“There is a scarlet flower in the world, scarlet, bright fiery like a dawn …” – this is how the wonderful plant Episcia (Episkos) flower is associated for me. Although the Greek translation sounds exactly the opposite – “dark, green.” “Somewhere there, beyond the seventh pass, a sip, fresh as the wind, will flare up, the most fabulous and unprecedented, the most magical flower …”. Indeed, the patrimony of Episcia is such a continent far from us as South America – the tropical forests of Brazil, Mexico, Guinea, Colombia, the Antilles. This is the reason for her love for the humidity of the air. By the way, Episcia is a close relative of Saintpaulia (Uzambara violet) , so dearly loved by flower growers. In her touching and extraordinary beauty, Epiatia is in no way inferior to her.
Whoever saw her at least once, or even better settled at home, he will definitely give her his heart. For you, lovers of home vegetation, we will conduct a lesson on breeding and caring for this wonderful flower.
What are they – episcia flowers: description of the plant
Episcia flowers belong to the Gesneriaceae family and there are just over 40 species created by nature and more than a hundred bred by breeding. This is a perennial herbaceous creeping plant, which served as the development of its fibrous root system. At home, it is recognized as an ampelous, i.e. feels comfortable and comfortable in hanging pots and flowerpots, gracefully lowering its lush tendrils, braiding them over the entire surface of the “house” in which it grows. Leaves in the form of an ellipse or a chicken egg have a decorative color and are covered with delicate thick velvet. But there are species that have shiny foliage of dark olive color with a light edge. On the surface of each leaf, deep veins are clearly visible, which makes the plant even more picturesque.
The flowers of Episcia are axillary, i.e. fragile petals are comfortably located on a thin tubular leg. Their size is much smaller than the leaves themselves. If the leaf of a plant can reach a size of up to 10 cm or more, then the flower is only 3-4 cm.
The color of the petals in nature is not so diverse – red, white, yellow, less often golden yellow or lilac-pink. But hybrid varieties boast a rainbow variety of colors.
Epistion: reproduction at home
In most cases, episcia reproduces at home perfectly and quickly gives full-fledged offspring. Episcia not only grows rapidly, which pleases the owners, but also reproduces easily.
Cuttings, leaves, seeds, daughter rosettes are the material for rooting and germination. But still, a mustache with children is the way to get results as soon as possible, i.e. her flowering. Having planted the tendril in loose peat soil with good drainage from expanded clay, after 2-3 months you will notice several buds on an already quite lush bush. The most thorny course of reproduction at home is seed. After sowing the seeds in a suitable substrate (leafy soil – 2 parts, peat – 1 part, sand – 1 part), they moisten it and, covering it with glass to increase humidity and create a greenhouse effect, wait for shoots that appear only after a month.
The grown seedlings are transplanted into shallow pots, most likely bowls, with a diameter of 15-20 cm. In the first year of life, such plants may not bloom.
What epistle requires self-care
About the care of Episcia can be said literally in two or three words. The creation of high humidity, periodic spraying of foliage and a sufficiently lit place without direct sunlight – these are all the conditions for the plant to feel great. It follows that Episcia is very unpretentious. But, like any other domestic vegetation, it needs top dressing. To do this, use any mineral fertilizers for indoor flowers and water them every two weeks during the growing season. With all this, the dose of fertilizer should be halved than indicated on the package, otherwise the plant will “burn out”.
Dealing with possible episcience problems
The appearance of spotting on the foliage or its yellowing is easily treated and eliminated. If strange spots appear on the crown, then this is a sign of watering with cold water. To avoid this, Episcia is watered with water no less than room temperature, trying not to get directly on the leaves, i.e. under the root. When yellowing, spoiled leaves should be removed and thoroughly poured with an earthen ball with a selected fertilizer complex. After a while, repeat the procedure.
As we have seen, the Episcias are not so capricious. They are easy and pleasant to look after. The main thing is only to observe the temperature background, create sufficient humidity and not overdose with top dressing. In gratitude, you will receive a bright lush bush with a unique flowering hat. And may it please you for a long, long time!