Flowers of the eustoma: description, cultivation, care

The plant belongs to the Gentian family. Each individual nation has its own name. Eustoma, the Texas bell, the beautiful bowl, the gentian prairies, the bell of the prairies, the lisianthus - these are the names of this flower. Homeland of the plant is the southern part of the United States, the northern part of South America, Mexico, the Isthmus of Panama, the islands of the Caribbean Sea, where it actually grows in the wild.

Flowers of the eustoma: description

At different stages of development, the plant resembles a rose, then a poppy, or a tulip. In the wild nature, the flowers of the eustoma have a blue coloration of various shades, but plants of brighter shades of yellow, white and red are artificially derived.

The size of the flowers themselves, which is formed by 17-20 pieces. On one plant, can reach 8-10 cm. In the cut, they do not fade for a long time - up to two weeks.

The stem has a size of 30 to 60 cm, depending on the species of eustoma. It is quite stable, but for proper growth of flowers the stem needs support.

Flowers of the eustoma: cultivation

Usually, the seeds are sown in the period from January to March or from August to December. In the first year of life, plants are given flowers (in summer or spring, depending on the time of sowing). A good soil for eustoma is the sand mixed with the soil. Soil must be sieved and steamed. Seeds are laid in small pots evenly over the entire surface. They are small: in 1 gram they can be up to 20 thousand pieces.

Very slowly grow flowers eustoma. Growing up to the third, the present, a leaf, plants dive into cells 3x3 or 4x4 cm. After the formation of 5-6 leaves, the eustomum is transplanted into pots larger (12-16 cm in diameter) 2-4 pieces each. In one pot. For the formation of more compact bushes, gardeners are advised to pinch the plant above the second leaf. However, in this case, flowering will come with a delay of 3-4 weeks. The first flowers of the eustoma will show at a period of 3 to 3.5 months. They will slowly open, after each of them blooms, the flower-bud should be cut over the bottom pair of leaflets. From their sinuses, after 2-2.5 months, new flower shoots will appear.

Flowers of the eustoma: care

The soil for this plant should be rich in nutrients. It should also have good culvert and be light in mechanical composition. Flowers eustoma (photo on the right) are very demanding to the soil, so it is important to monitor its composition. The plant is sensitive to salts, especially if their concentration is high. This is taken into account when feeding, which is carried out twice a month. It is worth noting that the flowers of the eustoma prefer a fertilization obtained by dissolving the fertilizer in water (2-4 g per liter of water) rather than dry.

Watering should be abundant, but before it must wait until the soil is dried. With a strong moisturizing, the plant can undergo such diseases as gray rot and fusariosis.

Gardeners are advised to grow flowers as a houseplant, that is, keep them indoors. But in the summer you can take them out into the open air, where the flowering will be even more abundant. But when the temperature in the autumn falls on the street, it is better to bring the plant back to the room.