How to grow gloxinia from seeds at home?

Gloxinia can often be found in flower beds. Its flowers, shaped like bells, are distinguished by a variety of shades. The short stem and the fleshy leaves bordering it, which have a velvet texture thanks to the villi, are almost invisible under the rich bouquet of large flowers.

Growing gloxinia from seeds at home

Gloxinia Blanche De Meru

Features of culture

The plant owes its unusual name to the German scientist Benjamin Peter Gloxin, who devoted his life to biology. Another name for the flower is sinningia.

In some varieties of gloxinia, the flowers are covered with bright specks inside, while in others they can be decorated with frills in contrasting colors along the edge. Flowers can be smooth or velvety, depending on the variety.

Gloxinia

Growing gloxinia in a greenhouse

Gloxinia can be grown from seed at home, which is time consuming and effortless. Despite the fact that this ornamental plant is very whimsical to the conditions of detention, it is very popular. The flower will retain its attractive appearance for many years, delight with abundant flowering and fresh velvety leaves, provided that it is properly cared for.

Gloxinia terry

Gloxinia breeding methods

Gloxinia can be grown at home using one of several propagation methods for this plant; the most common are the following:

• breeding with a leaf separated from an adult plant;
• division of tubers;
• sowing seeds.

Important! Indoor plant lovers rarely use tubers for breeding gloxinia, considering this method ineffective. Parts of the tubers must be planted in the ground, where they may not take root for a long time.

Gloxinia tuber

The easiest way to quickly grow a new gloxinia bush is to root a leaf cut from an already growing bush. You need to take a healthy leaf with a petiole, the length of which exceeds 2 cm, and place it in a container with water. When the roots begin to grow, it is necessary to transplant the leaf into the ground. Large leaves can be divided into parts. Parts of the leaf should also be placed in water until the roots form.

Reproduction of gloxinia by leaf fragments

Reproduction of gloxinia leaves

Breeding gloxinia with seeds is not an easy way. The seed of the plant is small and difficult to germinate. The sprouts that appear are very difficult to care for, they grow slowly. Seed propagation is used mainly to obtain new varieties of gloxinia. In this article, we will provide step-by-step instructions for growing a plant at home in this way.

Gloxinia - seed propagation

Gloxinia Brocada blue F1

Collection and timing of sowing gloxinia seeds

In order for the reproduction of gloxinia by seeds to become possible, it is required to make their competent collection.First, the plants are pollinated with a piece of cotton wool, which needs to touch each pistil of all gloxinia flowers that are in the house. After some time after the petals fly around, you can see the formed seed boxes in the center of the flowers. After about a week, these boxes will begin to open.

Collecting Gloxinia Seeds

Broken seed pods must be cut off. To collect the seeds, the opened box is lowered into a glass, into which sufficiently mature brown seeds will be poured. These seeds do not require any treatment before sowing. For growing gloxinia at home, you can also use purchased seeds.

Gloxinia seeds

Gloxinia seeds in granules (pelleted)

Important! It is best to plant gloxinia seeds at the end of winter. If sowing is carried out in the fall, then for the seedlings it will be necessary to organize lighting and maintain the required temperature in the room where it will grow. If this is not done, the plants will stretch out.

Step-by-step instructions for growing gloxinia from seeds

Growing gloxinia from seeds

Table. The main stages of growing gloxinia from seeds.

Step 1. Preparation of materials and tools	It is required to prepare a container for seedlings with a transparent lid, soil, seeds, expanded clay for drainage and a spray bottle.
Step 2. Drainage	The bottom of the container is filled with expanded clay with a layer of one centimeter.
Step 3. Preparing the soil	For sowing gloxinia, a soil mixture containing peat is suitable. This will provide the roots with the necessary elements for better development. The soil must be poured over the drainage with a layer of three centimeters and tamped a little.
Step 4. Moistening the soil	Then you should thoroughly irrigate the soil with water using a spray bottle.
Step 5. Sowing seeds	The seeds are spread over the topsoil. In order to carry out this procedure carefully, you must arm yourself with a paper sheet bent in the middle. Sprinkle seeds on the fold. Then you should distribute small grains over the area of ​​the container filled with earth. If granulated seeds are used for sowing, they can simply be laid out by hand.
Step 6. Moistening after sowing	After that, the soil is slightly irrigated to slightly deepen the seeds. It should be borne in mind that the grains need lighting for germination.
Step 7. Backlight	Next, you need to close the container with a lid or stretch a transparent film over it. The container with seeds is installed in a warmed place under additional lighting. Until the seeds germinate, it is undesirable to air the container. It is important to prevent moisture evaporation.
Step 8. Waiting for seedlings	After a week, the first sprouts of gloxinia will begin to appear. During this week, the soil with seeds must be irrigated with a spray bottle every 3 days.
Step 9. Picking Gloxinia seedlings	After about 30 days, the seedlings will grow so much that they become cramped. At this time, they should be transplanted into a similar container, leaving a much smaller number of seedlings.
Step 10. The picking process	The sprouts are carefully removed from the soil together with a lump of earth using a spoon and transferred to a new container.
Step 11. Watering the dived plants	Then they need to be watered a little, avoiding strong water pressure, for example, when using a spray bottle. After watering, the container with seedlings is covered with a lid. The picking of gloxinia seedlings can be carried out up to 4 times.
Step 12. Transfer to pots	When the leaves of the seedlings reach 2 cm in width, the plants will need to be transferred to separate cups and placed in a sufficiently illuminated place. Shortly before this, the seedlings need to be taught to stay without a greenhouse by opening the lid for a while. Gloxinia is transplanted into flower pots when the plants are already sufficiently prepared for this. The diameter of the pot should be about 12 cm, and the soil will fit the same as the seed was sown in.

Watering rules

Proper care for gloxinia growing at home includes regular watering and fertilization. When plants grow vigorously, the soil needs to be watered quite often to prevent it from drying out. In this case, the formation of excess moisture on the roots should not be allowed to avoid rotting.

Gloxinia care

Important! You can determine the moment when it is necessary to water the plant again by the dried surface layer of the soil.

Water used for irrigation should be filtered in advance. Its temperature should exceed room temperature by about 2 degrees in order to reduce the likelihood of rotting tubers. The latter absorb warm water more easily.

When watering, it is highly discouraged to let water get on the flowers and leaves of the plant. To avoid this, you can pour moisture into the pallet. When the soil has absorbed enough water, the excess should be removed from the pan. During the period of rapid flowering, gloxinia needs more active irrigation.

Pallet irrigation scheme

Top dressing

The fact that gloxinia is properly cared for is indicated by a large number of buds during the flowering period. Their number can reach 20 per bush. Timely fertilization will contribute a lot to this.

During the growing season, it is recommended to feed the plant 3 times a month. For this, fertilizers are purchased for indoor plants. After approximately August 15, gloxinia begin to plunge into a resting stage. At this time, the plant needs fertilizing that contains potassium and phosphorus, but does not include nitrogen. After the completion of the rapid growth, it is not required to fertilize with gloxinia.

Complex flower dressing

Important! It is possible to determine that the plant's need for nutrients is not satisfied by its external state. The growth of gloxinia slows down, the foliage turns pale, the flowers become smaller, the duration of flowering decreases.

But an overdose of fertilizers can be harmful. Therefore, you should carefully consider the recommendations indicated on the packaging of the drug, on the amount and frequency of feeding.

Lighting

The plant needs to provide access to a light source of sufficient intensity. In this case, it is undesirable to get on the leaves and flowers of direct sunlight. This can lead to burns on the sheets and, in the future, to the death of gloxinia. Plants feel best on the windowsills of windows facing west or east. If the plant lives on the windowsill of a south-facing window, then it needs shading. Gloxinia needs a long day of light, at least 12 hours. With a lack of natural light, she needs to provide additional lighting with a phytolamp.

Growing gloxinia

Deviation from at least one of these principles of caring for gloxinia can lead to inhibition of its growth and loss of its attractive appearance. A healthy plant has a small stem and dark green leaves.

Important! The lack of lighting is determined by the pale color of plant parts and their elongation, and the excess is determined by the yellowed leaves curved at the edges and shortened flower stems.

The plant does not tolerate changes in temperature and drafts. There is no need to ventilate it. The air around the gloxinia must be sufficiently humid. To maintain the required humidity, you can place a container of water around. The ingress of moisture on the leaves and flowers must not be allowed, therefore irrigation from a spray bottle is excluded.

Gloxinia does not tolerate drafts and temperature extremes

During the growing season, it is recommended to keep the temperature in the room where the gloxinia is kept at + 18 ° C. Overheating of a plant can be determined by the leaves that have risen, and freezing, on the contrary, by the ones that have fallen. This also indicates insufficient watering. In the resting phase, gloxinia feels good at a temperature of about + 10 ° C.

Several varieties of gloxinia

Important points of care for gloxinia

Summing up, here are the basic rules that must be followed in order to get beautiful gloxinia from seeds at home.

1. Gloxinia prefer spacious windowsills with bright enough light. But direct sunlight should be excluded.
2. Watering the plant is required in a timely manner, avoiding stagnation of moisture at the roots.
3. To maintain the attractive appearance of gloxinia, it is recommended to remove yellow leaves and wilted flowers from it.

   Yellow leaves need to be removed

4. During the period of rapid growth, the plant needs regular feeding, and in the dormant stage it must be stopped. Watering at this time also needs to be suspended.
5. Illiterate care of these plants leads to the occurrence of diseases in them. Bay of roots is dangerous by their decay. Prevention of the appearance of rot of tubers includes processing the soil with the preparation "Fitosporin-M" before planting gloxinia. It can also be added for some time after planting in water for irrigation.

   "Fitosporin-M"

6. The delicate leaves of Gloxinia seedlings can be affected by spider mites. The twisting of leaves and the formation of a web on them signal the appearance of this pest. Then dots appear on the sheets, turning over time into brown spots. It is recommended to use insecticides to kill the tick. To do this, they need to be applied three times, pausing between treatments for four days.

   Spider mite

7. The summer enemy of gloxinia is thrips. These are small insects, from which gray spots appear on the flowers. To get rid of them, you need to cut off the affected flowers and buds, and treat the soil with Aktara. The treatment should be completed by spraying the foliage with insecticides.

   Pests thrips

8. At the end of autumn, the tubers can be removed from the pots, cleaned of soil, folded into hermetically sealed sachets, mixed with peat and peat, taken in equal parts. Store bags with gloxinia tubers at + 15 ° C.

Video - Growing gloxinia from seeds at home

It is generally accepted that gloxinia reproduces only by dividing tubers and leafy cuttings. However, it also grows well from seed. True, you will have to thoroughly dance with the sprouts until they come into full force. But what a magical joy it is to see how a full-fledged adult plant is born practically from dust!

How to grow gloxinia from seeds? Now we will find out everything in detail.

When to plant gloxinia

We need the plant from the seed to have time to ascend and grow to adult size. At the same time, it should bloom, grow a tuber and go into a state of dormancy. Modern gloxinia, as a rule, begin to bloom at the age of 6-7 months from germination. This is with proper care.

Based on this, we calculate the sowing time. Gloxinia goes into hibernation around September-October. Minus flowering time. And minus the development period from seedlings. It turns out that you need to sow no later than mid-February. Earlier is even better, but that's if you can provide good lighting.

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We sow gloxinia

Sowing is the most difficult. Gloxinia seeds are very small. You can't even breathe in their direction, otherwise they will scatter. Therefore, it is recommended not to assemble them yourself, but to purchase ready-made ones. Manufacturers often granulate them and pack them in capsules so as not to lose.

These granules, if sowed incorrectly, are often an insurmountable obstacle to germination. How to sow gloxinia correctly? First you need to prepare the soil and containers.

Tableware. A container with a practically sealed lid works best. It is desirable that it be transparent. Because gloxinia emerges only in the light. In the dark, shoots can not be expected at all.

Glass or polyethylene can be used instead of a lid. Only a snug fit to the sides of the vessel is required.After all, it is necessary to maintain a high level of humidity at all times. And you need to accustom the seedlings to normal air gradually.

Polyethylene can be pressed against the sides of the container with an elastic band or clothespins.

Priming. Buying a ready-made mixture in the store, you save yourself the need to prepare it yourself. But having prepared the soil with your own hands, you will definitely be sure of its quality and composition.

For example, you go to the forest or park. There you find birch and pine. You pick up the earth from under them and carry it home. There you carefully sift it, mix it in equal parts. Then add the same amount of clean sand. That's it, the mixture for gloxinia is ready.

But nobody canceled disinfection. Indeed, in a humid warm environment, putrefactive processes develop very quickly. And they are not at all good for young seedlings. Therefore, it is necessary to place the soil mixture in the freezer twice with intermediate thawing. Then spill with a strong hot solution of potassium permanganate. And after 12 hours, ignite in the oven at a temperature of + 105-110 ° C. This will destroy fungal spores and harmful microorganisms.

Description of the process step by step:

1. Prepared soil is poured onto the bottom of the container, leveled and compacted. Slightly, not to briquette.
2. Spray generously with warm water from a spray bottle. The ground should be moist, but not wet.
3. Seeds are carefully spread over the surface.
4. Close the container tightly with a lid.

That's it, sowing is over. It is very important to water the soil before starting, because then the seeds can fall into the ground. And deepening even by 0.5 cm sharply reduces the chances of emergence.

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We are waiting for sprouts

Now our container with crops needs to be placed in a warm, bright place. The windowsill won't fit, it's too cool there. Alternatively, place the container in a special warm foam or foam pad. Plus add extra lighting. Happy owners of phytolamps, it's easier for you. Fluorescent lights will work, though.

It is very important not to open the container lid until the first shoots appear. High humidity and warmth promote seed germination. But, depending on the expiration date and conditions, this process can last from 2 weeks to 3 months.

High-quality seeds sprout quickly. The bad ones ... don't come up at all. The only clarification: as soon as the first green shoots appear, do not rush to remove the shelter. The plants are still too weak, so let the mini-greenhouse be there for now.

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Gloxinia pick

In general, before planting in a permanent place, gloxinia seedlings should survive at least 4 picks. And with the obligatory pinching of the central stem. This is necessary for the rapid development of additional lateral roots.

At the same time, there is no exact timetable for when to dive gloxinia sprouts. It is necessary to look at the situation and condition of the seedlings. As soon as you notice that they have stopped developing and growing, dive right away. Or another moment: the sprouts began to lack space, they were cramped and dark next to them. This means again the picking procedure.

By the way, the shoots of gloxinia are too small. It is very easy to damage them with your fingers. If you are not a microsurgeon or jeweler, then use an ordinary teaspoon for picking. It is very convenient for her to pick up gloxinia along with a lump of soil.

Seedling care

Gloxinia seedlings do not require special conditions of detention. It is enough to follow three recommendations:

1. Monitor the moisture in the soil and air inside the container. Sprinkle lightly with clean boiled water if necessary. The temperature is slightly above room temperature. You can generally use thawed, just not from the street, but from the freezer. Naturally warmed up.
2. When a second true leaf appears, gradually accustom the seedlings to room temperature and humidity. In other words, start slowly airing the mini-greenhouse and hardening the plant.
3. The degree of illumination is not changed. Maybe they raise the lamps higher so that they heat the seedlings less, but they do not dim the brightness.

If you did everything correctly, then about two months after germination, gloxinia will have 4-5 true leaves. This is the time to make the last dive and plant the plants for permanent residence.

We plant gloxinia correctly

For a young plant, a pot or glass with a volume of no more than 120 ml is enough. The root system is still too weak and small to accommodate a larger volume of soil. And this threatens with souring and the appearance of mold.

In such a cup, gloxinia grows well, develops and blooms. Now it can and even needs to be fertilized.

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We feed the plants

You should not use organics to fertilize gloxinia until a full-fledged tuber has developed. It is better to use a complex mineral fertilizer, reducing the dosage by three times. A full dose can simply burn a weak root system.

For the same reason, do not mix different feedings yourself. It is very easy to overdo it. And with burnt roots, no plant can exist.

Seed Gloxinia Care

The result of your many days of work depends on competent care. Some sources recommend not letting seed gloxinia bloom in the first year. This supposedly weakens the plant. But if you take good care of it, fertilize it correctly and water it on time, then what kind of weakening are we talking about?

And if you leave the flower to the mercy of fate, then it will bend even without flowering. It is very important to see flowers in general in the year of sowing. Otherwise, the plant will not complete its growing cycle. Normally, gloxinia is going to rest in the fall. The foliage gradually begins to wither, and then the entire above-ground part dies off altogether.

If the plant feels vigorous, but is not going to bloom, then it will not go to rest either. In this case, you will have to take good care of gloxinia throughout the winter so that it enters its normal vegetative cycle.

Usually such "losses" bloom very early in the second year of life, and by autumn they calmly return to their usual course. Be sure to give them extra light on short winter days and fertilize them like in summer. Otherwise, gloxinia will get lost in the seasons and may die. Then all your labors will be in vain.

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How to store gloxinia in winter

If the plant has successfully grown a tuber, then it is advisable not to leave it to winter in the soil for the first year. You need to take it out of the pot, rinse it thoroughly and dry it. Then you need to put the "teenager" in a tight bag with wet peat or sawdust. Openings for ventilation and condensate evaporation are required.

Next, the bag is placed in a dark, cool place. About once a month, you will need to inspect the contents in order to detect the appearance of rot or mold in time. But, it is quite possible that your gloxinia will avoid such a fate.

Gently push the soil away from the plant stem. Is a well-developed tuber missing from your sight? Then we leave the gloxinia to winter right in the pot. We are again waiting for the complete withering away of the aboveground green mass. Cover the top with a dense bag with several holes. And we put it in the dark and cool.

If the place is too dry, then occasionally moisten the soil. But don't fill it in!

Both options are well tolerated by young gloxinia. Under normal storage conditions, this year's fresh sprouts should appear as early as February. From that moment, the pots are brought out into the light. And they look after them like full-grown adult flowers.

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Useful Tips

1. If, when airing the mini-greenhouse, the shoots of gloxinia begin to wither, then give up this venture for a while. It is possible that the plant is still too weak. Let them grow up a little more.
2. Do not use peat tablets for sowing gloxinia. The seedling root system is too tiny to overpower the entire volume of peat. And the whole thing can safely turn sour.Then you will not help a young seedling in any way.
3. Some sources recommend sowing gloxinia into a hydrogel. We do not recommend doing this. Because you cannot control the moisture level of the substrate. It is best to add hydrogel cubes to the soil when planting the sprout in a permanent location. This will help maintain the optimum moisture level in the pot or cup.
4. Be sure to use drainage for the grown flower pot. Gloxinia loves to drink, but does not want to swim in the water at all. But for seedlings, drainage is optional. You are already watching them too closely to pour.
5. The soil for planting for permanent residence is practically no different from the land for sowing. The only difference: a little more peat is added to the pot. It helps young roots breathe freely. In addition, it slightly loosens the substrate. This is also a plus.

How to grow gloxinia from seeds? As you can see, this is a rather troublesome business, but very exciting. Some home-grown Michurins even manage to cross gloxinia on the windowsill and produce plants of unique shapes and colors. Try this experiment too. What if it works out?

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Video: growing gloxinia from seeds

Other decorative flowering

29.12.2017

5 minutes.

Growing gloxinia from seeds is rarely used by growers and requires more effort than vegetative propagation. The seed method has some advantages: it allows you to create hybrids with your own hands and grow rare plant varieties. If you choose high-quality seed material and correctly sow and care for the seedlings, you can achieve flowering of new gloxinia in six months.

1 How to get Gloxinia Seeds?

Seed material can be purchased at a flower shop, or you can collect it yourself. In this case, you must first pollinate with a piece of cotton wool. They are touched alternately to the pistils of all gloxinia flowers that are in the house. Soon after the petals fall, a seed capsule forms in the central part of the flower.

When signs of ripening and opening appear, the pods are cut and placed in a separate container. This will make it easier to harvest the small, brown gloxinia seeds. Before sowing, such material does not need additional processing. Store-bought seed is often coated with a special nutrient. This makes the seeds a little larger and makes the sowing process easier.

The best time to plant gloxinia seeds is at the end of winter. You can do this in the fall, but then you will need to artificially illuminate the seedlings.

Gloxinia breeding methods at home

2 Sowing seedlings

Before sowing seeds, you need to prepare everything you need. The easiest way is to grow seedlings in peat tablets. This eliminates the need to prepare the ground. In addition to peat tablets, you will need a plastic container with which you can create the microclimate necessary for successful germination. For this purpose, you can use food containers for cakes, in the lid of which several holes are made for ventilation.

The step-by-step cultivation of gloxinia from seeds looks like this:

1. 1. Place the peat tablets into the container with the opening side up and carefully pour over warm water. After a quarter of an hour, the tablets will absorb water and grow in height. Excess moisture, if left, is drained.
2. 2. Place 2-3 seeds in the center of each peat column using a toothpick.
3. 3. After sowing, the lid of the container is closed and placed in a warm, well-lit place. If the container is without a lid, then it is covered with foil or glass.
4. 4. Periodically, the cover is removed and the seedlings are carefully watered with a spray bottle. Seedlings should appear in 2 weeks.

If it is not possible to purchase peat tablets, then you can sow seeds directly into the ground. To do this, a drainage layer of expanded clay is placed on the bottom of the plastic container and filled with a soil mixture containing peat. The soil is poured in a layer 3 cm thick and lightly tamped. After moistening the earth from a spray bottle, seeds are spread on its surface over the entire area of ​​the container. Then the crops are again sprayed with water and the container is covered with foil.

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2.1 Features of a pick

A month after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings of gloxinia will grow up enough to dive. Before this procedure, it needs to be hardened a little. To do this, on cloudy days, remove the film from the container for a while or lift the lid. At first, it is enough to do this for one hour. Then the time is gradually increased. If, after hardening, the plant feels normal and its leaves do not droop, then a pick can be made.

As the seedlings grow, it will take up to four picks.

As long as the seedlings are small, they do not require spacious containers. Yogurt cups are quite suitable for this purpose. Each glass is filled with universal soil and poured over with warm water. Then, using a fork, pry each seedling and plant it in a separate container. If necessary, add soil, then carefully water the plant and place the container in a lighted place.

Since gloxinia has a tuber, it rarely gets sick after transplanting. In the future, the seedlings provide favorable conditions, maintaining the temperature, soil and air humidity at the usual level. Gloxinia should be planted in separate flower pots only after the seedlings are strong enough for this. To do this, take small pots with a diameter of 12 cm and the soil that was used to sow the seeds.

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3 Care rules

Gloxinia growing at home must be properly cared for. First of all, it is necessary to organize the correct watering of the plants and their regular feeding. During the period of rapid growth, plants are irrigated often enough to prevent the soil from drying out. At the same time, moisture stagnation at the roots should not be allowed so that they do not start to rot. The water used for irrigation must be filtered and have a temperature higher than room temperature by 2 degrees. Gloxinia tubers absorb warm water more easily.

When watering, it is important to prevent moisture from getting on the flowers and leaves, so you can do this through the pallet. After irrigation of the soil, the remaining moisture in the sump must be drained in order to prevent stagnation of water and rotting of the root system. During the flowering period, irrigation is made more intense.

With active flowering, the number of buds on one gloxinia bush reaches 20 pieces. To achieve this, it is imperative to feed the flower with fertilizers. To do this, during the growing season, feeding is done every 10 days, using compositions for indoor plants. From mid-August, gloxinia will gradually begin to move into a dormant stage. During this period, they need fertilizing with potassium and phosphorus content. But nitrogen fertilizers must be excluded. From the moment of completion of active growth, fertilization of gloxinia is stopped.

Adequate lighting is required for the good development of gloxinia. At the same time, it should be such that direct sunlight does not fall on the flowers and leaves, which can cause burns and even death of plants. Therefore, it is best to put gloxinia pots on the western or eastern windowsills in the apartment. If the windows face south, then on such a windowsill the plant must be shaded. Daylight hours for the normal development of the flower should last at least 12 hours.Therefore, if necessary, the plant must be supplemented with special phytolamps.

If at least one of the conditions of detention is not observed, gloxinia begins to grow more slowly and loses its attractiveness. A normally developing plant has dark green leaves and a small stem. Lack of lighting causes excessive stretching of the stems and loss of color intensity of the foliage. If the light is too bright, the leaves begin to turn yellow and the stem becomes short. To maintain an optimal level of air humidity, it is necessary to place bowls of water next to the gloxinia. Moisture should not get on the leaves or flowers, so spraying with water is excluded.

During the growing season, it is necessary to keep gloxinia at a temperature of +18 degrees, preventing it from overheating. And in the resting phase, the plant will feel good at a temperature of +10 degrees.

Have you decided to update your floral collection and have chosen Gloxinia? You don't have to buy an adult plant from the store to do this. Gloxinia is very easy to grow from seed at home. To do this, it is enough to choose the right gloxinia seeds, sow them, followed by picking the seedlings. After 6 months, gloxinia from seeds at home will reward its owner with abundant flowering.

Professional cultivation of gloxinia from seeds at home. Photo instruction

How is gloxinia obtained from seeds? How is a flower grown from seeds at home? How is the planting carried out, the choice of the soil mixture, the subsequent care of the crops? Professionals share their experience with photography.

In addition, experts recommend propagating gloxinia with a leaf, if you have never had to work with seeds.

How to choose gloxinia seeds? Photos of popular brands... The best varieties are imported from Germany, Holland and Great Britain. A domestic manufacturer has a good seed.

Beautiful and healthy seedlings are produced by a hybrid seed of the first (F1) and second (F2) reproduction. If flowers are pollinated from these seeds, then the next generation may not have the quality characteristics of the parents. Gloxinia seeds in the photo are very small, dusty.

To improve germination and convenience during sowing, they are treated with special nutrients (pelleted). As a result, the seed is covered with a film.

The germination capacity of gloxinia seeds, if stored correctly, do not change for 5 years. However, experts recommend planting in the first year after harvesting or packaging grain.

When to sow gloxinia from seeds? Planting time is not critical. Sowing gloxinia seeds for seedlings can be carried out both in autumn and in winter. However, in this case, the plants are provided with the required temperature regime and the length of daylight hours. Seedlings are highlighted. Otherwise, it stretches and falls.

Grow pots... Sowing gloxinia with seeds is carried out in shallow and wide containers, which must be equipped with drainage holes. The containers should be convenient for organizing a greenhouse. You can use food grade, plastic containers with a lid.

Soil selection. Planting gloxinia seeds is carried out in the following soil mixture: take one part of coniferous soil and deciduous soil. There should be no humus in the mixture.

Planting directly... How to plant gloxinia seeds? Small expanded clay is poured onto the bottom of a pre-prepared container with drainage holes. Then a soil mixture is laid on top of the expanded clay. It is preliminarily placed in the microwave for 2 minutes. The soil should be moist, but there should not be an excess of moisture in it. For this, the earth is sprayed from a spray bottle. If properly prepared soil is squeezed in your hand, it forms a lump, which disintegrates when lightly pressed.

The soil should not reach the edges of the container by 4-5 cm, if the container will simply be covered with film. The earth also does not need to be compacted. Gloxinia soil should be light, nutritious and loose. It is advisable to sprinkle sifted peat on top of the soil.

How to sow gloxinia with seeds? You do not need to make grooves for this. Gloxinia seeds germinate in the light, and therefore they are not sprinkled with soil. They are simply laid on top of the ground and lightly sprayed with warm, settled water. If the seed was yeast, the nutrient film must not be allowed to dry out.

How is it convenient to do everything? To do this, the grains are laid out on an A4 sheet folded in half, and then gently moved to the ground with a needle. It is necessary to spray the seeds from the spray gun at a distance of 40 cm. Otherwise, the seed will go deep into the soil and its germination will deteriorate.

After the seeds have been evenly distributed over the soil, the container is covered with a film with small ventilation holes.

How to grow gloxinia from seeds? Basic rules for caring for crops:

1. Lighting... The container should be placed in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. It should be diffused light. If the reproduction of gloxinia by seeds is carried out in the autumn-winter period, then the container is placed under a fluorescent lamp at a distance of up to 40 cm.The distance will depend on the power of the lamp. The more powerful it is, the further the container is placed. Seedlings need to be illuminated for 12-14 hours. Otherwise, the seeds will not germinate.
2. Temperature... The container must be kept at a temperature of + 22 ... + 26 degrees. This has a positive effect on the germination rate of the seed. As soon as the first shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to + 18 ... + 20 degrees.
3. Watering... Do not allow the soil to dry out. Watering is carried out as needed from a spray bottle or through a pallet. Although watering is often not needed. After all, the container with the seeds is covered with foil. It prevents excessive evaporation of moisture.
4. Airing... You need to air the container with seeds 2 times a day for 10-15 minutes. This will prevent condensation from forming on the film.

The timing of germination of gloxinia from seeds... If the correct conditions for growing gloxinia from seeds were observed, the first shoots of ordinary, non-hybrid plant varieties appear on days 10-14. At low temperatures and insufficient lighting, germination takes up to 1 month. Germination of seeds of calico, tiger, double varieties occurs 14-20 days after sowing.

Seedling care... On the 2-3 day after the emergence of shoots, the film is gradually removed from the container. At the same time, the temperature in the room where the sprouts of gloxinia are located is lowered to + 18 ... + 20 degrees. Otherwise, the seedlings are pulled out.

The 1st pick is carried out 1 month after the emergence of shoots. At this time, one rosette of full-fledged leaves should appear on the plants. The first pick is carried out if the gloxinia seedlings are thickened. If the seeds were planted at a sufficient distance from each other, the first pick is skipped. Gloxinia dive into the soil of the same composition as the soil for sowing seeds. The distance between the seedlings is 2 cm.

2nd pick. It is carried out 2 months after germination. By that time, young gloxinia should have two pairs of leaves. The pick is carried out into the soil of the same composition as before at a distance of 4-5 cm. This stimulates the growth of seedlings.

3rd pick. It is performed when the plant has three pairs of leaves. The pick is carried out at a distance of 10 cm or in separate containers for each gloxinia.

For the successful cultivation of young gloxinia, the correct conditions must be observed:

• temperature + 20 degrees;
• a large amount of diffused, sunlight;
• in the hot season, spraying at night;
• watering as the top layer of the soil dries up.

If young gloxinia has received the right home care, it will bloom 5-6 months after germination. Young gloxinia in winter at home does not need rest, and therefore it continues to grow throughout the winter.