Streptocarpus is a herbaceous, flowering plant. It is not easy to grow it in an apartment, but it is even more difficult to propagate it at home, since the plant is capricious, requiring some care.
Streptocarpus propagates by seeds or cuttings. The seeds are not buried in the ground so that they do not dry out, only they are covered with glass or film on top. For example, Wendland's streptocarpus reproduces only by seeds. The method of leaf grafting is the same as the grafting of gloxinia, saintpaulia. For leaf cuttings, it is important not to be mistaken with leaf age. Too young will still gain strength, and too old can wither. During leaf propagation, adventitious buds are formed, they appear outside the leaf axils in illegal places.
Unlike, for example, Saintpaulia, where planting is a whole leaf, in streptocarpus, the leaf is cut along the central vein. The longitudinal center vein is cut out and discarded. Leave two leaf plates at least five centimeters in size, and about six longitudinal veins. This is done for the sake of better survival, since a growth point can form on each of the six longitudinal veins. A leaf fragment can be dipped in water to give a root, but can be immediately rooted in the ground.
The second option is more reliable, since the leaf can rot in the water. The cuttings are immersed with their lower end into the soil to a depth of 1-2 centimeters.
It is better not to use ordinary land. It is better if it is a special rooting substrate, as a rule, it consists of a mixture of sand and peat in equal amounts. If land is taken, then the best option would be soil for growing violets.
Before planting, the leaves can be treated with a growth stimulant, but the main thing is not to overdo it. Better if dipped in a solution, dried, and then planted. A growth stimulant helps to form roots faster, it has no other function.
An important point is humidity, since the leaf itself cannot extract water from the soil, you can create constant moisture by building a small greenhouse. To do this, put a plastic bag on the pot where the plant is planted and tie it tightly. Usually, the moisture that remains in the bag is enough for rooting, so that the bag cannot be removed for about a month. If you have to remove it, then only to remove excess moisture, which condenses on the walls of the bag. You can change the package, or you can turn it out the other side and put it on again. If, after all, the earth is dry, then do not pour water from a watering can, but simply spray a little moisture, this will be enough. You don't need a lot of moisture for rooting.
For pots, choose a well-lit place. At the same time, bright sunlight can destroy the cuttings, due to the high temperature, spots may appear on the plant. Diffused light, which should be abundant, is best suited for rooting. A good result is obtained by artificial illumination, the light that can be adjusted.
Planting dates depend on the condition of the plant from which the planting material will be taken. The best result is obtained by a plant that is in the growing stage, and at the same time already at the stage of stopping. For streptocarpus, this will be the spring season.It is also important to consider that the temperature of the room where the plant germinates should be at least 20-25 degrees, which is not always possible to create in winter. The plant is often killed by bacteria in the soil. To prevent the cuttings from dying, you need to spray it with a foundationol solution once a week. Copper-based fungicides should not be used, as copper has a bad effect on rooting.
Cuttings of streptocarpus take root for a long time, it happens that stay in the greenhouse lasts up to two months. Ideally, if a leaf plate with six veins was planted, then six shoots are obtained, but more often a maximum of four shoots germinate. The entire growing period must be strictly monitored so that the plant does not rot, does not dry out, that is, monitor the soil moisture. If the plant is located far from the heating system, and the earthy clod does not dry out quickly, then water it about once a week. Watering should not be carried out at the root, but moisten the soil in a pot along the edges. Even an adult plant is watered either through a tray or along the edge of a pot.
Streptocarpus sprout has two unequal leaves. It is necessary to plant when the larger leaf has a length of two to three centimeters. The root system of streptocarpus develops very quickly, therefore, it is either transplanted in two steps, or planted immediately in a larger pot. If initially there is a lot of land, and the roots are still small, make sure that the earth does not sour from an excess of moisture. The next transplant can be carried out only after flowering.
Streptocarpus grown from its own planting material is more resistant to diseases, as well as to various conditions of detention, than imported from another country.
I learned a lot of useful information for myself - available information. Thank you.
I learned a lot of useful things here. Thank you.
Yeah, it says how to cut a leaf, how to plant it. Cut lengthwise, but in the pictures there is a complete contradiction. All leaves are cut across.