Tydea

The tydea plant (Tydaea) is a representative of the Gesneriev family. In its natural environment, it can be found in the South American tropics. Brazil is considered the birthplace of the flower.

There is no consensus about the place of Tidea in the Gesneriev family. The modern classification does not distinguish Tydea into a separate genus, referring it to the Colerius genus. Tydea differs from other types of coleria in the presence of a purple color of flowers. The same plant is sometimes found under the name of isoloma. Usually, this is the designation for species that do not go into hibernation and remain green all year round. Today all these names are considered to be synonyms.

At the same time, individual varieties of synningia, which have a flower shape characteristic of thea, continue to be called tedeas. But even with a difference in structure, the care of all these plants is practically the same, therefore, for growing at home, the “pedigree” of a particular flower does not play a key role.

Often, theidea is "defined" by its external features. So it differs from indoor gloxinia in smaller flowers that have a characteristic notch on top and a bulge on the bottom. But these plants can also be distinguished by the nature of the root system. So the rhizome of tidea-koleria has an oblong scaly surface. Tydea sinningia develops from a tuber.

There are a number of beliefs associated with this idea. The flower is credited with a strong energy that attracts happiness, peace and prosperity to the house.

Description of theidea

Tydeas are grasses or shrubs. Their maximum height usually does not exceed half a meter, although in the shade, representatives of the genus can stretch out. There are also shorter species with a height of just over 10 cm. The rhizome of the tidea is a scaly rhizome - a modified shoot. Young stems of this plant remain upright, but as they develop, they become heavy and begin to slope downward. This allows such bushes to be used as ampelous crops.

Tidea foliage can form a rosette. The leaves are oblong, ovoid and have long petioles. As it approaches the apex, each plate sharpens slightly, and has waves or small blunt teeth at the edges. The leaves are painted in a rich shade of green, and on top are covered with a short fluff, creating the effect of a velvety surface. Light or slightly reddish veins serve as an additional decoration for such leaves. Each sheet can be up to 10 cm long and about 3 cm wide.

Tydea flowers have some similarities with another representative of the family - gloxinia (synningia), but these plants still have a number of differences. The main one is the smaller size of the tedea flowers. In shape, they resemble a slightly drooping bell, slightly depressed from above and convex from below.Because of such outlines, its flowers are sometimes called "shoes". Their corolla is conventionally divided into 5 lobes, sometimes overlapping each other. The main color palette of flowers most often includes tones of pink and purple. At the same time, from the inside, the corolla can be painted in a lighter or darker shade. Sometimes it is white with small bright specks. Modern breeding has produced flowers in other colors, including white, orange and cream.

Another notable property of the tedea is its more abundant flowering. The buds open on its bush gradually throughout the entire period of growth. At the same time, on one theme, there can be about fifty delicate flowers at the same time.

Brief rules for growing tidea

The table provides a summary of the rules for caring for this at home.

Taking care of the idea at home

Compared to caring for the more demanding members of the same family, growing thisa shouldn't be too difficult. This flower does not have a very high rate of development, and sometimes it may not have a pronounced dormant period. The main task of a florist when caring for thisa at home is to periodically rejuvenate a gradually stretching plant.

Illumination

Tydea loves the sun, but you should not expose her bush to direct rays. East or west windows are ideal for the plant. In southern afternoons, the flower will have to be shaded. Usually for this they use translucent curtains, additional gauze curtains or screens made of thin, slightly translucent paper - tracing paper. You should not use thicker paper sheets or blinds: they will shade the plant too much, and the stems of the tidea will begin to follow the sun. For the same reason, you should not keep flower pots on the north windows. If there is no other place for the bush, you will have to apply lighting. Otherwise, the plant will begin to lengthen the shoots and lose its attractive appearance. Lack of light will also have a negative effect on the flowering of the tidea.

Temperature

This flower is satisfied with indoor conditions. In spring and summer, thidea grows best in a room where it stays around 22-25 degrees. By the middle of autumn, the temperature can be slightly reduced, but the tedea does not tolerate the cold well. In winter, the room should not be colder than 15 degrees. The plant should be protected from drafts. Airing has a positive effect on the health of the tedea, but you should not put the pot with it in the path of the air flow.

Watering mode

They use soft and lukewarm water for watering. River or rainwater is ideal. In winter, melted snow can be used for this, pre-warming it to room temperature.Distilled water will do as well. Ordinary water for irrigation is recommended to be filtered, boiled or left to stand for about 2 days.

Thidea should also be watered carefully, taking care not to get water onto the aerial part of the plant. For a flower, bottom watering is often used. The pan of the pot is filled with water so that the soil inside can absorb it. After about 20 minutes, excess water is poured out of the pan so that the earth does not become waterlogged. During the flowering period, it usually takes about 3 days between waterings. During this period, the top layer of soil in the tank should have time to dry out.

In the fall, watering is gradually reduced, reducing their number to once a week. If in winter the plant has completely passed into a dormant period, and its foliage has dried up, such a tydea should be placed in a cool room, where it can overwinter almost without watering. But the soil lump during this period should not dry out completely.

Humidity level

Thidea prefers high humidity, but its fluffy leaves should not be sprayed in the usual way. Drops of moisture should not fall on its flowers. To humidify the air next to the plant, you can use only a fine spray, being careful not to direct it at the bush itself. Drops of moisture on foliage can lead to light streaks, brown spots, and in the worst case, even to the development of rot.

In addition to spraying tidea, you can use other methods to increase moisture. To do this, a pot with a plant can be placed on a large pallet, at the bottom of which wet pebbles, expanded clay, moss or even sand are placed. Any material capable of retaining moisture will do, but the bottom of the pot with water in the pan should not come into contact with it. In addition, open containers of water can be placed next to the plant, a pot can be placed near the aquarium, or a humidifier can be used.

In winter, when the air in the room is significantly dried out by batteries, you should keep the flower away from them. If there is nowhere to reposition this, the battery can be periodically covered with a damp cloth.

If the dormant period begins in the winter, and its aerial part has dried up, it is not necessary to humidify the air near the plant until spring.

The soil

For growing tidea, a light, breathable soil that has a slightly acidic reaction is suitable. You can use a universal substrate for violets. If you prepare the soil for the flower yourself, you can use a mixture of a double part of leafy earth with peat, humus, river sand or perlite. You can add some charcoal or bone meal to the mixture to improve the quality of the soil.

Top dressing

Thidea should be fed during the period of its active development - from mid-spring to September. Fertilizers for a flower are dissolved in water and applied simultaneously with watering once every couple of weeks. For tidea, ordinary complex formulations or feeding for violets or orchids are suitable. But they should be introduced in a dosage halved. Small nutrient deficiencies are more tolerated by Thidea than an overabundance of them.

Regardless of whether the tedea leaves for winter "rest", it is not worth feeding it during this period. If the flower has fallen asleep, feeding can adversely affect its regime, which may cause problems with flowering in the new season. If the plant remains green, the stimulation of growth together with the lack of light can lead to overstretching during the winter months. Such a bush will have to be cut in the spring in order to return it to its former attractiveness.

Tidea, who had a rest in winter, manage to accumulate more energy for growth than specimens that did not leave for a dormant period. Because of this feature, "slept" plants will need less feeding in the next season.

Transfer

Due to its slow growth, the tedea is transplanted infrequently - about once every 2 or 3 years. It is necessary to increase the flower pot only if its roots have increased too much in size.The growing container must have holes in the bottom. A drainage layer up to 3 cm thick is also additionally laid at the bottom of the pot. This will allow the soil to be kept wet longer, and will also allow excess moisture to leave the pot in a timely manner. Tidea roots tend to grow to the sides, and it can be grown in a fairly wide, but shallow pot. But too large containers should not be used.

In order not to damage the roots of the plant, the transplant must be carried out by the transshipment method. The exception is adult bushes, the rhizomes of which are going to be divided, or diseased specimens. In this case, the roots of the flower will have to be completely removed from the ground, trying to do this as carefully as possible.

Pruning

If the tydea is elongated, in the spring the shoots that have lost their appearance are shortened to stimulate the development of lateral stems. This will help return the decorative look to the bush. The resulting segments can be used as cuttings.

In spring and summer, tydea must be promptly cleaned of dried leaves and wilting flowers.

Bloom

At home, tydea begins to bloom from spring to autumn. During flowering, you can admire the small bell-shaped flowers of a purple or pink hue.

Dormant period

The dormant period does not occur in all types of thedea, but usually occurs in the winter. At this time, the rosette of the plant dries up completely, and it is cut off, leaving only a small stump about 1 cm in height. In the spring, the rested root is moved to fresh soil, after which the plant resumes growth and forms a new rosette.

In some cases, in winter, tydea does not retire and continues to develop. But due to the lack of daylight hours, such a plant can stretch significantly and lose its decorative effect. To avoid this, the plant should be watered a little less often, and the fertilizing should be temporarily stopped.

Breeding methods of thedea

For reproduction of tidea, you can use its seeds, cuttings, as well as methods of dividing a bush or rhizome.

Growing from seeds

Seed propagation is carried out in winter. Sowing is carried out in January or February. Seeds are scattered on the surface of moist soil, which is a mixture of leafy earth with sand. The seeds are not buried. Crops are covered with glass or foil. The shelter is briefly removed daily for ventilation. In a warm place, seedlings should appear in a few weeks. Once the sprouts have formed at least a couple of true leaves, they can be distributed to individual pots. To form a more compact and lush bush, pinch the tops of large grown seedlings.

Cuttings

The tops of the shoots are usually used for grafting tidea. They are cut in the spring or fall, and it is believed that plants rooted in the fall months are more lush. The separated cuttings are placed in water, roots appear on them in a couple of weeks. When the size of the roots reaches at least 1 cm, they are planted in light nutritious soil, 2 pieces per pot to create a more lush bush. It is believed that tydea can be propagated by rooting a peduncle or leaf. They are also placed in water until roots or tuberous growths appear.

Reproduction by dividing the rhizome

Thidea can be propagated by dividing the rhizome. This procedure is carried out in the spring, during transplantation. Long scaly rhizomes are cut into pieces of 3 cm or more, each of which should have shoots and roots. The slices are treated with charcoal powder, dried a little, and then the resulting slices are seated in separate pots. The landings should be deepened no deeper than a couple of centimeters. In warm and moist soil, such parts of the rhizomes will quickly grow. Until shoots appear, water the soil sparingly. Plants obtained in this way bloom in the first year.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

You can also share the bush of an adult plant. This is also done in the spring.Each part should have one or more of its own shoots and roots. Too small parts should not be separated - they take root worse than large ones. The divided parts of the bush are distributed in different pots.

Reproduction by dividing the tuber

Due to the fact that theideas are sometimes called synningia with similar flower shapes, such plants do not have a rhizome, but a tuber. The division of the tuber is practiced only on adult, very overgrown bushes. Usually this process is combined with plant transplantation. A large tuber is cut into several parts. Each of them must have its own roots and at least one growth point. The slices are sprinkled with crushed coal. The resulting cuttings are planted in separate pots with a light and fertile substrate suitable for the flower.

Until the divisions take root in a new place and begin to develop further, they should be kept in partial shade. This usually takes about a week. Thereafter, they are treated as normal ideas.

Diseases and pests

Aphids, spider mites, thrips or mealybugs are considered the main pests of tydea. You can get rid of them with the help of appropriate insecticides, carrying out treatments according to the instructions. Usually, the fight procedure is carried out in several stages with a break of a couple of weeks. Most often, such insects appear on weakened plants, therefore, to prevent their appearance, the rules for caring for thisa should be observed, as well as systematically inspect its bushes.

Most often, tydea can be affected by powdery rot. This disease develops if the plant is kept in a damp but cold room. The affected parts of the flower will have to be removed, and the remaining ones should be treated with a fungicidal preparation. After these procedures, it is necessary to create more favorable conditions for the plant.

Tidea can signal care errors as follows:

• Lack of flowering - may be caused by a lack of light or nutrients. Such a plant should be rearranged or artificially illuminated, or fertilized. The lack of buds can also be caused by improper maintenance during the dormant period.
• Flower shoots can stretch out due to lack of light. In this case, it is better to rearrange the pot with it to another place or use additional lighting.
• Curling or yellowing of foliage - usually associated with excessively dry air or glare. The bush should be removed from the sun and try to humidify the air next to it more often. Leaves can also turn yellow from an excess of nutrients. In this case, the following dressings should be applied at a reduced concentration or for a while take a break with the addition of additives.
• Leaves may fall off - the flower is standing in a draft or in a room that is too cold.
• Brown spots on the leaf blades - appear if the flower is watered with too cold water and kept in a cool room. Also, small spots on the leaves may appear after water drops on them.

Types and varieties of tidea with photos and names

All types of tidea are conventionally divided into three main forms:

Mini

Miniature and compact designs that take up little window space. With a modest size of the bush, the length of their flowers can reach 6 cm. The color of the corolla can be quite varied, there are two-color or almost black varieties, as well as specimens with double flowers.

Standard

Larger tydea bushes, the size of the flowers of which remains the same (up to 6 cm). Corolla color is presented in an equally wide range of shades and combinations. This group of tydeas can also have double flowers, but at the same time it is distinguished by the greatest unpretentiousness.

Multibells

Tidea group with particularly compact rosettes and very large (up to 10 cm) flowers. The corolla of such flowers opens very wide, and its petals have a serrated edge. Despite the impressive size, the flowers of this typea have fewer colors, and double forms are especially rare among them.