The shade-loving, delicately flowering alsobia herbaceous plant belongs to the Gesneriev family. Distribution area Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica.
Description of Alsobia
Previously, the plant belonged to the genus Episia, but in 1978 it was identified as a separate one. Leaves - a velvety oval of different shades of green with prominent veins collected on a compact outlet 15 cm no more. Flowers - tubular white with a delicate edge, bloom from April to the end of August.
Shoots of two types: thick small and narrow long (mustache). This type of creeping stalk gives off a rosette capable of rooting.
Varieties of Alsobia
As indoor plants, two species are grown: clove-flowering and spotted, as well as hybrid varieties.
| View, grade | Description | Leaves | Flowers |
| Carnation (dianesiflora) | Small. Thickened sturdy stems and shoots. | Oval round dark. | Pure white with fringe. Looks like cloves. |
| Spot (speckled, punctate) | Differs in slow growth. Rare. | Elongated, the color of lush grass. | Milky hue with lilac dots and a yellow throat, rugged at the ends. |
| Signet (young swan) | Obtained by crossing cloves and dots. | Ovoid, large, fleecy, dentate, light green. | Snow-white, on each petal a strip of pink dots, corrugated along the edges. |
| Chiaps | Bush. The rarest variety. | Pretty big, light green, elongated-oval, pointed. | Colors of baked milk with lemon center and red dots. |
Indoor maintenance of a tropical beauty
In indoor breeding, the plant is used as an ampel.
Home care, development and flowering can be ensured by following the rules:
| Factor | Year-round conditions | |
| Spring Summer | Autumn winter | |
| Location / Lighting | East, southeast windows. They illuminate on others, otherwise the plant will not bloom. Protect from direct sun. | |
| Temperature | + 19 ... +25 ° C. Drafts and hot air heaters are contraindicated. Do not allow the temperature of the soil to drop below +17 ° C | |
| Humidity | Elevated. Do not spray. Placed on a pallet with wet pebbles, moss. | |
| Watering | Moderate, uniform. After drying of the top layer, inside the soil should remain moist. | |
| Transfer | As the roots grow. Gently, leave the old earth on tender roots, adding a new substrate. | |
| Pot | Wide shallow. Drainage. | |
| The soil | Own preparation: sheet, humus, peat land, coarse sand (2: 1: 1: 1). A small amount of moss, coconut fiber, charcoal is added. Ready - primer for saintpoly. | |
| Top dressing | 1 time in 2 weeks with fertilizer for flowering indoor plants (0.5 dose), violets (1 dose). | Do not contribute. |
| Pruning | Pinch regularly, cut off long shoots. Regulate the number of new outlets. | |
Breeding
To get a young plant use 3 methods: daughters, cuttings, seeds. The stems with daughter rosettes are not cut off from the mother flower, they are rooted in a nearby pot of soil, after the appearance of the roots it is separated.
When grafting, leaves and tops are used as planting material. They are cut off, damaged areas are treated with coal. Immediately planted in moist soil. Close the pot with a glass jar. After root formation (1 month) is transplanted separately.
Seed propagation is not popular, since varietal characteristics can be lost.
Sown in January or summer. They are placed on the surface of a moist substrate without deepening or sprinkling with earth. Cover with a film. Contain at temperatures above +20 ° C. When the first sheets appear (2-3 weeks), they are seated.
Diseases, pests
Alsobia is quite resistant to diseases and insect infestations. If the air is too dry, a spider mite may appear. Attack of scale insects and nematodes is rarely possible. To remove them, they are sprayed with insecticides (Actellic, Fitoverm).
