Gasteria

The Gasteria plant is a succulent from the Asphodelic family. In nature, representatives of this genus live in southern Africa. The name of the flower is associated with a slight swelling on the tube of its perianth - it has been compared to a "pot-bellied vessel".

Thanks to the unique ability to easily cross with hundreds of plants of its kind, the flora of Africa is replenished with dozens of hybrids every day, the seeds of which easily grow on the rocky surfaces of the savanna and river banks.

Due to its resistance to temperature extremes and unpretentiousness, Gasteria has become a fairly common indoor plant that has taken root well at home. In apartments, three types of gasteria are most often grown: spotted, keeled and warty. All these species are very similar, there are only minor differences in the structure and shape of the leaves. Even though it grows very slowly, this succulent is quite popular among flower lovers.

Description of gastria

Gasteria are succulents with tough foliage in two or more rows and a short stem. The shape of the leaves can vary, but they are all deep green and have specks or stripes. The foliage surface is smooth (less often - rough). Sometimes foliage is flat and sometimes it is concave. The length of the plates is from 3 to 25 cm.

Gastria flowers are quite decorative, while the size of the peduncle can significantly exceed the compact rosette. Its length is 40-70 cm. Adult specimens form it on each leaf row. Inflorescences of gastria resemble brushes, consisting of bright flowers of an unusual amphora-like shape. They can be colored red, yellow, orange or even green. The buds bloom alternately, due to which flowering lasts about a month.

It is by the shape of the flower that Gasteria can be distinguished from a relative similar to it - Haworthia. Gasteria flower petals grow together completely, not half.

Few people know about the unique properties of gastria, but this plant is capable of enriching a room with a large amount of oxygen at night. That is why most often the succulent is placed in the living room or bedroom. Even with minimal care, Gasteria will delight with a fan of beautiful leaves, bringing comfort and beauty to the house.

Brief rules for growing gastria

The table shows brief rules for caring for gastria at home.

Home Gasteria Care

Lighting

Due to its unpretentiousness, this succulent can grow in almost any conditions. And although Gasteria develops well in partial shade, bright places are more suitable for it in summer. But the plant should not be exposed to direct sun. During this period, you can keep a flower pot on the east or west side of the house. The northern side will allow Gasteria to develop only foliage, but peduncles in such conditions will not appear on it.

In the warm season, plants can be taken out into the air. The main thing is to find a place for them, sheltered from the cold draft, the scorching sun or heavy rainfall. If the pot is left at home, the room where it stands is often ventilated.

Beginning in autumn, Gasteria can cease to be protected from bright light. If the pot with her was already in partial shade, you can arrange additional lighting for the flower. In this case, the lamps should be placed about 30-50 cm from the plant. The bushes will be enough for about 8 hours of normal lighting or 16 hours of artificial.

Temperature

For gastria, a moderately high temperature is suitable - 20-25 degrees. In winter, when the outlet is resting, the temperature can be reduced even more - up to 10-15 degrees. Such conditions will allow gastria to lay flower stalks and then bloom longer. Without the presence of a temperature difference, most likely, flowers will not appear. If Gasteria wintered in a warm (above 15 degrees) room, the inflorescences on it may begin to dry out.

During the wintering period, the flower pot must be kept away from the batteries. He can stand near a cold window, but you should not expose Gasteria to frosty drafts.

Watering

From the beginning of spring to autumn, Gasteria is watered systematically, but in moderation, doing this only after the soil in the pot has time to dry out. Excessive soil moisture and stagnant liquid can have a bad effect on the health of a flower - after all, it stores the necessary reserves of water in its leaves.

In autumn and winter, during the dormant period, watering is minimized. It is especially important to monitor this condition if the bush is kept cool (below 12 degrees). If Gasteria winters in a warm place, you can water it about once a month.

Humidity level

Like most succulents, Gasteria calmly tolerates the dry air typical of apartments and does not need spraying or wiping the foliage. From time to time, you can just gently wipe off the dust from it.

The soil

For planting gastteria, soil is required that is well permeable to moisture and air. Its reaction should be neutral or slightly acidic. You can use a versatile succulent or cactus substrate, or mix leafy soil with peat and sand (4: 2: 1) by adding brick debris to the mix.

Top dressing

From late spring to autumn, when Gasteria develops most rapidly, it requires periodic feeding. They are held about once every couple of weeks. You can use special formulations for succulents or cacti, using them in a slightly lower dosage. You can use other fertilizers containing a minimum of nitrogen. An excess of this element can lead to diseases of the root system. Before the start of cold wintering, feeding is gradually stopped until the next season.

Transfer

Gasteria should be transplanted into a new container every 1-2 years. This is done in spring or summer. The sockets that have overgrown their pot are transferred into a larger container, simultaneously separating the children that have appeared. They can be used for breeding. A pot that is too large and spacious is not required for Gasteria - it will grow better in small cramped conditions. At the same time, a drainage layer is necessarily laid on the bottom.

Bloom

If Gasteria is properly cared for and enough light enters the outlet, peduncles form on it in spring or summer. The flowers located on them resemble fancy bells. Their color is usually pink or red, and the average length is only a couple of centimeters. In this case, the size of the peduncle can reach up to 1 meter. The inflorescence includes up to fifty flowers, which look very unusual and spectacular.

After the formation of the peduncle, it is not recommended to disturb the pot with Gasteria. It is also advisable to protect the flower from strong temperature fluctuations.

If there is no need to obtain seeds, after the flowers wither, the peduncles are cut off so that the rosette does not expend energy on the formation of the ovary.

Breeding methods for gastria

Growing from seeds

Gasteria can be propagated both with the help of children and through seeds. In order to get seeds for sure, it is necessary to carry out an artificial pollination procedure. To do this, gently shake the peduncle so that the pollen gets on the stigmas. If during the flowering period the bush is on the street, insects can contribute to the pollination process. Ripening of seeds occurs closer to the second half of summer - 2-3 months after pollination.

Interestingly, Gasteria can be pollinated with some varieties of aloe and haworthia. These plants are considered related and are capable of forming interesting hybrids.

Seeds are sown on moist soil and covered with foil. It is regularly removed for ventilation, and the soil is moistened with a spray gun as it dries. Gasteria seed shoots appear only a couple of months after sowing. When the sprouts get stronger, they dive into permanent containers.

The main disadvantage of seed reproduction is the long development period of seedlings. The easiest way to get a new copy of a succulent is by separating the daughter sockets from it. This procedure is combined with a transplant - in spring and summer, children take root much better.

Reproduction with the help of children

The separated outlets should be air-dried a little, and then placed in a soil suitable for the plant. When a young rosette takes root in a new place, it is watered a little more often than usual. Such plants have slow growth rates, but with proper care, they bloom for about 2-3 years of cultivation.

In addition to daughter rosettes, leaf cuttings can also be used to get new bushes. After cutting, they are dried for about a couple of days and then planted in suitable soil without watering. Watering begins only 3 or 4 weeks after planting.

Diseases and pests

Gasteria, which is well looked after, most often does not create any problems for the owner. Difficulties with a flower begin only in unsuitable conditions for it.

• If the flower is watered too often, the soil in the pot begins to turn sour. This leads to root diseases as well as the development of fungal or bacterial infections. In addition, excess moisture can cause loss of color and elasticity of the leaf blades.
• Insufficient watering during the warm season also affects the color of the leaves - they turn pale, become covered with dry spots and become less attractive.
• In too bright sun, leaf blades can get burned or turn brown. Lack of light leads to the elongation of the outlet.
• Drying of the buds can be caused by a violation of the watering schedule.
• The foliage may turn yellow due to excess nutrients.
• If the leaves are covered with soft brown spots, a bacterial infection may be the cause.

Weakened Gasteria can be affected by mealybugs, aphids, scale insects and some other similar pests. They are fought with the help of folk remedies (soap or alcohol solution), but large lesions will require the use of insecticides.

If the aerial part of the gastria has died for any reason, you should not immediately throw the flower away. Its root system can still be alive. Dry leaves are removed and the care of the plant is tried to normalize. Perhaps after that it will form fresh foliage.

Types of gastria with photos and names

Gasteria verrucosa

A perennial plant devoid of a stem, forming a basal rosette with many children. The oblong-lingual foliage of Gasteria verrucosa reaches 20 cm in length. The plates have a hard sharp tip and are covered with small light growths.

A raceme inflorescence forms in the axil of the upper leaf of the rosette. Its height is 40-80 cm. The size of slightly drooping flowers reaches 2.5 cm. Their perianths have the shape of a cylinder with a slight swelling near the attachment to the pedicel. Coloring includes shades of red and pink, while the edges of the fused lobes have a green tint.

Gasteria maculata

The species has a short stem on which triangular leaves are located. In Gasteria maculata, their size is about 18 cm and a width of 4-5 cm. There is a thorn at the top of each leaf. The surface of the leaf blades is covered with blurred spots of various sizes, there are no warts on it. The foliage is arranged in 2 rows in a spiral. Each leaf is quite dense and slightly convex. Funnel-shaped red flowers form small racemes. Each flower has a green border around the edges.

Gasteria carinata

Stemless species. Gasteria carinata is distinguished by foliage, on the seamy side of which there is a beveled and rather sharp keel. It is to him that the species owes its name. The length of the leaf is about 14 cm and the width is about 6 cm. The leaves in the rosette are arranged in a spiral. Their color includes a brownish green background and light specks. The keel and edge of the leaf are covered with rough warts.

Gasteria tiny (Gasteria liliputana)

The rosettes of this compact stemless species are only 10 cm across. Gasteria liliputana forms a series of shoots extending directly from the root. The foliage has a lanceolate shape, its length reaches 6 cm. The glossy leaves are painted in a deep green color and are decorated with light specks. The size of the peduncle reaches 30 cm. The flowers are miniature - only up to 1.5 cm long. Their upper part is colored green, and the lower one is pink.

Gasteria saber (Gasteria acinacifolia)

The foliage of this species develops directly from the root and forms a fairly large rosette. The leaf blades of Gasteria acinacifolia reach 30 cm in length, and their width reaches 7 cm. There are large light dots on the shiny surface of the foliage, while the background of the leaf itself is green. The leaves are arranged in a ribbon. The peduncles of the species reach a meter in height, they have brightly colored scarlet flowers about 5 cm long.

Gasteria armstrongii

An original look that forms a tiny rosette. The leaves of Gasteria armstrongii are only 3 cm long. Their rather strong and hard surface is covered with small dull wrinkles and warty growths. Another feature of such gastria is the different arrangement of its foliage. While the rosette is young, it develops vertically, but then the foliage begins to change its position to horizontal, superimposing fresh leaf blades on the old ones.The peduncle of this species is covered with rare small flowers, painted in orange-pink color. Flowering begins at an earlier age than other varieties.

Gasteria bicolor (Gasteria bicolor)

The rosette height of Gasteria bicolor reaches 30 cm. It is considered the most developed of all species. The outlet includes tongue-like foliage with uneven ribs. Each leaf can be up to 20 cm long and about 4.5 cm wide. The foliage is arranged vertically at a slight angle. The main background of the leaf plates is green; on top they are covered with numerous light specks of various sizes. They are located both on the outside of the sheet and on the seamy side.

Sod Gasteria (Gasteria caespitosa)

The foliage of Gasteria caespitosa is arranged in transverse rows. The length of the plates is about 12 cm, the width reaches only 2 cm. This species is devoid of a stem. Its slightly convex foliage has a dark green color and light green spots, located over the entire surface of the plate. During the flowering period, peduncles with flowers up to 2 cm long are formed on the rosettes. They are red or pink in color.

Whitish Gasteria (Gasteria candicans)

Leaf plates of this kind are shaped like a sword and assembled into a large rosette. In Gasteria candicans, the length of the leaves is about 30 cm, and their width is about 7 cm. The meter-tall flower stalks branch slightly. They have deep red flowers on them.

Gasteria marble (Gasteria marmorata)

The root rosette of Gasteria marmorata is made up of long and wide foliage of a spectacular marble color. There are light silvery specks on the green background of the leaf blades.

Gasteria trihedral (Gasteria trigona)

The foliage in the Gasteria trigona rosette is arranged in two rows. The length of the plates reaches 20 cm, and the width reaches 4 cm. On the tops of the leaves there are sharp spines up to 3 mm long. The surface of the gray-green leaves is covered with elongated pale green specks. The edges of the leaves are supplemented with gristly denticles, which have a lighter color.