Aeschinanthus - care and reproduction at home, photo species

Aeschinanthus is beautiful. A photo

Aeschynanthus (Aeschynanthus) - evergreen, spectacularly flowering shrub, widespread in tropical forests, where it grows as an epiphyte attached to trees. The homeland of the eskhinantus is South and Southeast Asia, the Gesneriev family. Ampel type stems are collected in a dense bush and hang down to 70 cm.

The entire length of the stem is covered with dense, fleshy, leathery, oblong leaves arranged in pairs (from 4 to 12 cm). Eschinanthus leaves have practically no cuttings. In small, green, dissected in 5 lobes, cups are corymbose inflorescences of 8-12 flowers each. In shape, these are curved tubes with a double-bent limb at the end. The color of the corollas gradually changes from green to reddish - orange, pink or scarlet.

	Low growth rate. 20-25 cm grows per year.
	Aeschinanthus blooms from June to September.
	The plant is grown easily, but there are some difficulties.
	Perennial.

Beneficial properties of eschinanthus

The flower is not toxic, but does not possess medicinal properties. Its purpose is to improve the microclimate, create a pleasant, cozy atmosphere and deliver aesthetic pleasure.

Care for eschinanthus at home. Briefly

A very demanding flower to care for, which in the event of an unfavorable combination of circumstances refuses to bloom and loses its decorativeness:

Temperature	He likes moderate heat without sharp fluctuations and drafts. Temperatures below 14 ° C will cause problems and illnesses.
Air humidity	Moderately humid air with good ventilation is what the eschinanthus prefers at home.
Lighting	Intensive natural lighting without prolonged exposure to the sun will provide optimal conditions for flowering.
Watering	It is required to maintain a constant, moderate soil moisture without overflow and stagnation of water.
Priming	The soil for eschinanthus is chosen light, fertile, with a good breathable properties, a neutral or slightly acidic PH substrate.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	In spring and summer, every 2-3 weeks, they are fed with low doses of organic or mineral fertilizers.
Transfer	In order to improve nutrition, bushes are replanted annually or a year later. Five-year bushes are best replaced with new ones.
Escinanthus breeding	Propagation by vegetative organs and seeds can be used, but cuttings are easier to use.
Growing Features	To maintain a beautiful condition of the bush, it is necessary to periodically rejuvenate pruning, create conditions for winter recreation.

Care for eschinanthus at home. In detail

The flower is not easy to care for, for flowering and good appearance requires the creation of a certain microclimate.

Flowering eschinanthus

The basis for a long, intense flowering is laid even during winter maintenance. If you do not ensure during this period a decrease in temperature to + 15-18 ° C, a reduction in watering, flowering may not occur at all. With a good combination of circumstances, flowering begins in April and ends in September.

Eschinanthus flower at home has a not very attractive shape. This is a curved tube with a double bend coming out of a green cup. This feature gave the name to the plant (aischyneia - curved, anthos flower).

Inflorescences of several flowers due to the bright color against the background of rich green leaves, look very impressive.

Temperature mode

A flowering room eschinanthus prefers a moderately warm microclimate and a temperature of +22 to + 28 ° C. She doesn’t feel comfortable on the street at night cooling. It is useful to regularly ventilate without drafts.

In the cold season, the plant is kept at a temperature not lower than +14 - 15 ° C, otherwise conditions are created for the development of diseases and loss of leaves.

Spraying

For tropical plants, moisture is a basic vital need. With its lack, leaves and buds die, their decorative effect worsens. Eshinantusu home care is organized in such a way as to bring moisture closer to natural conditions, for which they use:

• electric humidifier, atomizers;
• dishes with wet materials (moss, expanded clay, sand)
• spraying leaves with a small droplet spray.

Attention! Spraying on the leaves is carried out only with warm water at an air temperature of at least 20 ° C.

Lighting

The flower is located on the south or east side so that the eschinanthus at home receives a lot of light, but the sun does not visit the plant for long.

Prolonged exposure to the sun causes burns of leaf blades, and a lack of light will adversely affect the flowering and appearance of the bush. It is more expedient to hang out a cache-pot near windows, but not window sills.

Watering

The soil in the flowerpot should be moderately moist, since drying out leads to the loss of buds, foliage. Another watering of eschinanthus will be required when it has dried out by a third of the volume. During the flowering period, the frequency is 3-7 days, at another time - up to 10 days.

Excess water is immediately removed from the pan, as its stagnation contributes to the development of putrefactive processes. For hydration use only well-settled, warm water.

If the air temperature in the room is below optimal, watering should be delayed until it rises naturally or by artificial heating.

Escinanthus pot

As the root system grows, the bush is transplanted to improve its nutrition. Do it in the early spring annually. You should not choose a pot of large volume, as the plant will intensively build up green mass, but not bloom much. At the next transplant, it is better to increase the size by 1-2 cm in diameter, which will contribute to abundant flowering.

Eschinantus soil

To make home eschinanthus pleasing with a healthy appearance and abundant flowering, a nutrient substrate needs a fertile, breathable, resistant to excessive compaction and waterlogging. Specialized stores offer nutritious primers for orchids, which are fully consistent with the requirements of eshinanthus.

The mixture is prepared independently from the available ingredients:

• leaf and horse peat land - 2 parts each;
• humus, moss-sphagnum, humus and river sand - 1 part each;
• for loosening add vermiculite, coconut fiber, perlite, charcoal, pine bark.

Advice! Moss significantly increases hygroscopicity and prevents the development of putrefactive processes.

The components of the nutrient mixture are disinfected by heating or spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

It is best to use complex mineral fertilizers balanced in nutrients for flowering plants. They are used in the form of an aqueous solution and are applied together with watering, avoiding contact with the stems and leaves.

During the period of intensive flowering, fertilizers for feeding eschinanthus can be used after two to three irrigation or 1 time in 14 - 20 days. During the period of winter dormancy, the plant is not fed.

Eschinanthus transplant

The purchased flower is transplanted after purchase into another container by transfer method without violating the integrity of the roots. Home plants are transplanted in early spring before flowering, but if there are problems during cultivation, you can transplant after flowering.

The pot should have drainage holes and not be very deep. The height of the drainage layer at the bottom is 2.5 - 3.0 cm, the root system is completely filled with nutrient soil without the formation of air pockets.

How to prune an eshinanthus?

The pruning procedure contributes to the rejuvenation of the bush and giving a beautiful decorative look and neat shape. The main pruning work is carried out at the end of flowering, and sanitary pruning - as necessary. Heavily exposed, long stems can be cut completely, others can be shortened.

At the same time, damaged and yellowed leaves, poorly developed shoots, thickened bush are removed. After pruning, eskhinantus will give young shoots that will significantly improve the appearance of the plant. Such images to rejuvenate the plant for 4-5 years, but then it is better to replace it with a young shoot.

Rest period

Aeschinantus has special requirements for growing conditions and reacts to them in appearance. In one year it can bloom magnificently all spring and summer, in another - not bloom at all. Thus, it responds to winter maintenance. In order for the plant to lay flower buds and provide earlier flowering in the winter, it is necessary:

• reduce air temperature to 15 -18 ° C
• reduce watering and stop spraying
• stop feeding

Attention! During the rest period in the conditions of short daylight, the eschinanthus pot should be located in a well-lit place.

Growing eschinanthus from seeds

To get a full-fledged plant from very small seeds wrapped in down will require a long period, patience, universal soil for seedlings, a warm, well-lit place.

The method is often used for breeding purposes. Sowing is carried out at the end of February under cover and until the shoots appear, maintain humidity, ventilate, and remove condensate. Seedlings are gradually adapted to natural conditions, increasing time without shelter. The grown seedlings are planted in a permanent place.

Propagation of eshinanthus by cuttings

For vegetative propagation, non-lignified cuttings of about 10 cm long are used, having at least two pairs of leaves. They are obtained by trimming the tops of shoots. Slices are made with a disinfected, sharp knife.

• remove the lower leaves;
• cuttings are immersed in a growth stimulator;
• planted in small containers in moist nutrient soil;
• maintained at a temperature of 23-26 ° C under glass or film, regularly ventilating.
• after the roots appear, the stalk is transplanted into a shallow pot.

Diseases and Pests

The main causes of the spread of diseases and pests are violation of the conditions and microclimate in the room. Eskhinantus will immediately respond to every mistake made:

• Eschinanthus leaves twist - lack of moisture in the soil.
• Rotting stems - cold and very damp in the room.
• Eschinanthus leaves turn yellow and curl - very dry air.
• The tips of the leaves turn yellow and dry - hot and dry.
• The tops of the shoots dry - rare, surface and dry air.
• There are light spots on the leaves of eschinanthus - from sunburn and prolonged exposure to the sun without shading.
• Weak growth - with soil depletion and lack of heat.
• The base of the stems rot - Too plentiful watering at low temperature.
• Leaves fall eshinanthus - excessive drying of the soil during flowering or excess moisture at low temperature throughout the growing season.
• Aeschinanthus does not bloom - wintered at high temperature.
• Flowers fall - spraying with cold water, feeding was untimely carried out, a sharp change in temperature.
• Leaves are covered with spots of light brown color. - the use of cold water for irrigation and low room temperature during irrigation.

Common pests of flower crops can spoil the look: aphids, thistles, thrips. They damage leaves, buds, inhibit the growth of the stem and quickly spread in dry indoor conditions.

Types of eschinanthus home with photos and names

For the decoration of residential and office premises, about 15 varieties of eshinanthus are used. They differ in the structure of the bush, configuration, size, color of leaves and inflorescences:

Marble Escinanthus

It grows well, gives long (up to 70cm), flexible main stems with many side shoots. The internodes are short, the leaves are large, with a leathery structure. On the dark green sheet plates, yellowish spots and stripes from the center to the edges, forming a marble pattern, are pronounced. The lower part of the sheet is brownish-violet.

Appreciated for the beautiful decorative appearance of leaves and shoots. Flowering in eschinanthus marble is not very attractive. Narrow and thin tubular flowers, even at the peak of flowering, are green.

Aeschinantus Lobba

On long reddish-purple stems, small, fleshy, richly green leaves of an elliptical shape are densely strung. The lower part of the leaf blade is light green or light green. Corollas pubescent, two-lipped, bright red, tubes creamy yellow, flowers abundantly located at the ends of the lashes and lateral shoots.

Aeschinanthus beautiful, beautiful

The shoots are flexible, green. The leaves are long (up to 10-12cm), with pointed tips, dense, uniform emerald color. Leaf blade width up to 5cm. Corolla thin, long, two-lipped. Inflorescences are large, scarlet, 9-12 flowers each.

Eschinanthus beautiful leaves are slightly smaller, the color of the petals is yellow-red. The stems and edges of the leaves have a reddish tint.

Aeschinantus Mona Lisa

The most stable and unpretentious look for home growing. The shape of the leaves is oval, the central vein is very embossed, the color is dark green with shine. Against their background, wine-red flowers look especially impressive.

Aeschinantus Twister

Aeschinantus Twister blooms. A photo

It has not only twisted flowers, but also twisting shoots and leaves on them. As a result, the bush seems curly. The flowers of the species are orange-red, asymmetrical. The dark green color of the leaves is hidden behind a wax coating.