Episode

The episode belongs to the Gesneriaceae family. In nature, these plants can be found on the South American continent or in Africa. All representatives of this genus are herbaceous perennials. Among flower growers, the episode gained popularity due to the unusual and interesting color of the leaves, although the flowers of this plant are also quite beautiful and painted in bright colors.
The episode is quite unpretentious, even a novice florist can take care of it. This plant does not need to create special conditions, it will be enough to get acquainted with some of the nuances, which we will discuss in this article.

Description description

The episode surprisingly combines the qualities of an ornamental deciduous and an ornamental flowering plant. The leaves are colored in different shades of green, red, brown and purple, and are covered with fine fluffy hairs. Depending on the type of plant, the leaves have a different size, a different pattern on the surface of the plate, but they all persist for a long time on the stem. The flowers are similar to bells, their length, as a rule, does not exceed 3 cm. The flowers are most often painted in shades of red, but there are species with white, blue, pink or yellow flowers.

The root system of the episode is fibrous, so the plants do not need deep volumetric flower pots. Shoots are divided into two types: some have leaves, and others, thinner and longer, have daughter rosettes that root easily, barely touching the soil.

Florists all over the world have come to love the description for its unpretentious care and excellent decorative qualities: it is called "chameleon plant", "peacock flower", "Violet flame", "African violet".

Episode cultivation and care

Lighting. Episation requires good lighting all year round, but the light must be diffused, burns may appear on the surface of the leaves from direct rays of the sun, which will lead to a loss of decorative qualities. You can place the plant on an east, west, or even north windowsill. If all the windows of your apartment face south, then it is better to put the flower pot not on the windowsill, but at some distance from the window.

Air temperature and humidity... These plants do not need a cool wintering, the temperature in the room at any time of the year should not drop below + 17 ... + 19 degrees. The most optimal air temperature will be + 21 ... + 25 degrees. The room must be regularly ventilated, but at the same time the plant must be protected from drafts.

Episode needs a sufficiently high air humidity, while the plants cannot be sprayed from a spray bottle - since the leaf plates are covered with hairs, moisture on them often leads to the appearance and spread of rot. The best solution would be to put the flower pot in a tray with wet expanded clay and add water as it evaporates. You just need to make sure that the water level does not reach the drainage hole.

Watering mode. Since moisture should not get onto the sheet plates, the best solution is to water the episode through a sump. In spring, summer and autumn, it is necessary to water the plant as soon as the top layer of the soil dries up, and in winter, the intervals between waterings are increased by two to three days. It is very important to establish the correct irrigation regime suitable for the plant, since frequent drying out of the soil can delay flowering, and waterlogging of the earthen coma leads to decay of the roots. You cannot use cold tap water for irrigation, it must be at room temperature and pre-settled for several days.

Top dressing. Mineral and organic complexes for indoor plants can be used as fertilizers; the recommended dosage should only be halved. That is, if the manufacturer recommends adding one cap of liquid fertilizer per liter of water, then to feed the episode you need to add half the cap per liter. In spring and summer, feeding should be done every two weeks.

Pruning. The episode grows very quickly, so periodically it has to be cut off to give the plant a beautiful and compact shape. As a rule, they do this after the end of flowering. If there are rosettes on the cut shoots, then they can be planted on the sides of the mother plant.
If you are growing an ampelous variety of Episia, then it should be suspended so that the shoots hang down. Otherwise, they can get to neighboring indoor plants and take root in their territory.

Episode transplant

Episode refers to those plants that are transplanted annually in the spring. A flower pot should be selected shallow, but wide enough; a layer of expanded clay should be poured onto the bottom. Description prefers soil with neutral or low acidity. When preparing the soil mixture, take one part of sand and peat soil and two parts of leafy soil, mix well. Charcoal and moss can be added to this mixture.

Water the plant 30 minutes before transplanting - this will make it easier to remove it from the container. In the process of transplanting, carefully inspect the roots of the plant - if you find dry or decaying areas, then they should be cut off. After planting in a new flower pot, the plant must be watered again, but after 20-30 minutes the water from the pan should be drained. The first 7-10 days after transplanting the plant is not recommended to be exposed to the sun, it is better to place it in partial shade.

Episode reproduction

The episode can be propagated by seeds, but this method is used quite rarely, since with this method of propagation, hybrid varieties lose their characteristics. That is, you can collect and plant the seeds of the episode, but as a result, you may have a completely different variety.

An easier way to propagate an episode is by rooting cuttings and rosettes. In the spring, young rosettes form on the mustache of the plant. If you put a container with a mixture of sand and peat next to the mother plant and "plant" such a rosette there, without separating it from the main bush, then rooting will occur within a few days. After that, the young bush can be separated.

Stem cuttings of the episode are rooted in the same substrate, but they are additionally covered with a jar to make a mini greenhouse. After the stalk releases young leaves, rooting can be considered successful.

Possible problems and solutions

Any changes in appearance indicate that the plant is uncomfortable and you should immediately identify and fix the problem.

If brownish spots appear on the leaves of the plant, then, as a rule, this is the result of watering with cold water. It is important to remember that the water for irrigation must not only be defended, but also slightly heated (it is enough to place the container next to the heating device or under the sun's rays).

If the foliage turns yellow, then sometimes this can be a sign of an overdose of fertilizers. Often inexperienced growers abuse fertilizing with good intentions, but in most cases this leads to negative consequences. In addition to fertilizers, the cause of sudden yellowing of foliage can be sunburn, excessively high air temperatures combined with low humidity.
A greyish bloom on the leaves is a sign of a fungal infection. The reason for this may be waterlogged sour soil and rare ventilation of the room.In this case, it is necessary to urgently transplant the plant, changing not only the soil, but also the flower pot, and also treat it with a fungicidal preparation, and remove the affected parts.

The lack of flowering episodes can be attributed to several factors:

1. Irregular watering leads to the complete drying out of the earthen coma.
2. Lack of important nutrients against the background of an overdose of nitrogen - because of this, the plant throws all its strength into growing foliage.
3. Insufficient lighting.
4. Low temperature and humidity.

In addition to the problems associated with the violation of plant care, you may also encounter harmful insects. The following pests can pose a threat to the episode: mealybug, various types of aphids, whitefly, thrips and scale insects. It will be much easier to deal with parasites if they are detected at an early stage, so make it a rule to regularly inspect all indoor plants. At the first signs of the appearance of harmful insects, the affected plant must be isolated and treated with insecticides ("Arrivo", "Decis", "Inta-vir" and others). The episode can be returned to its original place in the company of other indoor plants only after you are convinced of the complete destruction of pests.

Varieties

Each of the types of episode is interesting and beautiful in its own way, and could be the topic of a separate article, so we will briefly describe only the three most common types

Episode dianthiflora or "clove". This Mexican species has two types of stems: one is long and thin, forming rosettes that can take root very quickly, and the second is short, with a large number of oval leaves of a dark green color with a scarlet vein in the center. It blooms with white flowers with purple spots in the throat.

Episode cupreata or "coppery red". It is a much larger species found in the southern part of the African continent. The plant has creeping stems that can easily take root, and large leaves, reaching 30 cm in length. The plant got its name due to the unusual color of the leaves - it can be copper or brown-green on the front side of the leaf and red with green veins on the back. The plant blooms from July to the end of summer, the flowers are bright red, their inner surface may be yellow with red spots.

Episode reptans or "creeping". The habitat is the same as that of the previous species, but the sizes are more modest - the leaves are no more than 5-8 cm, although their color is almost the same as that of the copper-red emission. Flowers rise on red peduncles, the flower itself is red, and its inner surface can be painted in different shades of pink. It is this type of autumn that is often grown as an ampelous plant. The creeping episode blooms from July to the end of September.

Conclusion

Episia is one of the brightest indoor plants that does not lose its attractiveness throughout the year, although flowering lasts only from June to September. It is not difficult to take care of the episode (it is important not to overuse feeding, watering and make sure that moisture does not get on the leaves of the plant), give it a little of your attention, and it will become one of the central and most beautiful specimens of your collection of indoor plants.