Useful tips: how to properly water and feed gloxinia at home

In order for the plants to develop well and flourish in the conditions of a small volume of soil, it is necessary to provide them with a sufficient amount of food and water. How to do this and not overdo it with care?

In this article, we will examine in detail this issue using the example of gloxinia. We will tell you how to properly water, what fertilizers this beautiful flower loves, what time you need to feed, and how to avoid mistakes in caring for gloxinia. It will also be useful to watch an interesting video on this topic.

Flower description

Anyone who has seen gloxinia once will surely remember it forever. Elongated bell-shaped flower bowls are not just different shades, but even a different combination of colors and a diverse pattern. The flowers are large, fleshy elongated leaves with a velvety surface. Flowers are located on dense dense stems. The plant itself is compact - about 20-30 cm. The root is tuberous.

In wildlife, gloxinia inhabit the forests of America.. In cultural breeding, it is used as a greenhouse and houseplant. The name gloxinia received in honor of the famous botanist B.P. Gloxina, but also called syningia by the name of breeder Synning.

How to water properly?

One of the vital substances for any plant is water. But each representative of the flora needs a different amount of water, and for indoor plants there are their own rules for watering.

Advice

1. Water should be warm. The optimum temperature range is from room temperature and plus 2-3 degrees.
2. Water should be soft. If the water is hard, it must be boiled and cooled, or a small amount of baking soda ½ teaspoon per liter should be added.
3. If water is from the tap, it must be defended for several hours. They do this so that chlorine disappears and various heavy compounds settle.
4. It is better to water in the morning. Evening watering with a decrease in night temperature can lead to the development of fungal infection. Daytime watering in sunny weather is also undesirable.
5. Do not pour water on the leaves and inside the outlet. With this watering, gloxinia can get leaf burns and die from decay.
6. It is better to water along the edge of the tank, or through a pallet. Just put the pot in a larger diameter container with a little water for 20-30 minutes.
7. Excessive watering will lead to decay of the root, so water only if necessary.
8. Good structured soil, drainage, holes in the bottom of the pot and watering through the pan - all this will help you not to make a mistake with the amount of water (how to choose the best soil for gloxinia, read here).

How often do you need to do this?

The main indicator is the soil: if it dries from above - it's time to water the plant, if wet - early. In addition, watering will be different depending on the time of year. In summer, daily and plentiful, rarer in autumn, in winter (if the root hibernates in a pot) - 1-2 times a month, in spring - increasing incrementally (you can find out how to prepare a plant for wintering here).

What is top dressing?

In wildlife, dead plants and herbs, leaves rot, filling the soil with various nutrients, a constant cycle prevents the soil from becoming impoverished. Naturally, this does not happen in indoor pots.

Over time, the flower sucks from the soil all the minerals, macro and trace elements that it needs. The soil becomes empty, useless for the plant, so it begins to wither.

Top dressing is the introduction of fertilizers necessary for the plant. Without this, a flower cannot fully develop and flower.

For gloxinia, like any other houseplant, the following elements are most important:

• Nitrogen. Nitrogen compounds are necessary for the growth of the plant, its green part. For indoor plants, there is no need to add additional nitrogen fertilizers. It is enough to provide the appropriate soil, and change it once a year. There are special nitrogen fertilizers that help out when there is no soil with humus content.
• Phosphorus and potassium. This couple provides the plant with flowering and fruiting. For flowering plants, potassium is most important. Their lack can lead to rare and short flowering, the formation of ugly and small flowers. Liquid and dry fertilizers for flowering plants necessarily contain these elements.
• Copper, Calcium, Molybdenum, Sodium and others are needed in small quantities. With their lack, various diseases and changes in the appearance of the plant occur. All necessary elements are contained in complex mineral fertilizers along with phosphorus and potassium.

Kinds

All fertilizers can be divided into two types - folk and means for sale.

Folk fertilizers

1. The best natural complex mineral fertilizer is ash. It is better to use residues from burning deciduous trees, or grass. In no case should not be burned any garbage, newspapers. Ash not only fertilizes the soil, but also deoxidizes it, helps against insects living in the soil. It can be added to the soil, or sprinkled on the surface of the soil, an ash solution for irrigation is also prepared. 1 glass of ash per 10 liters, stir, insist, water.
2. Nitrogen fertilizing for enriching the soil is rotted manure, compost, bird droppings. Unreacted residues should not be added to the soil.
3. Nitrogen liquid fertilizers. At home, you can do solution of fresh manure, bird droppings for watering. Or make a green fertilizer from grass.
4. A good stimulant for the growth of young plants or plants after a dormant period is yeast solution: 50 g of pressed or 10 g of dry per 10 l of warm water plus a couple of spoons of sugar for activation, insist until foam appears. Or a solution of honey: 1 teaspoon per liter of water.

Sales funds

1. The liquid complex fertilizer contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus as a base, plus other trace elements and vitamins in small quantities, plus a growth stimulant. For example, Bona Forte for decorative flowering. The price for a capacity of 285 ml is 120 rubles. Dilute with water according to the instructions. Use once every 7-10 days.
2. Liquid complex fertilizer Agricola. Composition similar to the previous fertilizer. It is dissolved in water: 1 cap on 2 liters. Used 1 time in 7 days in the active period. It costs about 250 rubles per 500 ml.
3. Granular complex fertilizer with phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium plus other trace elements. A bag of 25 g from the company Agricola costs about 30 rubles. 5 g diluted in 2 liters. Use once 1-1.5 weeks.
4. Fertilizers of long action in sticks will allow to forget about top dressing for several months. It is enough to put the sticks in the pot, and they will gradually feed the earth with all the necessary elements. For a pot with a diameter of up to 9 cm 1 stick is enough, 14-15 cm - 2 sticks, 20+ cm - 4 sticks.TIP: Differently, the flow rate is calculated based on the volume of soil. 5 g of fertilizer per liter of soil. Pack of 20 costs around 80 rubles.

Watch the video about the universal complex fertilizer for gloxinia:

What and how to feed at home?

Features of gloxinia fertilizer:

• Gloxinia, like all flowering houseplants, does not require a large amount of nitrogen.
• She needs regular mineral supplements throughout the active period. There are no special conditions, any universal complexes for flowering plants are suitable.
• It is best to use liquid forms of fertilizer. Sticks are only suitable for those who have no other opportunity to take care of their plants. Since the flow of substances is uneven and uncontrolled. Granules are more economical, but when preparing the solution, it is necessary to carefully dissolve and stir the fertilizer.
• Fertilizer should be applied only to moist ground, otherwise you can burn the root.

How many times to fertilize?

How many times do you need to feed the plant? Typically, on the packages they write that it is necessary to feed once a week, however, in fact, 2-3 top dressings per month, that is, once every 10-14 days, are enough. Gloxinia is fertilized from the beginning of spring to the end of flowering.. After fertilizing is not necessary.

Possible errors and their consequences

Consider the consequences of improper feeding gloxinia:

1. An excess of nitrogen leads to the growth of abundant greens and the absence of flowering; the plant has fungal infections and putrefactive processes.
2. Lack of nitrogen makes the plant frail and underdeveloped.
3. Excess of any mineral contributes to growth retardation, leaf death and root inability to absorb.
4. The lack of a mineral leads to poor development, discoloration of the leaves, fungal diseases and lack of flowering (about what are the diseases of the leaves in gloxinia and how the treatment is carried out, read here).

If a too large dose of fertilizer is mistakenly added, then you need to transplant gloxinia into another soil (you can find out in what cases transplantation of gloxinia and how to do it correctly can be found here).

Conclusion

Top dressing is really necessary gloxinia. Large tuber and large bright flowers need nutrients. Modern fertilizers are easy to use and cheap. Follow the instructions, and gloxinia will thank you with lush and long flowering.

Watch the video: The bottom watering (May 2024).