Streptocarpus came to us from warm countries, the countries of the African continent (Madagascar island), Asia are considered its homeland. The flower belongs to the Gesneriaceae family and is closely related to gloxinia and violet. More than a hundred "wild" species of this plant grow in nature, in addition, breeders managed to create a huge number of hybrids and thus propagate streptocarpus. Flower care has its own characteristics, there is nothing complicated, it is only necessary to observe certain conditions of watering, lighting, temperature conditions.
Streptocarpus is a rosette of large leaves at least 25 cm long and more than 6 cm wide. The stem of the plant is short, but its main decoration is beautiful bell-shaped flowers that amaze the imagination with a huge variety of colors. Florists can purchase red, blue, yellow, white, almost black, striped, withinterspersed with streptocarpus. Care and cultivation do not take much time, so every lover of these beautiful flowers can have such a miracle at home.
The main mistake of flower growers is that they treat streptocarpus like violets. Although these plants belong to the same family, their care is completely different. Lighting is what streptocarpus loves so much. Caring for him involves maintaining a daylight hours of about 14 hours a day. In order to achieve this, the plant can be put on a windowsill or artificial lighting can be used. If the latter option is used, it is recommended to alternately turn on the phytolamp and the fluorescent lamp.
Since the streptocarpus came to us from warm countries, he likes high temperatures. The flower feels ideal in moderately hot weather, when the room remains up to 26 ° C. An increase in temperature to 30 ° C or more does not perceive streptocarpus very well. Care in this case involves shading the plant from direct sunlight, otherwise the appearance of the leaves may deteriorate, they will begin to dry out at the edges or fade. In winter, streptocarpus begins a dormant period, at which time it can be kept at a temperature of 15 ° C, reduce the frequency of watering and do not feed.
Depending on the variety, it is necessary to choose a suitable substrate. It is recommended to add perlite, sphagnum moss, leaves and vermiculite to dense soil; streptocarpus also feels good in a mixture of peat and vermiculite. Flower care involves compliance with the rulesglaze. The plant allows a slight drying of the earthy coma, but waterlogging negatively affects the roots. At the same time, streptocarpus loves high humidity, so it is recommended to create a cloud of water droplets above it.
The plant favors feeding. It is better for children to apply nitrogen fertilizers, and for adults, phosphorus and potash fertilizers. Top dressing can be made weekly, then streptocarpus will be able to grow luxurious foliage. Care and reproduction also do not cause certain problems. If you already have a bush at home, then when transplanting it can be divided into several plants. Propagation by seeds and cuttings is also allowed.
