Streptocarpus (Streptocarpus) is a creeping plant, characterized by abundant flowering and original inflorescences resembling an elongated bell in shape. He belongs to the Gesneriev family and is the closest relative of the Uzambara violets. But in comparison with them, it is more hardy and unpretentious in leaving, which adds fans among gardeners and lovers.
Description of streptocarpus
In the wild, streptocarpuses are found in the form of epiphytes or lithophytes that grow on other plants or on rocky surfaces. Their representatives were first discovered by James Bowie in 1818 in the mountain subtropics of the Cape Province in southern Africa, from where the second name came from - the Cape primrose.
They are often confused with indoor violets due to a similar structure:
- branched fibrous rhizome is located in the upper soil layer and passes into a thickening without a stem;
- at the base begins a rosette of oval leaves having a wavy, slightly velvet surface;
- in the axils of each leaf are inflorescences consisting of several tubular buds;
- the flower has five petals of a certain color, and reaches 2-10 cm in diameter;
- as a result of pollination, he gives the fruit in the form of a twisted pod containing a large number of seeds inside.
Also read the article on room violet or senpolia.
There are several types of streptocarpuses:
- Leafy are stemless, have a rosette of two or more leaves at the base. They are always perennial, the most common and popular in home crop production.
- Univalent - with one leaf growing directly from the root, often quite large. They are monocarpic, dying immediately after flowering and seed set. Perennial species produce a new sheet plate immediately after the old die.
- Stem representatives are distinguished by a pronounced flexible stem with a rough surface. They creep on the ground and abundantly cluster, blooming in a shallow color.
They begin to bloom from April to late autumn, but with proper care they can please lush buds at any time of the year.
Types and varieties of streptocarpus
Streptocarpus is divided into many subspecies that differ in shape, texture, color of leaves and inflorescences. In natural varietal groups, the color of the buds has a blue or purple hue, while hybrid ones have different variations.
| Type / variety | Leaves | Flowers |
| Natural | ||
| Rex Royal (rexii) | Hairy, light green, up to 25 cm by 5 cm, assembled in a socket. | Purple with purple stripes inside, often patterned. Diameters up to 2.5 cm, protrude 20 cm above the ground. |
| Rocky (saxorum) | Light, 25 to 30 mm, oval and rarely hairy. Located on flexible stems up to 45 cm long. | A pale purple hue with a snow-white middle. Larger than leaves. Blossom a few pieces on peduncles, reaching 7 cm. |
| Wendland (wendlandii) | The only one, reaches 60 by 90 cm, is painted purple below. Dies after flowering in the second year of life. | Funnel-shaped, blue-violet and with dark veins inside, up to 5 cm in diameter. 15-20 pieces are arranged on untwisted stems similar to fern leaves. |
| Snow-white (candidus) | Wrinkled, dark green, up to 15 by 45 cm in size. | Multiple, white, with cream or yellowish spots, purple lines. 25 mm long. |
| Large (grandis) | One, reaches 0.3 by 0.4 m. | In the upper part of the stem up to 0.5 m long, a racemose inflorescence. The color is pale purple with a dark pharynx and white lower lip. |
| Cornflower blue (cyaneus) | Rosette, light green. | Violet pink, with a yellow middle and purple stripes. Collected 2 buds on a stalk up to 15 cm tall. |
| Primrose (polyanthus) | The only, velvety, up to 0.3 m long, is covered with white pile. | Pale lavender-blue with a yellow center, up to 4 cm in size, resemble a keyhole in shape. |
| Johann (johannis) | Green fleecy, 10 by 45 cm. Grow by a rosette. | Small, up to 18 mm long. Bluish-purple with a bright center. Up to 30 pieces on a straight stem. |
| Canvas (holstii) | Fleshy and flexible shoots reach half a meter, wrinkled leaves, 40-50 mm each, are opposite on them. | Purple, with a white corolla tube, about 2.5-3 cm in diameter. |
| Glandulosissimus (glandulosissimus) | Dark green, oval. | From dark blue to purple. Located on a peduncle up to 15 cm. |
Primrose (primulifolius) | Wrinkled, covered with sparse hairs. | Not more than 4 pieces on a stem of 25 cm. Color from white to pale purple, with dots and stripes. |
| Dunn (dunnii) | The only leaf is densely pubescent, almost without a petiole. | Copper-red, inclined down, are located on a stem of 25 cm. Blossom for a short time (mid and late summer). |
| Pickaxe (kirkii) | Small, 5 cm long and 2.5-3 cm wide. | Low inflorescence, not higher than 15 cm, has the shape of an umbrella and pale lilac color. |
| Hybrid | ||
| Crystal Ice | Dark green, narrow and long. | Light with blue-violet veins blooming all year round. |
| Albatross | Dark, round and small. | Snow-white, on high stems. |
| Corps de ballet (Chorus Line) | Green, elongated. | Terry, with light purple veins on white. |
| Hairs | Rosette of several long leaves. | Lilac with dark stripes and veins, serrated edges of the petals. |
| Black Swan | Oval, light green. | Velvety, dark violet, with a slope in black purple and ruffy edges, up to 8-9 cm long. |
| Waterfall | Jagged edges, velvety base, small and elongated. | The upper petals are violet and wavy, the lower ones with purple streaks and texture. About 7-8 cm in diameter, up to 10 pieces per stem. |
| Hawaiian party | Elongated, lowered to the ground. | Terry pinkish with a wine-red mesh and dots. 5-6 cm each, on a long stalk. |
| Margarita | Tucked down, fleecy, with wavy edges. | Huge, up to 10 cm, thick wine hue and with large flounces. |
| Pandora flower | Rosette, large. | Violet with dark stripes and a thin light border, with large waves of petals. |
Care for streptocarpus at home
Cape primrose is less capricious than indoor violet. Caring for it at home involves choosing the optimal placement, ensuring sufficient moisture in the air and soil.
| Factor | Season | |
| Spring Summer | Autumn winter | |
| Location / Lighting | Bright scattered light is required, without direct rays of the sun. It is worth placing a flower on windows, balconies or loggias facing west or east. | Put the pot closer to the south. If there is a lack of daylight, use daylight or phytolamps to extend the daylight hours to 14 hours. |
| Temperature | Optimum + 20 ... +27 ° C. Avoid extreme heat, ventilate rooms more often. | Starting in October, gradually lower the temperature. Allowable limit is +14 ... +18 ° C. |
| Humidity | About 65-70%. Regularly spray around the water, you can use a humidifier, moist moss or coconut fiber in the pan. After a summer shower, dry only in the shade. | Moisturize no more than once a week. Avoid moisture on flowers and leaves. Keep away from heaters that dry the air. |
| Watering | On the edge of the pot every 2-3 days, an hour after draining the water from the pan. You can’t pour it on a flower. Between watering, the earth should dry 2-4 cm. The liquid should be selected cleaned or settled at room temperature. | From mid-autumn cut. Make sure that the substrate does not dry out (acquiring a red tint), and there is no stagnation of moisture in it. |
With proper care, growing a primrose from the Cape Province will bear fruit in the form of lush inflorescences. In most subspecies, flowering occurs in mid-spring, but there are exceptions, including varieties that bloom year-round.
Wilted flowers should be carefully removed with a sharp knife, like dry leaves. This will stimulate the update.
Planting and replanting Cape primrose
Most streptocarpuses belong to perennials. To maintain their flowering and healthy appearance, not only proper care is required, but also regular transplants
Before starting the procedure, it is worth choosing the right capacity and ground. Experienced flower growers, not the first year of cultivation, prefer to independently compose a soil mixture for it. In this case, it is worth abandoning the acidic substrate, and use the following mixtures:
- peat, leafy soil, perlite or vermiculite and chopped sphagnum moss (2: 1: 0.5: 0.5);
- 3: 1: 2 leaf soil, humus and peat crumb are used with crushed birch charcoal (about 20 g per 1 liter of soil);
- pure peat will require frequent watering, and with vermiculite in 1: 1 proportions this can be avoided;
- leaf manure, coarse sand and fertile turf 2: 1: 3 is suitable for adult flowers.
The pot should be chosen wide and shallow, based on the size of the plant. It is worth remembering that the rhizomes are branched and located on the surface. Transplanting streptocarpus, you need to choose a container 2-3 cm wider each time than the previous one. At the bottom, to facilitate the passage of moisture, 2 cm of expanded clay, chips of red brick or any drainage material are placed.
Top dressing
An equally important aspect for the improvement of streptocarpus is the fertilizer of its soil. Feeding is best done every week:
- in early spring, start adding nitrogenous substances to the water during irrigation to grow greenery (Uniflor-growth);
- during the flowering period, choose preparations with phosphorus and potassium to maintain the beauty of the buds (Uniflor-bud).
At the same time, the doses indicated on the packages should be halved to avoid overdose. With the right procedure, the immunity of the flower increases, its growth and duration of flowering increases.
Reproduction of streptocarpus
Their reproduction occurs in the following ways:
- From the seeds. This method is often used to produce new hybrids. Seed should be scattered on the ground, moisten it and cover with a film. Creating greenhouse conditions, put the pot in a warm place and ventilate the planting 2 times a day for 20 minutes, wiping the condensate. After 2 weeks, when the seedlings appear, increase the airing time, and transplant after the appearance of the leaves.
- Using a handle from a leaf. Pour purified or rain water into a glass. Sprinkle the leaf on the cut with crushed activated carbon and lower it into water by 1-1.5 cm. When the roots appear, after about 7 days, start planting.
- From parts of a sheet plate. Remove the central vein from it and plant both halves in a substrate 5 mm deep. Moisten the ground, cover with polyethylene and ventilate. After a couple of months, when small outlets sprout, they can be planted. This results in more plants.
- Division of the bush. Suitable for an adult flower from the age of 2-3 years. In spring, rhizomes need to be removed from the soil and divided into parts, being careful not to damage. If necessary, cut the mustache with a knife, treating the slices with crushed activated carbon. Separate the "kids" to plant and cover with transparent material for several days.
Problems with growing streptocarpus, pests, diseases
The cultivation of Cape primrose can be marked by a number of problems, the appearance of which adversely affects its condition.
| Manifestation | Causes | Remedial measures |
| Withering | Lack of moisture. | Timely watering. |
| Yellow and falling leaves | Lack of nutrients. | Feed with complex fertilizers. |
| No bloom, pale color and downsizing | Lack of light, inappropriate conditions. | Ensuring the correct lighting, temperature, change of location. |
| Close pot. | Transplantation with the separation of rhizomes. | |
| Abundant watering. | Reducing the frequency of watering, you need to let the earth dry. | |
| Drying the ends of leaves and buds | Dry air. | Spraying water around a flower. |
| Not enough space in the pot. | Transfer. | |
| Rusty coating | Strong watering. | More rare watering. |
| Excessive concentration of nutrients. | Planting in a peat environment, top dressing every 2 weeks. | |
| Small leaves instead of flowers | Lack of light. | Improving lighting, up to 14 hours a day. |
| Black petioles | A lot of moisture and cool. | Warm place, more rare watering, you need to dry the ground. |
| Blurry yellow or colorless spots | Burn after direct sunlight. | Remove from the sunny side, rearrange to diffused light windows. |
It is important to know about the main pathogens that cause certain diseases of streptocarpus. Understanding the cause of the disease will help in its further treatment and restoration of the flower.
| Disease / pest | Manifestation | Remedial measures |
| Root rot | Fungal spots of brown color on the leaves, black slimy roots. | Remove from the container, wash the roots and cut off the blackened parts. Soak the remaining plant in 0.25 g of manganese per liter of liquid. Plant in a container with a new substrate. Water 4 months with a solution of 0.5% Skor, Bayleton, Maxim. |
| Gray rot | Light brown, fluffy spots, overgrown with light gray bloom. Arise in dampness and coolness. | Remove damaged parts, sprinkle slices with powder of coal, chalk or cinnamon. Pour diluted with 0.2% Fundazole, Topsin-M. If there is no result, process it 2-3 times with Horus, Teldor (according to the instructions). |
| Powdery mildew | Whitish spots on leaves, flowers and stems. | Wash off plaque with a brush soaked in soda solution, cut off too disfigured areas, sprinkle with wood ash. Pour the earth Benlat, Fundazolom. You can repeat it in a week, and then add up to 3 weeks a weak solution of manganese. |
| Thrips | Silver lines on the underside of the sheet, light spots and small black sticks. | Remove all corollas and infected leaves. Wipe the rest and spray the soil with Aktara, Spintor, Karate, and another 2-3 times in a week. For a couple of days, wrap in polyethylene, airing. |
| Spider mite | Almost transparent cobwebs, on the wrong side there are spots from them. | Water well and leave for a couple of days under polyethylene next to the bowl with chopped onions, garlic or turpentine. If it does not help, process 3-4 times with Fitoverm, Apollo, Omayt, changing drugs. |
| Shield | Spots of different tones of brown along the veins on the wrong side of the leaf plate. Over time, they increase and blush. | Lubricate each growth with oil, acetic acid, kerosene, and after a few hours remove insects. Apply gruel from onions to the affected areas. Every week, water the soil a couple of times with a solution of Admiral, Fufanon, Permethrin. |
| Whitefly | It looks like a small moth, lives on the inside of the sheet and takes off when touched. | Use masking tape, insect fumigator. Replace the upper couple of centimeters of the substrate. Spray the ground with infusion of pepper, tobacco or mustard. Or take Fitoverm, Bitoxibacillin, Bankol. |
| Aphid | Small insects of green color, sticky plaque on the plant and deformation of its individual parts. | Clean aphids with a brush or cotton wool. Put dried orange peels and herbs on the ground. Or use Biotlin, Fury, Iskra-Bio. |
| Weevil | Flightless little bugs of black color, eat leaves from the edges. | Carry out the treatment with Fitoverm, Akarin, Actellic or another intexicidal drug, and repeat in a week. |
Thus, at the first signs of the disease, it is worthwhile to carefully study the plant for pests. If any, it is worth isolating the diseased streptocarpus from uninfected flowers. For prevention, it is allowed to treat them with Fitoverm, following the instructions.
