Alsobia (Alsobia) is a perennial flowering herb that belongs to the ground cover species. It occurs naturally in tropical climates, prefers moist forest soils. The plant has small oval slightly pubescent leaves of light or dark green color, blooms with white tubular flowers.
Alsobia feels great at home. The decorative qualities of the flower are especially effective when grown in hanging pots. Ampel types of alsobia can decorate any site, gazebo or become a decoration of the room.
Alsobia care at home
Alsobia needs diffused lighting, the flower does not tolerate direct sunlight, but also suffers from a lack of light. During the period of short daylight hours, it is recommended to illuminate the alsobia with fluorescent lamps to increase the lighting period (up to 12 hours a day). When placing a houseplant on the windows on the south side of the house, you will need to take care of a little shading. Windows facing north are generally undesirable for this plant. The best option is windows facing east or west.
Temperature
When growing alsobia on a windowsill in the cold season, you need to take care of its insulation. Drafts and sudden changes in temperature can also kill the plant. The favorable temperature for growing alsobia is 18-25 degrees Celsius. At lower temperatures, the external characteristics of the plant change, which is a signal of its disease. Leaves become lethargic and dull in color, and growth arrest is possible.
Air humidity
Spraying, as one of the common methods of humidifying the air, is absolutely unacceptable for this houseplant, since pubescent leaves after such moisture can rot. It is better to use a flower tray with moistened expanded clay. The bottom of the flowerpot should not come into contact with water.
Dry air or low humidity will not do much harm to Alsobia. This may affect its active growth or flowering, but the plant will feel satisfactory at the same time.
Watering rules
Watering alsobia is recommended sparingly as needed. The next watering is carried out only after the top (about 3-4 centimeters) soil layer has dried. Watering is carried out directly under the plant; water is not allowed on the leaf mass.
It is advisable to use purified or at least settled water with a temperature of at least 23-25 degrees. The soil mixture in the flower pot should not dry out or become waterlogged. Some time after watering, it is necessary to drain all the water that has seeped into the pan.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Alsobia requires top dressing only in the spring and summer season, that is, during the period of active growth and development.You can use complex fertilizers for flowering plants, halving the concentration of the solution recommended in the instructions. Top dressing must be applied twice a month at intervals of 15 days.
Transfer
A transplant is necessary for alsobia only when the root system completely occupies the flower pot and entangles the entire earthen lump. This can happen approximately every 2-3 years.
You need to pick up a wide, but small in height pot with large drainage holes. At the bottom, it is necessary to pour a layer of expanded clay or other drainage material. The soil for this indoor plant should be loose and permeable to water and air. You can purchase a ready-made potting mix or make your own. To do this, you will need: one part of peat, humus and river coarse sand and two parts of leaf or garden soil.
In order to prevent disease and disinfection, it is necessary to add wood ash or moss to the soil. And fiber from coconuts will give the soil looseness and lightness. Growing alsobia in such soil, you can avoid stagnation of water and the accumulation of excess moisture, which leads to negative consequences.
Alsobia pruning
Alsobia pruning is used to form a compact bush. Overgrown stems with leaves, as well as extra stepsons, are subjected to this procedure. With timely pruning, the leaves of the plant enlarge, and the flowering is even more abundant. When a large number of lateral shoots are removed, alsobia may stop blooming, so measure is needed in everything. Excess shoots can not only be cut off, but also pinched off.
Reproduction of alsobia
Alsobia can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, cuttings and daughter rosettes. The most common method of propagation is rosettes and leaf cuttings.
Reproduction by daughter sockets
These parts of the indoor flower can be rooted without cutting them off from the plant. To do this, a branch with a rosette must be pinned to the soil. In such contact with the ground, young roots will appear very soon.
When cutting a daughter outlet, it must be planted in moist soil (sand or moss) and greenhouse conditions must be created, that is, covered with a film to maintain constant air humidity and temperature.
Propagation by cuttings
For reproduction, not only leafy cuttings, but also apical cuttings are suitable. They are carefully cut and planted in loose soil in a closed container, similar to a mini-greenhouse.
The rooting of all parts can continue for thirty days. Young alsobia are transplanted into individual flower pots when the roots grow at least one centimeter in length.
Diseases and pests
Alsobia is a houseplant, which in rare cases is exposed to infectious diseases or an invasion of harmful insects, and most often gets sick due to improper care.
- For example, dry indoor air can provoke the appearance of spider mites, aphids or scale insects. In such cases, immediate treatment with insecticidal solutions is carried out.
- When watering a plant with water with a temperature below 18 degrees, spots may appear on the leaves.
- With an insufficient amount of moisture in the soil, alsobia sheds buds and flowers and takes on a withering appearance.
- With excessive watering or stagnation of water in the soil, a gradual decay of the roots occurs, which can lead to the death of the entire plant. An excess of water is especially dangerous during the cold season.
- When exposed to direct sunlight, leaves can get burned in the form of drying spots.
Types and varieties of alsobia with photos and names
Alsobia dianthiflora
This ground cover species is distinguished by shortened shoots with small pubescent leaves with small notches along the entire edge. Strong short stems are brown in color, flowers are white (sometimes with small red blotches in the middle of the flower) with a fringe along the edge.
Alsobia punctate
Plants of this variety have a straight stiff stem, oval flat leaves of a rich green color with small notches along the edge and with a slight pubescence of white. Alsobia blooms with white flowers with a cream or light green hue and numerous blotches of red or pink in the neck of the flower.
Alsobia Cyqnet
This hybrid variety is bred for indoor cultivation. The plant has rather large toothed leaves of a light green shade with slight pubescence and white flowers with fringed petals of medium size (about 4 centimeters in diameter). The pharynx of the flower is strewn with numerous small blotches of red or pink.
Alsobia San Migel
Hybrid variety for indoor cultivation. Flowers and leaves are even larger than those of the previous variety. Slightly pubescent toothed leaves have a light blue-green tint. The plant blooms with white flowers with fringes along the edge of the petals and dotted blotches of red or pink in the throat of the flower.
Alsobia Chiapas
This hybrid variety belongs to the shrub species. The plant has large oval leaves of light green color, large white flowers with a creamy tint (sometimes greenish-yellow). The edge of the petals resembles a fringe, and the neck of the flower is strewn with purple blotches.
