Eustoma perennial

This plant is originally from South America with a warm and humid climate. This fact must be taken into account when planting and caring for the flower.

Characteristics of a gentian plant

In nature, eustoma is a perennial, but in our conditions it is grown mainly as an annual. Sometimes in the fall the plant is brought into the room and continue to grow as an indoor flower.

Flowers in Lisianthus (this is another name for this plant) have very different colors. They can be monophonic or have a color border on white petals. There are simple and double flowers. But they all look like rose flowers.

Breeders brought a lot of varieties and hybrids lisianthus. The height of eustoma bushes, the cultivation of which is produced for cutting, reaches 50-70 cm. But there are undersized bushes up to 30 cm tall. They can be grown as a houseplant.

Not only lisianthus flowers are beautiful, but also its leaves. They have an ellipsoidal shape, the original bluish color and as if covered with wax. Stem dense and begins to branch from about the middle of its height. So just one such flower can replace a whole bunch.

Growing Lisianthus seedlings

How to grow eustoma from seed? Growing eustoma from seeds is similar to growing seedlings of petunia or lobelia. The flower has such tiny seeds that they, like the seeds of the lobelia, are sown in a slightly rammed substrate. The soil for seedlings can be prepared independently from peat with the addition of a small amount of sand and charcoal. Of the finished soil mixtures, the substrate for saintpaulia is best suited.

Growing and caring for Lisianthus seedlings is very painstaking.

Special attention needs watering. The substrate in which the seedlings are grown should be constantly wet, but not wet. Otherwise the seeds will not germinate. It is also important to observe the correct light and temperature conditions. The container for growing seedlings needs to be put in the brightest place and covered with a transparent film or glass. The temperature for seed germination should be between 22-25 degrees.

Some of the florists advise not to cover the container with a wrap and place it in a cold place. They recommend doing so in order that before the appearance of two pairs of true leaves there is no rosette, as a result of which the growth of the seedlings will slow down.

Try to sow Lisianthus in 2 containers. Cover one of them with a foil and keep it warm, while the other, on the contrary, leave open and place in a cold place. Then you can see for yourself what method of growing Lisianthus seedlings is more effective.

The first shoots will appear in one and a half to two weeks after sowing. At first, seedlings will develop slowly. At the same time you can not leave them without glass or film. But it is necessary to air. Only gradually it is necessary to “train” the seedlings to grow in the open air so that they can adapt.

It is important not to forget about enough light for seedlings. If sprouts begin to stretch, be sure to use artificial doshedivanie. This can be done with the help of special lamps "Flora" or an ordinary fluorescent lamp.

After one and a half to two months after germination, the seedlings will reach a size of 1.5-2 cm. At this time they can swoop down. You can remove seedlings for diving into pots with a small mustard spoon. Together with a lump of earth, 4-5 sprouts are moved to a pot with a diameter of about 7 centimeters in the holes prepared in the ground. After this, the plants should be lightly applied and kept at a temperature of about 18 degrees.

Since the Irish rose blooms in 15-20 weeks after germination, sowing seeds for seedlings should be carried out in winter, in February.

Planting and caring for lisianthus often cause difficulties for young gardeners with little experience.

Eustoma: feeding and care (video)

Transplantation in open ground

In the garden where the eustoma flower will grow, you need to find a slightly shaded place for it. Planting and maintenance should be such as not to harm the plant. The root system of these flowers is very tender and vulnerable, so you need to replant the plants with a method of rolling over.

Eustoma, which is planted in a poorly heated soil, will either die or the flower buds will not be planted on it. In order to be able to transplant lisianthus from home conditions in the conditions of open ground, the earth must warm up to a temperature of 16 degrees. Typically, the soil temperature reaches in the middle - end of June.

In order to lay high-quality flower buds on the stems, it is impossible to thicken the plants. Up to 60 plants can be planted on one square meter. But more rare planting and caring for flowers will make it possible to get even more qualitative blooming Lisianthus.

An Irish rose will give beautiful and abundant flowers, if during the period of growth the soil under it will be light enough and well fertilized. Especially important are complexes consisting of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. It is also possible to feed with a solution of mullein or chicken manure. Application of complex fertilizers should be carried out every week.

Also important for eustoma flowers is timely and proper watering. This is best done in a drip way. But for drip irrigation, you must have special equipment. In his absence, you can conduct watering simultaneously with spraying plants. In the period when the plant is actively developing, watering should be more abundant.

Growing this amazingly beautiful plant on the shoulder is not for every amateur grower. But if there is perseverance, hard work and a great desire, then you will not buy cut eustoma, and you will be able to cut it in your own garden to present an amazing bouquet of your own production for any occasion.

Eustoma: the secrets of successful cultivation (video)

Gallery: growing eustoma (15 photos)