Beauty eustoma: growing from seeds at home
Delicate eustoma, growing from seeds at home is a difficult process even for experienced gardeners, suitable for cultivation in a flowerpot, greenhouse, in open ground. The flower looks great on cut in compact and complex bouquets. Eustoma belongs to herbaceous plants of the gentian family. There are indoor and garden species, differing in life cycle and appearance.
In order for the plant to decorate the flower beds of the infield with the lush flowering of pink-like flowers in summer, you need to take care of purchasing seeds and sowing seedlings at the beginning of winter.
The probability of getting strong seedlings directly depends on the quality of the seed and the timeliness of planting.
Description of the plant
The natural color of the buds is blue, however, as a result of selection, varieties of different monochromatic and multi-colored species were obtained:
- white;
- yellow;
- pink;
- purple.
| Description of characteristics | Description |
| Name | Eustoma (lat.Eustoma); |
| Flowering period | long-lasting (flowers bloom on one stem alternately), from June to August; |
| Bud color | one-color, multi-color; |
| Number of buds per stem | up to 35 pieces; |
| Flower size | 5 to 8 cm in diameter; |
| Stem height | from 50 to 120 cm, depending on the variety; |
| Climatic growing conditions | temperature regime from 18 to 28 ° С; |
| Growing features | content in the shade, frequent watering and acidic soil are unacceptable, it is desirable to provide bright diffused light, a nutrient medium from bark, peat and deciduous soil, water and fertilize moderately; |
| Life span | from one season when grown on the ground to 5 years when planted in a pot. |
The flowering plant adorns the flower bed during the summer period, while it does not lose its appearance in the bouquet for a long time. The cut stem can bloom in fresh water for up to three weeks.
Growing eustoma at home from seeds
To make the whimsical American bell blossom in the domestic climate, it is necessary to acquire strong, high-quality seedlings. Planting ready-made seedlings in warm soil at the end of May gives a stable June flowering result. But you can grow seedlings yourself.
Eustoma flowers: sowing, growing, care step by step
It is advisable to purchase seeds in specialized stores or sites with good reviews. The peculiarity of the seed is its extremely small size. Therefore, quality material is sold in capsules.
It is also advisable to immediately purchase related materials:
- peat tablets or a peat mixture;
- biostimulants;
- specialized fertilizers;
- containers for growing seedlings;
- fluorescent lamp.
It is advisable to install additional lighting immediately after receiving the first shoots. The length of daylight hours should not be less than 14-16 hours.
Sowing features
The main question when growing eustoma from seeds is when to plant? The best option is to sow seeds in January. The acceptable option is from the end of December to March.When choosing sowing seedlings, take into account that at least 5-6 months pass from the moment of emergence to the onset of flowering. Before landing, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the sowing calendar and choose the day that falls on the growing moon.
Selection of soil and seeding tanks
For planting, many flower growers choose peat tablets, which give a 90% guarantee of seedling.
However, you can use specially prepared soil, consisting of:
- 1 part sand;
- two pieces of leafy land;
- 4 parts peat.
Before use, the soil mixture is sieved and heated in the oven for disinfection. Peat tablets are pre-soaked so that they swell. Containers and tools for planting must be clean. If plastic common containers are used, then the surface is wiped with a disc with alcohol or manganese solution.
Seed preparation and sowing
The shops offer regular and coated seeds. The latter are enclosed in an ecological shell due to which they differ in their larger size. When interacting with water and soil, the shell dissolves. The coated material does not need to be prepared, and the usual one is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes a day before sowing. Then they are dried.
To deal with small seeds during planting, use a wet-tipped toothpick. They pry the seed with it and spread it on top of the ground. Then they squeeze a little. It is not necessary to cover the top with soil.
The soil must first be moistened. In this case, it is desirable to use biostimulating agents.
| Necessary conditions for germination | ||
| Lighting | Temperature | Humidity |
| additional lighting is required from the moment of landing to landing on the ground; | at 22 ° С; | high, it is advisable to cover the container on top with polyethylene; |
Video instruction for planting seeds:
Growing features
Seedlings appear by the end of the second week.
Until that time, three conditions must be met:
- daily spraying;
- additional lighting;
- Airing for 20 minutes in the morning.
After germination, it is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the soil and make stimulating fertilizing for laying the buds. It is advisable to leave the temperature regime at the level of 22 ° С during the day, reduce to 18 ° С at night.