Each grower wants to grow something special at home or in the garden. Eustoma, also known as lisianthus - a rather capricious, charming beauty of flowers and rarely found in domestic culture plant, is perfect for this task.
A grassy one- or biennial native to Central America: Mexico, the southern United States, is found in the Caribbean. Up to 15-90 centimeters high, with bluish-green or gray, slightly juicy, lanceolate leaves and large, up to 5-6 centimeters in diameter, funnel-shaped flowers. The calyx is deep, large, similar to poppy.
They grow on long straight, graceful, like carnations, sometimes solitary, and sometimes branching stems. Flowers are found in a variety of colors, mainly white, cream, blue, blue, purple or violet. Also, depending on the variety, they are terry and multi-colored.
On one stalk, you can count dozens of flowers and buds. A complex and whimsical plant that requires some care. It grows slowly, reluctantly.
Cut flowers can stand in a vase for two weeks. The Irish rose is called because the plant was discovered and described by the Irish physician and botanist Patrick Brown. In Mexico, associated with the advent of spring.
Eustoma Growth Conditions
They are grown in open ground or in pots, in an apartment. Pots can be taken out to the garden or balcony.
Prefers bright, diffused light. In a sunny place, eustoma reveals all its beauty. Adapts to low air humidity. Desirable content at low temperatures, 15-20 ° C.
Soil use breathable, well-drained. If the source soil is too dense, a baking powder should be added: perlite or peat with sand. Such a formula is suitable: 1 part chernozem, 1 part sand or perlite, peat, sheet land. Acidity should be neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.5-7.0). The pot should have a hole for draining excess water and a drainage layer of expanded clay or small pebbles. At the same time, eustoma grows well in open chernozem.
In the apartment in the summer you can not spray, but you need to ventilate the plant. Normal flowering requires several hours of direct sunlight per day. From the hot, midday sun you need to shade.
Planting and reproduction of eustoma
Propagated by eustoma seeds. You can get them from small boxes that are formed in place of flowers, or buy in a store. Fresh, high-quality seeds give good, friendly shoots. Sow them from late December to February. It is optimal to do this before the heating is turned off, since the soil temperature is required at 22-25 ° C. At the same time, overheating to 30 ° C is unacceptable.
For sowing, you should take a small wooden box of fruit or pots. Prepared substrate is poured into a drawer with a layer of 5-7 centimeters. Do not compact the soil, it can be slightly moistened from the sprayer. Seeds distributed on the surface are pressed a little, it is not necessary to deepen or drip them. They are small, they can fly apart, so be careful. From above the container is covered with a plastic film or bag. Put it in a sunny place, on the windowsill, near the heating radiator. Periodically, the tank must be ventilated. Seeds should be moist but not wet: this can lead to the development of fungal diseases. In the dark they do not germinate. Shoots appear in 10-20 days, on average two weeks later.
A week after emergence, the greenhouse should be opened regularly. So the sprouts will get used to the open air. On the first day, open the greenhouse for 10 minutes, add 10 more every day. After 15 days, the film can be removed completely. Seedlings should be periodically treated from the sprayer with light solutions of fungicides to prevent diseases and rot. Perhaps the use of growth regulators.
Sprouts are transplanted when they reach a height of 5 centimeters. You can take bunches of 3-5 plants and plant them in peat pots. Sprouts tolerate the transplant quite well, which can not be said about adult plants. After transplanting, hold eustoma in a shaded place for 5-7 days, so that the sprouts take root in a new place. Avoid direct sunlight. Ideally, if the heating is turned off at this time, the temperature is desirable at 17-18 ° C.
Eustoma seedlings grow slowly. Four months later four sheets will develop. Lighting should be bright, diffused, so that the shoots do not stretch, but grow compact. When the stem is about 10 centimeters long, eustoma is transferred to a permanent place of residence. Try not to destroy the earthen lump, since the root of the plant is fragile and does not tolerate injuries.
In the open ground, eustoma is planted when the air temperature in the street at night will be kept at around 18 ° C. After transplanting seedlings, it immediately starts growing. It is desirable to plant in the evening, while each plant for the first time cover with a plastic bottle. So the moisture from the leaves will evaporate less and the eustoma will take root more quickly. Eustoma blooms five months after sowing.
Eustoma is usually grown as an annual plant. Do not bother with transplanting from open ground back to the pots due to the weak root system of eustoma, as well as the ability to bring a bunch of various pests and diseases into the house. It’s easier to collect seeds and grow a young plant. It is also possible propagation by cuttings, they take root at a temperature of 20-25 ° C.
It is not recommended to buy eustoma seedlings from your hands, since you can easily make a mistake and you will be sold phlox or something else, which in itself is not so bad, but no one wants to be deceived.
Eustoma Care
It is necessary to monitor the watering of the plant. Between watering, the soil should dry out by 2 centimeters. Eustoma is sensitive to both drought and excess moisture. It blooms better in cool contents. The optimum temperature will be 20-25 ° C during the day and 15-18 ° C at night. To prolong flowering, cut off faded inflorescences that continue to pull nutrients from the plant. This will stimulate the formation of new flowers.
Feeding eustoma after complete rooting of seedlings. During the flowering period and from the moment buds appear every two weeks, with liquid fertilizer with a high content of potassium.
It blooms from July to October, is easily pollinated. In place of flowers, seed boxes are formed, they have high germination ability. Try not to grow third-generation seedlings, collect seeds only from the mother plants.
Room care is identical, it differs only in the desirability of placement on the east or west window, as well as in temperature differences day and night. Indoor living does not last long, after flowering, with the beginning of withering, the plant should be thrown away.
Pests and diseases of eustoma
Suffers from fungal diseases. If the summer is wet, then for prevention should treat the plant with fungicides. Otherwise affected by botritis, powdery mildew. Perhaps fusarium wilting, while the stem becomes softer, the plant withers, which is very dangerous for eustoma. Also, flowers may wither from drying out. Affected by insects, slugs and snails for the prevention and control, use insecticides.
If you have experience growing decorative flowering plants, feel free to get yourself an eustoma. It is worth the effort expended on it, it will grow both in the house on the windowsill and on the street in the garden. And you will long admire her luxurious gifts opening in turn.
