Gloxinia is an unpretentious indoor flower native to Brazil. Thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, it was possible to breed hundreds of different plant varieties that differ in flower size and color.
Growing gloxinia does not require special skills from its owner, but in order to acquire a small collection of these amazing plants, you must be able to propagate gloxinia. This is done in a variety of ways.
Reproduction methods
Sinningia (or gloxinia) can be propagated by several methods:
- Sheet. This is the most common method. Reproduction can be carried out by a whole leaf or part of it, by some fragment.
- Rooting the peduncle. After the plant has faded, the peduncle is cut from it and rooted.
- Sowing seeds. The longest method, but allowingget a lot of new plants at once. Even purchased seeds can bloom out of variety, but this is more interesting.
- Dividing the tuber. The fastest method to get a mature plant.
Each method has its pros and cons.
When propagating gloxinia from one leaf or peduncle, you can get several tubers at once. Usually they are not separated until they reach a diameter of 3 or more centimeters. In some cases, the tubers are left to “live together.”
Rooting
Only well-ripened materials are used to propagate gloxinia with leaves, but you should not use the lowest leaves, as they will soon wither. Young light green leaves are also not suitable. It is best to take material from the middle of the plant.
- The leaf is cut off. This is best done during the budding period.
- During cutting, a leaf with a handle of at least two centimeters is taken, tubers will sprout from it.
- The leaf is sprouting. For this, water, a peat tablet or a ready-made soil mixture can be used. Each method has its own characteristics.
When germinating a leaf in water, the prepared material is placed in a container so that the lower part does not touch the bottom of the can. The leaflet is placed in a bright place, but not under direct sunlight. To prevent rotting of the material during the propagation of gloxinia, an activated carbon tablet is added to the water. Roots will appear in about two weeks. In this momentthe leaf is planted in the ground.
Reproduction by leaf in the ground
You can plant a leaf directly into the ground. To do this, take the soil mixture and a small container. It is best to use a disposable cup with a volume of at least 100 ml. The leaf is planted at an angle of 45 degrees to a depth of no more than 1 cm. For better rooting, it is recommended to place the planting in a greenhouse: it can be a plastic bag, or you can use another cup to cover the leaf on top.
Reproduction of gloxinia is possible in a peat tablet. To do this, it is soaked, then a sheet is planted in the center at an angle and to a depth of no more than a centimeter. A tablet with a planted leaf is placed in a mini-greenhouse.
Reproduction by part of a leaf
When propagating gloxinia at home, germination of the leaf part is often practiced. This is usually done with those plants that have very large leaves: more than five centimeters. All parts of the leaf can be used to create new plants.
When propagating gloxinia by leaf, you can use the horizontal germination method, in which the material is placed on the substrate and slightly pressed into it. In this case, the lower part of the sheet is obtained in the ground, and the front part remains on the surface. With this method, the sheet is cut completely or partially along the largest veins.
Greenhouse conditions create planting conditions. After about 1-2 months, the plant will give roots and begin to grow tubers.
Rooting a peduncle
Sometimes, when it is necessary to preserve the varietal qualities of a plant, flower growers resort to the method of propagation by a peduncle. This method cannot harm the plant, but the lack of leaves can kill the flower.
After the flowers wither, the flower stalks are removed from them and put to root. This is done similarly to the leaf method: first into the water, and then the peduncle is planted in the ground. You can root immediately in a peat tablet in a mini-greenhouse.
The germination of the peduncle avoids spontaneous mutations during breeding work, and also helps to preserve all the decorative qualities of the mother plant.
Sprouting the tip cuttings
The care and reproduction of gloxinia at home involves the periodic renewal of the plant. To do this, the apical cuttings are rooted.
The stalk is taken with leaves: it should have 3-4 leaves, and the stalk itself should be at least four centimeters. It is immersed in water or immediately planted in the ground, in a peat tablet. Propagation by a cutting is carried out in the same way as by a leaf.
If gloxinia propagates by water, then when the root system appears, the cutting is planted in the ground at an angle and not deeper than one centimeter. From above, they must put on a cap, under which the optimal microclimate for the formation of a tuber will be maintained. After the appearance of new leaves, the greenhouse is removed.
Growing from seeds
To obtain new varieties, the method of propagation of gloxinia by seeds is used. Seed material can be bought at the store orsame get with gloxinia at home. In the latter case, you will have to carry out manual pollination of the flower. After the seed pod has matured, the seeds are harvested, dried and sown. Gloxinia seeds are small, they are mixed with sand before sowing.
When propagating with seeds, you will need to be patient.
For sowing, a bowl, a pallet is taken. A drainage hole is made in the container through which excess moisture will be removed. A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the tank. It can be pebbles, sand or expanded clay, polystyrene. About three centimeters of soil is poured from above. The substrate is slightly compacted, moisturized. Crops are carried out on the surface of the soil. Seeds are not buried in the ground, but only lightly sprayed from a spray bottle. Drops of water will slightly press the seeds into the substrate.
Top crops cover with glass or film and place the container in a bright warm place. While the seeds germinate, it is necessary to monitor the level of humidity in the container. If too much condensation forms on the glass, then the crops must be ventilated, otherwise the seeds may rot. With a lack of water, the seeds will not germinate.
As soon as the seedlings bloom the third true leaf, they are picked into separate containers.
tuber division
To get gloxinia in the first year as in the photo, it is recommended to reproduce by dividing the tuber. This is the easiest method to quickly get two or more mature plants, but do not forget that this plant is sensitive to any damage.tuber.
Tuber division is carried out with a sharp decontaminated knife. The tuber must have at least two sprouts at least three centimeters long. The tuber itself is divided only if its diameter is more than six centimeters. Smaller sizes may kill all parts.
Division steps
The division of the tuber is carried out in several steps:
- A tuber is taken and carefully examined. All rotten parts, roots are removed from it. Then the sprouts are carefully examined: there must be at least two of them. They should be located at a small distance from each other, since each process is a growth point for a new instance.
- A knife is taken and the tuber is carefully cut. The cut points are treated with charcoal or garden pitch.
- Ready-made tubers are planted in containers at the same depth as before.
At first, heavy watering should be avoided, as this can lead to rotting of the tuber. A new plant is planted in a permanent place when it wraps its roots around the entire earthen ball, and the green mass gets stronger.
Transfer
During the care and reproduction of gloxinia, flower growers may encounter some difficulties. Most often, the mistake lies in the early planting of the plant in a permanent place. Some believe that transplanting young plants should be carried out in a permanent place, but this is a mistake. During cultivation, two picks are made, and then flower transplants are carried out, selecting pots according to the size of the bulb.
The first transplant is carried out three months later after disembarkationgloxinia. By this time, she manages to form 4-6 leaves. Some specimens of plants are in a hurry to thank the first flowers. At these moments, you should be patient: the buds must be removed.
When young plants have mastered the earth ball, they are transferred to larger containers.
Propagation errors
To get gloxinia as in the photo, reproduction at home should be carried out in accordance with all the rules. However, growers may make some mistakes.
- Damage to petiole. If the soil is excessively compacted, the material is deeply buried, the petiole is damaged.
- Burns. Young plants, like adults, do not tolerate direct sunlight. Under the direct sun, burns appear on the leaves. The plant rooted best in diffused light, but not in the shade. Flowers grow poorly in it, practically do not take root.
- Infection of the plant. All procedures for obtaining material for propagation should be carried out with a treated knife. All cuts made must be disinfected.
- Wrong sheet for propagation. Only those leaves that have an average degree of maturity are suitable for rooting. Old or too young are not suitable for cuttings, as they die quickly.
Leaves for rooting are best taken from those bushes that have already blossomed flowers or released buds.
In the first year of their life, young plants do not hibernate. Some flower growers forcibly "put to sleep" gloxinia. Young plants should not be forced to rest, as they have not yet grown a bulb. In winter, the plant still develops, but more slowly. The leaves help preserve the bulb and provide it with nutrients.
In order for gloxinia to bloom as in the photo, care, reproduction at home is carried out according to all the rules: this is the only way you can get a beautiful he althy bush. True, it will delight with its flowering only in a year.
Growing gloxinia is an unusual activity. There are no particular difficulties with adult plants, but with young ones you will have to tinker. As a result of the labors, gloxinia will delight every year with abundant flowering of huge gramophones blooming on small bushes.
