Room eustoma: growing and care at home

The word "eustoma" is literally translated from Latin as "beautiful mouth" or "beautifully speaking". The magnificent flower has several more names that are used in different countries and regions: Lisianthus (Lisianthus - bitter flower), Texan bell, Irish or Japanese rose.

The house plant of the eustoma, whose photo can often be seen on the covers of editions on floriculture, belongs to the Gorechavkov family. It is believed that eustoma is a native of the southern regions of North America, the northern regions of South America, the islands of the Caribbean and Mexico. The American Indians have a legend that tells that for the first time this flower bloomed on the grave of an innocent girl who fell victim to the spirit of war. The proud beauty refused to become his lover.

For Europeans eustoma opened Irish botanist and doctor Patrick Brown. It is popular among florists as a flower for cutting, as the eustoma can stand in a vase with water for up to twenty days, and as an ornamental plant for indoor growing. In the latter form, the flower has been cultivated since the mid-twenties of the last century.

Many growers dream that in their house the roomy eustoma bloomed. Growing and caring for this plant cause a lot of questions even among experienced flower lovers. In this article we will try to answer them. Today there are more than sixty species of this plant, which are divided into several conditional groups.

By type of cultivation:

• Tall eustoms, which are most often planted in the garden and on the household plots;
• For indoor growth, low-growth varieties are suitable.

For the duration of vegetation:

• Annual plants are suitable for lovers, as they are easier to grow;
• Two-year - for professionals;
• Perennial varieties do not exist.

By flower type:

• Simple;
• Terry.

Description of the plant

The eustoma have strong stems, which in the open ground can reach a meter in height. At the same time they are very elegant, like a carnation. Almost from the middle, the stems begin to branch, turning into a whole bouquet, numbering up to 35 buds, which blossom one by one.

The leaves of the eustoma are lanceolate-oval, matte, as if waxed in a gray or gray shade. The flower's cup is deep and large, funnel-shaped. Flowers can be terry and simple (depending on the variety), painted in different shades - lilac, pink, purple, white, monochrome or with a bright contrasting border.

When the bud is half open, it is very similar to a rose, when the flower opens completely, it becomes like a magnificent double poppy. In natural conditions, the eustoma is a two-year-old plant, in garden dilutions it is usually annual.

Peculiarities of growing

Many flower growers and gardeners are interested in the flower of the eustoma. How to grow it, is not known to everyone, so we want to share with you some of the secrets of this plant:

• Eustomomy needs bright but diffuse light;
• The plant needs a soil consisting of equal parts of humus and peat;
• Eustoma multiplies by seeds, since the cuttings do not germinate, besides a very fragile root system does not tolerate division;
• Watering the plant should be carried out only after the soil is two centimeters deep into the soil;
• Do not transplant the eustoma: its roots will not suffer transplant;
• Room eustoma, the photo of which you see below, blossoms better in a well-ventilated room.

Cultivation from seeds

A pretty capricious plant is a roomy eustoma. Growing up and caring for it - the occupation is quite painstaking, time-consuming. Nevertheless, those who master the difficult process, it will bring real pleasure. Room flowers eustoma at home grow their seeds, which it is desirable to buy in a specialized store. The complexity of this process is that the seeds of the eustoma are very small: in one gram they contain 23 thousand pieces. Seeds, purchased in the store, are processed by special technology, to improve germination.

Eustoma room: growing and grooming

Sow seeds at home should be in the first half of December. If you do this at this time, by the end of August your buds will blossom, from which you can not take your eyes off. For planting, disposable cups are used. The substrate must be loose, with a peat component. Excellent soil with the addition of coconut.

Seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil, which is pre-watered, and then sprayed. After that, the cups should be covered with a film, and transferred to a warm place (+25 ° C). Once a day, the film is removed for a few minutes for airing, and the soil is moistened. One and a half to two weeks later, he gives the first shoots of a roomy eustoma. Cultivation and care from this point are complicated.

Remove the film, and above the young shoots set the lamp at a height of not more than 35 cm. When the seedlings have reached 15 cm in height, they can be planted in permanent containers. For this, a ceramic pot is suitable. At the bottom, a layer of 3-4 cm spread drainage (expanded clay). Then the container is filled with soil mixture, not having poured it up to the top edge by three centimeters.

Care

The flower of the eustoma is very beautiful, covered with numerous flowers and buds. Taking care of him at home is not an easy task for one reason: the plant badly needs diffused bright light and fresh air. This need can be met by installing a pot of eustoma on the east or west window in a room in which it is possible to maintain a temperature of + 19-22 ° C, with regular airing.

Spraying to the eustoma is impossible, as this can cause disease of the leaves. During the formation of buds and intensive eustoma fed with complex liquid fertilizers, at the rate of 10 ml per 10 liters of water. It is necessary to remove wilted flowers from the plant in time. Follow these simple rules, and the eustoma will please you through ninety days of repeated flowering.

Watering

Absolutely do not tolerate the drying of the soil, these indoor flowers. Eustoma, care at home for which involves regular watering, waterlogging is also afraid, so moisten the soil should only be done after the top layer has dried. The plant is watered at the root, trying not to get water on the leaves, at cool temperatures it can cause fungal diseases.

Temperature

For the growth of lisianthus optimal day temperature is considered + 20-25 ° C, and at night - no more than +15 ° C. If possible, in winter, the flower is transferred to a room with a temperature of +10 ° C.

Secrets of flowering

Often, beginners are interested in why the flower of the room is weakly blooming. Cultivation and care of this magnificent plant hides some secrets:

• A few minutes after watering, drain from the drip tray;
• So that the plant blossoms more abundantly, maintain the necessary temperature for it and more often ventilate the room;
• If found on the flower of pests, proceed to treatment immediately, to prevent their spread to other plants.

Care after flowering

When the eustoma efflorescence, its stems must be cut so that no more than three internodes are left on them, and the plant is transferred to a cool room (+10 ° C). During the rest period, the plant is rarely watered, and the feeding is stopped completely. In the spring, after the appearance of new shoots, transplant the eustoma very carefully (by transshipment) into a new nutrient soil and resume routine watering and nursing.

Indoor flowers of an eustom (care): why the ovary dries?

This issue is of interest to many florists. It would seem that all the rules of caring for the plant are observed, and it sheds the ovary. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. Here are just a few of them.

1. The plant stands in a draft. During airing, cold air can provoke the fall of buds, as well as the death of leaves. At this time, the flower should be removed from the window sill.
2. For irrigation, too cold water is used: it must be stationary, soft, at room temperature.
3. You can not transplant the plant at a time when it has blossomed or picked buds. Even minimal, at first glance, damage to the root system causes stress, as a result of which not only the ovary, but also the flowers fall.
4. Another reason may be low air humidity in the room. To increase it, gently spray the air around the plant, not allowing moisture to enter the flowers and buds.
5. In case of insufficient illumination photosynthesis slows down in the leaves, which eventually leads to the fall of the buds. Sometimes, it seems that they are about to dissolve, but this does not happen.
6. The ovary can dry and at high temperature of air in a room. Eustoma blooms and long pleases its beauty at an air temperature of +12 to +15 ° C.
7. The cause of falling ovaries may become pests: spider mites, whiteflies, thrips, scutes.

Diseases and pests

Indoor eustoma is susceptible to fungal mosquitoes, which are dangerous spreaders of fungal diseases, fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, and gray rot. In the process of growing a plant, periodically carry out preventive spraying with special preparations. But if you still found pests, then do not delay with treatment. The following drugs are effective: Saprol, Topsin, Mospilan, Fitoverm, Confidor. Spraying is performed 2-3 times.

As you can see, a rather capricious plant is a roomy eustoma. Growing and caring for it will require the owners of certain efforts, but believe me, you will be rewarded with a magnificent result when the eustoma blossom.