Calceolaria in open ground. Calceolaria: growing from seeds, planting and care at home

The bizarre shape of the flower, bright color, exotic origin - all these are the characteristics of calceolaria. This is precisely why Russian flower growers fell in love with her so much.

With the help of an unusual flower you can diversify and decorate your interior, enjoying the exquisite bloom. Beginning flower growers will be interested in learning about planting calceolaria, caring for it, watching photos of varieties and recommendations for growing on video.

Botanical description

Calceolaria (lat. Calceolaria) belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae, to the genus Calceolariaceae. From Latin Calceolaria is translated as “little shoe”, which fully corresponds to the appearance of the original inflorescence. Calceolaria is popularly called “slipper” or “slipper”.

The Calceolaria flower is native to Central and South America. There are about 400 species in nature. The plant can be represented by grass, subshrubs, shrubs. In Russia it is often grown as an annual or biennial, although in its homeland it is a perennial plant.

Most often, representatives grow up to 35 cm in height, but there are also species that grow up to half a meter. The leaves are green, whorled or opposite, oblong, elongated in shape with a slightly grooved edge. Can reach 10 cm in length. The back side of the leaf is covered with villi.

Flowers rise above the leafy crown. They consist of two lips. The upper lip is small, and the lower lip is large and convex, spherical in shape. This arrangement resembles a “shoe”. There are 2-3 stamens in the middle.

The diameter of the flowers depends on the specific species and variety. On average, it ranges from 2 to 7 cm. Flowers can be collected in one large or several smaller racemose inflorescences.

The color palette is represented by yellow, red, orange, white, brown shades. Petals can be plain or with darker spots, dots, and strokes.

During the flowering period, up to 50 flowers can appear on one bush. Flowering lasts up to 5 weeks. Afterwards, boxes appear - fruits. They are oblong in shape and contain a large number of seeds.

The root system consists of adventitious roots, without identifying the main root (fibrous root system). Stems are thin, erect or lodging.

Varieties and types

Calceolaria is an exotic plant that comes in a variety of species and varieties. The most popular are decorative species with unusual inflorescences.

Gardeners-decorators successfully use calceolaria to create indoors and garden plots.

The most popular types and varieties:

Calceolaria in the photo:

Growing calceolaria from seeds at home

There are two ways to grow a “slipper”:

• using seeds;
• cutting method.

A plant grown from seeds is more decorative and blooms abundantly. You can sow seeds at any time of the year. The desired flowering date can be a guideline. On average, 6-8 months pass from the moment of sowing to the moment of flowering.

Seeds must be purchased at the store. They are very small and brown in color.

It is necessary to select a container for germination and soil in advance. The container should be wide and shallow, up to 10 cm. Soil can be purchased at a specialized store for indoor flowering plants or prepared independently.

Options for suitable soil compositions:

• peat, humus sand – 2:2:1;
• peat, river sand – 7:1 + dolomite flour, for each kilogram of substrate 20 grams of flour;
• leaf soil, peat, humus, sand – 2:2:2:1.

Before planting, any soil composition should be calcined in the oven for sterilization. Then place the substrate in a container and moisten it generously. Spread the seeds over the surface of the ground, but do not cover them with soil (IMPORTANT!). Cover the container with film, glass, and a lid.

Growing calceolaria from seeds in the photo:

Place the box with seeds in a shaded place with a temperature between 16-19°C. It is necessary to monitor the soil moisture (moisten only with a spray bottle), not allowing the soil to dry out.

Regularly remove accumulated condensation and ventilate the soil. In 10-14 days the first shoots will appear. After a month, the sprouts should be pruned, planting them at a distance of 5-8 cm.

After two months, transplant into separate pots Ø 10 cm. After transplanting, pinch and leave 2-3 pairs of leaves. When a rosette is formed, the strengthened sprouts are transplanted to a permanent place.

Propagation by cuttings

This method is considered more labor-intensive. Propagation by cuttings promises a success rate of 50%. But the new “slipper” will no longer bloom so profusely.

After flowering, it is necessary to prepare planting material - cuttings. After pruning, it is better to treat the stems with Kornevin to stimulate growth.

Place the container with cuttings in a bright room with a temperature no higher than 19°C. Aerate the soil regularly and water moderately. Direct sunlight can harm rooting.

Transplant the rooted cuttings into a permanent pot with drainage and nutritious soil (to obtain lush bushes, plant several cuttings in one pot).

After planting, calceolaria sprouts are cared for as if they were an adult plant.

How to care?

Caring for calceolaria is simple. The main thing is not to forget to devote time to the plant and it will certainly delight you with abundant and bright flowering.

Growing and caring for calceolaria, video:

Temperature

The “house slipper” absolutely does not like direct sunlight and high temperatures. The ideal place for a flower is window sills located in the east, west or north.

The optimal temperature for good growth and abundant appearance of buds is considered to be 14-16°C. In winter – 10-12°С. In summer, the “slipper” can be planted in open ground in a shady place protected from the wind.

Humidity

The plant loves high humidity. Therefore, it is better to place the flower pot in a tray with expanded clay and constantly fill it with water. You cannot spray the “slipper” with water - this will only lead to rotting and the appearance of diseases.

Watering

Should be moderate. The soil should not be allowed to dry out. During the period when buds appear, it is necessary to increase the amount of watering, and after flowering stops, reduce it. Use settled, soft water.

Fertilizers

Regular feeding with mineral fertilizers is necessary. The first feeding should begin 10-14 days after planting. During the period before and during flowering, fertilize with liquid mineral fertilizers once every 14 days. After the flowers fall and during the dormant period, fertilizers are not needed.

Transfer

If roots peek out from the drainage holes, this indicates that the bush needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. Place drainage material – expanded clay, crushed stone – at the bottom of the container.

Add some of the new nutrient soil with pH = 5.5. Transfer the plant with a lump of earth into a new pot (carefully so as not to damage the roots). Fill all the voids with new soil. Water the plant generously. After some time, drain the excess liquid from the pan.

After flowering, it is best to throw away the plant, since the second year is less decorative, its flowers and leaves are smaller. But still, it can be preserved for a second flowering by hibernating it.

During this period, it is necessary to cut off all shoots, cover with film and send the pot to a dark, cool place, periodically moistening the soil. In the spring, move the pot to a lighted place, water and fertilize. Root the new shoots that appear.

Pests and diseases

If correct and correct care is carried out, then pests and diseases of calceolaria are not terrible.

Preventative measures to prevent pests:

• compliance with temperature conditions;
• maintaining optimal humidity;
• correct watering;
• lack of direct sunlight;
• sterilization of pots and soil before planting and replanting;
• fungicide treatment;
• timely removal of affected areas.

The “house slipper” is most susceptible to gray rot. It occurs as a result of excessive soil moisture, low temperatures and excess nitrogen fertilizers.

For salvation you need:

• remove heavily damaged parts;
• transplant the bush into new soil;
• treat with products containing copper - Oxychome, Topaz, Bordeaux mixture.
100 plants plant in the pot 360 Studio floristic plant in the pot 1250 Flowers gifts plant in the pot from 480 Orchid plant in the pot 250

Calceolaria - flowers of about 400 varieties. They grow well at home. And in the wild, the plant can be found in the countries of Central and South America. We will consider homemade calceolaria flowers, caring for them and possible difficulties in growing them in detail.

general characteristics

Calceolaria are flowers that usually grow as a herb or bush. They have whorled or opposite arrangement of leaves. The flower looks like a calyx of four members, with a beautiful corolla and 2-3 stamens. The fruits are shaped like boxes.

Most plant species are ornamental. When creating them, hybrids of various species were taken. In hybrid forms, the flowers are red, yellow, orange and purple. They are grown in greenhouses; cuttings and seeds are used for propagation.

Calceolaria are flowers that prefer cool air. This is why flowers are difficult to cultivate indoors. Calceolaria flowers have an original shape. They consist of two lips, vesicular. The upper part is almost invisible, but the lower part is large, swollen, spherical in shape. This structure resembles lips, shoes, and wallets. The name of the flower comes from the word “shoe”.

Calceolaria blooms from the beginning of March until the end of June. The flowering period is one month. The number of flowers formed is from 18 to 55. They are covered with various specks.

Varieties

Calceolaria hybrida has many varieties with attractive flowers and delicate leaves. The flowers of the plant have a variety of colors - from snow-white to bright orange.

In apartment conditions, the plant looks like a small bush, no higher than 50 cm in height.

Calceolaria purpurea grows as a wild bush in Chile. It is a perennial, reaching 50 cm. The leaves have a spatulate shape and jagged edges. The flowers are small in size, reddish or purple in color, the lower part is oblong, with grooves.

Calceolaria mexicanis poorly compatible with other plants. It has small flowers of light yellow color. The bush grows up to 20-50 cm. If the soil is fertile and the place is shaded, the growth of the bush will increase. This variety loves warmth, but an abundance of sunny color is possible with heavy watering. The plant produces a large number of seeds.

Calceolaria rugosa brought from Chile. This flower looks like a cloud of yellow droplets. This perennial has a straight stem with many branches, grows up to 50 cm. The leaves are small, the flowers are small, yellow. The plant pleases with flowering from the beginning of summer until the first cold weather appears. To see early flowering, seedlings are planted in special containers in April.

Placement and temperature conditions

Calceolaria are flowers that grow well on windows facing east, west or north. On the south side they need to be shaded to protect them from the influence of the sun's rays. You can use cloth or paper. The flower tolerates indirect lighting quite well.

It is also necessary to shade during flowering. And in the autumn-winter months, secondary lighting is needed, which can be provided by fluorescent lamps.

The calceolaria flower, the photo of which is presented in the article, prefers temperatures from 14 to 17 degrees. These are optimal conditions.

When flowers appear, the plant is moistened with water that has been previously settled. Stagnation of water should be avoided. After flowering, watering should be moderate. The soil is rarely watered, but you should also beware of the soil drying out completely. As soon as new shoots appear, watering is increased more often.

Humidity and fertilizers

Homemade calceolaria flowers prefer high atmospheric humidity. But spraying is not suitable. To increase humidity, the pot is placed in a tray with moistened drainage. This could be expanded clay gravel or pebbles. The container with the flower does not touch the water. The bush can be grown in a flowerpot, filling the lower space with wet peat.

Fertilizers are applied two weeks after planting. Then fertilize until flowers appear once every two weeks. In this case, mineral compounds are used.

After the bush has flowered, it can be cut and moved to a dark, cold room for two months. Watering at this time is rare so that the soil does not dry out completely. When new growth grows, the plant is returned to its usual bright place. There it will bloom earlier than specimens bred from seeds. But the decorative effect is lost with this method of cultivation.

The decorative effect is also lost over time, for this reason it is better to replace calceolaria with new specimens rather than use transplants.

Can it be grown from seeds?

Seeds are planted in March. In this case, flowering will begin in the fall. If spring flowering is needed, the seeds are planted in June.

The calceolaria flower (the photo shows it) has rather miniature seeds. One gram contains 30 thousand seeds. They are sown on the top layer of soil. Then the crops are covered with paper that is regularly moistened. As soon as two leaves appear, the seedlings dive into the prepared soil, consisting of humus, peat and half of the sand.

Growing in peat

Seeds can be sown in peat soil. If sown in June, flowering will begin in early spring. The peat is heated to 90-100 degrees to disinfect it. To reduce acidity, add crushed chalk - 20 grams per kilogram of peat soil. Then sand is added in a ratio of 1:7.

Seeds are sown randomly, without covering them with soil. Then the crops are covered with film. Monitor the moisture content of the peat. When rosettes form, the plantings are moved into pots and placed on the window. In September, plantings are pinched, keeping 2-3 leaves. Then the calceolarias are transplanted into larger pots. You can form bushes using the pinching method, removing lateral shoots from the axils.

In January-February, the flowers are again moved into large containers filled with fertile soil. Low acidity humus with a pH of 5.5 is best.

The substrate is prepared from equal parts of peat, turf soil, humus and ½ sand. Add mineral compounds in the amount of 2-3 grams per kilogram of soil. Flowers appear 8-10 months after sowing the seeds.

Possible difficulties

The calceolaria flower, which is not so difficult to care for, usually grows without much difficulty. But some points are considered difficulties. Common problems:

• The leaves of the plant wither, the flower quickly ages. The reason for this is low air humidity and high room temperature.
• The plant must be replaced every year. To do this, propagate using seeds or purchase a new specimen, and the old bush is eliminated.
• The bush can be affected by spider mites, whiteflies, scale insects, and mealybugs. This is facilitated by high temperatures during the cultivation of the calceolaria flower, photo, the care of which we are considering.

How to transplant correctly?

Calceolaria is an indoor flower; after purchase it needs to be replanted, because the technical pot needs to be replaced with a decorative one. The step-by-step transplant process is as follows:

• sufficient drainage is poured into the prepared pot;
• a bush with a lump of earth is carefully rolled over;
• To cover unwanted holes, heather soil or geranium soil is poured.

For a comfortable stay of the plant in the ground, leaf and turf components, peat and sand are added to the soil.

The calceolaria flower, care for which at home is the subject of our discussion, can be attacked by aphids and whiteflies.

Possible diseases

Calceolaria is slightly susceptible to disease. A harmful pathology for it is gray rot. It can appear with excessive moisture and insufficient air temperature. All above-ground parts of the bush are affected. The affected areas become soft and are covered with a gray coating.

The gray mold fungus can live in the soil for several years and is transmitted through soil and air. It actively reproduces in conditions of excessive moisture, low ventilation, and dense planting of bushes.

To prevent disease, cultivation rules are strictly followed. If signs of disease occur, treat with fungicides.

White rot may also occur. This is also a fungal disease. Dark spots appear on the lower parts of the stems, causing the plant to dry out. The fungus can live in soil. The disease affects bushes that were waterlogged, grown at high temperatures, large volumes of mineral compounds, and low ventilation.

To prevent white rot, substrates with good aeration are used. Monitor the correct temperature, fertilizing, and humidity levels. If the disease does appear, fungicides are administered.

Late blight is caused by a fungus that attacks young and mature plants. It begins with wilting of the lower leaves, then the upper leaves and flowers are affected. The causative agent of late blight lives in soil and plant debris. It is activated when the rules for growing flowers are violated: waterlogging, elevated air temperatures, excessive feeding.

If the disease appears, stop watering. The wet substrate is replaced with a dry one and watered with fungicide solutions.

When fertilizing a plant, you should monitor the amount of nitrogen. Exceeding the required amount can lead to severe weakening of calceolaria. The affected areas are immediately cut off. An effective measure in the fight against disease is spraying with Bordeaux mixture or any product containing copper.

Flower growers are usually satisfied with growing calceolaria, noting that the plant does not cause difficulties in care. With simple agricultural practices, calceolaria pleases its owners with good growth and abundant flowering.

For the spring holidays, beautiful plants called calceolaria, or colloquially “slipper,” often appear at flower markets. Having bought such a plant, after flowering ends, people often throw it away, believing that it is an annual, and there is nothing more to expect from it. However, by continuing to care for it, you can enjoy its flowering next year. The calceolaria flower is easy to care for and is suitable even for a novice gardener. It is enough to follow simple rules - and the plant will thank you with vigorous and long-lasting flowering.

Meet: calceolaria

Calceolaria are flowers grown as an annual, biennial or perennial plant. It can be cultivated as an indoor plant or used to decorate flower beds and is quite unpretentious in care and very effective. This is a flowering plant that is valued precisely for the shape of its inflorescences. The calceolaria flower is unusual in its shape and color. It is popularly called a “slipper” because its petals resemble the shape of a woman’s slipper. The flowers are one color, but can have various spots and stripes, giving a more decorative and interesting look. This plant can be either a small shrub or a low one. The leaves are densely pubescent, can have either a round shape or be deeply cut.

Varieties

There are about 300 varieties of Calceolaria, but the most widespread are:

• Calceolaria is tender. It is valued for its decorative appearance, as it has yellow inflorescences, densely decorated with red specks. This small plant, not exceeding 15 centimeters in height, is grown as an indoor crop, but in the summer it can easily tolerate outdoor conditions. It is grown on windowsills as a perennial.
• Calceolaria rugosa is another representative of perennials. It grows as a bush, about 1 meter high. In places where winters are not too severe, it is grown as a perennial in a flower bed.
• Calceolaria thin is a medium-sized variety, reaching up to 40 centimeters and intended for growing in flower beds in open ground. Has light, delicate lemon flowers.
• Calceolaria multi-rooted is a type of creeping species. This subspecies is grown as an indoor crop and as a decoration for a flower bed in the open ground.
• Calceolaria hybrid is the widest representative of the species. Since this name combines numerous varieties of different colors with one common property - it is an indoor crop, low, with wide, rounded, heavily pubescent leaves, with large and original-shaped flowers. It has a very long flowering period, which is approximately 6-8 weeks. The height does not exceed 15 centimeters, while the flowers can reach 5 centimeters in diameter.

Temperature

Calceolaria are heat-loving flowers. They do not tolerate frosty winters, so they are most often grown as an indoor crop or, during wintering, they are transplanted into pots and brought into the house. At the same time, they easily tolerate high temperatures, but die at 10 degrees Celsius and below.

Lighting

Calceolaria are southern flowers, so they are very light-loving. However, they should be shaded a little from the scorching summer sun. Under direct rays, the leaves can get burned, but with strong darkness, the plant loses its decorative effect and stops blooming.

Watering and fertilizing

Calceolaria do not tolerate dry soil, so you need to carefully ensure that they are moistened at all times. The higher the air temperature, the more abundant and frequent watering should become. Water calceolaria in the same way as delicate violets and Saintpaulias - carefully along the edge of the pot, without touching the leaves and root shoots. But the safest and most effective way is to water through a tray. Calceolaria loves moist soil and does not tolerate drying out, however, if there is overflow or stagnation of water, the plant dies instantly. Therefore, you need to take care of small but frequent watering and good drainage in the pot.

The plant is protected from water getting on the leaves. Do not spray under any circumstances. This can lead to rotting of the leaves and death of the flower.

For feeding, a universal fertilizer or one intended for flowering plants, which is diluted in accordance with the instructions on the package, is suitable.

Calceolaria flower: how to care

Be sure to remove faded and faded inflorescences and yellowed leaves. If you do not remove old flower stalks, new ones will stop forming, so for stable flowering it is necessary to carry out regular pruning. Varieties such as rugose calceolaria undergo bush formation in the spring, which helps to form a more compact plant with a large number of peduncles. Potted varieties of "slipper" delight with their flowering from spring until autumn.

Calceolaria flowers are quite unpretentious to grow. Care consists of timely replanting of perennial varieties, which is done every two years, in mid-spring. When the size of the pot for replanting reaches a diameter of 20 centimeters, the plant is no longer transplanted into a large container, but only the soil is replaced. When using wider pots, root rot and plant death are very likely.

When growing indoor crops and the need to create compact plants, even at the stage of appearance of 6 leaves, the flower is pinched, thereby forming a small bush with many peduncles. After flowering ends, the plant must be pruned and withered flower stalks removed.

Reproduction

Calceolaria are flowers that reproduce using seeds that have very good germination. When sown in the ground, the seeds are scattered over the surface of the soil and not sprinkled on top, after which they are watered abundantly and covered with polyethylene or glass to create a greenhouse effect. Periodically, the glass is lifted and condensation is removed, and after the formation of 6 leaves, the calceolaria is transplanted into separate pots for further growth. Seeds germinate best at a temperature of about 20 degrees. They are sown between May and July, the first shoots appear within two weeks later. And after a month they can be planted in separate pots. Calceolaria blooms 8-10 months after the first shoots appear.

The option of propagation by cuttings is also possible. This method is suitable for medium- and tall-growing varieties, which are periodically pruned, forming more lush bushes with a large number of new peduncles. Trimmed shoots take root in the soil.

When planting, use universal soil for indoor plants or soil suitable for growing violets and Saintpaulias. When making your own soil mixture, you need to make the following composition:

• Turf - 2 parts.
• Leaf soil - 2 parts.
• Peat - 1 part.
• Sand - ½.

Flower shops sell calceolaria flowers, the average price is per plant.

Diseases and pests

The main dangers in growing calceolaria are diseases such as late blight and pythium. This can cause rotting and death of young shoots. To eliminate this problem, before planting in the ground, it is calcined or treated with poisonous fungicides. Also, due to the need for constant soil moisture, gray rot may appear. It is formed when water hits the tender leaves of plants. Calceolaria is an indoor flower often attacked by pests such as aphids, whiteflies and nematodes. At the first signs of their appearance, it is necessary to use special preparations to destroy them.

A fairly unpretentious plant that will always delight with its lush flowering and unusualness is the calceolaria flower. Even the most inexperienced gardener can learn how to care for and grow them. But calceolaria is one of the very first to bloom on the windowsill in spring.

The genus Calceolaria includes approximately 400 species of plants from the Norichaceae family, which are successfully grown when cared for at home. In the wild, the plant is most often found in Central and South America.

General information

Basically, the plant grows as a herb, shrub or subshrub with whorled or opposite leaves. The flower is a four-membered calyx with a swollen bright and two-lipped corolla, in which there are 2-3 stamens. The fruit has the shape of a box.

Many species are decorative, creating numerous garden varieties, using hybrids of species: crenatiflora, arachnoidea, corymbosa, etc. Hybrid forms of the plant have red, orange, yellow and purple flower colors, with a shaded or spotted corolla, which are most often grown in a cool greenhouse, and propagated by cuttings or seeds.

Calceolaria is classified as an ornamental flowering plant, although it is quite difficult to care for at home, due to the fact that it loves cool conditions. The flowers of this plant are very unique in shape, two-lipped and bubbly, the upper lip is barely noticeable, very small in size, but the lower lip is spherical and swollen, quite large in size. The flowering period occurs from March to June, over the course of one month, at which point from 18 to 55 flowers appear on the plant, which are often covered with various dots and spots.

Varieties and types

This name unites many varieties of this plant, which, in particular, have a very attractive appearance with soft and delicate pubescent leaves of a light green color and original flowers of a variety of colors, ranging from pure white to orange. When grown indoors, it takes the form of a small bush that reaches up to 50 centimeters in height.

It grows wild in Chile as a perennial herbaceous plant reaching up to 50 centimeters in height. The basal leaves are pointed, spatulate in shape with jagged edges. The flowers are small in size with a reddish or purple hue, with an oblong, grooved lower lip.

Calceolaria care at home

The plant responds well to diffused bright light, but it should be shaded from direct sunlight. It feels good when placed near an eastern, western or northern window; if this window is south oriented, the plant should be shaded using translucent paper or fabric. The plant should also be shaded during the flowering period. In the autumn-winter period, you can provide the plant with additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

At any time of the year, the calceolaria plant is best kept at a moderate temperature of 14 to 17 degrees.

Watering, fertilizing and air humidity

During the flowering period, water the plant with settled and soft water after the top layer of soil has dried and do not allow the water to melt in the pan. At the end of the flowering period, watering is reduced, moistening the soil only occasionally, but at the same time not allowing the earthen clod to dry out completely. When new growth appears, watering should be gradually resumed.

The plant needs to be provided with high air humidity. It is not recommended to spray the plant. To ensure the necessary humidity, the pot with the plant can be placed in a tray with damp expanded clay, peat or pebbles, without allowing the pot to touch the water.

Calceolaria should be fertilized after two weeks, after planting the plant in a container, and continue to do so until the flowering period. Each feeding occurs once every two weeks with mineral fertilizers.

Flowering and dormancy

After the end of the flowering period, the plant can be cut and left for 1.5-2 months, in a shaded and cool place, watering occasionally to prevent the soil from completely drying out. After new growth has grown, the plant should be returned to a lighted place where it will begin to bloom.

The flowering period will begin approximately 2 months earlier, compared to plants grown from seeds, but in this case, such cultivation contributes to the stretching of the plant and loss of decorativeness. For this reason, it is best to grow the plant annually from seeds.

Plants also lose their decorative properties with age, so it is best not to replant them, but to replace them with new ones.

Calceolaria growing from seeds at home

Seeds are sown in March to obtain flowering in the autumn, but if you want the plants to bloom in the spring, you should sow them in June.

The seeds are quite small, 1 gram contains about 30 thousand pieces, they should be sown on the surface of the soil. After that, the crops must be covered with paper, periodically moistening it. And once the seedlings have two true leaves, they need to be planted in a prepared substrate of equal parts of deciduous soil, humus soil and peat soil, as well as ½ part of sand.

Calceolaria seeds also germinate well in peat. To ensure plant flowering in March, seeds should be planted on June 5-15 in litter peat, which is first disinfected from rot by heating to 90-100 degrees. To reduce the acidity of peat, you need to add ground chalk, approximately 15-20 grams per 1 kilogram of peat.

Then add 1 part sand to about 7 parts peat to the substrate and mix well. The seeds are sown scattered, without sprinkling, after which the crops are covered with glass or polyethylene. If condensation forms on the inside of polyethylene or glass, the shelter must be turned over to prevent moisture from getting on the plants. The peat is then kept moist.

Calceolaria pick

The plants are planted a second time, after the rosette has formed, transplanting them into 7 cm pots and placing them on light windowsills. And already in September, the plants are pinched, leaving 2-3 pairs of leaves, from the axils of which shoots will appear and replanted again, increasing the size of the pot by 2-4 centimeters

Calceolaria bushes can also be formed by pinching, removing side shoots that grow from the axils of the leaves.

Between January and February, the plants are replanted into a larger container with more nutritious and heavier soil. A slightly acidic humus soil with a pH of about 5.5 is suitable for this.

When making the substrate yourself, take equal parts of peat soil, turf soil, and humus soil, as well as ½ part of sand, with the addition of complete mineral fertilizer, at the rate of 2-3 grams per 1 kilogram of substrate. The plant blooms 8-10 months after sowing the seeds.

Possible difficulties

The leaves wither and the plant quickly ages , occurs due to insufficient humidity and high temperature.

The plant requires annual replacement – it can be propagated by seeds or purchased an already flowering specimen, without leaving the old plant for next year.

Damaged by: spider mites, mealybugs, whiteflies and scale insects , this happens especially often when caring at home with a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees in a poorly ventilated area.