Many people have a beautiful Streptocarpus from the Gesneriaceae family growing on the windowsill or in the greenhouse and pleasing the eye. Its flowers can be either perennial or annual, the body of the flower can be either herbaceous or a strong, tough shrub. With its vibrant flowers and mesmerizing leaves, it is gaining popularity among gardeners and ordinary flower lovers.

Note! If you provide proper lighting to the plant, you can achieve flowering throughout the year.

The wrinkled leaves form a squat rosette from which long shoots grow, ending in pink, red and yellow flowers. The fruit of the plant is a twisted, peculiar pod, thanks to which the plant received its name, meaning “twisted fruit” in ancient Greek. Streptocarpus seeds are stored there.

Streptocarpus care at home

Streptocarpus is a plant that loves when attention is paid to it, keep this in mind if you decide to buy a flower.

Well, now in more detail about the care of streptocarpus itself.

Firstly, like all beautiful flowering plants, streptocarpus loves it when the room is warm, however, it does not tolerate direct sunlight. For abundant flowering, it is necessary that there be light for at least 14 hours.

• The plant blooms from May to September-November, but if you provide additional light in winter with daylight lamps, flowering can continue all year round.
• As for the placement, place your streptocarpus on an east or west window.
• A huge variety of bright and beautiful representatives among flowers differs not only in their appearance, but also in their names.
• For example, streptocarpus, which literally translates as “twisted box,” has recently replaced its neighbors Saintpaulias and violets on the windowsill.
• With this name, the plant is distinguished by its fascinating and bright appearance, especially during the flowering period, when you can see magnificent clusters of flowers of very diverse colors on the peduncles.

Gesneriev family

Streptocarpus belongs to the Gesneriev family (like Chrazothemis, Episcia, Chyrita and Cirtandra). This flower grows in tropical and subtropical climates - South Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Thailand. The plant prefers bright or slightly diffused light and is notable for its multiple blooms each year.

• The temperature in winter should vary between 15-17 degrees, and in spring-autumn - 20-25 degrees.
• Moderate watering is preferred in the warm season and minimal in winter. Spraying the plant is undesirable, but the air humidity in the room where this flower is kept should be quite high.
• Feeding must be done every 7-10 days; replanting is done in the spring. Streptocarpus is propagated by division, planting seeds, or using cuttings.
• The flowering of the plant is lush and long-lasting, sometimes reaching as long as six months.

Home care

With such comprehensive features, streptocarpus sometimes does not give the desired results in the form of its beautiful flowering. What are the subtleties of keeping this exotic flower?

Watering the plant should be carried out regularly, not exceeding the flower's norm; however, it is strictly not recommended to overdry the soil. If there is a lack of moisture, the leaves may become limp and lose their elasticity. Frequent inspections of the plant should be carried out, thereby controlling the supply of moisture, which streptocarpus loves very much. Water for irrigation is preliminarily settled to a temperature slightly above room temperature.

The soil.

Streptocarpus and violets belong to the same family, so the choice of soil for flowers may be the same.

• However, when planting, it is advisable to produce a mixture based on high-moor peat (to avoid confusion, you should pay attention to its “rust” shade) and soil for violets (the main properties of which are lightness and porosity).
• The ratio of such a mixture should be 2 to 1. Unfortunately, this mixture may also be characterized by its rapid drying.
• In this case, it is recommended to carefully place the plant on the wick method of watering, which eliminates the presence of cold - the root system may begin to rot.

Moistening and spraying.

A special subtlety is air humidification, which should be high enough while preventing moisture from entering the leaves of the plant. There is a way out of this situation. Streptocarpus needs spraying, but it should be small and exclude direct sunlight.

Considering the tropical origin of the flower, it is also recommended to wash it briefly under running water. After this procedure, it is dried in the shade.

Temperature.

• At a sufficiently high temperature and accelerated drying of the soil, this plant also needs sufficiently intense air circulation.
• In this case, the exceptional feature of streptocarpus will help - the absence of fear of drafts.
• The flower grows well near open windows with intensive ventilation, or in cool, shaded places (naturally, the exception will be low temperatures and frosty air).
• Under appropriate conditions, in summer, the plant can be kept outdoors.

Streptocarpus requires abundant and diffused light; it is better to avoid direct sunlight - the plant can be burned, or the leaves can dry out and turn yellow. Its most preferable placement is on the east or west sides of the apartment.

Feeding streptocarpus.

Fertilizing the flower is done every one and a half to two weeks, using fertilizer for flowering plants. Main tasks of feeding:

Fertilizing streptocarpus, like watering, should be sensitive and careful. Dilution with water is not carried out according to the instructions, but half as much, this way you can avoid overfeeding the plant.

Reproduction and transplantation.

Streptocarpus tolerates transplantation processes very favorably, but this must be done only as it grows. When too many leaves appear, it is replanted, watering the plant for a month - not in the tray, but along the edge of the pot.

Reproduction of streptocarpus is a long process. The most reliable ways to propagate a plant are cuttings and dividing the bush. And in experimental attempts to develop new varieties of this flower, distinguished by unpredictable colors, seeds are used. The peculiarity of streptocarpus is also that the faster the stage of flowering of the daughter sprout begins, the more readily this variety will bloom as an adult, fully formed plant.

flowertimes.ru

Lighting

The second important condition is good lighting. Flowering requires 12-14 hours of daylight, but the light should be diffused. In the summer, western and eastern windows are well suited.

On the northern side, the illumination will always be insufficient, and on the southern side, shading will be required to protect the delicate leaves from burning. Phytolamps can create the necessary diffused light in any situation, then the flowers can be placed even in the back of the room.

Streptocarpus cannot be flooded. This may lead to the death of the plant

A special feature of streptocarpus is proper soil moisture. If you forget to water the plant, it will quickly recover when it receives moisture. But if you flood Streptocarpus, it will become seriously ill and may die.

• choose not a high pot, but a fairly wide shallow bowl. The root system of streps is more developed in width, but shallow;
• choose the right soil mixture, achieving a sufficiently loose substrate. To do this, you can add 1 part of coarse-fiber peat, perlite or sphagnum moss to ordinary soil;
• provide moderate watering. Most likely, once every 2 days will be enough, but it is better to water in a tray or along the edge of the pot so that water does not get into the leaves. The water must be settled and soft enough; lime is harmful to streptocarpus.

An appropriate addition to watering would be to increase the air humidity near the flower, but not by spraying the leaves. It’s good to place a container of water nearby or put wet expanded clay. cveti-rasteniya.ru

Temperature

The plant came to us from warm countries, but despite this, streptocarpus does not tolerate heat well. For its favorable development, 24C is enough. If the weather is too hot, then you will have to increase the air humidity.

In winter, the plant rests, and it is advisable to provide it with cool conditions, but it should not be too cold; the normal temperature during the dormant period is considered to be 15-18C for regular varieties and 18-20C for hybrid varieties.

• Watering streptocarpus and air humidity in care
• Watering is the most difficult thing in caring for streptocarpus, and for beginners, the plant may die from improper watering, therefore, be very careful in this regard.
• It is better to water streptocarpus in a tray; you can also water it in the ground, but only along the edge of the pot. When watering, try not to get moisture on the leaves, especially in the center of the rosette; in this case, the plant may die.
• Water for irrigation is settled in advance; it is desirable that it be a little warmer than room temperature.
• Always monitor the soil moisture, try not to overwater the plant. Streptocarpus is afraid of excessive waterlogging and stagnation of water, which can cause rotting of the root system. So, watering should be moderate, and you should water only after the middle layer of soil begins to dry out, but you should not wait until the soil is completely dry.

You should not allow even the slightest stagnation of water, therefore, immediately drain the water from the pan.

As for air humidity, it should be high, but under no circumstances should you spray the plant. To provide the plant with high humidity, place containers with water or wet expanded clay nearby.

Top dressing

You also need to be careful with feeding, as with watering, despite the fact that streptocarpus love to eat. To avoid overfeeding the plant, dilute the fertilizer not as in the instructions, but half as much. For top dressing, fertilizers for flowering plants are taken.

You can feed the plant every week, as a result it will produce more leaves, which has a beneficial effect on lush flowering.

G runt for streptocarpus

The soil should be light and porous so that air can penetrate freely and moisture can be retained. Beginners in this regard may make mistakes by replanting the plant in too dense soil, as a result of which the plant dies.

For streptocarpus, you can buy soil for violets at a flower shop and add a little peat to it.

Reproduction and transplantation

• Despite the fact that the plant likes frequent replanting, it still needs to be done as it grows. When too many leaves appear, you can transplant the plant into a larger pot.
• If you divided the plant during replanting, you can plant it in an old pot, but with new soil.
• After transplantation, for three weeks the plant is watered not in the tray, but along the edge of the pot.
• Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot. The container for planting the plant is not deep, but wide, so that the roots do not grow too much, which negatively affects flowering.
• In addition, in a high pot, the upper part dries out quickly, while the lower part remains wet; the next time you water, there is a risk of water stagnation, which causes rotting of the root system and the proliferation of pathogenic microflora.

Frequent replanting is a great benefit for actively growing streptocarpus. These gourmets love fresh soil, so it is better to replant 2 times from 9 to 10.5 and then to 12, than from 9 immediately to 12 once. We increase the diameter of the pot by 1-2 cm, no more. For miniature and semi-mini varieties, the final diameter of the pot is 10.5 cm, so when replanting we increase it by 1 cm. For vigorous horses, we increase it by 2 cm - and the final diameter is not limited as long as the plant wants to grow in width. I have such a record holder - Blue Mars 4.5 years - 22 cm pot. Justa - 17 cm, 3.5 years. The rest are in 14s.

But I transplant it differently. I never divide a bush.
According to my observations, the divisions then get sick for a long time and grow poorly. Those exhibition bushes that I divided could not be restored later (!) and had to be grown from leaves again, all over again, 3 years before a full-fledged exhibition plant. And such children subsequently even overtook their mothers.

We destroy everything

When replanting, I shred everything that shatters. Carefully, without damaging the roots. If there are a lot of white fluffy young roots, the new pot is 2 cm larger. Even if the volume of the pot is already large, but the plant is “asking” (the soil dries out in less than a day, completely entwined with roots, an earthen lump, a lot of young roots) into a larger one – we increase it. Pour a centimeter of soil from below, place a lump of earth, add more around the edges, press down a little, and do not water for a day. Then water even a little less than before and under no circumstances immediately water the new volume of the pot.

• If there are a lot of roots, but they are brown in color and when pressed with a finger they tear easily, like dust, the roots are dead. This often happens from the bay. The roots also die inside the earthen clod due to the old age of the substrate (more than 3 years), if the substrate inside has become sour.
• Then I carefully try to gut the old substrate from the center, along with the missing roots. The result is a hollow “pot” of roots, or a one-sided semicircle of roots if the roots on the old side of the rosette and in the center are missing. I don’t crush or unravel young roots!
• I don't do any damage at all. Then add a new substrate into the resulting voids, place the young roots so that they are surrounded by the new substrate, and move them to the center.
• Assess the required volume of the pot - reduce it, leave the same diameter or increase it a little - and plant it. In this case, water very carefully 3 weeks after planting.

If the roots do not want to grow into the substrate, the problem is in the soil or care or watering. I destroy everything unnecessary, crush the earthen ball with roots carefully, remove the old earth as much as possible without damaging the roots, make the pot smaller, fresh soil, do not water for a day, then very careful and meager watering, barely moist soil on top, do not allow the soil to dry out and fall away from the walls. Watering - so that it is wet only at the top, and so that the inside remains dry, the water does not reach.

Drying out

The peat should not be allowed to dry out. Drying out - when the peat stops immediately absorbing water and rejects it, leaving the walls. In this case, you need to loosen it slightly, add fresh, and subsequently prevent the pattern from repeating. A barely moist substrate with even, constant SLIGHT moisture is an ideal environment for growing new, thick, fluffy roots, and immediately after transplanting I create exactly these conditions for 3 weeks.

Let me remind you once again, although off topic: here are the stages of watered peat, which a skilled strepsolubber must learn to distinguish:

• Overflow, bay- the peat has turned black, glossy and shiny from the absorbed water. Unacceptable
• Very heavily watered- dark brown color, water when watering was 50-70% of the volume of the pot. Highly undesirable
• Optimally watered— even soil moisture, brown color, when blotting, the napkin only gets moistened in spots.
• Ideal hydration— the peat on top immediately absorbs water, the volume of water is 30% of the volume of the pot, water does not pour out of the lower holes (i.e., it does not reach the bottom). After an hour, the peat brightens, the moisture is evenly distributed throughout the pot, the peat does not stick together, remains airy and slightly moist. Ideal conditions for root growth.
• Easy drying— the napkin does not absorb water when blotted, but the peat is still slightly moistened, light brown in color. You need to moisten it a little, maybe from a spray bottle to maintain ideal moisture for root growth. Do not water mature bushes yet.
• Drying- red peat, when watering, it easily and immediately absorbs water, does not reject it. An adult bush already needs to be watered!
• strong drying- peat rejects water, a little behind the walls, it absorbs only after a few minutes, up to half an hour. Highly undesirable! Gently loosen, add between the walls of fresh, mix with a toothpick without injuring the roots.
• Too strong drying, overdrying- peat rejects water and does not absorb even after half an hour, it is far behind the walls. Unacceptable!

Exhibition bushes. The diameters of the Blue Mars-22, Justa-17 Roulette Cherry pots are 14. These are the sizes to which the roots naturally grow frauflora.ru

Propagation by seeds

Streptocarpus reproduce in several ways: by seeds, cuttings, and dividing the mother bush. When propagating by seeds, cut the seed capsule from the plant and dry it for two weeks. Please note that when propagated by seeds, you can get a plant with new varietal qualities that are completely different from the mother’s.

Seeds are sown in shallow plastic boxes with several holes in the bottom. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the boxes, on which a special soil is laid out (a mixture of sand and peat). When everything is ready, you can start sowing the seeds.

Seeds are sown at the end of January, although this can be done throughout the year. It is desirable to distribute the seeds evenly over the surface of the earth; it is not necessary to sprinkle them with earth on top.

• When the seeds are planted, the box is covered with glass or oilcloth and placed in a warm, bright place. Periodically, the oilcloth is removed for ventilation and the moisture is wiped off.
• The seeds sprout quickly in about 2 weeks, but the shelter is removed only 10 days after the seedlings appear. However, this should be done gradually so that the seedlings get used to room temperature.
• When the seedlings become strong enough, you can start picking. Sometimes it happens that it is impossible to separate the seedlings, but it is a pity to throw them away. In this case, you can not separate them and plant them together. As a result, you will get a bush with completely different colors.

Plants grown from seeds begin to bloom after 10-12 months.

Sheet section

For this type of reproduction, an adult leaf is taken, but not yet old. Try to choose a leaf that has a lot of veins. Cut the leaf into several pieces.

• Remove the midrib completely with a sharp knife or scissors. So you get two from one sheet fragment.
• In a pot of earth, make a groove (the earth should be light) and place a leaf fragment in it with the side that was attached to the removed vein. Place the leaf in the ground by 0.5 cm and compact the ground around it.
• In about 2 months the babies will start appearing. And the more veins the leaf had, the more babies you get.
• You should not transplant children immediately, you need to wait about 4 months, and then seat them.

Streptocarpus reproduction by dividing the bush

This is the most common and easiest way to propagate streptocarpucha. After some time, the bush begins to grow and several divisions appear.

First, the plant is watered, and then removed from the pot and separated using a knife or simply with your hands. Each part should have several leaves and a thickened root.

After the plant has been divided, the cut area needs to be dried a little and sprinkled with charcoal. After this, the bushes are planted in new pots and covered with oilcloth so that the plant can take root better.

The resulting new plant blooms in 2-3 months in this way.

Flower diseases

Streptocarpus, like many plants, are susceptible to various diseases. For example, a plant may become ill with some infectious disease, as a result of which its leaves begin to turn yellow, wither and dry out, flowering deteriorates and the plant may die. It is very important to notice the disease in the early stages, otherwise it will spread quickly and you may lose all your plants.

• A fungal disease such as powdery mildew may appear on streptocarpus.
• When the disease appears, a white coating appears on the leaves, stems and even flowers.
• Gradually, the affected part becomes brown, dries up and dies.
• Powdery mildew develops under adverse conditions: drafts, temperature changes, waterlogging of the soil, and even excessive fertilizing.
• When the first signs of the disease are found, the plant is sprayed with special solutions according to the instructions.

Sometimes the plant develops gray rot. With this disease, the affected part is covered with a light brown coating, brown sores appear, which grow in size. To avoid this disease, do not spray the plant with water and create excessive moisture.

When a disease is detected, the affected areas are removed or cut out, and the plant is sprayed with a copper-soap solution.

Thrips like to live on streptocarpus. These insects spread very quickly. Unfortunately, the pest itself is quite difficult to detect; some signs indicate its appearance. Flowers fade too quickly, anthers turn brown and dry, pistils thicken at the base. You can see fallen pollen on the flowers.

When a disease appears, the plant is sprayed with special solutions according to the instructions.

delniesoveti.ru

Irrigation system

Yes, there was a real problem with watering streptocarpus before, especially in winter, if you overwater it a little - hello hot one! In the summer it’s also fun, the leaves begin to wither and become covered with some semblance of rust, freaking out, I thought the pests. By the way, I saw reviews that these were pests. But in the DFsk magazine there was an article by Danilina a couple of years ago, or not an article, but an answer to a question, where she explained that these withered edges of leaves are a reaction to watering.

• I was rummaging around on the Dimetris website, everything is very well written about substrates. I noticed one detail, they have a lot of plants, by the way, I haven’t seen more beautiful streptocarpus in any picture from the exhibition, neither in American ones, nor in any others, Pavel’s streptocarpus are still the best.
• Here he has them standing on cups, he says that he waters and all the excess water is poured into this very glass, in general, I also have them on cups, but I also let out the wick so as not to think about the leaves - ah!
• Two-month-old children now stand at 8k, the leaves are 10-15 centimeters long, they are the same age grouped next to each other, but due to the initial weakness, not on the wick, in semi-greenhouse conditions, the difference is colossal. Well, of course, we must not forget about fertilizers.
• I'm increasingly liking powdered AVA; you only need a little of it, because... after six months, transfer to a larger pot and replace the soil. Now AVU has been released with nitrogen content, i.e. no need to sweat at all, long-lasting beauty.

At the dacha it’s my favorite fertilizer, I pour it in and you won’t think twice about it for 3 years, only for perennials it should be granulated.

Yes, you need to select the substrate very carefully when using wick watering for streps, it should be just airy, with more rippers, then souring will not occur. And so... well, you know, two twin brothers stand under the same lamp, in the same substrate, watered with the same syringe or pipette, you look, one fluffed up, the other bent, this does not happen with a wick.

Again, we must not forget about the winter period, the air in apartments is dry, in addition to the extraction of water by the plant, there is additional intense evaporation, here you must give it mandatory drying, let it hang its ears slightly, just slightly, otherwise sometimes you can cross the border. Then lightly pour some soil around the edge of the pot and pour it into a glass. As a rule, I give it 3 days to dry in winter, sometimes more.

Watering streptocarpus babies:

The general principle is to moisturize only where the roots are. We water the recently planted baby until the whole lump is entwined with roots so that only one-third of the glass gets wet, the water is not added to the bottom! On practice:

• — Planting the baby “on a hill” (we crush the substrate around the cup with a teaspoon so that we get a hill and the baby on top. In our case, the hill will be 1-2 cm, miniature)
• — Immediately after transplantation, we do not water for 24 hours. During this time, all damaged roots will dry out, water and fertilizer from the soil will not get into the wounds, there will be no rot, the substrate will not cake and will not “strangle” the roots (streptocarpus love an aerated fluffy substrate).
• - The next day, take a teaspoon and pour - 2 teaspoons around the perimeter of the walls of the glass, along the “moat”. Then the moisture will be distributed evenly and in exactly the amount needed. The water won’t reach the bottom, and that’s the whole “trick”, it’s the way it should be. Only 1/3 of the soil on top will get wet.

With this watering, the roots grow quickly, fat and fluffy, and the baby also does not “slow down” its growth.
An adult streptocarpus baby whose roots have completely entwined the pot - 25 ml per 100g glass. The general principle is 2 times less water than for baby Saintpaulia, for example. But it is still enough that the entire substrate is slightly moistened. It is better to water a little every day than generously every 3 days.

Adults, transplanting and watering

When transplanting, be sure to observe 3 axioms:

• — The first and most important thing when replanting is to increase the diameter of the pot by 1-2 cm, check with a ruler, not by eye. This is a truism, an axiom. Simple adherence to these axioms will not lead to disappointments and problems.
• - high-quality soil based on 100% high-moor white peat without black lowland peat! (Baltic, professional substrate, not domestic, foreign ones meet European quality standards, there is control. The Slavs don’t bother with such trifles) lightly moisten the day before.
• — After transplanting, do not water for a day.

Watering adult streptocarpus after transplantation

We water the newly transplanted plants with the same amount of water as before (when I was small). NOT MORE, or even less!

You need to note how much water is optimal (in milliliters) for each diameter and for each plant. A common mistake is when watering, we only give enough water to cover the diameter of the pot, and as a result there is a risk of flooding.

Newly transplanted plants should not be allowed to dry out.- because after drying out, the old substrate with roots will not absorb water, the new one will absorb it a little faster. You will get a “bag” where the roots inside are dry, and where there is fresh soil it is flooded and there is no air. When the roots have completely mastered the substrate, overdrying will not be so bad (of course, if out of fear you don’t “flood” it immediately after overdrying, which usually happens).
Well, it’s clear that recently transplanted plants should not be watered generously or even water as adapted plants in the same pot.

Why should newly transplanted plants be watered carefully?

That layer of soil that is not absorbed by the roots is prone to waterlogging and in the heat it seems that the soil dries out quickly, as a result we water more and more often - and it turns out that the fresh soil is too wet and “suffocates” the roots.

• And the roots don’t want to grow there, this is the case, and in advanced cases they even stop functioning, die off - and then the plant withers, “hangs its ears.” Only one or two leaves may wilt (the roots that fed this leaf have rotted, sometimes only a part dies).
• And if the pot is a little larger than needed, then it’s a piece of cake to ruin the plant. We increase the diameter of the pot by a centimeter or two. Then the layer of new soil is not so large, it dries out faster, and the roots will master it faster.
• If your streptocarpus’ ears “withered” after a few days after transplantation and the soil is not dry as gunpowder and the sun did not shine on the streptocarpus during the day and the heat is below +30 (in this case it will recover overnight) - it’s definitely a flood, even if you gave water little and you thought the situation was under control.

I flooded one friend - he was hanging high, I was too lazy to take off and was guided by the leaves, it was hot, now the sun was drying everything out very quickly (and they were sluggish from the first flood, and then I watered them again, well, that’s it, half a root is gone), now I’m resuscitating . You need to look into each pot and feel the soil. If you don’t look, this is the result. And in 3 days this happened, even though the plant was not transplanted.

It just dried out so quickly that I watered everyone. A clear example that watering should be individual, according to needs, and not “everyone in a row,” although when watering I pour very little water.

frauflora.ru

Some useful information on how to properly water streptocarpus.

• The most important rule is that the volume of the pot must strictly correspond to the volume of the root plant!
  It would seem that the topic is about watering, but it starts with pots... But if you do not adhere to this rule and do not provide the plant with the right place of residence, it is useless to look for any golden tips on watering and maintenance.
• Correct agricultural technology begins with the little things, and if you omit one condition, violate another, give up on a third - there is nothing to expect and a miracle, no advice will help or do for you what is required as a given. The second rule is the composition of the substrate in which streptocarpus grows: the soil should be based on white high-moor peat, light, airy and of high quality.
• If streptocarpus sits in a small pot and is not replanted in time, it, of course, dries out instantly. But it’s not just that: a plant that is not transplanted in time begins to starve, which immediately affects the foliage; it deteriorates, becomes lighter, and turns yellow. In such cases, fertilizing is not enough.

Restrictions

You should not take a pot that is too large: if there is a lot of soil in the pot that has not been developed by the roots, there will be waterlogging and flooding. The result is disease and death of the bush. Streptocarpus babies are especially susceptible to waterlogging; they should be given special attention when watering.

Newly transplanted bushes also require special attention: they need to be watered less and less frequently in order for new roots to develop; overdrying is contraindicated for them.

• What is ideal: watering is needed when the soil dries out completely, BUT does not have time to dry out. It’s okay if the streptocarpus leaves droop a little, they will move away when they drink.
• In the vast fields of the Internet, advice often pops up to water the plant only after it lowers its ears. Yes, streptocarpus can withstand short-term drying.
• But that doesn't mean they like her! I wouldn’t recommend abusing this all the time. Constant violation of the regime towards drying will sooner or later have bad consequences.
• And you will puzzle over why the leaves are terrible, why the plant doesn’t bloom, why the flowers are falling out, why the spots, dry ends, etc., etc.
• Excessive watering is also harmful; you do not need to pour so much that water flows out in large quantities from below from the drainage holes.

The most favorable time for watering is the morning and first half of the day. If it’s raining outside, plus it’s cool, and there’s also high air humidity, it’s better to postpone watering. Or water just a little, if it is no longer possible to put it off. For those starting to grow these beautiful plants, I would advise you to first set yourself an internal ban: not take a step with water in your hands in the evening in their direction! It helps a lot to avoid a lot of troubles. This is the advice I followed for a long time.

Drooping ears

Streptocarpus' ears do not always droop from lack of water. They behave in the same way when over-moistened, so if the soil is damp, there is no need to water it under any circumstances.

If the ears droop, their turgor is not restored in all cases. There are a number of reasons when this does not happen:

• - if the leaf is old: we look at the young leaves, if they are normal, then we don’t need to focus on this. In this case, the old sheet can simply be cut off.
• - if the leaves of the bush have grown very long and huge: they can hang if the roots are insufficient. The area of ​​evaporation is large; more water evaporates from the leaves than the roots can absorb. In such cases, the leaves can be cut to 1/3 of the length, and the old faded leaves can be removed.
• - flooding and loss of roots: the plant is urgently transplanted into a smaller pot in a slightly moistened substrate. It is necessary to normalize watering, remove all old leaves and reduce the temperature if it is too hot. The plant is replanted dry, that is, semi-moist soil is taken and the plant is not watered after planting. You can put the plant in a greenhouse.
• - in case of heat: you need to lower the temperature, shade, you can spray the plants. Under no circumstances should you water too much at once! You need to solder the plants literally drop by drop.

In my conditions - streptocarpus grow on the northern windowsill, and the babies are on the shelf - I water the plants about every other day. But I try to check them more often. The main thing is what I follow: if in doubt, it is better to postpone watering until the next day! And it’s better to water the plants little by little rather than rarely, but with all your heart!

fialkivam.ru

Types and varieties

In indoor floriculture, wild species of streptocarpus are rare; gardeners prefer modern hybrids, of which there are more and more of them. But to give you an idea of ​​what streptocarpus are like in the wild, we will introduce you to some of their species. So:

Streptocarpus saxorum,

much more demanding of temperature and humidity than other species, it is known as a perennial plant with a woody base, shoots twisted at the ends and light green oval pubescent leaves of small size. Purple flowers, also small, bloom in summer and autumn.

Because of their resemblance to Saintpaulia, this species is called the false African violet;

Streptocarpus wendlandii

• both beautiful and original compared to other species: it grows one very large leaf, sometimes reaching 90 cm in length.
• The top is green with light veins, and the underside of the leaf blade is red-purple. The leaf is broadly oval in shape, pubescent and wrinkled, like most streptocarpus.
• Purple-blue flowers up to 5 cm in diameter in an amount of 15-20 pieces form a loose cluster on a long peduncle. Another peculiarity of the species is that after flowering the plant dies and reproduces exclusively by seed. Some of the natural species of streptocarpus, those with lodging stems, are grown by amateurs in home culture as ampelous plants. For example:

Streptocarpus kirkii

– shoots 10-15 cm high, umbrella inflorescences of light purple flowers;

Streptocarpus caulescens

– drooping pale blue flowers grow on stems 40-60 cm tall.

Streptocarpus rexii

The ancestor of indoor streptocarpus is a species brought to Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It's called, or streptocarpus rex . It has long, up to 25 cm, pubescent leaves and bright purple flowers with purple stripes and streaks inside the throat. Breeders did not miss the opportunity to work with such amazing natural material and created a whole complex of forms under the general name streptocarpus hybrid. The first recognized cultivar “Constant Nymphs” was distinguished by its bright blue flowers with a purple tint, very large in size - about 7 cm in diameter at the bend of the petals.

And finally, we will present to you several spectacular hybrid varieties of streptocarpus, the cultivation of which, as you already understand, will not be difficult for you:

• – Fashion Statement– simple large flowers, the two upper petals are white, the three lower petals are white with an ink-colored mesh, condensing into an even violet tone in the throat area;
• – Salmon Sunset– simple medium-sized flowers of a delicate salmon color, the lower part of the throat is yellow with a burgundy pattern in the shape of a maple leaf;
• – Blueberry Butterfly– medium-sized blue flowers with purple rays on the three lower leaves;
• – Texas Hot Chili- a compact, slow-growing variety with very bright red flowers and a yellow eye.

floristics.info

Possible problems when growing streptocarpus

• The leaves wither - if the substrate is dry, then watering is necessary. If the leaves of the plant wither, and the soil is wet, then this is a sign of rotting of the roots. You need to try replanting the plant.
• Yellowing leaves may indicate sunburn or nutrient deficiencies.
• Drying leaf tips are a sign of dry air in the room or the pot is already too small for the plant.

chvetochki.ru

Popular varieties of streptocarpus and photo selection

You can create a real riot of colors in your home greenhouse with the help of popular varieties of streptocarpus.

Successful varieties are the “Bristol’s” series, which are characterized by particularly long flowering. Even relatively young children bloom well. For example, 'Bristol's Petticoats' has large white flowers with a wavy edge and pink mesh throughout the corolla.

• "Bristol's Pajama Party"– pink with a white stripe, fancy – not flowers, but gramophones.
• "Salmon Sunset" It has smaller flowers, but it blooms very profusely. The color of the corollas is delicate pink, almost salmon.
• "Blue bells"– these are corollas up to 10 cm of a beautiful blue color with a slight lilac tint.
• "Alissa"– flowers of amazing bright yellow color, large, abundant flowering.

Most varieties have a contrastingly colored throat, which, with a general variety of colors, allows you to create a real Garden of Eden on your windowsill.

Streptocarpus is a profusely flowering, colorful plant found naturally in the tropics. More than 130 species are natural. As a result of many years of work by breeders, these flowers of extraordinary beauty have become possible to grow at home.

Streptocarpus gain popularity also because care in an apartment is easy.

Description of Streptocarpus

Streptocarpus growing in the wild are not decorative. But they are fertile material for breeding new ones with unusually beautiful species, varieties.

This plant has no stem. The leaves have an elongated shape. They are fleshy and covered with soft hair. Size depends on plant variety, some reach a length of 30 cm. The number of leaves also depends on the type of plant. They are usually green, but there are also variegated ones.

All leaves are collected in a large rosette. Almost from the axil of any leaf grows an oblong peduncle. He is a curved box with seeds. Streptocarpus vary in size depending on the species.

Amazes color palette:

• white;
• pink;
• lilac;
• red;
• options blue, cyan, violet;
• lavender;
• greens and their shades;
• almost black.

There are hybrids having dots, small lines, or patterns in the form of grids on the surface. In addition, coloring one sheet may consist of various combinations.

This video talks about some varieties of streptocarpus:

How it blooms

In room conditions, complete plant life lasts from spring to autumn. When using artificial lighting, it will last a whole year.

When up to ten peduncles appear from the leaf axil, sufficient flowering is guaranteed.

Caring for streptocarpus at home

Streptocarpus, the care and cultivation of which is not particularly difficult, can delight you with its extraordinary beauty all year round. The rules consist of several sections.

Air temperature

Streptocarpus is a heat-loving plant. In the warm season it should be 22-25°C. In winter, the flower enters a state of dormancy. In this regard, the temperature should be lowered, but it should not be less than 15°C. The plant does not tolerate heat well, despite its tropical origins, it will begin to wither.

To regulate and achieve the necessary conditions pots or the pot with the plant should be moved from the sunny side to a cooler place. You can place them near an open window or put them on a balcony, but there should be no drafts.

In addition to temperature, streptocarpus requires provide humidity in the range of 50-70%. Plants will respond well to small sprays. It is carried out with small splashes of clean warm water. Time spraying - in the evening, after sunset and absence of heat.

To increase humidity, you can place a container filled with water near the flower.

Lighting

Streptocarpus - a plant that loves light. Not only natural but also artificial lighting will suit him. At different times of the year it should be placed on window sills, where the windows are oriented differently:

Daylight hours for a flower should be long. For artificial lighting phytolamps are used.

Watering

The plant requires moderate, but committed moisturize regularly. In winter it can be reduced, but complete drying of the soil is unacceptable.

Advice! Streptocarpus has increased sensitivity to water hardness. Therefore, you should first settle it to remove excess lime.

The water should be at room temperature. You can water from above, following the edge of the container, making sure that no liquid got on the leaves, or pouring it into a tray.

If the soil dries out, watering should be carried out in small portions.

Overwatering rather than drying out can harm the plant, so moderation must be observed. Plant There is no need to water every day, a regimen of once every two days will be sufficient. Excessive moisture leads to rotting of the roots.

By observing the state of the flower, you can determine whether it is time to water it. When the soil dries out, the leaves will droop and begin to wither. After watering they will return to their previous form.

Transfer

The root system of streptocarpus is highly developed. The roots of the plant quickly enough fill the entire volume, which necessitates their transplantation. into a larger container. This procedure must be performed first annually, and then every 2-3 years.

Information! It is preferable to purchase plastic containers. If the plant is planted in a clay pot, then there is a chance that the roots will penetrate into the pores of their walls, which can make transplanting difficult.

A pot for the next transplant should be purchased a couple of centimeters higher than the previous one. It is best to carry it out in the spring.

A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the container. The soil must have high breathability. Streptocarpus will feel better in porous soil, well permeable to moisture. It is recommended to add high-moor peat to the mixture purchased in the store.

The gardener can prepare the soil himself. The following components are required:

• coarse river sand;
• leaf humus;
• pieces of bark;
• peat;
• turf.

Alternatively, you can use sphagnum moss, high-moor peat and vermiculite. To avoid moisture retention It is advisable to add charcoal.

For Streptocarpus to bloom

To ensure many years of abundant flowering, the substrate should be changed at each subsequent transplant. Needed in the soil add fertilizer regularly:

• nitrogen;
• phosphorus;
• potassium.

Nitrogen will promote growth, and phosphorus and potassium will promote stable flowering. If the leaves are pale, what should I do? Answer: increase the dose of applied fertilizers.

Reproduction

There are basic methods for propagating streptocarpus.

Dividing the bush

This simplest method is suitable for mature, well-grown plants.

Before dividing, it is necessary to water the soil.

The plant follows carefully remove from the pot, shake lightly and then, using a knife, make dividing the bush into parts, on each of which there should be one or more leaves.

You need to inspect the roots and remove dead parts.

The sections are dried and lightly sprinkled with charcoal.

A small layer of drainage is poured into the container and filled with the prepared soil mixture. The new part is placed in the center and soil is sprinkled no higher than the root level. The soil should be lightly compact and water with warm water.

Leaf

The method is as follows. You should choose a good sheet and cut off carefully his.

Place it on a cutting board with the top side up.

Take a clean, sharp knife and cut perpendicular to the main vein into a number of pieces 3-5 centimeters wide, which are then laid into the prepared substrate handle down.

Advice! Fragments of leaves take root well in water, but it should be taken into account that the stalk of part of the leaf is short. The cut should be slightly sharpened before placing in water.

Convenient for seating application of food containers having holes to remove excess water.

The distance between the parts of the sheet is about 3 centimeters. Then they are treated with a fungicide. To give the desired temperature, the container is covered with polyethylene.

Rooting occurs within two months. To speed up this process, it is recommended to treat the sections with a commercially available growth stimulator. The bag should be periodically opened slightly to ventilate the babies that will begin to form from the veins.

Children should be seated when they are length reaches two centimeters.

Important! You should not immediately place an older child in a permanent place. It is better to transplant gradually from a smaller container to a larger one.

Growing from a leaf is a fairly simple method. Most suitable time for reproduction is spring.

Toaster method

The method consists in cutting the leaf along the vein located in the center. The cut is dried and sprinkled with charcoal.

The pieces are planted cut side down in the ground. It should be buried half a centimeter. Outwardly, this picture is similar to toasts in the corresponding device, as a result of which the method got its name.

After a certain time, children will appear. But they should be finally planted in about four months.

This video shows different ways to plant streptocarpus.

From seeds

To use this method you need to have some knowledge skills and great patience. It should be sown in prepared soil in early spring.

You can take them from seed pods. After collection it must be dried. Since they are very small, they should be just sprinkle on the surface of the soil. To avoid thickening, thinning is carried out in the future.

This video explains in detail how to grow streptocarpus from seeds.

After sowing in the earth mixture, the container must be covered with glass or a plastic bag. Necessary periodic ventilation. After a month and a half, the glass begins to move slightly until it is completely removed. When the first leaves appear, it is necessary to begin thinning them.

When the size reaches approximately two centimeters, their seating time to a permanent place.

Diseases and pests

The plant should be inspected regularly. Streptocarpus diseases are quite easy to diagnose.

With proper treatment it is possible to fast recovery.

Diseases can be caused by improper care.

The main reasons are violation of the required humidity regime and thickening.

If the grower changed the lighting, changed the frequency of watering, but nothing has changed, then this indicates that the plant is affected by the disease.

Main types of diseases:

• gray rot;
• powdery mildew.

Both diseases are fungal diseases.

For germination fungal spores require favorable conditions for them: low temperature, high humidity, poor air circulation.

For powdery mildew, streptocarpus leaves covered with a white coating.

Gray rot also affects the root system.

For these diseases, all affected areas should be removed.

The soil needs to be cultivated special chemicals, commercially available.

To make sure that something is not right with the flower, you can compare its appearance with a photo of a healthy plant.

How to preserve streptocarpus in winter

This indoor plant does not require a mandatory rest break. In order for the flower to continue its normal functioning, additional lighting needed.

Watering should be reduced, but not stopped completely. The temperature should be kept lower than in summer. Fertilizing should be postponed until spring.

Streptocarpus does not bloom, what should I do?

There are situations when a plant stops producing flower stalks.

The reason for this is the aging of the plant. To solve this problem, it is necessary to divide the flower even before the appearance of new leaves. Transplant the separated parts into their own separate pots.

When new leaves will appear, the problem can be considered solved.

May 13 2017

Streptocarpus - growing and care at home

If you love indoor flowers, then you will probably like these exotic beauties. They are easy to care for, shade-tolerant, bloom for a long time, and rarely get sick. Growing streptocarpus at home is a pleasure. The magnificent shades and patterns on the petals of its flowers amaze even the most experienced gardeners. It is not surprising that Streptocarpus is becoming year after year more in demand and popular among indoor plant lovers and gardeners around the world.

Every year, breeders produce many new, beautiful and intricately colored species of streptocarpus. You can get acquainted with the most popular of them, as well as see photos of these beauties with the names of the varieties in the article.

Caring for streptocarpus at home

In terms of beauty and decorativeness, our beauty is not inferior to many types of violets, and some of its types look even more advantageous than Saintpaulia. At the same time, growing streptocarpus flowers is much easier. They are not capricious for any reason and do not shed their leaves for the winter; they grow in both natural and artificial light, both on the windowsill and in the back of the room. And abundant flowering, under appropriate conditions, can continue all year round, without interruption for hibernation.

To ensure that your pet fits this description, we will introduce you to the main points of the rules for raising it in your home.

Flower pot residence and lighting

These plants love soft, indirect light for 12 to 14 hours a day, especially during flowering. If you have large specimens, place them in a well-lit kitchen on the kitchen table, or on a coffee table in a bright living room, or, again, in a well-lit hallway. They will look good and feel comfortable everywhere. If you have varieties of miniature streptocarpus hybrids, you can easily place several pots on one bright windowsill. Window sills of eastern or western windows are better suited than others. On the south side of the apartment in the summer months, flowers can be placed slightly deeper into the room on a shelf or table - diffused natural light will be enough for them. The plant must be protected from direct sunlight. But in the autumn-winter period, window sills or places near them on the south side of the apartment will be just right, because the flower likes the daylight hours to last longer. On the north side of the apartment, the flower will not have enough light - you will have to use artificial lighting using a fluorescent lamp or, better, phyto lamps, which provide radiation as close as possible to sunlight.

Temperature

Streptocarpus grows at normal room temperature of 22 – 25 °C. He can't stand the heat. Prolonged temperature rise above 28 °C. may destroy the plant. The leaves begin to dry out, the flower withers and loses its decorative effect. By lowering the temperature to a comfortable level, you will return the plant to its previous appearance. If the leaves have become severely damaged, they should be carefully cut off. You can also trim the dried edges of healthy leaf blades with clean, sharp scissors. Ventilate the room more often, but avoid drafts. We do not recommend taking the flower out into the open air (balcony or veranda) in the warm months - it is more comfortable for it to be indoors without sudden changes in temperature and drafts. Of course, if your balconies and verandas are protected from wind and rain, then streptocarpus will like it there. In winter, the temperature of its content can be slightly lowered, but do not allow it to drop below 16 °C. The critical temperature for hybrids is 12 °C.

Air humidity

Indoor humidity from 55% to 75% is considered comfortable for streptocarpus. If the air in the room is drier, we recommend spraying the surrounding space (but not the flower) with a small spray bottle. You can place flower pots in a tray with damp expanded clay, river pebbles or moss. It is good to place containers of water next to the pots for evaporation.

Watering

Streptocarpus requires regular but moderate watering throughout the year. Do not allow the soil to become too dry or waterlogged. For watering, use soft, settled or boiled water at room temperature - hard water can harm the plant. Moreover, there is no need to pour water into the center of the outlet - water either into the pan or carefully along the edge of the pot. Some time after watering, after 20 - 25 minutes, drain the excess moisture from the pan - overwatering is even worse for streptocarpus than temporary drought. The root system of a plant can rot due to waterlogging. You should not water before the top layer of soil in the pot dries out. Moreover, the plant itself shows the owner that it is thirsty - its leaves begin to droop down and wither. As soon as you water the bush, the leaves of the plant will immediately become elastic and cheerful again. If the flower has not been watered for a long time, watering will have to be repeated two to three times with a break of two hours. You may have to keep the pot with a dried flower in a basin of warm, settled water for some time to restore the plant’s turgor. Wilted leaves will have to be cut off.

Top dressing

Streptocarpus, more than any other plant, requires nutritional supplements all year round. Since this flower, having taken all the beneficial substances from the substrate, begins to wither and quickly dies, feeding it should become a familiar weekly ritual for you starting in spring. Fertilizers are added to water for irrigation. At this time, the nitrogen component should be greater than the phosphorus component - the plant needs to gain green mass and form numerous buds. Ready-made fertilizers are called that - for decorative deciduous indoor plants. During flowering, complex fertilizers are used for beautifully flowering indoor plants. You can use fertilizers from the “Super Bloom”, “Violet” and the like series. Now they should contain more phosphorus and potassium - then the flowers will be brighter and more saturated in color. It is advisable to halve the doses indicated on the packages to prevent an overdose of fertilizers. If streptocarpus continues to bloom in winter, continue to feed it. If you send it to rest after flowering, then you don’t need to feed the flower - let it rest a little.

Trimming

Periodically, the lower leaves of streptocarpus turn yellow and die, especially in late autumn. This is fine. They have served their purpose, the plant worked well in the summer and is preparing for dormancy. Remove dried leaves and faded flower stalks. The plant will immediately feel lighter, and there will be an incentive to form new leaves and buds. The flower will regain its lost attractiveness. Under favorable conditions, streptocarpus may bloom in winter.

The soil

Soil for streptocarpus is suitable for purchase, universal, for flowering indoor plants, for example, for violets or Saintpaulias. True, it is advisable to add peat there to increase the porosity of the soil mixture. If, for some reason, you want to prepare the soil yourself, then keep in mind that the soil should be light, loose and breathable. The composition of the soil for streptocarpus should be approximately as follows:

• clay-turf soil: 2 hours.
• leaf humus: 1 tsp.
• peat: 1 hour
• coarse river sand: 1 tsp.

If the soil is too dense, mix it with perlite or vermiculite, add sphagnum moss. Take care to disinfect your soil - calcine it or steam it. Add some crushed charcoal or activated carbon.

Pot

A plastic pot is suitable, wide but shallow. The ratio of pot height to diameter is 1 to 1.5. The root system grows superficially and quickly occupies all the space allocated to it. Each next pot will be a couple of cm deeper and wider than the previous one. At the bottom, be sure to put a layer of drainage in the form of expanded clay or clean river pebbles; 2–3 cm will be enough. Well, don’t forget about the drainage holes - after all, the flower prefers bottom watering, just through the holes in the bottom of the pot.

Transfer

Streptocarpus bushes, regardless of age, are replanted at the beginning of each spring, even better - at the end of February, into new pots, 2 - 3 cm larger than the previous ones. A layer of 2–3 cm of drainage material, for example expanded clay, must be placed at the bottom. In addition, if the leaf rosette has grown too much and the flower does not fit in the soil, you will have to replant it without waiting until the due date. The flower gratefully tolerates transplants. In addition, during this procedure, you can, if necessary, carefully divide the streptocarpus bush into parts, both ground and root, and plant them in separate pots.

Dividing a streptocarpus bush into parts

The soil is taken loose and light, as described above. The layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the pot should be solid. Take a pot that is wide and not very deep. Place your bush in a new pot, cover it with prepared soil, water it for several days with moderately settled or boiled water, superficially, at the edge of the pot. After the plant adapts to its new location, begin watering the streptocarpus through a tray.

Reproduction

This flower reproduces in several ways: by dividing the bush; leaf cuttings; using leaf veins; "toaster" method; using seeds. Read more in the next article.

How to preserve streptocarpus in winter

Streptocarpus is not one of those types of indoor flowers that necessarily require a period of winter dormancy. Some gardeners do not want to install additional lighting for streptocarpus for up to 12 - 14 hours on long winter evenings, monitor regular moderate watering, constant comfortable temperature and humidity in the room during the autumn-winter period of the flower’s life and, therefore, send it to rest. In this case, the flower must be moved to a room with a lower temperature (about 18 – 20°C), but not lower than 15°C, otherwise the flower will freeze. Keep watering to a minimum. The soil should be moistened only when the soil is completely dry after the previous watering. Do not place the pot in a dark place - streptocarpus needs sunlight or artificial light all year round. Leave it illuminated for 7 – 8 hours a day. And don't feed him. In such winter conditions, streptocarpus should last you until the end of February, when the vital forces of the plant begin to activate. It should be brought back into a warm, bright room and transplanted into a new container. If necessary, divide the plant into parts. With this you will renew the old bush and get several new plants. In March, a month after transplanting into a new nutrient soil, begin to feed the plant as described above, water it, and maintain a comfortable temperature, lighting and humidity. The grateful streptocarpus will begin to actively grow green mass and form buds to amaze you with abundant, long-lasting flowering.

Bloom

Streptocarpus pleases with its flowering from April to late autumn. Moreover, flowering often begins already on the child of the flower. If you provide your pet with excellent growing conditions in terms of lighting, temperature and humidity, then it will bloom all year round. As such, the plant does not require a rest period during the winter months. To make flowering last longer and more decorative, we recommend immediately removing flower stalks on which the buds have already faded. They must be cut at a height of one to one and a half cm from the surface of the leaves. You should not pick or pull out the peduncle - after all, streptocarpus constantly grows flower buds in the depths of the rosette of leaves, and you can damage the remaining flower buds and interrupt flowering ahead of time. But the lowest leaves, whose peduncle has already faded and has been cut off by you, can be removed by carefully cutting them off with a sharp knife.

What to do if streptocarpus does not bloom

There are times when streptocarpus does not bloom. The main thing here is to figure out why?! There are several reasons for this:

• There are varieties that simply do not bloom in winter. Then there is no point in waiting for them to bloom in the winter months. Wait until spring and they will delight you with their flowering from April-May to November.
• For some plant species, age is important. Perhaps you have just such a case, and the plant is just gaining enough green mass for flowering and is about to begin to form buds.

If your pet has already grown enough, the leaf rosette is of impressive size, but there is no flowering, then you need to find and correct errors in its maintenance.

• Perhaps the flower is in a dark place, it simply does not have enough sunlight. Place the pot closer to the sun, but not under its direct rays, but in openwork shade, perhaps the flower will bloom.
• Another reason is overwatering the plant. Perhaps it caused the roots of the streptocarpus to rot. Then there can be no talk about increasing the green mass and, especially, about the formation of buds. The flower must be saved. Take it out of the pot, remove parts of the root system damaged by rot, treat the cuts with crushed charcoal or activated carbon and plant the plant in new soil with a new drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. By the way, disinfect the pot before doing this.
• Your pet may be lacking nutrients in the soil. After all, to plant buds the plant requires a lot of strength, which it draws from the soil in the form of minerals. Try feeding the plant with fertilizer for decorative foliage indoor flowers.
• Perhaps your streptocarpus bushes are too dense. It so happens that on the petioles of the main leaves, instead of peduncles, single small leaves appear. If this is your case, remove them, as they not only thicken the plant, but also prevent the development of long-awaited flower stalks.

Diseases

The most common disease of streptocarpus is root rot. The disease occurs from excessive watering of the plant, aggravated by low air temperatures and stagnant water in the pan. The symptoms are as follows: the tips of the leaves dry out, the petioles become weak and wither, brown spots appear in various places of the plant - on the leaves and buds. Only completely replacing the soil in the pot will help stop the process. Remove the diseased plant from the pot and inspect the root system. If rotting has just begun, cut off the rotten areas to healthy roots, treat the cut areas with fungicides and sprinkle with crushed coal. Disinfect the pot, only then use it for its intended purpose. Plant the treated plant in new soil and in future do not make mistakes when watering.

Gray rot

Other fungal diseases that can appear on streptocarpus leaves are gray mold and powdery mildew. The plant gets sick when it stands in a cold draft, in constantly wet soil, and there is a swamp in the pan. The same deplorable effect occurs from creating a greenhouse effect for a plant - heat, humidity, stale air. Fungicides (Topaz) are used for treatment.

Pests

Thrips 1
thrips 2

Don’t you want to plant and grow your own specimens of abundantly flowering fragrant bushes and admire the Garden of Eden you created with your own hands all year round? Try it! It's not difficult at all. We are sure that you will succeed!

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When we met, my school friend, who permanently lives in the USA, said that they have very popular decorative flowers, which outshine even violets in their unpretentiousness and the abundance of simply gorgeous flowers of various shades. Their name is streptocarpus.

Of course, I became interested and decided to try to plant at least one such decorative flower. Gradually, these amazing plants filled quite a lot of space in my house. And I’m only glad of this, because streptocarpus delights not only with the variety of colors, but also practically does not act up.

I will be happy to share what kind of plant this is and what popular varieties exist. And photos and videos will help you get to know each other better and make your choice.

The plant has several other names - streptocarpella, streps. Belongs to rosette herbaceous decorative flowers and belongs to the Gesneriev family. Translated from ancient Greek it means “twisted” and “box”. This flower is related to Streptocarpella, Saintpaulia, and Gloxinia.

The homeland of streptocarpus is considered to be the island of Madagascar and South America, where in tropical forests the plant blooms for a long time in natural conditions and can immediately produce more than 100 inflorescences and grows in the form of a bush.

Currently, more than 140 species, varieties and hybrids bred by breeders are known. Many of them are intended for growing at home. The flower surpasses many in decorativeness, as it has a very large palette of colors, abundance and duration of flowering, as well as ease of care.

• The plant has no stems. And the leaves have an elongated shape, wrinkled and slightly pubescent in structure, collected in a rosette.
• During the flowering period, peduncles appear from the rosette, which stretch up to 25 cm in length. They bear flowers of various shades: from soft pink, white to orange and purple. The diameter of the flower depends on the variety and varies from 2 - 3 cm to 9 cm.
• Streptocarpus actively grows best on the western or eastern side of the room. And flowering occurs only during the period when the color day lasts at least 14 hours. In order for the plant to bloom all year round, experienced gardeners recommend creating artificial lighting at night, especially in those months of the year when daylight hours are short.

According to numerous reviews, care and planting rules require more effort from the gardener than for a violet. But by fulfilling all the requirements step by step, even a novice florist can handle it quite well. Let's consider the most famous and popular varieties, which, without a doubt, will decorate any home and create a unique atmosphere.

Main types of streptocarpus

Flowering is the strong point of this plant. Flower petals can be terry, fancy or corrugated. The color scheme is varied, and the petals can also have various stripes and spots, which add spectacularity and originality to streptocarpus.

Royal

This species is distinguished by long leaves that droop downwards. The leaf blades can stretch up to 25 cm. The flowers have purple streaks and streaks bordered with white.

Stele-forming

The stem of this species can grow from 40 cm to 60 cm. Flowering is represented by delicate shades of blue. The flowers have a drooping shape.

Streptocarpus kirk

The bush is very low, reaching only 15 cm in height. The umbrella-shaped inflorescences are light purple in color, white inside with purple streaks.

Streptocarpus Vendlana

The originality of this species is that it has only one large leaf. It reaches a length of almost 90 cm and has a wide oval shape with a diameter reaching about 60 cm.

1. On the outside, the leaf blade is wrinkled and lightly downy, emerald in color, and on the inside with a lilac tint.
2. The peduncle is quite elongated and usually bears from 15 to 20 flowers of a light lilac hue.
3. This species reproduces only by seed. When the flowering period ends, the plant dies.

Rocky

The base of this variety is woody. The flower itself is considered perennial. The shoots from above curl slightly inward. The leaves are small, oval-shaped, rounded, slightly pubescent. The flowers are lilac-lilac in color, similar to a violet. Sometimes the species is called African Violet.

These plants are close to those that grow in natural conditions. Nowadays, when breeders develop many varieties and hybrids, such varieties appear less and less often on window sills of flower growers.

Domestic varieties of streptocarpus

These include varieties selected by TsF, Paramonova, Aksenkina, O. Blinova, M. Karpova, Eliseev and others. Flowering comes in a wide variety of colors. Here are the most popular ones.

Amaretto

• The plant has a standard rosette with rich green leaves, slightly wrinkled and pubescent.
• The flower with the upper part of the neck is white. The petals are pinkish-lilac in color with a pale yellow spot in the middle.

The delicate inflorescence evokes a romantic mood. Recommended for decorating rooms made in pastel or pink colors.

Baltic Sea

Flowering is represented by a whole range of blue and purple shades with a white core. The leaves are bright green and small in size.

Juliet

The leaf blades of this variety are small in size and collected in a rosette. The flowers have a highly corrugated shape and vary in color. The lower petals are dark pink with a contrasting mesh pattern, and the upper petals are plain, lilac.

May Watercolor

The variety represents the Paramonov selection, characterized by amazing delicate shades and double airy flowers.

1. This variety has an excellent refined and delicate aroma with a jasmine note.
2. The flowers are small in diameter, creamy-pink in color, with a coral mesh on the lower petals.
3. It blooms profusely and has a compact rosette.

Frost patterns

Also a flower from Paramonov’s selection. The marble coloring looks very original and it is recommended to identify such streptocarpus among flowers with monochromatic inflorescences. It blooms very profusely.

Burgundy

Variety selected by Paramonov. It has an amazing color: a soft transition from a white core to a rich purple. All petals are covered with a vertical mesh pattern. The leaves are bright green, collected in small rosettes.

Also, this group of breeders, led by Vyacheslav Paramonov, developed the following varieties:

Spring dreams

Pantry of the sun

Darina

Magic stars

O. Blinova developed and presented an absolutely charmingly beautiful variety, which has a double unusual name:

Alex - Jasper

The variety is represented by large double flowers with a rather complex color scheme. The lower petals are milky yellow with burgundy veins in the middle of the petal, and the upper ones have a marbled pattern of pink and lilac shades.

Alex - Rubin

It is distinguished by large inflorescences and double petals. Blooms profusely. The bright pink color with a ruby ​​tint combined with the complex shape of the flower will not leave anyone indifferent.

The varieties bred by M. Karpova deserve special attention, and they will definitely become a decoration in your collection.

MK - Marquise

• The variety was bred in 2013 and has already gained great popularity for its bright inflorescences.
• A dark crimson mesh accents the entire flower. The lower petals are red and the upper petals are reddish pink.
• The corners of the petals are slightly bent back. The lush green leaves are collected in a neat rosette.

MK - Light Breeze

• The upper petals are white and the lower petals are fuchsia. The edges of the petals are ruffled and wavy, which gives volume to the inflorescence shape. The flower is covered with a yellowish coating on top.
• Flowering is abundant. The leaves are medium in size and collected in a basal rosette.

Streptocarpus varieties bred by foreign breeders

Together with domestic scientists, foreign colleagues are also working on the diversity of this plant. In the USA, for example, streptocarpus took the leading position thanks to its magnificent flowers. Let's look at some of the most successful examples.

Silvia

1. The flower is named after the Queen of Sweden and truly has a completely unique regal palette of colors.
2. The noble shades of yellow and purple combine very harmoniously, creating a wonderful tandem.
3. The petals are corrugated, curled at the edges.
4. The dark green leaves are collected in a basal rosette.

Wow

Frau Flora selection. Excellent yellow - red inflorescences, which are bred in the contrast of two colors. And the red edging of the yellow petals adds zest to the plant.

Salmon Sunset

Here the emphasis is on the core of the flower. And the overall color scheme will not leave anyone indifferent, because the light coral color goes well with the yellow-red core.

Ambra

This plant is represented by wide wrinkled leaves of a juicy green color, which are collected in a rosette near the root collar. The flowers are very delicate. What gives them their fragility is the original mesh pattern of the lower leaves, represented in yellow and purple. The upper petals have an aristocratic, strict white color.

Streptocarpus, the natural species of which were grown at home by our grandmothers, are again at the peak of popularity among collectors. Recently, thousands of gorgeous varieties with various colors of charming flowers have been bred. Streptocarpus blooms for a very long time, delighting its owners. Caring for it is simple, so the plant can decorate the collections of experienced flower growers or settle on the windowsill of those who are just starting to grow flowers in their home.

Streptocarpus, or Cape primrose

There are hundreds of varieties of Streptocarpus. All of them mainly grow in the southern part of the African continent (as evidenced by the popular name of the flower - Cape primrose), as well as in Central and Eastern Africa, including Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. They were imported to Europe about 150 years ago, but the real boom began at the end of the twentieth century, when breeding work began to develop new hybrids and varieties. Currently, flower growers can choose streptocarpus with large and small flowers, painted in the most incredible shades of white, blue, lilac, yellow, burgundy; they can be fragrant and odorless, with simple flowers and with wavy petals at the edges.

In nature, streptocarpus can be found in forests, on shaded rocky slopes and in rocky cracks.

Streptocarpus is the closest relative of Gloxinia and Saintpaulia (Usambara violets). The genus belongs to the Gesneriev family, representatives of which usually grow in the wild as epiphytes or lithophytes. Cape primrose is found in wooded areas and grows in moist soil and light shade. Some species can be found on shaded rocky slopes, on the ground, in rock cracks and almost anywhere seeds can germinate.

Streptocarpus got its name due to the shape of the fruit, twisted in a spiral. Literally, the word "strepto" means "twisted" and "carpus" means fruit.

Modern hybrids only vaguely resemble natural species

Plants of the genus Streptocarpus have two main forms: multileaf and unifoliate. The first, in turn, has a rosette shape. These are perennial plants and are the ones most often grown indoors. The flowers of modern hybrids usually have a diameter of three to several centimeters and consist of five petals.

The second form has only one leaf growing from the base. Many species are monocarpic, they bloom only once, and after setting seeds they die, giving life to new plants. Although some are also perennial, that is, after the leaf dies, the flower produces a new one from the base, and the old leaf blade dies.

Monocarpics bloom once, giving life to new plants after the death of the set seeds.

Streptocarpus flowers are 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter and come in a variety of colors, ranging from white and pale pink to purple and violet, with all sorts of color combinations. The buds are tubular, in appearance they somewhat resemble a bell, they can have smooth or wavy edges, simple or double, decorated with cloves or scallops. Large leaves have an elongated shape and a velvety surface. The fruits are pods with small seeds.

“In captivity” Streptocarpus grows well, blooms and sets seeds. If you create suitable conditions for the flower, it will bloom for quite a long time and very profusely, as flower growers say - “with a cap”. Reproduction of the plant at home is also not difficult; streptocarpus can be grown from seeds, leaves, and even from small fragments of the leaf blade.

Natural species of streptocarpus

Currently, botanists have identified more than 130 species of streptocarpus. Some of the most popular are:

• Streptocarpus rexii (S. rexii). The plant is stemless, its distinctive feature is long pubescent leaves, the length of which reaches 25 cm. The flowers of the royal streptocarpus are colored purple, and there are purple streaks inside the throat.
• Streptocarpus stem (S. caulescens). A plant whose stem grows up to 50 cm in height. Its downward-sloping flowers have a soft blue tint.
• Kirk's Streptocarpus (S. kirkii). The leaves and flower stalks of the ampelous plant reach 15 cm and have a drooping shape. The buds of a light purple hue are collected in umbrella inflorescences.
• Streptocarpus Wendlana (S. wendlandii). The flower has one large oval-shaped leaf, the length of which reaches 0.9–1 m. The wrinkled and pubescent leaf blade is colored green on top, and reddish-purple below. Flowers with a diameter of 5 cm bloom from the axils of a long peduncle. Streptocarpus Vendlana reproduces exclusively by seed; after flowering it dies.
• Rocky streptocarpus (S. saxorum). The plant is perennial. Its distinguishing feature is the wooden base. Leaf blades are small, oval in shape. The shoots are twisted at the ends. Medium-sized purple flowers bloom in spring and summer.
• Streptocarpus primulifolius (S. primulifolius). The plant belongs to the rosette species. The stem grows up to 25 cm in height, up to 4 flowers bloom on it, the petals of which are decorated with all kinds of dots, streaks and strokes.
• Streptocarpus johansky (S. johannis). Rosette type with a straight stem. The leaves grow up to 50 cm in length and their width is 10 cm. About 30 lilac-blue flowers bloom on the peduncle.
• Streptocarpus large (S. grandis). A single-leaved species, its single leaf blade is quite large, growing up to 40 cm in length and 30 cm in width. The stem rises 0.5 m; flowers of a light purple hue with a darker throat and a white lower lip bloom at its top.
• Streptocarpus cornflower blue (S. cyaneus). The stems of the rosette plant reach 15 cm. The flowers are painted in different shades of pink and grow two per stem, the middle of the bud is painted yellow, the pharynx is decorated with different dots and stripes of purple color.
• Streptocarpus white (S. candidus). The leaf blades of the rosette plant grow up to 45 cm in length and reach 15 cm in width; the texture of the leaf surface is wrinkled and velvety to the touch. The snow-white flowers are decorated with yellow stripes, the throat is decorated with purple dots, and the lower lip is decorated with red strokes.
• Streptocarpus glandulosissimus (S. glandulosissimus). The stem of a plant of this species grows up to 15 cm in length. The buds are painted in different shades from purple to dark blue.
• Streptocarpus primrose (S. polyanthus). The plant is a single-leaved variety. The leaf blade is densely pubescent and grows up to 30 cm in length. The flowers, about 4 cm in size, are painted in various shades of blue with a yellow spot in the middle.
• Streptocarpus Holst (S. holstii). The flower has fleshy stems, the size of which reaches 50 cm. The leaf blades have a wrinkled texture, they reach a length of 5 cm. The buds are painted purple, and their base is snow-white.

Photo gallery: Streptocarpus species

The flowers of the royal streptocarpus are painted lilac, with purple streaks on the throat. Streptocarpus Vendlana reproduces exclusively by seed. The medium-sized flowers of the lilac shade of streptocarpus rocky bloom in spring and summer. The petals of the flowers of streptocarpus primulolifolia are decorated with all sorts of strokes and dots. About 30 purple flowers bloom on the peduncle of streptocarpus johanensis. blue flowers stem Streptocarpus major rises 0.5 m, at its top flowers bloom in a light purple hue with a darker throat. Streptocarpus stem flowers have a soft blue hue. Streptocarpus Kirka is grown as an ampelous plant.

Collection varieties and hybrids of streptocarpus

Currently, breeders are doing a lot of work to create spectacular hybrids and varieties of streptocarpus. More than a thousand varieties of domestic and foreign selection are known; it is, of course, impossible to describe all of them in one article; we will present only a few of them.

• Streptocarpus with flowers of rich dark purple shades with a velvety surface of the petals - varieties Dracula’s Shadow, Thunderous Overture.
• Flowers with a fantasy pattern of strokes of different shades in plants of the Himera Pedro and Tarjar’s Roger varieties.
• Flowers with the finest mesh (“vein pattern”) look incredibly impressive. Among the varieties whose buds have a similar color include Victorian Lace, Maja, Lisica, and Spring Dreams.
• DS-Kaya's Heart is a variety whose flowers have a matte white underside.
• DS-Meteor Shower - with blue-white upper petals and a yellowish-blue border around the edge.

Varietal diversity of streptocarpus in the photo

The Dracula's Shadow variety has magnificent flowers with velvety petals Thunderous Overture is a magnificent variety of domestic selection Himera Pedro variety has delicate flowers of different shades of lilac Streptocarpus Tarjar's Roger has very spectacular flowers Victorian Lace streptocarpus flowers look like bright lace Petals of Maja streptocarpus are decorated with purple strokes Variety Li sica has wavy edges of the petals Spring Dreams - a variety of streptocarpus with incredibly delicate flowers The petals of flowers of the DS-Kai Heart variety are decorated with a mesh of dark veins DS-Meteor Rain with medium-sized, bright flowers and dark rays from the throat

Table: requirements for growing streptocarpus at home

Season	Temperature	Humidity	Lighting
Spring Summer	+23–27 °С. Plants tolerate drafts well, but do not like heat.	Requires high humidity. This requires regular spraying with water at room temperature. However, it should be noted that water should not get on the leaves and flowers of the plant. Spray the air around the flower and install a humidifier nearby. In the summer you can arrange a shower (the flower responds well to the procedure), but you cannot immediately put it on the windowsill; first you need to dry the plant in the shade.	The lighting is diffuse. It is better to place it on the windowsill of a window facing East or West. In summer you can take it out onto the balcony or loggia, but shade the flower from direct sunlight.
Autumn winter	+18 °С.	Spraying once a week. If streptocarpus blooms, then droplets should be avoided on the flowers.	Requires additional illumination with a fluorescent lamp.

Features of landing and transplantation

Streptocarpus transplantation must be carried out in the spring. This event is usually carried out with the aim of rejuvenating the plant; it is also possible to propagate it by dividing the bush.

Making up the soil mixture

Although streptocarpus, gloxinia and violets belong to the same family, the soil for Cape primrose is different, therefore it is not recommended to use ready-made soil for Saintpaulias for planting and replanting plants. But you can add high-moor peat to it in a ratio of 2 parts peat and 1 part substrate for violets.

• high peat (2 parts);
• leaf humus (1 part);
• perlite or vermiculite (0.5 parts);
• sphagnum moss, cut into small pieces (0.5 parts).

Selecting a pot for planting

There is no need to use a pot that is too large for planting streptocarpus. The container is selected based on the size of the plant, since it begins to build up the vegetative mass only after the roots have entwined the entire earthen ball. For each subsequent transplant, it is necessary to use a flower pot 1–2 cm larger than the previous one.

The pot for growing streptocarpus must have drainage holes

How to transplant streptocarpus - step-by-step instructions

If you purchased a flower in a store, do not rush to replant it immediately. The peat substrate in which all plants are usually sold is suitable for the growth of streptocarpus. Wait until the beginning of spring and replant the flower by transferring it into a larger pot.

Caring for the "Cape primrose"

Streptocarpus is considered a non-capricious plant. All he needs is regular hydration and feeding.

Watering

Watering the plant should be done regularly. Please note that the flower does not tolerate excessive moisture and overdrying of the soil very well. The water for irrigation is pre-settled for 24 hours and watered along the edge of the pot. An hour after the procedure, it is recommended to drain excess moisture from the pan.

Optimal soil moisture can be determined by performing a simple test. Blot the surface of the peat substrate with a paper napkin. If there are small spots of moisture on it, then the substrate is sufficiently moistened. If the surface of the soil in the pot is shiny and has a black tint, then such soil is too wet for streptocarpus, and the red color of the peat indicates the need for watering.

Feeding streptocarpus

Fertilizers should be applied every one and a half to two weeks, using liquid preparations for flowering plants. This will significantly increase the growth of streptocarpus, accelerate the appearance of buds and strengthen the flower’s immunity, which will help protect it from pests and diseases.

Kemira Lux and Etisso fertilizers are excellent for feeding. The only condition is that the solution should be diluted in a concentration two times less than indicated in the instructions.

Flowering and dormant period

As a rule, streptocarpus bloom in late April - early May. During this period, they need good lighting, but they must still be shaded from direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves may wither or get burned. It is recommended to systematically remove wilted flowers and peduncles; this will stimulate the appearance of new peduncles.

To ensure abundant flowering, you need to remove faded flowers and peduncles.

Streptocarpus does not have a rest period as such. But in winter, in order for the plant to gain strength before flowering again, it needs special conditions. At this time, the flower is kept at a temperature of +18 o C and the amount of watering is reduced.

To stimulate flowering, the plant must be replanted in the spring into a fresh substrate, adding horse compost to it. Old and long leaves need to be shortened to 4–5 cm, which will stimulate the appearance of new leaf blades. Once the flower has developed a good amount of green mass, it will be ready to bloom. Please note that in order to get more abundant and long-lasting flowering, it is recommended to break off the first peduncle.

Table: problems when growing streptocarpus

What does the plant look like?	What is the reason?	How to fix the situation?
Streptocarpus leaves yawned.	Lack of moisture	Water the flower.
The leaves have turned yellow.	Nutrient deficiencies	Feed streptocarpus with complex fertilizer.
The tips of the leaves are dry.	The air is too dry; The plant is cramped in the pot.	Spray the air around the flower, being careful not to let drops of water fall on the leaves. Plant the streptocarpus by dividing the rosette into several parts.
A rusty coating appeared on the leaves.	Excessive watering; too high concentration of nutrients in the soil.	Stop watering and let the soil dry completely. Please note that it is better to underwater streptocarpus; if it is too damp, the plant will die. Replant the plant in peat-based soil. Fertilize once every 2 weeks, and the concentration of the solution should be 2 times less than recommended by the manufacturer.

If a plant does not bloom with good care, then the reason lies in the aging of the foliage. Each leaf can produce no more than 10 peduncles.

Table: flower protection from diseases and pests

Disease/pest	Signs	Methods of disposal
Gray fungal rot	Fluffy grayish mold on the leaves, caused by the botrytis fungus, appears when there is excessive dampness and when kept in cool conditions.	Remove parts of the plant affected by gray rot. Spray the diseased plant with Topsin, Fundazol or Zuparen. To avoid re-infection with gray mold, reduce watering and periodically ventilate the room.
Powdery mildew	Whitish coating on leaves, flowers and stems.	Remove the flower from the pot and rinse under running warm water. Treat with Fundazol. Replant in fresh and sterilized soil.
Aphid	Small green insects appear. Leaves curl or become deformed.	Treat with an insecticide (Fitoverm, Akarin, Actellik). Carry out 2-3 treatments (according to instructions).
Weevil	Wingless black insects appear. The weevil chews out the leaves, so they become eaten away at the edges.	Treat streptocarpus with one of the insecticidal preparations (Fitoverm, Akarin, Actellik) After a week, repeat the treatment.

Photo gallery: diseases and pests affecting streptocarpus

A white coating on the plant indicates the appearance of powdery mildew. When kept cool and with too much moisture, the flower is affected by gray mold. The weevil gnaws off the leaves, causing harm to the plant. When infested with aphids, the leaves curl and become deformed.

Reproduction

The most reliable methods of plant propagation are dividing the bush and propagating by leaf cuttings. Flower growers also use the method of propagation by leaf parts, which allows you to get a large number of children. In experimental attempts to breed new varieties of streptocarpus, the seed propagation method is used.

Streptocarpus from a leaf cutting

For rooting, you can use any part of the leaf blade. The most effective method, which is most suitable for beginners, is to grow a new specimen from a whole leaf. For this:

It is also possible to grow a large number of new specimens from fragments of the leaf blade. For this:

Sowing seeds

Streptocarpus seeds are small. They are scattered over the surface, moistened with a spray bottle and the plantings are covered with glass. Place the container in a warm place. Planting material germinates slowly and unevenly, so you need to be patient. Plantings in a greenhouse must be ventilated daily and the condensation from the film must be wiped off so that a black leg does not appear on the seedlings.

Plantings in a greenhouse must be ventilated daily and the condensation from the film must be wiped off so that a black leg does not appear on the seedlings.

Video: reproduction of streptocarpus