| Life form | Herbaceous |
| Family | Gesneriaceae |
| Origin | Colombia |
| Ease of cultivation | Lightweight, suitable for beginners |
| The size | Height up to 15 cm |
| Growth rate | It grows quite slowly throughout the year. |
| Lifespan | Perennial plant, it is periodically desirable to rejuvenate. |
| Temperature | In the summer: 73,4-77 ° F, in winter not below 59 ° F, the plant is thermophilic and can die at low temperature. The plant should be protected from drafts. |
| Humidity | The Chirita should be air sprayed by avoiding the accumulation of moisture in flowers and leaves, which can be formed from water stains. It is better to place the pot in a pallet with moist pebbles and do not spray the plant or use other methods to enhance humidity. Keep plants away from radiators. |
| Lighting | Scattered light. Suitable for the east and west windows, should be shaded from the direct midday rays. In bright light, the leaves turn yellow and curl Chirita (so be sure tomake shade is required on the south window). With a lack of light is not available bloom. |
| The soil | Suitable light breathable slightly acidic soil. For own soil, you can take 2 parts ground sheet, 1 part coarse sand or perlite, 1 part peat, 1 part humus, you can add charcoal.Substrates based on peat with addition of not less than 30-50% of sand or perlite are suitable. It is mandatory to use drainage. |
| Watering | During flowering regular watering, about every 2 days, but the top layer of soil between waterings should be slightly dry up, the pot should never stand in the water, becausefrom excess moisture, the plant can rot. Nevertheless, the land should not dry up completely. Use only soft warm water. Cold water is harmful to Chirita, because spots may appear on the leaves. With the onset of autumn watering cut, in winter to water 1 time a week. Water should not, if possible, fall on the leaves and especially on the flowers. |
| Fertilizer | From spring to autumn, once a month, a liquid fertilizer, diluted two-fold. Excessive fertilization negatively affect growth Chirita. |
| Reproduction | May take root Chirita leaves that are planted into soil (a mixture of peat, sand, ground sheet) at a temperature of 68-71,6 ° F. It is desirable to cover the cuttings with polyethylene. Senpolii rooted cuttings should not be planted very deep. Rooting in the water is possible. The best thing of grafted Chirita in March – April, in which case you can get a flowering plant for the next winter. The seeds are very small, it is best to sow them in May, in this case the next winter the plants will already bloom. Seeds sprinkle the soil surface and slightly press them. Cover the container with glass and germinate the seeds at a temperature above 68 ° F. Shoots usually appear on the 10th-12th day. After about 2-3 weeks they are dived. |
| Bloom | Bloom from May to September, tubular flowers of white, blue, blue, pink color. |
| Transfer | Transplant when the roots of the plants will take the whole pot, 1 every 2-3 years in spring, without necessarily increasing the size of the pot, or can be increased, but only slightly. The pot should be low and wide, deep pots are not suitable for Chirita. Be careful not to damage its fragile roots. |
| Features of care | He likes airing, but does not tolerate drafts, gas combustion products and tobacco smoke. Leaves can be cleaned with a dry brush, but not with a damp rag. The leaves of the plant are fragile and easily damaged, so you should be careful. Gesneriaceae have easily rots neck, so it does not follow that the land in contact with it in order to avoid rotting. For the same purpose, dry leaves and flowers should be removed in a timely manner. |
| Difficulties | Affected spider mites, whiteflies, aphids. Large leaves of the plant can turn yellow, which is a natural process of their aging. Sites of dry tissue on the leaves are the result of a sunburn. With a lack of light, the plant grows slowly, the stems stretch, and the leaves grow smaller. The leaves twist, and their tips wither, the buds dry in the dry air. The leaves turn yellow and rot in the base with excessive watering in conditions of low temperature. |
| Air cleaning | – |
| Toxicity | – |
