It is no coincidence that eustoma is one of the most popular ornamental plants. Its beauty can be judged by its gray leaves and funnel-shaped double flowers with a rich color palette. During the flowering period, eustoma has inflorescences of various shades - pink, white, lilac, lilac, reaching a diameter of 7-8 cm. They look especially beautiful in a half-open state, when they resemble a rose.
When the flowers of the eustoma fully open, they become very similar to poppies. It is enough to see a blooming eustoma just once, so that the gardener has a desire to plant it in his own garden. And you should not give up this venture, given that it is quite simple to care for this plant.
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Description of eustoma
During the growing season, eustoma forms strong stems 80-90 cm long... From about the middle of the shoot, many strong branches are formed, which are formed bouquets. Eustoma began to be considered as a cultivated plant not so long ago. At first, it was considered only as a plant for growing in indoor conditions. However, subsequently, the opportunity arose for the cultivation of this culture in open ground conditions.
Today, in relation to eustoma, cultivation techniques are used that are applicable to annuals. Its distinguishing feature is that it remains blooming for a long timeeven if you cut it off and put it in water. It looks most vividly during the flowering period, when very beautiful and long peduncles appear. These features contributed to the widespread distribution of eustoma in Europe.
Over the years, breeders have managed to breed many different varieties that are not similar in all respects to each other. Therefore, gardeners who decide to purchase eustoma seeds need to remember that everything exists two types of this plant:
- undersized;
- tall.
It is easy to guess that the former are intended for growing indoors and on the balcony. As for tall varieties, they are usually cultivated in gardens.
This plant, which is known to many as lisianthus, can be grown as an annual or biennial. Typically, this information is given on the seed packet. The cultivation of an eustoma belonging to the biennial group does not always end successfully. Therefore, for novice gardeners, annuals are the best choice.
The most striking look double eustoma flowers (lisianthus). You shouldn't think too much about the shade of the flowers, because regardless of the variety, any plant will look beautiful during the flowering period.
Distinguished by a variety of colors, these flowers usually reach a diameter of 6 cm. Eustoma has served as a base plant for breeding many different hybrids that are similar to each other except for the shade, which can be white, pink and purple.Many growers often grow perennial eustoma, which also has many advantages.
Seed propagation of eustoma
Typically for growing this plant use seed sowing... The method of dividing the bush has not gained popularity due to the fact that this event rarely ends successfully. This is due to the fact that a violation of the root system severely injures the plant, after which it is very difficult for it to recover. As a result, this method leads to the death of all parts of the plant. For this reason, if you want to be guaranteed to grow eustoma at home, then you should use the seed sowing method.
However, not everything is so simple here either. First of all, difficulties can arise during seed germination. Otherwise, there shouldn't be any special problems. You can sow seeds already in winter, remembering that his eustoma begins to bloom about the 20th week from the moment the first shoots appear. So do not delay sowing until spring, otherwise you will not be able to achieve flowering in the early stages. To wait for the timely appearance of flowers, it is recommended to start sowing seeds between November and February.
Before planting, it is necessary to prepare a suitable soil mixture, which is peat with the addition of a small amount of sand and perlite. This substrate has the most loose structure and will provide the best moisture absorption.
You can also replace this mixture with specialized soil for Saintpaulias. It is recommended to use disposable small cups as a seed container.
Prepared seeds placed on the soil surface, after which they need to be slightly buried into it. There may be 2-3 seeds per glass. After sowing, polyethylene is stretched over the cups to ensure the greenhouse effect. After that, you need to be patient and wait for shoots to appear. To accelerate seed germination, it is necessary to maintain a favorable temperature, which should be in the range of 20-25 degrees. When this condition is met, the seeds will begin to germinate in about two weeks. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that seeds will grow extremely slowly in the first month.
It is not required to water while the seeds are under the film, since it retains moisture well. Seedling care at this stage of cultivation requires aeration at least once a week. As a result of regular supply of fresh air condensation will be discharged... Also, during this operation, you can once again make sure that the young plants have enough moisture. If there are signs of drying out of the soil, you can pour it with a light stream of water along the edge of the cup, after which the cups are again covered with foil.
Eustoma seedlings care
It is especially necessary to care for seedlings in the first months of life. When grown indoors, they can often stretch out, which can be avoided by providing them with diffuse lighting. This allows you to make artificial light. At the end of February, the seedlings can be transferred to the windowsill located on the south side. When the sun starts to warm more, the seedlings will receive more heat and respond to this with more active growth.
Prevention
In order for the seedlings of the Irish rose (eustoma) to be strong and healthy, it is necessary to take measures to protect it from diseases. Once in two months carry out treatment with a solution of foundation, for the preparation of which it is necessary to take half a teaspoon of the drug and dilute in 0.5 liters of water. An effective measure to stimulate the growth of seedlings is spraying with Epin or Zircon.
Dive
Two months after planting, the seedlings reach a state where they are dive into individual pots... However, you should be extremely careful here.
in order not to injure the plants, it is recommended to pick the flowers of the Irish rose using a thin awl, which should be pryed off the young plants and transferred to the pots. However, first you need to make indentations in the cups using an ordinary pencil;- during the dive, the plants must be positioned so that they are buried to the very leaves;
- before transplanting, it is imperative to water the soil. After that, the plants are covered with foil and given several weeks for rooting.
Usually, eustoma seedlings tolerate a pick without consequences, so they start growing pretty soon.
Transplanting flower seedlings
In the spring, the seedlings of the Irish rose flowers become large enough, so you can think about replanting it in larger pots. For this you can use cups with a diameter of 7-8 cm... A transplant is carried out by transshipment of an earthen coma. However, the bottom of the pot should be filled with a suitable drain first. It can be both expanded clay and crushed foam.
After transplanting, the seedling pots are transferred to a well-lit place. Gradually they are adapted to sunlight, leaving them without a film for several hours. Later they are grown without polyethylene. In this state, they are grown until then, until there is a favorable moment for transplanting into open ground.
Planting Irish rose seedlings in open ground
Favorable conditions for planting seedlings in a permanent place arise already in mid-May. This can be determined by the presence of 6-8 leaves in seedlings. When grown in open ground, eustoma begins to grow rapidly in size... It is best to transplant in the evening when the sun is not so hot. For transplanting seedlings, pits are prepared, which should correspond in size to the pots with seedlings.
The finished wells must be watered. Transplanting seedlings is carried out by transshipment of an earthen coma. Upon its completion, it is necessary to install a shelter on each pit - a half of a plastic bottle or a transparent jar. It will be needed in case there are recurrent frosts, and will also reduce moisture evaporation. After the last wave of frost has passed, the shelter is removed.
Conditions for keeping eustoma in the garden
So that, after transplanting, the seedlings immediately begin to grow and bloom profusely, it needs provide maximum illumination... The quality of soil fertility also affects the development of this plant.
When determining the frequency of watering for Irish rose flowers, they are guided by the condition of the soil. After transplanting, even before the beginning of flowering, eustoma begins to feed. You can determine the right moment for fertilizing by its active growth. This means that the seedlings are well established. This usually takes about one month. To provide the young flowers of the Irish rose with the necessary trace elements, it is recommended to use specialized complex preparations for flowering plants. So, the following easily water-soluble products are suitable for this:
- Plantafol;
- Kemir;
- Kemira Lux.
Conclusion
Many experienced flower growers are very interested in such a plant as eustoma, because it looks very beautiful, so it can become an excellent decoration not only for an apartment, but also for a summer cottage. Growing a two-year-old eustoma outdoors is not that difficult. but much depends on the quality of seedlings... Therefore, sowing the seeds of Irish rose flowers must be carried out at a suitable time - usually this is done in the interval from November to February.
Such a race in time allows you to get the first flowers in the spring. However, this is only possible with proper care during the cultivation of seedlings and after transplanting young eustoma plants.
