Perennial eustoma: planting and care at home and in the open field

Perennial eustoma, planting and caring for which carried out in accordance with all the rules, allow you to get a beautiful ornamental plant - a decoration of a personal plot. Despite the fact that the plant belongs to perennials, in central Russia it is grown as an annual, with the exception of well-equipped greenhouses. Or breeding as a houseplant.

Why is eustoma compared to a rose

Eustoma (lisianthus) is an ornamental plant that, thanks to its beautiful flowers, resembles a rose to many. Flowers - up to 8 cm in diameter. The eustoma has a straight trunk with branching, dull gray leaves and no thorns. The height of tall varieties can reach 1.2 m.

Landscape designers use the plant to decorate the garden, and florists are actively introducing it into spectacular bouquets. This is facilitated by the fact that even cut plants are able to keep the bouquet fresh for a long time.

Popular varieties of perennial eustoma, which are grown in the middle lane, include the following varieties:

• Russell is a large-flowered variety;
• Echo - grown primarily for bouquets;
• Aurora, which blooms early and has double, showy flowers;
• Mermaid - potted version of eustoma, has a height of about 15 cm;
• Flamenco - unpretentious tall flower;
• grade Little Bell.

Lisianthus has many varieties that differ in size and color.

Perennial eustoma, planting and care of seedlings

Growing eustoma requires effort from the grower. This is a heat-loving plant that will grow and bloom well only under favorable conditions for it.

How to prolong the flowering of eustoma

For breeding, 2 methods can be used, since perennial eustoma is not a bulbous culture:

• seeds;
• cuttings.

But the latter method rarely gives a good result, since cuttings are difficult to accept. When propagated by seeds, the time to start flowering depends on when the planting was carried out. For flowering to begin in June, seeds must be planted in November. With late planting (in February), the eustoma will bloom in early September.

When sowing seeds in spring, the plant will not have time to bloom.

Container planting is capable of extending the life of flowers. Flowers planted in containers can be taken out into the street in the warm season, and in cold weather they can be brought into the room again. At the same time, the plant will continue to bloom, albeit less abundantly. The root system saved in this way can be used for the next year. But the bloom will not be as lush.

Planting and caring for perennial eustoma, which is planned to be grown in pots, should be carried out in such a way that light containers are selected. It is advisable to use clay pots, which will keep the root system from overheating.

Fertilization

Complex mineral fertilizers necessary for eustoma as a top dressing. You can bring them in half a month or a month after planting seedlings.

Seedling care

Seedlings grown from seeds are planted in a place where there is enough sunlight, but no baking sunlight. Perennial eustoma requires planting and care to take place without excessive soil moisture.

Very fragile roots do not tolerate both frequent replanting and excessive moisture.When the air temperature drops, watering is reduced.

If there is a need to transplant a plant, then it is carried out by transshipment, trying to preserve a clod of earth in which the eustoma originally grew.

Soil selection

In order for the eustoma to grow and bloom well, it is necessary to withstand certain soil requirements.

She must be:

• fertile, containing compost and mineral fertilizers;
• breathable - well-drained;
• loose;
• damp but not wet.

A mixture of one part peat and one part is suitable for a flower. humus or high-quality black soil. It is impossible to fill the soil, otherwise the roots of perennial eustoma, as in the photo, may rot.

It is necessary to transplant eustoma as carefully as possible to the roots.

Temperature regime

The milder the conditions of detention, the better the flower will grow, and the more abundantly it will bloom. It is desirable that the daytime temperature is between 20 and 25 ºС. And at night - not lower than 15 ºС. If the eustoma is perennial, the planting and care of which is carried out with the winter indoors, suitable conditions must be created.

Care during growth and flowering

During the period of active growth, the plant needs additional nutrition. The type of feeding depends on whether it is gaining green mass or is already blooming.

 

In order to prevent flower diseases, agents specially designed for this can be used.

For example, such:

• Topsin;
• Topaz.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the quality of the water for irrigation. It should be firm and soft.

Tall varieties are usually planted in open ground, for which appropriate support must be provided. This moment should be thought out in advance, before flowering begins.

The disclosure of all flowers on the eustoma does not take place at the same time, therefore it is necessary to remove flowers that have already faded in time. At the same time, the decorative effect of the bush itself is maintained and the formation of new inflorescences is stimulated.

When cutting flowers for a bouquet, new flowers will appear in 1-1.5 months.

Post-flowering care

After flowering, life processes slow down in eustoma - it goes into a state of rest. At this time, watering is reduced and feeding is not introduced. What to do next depends on whether the plant will be grown as a perennial or not.

For regions with warm climates, the plant must be prepared for winter: cut off the branches, leaving only 2 or 3 points of growth. If in winter the temperature drops significantly below zero, the eustoma can be transplanted into a pot and placed on a loggia or on a closed veranda. This should be a place where the air temperature does not drop below + 10 ° C.

Despite all efforts and the most correct handling of the flower, it is not able, in the conditions of even the warmest regions of Russia, to become a true perennial plant. The lifespan of this plant is no more than 5 years. At the same time, less and less flowers will be formed every year.

Any transplantation of eustoma is very difficult - it slowly adapts, weakens.

Problems you can face when growing eustoma

Despite the application of efforts, some difficulties in growing eustoma cannot be avoided.

Among the most common are:

1. Lack of seed germination. This can be when using low-quality planting material or violation of germination technology. For example, landing too deep.
2. Fungus damage from excessive moisture.
3. Planting eustoma in the sun under a fence. Under these conditions, the plant can easily get burned.
4. Oversupply of fertilizers.

Despite all the difficulties with growing, the eustoma is worth the effort that a grower should make. A wide variety of varieties allows you to choose exactly the one that is best suited for growing in a flower bed, at home or on a balcony.

Secrets of growing eustoma - video