In this article, I would like to tell you and show what a long-term eustoma is - planting and care, photos of buds and inflorescences that simply amaze with their different shades. This delicate, and at the same time luxurious flower has many names. Where does eustoma grow? The plant belongs to the gentian family, its homeland is Central America, but it is also very widespread in South America, Mexico - wherever it is quite humid and warm at the same time. She does not like drafts and sudden temperature changes (and what flowers do they like, if you think so?).
Eustoma, photo:
As for the names, they are no less attractive than the flower itself - “Irish rose”, “Texas bell”, “gentian tulip-like”, “prairie flower”. And yet, despite the fact that this botanical name of this genus is considered quite outdated, eustoma is also called lisianthus, which means “bitter flower” in Latin. Since this representative belongs to the gentian family, it is not difficult to draw parallels. Moreover, the plant itself contains many bitterness, such as gentianin, gentzeopikrin, gentziamarin and other similar derivatives.
On the Internet, in the corresponding flower forums and in groups, one often encounters the following question: eustoma and lisianthus - what is the difference? The answer is predictable - there is no difference, this is the name of the same plant.
Eustoma what kind of flower? If we briefly go into the details and the origin of the names, then Eustoma - from the Greek "Eu" means: "beautiful", "beautiful", and the Greek word "Stoma" - means "mouth". As a result, we get a “beautiful mouth” or “pretty mouth” - who like it more.
It is interesting that in each country this flower is called in its own way: in Ireland - the Irish rose, in Japan - the Japanese, in Mexico - generally called the Texas bell, in France - the French rose of love. Anyway - these poetic names correspond to reality and once again demonstrate the sympathy of many nationalities for this amazing flower.
Features of the eustoma flower
Not only does it vary by name, but also by the color of the buds, the shape of the flowers themselves. Representatives of a particular variety significantly resemble a rose. A person far from the world of floristry can even confuse them. Individual varieties with their size and shape resemble poppies, terry mallow, some representatives of the lily family. The stems of lisianthus are most often massive (as, for example, in cloves), it is noteworthy that 20 or even 30 flowers can be placed on one shoot (and sometimes even more!).
Eustoma - photo of flowers:
The leaves of the plant are not particularly distinguished by anything, they have medium sizes, a slightly elongated shape with a sharp tip. But the color gamut of colors, as mentioned above, is simply striking in its multicolor. Red, blue, cream, snow-white, lilac, two-tone - with the transition of one shade to another, pink, lilac, yellow - any shades can be eustoma-lisianthus! With its exquisite beauty, this flower can compete with the bride’s bouquet — and not in vain! In addition to the visual appeal, these flowers are very durable in cut form. Her bouquets very often decorate various celebrations, banquets, and decorative arches are decorated. And all because they can not lose their freshness and beauty for 15 or 20 days (of course, being in water or in a special moist floral sponge).
The Irish rose is distinguished by the size and height of the stems.For example, depending on the variety, it can grow in open ground, in a greenhouse, in a pot at home on the windowsill (the so-called dwarf varieties). In its natural growing environment, this plant is a biennial, however, if you want to grow it in your summer cottage, expect that you will have it for a year. But the potted variants of lisianthus are perennials.
Thus, perennial eustoma can exist exclusively in the home (apartment) version. The same factor applies to the length of the stems - tall representatives go to decorate bouquets and all kinds of decorations, and undersized lisianthus delight your look at home, on window sills and flower shelves.
Lisianthus, by the way, is not quite capricious in growing and caring. He will not require any special “dances with tambourines” even from a beginner-florist, both in his summer cottage and at home. Naturally, if you will be interested and concerned in this matter, do not forget about watering, adhere to the simple rules and recommendations of experienced florists or neighbors in the country, in whom it successfully grows and blooms.
Some popular varieties and types of eustoma
The main differences between these colors, of course, are the external differences of each variety, in colors and shades, and the variety of shapes. On flower forums, you can often find mentions of the varieties listed below. I would also like to show them here.
Large-flowered eustoma Russell (Eustoma russellianum). It has a straight stem, the bud itself is somewhat similar to a poppy (in shape), the petals can be with or without fringe. It can have completely different shades of buds.
Eustoma Russell, photo:
Lisianthus Echo is probably the most common varietal for flower arranging. It can reach a height of 60 cm, and the color scheme of buds has about 11 shades, both monophonic and with a gradient (one shade that smoothly blends into another).
Grade Echo, photo:
Lisianthus Aurora (Aurora) - an early varietal species, reaching 1.5 m in height, double flowers, saturated pink, snow-white, blue shades.
Eustoma Aurora, photo:
Variety Flamenco (Flamenco) is a highly decorative species of lisianthus, also reaching a decent height (about 1.3 meters). Very unpretentious in the care and also boasts a multicolored buds.
Variety Flamenco, photo:
Grade Pink Florida (Florida Pink) has pink flowers! At least here it is not difficult to get confused in a bright variety. This is a perennial whose shoots are abundantly covered with flowers.
Lisianthus Florida Pink, photo:
Variety "Mermaid" (Mermeid) is a potted species with stems up to 15 cm tall. Presented in a predominantly blue-violet range (mermaid-sea associations), but pink and white representatives are also sometimes found.
Grade Mermeid, photo:
The variety “Little Bell” (Little Bell) may seem quite simple in appearance, especially against the background of some lush tribesmen, but this is precisely its charm and touching. It is also suitable for potted breeding.
Lisianthus Little Bell, photo:
Variety White Large-flowered (Lisianthus grandiflorum) is probably one of the most impressive species. This is exactly the eustoma from which wedding bouquets are made and with the help of which they decorate the interiors of banquet rooms. Very impressive and luxurious variety.
Grade Lisianthus grandiflorum, photo:
In fact, in nature there are about 60 varieties of this flower, all of them at the same time are somewhat similar, but, at the same time, are completely different in appearance.
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Features of growing eustoma in the garden, collecting seeds
In order for this beauty on your site to feel comfortable and bloom in a riotous color, you must first determine the landing site. It should be sunny, and the soil on it should be fertile. Lysianthus should be watered as the upper soil layer dries.
Fertilizing and fertilizing is a matter of course, as is the case with any flowering garden resident. This flower should be fertilized when it is already firmly rooted in a new place, this happens about a month after the seedlings are transferred to a flower bed (in open ground).According to experienced gardeners, lisianthus prefers special complex preparations similar to those recommended for the vast majority of their flowering counterparts.
How to grow eustoma? Plantafol Rost or simply Plantafol top dressing is applied at the very beginning, when the flowers require fertilizers with a high nitrogen concentration. When they begin to form buds (approximately mid-summer / August), you can start pouring plantafol budization under the root - it contains much more phosphorus than nitrogen. Preparations "Kemira" or "Kemira Lux" will contribute to a longer and lush flowering. The main thing - do not forget that all such additives should be diluted with water. And, one more important nuance that is not indicated on the package with fertilizers, but is highly recommended by experienced flower growers - dilute a slightly lower concentration of fertilizer in water than is written in the instructions for use!
The Irish rose begins to bloom in mid-summer (in July) and continues to delight the eyes with lush buds until mid-autumn (approximately until October). As mentioned above, this flower is quite "tenacious", both in cut and in natural form - the lisianthus inflorescences on one shoot may not fade up to 2 months. If you carefully cut the branch, it will grow back and become covered with new flowers. The duration of flowering also depends on the region of growth: the warmer in your area - the longer it will bloom. For example, in our Kuban, lisianthus will bloom for a long time and repeatedly give new buds!
Eustoma - photo of flowers:
How to collect eustoma seeds
And now we will approach a more serious part of the growing process - to collect seeds and further manipulate them. Seed boxes in a flower form after pollination. On the open ground, of course, plants are pollinated by insects. If you are breeding lisianthus at home, then solving this problem with an ordinary (soft) brush will not be difficult and will not take much time. As in the case of other flowers, seed boxes remain in place of dried buds not removed from the shoots.
Planting eustomas with seeds almost always has a positive result. Seeds germinate quite well, both those that you managed to collect on your own, and those that were purchased at a flower shop.
In size they are very small, those that are sold in the store are already “rolled up” in a special thin shell, which consists of components that contribute to better germination and plant growth. It is most convenient to stock up in advance with special cassettes for seedlings, and even better - peat tablets! In these tablets, the soil mixture has already been selected with a competent calculation of the composition, and subsequently planting these tablets in the open ground is much more convenient. And there - see how you prefer.
What do the seeds of eustoma look like, photo:
Both purchased store-bought and personally harvested seeds are most conveniently buried in the soil with a toothpick, as shown in the photo above. Seeds are sown in winter or at the very beginning of spring - most often in February or early March, but there are also frequent cases of successful January plantings.
Eustoma, growing from seeds, how to plant
As already mentioned above, for convenience, saving time and energy, you can buy peat pills, you can also buy ready-made earth mix in a flower shop (the one that is designed for planting senpolia or violets is perfect).
At the same time, you can approach this process thoroughly and make up the soil mixture yourself. At the recommended time for sowing, take light garden soil, which should pass water and air well. It should be clean land from the garden (without any plant residues or stones), peat and calcined river sand. Combine all these components in equal proportions.Additionally, you can add a couple of tablespoons of wood ash.
To be safe and be sure that the sowing will be done in a clean earth mixture, disinfect the soil - this can be done by spilling the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or steaming (not calcining in the oven!) A few words about steaming: usually a large pan is taken, for one a quarter is filled with water, put on fire. From above, earth is poured into a colander and covered with a lid from above. The whole process lasts about 1 hour. Hot steam from the water passes through the openings of the colander and kills the possible bacteria in the soil. However, there is one drawback in this method - with harmful bacteria, you can also destroy beneficial microorganisms that help to resist future plants. In any case, the choice is yours. Subsequently, steamed soil will have to be saturated with useful biofungicides, such as Fitosporin or, for example, Trichodermin, Baikal M1.
It is also extremely important to consider that sowing should be done only in disinfected containers! It can be like cassettes for seedlings (they can be seen in the photo above), ordinary plastic or paper cups. The presence of drainage holes in any containers you choose is mandatory. Not only the soil mixture, but also the pots should be treated with appropriate disinfectant solutions. Even a container for peat tablets should also be decontaminated.
How does the eustoma plant by seed?
- We take containers and fill them with a moistened earth mixture.
- We place the seeds on top (you can use a toothpick or a sharpened match - for convenience), do not deepen much, just push it a little into the soil.
- Irrigate with spray water.
- We cover the containers with polyethylene (or thin food) film so that it necessarily transmits light.
- Further, the seedlings are transferred to a bright, warm place with an average air temperature of + 20 .. + 25 ° C. Tip - the south window is perfect for this. Sometimes it happens that ordinary daylight is not enough for the harmonious development of plants. In this case, fluorescent lamps will come to your aid (i.e., additional illumination of seedlings). It is important that from a lack of light the plants do not begin to stretch!
- Once a day, briefly lift the film and ventilate the seedlings, while simultaneously gently moistening the soil with a spray gun.
- With the onset of night, you can transfer containers to a cooler room, but with a not too significant temperature difference - this is not a prerequisite, but with the right approach it will not be superfluous.
If you do everything correctly, the first small sprouts will appear in 10-12 days. After the eustoma-lisianthus has revealed itself to the world, the protective film should be removed, moderate irrigation, transfer containers with plants to the room cooler - with an air temperature of about +15 .. + 18 ° C. This flower is gaining growth slowly, the first real leaves appear somewhere after a month and a half. By this time, it is already worth thinking about diving, although usually it is made two months after sowing.
Seedlings of eustoma in the photo:
About Dive:
- Before diving, water the soil in containers with plants.
- The fact is that even one seed can give 5 or 7 shoots, so at this time (2 months) the best, strongest representatives are selected, after which it is necessary to carefully remove the sprouts from the ground, using a suitable miniature object, and then transplant in individual pots or, again, in cups.
- Do not forget about drainage - pour a thin layer of expanded clay fine fraction or even foam balls on the bottom of the pot.
- Deepening in the soil mixture can be done using an ordinary pencil, and the very “operation” of transplantation using a manicured metal spatula, for example.
- Lysianthus seedling has a very delicate root system - always remember this, not only at the time of transplantation.
- In the process of diving, bury the plant in the soil by the very leaves.
- After that, it is advisable to place containers with flowers in a shaded place where the air temperature will be approximately +18 ° C.
In most cases, lisianthus tolerates the picking process very comfortably, so the adaptation period in a new place is successful and the plant enters growth quite quickly. After two or three months (as the weather permits in your region), an Irish rose is transplanted to a permanent place of residence - either in a room pot, or in a flower bed, a summer cottage. This must be done carefully, by transshipment, together with an earthen lump - there is nothing new. For this process, it is better to choose the end of spring / beginning of summer, when any frosts are 100% excluded.
Lisianthus after the dive, photo:
How to grow eustoma in peat tablets
If you pay attention to the method of planting lisianthus in peat tablets, then, I repeat, it is indisputably more convenient in all respects. Just take the tablets of the appropriate size - for this plant you need a "circle" with a diameter of at least 5 cm. Next, I think, you will understand according to the instructions - the tablet is moistened with room temperature water, swells to the right size, excess water is removed. Using a pair of tweezers or a toothpick, the seed is placed in a specially designed hole, slightly pressed, and irrigated with water from a spray bottle.
Eustoma - growing in peat tablets, photo:
Further, everything also goes as usual - covering with a film (creating a kind of greenhouse), airing, placing in a warm and bright room. Everything is the same as in the case of planting in the soil. But when the first small leaves appear, immediately put the tablet in a plastic cup. Thus, the roots are not intertwined, and each lisianthus will be in its place.
Eustoma lisianthus - planted in the ground
The fact that it is preferable to choose an unshaded place on the site, we already know. The absence of winds and drafts - too. For planting in the open ground, choose a cloudy day or evening, after sunset. A month is May or June, when the sudden cold snap is no longer evident. To release the plant from the pot, we use the transshipment method (remember the delicate root system of the eustoma). The distance between the bushes should be approximately 20-25 cm.
An Irish rose lisianthus is placed in a prepared hole with a lump of earth, lightly sprinkled with soil and gently crimped. The hole itself in size should correspond to the size of the pot in which the flower grew. Its volumes should freely contain the extracted plant along with an earthen lump. By the way, additional protection of lisianthus in the first stages of life “on the earth” will not be superfluous - on a sunny day cover the bushes with glass jars or cut plastic bottles. Eustoma blooms no matter what month of winter or early spring you sowed seeds. Around the middle of summer, in July, you will be able to see the first flowers of this delicate and elegant flower.
Eustoma perennial - rooting
Due to the fragile and vulnerable root system, this plant cannot be propagated by dividing the bush into fragments or by cuttings (they do not germinate). In extreme cases, you can always buy ready-made seedlings in the corresponding flower shops. It reproduces only by sowing seeds, by the method of growing seedlings - and nothing else. The roots of lisianthus do not tolerate transplantation, any sharp or incorrect movement can ruin the plant!
Sometimes it happens that novice growers under the concept of “Perennial Eustoma - planting by the root” mean division and subsequent planting of the separated roots.This small misconception should be clarified here, the phrase “planting by the root” often uses the usual action of transplanting a plant into open ground with a “native” earthen lump and, naturally, roots formed in it. Do not confuse these two concepts.
Eustoma - when to sow seedlings in apartment conditions?
To grow this flower at home, sowing seeds can be done when you want! Seeds of eustoma are hard-to-like, so it is better to sow them on the growing moon. Suitable dates can be found in the lunar phase calendar by month.
The main thing, remember about all the nuances, temperature, lighting (especially in winter) - and you will succeed. For potted breeding at home, low-growing (dwarf) varieties of lisianthus are used. The plant will feel more comfortable on those windows that overlook the east or west side. Bright, slightly diffused lighting is what you need for room eustoma, but on the south window, especially at noon, it is better to create a light shade. It is highly likely that on the northern window the Irish rose will not be able to develop harmoniously and may wither away from a lack of sunlight. If you have purchased a ready-made flower in the store, give it time to adapt, do not expose it immediately to the direct rays of the sun, so that leaves and flowers are not burnt.
Make sure that when watering the water does not fall on the flowers and buds, otherwise the decay will not take long. In general, when watering, try to adhere to the golden mean - do not let the soil dry out, but do not over-moisten it too abundantly. The optimal soil condition for irrigation at home is the formation of 1.5-2 cm of the dry top layer of earth mixture in a pot. Drainage must always be present in the containers for this plant, and small crushed stone, clean, disinfected fine pebbles or gravel of small fractions can be placed on the bottom. In general, according to observations, home-made eustoma-lisianthus best gives flowers and feels comfortable in a slightly cool, well-ventilated area.
Eustoma Care - Recommendations
How to care for eustoma? Adding to the above, it is possible to recommend preventive irrigation procedures with special agents containing fungicides in their composition. The preparations "Topaz", "Saprol", "Topsin" will protect the plant from powdery mildew, Fusarium, leaf spot, gray rot. Alas, it is difficult to protect yourself from pests if the flowers grow on the open ground. The main enemies of eustoma - whiteflies, slugs, aphids, miners, mushroom mosquitoes - such drugs as Mospilan, Aktara, Confidor and the well-established Fitoverm successfully fight against these parasites.
Remember the love of lisianthus for light and light shade, the eastern or western sides of the site are the best places for its growth. Water it moderately, but regularly, when watering, do not wet the foliage, so as not to provoke the appearance of gray mold and harmful fungi. Irrigations to an adult flower are no longer needed, and water for irrigation, ideally, should be soft or settled. When air temperature decreases, water volumes for irrigation should be reduced. Sometimes, after planting in the ground, some gardeners recommend covering the plants with large plastic cups or cut plastic bottles for the first couple of weeks. It is recommended for flower adaptation, getting used to a new place of residence, protection from drafts and winds, as well as for maintaining moisture in the upper soil layer.
After the eustoma-lisianthus fades, it begins a period of rest, life processes slow down and the plant “falls asleep”, as it were, stops growing. By this time, fertilizers should be completely eliminated, watering should be minimized, in a word - give the flower a rest.So that next year the Irish rose will delight you with its splendor, be sure to cut all the branches, leaving at most two or three main tillering points (branches).
Eustoma - growing, summarizing
Wherever she grows, she needs to create a comfortable environment. On the site or at home, in the room - she should be fine, then she will bloom and smell, please you with a healthy look. This plant is able to produce peduncles throughout the flowering period, if the shoots are not cut to the root. But in warm regions, even such a radical pruning can give re-development of stems and flowers on them.
Eustoma perennial tall will decorate your site and adjoining territory, it will be harmoniously combined with other flowers and shrubs, will remain fresh for a long time and will perfectly transport transportation in a cut form, if the situation requires it. Low-growing varieties will become a bright decoration of your home, balcony, windowsill.
It must be remembered that the Irish rose is a plant that will inevitably wither away without moisture. Drying of the soil should not be allowed in any case. Excessive waterlogging will not lead to anything good either - the plant will begin to hurt, the roots may rot. The ground around the flower should be gently poured (remember the tender roots), weeds, of course, are removed.
Reading, getting acquainted with all the nuances, it may seem that this is too troublesome, and the eustoma lisianthus itself is a capricious and characteristic plant. In fact, this is not at all the case, any coddled and cherished green resident of us requires attention and care, sometimes individual. Trees, shrubs, any plants and flowers - these are creatures of nature, they are alive and just as well need comfortable living conditions. And the beautiful eustoma is not so different in terms of leaving her neighbors roses, fragrant hyacinths, surfins and other decorations of our gardens and plots. It is unlikely that there will be a florist or summer resident who does not like the perennial eustoma for its tender beauty, planting and care, photos of various varieties and shades will not leave anyone indifferent!