Growing gloxinia from seeds at home is a laborious process, but if you follow all the rules of agricultural technology, you can get a beautiful healthy flower. The main requirement for planting material is that the seeds should not be old, dry, damaged by pests or rot. They can be harvested independently, collected from the mother plant, or bought in a specialized store.
How to get seeds
Successful reproduction by seeds is possible only with initially high-quality seed material. You can get it in two ways:
- Buy in the store. Today you can find both classic varieties and hybrids with a wide variety of bud colors, bush shape and other parameters. The advantages of such seeds are that they are ready for germination, have a higher degree of germination compared to self-collected material. In addition, the packaging usually indicates what parameters need to be created for rapid growth.
- Collect by hand. The difficulty in this case lies in the fact that first you need to carry out artificial pollination. When gloxinia blooms, from the second flower it is necessary to transfer the pollen to the pistil with a brush or cotton swab. And it is better if the flowers are of different colors. If pollination was successful, after 3–5 weeks the pistil will dry up, fall off, and a seed box will be visible in its place. It ripens up to 5-6 days, then cracks. You need to have time to collect the seeds before they dry out and lose their viability.
After removing the box, they put it in a dry container, and when it opens on its own, the seeds are pulled out. They are transferred to storage in a tightly closed container.
Since the end of winter - the beginning of March is considered the best time for sowing, pollination is carried out at the very end of autumn or early December.
Gloxinia seeds are small, look like poppy seeds. Not all of them germinate, so the more planting material is stored, the more likely it is to grow a healthy flower.
step by step
To get gloxinia from seeds at home, follow the step-by-step instructions. It will help determine the correct timing of the procedure, the parameters that are necessary for germination, as well as the method for further planting young shoots.
When to sow
Sowing seeds is carried out within 30-40 days in the period end of February - beginning of March. It is important that the plant, before entering the dormant phase, which in gloxinia and other flowering specimens occurs at the end of autumn, has time to build up the root system, green mass, get stronger and adapt.
The ideal time to sow gloxinia is the last decade of February. With proper care, six months after planting the shoots obtained from seeds in the ground, they begin to bloom. In late October - early November, the plant fades and retires.
Planting containers and soil
In order for the cultivation of gloxinia seeds at home to be successful, all aspects of planting are important, including the right soil and pot. Select a container with a tight-fitting lid made of a transparent material such as plastic. Shoots will not appear without enough lighting, but the lid of the container is needed in order for greenhouse conditions to form under it - a kind of greenhouse. If the seeds do not receive enough light, they are unlikely to sprout.
If there is no container with a lid, you can pick up a regular container with low sides and cover it with glass or plastic wrap. Such a cover should fit snugly against the sides, not let air through. This will ensure a constantly high stable humidity level.
Balanced soil is easier to purchase at the store. But you can do it yourself. To create a soil mixture, you need coniferous land and clean sand in equal proportions. All soil components are well disinfected. You can roast them in a pan in the oven or freeze and thaw them twice.
There are special solutions for disinfection. They are sprayed with the ground laid out on a newspaper, then dried and used for planting gloxinia seeds.
Seed preparation
When propagating gloxinia by seeds, planting material must be prepared with high quality:
- Handle seeds carefully. They are small, can scatter from any breath of air. Some growers put each in a special soluble capsule - this makes planting easier, but sometimes hinders shoot growth.
- The seeds themselves do not need to be disinfected and soaked.. They are planted dry in prepared soil mixture placed in small pots, peat cups or other containers.
The more seeds that are planted, the greater the chance of getting strong sprouts, from which beautiful healthy flowers will then grow.
Sowing seeds
You can plant gloxinia seeds as follows:
- They take a wide shallow container and pour ready-made or do-it-yourself soil mixture to the bottom. Smooth it out with a spatula, lightly compact with your hands.
- The earth, before falling asleep in a container, needs to be warmed up a little.
- Settled water at room temperature is collected in a spray bottle, the soil surface is sprayed. It should stay moist, but not too wet.
- Then the seeds are carefully laid out on the surface of the soil. They can be covered in rows without deepening into the ground. If there are few seeds, use tweezers or other sharp object to carefully spread them on the ground.
- Once again moisten the surface with water from a spray bottle.
- Cover the container with a film or glass so that there is no air access. Leave in a room at normal temperature, best of all on the windowsill of a south or southeast window.
You can plant seed material not only in a common container, but also in separate peat tablets
Before use, they are moistened with warm water, placed in a flat low container with a tray, then covered with a film. Each capsule can contain 3 seeds.
Early care
On average, it can take from 2 weeks to 3 months before germination, depending on the care and climatic parameters in the room. Seeds need to create greenhouse conditions so that they germinate faster:
- 7 days after laying the material, open the lid of the container or remove the polyethylene to ventilate the seedlings. Repeat the manipulations every day, leaving the sprouts open for at least 15 minutes. Such ventilation will prevent the development of mold and decay.
- During the period of rapid growth of seedlings, it must be watered regularly, focusing on the degree of soil moisture. At normal room temperature, watering should be carried out 1 time in 2-3 days.
- The lid or film is removed when most of the seedlings appear.. After that, the plant dive. Picks (transfer to a new substrate and a larger container) are carried out three times. This allows you to strengthen the plant and prepare it for independent growth in a separate pot. The first pick - 30 days after the laying of the seeds, the second - when the height of the sprouts reached 2 cm or more, the third - after 3 weeks. The last pick is a transplant of flowers into separate pots to a permanent place of growth.
It is necessary to take care of the planted seeds carefully, especially in the first 30–40 days. Gloxinia sprouts are thin, fragile, easily broken by careless handling.
Transplanting strong flowers
For each flower grown, you need to pick up a small pot. Young shoots have a small root system, in large pots they will not receive many nutrients. In addition, if you plant grown plants immediately in a large container, the soil turns sour, mold appears in it.
After transplanting to a permanent place, the flower can begin to fertilize. In addition to mineral dressings, growth stimulants and activators are introduced, which accelerate the adaptation process, reduce the risk of flower death in new conditions.
Possible difficulties
It is difficult to grow gloxinia from seeds at home for several reasons - it is not always possible to select high-quality seed material, its germination rate is low, it is not easy to maintain more stable climatic conditions for young shoots for a month. But this method of growing also has advantages - if everything is done correctly, you will get a lot of strong healthy seedlings that retain all the features of a varietal mother plant (bud color, leaf color shape).
In the process, you may encounter some difficulties:
- Shoots wither. This happens when there is too much ventilation. Open a mini-greenhouse less often, no more than once every three days.
- Many experienced flower growers do not recommend planting seeds in peat tablets. A weak root system does not overcome the peat barrier, water stagnates, the plant may die.
- When a flower is planted, drainage is used. Take coarse sand, pebbles, perlite. This will ensure the timely release of water to the outside, will help control the level of soil moisture.
- If, after watering, a dense airtight crust forms on the surface, it must be carefully loosened. Seedlings are young, weak, their roots are very thin. Loosen gently, only on the topmost layer of soil.
- After laying the seeds do not use fertilizers. The first top dressing can be done a week after the last fourth pick to a permanent place.
- If the flower does not grow, this may indicate poor-quality or spoiled seeds. Perhaps they were stored incorrectly, they were frozen or exposed to too high a temperature.
Caring for a plant obtained from seeds is the same as for a seedling after dividing the root or cuttings. Provide stable illumination, temperature, lack of drafts, so that the plant actively develops and blooms.
You like gloxinia, but you think that it is grown only from tubers or leafy cuttings. Do you know that it is quite possible to buy seeds and grow gloxinia from seeds yourself at home? Yes, it's not the easiest option. But on the other hand, you can please yourself with plants of various colors and unlike other varieties that other flower growers do not have. It is enough to buy a few bags of seeds. After reading the article, you will learn all the secrets of this method.
Brief information about gloxinia
Gloxinia received such an interesting double name from the names of botanists Peter Gloksina and Wilhelm Sinninga.
This perennial tuberous plant has large oval leaves. Flowers are like bells of various colors and sizes. Especially beautiful are red, blue, purple gramophones with a white center. Inflorescences are white and black. There are not only two-color, but also multi-color varieties. With good care, up to 50 inflorescences appear on one bush.
Gloxinia grows comfortably on windowsills with windows facing east and west. If it is placed on the north side, then the sockets will stretch upwards. It perfectly takes root in the kitchen or glazed loggia. In the southern part of the room, the plant should be shaded so that direct sunlight does not shine on it.
Landing Rules
Growing gloxinia from seeds is a long process. It takes perseverance and perseverance. Much depends on the quality of the seed.
The easiest way is to buy seeds in the store. They do not need additional processing, they are ready for sowing. You can collect them yourself. Especially if you want to get a hybrid from existing specimens.
How to collect seeds yourself
In such cases, pollination is carried out - with the help of a fleece, pollen is transferred from the pestle to the pestle of different colors. After the corolla has withered, the seed pod is visible on the peduncle. It takes 1.5-2 months for the formation and maturation of seeds. Affects the variety of gloxinia and the conditions of detention. Since the seeds are small, care must be taken when collecting them. The box is carefully cut off and moved to a dry container.
Box with seeds
From the moment of emergence of seedlings to the beginning of flowering, 6-7 months are required. The time of hibernation is September-October. This means that in order for the seeds to sprout, the plant to grow, bloom, a tuber is formed, it is necessary to start work no later than mid-February. It is possible earlier, but then additional lighting is needed.
Consider in order the process of sowing gloxinia from seeds:
- Prepare soil for sowing. A peat mixture purchased at a store or taken in a forest, park under birches and pines will do. The soil from under the trees is sifted, mixed with sand, disinfected in the oven or otherwise. Then they are placed in plastic containers or other suitable containers. It is better to use ready-made soil. Vermiculite and charcoal are added to the prepared soil mixture.
- Prepare a solution with the addition of epin or zircon to the water. Moisten the soil with it using a spray bottle.
- Spread the seeds, keeping a gap of 1 cm. Manufacturers subject them to granulation and packaging into capsules. It is difficult to sow small seeds, so flower growers use a toothpick - moisten its tip and take one seed from a saucer. They should not be buried.
- Moisten gently with warm water from a spray bottle.
- Close the container tightly with a lid, cellophane, glass and place it in a warm, lit place. You do not need to open it often, only periodically moisten it a little with warm water.
On sale there are special indoor greenhouses with lids. It's good that they are transparent.
Sometimes flower growers use plastic boxes for cake or other confectionery.
Good to know. A feature of gloxinia is that seeds may not sprout in the dark.
Instead of soil, peat tablets are used. In them, the seeds germinate better.
Shoots appear after about 10 or more days. Sometimes this process is delayed. The main thing is not to rush to open the shelter when you see the first sprouts.
Dive
Two true leaves grow after 3-4 weeks. It's time for a dive.
Dive is necessary if:
- the growth and development of seedlings slowed down;
- they have little space.
It should be borne in mind that gloxinia sprouts are tiny and tender. In order not to damage them, use a fork, a teaspoon or a cuticle spatula from a manicure set. The plant is carefully removed with a lump of earth.
Picking is carried out in the same container, similar to a greenhouse. They cover again. For irrigation, melt water is used. You can take ice from the freezer and warm it up. If there is insufficient lighting in the room, then you should take care of additional light sources.
The interval between dives is 14-21 days. For the third and fourth times, planting in small cups (50-100 ml) is allowed.
Advice. It is not necessary to deepen the process much.
Seedlings in cups are gradually hardened - more often they open a greenhouse.
Top dressing is not required, since the soil changes during a dive.
Further care
After about 2.5 months, gloxinia is transplanted into small pots, which have a diameter of 9-10 cm and about the same height.
- Be careful when watering. Water should not fall on the leaves, inflorescences and the central part of the tuber. Avoid overwetting. In the pallet you can put pebbles, expanded clay.
- The optimum temperature for growing is 18-22°C.
- For top dressing, it is not recommended to use organic fertilizers and several types of top dressing in a row. An acceptable option is fertilizers for flowering plants, such as: Kemira Lux, Belvito. The content of potassium and phosphorus in them exceeds the amount of nitrogen. The indicated dosage should be reduced by 3 times. Otherwise, a weak root system will be damaged.
Six months later, or a little later, the first flowers will appear. After the end of flowering, the stem should be cut off, leaving 2-4 lower leaves on the bush. New stepchildren are soon designated on them. During this period, the plant needs top dressing, first for growth, and later for flowering. New peduncles will turn out much less.
In the first year, abundant flowering is not observed. In some cases, gloxinia does not bloom, does not go to rest. Then the following year, flowering begins very early, and the usual cycle begins in autumn. Such a plant in winter requires illumination and top dressing.
The end of flowering and the beginning of yellowing of the leaves is a signal to reduce watering. The stem is cut off completely, only stumps 1-2 cm high are left at the bottom.
There is another opinion on this matter - do not cut the stem, but let it dry. Then the tuber from the leaves accumulates useful substances necessary for wintering.
Storage of tubers in winter
After pruning the bush, pots with tubers are placed in a cool dark place with an air temperature of -10-12°C. The main thing is to prevent the tubers from drying out completely, but to protect them from decay. Water once every 2-4 weeks.
Another way of storing root crops is also common. For this:
- in autumn they are removed from the ground;
- shake off the substrate;
- cleaned in a plastic bag filled with soil mixture in combination with vermiculite in a ratio of 1: 1 or wet peat, sawdust;
- tightly close the bag and put it in the refrigerator on a shelf for storing vegetables or a dark cool place;
- inspect the contents of the package once a month, so as not to miss the appearance of rot or mold.
Gloxinia transplant in spring
The dormant period for gloxinia begins in September-October and ends in February-March. At this time, she is stocking up on strength for the new season. Before germination begins, they need to be transplanted into fresh soil, even if they hibernated in pots.
Seeing the first sprout, you should get a nodule, shake off the soil from it, rinse it with running water, cut off thin roots.
Even a small speck of rot is removed with a disinfected sharp knife. Then they are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour or for 15 minutes in a solution of foundationazole. Make sure that the solution does not touch the sprout. Dry. The cut points are sprinkled with charcoal. Now the tuber is ready for planting.
Important advice. If two or more shoots have appeared, then only one, the strongest, is left, the rest are removed so that the plant does not become exhausted.
The pots are not very deep. There is a dependence on the size of the nodule - a small (1-2 cm) enough 100-gram plastic cup, reaching 3-4 cm, needs a pot with a diameter of up to 9 cm. The distance from it to the walls of the pot should be 2-3 cm.
Useful advice. In a tight container, gloxinia blooms earlier.
Gloxinia does not suit acidic soils - growth worsens, buds form worse. The acidity index pH 5.5-6.5 is the highest limit.
The prepared soil needs to be disinfected. There are special preparations (for example, "Maxim"). You can pour a solution of manganese.
The tuber is planted with a recess up so that it sinks only halfway into the ground.
Completely sprinkle it only after the start of active growth of the shoot. When watering, the jet of water should not fall on the plant.
Required thermal regime: 18-25°C. With a decrease in temperature, growth is inhibited, and with an increase, flowers do not open well. If the room is dry, then spray water from a spray bottle next to the pot, but not on the leaves.
The beginning of top dressing is a month after transplantation. Use fertilizers for flowering plants, similar to Fertika Lux. Regularity - 2-3 times a month. During budding, potassium monophosphate is used (1-2 times a month). Fertilize cease in August-September.
Beginners are often worried about the question - why healthy-looking tubers do not germinate. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is dryness or dampness in the room where they were stored. A delay in germination is observed when they are not mature enough before being sent to storage.
Healthy tubers can be forced to wake up. For this you need:
- before planting, spray them with Zircon, Kornevin or Epin preparations;
- intensify watering (pour water only around the edges of the pot);
- improve lighting;
- raise the air temperature to 26°C.
If, on the contrary, gloxinia woke up early, and you noticed the appearance of a long pale process late, then it is better to remove it and wait for a new one.
The babies formed on the nodules can be used for further reproduction. It is enough to carefully separate them from the main root crop, plant them in small containers.
Reproduction of gloxinia
It is possible to breed gloxinia bushes with the preservation of the characteristics of this variety by vegetative propagation. Consider 4 ways.
Propagation by stepchildren and cuttings of the tops
This method is considered the fastest. It lies in the fact that they use the extra processes that have appeared on the tubers (they are recommended to be removed), new extra stepchildren and apical cuttings.
They are carefully cut so that the cut is oblique. Leave for 1-2 minutes to dry and plant in 100 ml transparent cups with soil based on high-moor peat to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Create greenhouse conditions for them (cover or place in plastic boxes with lids). Another example of an affordable option is a plastic bottle cut into 2 parts.
After 10-15 days roots are formed. After another week, they refuse shelter. Thanks to the transparent walls of the cups, the developed roots can be seen. Then, by transshipment, they are transferred to pots for further growth.
Breeding with peduncles
Before using this method, you need to remember - gloxinia flower stalks with simple flowers take root. If you take them from double flowers, then there is no guarantee of a positive result. Flower stalks with a seed box take root better.
The landing method is similar to the previous one. Peduncle 5-8 cm long is buried in the ground by 1-1.5 cm and placed in a greenhouse.
Obtaining shoots from leafy cuttings
This is the most familiar and common method. The sheet is cut with a sharp knife or blade, the incision is made obliquely. Then they plant it in the ground or lower it into a vessel with water. A large sheet is divided into several parts. Both in the first and second cases, a greenhouse is used. In the second option, you should pay attention that only the stalk is in the water, and not the leaf blade. To accelerate the growth of roots and disinfect them, activated charcoal is added to the water.
After 2-3 months, the mother leaf is removed if it has not dried up.
Good to know. No need to use old, especially lower leaves. A suitable period for cutting leaves is the moment from the laying of buds to the end of flowering.
The method is used for dividing large tubers with several growth points. The incision is made in such a way that each fragment has at least one point of growth. The method is suitable for saving a diseased or rotten tuber. Cut off damaged parts. The incision sites are sprinkled with activated charcoal.
Each part is planted in a cup or pot for cacti. Grown in a greenhouse.
Excessive watering leads to rotting of tubers. Initially, there is a decrease in the elasticity of the leaves, and then the plant droops completely. In such cases, the stem is cut off, leaf cuttings are rooted. Examine the tuber. If decay did not occur from a growth point, then:
- damaged areas are removed;
- the rest is soaked in a fungicide, sprinkled with crushed activated carbon;
- dry for 2-3 days;
- planted in the ground.
Sick gloxinia bush
The most common disease of gloxinia is late blight. It is manifested by weak wilting, then the cessation of stem growth and a change in its color. In the future, the cuttings and leaves rot. The plant dies. At the initial stage, you can try to spray it with phytosporin, but it is better to destroy it along with the soil.
Fusarium infection occurs from the soil. The leaves turn brown, curl up and wither. Cracks and dark stripes are visible on the stems. The cause of the disease is excessive watering and moisture retention in the soil. The soil should be replaced, the tuber with roots should be washed, disinfected and planted again.
Exceeding the norm of nitrogen fertilizers, improper watering, low temperatures lead to the defeat of gloxinia with powdery mildew. As a result, a white powdery coating appears on the stems, leaves, buds. Treatment - treatment with fungicides (for example, foundationol).
Major pests
The appearance of dashes, dots, small bright spots on the leaves indicates the presence of thrips. These harmful insects affect stems, buds, flowers. On the upper part of the sheet, a silvery sheen with a grayish-brown tint is noticeable. It's hard to fight them. It is advisable to transplant the plant to another land, disinfect the tuber and root. Spray with insecticides: Aktara, Aktelik, Fitoverm and others.
The spider mite is the smallest insect. It settles on the bottom of the sheet. The first signs are the formation of white dots, gradually turning into yellow-brown spots. The appearance of a web means a large number of insects. They quickly attack nearby plants.
Spider mite on plants
On the lower part of the leaves is another pest - the cyclamen mite. The plant is slowing down. The leaves are deformed, twisted. Buds wither, fall off. The tops of the shoots turn brown. It looks like dust has accumulated.
Methods of dealing with spider and cyclamen mites:
- remove damaged leaves;
- carry out 3-fold treatment with insecticides with an interval of one week.
From all of the above, the conclusion suggests itself: it is quite possible to grow gloxinia from seeds at home. The main thing is to follow a few rules: choose the right soil for planting, create conditions with good lighting, moderate watering, timely transplanting, lowering the temperature for the rest period.
This amazingly beautiful plant with numerous bluebell flowers can be easily grown on your own. We offer a step-by-step master class on growing gloxinia from seeds and tubers.
The people call this flower gloxinia, and its scientific name is synningia. This plant belongs to the Gesneriev family and has about 60 species, of which only one has received the greatest popularity today - the beautiful Sinningia (Sinningia speciosa). It served as the basis for the development of numerous hybrids with a variety of flower colors. How to grow this attractive gloxinia at home?
Growing gloxinia from a tuber
Before planting a tuber in the soil, it must be thoroughly cleaned, washed and inspected. All dead roots should be removed, and rotten areas should be cut out.
In order for the wound not to start to rot, treat it with brilliant green or sprinkle it with an activated charcoal tablet crushed into powder.
After drying the tuber, you can immediately plant it in the soil, but in this case it will germinate for a long time. In addition, there is a risk of flooding it, since gloxinia does not tolerate waterlogging at the beginning of growth. To avoid this, it is better to "wake up" the tuber first and plant it in the ground after the appearance of small sprouts.
How to "wake up" a gloxinia tuber?
To wake up the tuber, after cleaning and washing, place it in a plastic bag with a small amount of light (peat) and slightly moist soil.
Tie up the bag and put it in a warm (with an air temperature of about 25 ° C) and well-lit place. Can be placed under a lamp.
It is not necessary to ventilate the bag and moisten the soil. Your task is to simply wait for small green sprouts to appear from the tuber. After that, you can plant it in a pot.
We prepare the substrate and a suitable container
The most suitable land for gloxinia is a mixture of peat and humus in a ratio of 1: 1. In addition, perlite must be added to the container, and expanded clay drainage should be made at the bottom.
If you do not have perlite on hand, you can use ordinary river sand (about 1/3 of the total mass of the substrate), it also improves soil permeability well.
Do not plant gloxinia in heavy soil, as the tuber may rot in it.
Choose a container for a flower, taking into account the size of the tuber. There should be a distance of 3-5 cm between it and the pot so that the plant can easily build up mass. At the same time, it is better not to take too large a container "for growth": the soil will remain moist longer in it, so the roots will slowly develop, flowering will be delayed, and the tuber may even rot. So, for large adult tubers, a pot with a diameter of 12-14 cm is best suited.
Planting gloxinia tubers
At the bottom of the pot, pour drainage with a layer of 1-2 cm, on top - a little substrate. Then carefully place the tuber and fill it with soil so that the upper part, where the sprouts are, remains open. Gently pour the soil around the tuber with warm water, avoiding dripping on the sprouts.
Place the pot in a warm place under the phytolamp. Illuminate the plant 12-14 hours a day.
When the gloxinia sprouts grow to about 2 cm, completely cover the tuber with soil and water.
After a couple of leaves appear on the plant, transfer it to a light windowsill located on the southeast side. Please note that at this time, moderate temperatures, regular but scarce watering, and plenty of natural light are needed to form a strong gloxinia bush.
About 3 months after the germination of the tuber, gloxinia blooms. At the same time, simple flowers bloom earlier, and double flowers usually have to wait a little longer.
We grow gloxinia from seeds
You will need:
- a container for growing seedlings with a plastic transparent lid;
- light soil;
- quality seeds;
- drainage (expanded clay);
- spray bottle with water.
Gloxinia seeds must be sown, like tubers, in a light peat-based substrate. So young thin roots of the plant will develop better.
Sowing gloxinia seeds
1. Pour drainage into the container with a layer of 1 cm.
2. Sprinkle soil on top, lightly tamp and level well. You don’t need to pour a lot of earth, the substrate layer should be only 2-3 cm.
3. Using a spray bottle, thoroughly moisten the soil.
4. Spread the seeds on the surface without deepening into the ground.
Gloxinia seeds are very small. To distribute them evenly, take a white sheet of paper, carefully sprinkle the seeds on it, bend it over and lightly tap the small seeds all over the container.
If you are using granulated seeds, then simply spread them evenly over the surface.
5. Lightly sprinkle the soil so that the seeds go a little deeper into the ground. But do not overdo it, because for successful germination, they must be exposed to light.
6. Cover the container tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in a warm place under the phytolamp so that there is a distance of 2 to 5 cm from it to the seed container. Please note: gloxinia seeds germinate in conditions of high humidity, so even after germination the container does not must be ventilated (so that moisture does not evaporate).
Every 3-4 days, use a spray bottle to moisten the soil with sown gloxinia seeds. Seedlings should appear about 8-10 days after sowing.
Picking gloxinia seedlings
When the seedlings grow up and begin to interfere with each other (after about a month), pick them up in the same container with a light substrate, but place fewer seedlings there - about 15 pieces. To do this, carefully pry off the sprout with a teaspoon, place it in a new place, lightly pour from the syringe and cover with a lid. It is better not to use a spray gun, as a strong pressure of water can damage delicate plants.
In total, when growing gloxinia from seeds, it is necessary to carry out 3-4 picks.
2 months after sowing the seeds, start gradually accustoming the seedlings to grow without a greenhouse: open the lid for several hours a day. If the plants react normally to airing and do not fade, then you can leave them in such conditions for a day. If the leaves begin to dry out, return the greenhouse.
When the seedlings grow up, and their leaves reach a diameter of 2 cm, transplant the plants into separate plastic cups with a volume of 150-200 ml. At this stage of development, gloxinia should be grown without a greenhouse. But the cups must be located in a well-lit place.
After the young plants grow noticeably, they can be transplanted into a flower pot (also with peat soil) with a diameter of 9-12 cm.
1. Gloxinia are very fond of bright but diffused light and cannot stand crowding, so each plant should have its own pot and tray.
2. Watering should be regular, but without waterlogging.
3. During the flowering period, you need to periodically inspect the plants and remove wilted flowers and yellowed leaves.
4. During the growing season, once a week, the plant must be fed with mineral fertilizer (during the formation of buds, this can be done twice). After the end of flowering (usually in mid-September), feeding and watering should be stopped.
5. With improper care, gloxinia can get sick. From too generous watering, tuber rot can develop. To prevent this disease, before planting, it is recommended to shed the soil with a solution of Fitosporin, you can water the plant several times after transplantation with the same preparation. In addition, in order to avoid rotting of tubers, planting material must be purchased from trusted sellers, and not from hands.
6. Young plants with very tender leaves are susceptible to spider mite attack. At the same time, the edges of the sheet are twisted, cobwebs and small dots appear on them, which develop into yellow-brown spots. As a result, the leaf gradually dies off. To get rid of the pest, you need to treat the plants at least three times with an insecticide solution (Fitoverm, etc.) with an interval of 3-4 days.
7. In summer, thrips can settle on gloxinia flowers - small mobile insects that leave pollen, silver-gray stripes and spots on the petals. To get rid of this pest, it is necessary to remove all damaged buds and flowers, pour the soil in pots with Aktara solution and spray the leaves well with any insecticide.
8. In October-November, when the tubers "fall asleep", they need to be taken out of their pots, shaken off the ground and put in a zip bag, sprinkled with a mixture of peat and sphagnum (1: 1). The package should be tightly closed and stored at a temperature of 10-15°C.
The indoor (greenhouse) plant of the Gesneriaceae family, originally from America, is named gloxinia in honor of the scientist Gloksin, who studied it. The second name is synningia. Most often, this flower is usually propagated by dividing the tubers and leaf cuttings. But to obtain new varieties, it is advisable to use the cultivation of gloxinia from seeds at home. This process is quite long and laborious, but if you follow the instructions, then after 6-7 months the plant will bloom in lush color.
Features of gloxinia and its types
Gloxinia is a low houseplant with bell-shaped large flowers of various shades, a short and thick stem and fleshy dark green leaves with a velvety texture, characterized by lush flowering. The border of its flowers can be smooth or double, one-color, two-color or multi-color, with bright speckles or contrasting frills along the edges, depending on the variety.
In total, there are up to 25 different types of synningia in nature. Flowers vary in diameter:
Popular varieties:
Landing and care rules
Gloxinia at home can be grown in the following ways:
Breeding a flower by germinating seed is one of the most difficult methods. The seeds are very small, dusty, and their germination is low. Sprouts also develop at a slow pace. However, to obtain new varieties of gloxinia, it is recommended to resort to propagation by seeds.
To ensure healthy seedlings, hybrid seeds of the first (F1) and second (F2) reproduction should be used. But the flowers of the third generation will no longer have the qualitative characteristics of the parents.
Sowing for seedlings can be carried out both in autumn and in winter (no later than mid-February). The optimal period is November or December. It is only important to maintain a certain temperature regime and observe the duration of daylight hours at least 12-14 hours a day with the help of artificial lighting lamps to prevent the stems from stretching and falling. Flowering will begin 6-7 months after the appearance of the first shoots.
Step-by-step instruction
For landing, you need to prepare:
Action algorithm:
A container with sown seeds should be placed in a warm place with a temperature of 22 to 26 degrees Celsius under artificial lighting. It is not recommended to ventilate the container until sprouts appear to avoid moisture evaporation.
Care for seedlings
The first sprouts should appear approximately 10–14 days after planting; in some varieties, germination can take up to 20 days. All this time they must be irrigated with a spray bottle at least three times a week. And after a month, the seedlings will become so large that they will be cramped. Therefore, it is necessary to pick seedlings by transplanting part of the plants into a similar container.
In total, picking gloxinia should be carried out up to three times over the entire period:
Grown up and strengthened plants are transplanted into pots with a diameter of at least 12 cm. For transplantation, soil of the same composition should be used as for planting seeds.
How to care for mature plants
Care for gloxinia growing at home is based on three main factors:
Also, the plant does not tolerate:
- Sudden changes in room temperature. It is desirable to maintain the temperature regime at +18 degrees Celsius. In the dormant phase, the plant can develop normally at a temperature not lower than +10 degrees.
- Skvoznyakov. Gloxinia does not need airing, as this can lead to hypothermia of the flower and lowering of the leaves.
- dry air. To maintain optimal humidity in the room, you need to put a container of water next to the plant. But it is impossible to spray leaves and flowers from a spray bottle.
Disease control
Tender leaves of gloxinia seedlings can suffer from the following diseases:
To grow gloxinia from seeds, you need to follow many rules for planting and caring for seedlings. Adult plants are no less capricious and need proper watering, feeding and observing the conditions necessary for a flower.