, the layer will be about 2 cm. Transplant the plant at the end of winter and again after six months. The best way to transplant - transfer to a large container.
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The main condition is that the soil should not be compacted, remain light and breathable. Normal ground for seedlings should be half diluted with sand or perlite, chopped moss, vermiculite.
The plant can be grown in peat. Peat-based soil should always be wet. Upon drying, this substrate forms a monolith. Any soil for indoor plants, even purchased, must be sterilized.
. Watering and moistening mode.
. Growing and caring for healthy streptocarpus are associated with proper plant moistening. Normal is considered to be watering through the drainage hole. Well organize the moistening of the earth through the wick. In this case, the constant flow of capillary moisture makes the soil consistently wet. With the top irrigation water should be poured along the walls of the pots, trying not to fall on the leaves and flowers.
Wash streptocarpus with soft warm water. If the plant has lowered the leaves due to drying out of the ground, elasticity will be restored, but the drooping flowers will have to be cut, they are lost.
Spraying in the form of a fog like streptokarpus likes, but droplets of water on the leaves can lead to the appearance of ugly spots. For humidity, it is appropriate to keep the flower pot on the pallet with a humidifier. The saucer with water installed near the plant will also help.
Nutrition Requirements
Young shrub that quickly grows after breeding requires nitrogen supplements. But they should be reduced as a percentage when the buds appear. Now streptokarpus needs phosphorus and potassium. Of the ready-made compositions for indoor plants, the “New Ideal” fertilizer is first used, and later the fertilizers are used for beautifully flowering plants of the “Super flowering”, “Fialochka” series and the like. Fertilize the plant once a week, alternating between different formulations. In the dormant period, fertilizing is not done.
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seeds appear in your garden It is better to reduce the recommended doses of fertilizer twice. If during this period the plant actively grows the leaves, this is normal. From the bosom of each leaf there will be a flower stalk. Therefore, the lower leaves, in which the peduncle has already faded, should be removed, carefully cutting off with a sharp knife. Watch a video on how to care for streptocarpus and grow a spectacular bush.
Pests and diseases of streptocarpus
Powdery mildew and gray mold can become diseases affecting the plant. If a piece of leaf seems to have been powdered with white dust, it is Mealy dew. Under a touch ulcers appear and the sheet will die. The disease spreads quickly and all home flowers are at risk. Therefore, you need to cut the affected leaf and process the plants with Topaz, it is a fungicide of directional action.
A no less formidable disease of streptocarpus is gray rot, covering all parts of the plant with a gray fluffy coating. Such a plant should be washed under a warm shower and treated with a fungicide.in the case of new foci, repeat processing.
The conditions for fungal diseases are excessive watering, keeping in cold conditions, or vice versa, creating a greenhouse effect. It is necessary to normalize temperature and humidity, and the diseases will recede.
Of insect pests especially streptokarpusu annoying spider mite. It starts up in dry air, spreads very quickly on the back of the sheet. Sucking the juice, he covers the sheet with spiderweb, in which numerous members of the colony swarm. As a result, the leaf is paler, turns yellow, dries. To save a flower, it must be isolated and freed from flowers. Three times in 7-10 days to treat one of the insecticidal drugs. The top layer of earth is also sprayed. At this time, you need to strengthen the control of the state of other plants. The pest is omnivorous.
Exactly the same operations are carried out in the case of thrips.
Read also: Types and varieties of plants for growing a houseThe considered flower propagates: - by dividing the bush;
- seed;
- leaf plate.
The easiest method of reproduction is to divide the bush during transplantation. The bush flower expands due to the growth of lateral formed bushes and is easily divided into parts. By dividing the bush rejuvenates.
It is possible at home to grow streptokarpusa from the seed. Very small seeds, marketed dredged. Sowing is superficial, but since the shell needs to be destroyed, the top layer of the earth must be wet. You can get new copies with unexpected colors all year round. From sowing to flowering takes 7 months. Seedlings need additional lighting in the winter. More often streptokarpus multiply sheet. 
Here we use the property of all the Hesnerian to regenerate the roots of a part of the leaf plate. For reproduction, a healthy ripe leaf and a razor are taken for cutting fragments, as in the photo. Plant a cutting in the soaked peat tablet and wait for the result. Young shoots formed around the leaf are planted in separate cups.
There is a “Toaster” method, when only a central vein is removed from a single sheet and longitudinal strips are arranged in mini table, for example, a box from under the roll. We condense and we spray landing, further we continue to create dampness in a box. There will be a lot of kids who need to sit down.
Easy care, easy breeding of streptokarpus available even for beginners.
Learn to transplant streptokarpus - video
