Sinningia

Sinningia (Sinningia) is a perennial flower from the Gesneriev family. In nature, it lives in South America, preferring wet rocky corners. There are over 70 forms of such a flower, differing in a variety of appearance. As a rule, this particular plant in home floriculture is known under the name "gloxinia" - this is how the first type of synningia introduced into culture was called.

Description of sinningia

Unlike underground shoots-rhizomes of real gloxinia, the roots of synningia are a large tuber, which grows in size every year. Quite thick stems, painted green or reddish, branch off from it. On them are rich green oval leaves with velvety pubescence. Sinningia flowers can be shaped like a bell, pipe or bowl. Each of them is located on a rather long peduncle. The color of the flowers can be quite rich and include different tones and color combinations.

The growth rate of the plant is quite intense. Even seed-grown sinningia can bloom in the same season. The flowering period usually lasts from late spring to early autumn. Growing synningia at home is not particularly difficult, but still requires adherence to certain rules.

Brief rules for growing sinningia

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

Synningia care at home

Lighting

Sinningia loves light, but is afraid of the scorching sun. For its placement, east or west windows, or slightly shaded south windows are suitable. Especially bright lighting is usually required for seedlings or seedlings only forming a root system.

Temperature

In summer, thermophilic synningia will be satisfied with a temperature of about 22-25 degrees. But after the onset of the dormant period, the pot with the tuber must be transferred to a dark and cool room, where it is kept no more than 12-15 degrees. Only such conditions will allow the flower to fully rest and gain strength before the new season.

Watering mode

In summer, the synningia should be watered twice a week. The soil is moistened carefully, taking care not to get water on the flowers and foliage of the plant. For convenience, you can use a watering can with a thin spout. Another watering method is bottom. In this case, the container with the flower is immersed in water for about 10 minutes. Moisture is absorbed through the drain holes.

Beginning in autumn, watering is gradually reduced. The tuber should spend winter in dry soil, peat or sawdust.

Humidity level

Sinningia flower prefers high humidity, but it should not be sprayed in the usual way. Moisture on the fluffy leaves and buds of the plant can stain them. Instead of a spray, it is better to use open containers of water or put the flower on a tray with damp pebbles. You can keep the pot close to the aquarium.

Capacity selection

The size of the sinningia pot is directly related to the size of its root system. Small tubers can be planted in small pots about 10 cm in diameter. Larger ones will also need an appropriate pot. But immediately planting a small plant in a spacious container is not worth it. In this case, the entire strength of the tuber will go to the formation of leaves, and not to flowering.

The soil

Sinningia is suitable for any light soil in which water will not stagnate. For self-preparation, take leafy soil, peat, as well as coarse sand or perlite. They are mixed in a ratio of 3: 3: 2.

Top dressing

It is necessary to fertilize synningia only during active growth - from April to October. For top dressing, you should use liquid formulations containing more potassium and phosphorus and less nitrogen. They are applied every 15-20 days.

Transfer

Small synningia grown from seed or leaf cuttings will need several replants per year. This is due to the active rates of their growth and tuber formation. The formed plants are moved to fresh soil less often - every spring.

When transplanting, it is important not to completely bury the tuber in the soil. It should rise above the ground by at least one third.

Pruning

The shape of the synningia bush does not require pruning. From time to time, plants are simply cleaned of wilted leaves or flowers. In autumn, when the green part of the bush dries up, it is cut off, leaving only a small stump no more than 2 cm in size.

Bloom

Adult indoor synningia begins to bloom in late spring and finishes closer to autumn. During this period, long, often slightly drooping peduncles are formed on the bush. They have large single flowers with petals of the most varied colors. The widest palette of shades is presented in hybrid forms. It includes white, yellow, pink, red, lilac and some other colors.

Some of these plants sold in stores are hybrids bred only for the sake of lush seasonal flowering. Such bushes do not survive a dormant period, but there are also many hybrid synningia that can adapt to home conditions and resume their growth every year, as befits. Many hybrid varieties are grouped according to the shape or color of the flowers.

Dormant period

Sinningia rest begins in autumn and lasts up to 4 months.When the plant fades, its shoots begin to dry out, and part of the roots also dries up - all the nutrients from them go to the tuber. For the wintering period, it is left in a pot or transferred to a bag with sand or sawdust. During this period, the plant will need darkness and coolness. Sinningia will rest until early spring. At this time, fresh buds begin to wake up on the tuber.

If the plant has bloomed, but the foliage does not dry out, they stop watering it and transfer it to the cool. This should activate the rest mode. If the tubers dry up during storage, they can be lightly sprayed with water to restore balance. Dried tubers can be wrapped in a damp cloth in spring. In a couple of days, their shape should be restored.

Synningia breeding methods

Growing from seeds

Sinningia reproduces in several ways. The first one is seed. Small seeds of the plant can be collected by yourself by dusting the flowers, or purchased at the store. In spring, they are sown on the surface of wet soil and covered with foil to create greenhouse conditions. In a warm (about +21) seedlings appear in a couple of weeks. When the seedlings grow up, they can be cut into small pots. Sometimes such plants pre-dive several times in a common container to stimulate the development of roots.

Propagation by leaf cuttings

Another simple and common breeding method is leaf cuttings. In summer, a healthy leaf is cut off from an adult plant, placed in water or planted in moist soil. Several plants can be obtained from one large leaf with proper separation. Each such seedling forms a small tuber and roots in a month, after which it can be moved into its own container.

Tuber division

The large adult synningia tubers can be subdivided. In addition, sometimes easily detachable babies are formed on them. Division begins at the very end of the dormant period, before sprouts appear on the tubers. The procedure can be combined with a transplant. Each of the split parts must have its own bud, from which the shoot will then develop. All sections must be processed with crushed coal. Delenki are seated in their own pots and left without watering for several days. After that, they are looked after according to the general principle.

Diseases and pests

Sinningia is considered a fairly undemanding flower, but some mistakes in caring for it can destroy the plant. Among the most common problems:

• Falling buds - most often caused by plant stress due to a sharp drop in humidity or temperature changes. When airing the room, the sinning should be protected from cold drafts and, if necessary, removed further from the window. The moisture level is monitored using wet pebbles on a wide pallet.
• Pulling stems and shrinking foliage - talk about a lack of light. Sinningia needs to be moved to a lighter corner.
• Pale foliage - usually associated with a lack of nutrients. The bush should be fed.
• Twisting the foliage - a sign of excessive lighting. Sinningia must be shaded from the direct sun.
• Brown spots on the leaves - appear after the flower was watered with too cold water or it was in a draft. For irrigation, you must use water at room temperature.
• Yellowing of leaves - often speaks of excess moisture in the soil. This can lead to rotting of the stems and tubers, so the irrigation schedule must be corrected, and if necessary, the plant must be moved to fresh soil.
• Rotting stems or flowers - caused by a combination of low temperature and high humidity. If such conditions are not corrected, the flower may die. Due to the plant's susceptibility to putrefactive processes, it is very important to follow the watering rules and monitor the quality of the soil in which the synningia grows.
• Petal spots - a consequence of the ingress of water droplets on them during spraying or watering.To avoid this, the plant should be watered more carefully, and spraying should be carried out only near the plant, without directing the stream to the foliage.

Sometimes pests can appear on synningia - mites, whiteflies, mealybugs or thrips. To combat them, insecticides are used.