Gloxinia has faded - what to do next, how to care
Content:
Gloxinia is a popular houseplant that features beautiful bell-shaped flowers. The culture belongs to the Gesneriaceae family and is tuberous. She has a pronounced growing season and dormancy, during which the plant recovers and prepares for the next season. Therefore, you should figure out when the gloxinia has faded - what to do next and what conditions are necessary for the flower during the rest period.
Gloxinia flowering period at home
At the end of February, the plant begins to grow and when 2-3 leaves appear in gloxinia, buds begin to form. If this happens at the standard time, then the plant can bloom again in August. To do this, you need to help him.
Gloxinia needs winter rest
Therefore, if gloxinia faded in June, you should figure out what to do next. First of all, the plant needs regular feeding, which will allow it to restore the spent energy. It is also recommended to cut off the top of the rosette and leave no more than 2-3 leaf shoots after the last flowers wither. This stimulates the growth of lateral shoots, among which 2-4 of the strongest should be left, and the rest should be removed. It is on them that the buds will eventually appear.
The type of flowering in gloxinia is nodding. About 10 buds are formed on one sprout. The color of the petals is very diverse, the main shade can be white, pink, red and purple. The flowering period in the presence of favorable conditions lasts 3-4 months.
Depending on the variety, flowers can be simple and double, monochromatic or two-colored, with a regular or wavy edge.
How to prolong flowering
The peak of abundant flowering of gloxinia occurs in the spring-summer, more precisely in May-June. But in order to prolong it, you need to provide the plant with favorable conditions. It is impossible that during this period direct sunlight falls on the leaves, therefore it is necessary to make light shading.
It is also important to ensure the temperature of the content is not more than +22 degrees and the humidity level is within 60-80%. On particularly hot days, it is recommended to place additional containers of water near the pot to increase evaporation.
To maintain a favorable temperature, it is recommended to regularly ventilate the room. But at the same time it is important that there are no drafts. Therefore, before airing, it is necessary to rearrange the flower pot in a secluded place, and only then open the window.
For long-term flowering of gloxinia, it is necessary to provide favorable conditions.
To prolong the flowering of gloxinia, it is necessary to regularly water the plant with settled water. This should be done as needed, avoiding even a slight drying out of the roots. Ignoring this rule will lead to premature wilting of all buds.
The duration of flowering also directly depends on the feeding of the plant. To increase it, it is necessary to water the plant with a nutrient solution based on mineral phosphorus-potassium fertilizers for flowering crops every 10 days.You can buy them at any specialty store.
What to do with faded gloxinia flowers
You should also know what to do with faded gloxinia flowers. After wilting, they must be removed along with the stem at the base. This will redistribute the strength of the plant and stimulate the formation of new buds.
If this is not done in a timely manner, then seed pods are formed. Their appearance prevents the formation of new colors.
Dead buds need to be removed in a timely manner
Gloxinia after flowering - what to do with the plant
Experienced plant owners can tell you how to care for gloxinia after flowering. During this period, you need to properly prepare the plant for wintering. This procedure consists of several steps that must be followed in order for the tuber to survive a long hibernation safely.
Pruning
It is not recommended to cut the rosette immediately after the last flowers have faded. It is necessary to preserve metabolic processes in plant tissues, due to which nutrients from the leaves are transferred to the tuber.
Subsequently, the shoots will begin to wither themselves, and then you need to cut off the outlet, but leave a small stump 2 cm high. As a result, when it also dries up, it must be carefully unscrewed from the tuber.
In young seedlings, the rosette remains throughout the winter. This is due to the fact that their tubers are underdeveloped and are not yet able to survive the winter without additional nutrition. Therefore, it is impossible to cut off the aerial part from them, otherwise they will never come out of hibernation.
In this case, you need to provide the plant with full care, which consists in a 12-hour daylight hours and regular watering.
Restorative feeding
What else should you do when gloxinia fades? Before the plant goes into hibernation, it is necessary to restore the spent strength. For this, it is recommended to fertilize with potash fertilizers. This will allow the tuber to fully ripen and make a supply of nutrients that will be required for 3-4 months of hibernation.
Experienced flower growers recommend using potassium monophosphate for this. To prepare a nutrient solution, you need to dissolve 5 g of the product in 2 liters of settled water. Then mix thoroughly until the components are completely dissolved. Water the plants with the resulting liquid at the rate of 150 ml per 1 pot.
Restorative dressing is applied one-time, immediately after the removal of all faded buds, but in the presence of leaves.
Drying out of the socket is a sign of preparation of gloxinia for hibernation
Preparing the plant for hibernation
Caring for gloxinia after flowering at home also consists in observing certain conditions of detention. Starting in September, the flower pot must be moved to a less lit place. In this case, the temperature should be lowered to +15 degrees. When kept in such conditions, watering should also be reduced to 1 time per week.
All this in a complex stimulates the process of wilting of the rosette and prepares the plant for the upcoming hibernation.
If this is not done, then some varieties of gloxinia can continue to grow. As a result, the shoots stretch out, the rosette is deformed, and the plant loses its decorative effect. All of this weakens the flower and can be the reason for the lack of flowering in the next season.
Where and how to store tubers of "asleep" gloxinia
There are two ways to store gloxinia tubers at home in winter: in the ground and without it. Each of them has its own characteristics, so before making a choice, you need to familiarize yourself with them. Regardless of the method chosen, it is necessary to follow the general storage rules throughout the rest period:
- lack of bright light;
- temperature regime - from +3 to +12 degrees;
- moderate humidity - 60-85%.
Pot
When storing the gloxinia tuber in a pot, it is necessary, after the rosette has completely faded, to remove the aerial part and allow the soil to dry out a little for several days. Then you should sprinkle the top layer of earth with dry river sand to prevent the development of the fungus.
After preparation, it is necessary to pack the pot with the tuber in a plastic bag without tying it. Then store in a cool, dark place.
To prevent the tuber from drying out, it is necessary to slightly moisten the soil in the pot once a month. The disadvantage of this method is that the tuber can start growing ahead of schedule.
When stored in a pot, gloxinia needs to be watered occasionally
Package
When storing a tuber without soil, it must first be cleaned of soil, rinsed and dried thoroughly. Thereafter, carefully examine for suspicious dark spots. If present, remove rotten areas with a sterile knife to healthy tissue.
Before storing, it is necessary to sprinkle the sections with charcoal or ash, and then leave to dry for a day.
To store tubers without soil, you will need to prepare a plastic bag with a zip fastener. After that, put in it a slightly moistened mixture of river sand and sawdust, and only then place the prepared gloxinia tubers in it.
In this form, the planting material is best stored in the lower compartment of the refrigerator. The advantage of this method is that it is possible to constantly monitor the condition of the tubers during the winter, and to carry out moistening in a timely manner.
Storing tubers in a bag makes it easy to care for them
Gloxinia is the favorite of many flower growers. At the same time, it is not demanding of care and, subject to the basic rules of storage during hibernation, is capable of delighting with lush and long flowering. The main thing is to adhere to all recommendations.
