A huge variety of bright and beautiful representatives among flowers differs not only in their appearance, but also in their names. For example, the streptocarpus, which literally means "twisted box", which has recently pressed its neighbors, Saintpaulias and violets, on the windowsill. With this name, the plant will be distinguished by its mesmerizing and bright appearance, especially during the flowering period, when you can see magnificent bunches of flowers of very diverse colors on the peduncles.
Streptocarpus belongs to the Gesneriev family (as well as chrazotemis, episis, hirita and cytandra). This flower grows in tropical and subtropical climates - South Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Thailand. The plant prefers bright or slightly diffused lighting and is notable for its multiple flowering every year.
The temperature of the content in the winter period should vary within 15-17 degrees, and in the spring-autumn period - 20-25 degrees. Moderate watering is preferred during the warm season and minimal in winter. Spraying the plant is undesirable, however, the humidity in the room where this flower is kept must be high enough. Top dressing must be carried out every 7-10 days, the transplant is carried out in the spring. Reproduction of streptocarpus is carried out by dividing, planting seeds, or using cuttings. The flowering of the plant is lush and long, sometimes reaching a whole six months.
Streptocarpus: home care
With such exhaustive features, streptocarpus sometimes does not give the desired results in the form of its excellent flowering. What are the subtleties of the content of this exotic flower?
Watering the plant should be carried out regularly, not exceeding the flower rate, however, it is strictly not recommended to overdry the soil. With a lack of moisture, the leaves can become lethargic, losing their elasticity. Frequent inspections of the plant should be carried out, thereby controlling the supply of moisture, which the streptocarpus is very fond of. Water for irrigation is pre-defended to a temperature slightly higher than room temperature.
The soil. Streptocarpus and violets belong to the same family, therefore the choice of soil for flowers may be the same. However, when planting, it is desirable to produce a mixture based on high-moor peat (in order to avoid confusion, you should pay attention to its shade of "rust") and soil for violets (the main property of which is lightness and porosity). The ratio of such a mixture should be 2 to 1. Unfortunately, this mixture can also be distinguished by its fast drying. At the same time, it is recommended to carefully place the plant on the wick irrigation method, in which the presence of cold is excluded - the root system may begin to rot.
Moistening and spraying. A special subtlety is air humidification, which should be high enough while preventing moisture from entering the plant leaves. There is a way out of this situation. Streptocarpus needs spraying, but it should be shallow and exclude the presence of direct sunlight. Given the tropical origin of the flower, it is also recommended to rinse it a little under running water. After this procedure, it is dried in the shade.
Temperature. At a sufficiently high temperature of the content and accelerated drying of the soil, this plant also needs a sufficiently intensive air circulation. In this case, the exceptional feature of streptocarpus will help - the absence of fear of drafts. The flower grows remarkably near open windows with intensive ventilation, or in cool shaded places (naturally, low temperatures and frosty air will be an exception). Under appropriate conditions, during the summer, the plant can be kept outdoors.
Streptocarpus needs abundant and diffused light, it is better to avoid direct sunlight - the plant can be burned, or the leaves can dry and yellow. Its most preferable placement is in the east or west sides of the apartment.
Top dressing of streptocarpus. Feeding the flower is done every one and a half to two weeks, using fertilizer for flowering plants. The main tasks of feeding:
- Increased plant growth rate
- Acceleration of the approaching flowering period
- Strengthening the immune system of the flower, and therefore protecting it from parasites and diseases
Fertilizing streptocarpus, like watering, should be sensitive and careful. Dilution with water is carried out not according to the instructions, but half as much, thus overfeeding the plant can be avoided.
Reproduction and transplantation. Streptocarpus tolerates transplantation processes very favorably, but this must be done only as it grows. When too many leaves appear, they are transplanted, while watering the plant for a month - not in a pan, but along the edge of the pot.
Reproduction of streptocarpus - the process is lengthy. The most reliable methods of plant propagation are cuttings and dividing the bush. And in experimental attempts to breed new varieties of this flower, distinguished by unpredictable colors, seeds are used. The peculiarity of streptocarpus also lies in the fact that the faster the stage of flowering of the daughter sprout comes, the more willingly this variety will bloom as an adult, mature plant.
