Calceolaria: Flamboyant Exotic American

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The appearance of calceolaria is very different from the familiar to many ideas about indoor plants and their inflorescences. Its petals resemble an armful of balloons flying into the sky. In addition, these unusual pads have a very bright, almost predatory color. Crimson, yellow, orange petals are densely covered with small spots of contrasting color. Such interior decoration will not be able to go unnoticed by lovers of indoor floriculture

Reproduction of calceolaria by sowing seeds

Calceolaria propagates by seeds. Moreover, sowing can be carried out in two terms - depending on the desired flowering period. If they want to get a flowering plant in the fall, they start reproduction in March. In order for calceolaria to bloom in the fall, crops are started on warm May and June days.

For sowing seeds, litter peat is the optimal soil. It is preliminarily disinfected by heating at a temperature of about +10 degrees C. This will eliminate the occurrence of rot. To reduce the acidity of natural material, it is useful to add a little crushed chalk - about 20 grams. for 1 kg of peat. In addition, peat is mixed with coarse sand in a ratio of 7: 1.

The seed is very fine and is mixed with sand for sowing convenience. It must be fine-grained and absolutely dry, so that the mixture is homogeneous and the crops are uniform. The resulting mixture is distributed over the surface of a moist nutrient substrate packed in low boxes or small bowls. When peat tablets are used for sowing, the seed is transferred onto them with a damp finger. You do not need to hide the seeds under an additional layer of soil on top.

Crop care and transplanting seedlings

Crops are covered with sand or foil, or even a sheet of paper to create favorable greenhouse conditions. Some growers put the breeding container in a household trash bag and tie it up.

Crops should be regularly ventilated, and the shelter should be periodically turned over to the other side. Seedlings become visible about a week after sowing. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings dive from the common nursery into separate small cups.

The soil mixture for transplanting is prepared from:

• deciduous land - 2 parts;

• humus - 2 parts.;

• peat land - 2 parts.;

• sand - 1 part.

Re-transplanting is carried out when the plant forms rosettes. Instead of cups, I use 7 cm pots. A place for them is set aside in a bright room, but they are protected from direct rays of the sun.

When the plant has 6-7 leaves, the top is pinched. This stimulates lateral shoots and more lush flowering in the future. This procedure must be completed before the September transplant into 9-centimeter containers. When the seedlings are grown in a tablet, they are simply dropped into a larger pot.

From January to February, transplants are carried out in larger pots and a more nutritious soil mixture. For this you will need:

• sod land - 2 parts;

• humus earth - 2 parts;

• peat land - 2 parts;

• sand - 1 part.

Before flowering, additional fertilizing is carried out with mineral fertilizers. In order for the buds to turn into bright lush flowers in spring, the plants are kept at temperatures ranging from + 14 … + 16 degrees C.

Calceolaria is characterized by a moisture-loving character, therefore, they do not skimp on watering. In the warm season, the pots are taken out in the front garden or on the balcony. In the summer, calceolaria can be added in the open field. But it must be remembered that torrential rains and direct sunlight harm the decorative appearance of the flower. Therefore, in such a special case, you need to take care of possible shelter during changes in the weather.