Streptocarpus - Streptocarpus

Streptocarpus (Streptocarpus) belongs to the Gesneriaceae family. This genus includes more than one hundred and thirty varieties. This culture grows wild in the Asian and African territories. This genus includes shrub and herbaceous vegetation, it can be both annual and perennial, it all depends on the variety. This flower began to be cultivated in indoor conditions in the nineteenth century. This culture is rosette, and the stem is shortened. The leaves are wide, lanceolate, have dense pubescence, can be green or variegated. Flowers emerge from the leaf sinuses, grow singly or two in a bunch. The name "streptocarpus" appeared due to the type of fruit, because they resemble an elongated box in a spiral. The bush begins to bloom in the spring season, ends in the autumn season. In winter, the plant is in a short dormant period, and the leaves do not fall off.

Streptocarpus: plant description

Streptocarpus: flower photo

The streptocarpus plant begins to bloom in the spring season, ends in the fall.

Requires bright but diffuse illumination. In spring and summer, temperature conditions should be at least twenty degrees and not higher than twenty-five. With the onset of October days, the temperature regime drops to fifteen degrees.

During the entire growing season, streptocarpus is irrigated regularly and in moderation. Since October days, watering is reduced, in winter they are made in small quantities, however, make sure that the soil clod in the container does not completely dry out.

Humidity level should be moderate. When the bush is actively growing, it is necessary to apply top dressing once a week, for this purpose, a complex of minerals is used.

The plant is in a dormant period from the beginning of the second autumn month to February days. The transplant is carried out in early spring. Young plants are transplanted once a year, adult specimens - once every three to four years.

Soil substrate. Ready-made potting mix for Saintpaulia. Or you can prepare the substrate yourself, it contains sand, humus, leaf and sod soil in a proportional ratio of 1: 1: 2: 3. If the plant is young, then instead of sod soil you need to take a leafy one.

• Breeding methods: cuttings, dividing the bush, seeds.
• Pests: scale insect, thrips, whitefly, mealybug, spider mite.
• Diseases: gray rot.

Streptocarpus: growing and care at home

Streptocarpus: photo of an indoor flower

Illumination level.

When growing streptocarpus at home, it should be provided with bright, but diffused illumination. This plant will grow well on a western or eastern windowsill. If you place it on a south-facing windowsill, then the direct sun will need to be made scattered without fail. The northern window is not suitable for growing due to lack of light, and this negatively affects the growth, development and flowering of the bush.

Temperature conditions.

In the spring, summer season and in the first weeks of the autumn season, in the room where the streptocarpus is grown at home, the temperature regime must be observed within twenty to twenty-five degrees. Since the beginning of the second autumn month, temperature conditions have been decreasing, given that they should be fifteen degrees, not lower.The most optimal temperature regime for transferring the winter season is fifteen degrees.

Watering streptocarpus

In spring and summer, the streptocarpus flower is watered regularly and in moderation, making sure that the soil coma does not dry out in the container for a long time. From the beginning of the second autumn month, streptocarpus watering is reduced, in winter they are carried out in a small volume, you need to ensure that the soil mixture does not dry out, in addition, liquid should not stagnate in it. Watering is carried out with well-settled water at room temperature conditions.

Pruning.

With a very low air humidity, the ends of the leaves will begin to dry. They should be cut in time with a sharp knife, and a board is placed under the sheet at this time.

Top dressing.

The streptocarpus plant is fertilized during the entire growing season three to four times every thirty days. For this purpose, a complex of minerals is used.

Transplanting.

Young streptocarpus are systematically transplanted, or rather, once a year. Mature bushes are transplanted on more rare occasions, usually once every three to four years. Flowers are transplanted in early spring into low containers of large width, filled with a soil substrate, which includes leafy and soddy soil and sand in a ratio of 4: 1: 2. Also, a soil mixture containing sand, humus, sod and deciduous soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 3: 2 is used for transplanting. For this purpose, a ready-made soil mix for Saintpaulias from the store is used. So that the soil mixture is not too moist, a little crushed charcoal is poured into it. When transplanting a young plant, sod soil is removed from the substrate.

Streptocarpus: breeding at home

• Reproduction by dividing the bush.

This method is used for the bushes of the indoor streptocarpus flower, which have grown very well. First, the soil in the container is watered with a small volume of liquid, then the plant is pulled out of the pot, the earth is removed from the roots. Next, you need to take a sharpened knife, separate part of the thickened root with leaves. It is necessary to leave the separated parts for some period of time on the street for good drying of the sections, after which they are treated with coal in the form of a powder. The prepared container is filled in two-thirds of its part with fresh soil mixture, then a cut is placed there and sprinkled with a substrate to the root collar. Then the soil mixture is slightly compacted, the bush is watered with warm water. For the survival of the separated part, the container is covered with polyethylene on top. To accelerate rooting and enhance the growth of young leaves, you can shorten the large leaves by ½ or even cut them off. After a while, the flowering of the bush will begin.

• Seed propagation method.

Sowing seeds is carried out in a small pot, and the seeds are equally distributed over the surface soil layer. Next, the pot is covered with glass on top. The plantings are watered in the lower way through the pallet, in addition, they need to be regularly ventilated, the illumination should be bright, but diffused, the temperature should always be about twenty-one degrees. To avoid lowering the temperature conditions, a sheet of paper is placed on top of the glass. But it is advisable to keep the plantings not on the window, but to supplement them with phytolamps. After six weeks, the covering material shifts a little, then it is completely removed. The first time the plants dive into a container larger than the previous one, the interval between seedlings does not increase much. In order to avoid injuries to the plants at the time of the dive, the transplant is carried out carefully. First, you need to knock a little on the walls of the container, then the seedling is gently pry off with a needle and transplanted into a new pot, while holding the leaves with your fingers.The soil mixture is slightly compacted, after which the plantings are watered, then the pot is placed in a pallet and transferred to heat, on top of it is covered with glass or polyethylene. The second time the plants dive in separate containers. For good development, seedlings are fed.

Sowing of grains can be carried out more than once a year, and this procedure is carried out in any season. You get bushes that bloom at different times.

• Propagation by cuttings.

Young healthy and well-developed leaves of a streptocarpus indoor flower, unaffected by diseases and pests, are cut from a bush, then petioles are cut with pointed material. After the places of the cuts have dried, the petiole is planted in a small container, and it is installed directly. After that, spraying with a fungicide solution is carried out, and the pot is covered with polyethylene on top. Then the container is placed in a room with good illumination and positive temperature. After four to six weeks, young shoots appear. After growing and strengthening, the plant is transplanted into a permanent container. If you grow different varieties of this crop, then stick the name stickers on the pots.

In order to propagate streptocarpus, part of the leaflet is used. For this purpose, the sheet is laid with the outside on a board, then with a sharp blade it is divided into strips fifty mm wide. The leaf is cut in a perpendicular plane with respect to the central vein. The lower and upper parts of the leaflet are thrown away, the remaining parts are planted in the pits with the lower part of the petiole downward at an angle of forty-five degrees. There should be an interval of thirty mm between seedlings, not less. Next, spraying with a fungicide solution is carried out, after which the container is covered with polyethylene on top and removed to a room with high humidity, where temperature conditions are observed in the range from twenty to twenty-two degrees. The petioles are watered through the pallet, and they also need to be ventilated every day. Young shoots will appear in six to eight weeks.

The Streptocarpus flower can be propagated by the longitudinal part of the leaflet. For this purpose, the sheet is laid on the board with the outside, then the central vein is separated with a pointed blade. In 2 parts of the leaf, the cuts are sprinkled with coal in the form of a powder. After that, they are planted in the pits with the cut point straight down, they are buried by one third of the length of the leaf petiole, then the soil mixture is slightly compacted, then watering is carried out, and the container is covered with polyethylene on top. The pot is moved to a room with good illumination and favorable air temperature. Seedlings will appear all over the leaf in the longitudinal plane from the lateral veins. The central vein of the inner side of the leaf is cut into pieces equal to 20 mm every couple of cm. Next, the cutting with the inner side is pinned to the surface soil layer, then treatment is carried out with a fungicide solution. On top of the landing, they are covered with glass, then transferred to a room with good illumination, and the place must also be protected from the direct sun. After the emergence of young shoots, the covering material shifts slightly.

After transplanting the grown and matured streptocarpus bushes in separate containers, the first days they are covered with polyethylene material. After removing the cover for the seedlings, the same care is taken as for the adult vegetation.

Difficulties in growing an indoor flower

• The appearance of gray rot. With too much watering, the plant can be damaged by gray rot.
• Drilling buds. The reason is a very high temperature regime.
• The edges of the leaves turn brown. Reasons: water is stagnant in the potting mix; very low air humidity.
• Pests. In frequent cases, the bush is attacked by thrips, spider mites, scale insects, whiteflies and mealybugs.

Streptocarpus: varieties and species with names and photos

• Streptocarpus Snow White (Streptocarpus candidus).

This culture is rosette. The leaves wrinkle, about fifteen cm in breadth, up to forty-five cm in length. The bush blooms magnificently. The surface of the white flowers, 25 mm long, has purple lines. The lower lip of the flower has stripes of purple color, and the throat has purple dots.

• Streptocarpus Large (Streptocarpus grandis).

This bush has only one leaf, about thirty cm in breadth, up to forty cm in length.The stem grows up to half a meter, a tassel inflorescence grows at its top, which consists of flowers, the corolla of their pale purple coloration, the throat is darker, the lower the lip is white.

• Streptocarpus Cornflower (Streptocarpus cyaneus).

Streptocarpus cornflower: photo of the variety

The flower is rosette, the stem grows up to fifteen cm. The flowers on the stem are pink in color, collected in two in a bunch. The middle is yellow, and the throat surface is covered with purple stripes and dots.

• Streptocarpus wendlandii.

Streptocarpus Wendland: photo of the variety

The homeland of this species is the south of the African continent. The plant has only one leaf, reaching one meter in length, more than fifty cm in breadth, the surface of dark green coloration has paler veins. From the sinuses of an elongated peduncle, flowers grow five cm in size, the corolla is painted in a dark purple color, the surface of the pharynx is covered with stripes of white.

• Streptocarpus glandulosissimus (Streptocarpus glandulosissimus).

Streptocarpus Glandulosissimus: photo of the variety

This variety can be found wild in the Ulugur and Uzambar mountainous areas. The stem grows up to fifteen cm. The color of the flowers can be different, from dark blue to purple.

• Streptocarpus johannis (Streptocarpus johannis).

The stem is vertical. Rosette flower. The leaves are about ten cm in breadth and up to fifty cm long. The stem bears about thirty bluish-purple flowers, 20 mm in size.

• King's Streptocarpus (Streptocarpus rexii).

Streptocarpus king: photo of the variety

King's streptocarpus is a rosette culture. Homeland - the south of the African territory. The surface of the oblong lanceolate leaves is pubescent, they are five cm in breadth, and up to twenty-five cm in length.Flowers grow from the sinuses singly or gather in two in a bunch, the corolla is in the form of a funnel, reaches about fifty mm in length, in cross section - approximately twenty five mm. The flowers are painted in a pale lavender color, the surface of the throat and the tube has stripes of purple color. The bush blooms for a long time and richly.

• Streptocarpus Primrose (Streptocarpus polyanthus).

The homeland of this streptocarpus is the south of the African territory. The leaf is densely pubescent, about thirty cm long. Peduncles are long, bear flowers 40 mm in size, pale blue in color with a yellow center in the middle. The pharynx is paler, reminiscent of a castle well.

• Streptocarpus primulifolius (Streptocarpus primulifolius).

Rosette flower. Only four flowers are formed from white to pale purple in color, their surface has dots and stripes. The stem grows up to twenty-five cm.

• Streptocarpus Rocky (Streptocarpus saxorum).

Streptocarpus Skalny: photo of the variety

Growing wild, this streptocarpus can be found in the highlands of the tropics in the east of the African continent at an altitude of more than a thousand meters above sea level. Stems hang down, grow up to fifty cm. Leaves are oppositely located. The flowers are slightly inclined to the ground, painted in a bluish color, reminiscent of Saintpaulia flowers.

• Streptocarpus Holst (Streptocarpus holstii).

The wild-growing Streptocarpus Holst can be found in the tropics of the eastern African continent. Shoots are juicy, flexible, grow up to half a meter.The leaves are wrinkled, located opposite, their surface is pubescent, in length they are about fifty mm. The flowers of such a streptocarpus are purple in color, three cm in size, the corolla tube is white.