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Colorful
Gesneriads (AFRICAN VIOLETS)
For Your Home
BY
CERTIFIED AFRICAN VIOLET JUDGE,
A few years ago
I wrote an article on African violets.
Since that time, I have continued growing violets, but have also
became interested in other members of the family, the gesneriads.
Currently many of these beauties are in full bloom, and have been
for most of the winter months.
Not only do these plants have the capability to be in flower the
year round but many also display beautiful, ornamental foliage.
Here follows a run down of a few of my favorites that you can
easily grow in your home.
STREPTOCARPUS
Also known as Cape
Primrose or the Poor Man’s Orchid, this beauty is probably my favorite
in the gesneriad family. The
color palate available is nothing short of remarkable, with blossoms in
shades of reds, purples, pinks, blues, whites, lavender, two and three
tones, colors as rich as an egg plant and now even yellow.
The plant grows large, strap-like leaves that can grow as large
as 2 feet long. Some of the
heavily flowering types can have 200 or more open blossoms at once.
Light and watering are the keys to growing these beauties.
Bright light is essential for profuse flowering.
Mine are grown under cool-white lights, approximately 10” away
from the top of the plants.
They also get a heavy dose of natural light as the stands are 8 feet
away from a south facing window.
DO NOT overwater; I give mine 3 ounces of water about every third
day. I add 1/8th teaspoon
per gallon 20-20-20 all purpose water soluble fertilizer at ever
watering, with an occasional top flush of plain water to remove
fertilizer salt build-up.
The Streptocarpus can completely wilt down, flowers and all, and be
revived by adding a small amount of water.
Too much water and the plant will collapse.
It is best to let them dry slightly between watering.
Breeders are developing miniature types that are much easier to
maintain and enjoy for those who have limited space.
EPISCIA’S
Some of you may
be familiar with EPISCIA’S, also known as Flame Violets.
These are grown primarily for their foliage, but they do produce
lovely flowers as well.
Given a warm, sunny environment with good humidity they can make
beautiful hanging baskets sending stolons out that cascade to the floor.
I enjoy the varieties with pink foliage, and grow most in a
terrarium setting. Pink
Dreams, Pink Smoke, Peppermint Brocade and
PETROCOSMEA
Have you ever heard of
a PETROCOSMEA? These gems
grow with very little effort, sending out leaves that grow in a
symmetrical pattern much like a hairy, hen and chicks plant!
The foliage is fuzzy on some like ‘Fluffer Nutter’ and smooth on
others like the species minor.
They do flower seasonally; most have tiny purple flowers on
wirely stems, held above the “flat as a pancake” rosette of leaves.
I water mine sparingly, making sure to allow them to dry slightly
between watering. They enjoy
diffused light, and like all of my gesneriads, are watered with 1/8th
teaspoon per gallon of water of 20-20-20 all purpose, water soluble
fertilizer.
SINNINGIA’S
SINNINGIA’S are
beautiful plants and many are small enough to work well for those who
want flowering plants but have limited space.
Again, these need bright light to produce flowers.
Sinningia’s grow from tubers, which can occasionally go dormant.
They can easily be propagated by taking stem cuttings when the
tuber is beginning to send out new growth.
The plant we commonly call florist’s Gloxinia is actually a
sinningia. I have one called
‘Double Brocade’ that I grew from seed many years ago.
I gave it to a friend, who lets me use her light garden.
This plant will produce double purple flowers for a couple of
months, and then gradually wither away until no foliage is left.
After a month or two of rest, the tuber wakes up and the growth
cycle starts fresh. I also
grow some of the smaller Sinningia’s which get no larger than 3 or 4”
tall and bloom for several months.
‘
KOHLERIA’S
KOHLERIA’S with
their fuzzy leaves, grow from scaly rhizomes and many times have dark
foliage. These too need
bright light for compact growth and flowering.
After this plant has bloomed profusely you can gradually withhold
water and allow it to go dormant.
This will encourage the plant to produce rhizomes which can be
harvested and planted fresh to start your plant over.
Kohleria come in shades of orange, red, pink, yellow and even
lime green. Many of the
small tubular flowers have tiny spots throughout the blossom and can go
on flowering for months.
There are many,
many more members of this interesting family that one can have great
success with in an indoor setting.
The Lincoln African Violet Society will hold its spring show on
April 2nd at Copyright 2011 |