Secrets and subtleties of growing strelitzia from seeds at home
Strelitzia is one of the brightest and most colorful plants with unusual flowers, reminiscent of fabulous birds with lush crests. Strelitzia from seeds at home can be grown by any grower, because despite its luxurious appearance, the plant has a rather unpretentious "character". Observing several features and nuances of cultivation, you can get a colorful decoration of a garden flower bed or windowsill.
Strelitzia from seeds at home - basic rules for growing
Under natural conditions, strelitzia is found in the tropics of Madagascar and South Africa. In Russia and other European countries, the bird of paradise strelitzia is grown from seeds that can be bought at gardening stores.
When buying seed, you need to pay attention to its limitation period. The "older" the seeds, the worse their germination. That is why it is best to buy seeds for growing, packed no more than 4-6 months ago.
Examine the seeds carefully - they should be dry, approximately the same size, without any signs of rot or mold.
Soil preparation and containers
To grow strelitzia from seeds at home, you need to prepare a large and deep pot with a diameter of at least 25-30 cm. The plant has a powerful root-type root system, which goes deep into the soil and fills almost the entire space of the pot. With each transfer, the diameter of the container must be increased.
Best of all, strelitzia royal from seeds grows on loose, nutritious soil with neutral acidity. You can prepare it yourself by mixing compost, peat and sea sand in equal parts. Additionally, you can add leafy soil and humus.
Also for growing "bird of paradise" you can use a ready-made substrate for decorative flowering crops, sold in gardening stores.
Regardless of the type of soil, a drainage layer is necessarily poured onto the bottom of the flower pot - expanded clay, small pebbles, crushed stone.
Preparation of planting material
Planting seeds of strelitzia is carried out after their preliminary preparation. It hardens seeds, increases germination and promotes rapid establishment.
Before sowing, remove the yellow hair from the seed and soak it in warm water for 2 days. When the seeds are swollen, they can be stripped of the remnants of the fruit pulp, if any.
When soaking seeds, warm water can be replaced with solutions of special phytohormones sold in gardening stores. Such solutions are prepared according to the instructions on the package.
Sowing seeds
Most often, gardeners grow the "bird of paradise" as a houseplant, as this tropical flower does not tolerate frost. A decrease in air temperature to -8 ° C leads to the death of the plant.
It is best to grow strelitzia in a greenhouse or on a home windowsill. In this case, the gardener will be able to create an optimal microclimate for an exotic flower:
- high air humidity;
- temperature not less than + 20 ° С;
- the duration of daylight hours is 12 hours.
Planting seeds step by step:
- Before sowing seeds, sterilize the soil in a pot - pour boiling water over it and leave until moisture begins to flow out of the holes in the container.
- When the soil has cooled, place one seed in each glass.
- If using a large container, you can plant several seeds. Moreover, there must be a distance of at least 3 cm between them.
- Sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of soil and press lightly. In this case, "barrels" of seeds should look out of the soil.
- Cover the seed container with plastic wrap or glass.
Place the cups with crops in a warm and well-lit place, but away from direct sunlight. Seeds need to be provided with a temperature of at least + 25 ° C. As soon as the first shoots appear, they need to be watered with standing water at room temperature and ventilated for half an hour a day.
If all the conditions are met, the first seedlings of royal strelitzia appear in 2-5 months. Depending on the variety, this can take up to 7-9 months.
Home care for strelitzia
When growing strelitzia from seeds at home, it is very important to provide the tropical plant with proper care and timely moisture. The soil in the flower pot should not be allowed to dry out. It is watered with warm, previously settled water. Moisten a tropical flower immediately after the first shoots appear.
After seed germination, strelitzia must be planted in separate containers. The pots should be large and wide. It is necessary to transplant the plant carefully, since, despite the external power, its roots are very fragile and sensitive.
It is advisable to place a pot with a tropical flower on a windowsill with soft, diffused light. Strelitzia does not tolerate direct sunlight, which can cause burns to bright peduncles and delicate foliage.
When growing a "bird of paradise", it should be borne in mind that an exotic plant blooms no earlier than 4-7 years after transplanting into a pot. Strelitzia blooms can be stimulated with fertilizers.
For the first 3-4 years, the flower needs to be fed with fertilizers with a high concentration of nitrogen. They accelerate its growth and peduncle formation. Immediately before flowering, it is advisable to add a complex mineral fertilizing containing phosphorus and potassium. In winter, an exotic plant is dormant - at this time it does not need fertilization.
Strelitzia is one of the brightest and most beautiful tropical flowers. Its cultivation is not particularly difficult. If the gardener takes into account all the subtleties and nuances, he will be able to get a colorful decoration of a home window sill or garden flower bed.