Eustoma (seeds): planting and care

Decorate any bouquet or interior is capable of such an amazing plant as eustoma. Growing from seeds, when to sow and how to do it correctly - all this and much more about this flower is discussed further in our article.

Name of the plant

Perhaps not all heard the name of the flower of the eustoma. But the flower itself, most likely, is known to many fans. A variant is possible that it is known by other names. Some call it lisianthus, others call it a Texas bell. Many call the flower a Japanese or Irish rose. And this is not surprising. The plant itself resembles a rose, although it belongs to a perfect other family (gentian).

Historical facts

The homeland of the eustoma is the countries of Central America, the Caribbean islands. With the advent of the flower, a beautiful legend is associated, which is told by the inhabitants of those regions. It says that the flower first appeared on the spot where the innocent girl was buried. She refused to marry the Spirit of War, who killed her for this.

In European countries, the eustoma (its seeds in particular) appeared thanks to a botanist from Ireland, Peter Brown. The flower growers immediately fell in love with the novelty. This is primarily due to the fact that cut flowers can stand in the vase for more than 3 weeks. After that, in the 20th century, the eustoma began to grow as a houseplant.

What a flower is like

The flower of the Irish rose in diameter can reach 5-8 cm. It has several shades: purple, violet, pink, white. Color of the flower is not always monophonic. Some varieties have a border of contrasting color. The petals of the flower can be terry and non-marble, depending on the species. Eustoma resembles a rose while it is in the bud stage. When the flower is fully opened, it is more like a poppy.

The stems of the eustoma are elegant, strong. They can reach a meter height. When grown in a pot, the height of the stem is about 25 cm. One branch can resemble a whole bouquet. This is due to the fact that the stem begins to branch approximately in the middle. On one such branch can be up to 35 flowers. They dissolve not simultaneously, but in turn.

The leaves of the plant are oval, matte. Have a gray or gray shade.

In nature, a Japanese rose is a biennial plant. Eustoma from seeds at home is usually grown as an annual. When planted in a pot, a flower can grow for several years.

Small secrets of correct growing

Let us consider the basic biological features that eustoma possesses. Growing from seeds at home will bring the desired results if the following conditions are met:

• The plant should stand in a place with bright scattered light. It does not like a shadow, but it does not appeal to direct sunlight either. In the sun you can keep the soil until the seeds germinate. In this case, sunlight will further stimulate growth.
• As a primer, it is best to use humus peat and hardwood bark. The components are taken in equal parts.
• The acidity of the soil must be necessarily neutral. At home, the acidity of the soil can be checked using conventional vinegar. A few drops pour into the soil. The appearance of bubbles indicates the excessive acidity of the soil.
• The plant likes moderate watering. Do this only after the soil has dried 2 cm deep.

In addition, the plant has some other characteristics of development. For example, bloom will last longer if you keep the flower in a cool room. The root system of the Irish rose is underdeveloped. Therefore, it can not be divided, otherwise it will lead to the death of the flower eustoma. Growing from seeds at home is the only way to reproduce. Neither cuttings nor the division of the root system are suitable. Yes, and replant the flower is not recommended.

The problem of growing a plant is that the eustoma seeds are very small. In one gram there are up to 23 thousand pieces. Lizianthus feels great on the street in the middle of the summer in Russia. In the cold season, pots with flowers are transferred to the house.

Recommended for growing a variety

There are more than 60 varieties of Irish rose. But at home only a few are grown. For indoor breeding suitable low-growth species, the height of which does not exceed 45 cm. This includes varieties of Russell. In the open ground can also be planted tall trees with a height of 60 to 120 cm. This can be a large-flowered Irish rose.

Seeds of home-grown eustoma are recommended to be chosen with the F1 marking. These are hybrids, which are grown specially for the climate of a large country. They are not so demanding for the duration of daylight hours, the ambient temperature, they are stable, they have better germination characteristics. The most popular are:

• Varieties of Kyoto, whose flowers are large in size, different shapes and color shades.
• Pikot, which refers to velvet varieties. A distinctive feature is the long stems on which large bright red inflorescences are adorned.
• Plants of non-marble Mermaid variety are characterized by a great variety of shades of buds.
• Eustoma Sapphire is distinguished by a warm shade of flowers with a border on the petals of pink or blue.

These are the most popular varieties, which get along well in the climatic conditions of our country.

Planting a plant from seed

In our country, the most popular way to grow eustoma is seeds. Usually they do it in a seedling way, even if the flower grows in a closed ground. This method allows you to speed up the flowering process.

The eustoma (seeds) should mature in a small box that appears after the flowering stage. It is better to plant the seeds processed by the manufacturer. In doing so, they are sealed in a gel. In addition, this treatment allows the seeds to be sown evenly. For flowers to appear in the middle of summer (July-August), it is necessary to plant seedlings in February-March.

Seeds are sown in the soil prepared in the same way as for any other floral plants. It should be sterilized, neutral (with a pH of 6-7), with a low nitrogen content. Ready substrate is best purchased in the store. You can use peat pills. In such a situation, they must be soaked for at least 24 hours.

Approximately 30% of seeds grow. The rest is dying. This is considered a good result. This must be understood in order to avoid disappointment if a small number of seeds are pushed through.

How to sow the seeds of eustoma?

They are scattered on the ground and are slightly pressed. You do not need to fill them with dirt from above. Instead, the film or glass is laid up. However, it is necessary to leave cracks in order to create air circulation.

Further it is necessary to provide additional illumination. It should work approximately 10-12 hours. For this purpose, fluorescent lamps are used. The temperature should be maintained at plus 20 degrees. At night, it is permissible to reduce the temperature to plus 14 degrees.

Watering must be replaced by spraying. First time (up to 2 months), it generally may not be needed, since there will be enough evaporating moisture.

The first shoots should appear in 2 weeks. If this happened, then everything is done right. From this moment the cover is removed. Seedlings are sprayed with a solution of phytosporin. About a month and a half later, there will be several leaves on the seedlings. This means that it's time to plant them in individual pots. It will be enough to have a capacity of 4-5 cm. After 3 months the plant is ready for planting in the ground.

Peculiarities of growing house eustoma

Irish rose is a very whimsical plant that reacts to the slightest growing conditions. Most importantly - the flower does not like direct sunlight. Therefore, it must be placed in places where sunlight is scattered. The air temperature should be within plus 22 degrees.

Skvoznyakov also should not be. But fresh fresh air is the key to successful plant growth.

Its features are also available for watering. The tap water used should be soft. Calcium ions contained in water can severely damage the already small root system of the plant. Watering should be moderate. Do not overmoisten (or dry out) the soil.

The plant needs to be fed. This is especially important during the formation of buds and flowering. For this purpose it is recommended to use ready-made liquid fertilizer, which can be bought in the store.

Cultivation in the garden

Plant the plant in the garden is possible only when the time of frost passes. The place for the eustoma must be protected from direct sunlight and drafts. Excessive moisture is also not needed.

During the transplant, you can not tear the soil from the roots. The flower is carefully removed from the pot and placed in moist soil together with a lump. The distance between the plants is about 15 cm. At first it is recommended to cover the eustoma.

During cultivation, the plant is pruned to form a bush. This process can be started already at the moment when the trunk contains 6-8 leaflets.

The stage of rest

After the end of flowering, there is a stage of rest. Plants grown at home are truncated in such a way that 2-3 internodes remain. After that, the plant is transferred to a colder room with a temperature of up to 10-15 degrees. During rest, the flower is only occasionally watered. With the onset of spring, new shoots should appear on the plant. After this, the eustoma is transplanted together with an earthen lump into a new pot. Care continues in normal mode.

Flowers grown outdoors are excavated and planted in pots.

Apparently, for the cultivation of a beautiful flower, eustoma seeds are used. Photos of plants of this kind could be seen in our article. Proper care will allow you to get beautiful flowers that will become a real decoration of the garden or home.