Gloxinia flowers - home care

Gloxinia flower is a tropical tuberous plant with a velvety bloom in the form of a white, purple or pink bell. Stems are short, diverge into umbellate inflorescences on individual pedicels. The plant looks bright and impressive, it will be an excellent decor for interior and landscape design.

Gloxinia (gloxinia) is a herbaceous perennial with stemless or short-stemmed fleshy shoots up to 25 cm in height, 20 cm in length. The leaves are large, deep green in color, terry to the touch, their shape is regular oval. The flowers are large (8-12 cm in diameter), domed, velvety. The edges of the petals are corrugated, down.

How to care for gloxinia at home

Soil and pot selection

The culture is demanding on the soil. For gloxinia, peat soil mixtures are suitable: "Violet", "Begonia", "Saintpaulia". It is customary to grow flowers from seeds in peat tablets. For self-preparation of the soil, leaf humus (2 parts), mixed with meadow chernozem (2 parts), one part of peat and gray sand is suitable. The acidity of the resulting mixture is in the range of 6-7 pH.

A rich palette of gloxinia shades

An effective solution would be to prepare the soil with hydrogel - small granules in the form of a dry concentrate, working like a sponge. The jelly-like elements are pre-soaked, then mixed with the soil in a ratio of 1 to 2. The mixture is fertilized with humus or rotted manure - 50 g per 1 liter of substrate.

The choice of the pot is determined by the size of the tubers: plastic cups are suitable for small shoots, medium-sized roots will fit in dishes with a diameter of 7-10 cm, the planting of adults is carried out in vases with a diameter of 10-15 cm. The containers should be wide and deep. Clay and plastic options will do.

Rules for choosing a flowerpot for gloxinia

Watering and fertilizing

Before watering home gloxinia, it is important to stock up on melted, settled or filtered water. It is better to moisten the soil from a pallet or carefully along the edge of the pot, excluding drops from falling on the leaves and in the center of the tuber. Water for irrigation should be warm, 2-3 degrees above the air temperature. After 20-30 minutes after moistening the soil, it is necessary to drain the remaining water from the pan. The soil should dry out between waterings. In rain, cloudy and cold weather, it is advisable to reduce the flow of moisture to the roots. Gloxinia bulbs often rot at the top.

The optimum air humidity for a flower is 70 ... 80%, when the threshold is below 50%, there is a weak development of an indoor flower, deformation of the leaves. Wanting to increase the humidity of the air, the flower is placed on pallets with wet expanded clay, moss, water.

Temperature and illumination

Gloxinia flowers are photophilous, but they are afraid of the direct rays of the sun, especially in the flowering phase, velvety bells fade quickly, the flowering period is shortened. In the spring, the sun is not very hot, it is preferable to place gloxinia on the south window, in June - to rearrange it to the east or west window or shade from direct sunlight.

It will be possible to grow a flower of a long daylight hours at home with 12-14 hours of illumination at 5000 lx. Lack of light threatens to stretch the plant, reduce the number of buds. After the root of the tuber and the appearance of foliage, the lighting should be as bright as possible, the color saturation of the flowering will turn out to be higher, with insufficient light, the color is noticeably paler.

Comfortable temperature at the stage of tuber germination is +25 degrees. During the growing season, the temperature range is + 18-22 degrees. Cooler conditions will slow down the growth and development of the culture.

Transplant rules and recommendations

Gloxinia is transplanted in several cases:

• after a long dormancy, a small sprout has formed, but leaves do not develop;
• when buying tubers in a small tank or not planted in the soil;
• in cases of infection with fungal diseases and pests.

If the plant needs emergency help, the transplant is done at any time of the year. Healthy crops are moved to a new location after dormancy, in February-March.

Growing gloxinia on a windowsill

Frequent problems and solutions

Leaves curl down

For a gloxinia plant, home care implies the absence of drafts, sudden temperature changes, too dry air and lack of light. If the solution to the above disadvantages did not correct the situation, there is only one option - pests or parasites. Powerful insecticides will come to the rescue: "Antimite" and "Tiovir". According to the instructions, the culture is treated three times / day.

There are brown spots on the leaves

Persistent fungal diseases of gloxinia are transmitted through contaminated soil, water, and garden supplies. It is not uncommon for a plant to be infected with bacteria at the acquisition stage. The characteristic symptoms of the disease are brown spots, dark stripes on the stems and shoots. With abundant humidity, the leaves rot, with dry air - they begin to dry out and curl up.

Fitosporin will help to overcome the disease, but the causative agent of late blight will remain viable for up to 8 years. It is important to provide for the prevention of fungus, weekly spraying the culture with fungicides.

Leaves dry

The most common problem when growing gloxinia is leaf drying due to improper watering. The plant reacts violently to excess moisture, the roots rot, the ground part becomes dry.

If the flower has recently appeared in the house, dried up leaves are a sign of acclimatization after recent transplants. The plant owner should create the most comfortable conditions, ensure proper watering and feeding.

The parasitic reason why the leaves of gloxinia curl and dry out is the spider mite. The affected areas of the flower are removed, the sprouts are treated with soapy water and special preparations, the procedures are repeated according to the instructions. During the period of treatment of gloxinia from fungal diseases, watering and feeding are minimized. It is advisable to transplant the plant.

Spots on gloxinia leaves

The plant is pulled up

Gloxinia shoots stretch out strongly after wintering in conditions of comfortable temperature and insufficient lighting. By adding light and reducing the temperature regime, you should periodically spray the air, carry out wet cleaning. Often, disturbances in the development of plants in winter are caused by an overdose of nitrogen fertilizers. Experts recommend temporarily eliminating additives.

Certain varieties of gloxinia tend to pull out shoots. It is advisable to cut off elongated shoots. The tubers will give new shoots. Root the trimmed parts of the flower, they will also have time to bloom. At rest, the shoots that had time to stretch out, fall and take root, feed on the main tuber and new underground shoots. A weaker shoot grows on the tuber, which will never bloom. The tuber will weaken and die in winter.

Diseases and pests

The main ailments of gloxinia are caused by fungal diseases:

1. Late blight appears with increased moisture and temperature drops of 9-20 degrees. The affected plant withers, becomes covered with brown spots, and a white bloom appears on the inside of the leaf. The plant requires urgent transplantation and treatment with Kuprozan, Tseneb (40 g per bucket of water).
2. Powdery mildew is formed against a background of saturated humidity and temperature changes. A characteristic feature in the description of the disease is a whitish spider web. The infection is spread through soil or inventory. For treatment and prevention, experts recommend feeding the culture with fungicides:

• "Triadimefon";
• "But";
• "Quadris";
• "Raek";
• "Speed";
• Tilt.

3. Anthracnose is accompanied by small brown spots. The disease spreads rather quickly, it is easier to prevent the fungus with copper chloride, cuproxate, oxychom.
4. Ascochitis is a disease manifested by redness on sheets with brown edging. Symptoms occur in humid conditions. For prevention and treatment, vitriol, "Vectra", "Adiga-peak" are used. A culture affected by ascochitis is recommended to be transplanted.
5. Septoria is the result of a lack of light and prolonged contact with water. Rusty spots form on the leaves, the plant begins to dry quickly. Prevent the negative action of the fungus fungicides: "Maneb", "Benomil".

Phylostictosis on gloxinia

6. Phylostictosis is easily recognizable by its round spots, dark at the edges, brown in the middle. At the developmental stage, breaks are added to the spots. When the first signs are found, the plant is dried and sprayed with Bordeaux solution, "Oxychloride", copper sulfate.
7. Fusarium. The disease is inevitable with improper irrigation and soil contamination. The leaves begin to wither and curl, turn brown. Cracks and dark stripes are visible on the shoots. The task of the growers is to replace the soil, rinse the roots with a solution of potassium permanganate (5 g of potassium permanganate per 1 liter of water), transplant the plant into a light and nutritious substrate.

How to deal with other ailments

Before caring for gloxinia at home, the culture should be provided with prophylaxis against viroses and bacteriosis. Viroses are carried by pests or fungal spores. Leaves and flowers are covered with spots, stripes and dashes. Regardless of which virus infected gloxinia, the disease cannot be treated. The plant will have to be burned.

Bacteriosis brought in by non-disinfected tools, pot or soil, affect tubers, buds, leaves, stems. Prevention of damage is carried out by "Zircon" and "Epin".

The best conditions for breeding spider mites are moisture deficiency. It feeds on the sap of the flower, leaving light spots on the leaves. The ground part is protected from the spider mite "Fitoverm", "Intovir", the ground - "Aldikabrom", "Temik".

Whitefly - white pests, often feed on the sap of leaves and stems, leave waste products that negatively affect photosynthesis. Leaves begin to rot, buds are not tied. Effective means of killing whitefly at home are Vertimek KE, Aktellik KE, Admiral, Kinmix, Oberon.

Proper care and prevention of plant diseases will avoid possible violations.

Whitefly on Gloxinia Leaves

How to care during flowering

Gloxinia bloom begins in early spring and lasts until the end of summer, with proper care, the plant smells sweet in October. Timely and correct fertilizing of the soil allows the formation of twenty or more flowers. Bright light is also an important factor in the vibrancy of a flower.

Ways to grow gloxinia at home

There are various methods of propagation: by seeds, by dividing the tuber and by leaf cuttings.

Households rarely sow seeds. The breeding method is fraught with difficulties. At the beginning of autumn, a soil mixture is prepared based on peat, leafy soil and sand (1: 1: 1). The earth is scattered in low boxes. In November, seeds are sown, regularly watered with warm water. The sprouts appear after 2-3 weeks, when 2 leaves appear, they are dived, planting at intervals of 2 cm.The second pick is carried out when the third pair of leaves is formed - 5 cm.The distance between the grown seedlings is further increased to 10 cm.

For propagation of the culture by cuttings, suitable leaves with a 1 cm petiole are recommended to be immediately transplanted into a soil mixture of sand and peat (1: 0.5). The shoot will need to be moistened and closed with a jar, providing daily airing of the plant, removing the jar for 15 minutes. After 2.5-3 weeks, tubers are formed at the cut ends placed in the ground. The shoots are planted in small pots, enjoying abundant flowering a few months after planting.

Tuberous propagation is considered the most dangerous method. The risk is achieved by the presence of rot in the roots, experienced growers carefully remove the affected areas before planting. Upon the appearance of 2-centimeter shoots, the tubers are separated with a sharp blade, processing the cuts with activated carbon. Individual pieces are planted in appropriate pots, watered 3 days after planting.

Propagation by cuttings

With proper care, gloxinia lives up to 10 years, pleasing the eye with colorful flowering. As a tropical plant ages, more flowers appear. Sometimes the number of bells reaches 50 pieces.

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