Gloxinia is an unpretentious indoor flower native to Brazil. Thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, it was possible to bring out hundreds of very different varieties of plants 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.
Breeding methods
Syningia (or gloxinia) can be propagated by several methods:
- By sheet. This is the most common method. Reproduction can be carried out by a whole sheet or its part, by some fragment.
- Rooting a peduncle. After the plant fades, the peduncle is cut from it and put to root.
- Sowing seeds. The longest method, but allowing you to get many new plants at once. Even purchased seeds can bloom out of sorts, but this is more interesting.
- Dividing the tuber. The fastest method to get an adult plant.
Each method has its positive and negative points.
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 "living together."
Rooting
For the propagation of gloxinia leaves, only well-matured materials are used, but the lowest leaves should not be used, since they will soon fade. Also, young light green leaves are not suitable. It is best to take material from the middle of the plant.
- The leaf is cut off. This is best done during budding.
- During cutting, a leaf with a shank of at least two centimeters is taken, tubers will sprout from it.
- The leaf sprouts. For this, water, a peat tablet or a ready-made soil mixture can be used. Each method has its own characteristics.
When the sheet is germinated 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 in direct sunlight. To prevent decay of the material during the propagation of gloxinia, an activated carbon tablet is added to the water. After about two weeks, the roots will appear. At this point, the leaf is planted in the ground.
Leaf propagation in soil
You can plant the leaf immediately in the ground. For this, a soil mixture and a small capacity are taken. It is best to use a disposable cup with a minimum volume of 100 ml. The leaf is planted at an angle of 45 degrees to a depth of not 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, which is covered with a leaf.
The 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 not more than a centimeter. A tablet with a planted leaf is placed in a mini greenhouse.
Reproduction by part of the leaf
When propagating gloxinia at home, leaf germination 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 produce new plants.
When gloxinia is propagated by a leaf , the method of horizontal germination can be applied, in which the material is laid on a substrate and slightly pressed into it. In this case, the lower part of the sheet is obtained in the soil, and the front part remains on the surface. With this method, the sheet is cut completely or partially into the largest veins.
Planting creates greenhouse conditions. After about 1-2 months, the plant will give roots and begin to grow tubers.
Peduncle Rooting
Sometimes, when it is necessary to maintain the varietal qualities of a plant, flower growers resort to the method of propagation by a peduncle. This method can not harm the plant, but the lack of leaves can destroy the flower.
After the flowers have wilted, the peduncles are removed from them and put to root them. This is done similarly to the leaf method: first in water, and then the peduncle is planted in the ground. You can root immediately in a peat tablet in a mini greenhouse.
Germination of the peduncle avoids spontaneous mutations during selection work, and also helps to preserve all the decorative qualities of the mother plant.
Germination of apical cuttings
The care and reproduction of gloxinia at home involves periodic renewal of the plant. For this, apical cuttings are rooted.
A 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. Reproduction by cuttings is carried out in the same way as a leaf.
If gloxinia is propagated by the water method, then when the root system appears, the stalk is planted in the ground at an angle and not deeper than one centimeter. A cap must be put on above, under which the optimal microclimate for the formation of a tuber will be kept. After the appearance of new leaves, the greenhouse is removed.
Seed cultivation
To obtain new varieties, the gloxinia seed propagation method is used. Seeds can be bought at the store or obtained with gloxinia at home. In the latter case, it is necessary to conduct manual pollination of the flower. After the seed box has matured, the seeds are collected, dried and sown. Gloxinia seeds are small, before sowing they are mixed with sand.
When propagating by 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 drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the tank. It can be pebbles, sand or expanded clay, polystyrene. About three centimeters of soil are poured from above. The substrate is slightly compacted, moisturized. Crops are carried out on the surface of the soil. Seeds are not planted in the ground, but only slightly sprayed from the spray gun. Drops of water will slightly press the seeds into the substrate.
From above, the crops are covered with glass or film and placed in a bright, warm place. While the seeds will germinate, it is necessary to monitor the level of humidity in the container. If too much condensation forms on the glass, you need to ventilate the crops, otherwise the seeds may rot. With a lack of water, the seeds will not germinate.
As soon as the seedlings dissolve the third real leaf, they are picked up in separate containers.
Tuber division
To get gloxinia in the first year as in the photo, reproduction is recommended by dividing the tuber. This is the easiest method to quickly get two or more adult plants, but do not forget that this plant is painful for any damage to the tuber.
Tuber division is carried out with a sharp disinfected knife. The tuber should have at least two shoots at least three centimeters long. The tuber itself is divided only if its diameter is more than six centimeters. Smaller sizes can lead to the death of all parts.
Division stages
Tuber division is carried out in several steps:
- A tuber is taken and carefully inspected. 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 of a new instance.
- A knife is taken and the tuber is carefully cut. Places of cuts are processed with charcoal or garden var.
- Ready tubers are planted in containers to the same depth as before.
At first, abundant watering should be avoided, as this can lead to rotting of the tuber. A new plant is planted in a permanent place when it envelops the roots of the entire earthen lump, and the green mass grows stronger.
Transfer
Growers may experience some difficulties during the care and reproduction of gloxinia. 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 the cultivation, two picks are made, and then a flower transplant is carried out, picking up pots according to the size of the bulb.
The first transplant is carried out three months later and after the gloxinia is planted. At this point, she manages to form 4-6 leaves. Some plants are in a hurry to thank the first flowers. At these points, be patient: the buds must be removed.
When young plants master an earthen lump, they are transferred to larger containers.
Breeding errors
To get gloxinia as in the photo, reproduction at home should be carried out according to all the rules. However, gardeners may make some mistakes.
- Petiole damage. With excessive compaction of the soil, a strong deepening of the material, the petiole is damaged.
- Burns. Young plants, like adults, do not tolerate direct sunlight. Burns appear on leaflets under the direct sun. Best plant roots in ambient light, but not in the shade. Flowers grow poorly in it, practically do not take root.
- Plant infection. All procedures for obtaining material for propagation should be carried out with a processed knife. All sections made must be disinfected.
- Incorrectly selected leaf for propagation. For rooting, only those leaves that have an average degree of maturity are suitable. 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 issued buds.
In the first year of their life, young plants do not go into hibernation. Some growers are forced to “sleep” gloxinia. Young plants can not be forced to rest, since they have not yet grown a bulb. In winter, the plant is still developing, but more slowly. Foliage helps preserve the bulb, provides it with nutrients.
To bloom as in the photo gloxinia, care, reproduction at home is carried out according to all the rules: the only way to get a beautiful healthy bush. True, he will delight with his flowering only in a year.
Growing gloxinia is an unusual activity. With adult plants there is no particular difficulty, but with young plants have to tinker. As a result of the labors, gloxinia will delight every year with the abundant flowering of huge gramophones blooming in small bushes.