Pentas (29 photos): description and cultivation of an indoor flower, plant species "Starla White" and "Starla mix", "Starla deep rose" and "Starla Lavender Shades", "Graffiti" and lanceolate pentas

Content

The genus Isolepis is a member of the Cyperaceae family. Consists of 77 species.

It was identified as an independent botanical genus by the Scottish explorer Robert Brown in 1810. Then, since the publication of the description by J.O. Böckeler in 1870, the Isolepis were attributed to the genus Scirpus. Only at the end of the twentieth century. classifications appeared that once again distinguish the genus Isolepis separately.

The natural habitat is the cool tropics of Africa and Australia. Some species are listed in the Red Book of South Africa. Gradually, Isolepis spread in the temperate climate of all continents.

Care

At the stage of caring for seedlings, it is important to take into account not only the temperature regime, but also the amount of light and moisture. Pentas grows well and blooms profusely in the sun

Seedlings should receive 6 or more light hours per day, not necessarily sequentially. In hot climates, bright sun with a little afternoon shade is ideal.

This flower is very sensitive to frost, so you should not put the seedlings on the window so that their leaves are in contact with cold glass. If seed germination takes place in winter, artificial light bulbs can be used. It perfectly helps to replace the natural one, which is sorely lacking during this period.

Every florist knows that young plants are more likely than adults to be attacked by harmful insects. This list includes aphids, bugs and ticks. The best way to deal with the problem is to maintain the required level of humidity, treat the flower with an insecticidal soap solution or neem oil.

You can also fight the scabbard and spider mite with specialized means, for example, use Actellik. An infusion of garlic, which repels insects with its smell, helps a lot. The most common fungal problem in pentas is chlorosis.

In this case, it is very important to monitor the iron content in the soil and, if necessary, immediately replenish the deficiency of the element.

You need to feed the plant only when flowers appear on it. In winter, fertilizers are not applied, and during the flowering period they are added in small quantities every 2 weeks. It is not difficult to care for pentas seedlings, however, like germinating plant seeds, you just need to follow the recommendations of specialists.

It is especially important to observe the temperature regime and monitor the soil moisture. If it gets too dry, the sprouts can wither away.

See below for how to grow pentas from seeds.

Photo of pentas

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Growing a pentas flower from seed

My first acquaintance with the pentas plant happened several years ago. Received the seeds in the mail in the month of February. He did not hesitate and immediately sowed seeds in purchased universal soil. Before sowing, the soil was moistened with a spray bottle and spread over the seeds.

He did not sprinkle anything, but covered it with a bag and put it on the south-facing windowsill, where the temperature was kept about twenty degrees.Seed shoots were not friendly, only a couple of five seeds emerged. They grew slowly. After the first real leaf appeared, I cut the seedlings into 100-gram plastic cups.

In April, the pentases became more cheerful, after which they actively started to grow. I pinched young plants a couple of times for greater bushiness. It should be noted that the pentas flower is very photophilous and in indoor conditions suffers greatly from a lack of sunlight, therefore, at the first opportunity, he took the plants to a warm and sheltered place from the winds.

In the month of June, they delighted me with their first buds. The flowers of the pentas are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences and are of various colors: pink, red, purple, and also white. I had - with red flowers. The pentases bloomed well until the end of the summer period, but they did not survive the winter period - they flooded.

Description of perennial culture

It is known from the description of the pentas that this is a perennial culture. In the wild in Madagascar and in some parts of Africa, there are varieties of very large sizes - up to 150 cm in height. At home, the potted bouquet reaches 50 cm. The plant has long, straight stems, weak branching. On them are oval wide leaf plates of dark green color. The leaves are arranged oppositely, forming a beautiful backdrop for large inflorescences. The length of the plate is on average 5-9 cm. The surface of the leaf is wavy with a distinct vein in the center.

The flowering period in the wild is October-February. At home, it all depends on the conditions of detention. Pentas is one of the plants in which the flowering time can be adjusted. In some flower growers, the perennial blooms in winter, in others in spring. All this time, the flower pleases its owner with luxurious domed inflorescences. They consist of small buds with 5 petals. The corolla is formed into a 5-pointed star. There are a wide variety of varieties. They can have white, pink, red, beige or purple flowers. Even at home, the inflorescences are large, reaching 10 cm in diameter. Some growers, in order to create a beautiful composition in one pot, plant several plants in the neighborhood with different colors of inflorescences.

Care

Taking care of the pentas flower will not be difficult. But you will have to adhere to certain growing rules, and then the plant will thank you with bright and lush inflorescences, pleasing to the eye in winter.

Watering

Pentas requires regular and abundant watering, but you cannot overdo it, otherwise the root system of the plant will suffer. Water the flower with soft, settled, slightly warm water. The same water is also used for spraying during a hot period in the morning and evening hours. When the plant enters a dormant state, watering should be significantly reduced.

Top dressing

Top dressing is carried out during the flowering period once every two weeks. For this, special mineral complexes for flower plants are used in the form of solutions, which are introduced during watering. During the rest period, feeding is stopped.

Pruning

The pentas flower has the ability to grow very quickly. Therefore, it is required to constantly monitor its crown, and in winter, cut off the elongated shoots almost to the root, and also pinch the tops of the shoots to give the bush a beautiful shape.

Reproduction of pentas by seeds

You can sow pentas seeds at any time of the year:

A 3 cm thick drainage layer is placed in the container, and the soil mixture is poured.
Well moisten the soil layer with warm, settled water.
They dig grooves with a depth of 5 mm in the soil, and lay out the seeds in them, but do not bury them in the ground.
Leave containers with crops in a room with a temperature of at least +22 degrees and with a humidity of about 60%.
If necessary, moisten crops from a spray bottle with lukewarm, settled water.
The first shoots should appear in 2-3 weeks.
When the first three leaves germinate on seedlings, it should be dived into separate small containers.

Reproduction of pentas by cuttings

This method is simpler and is more often used by flower growers, you can use the material obtained after pruning the shoots:

Cuttings about 8 cm in size are kept in a solution of a root stimulant for 45 minutes.
A layer of drainage material 3 cm thick is poured into the container, the soil mixture is spread on top, watered with warm, settled water.
The cuttings are buried in the soil mixture, and the containers are removed in a cool and bright room for 10 days. During this time, the rooting of the cuttings takes place.
After a month, the cuttings are transplanted to a permanent place. They try to keep the temperature at least 17 degrees, and the humidity at least 65%. Water regularly but in moderation.

Transfer

Until the plant is 3 years old, it should be replanted annually. An older plant is transplanted once every 2 years. The procedure is carried out in early spring. Each time, choose a pots 5-7 cm in diameter larger than the previous one. A layer of drainage material is necessarily laid out on the bottom, then new soil is poured. When the size of the pot reaches 20 cm in diameter, then instead of replanting, the top layer of the soil mixture is replaced.

Diseases and pests

Diseases of the pentas appear with improper care of it:

Leaves turn yellow and dry - this is a sign of a lack of nitrogen and iron. We'll have to feed the flower with a mineral complex with the presence of missing elements.
The flower does not grow and does not form inflorescences - excess salts in the soil. Such soil must be replaced immediately.
Shoots stretch out and become thin, and flowering becomes scarce - lack of light. Move the plant to a lighter area.

Of the harmful insects, pentas can attack aphids and spider mites. To combat them, the following measures are taken:

All aerial parts of the plant are carefully wiped with a soft cloth dipped in a 1% solution of laundry soap or in a decoction of onion peel.
There are special mineral complexes with a smell that repels harmful insects.
If the above methods do not work, then resort to the use of appropriate insecticides.

Types of mukdeniya

Ross - named after the Scots Presbyterian missionary John Ross, who lived in Manchuria from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Plants 25-40 cm high, forming dense tussocks from dense basal rosettes. The leaves are rounded, with 5-9 finger-dissected lobes, elongated-rhomboid, pointed, light green in color with a bronze tint. Paniculate brushes of small cream-colored bell-shaped flowers appear on leafless peduncles in spring. Withstands winter cold.

A popular variety is Crimson Fans, another name for Karatsuba with a bright palette of foliage - rich green in the middle, then a bronze stripe, and along the very edge of the leaf plate - with a raspberry-scarlet edging. By autumn, its leaves are blazing crimson against the background of the golden dress of the garden.

An interesting hybrid of mukdeniya and badan - Nova Flame with shiny leathery leaves, along the edges with a pink tint. By the fall, its foliage becomes burgundy red. It blooms in spring with light crimson flowers in a thin racemose inflorescence.

Acantholis - a plant native to Korea, differs little in appearance from the previous species. The fleshy leaves look a bit like a small incense. A very rare specimen in the collections of Russian florists. Some experts question the independence of the species, arguing that it is only one of the forms of M. Ross. The leaves are bright green, turning purple-crimson in the fall. Brushes of miniature flowers are decorative only due to their large number in the inflorescence, whitish-cream and curly.

Pentas care

Lighting. Pentas well tolerate direct sunlight, grow successfully on southern windows.However, it must be remembered that with prolonged cloudy weather in the autumn-winter period, or after acquiring a plant to direct sunlight, it should be taught gradually. In summer, in hot midday hours, in room conditions, the pentas should be shaded from direct sunlight.

In the summer, it is advisable to take the pentas out into the open air (balcony, garden), in a sunny place (they also gradually get used to the new level of illumination). The plant is not afraid of drafts in the summer. If you do not have the opportunity to keep the pentasa outdoors in the summer, you should regularly ventilate the room where the plant is kept. In the autumn-winter period, the plant is also kept in good lighting.

Temperature. Pentas prefer moderate air temperatures (20-25 ° С) in the spring-summer period. In the autumn-winter period, it is desirable to provide the plant with a cool (about 16 ° C, not lower than 10 ° C) wintering. At a warmer temperature in winter, the leaves of the pentas can dry, and the shoots can become bare and stretch out.

Watering. In the spring-summer period, it is necessary to water the pentas abundantly, after the top layer of the substrate has dried. In the autumn-winter period, watering is moderate, a day or two after the top layer of the substrate has dried. Watered with well-settled water, room temperature. It is impossible to overmoisten the substrate, as this can lead to decay and disease of the plant, especially in winter (especially at low temperatures and insufficient lighting).

Air humidity. The plant in indoor conditions is sensitive to air humidity. During all periods, it is desirable to maintain air humidity at least 60%. It is good to be careful (so that the water does not get on the flowers) regular spraying with soft, settled water, you can put a pot of pentas on a tray with wet pebbles, peat or expanded clay. In this case, the bottom of the pot should not touch the water.

Fertilizer. In the spring-summer period, fertilizing is carried out once every 2 weeks with a complex fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen.

Features of cultivation. The plant is prone to stretching and exposure. Therefore, the ends of the stems should be pinched regularly. The tip of the shoots in young plants is pinched two or three times to stimulate branching. It is better not to let the pentas grow above 45cm. The cuttings obtained by pinching can be used for rooting. After two to three years, it is advisable to update the pentas with cuttings. If you want the plant to bloom in August-September, remove any premature flower buds.

Transfer. Young plants are transplanted annually, adult plants - once every 2 years. Pentas prefers well-permeable humus-rich soils, pH 5.5-6.5. You can use the following mixture: turf, leafy earth, sand (2: 2: 1). Ready mix is suitable for ornamental flowering plants. Since the plant is very difficult to tolerate soil acidification, it is necessary to provide good drainage in the pot.

Reproduction. Propagated by seeds and cuttings.

Seeds. Propagated by seeds throughout the year. Seeds are spread over the surface of a wet substrate, do not go deep, germinate in the light. Germinate in 2-3 weeks at a temperature of 23-26 ° C. The pick is carried out 4-6 weeks after the emergence of seedlings in pots with a diameter of 9-11 cm. The temperature must be maintained at 18-20 ° C. 3-4 weeks after picking, the plants are transplanted into pots with a diameter of 9-11 cm.

Growing pentas in an annual culture is acceptable. In order to obtain flowering specimens in May, seeds are sown in January. It is best to transplant seedlings into containers. They develop well in open ground flower beds only in very warm summers, when the night temperature exceeds + 7 ° C. If the weather is cool and humid, the pentas suffers greatly and does not provide the desired decorative effect.Under favorable conditions, it blooms remarkably, forming unusually beautiful spherical inflorescences, consisting of small star-shaped flowers of red, white, pink or purple color.

Cuttings. Plants are propagated by herbaceous cuttings in a mini-greenhouse at a temperature of 16-18 ° C. Rooted cuttings (about 8-10 days) are planted in 7cm pots. The composition of the earthen mixture: turf - 1 part, leaf - 1 part, sand - 1 part. Water abundantly. After braiding a lump of earth with roots, it is transshipped into 9-centimeter pots. In the year of planting, another transfer is made in 12-cm pots.

Types of Mukdenia: Acantolis and Rossa

In total, there are two varieties of Mukdenia in the genus - Rossa and Acantolistnaya. Both species are shade-tolerant and can grow favorably even in the most shady areas of the garden. True, the only negative for a Russian grower is low resistance to cold weather. The first popular species that is famous for its beautiful varieties is Mukdeniya Rossa, a perennial plant, the birthplace of which botanists recognized China. But in East Asia, this plant has not spread much. In Russia, it is grown as an ornamental deciduous shrub for the garden.

The height of Mukdeniya Rossa reaches 25-40 cm. Peduncles have small flowers on their tops, collected in medium-sized paniculate inflorescences. The flower-bearing stalk reaches a height of 50-60 cm, so the plant seems taller during the flowering period. It appears in the spring along with lush foliage. In some regions, the plant is grown as a perennial, since it has medium frost resistance. Dense foliage, collected in the root zone. Leaves are rounded with bronze shades. The buds are like little bells. The most popular varieties are varieties:

Mukdeniya Karasuba or also known as Crimson Fans. It is a beautiful perennial plant with fleshy foliage colored in a variety of juicy hues. Initially, when leaf plates appear, they are painted in burgundy colors or have a rich crimson edging. Another feature of the variety is that the rhizome of the plant does not go deep into the ground, most of it is located at the surface of the earth.

Hybrid Nova Flame - interesting in that its leaves are very shiny and shimmer beautifully in bright light. A thick, uneven edging of a blood-red or dark crimson hue runs along the outline of the leaf.

The second type of Mukdeniya Acantolis is beautiful in that its leaves change color during the season. As soon as they appear, the plate is colored in a deep green tone. Closer to autumn, it turns purple. The leaves are fleshy and similar to Badan foliage. Some botanists and even experienced florists are inclined to assume that Acantolistnaya and Mucdenia Rossa are one and the same species due to the external similarity of perennials. This variety has less frost resistance and is grown in Russian gardens exclusively as an annual. Korea is considered to be the homeland of the Acantholus species.

Planting and reproduction of Mukdeniya by seeds and division

Two methods are suitable for reproduction of mucdenia: seed and division of the rhizome. The second option is necessary for overgrown perennials that may lose their decorative effect. The division of the rhizome is carried out in the spring during transplantation. The plant is dug up, the earthen lump is cleaned off and the root is divided into several parts. We will examine the delenki so that they do not have severe damage and at least one dormant bud of growth restoration (you need to plant them up, otherwise the plant will not germinate).

If you have purchased several seedlings on the market for planting mucdenia, then in no case do not allow the perennial to bloom before it is planted in open ground. Cut off the peduncle if it appears. The same must be observed for those mother plants that will be subjected to rhizome division. Always try to sprinkle the cut points with crushed charcoal.If it is not there, then you can use the activated one.

Seeds multiply mucdenia simply and without wasting time and effort. Use only fresh planting material for this. In spring, seeds are sown for seedlings in March or April, so that before planting in open ground, the plant has time to get stronger and gain strength. Let's prepare a substrate for mucdenia seedlings: take part of the leafy land, add peat, humus and sand to it. After sowing seeds on the surface of the ground, you need to put boxes with seedlings in a cool place for a while. Moisten the soil constantly and do not let it dry out. The first shoots will appear in about 3-4 weeks, after another couple of weeks you can dive young plants, and in mid-May, transplant them to a permanent place.