| Life form | Grassy, ampel |
| Family | Gesneriaceae |
| Origin | Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil |
| Ease of cultivation | Easy with small difficulties |
| The size | Height to 15 -20 cm |
| Growth rate | It grows quite slowly throughout the year |
| Lifespan | With age, the plant loses decorativeness, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, so the episse requires regular rejuvenation |
| 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. At low temperatures, there is a high probability of various rot. |
| Humidity | 50-60%. Spray the air around the epilation, avoiding moisture on the flowers and leaves, on which stains can form from the water. 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. Most of the essays are adapted to the conditions of detention in the apartment. Only the so-called “watercolor” essays require a humidity of about 80% and content in an aquarium, a terrarium or a flower glass. |
| Lighting | Scattered light. Suitable for the east and west windows, should be shaded from the direct midday rays. In bright light, the leaves of the episode turn yellow and twist. With lack of light, there is no flowering. |
| The soil | Suitable light breathable slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5). For the soil of your own preparation, you can take 2 pieces of leaf land, 1 part of coarse-grained sand or perlite, 1 part peat, 1 part humus, you can add charcoal. Either: 4 parts of leaf land and one part of peat and sand. It is mandatory to use drainage. |
| Watering | During flowering, regular watering, approximately every 2 days, the pot should never stand in the water, the water from the pan must be drained off, since the water must be drained. from excess moisture, the plant can rot. Nevertheless, the land should not dry up. Use only soft water. 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 top dressing adversely affects the growth of the episode. Watercolor epics do not fertilize. |
| Reproduction | The easiest way to reproduce episodes is by rooting off the layers, but rosettes should be rooted as close to the plant as possible. Rosettes on too long mustaches take root more difficultly. The rosettes are buried and covered with a film. You can prikopat several outlets in a pot next to the mother plant. Sockets of episodes can take root in the water, immersing in it no more than 2 internodes. You can multiply, completely separating the stolon (“barbel”), cutting it into pieces and planting rosettes in the soil, covering it with a film. The leaves of the epilation and the stem cuttings can be rooted, which are planted in loose soil (a mixture of peat, sand, leafy ground) at a temperature of 68-71,6 ° F. It is desirable to cover the cuttings with polyethylene. As in the case of shenpolia, cuttings that are planted not very deeply take root. Rooting in the water is possible. Reproduction by seeds can lead to loss of varietal characters. Seeds are planted in January-February (for summer flowering plants, for the episode to blossom next year, the seeds can be sown in June-July) and do not sprinkle with earth. 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 | Blossom from May to September with tubular flowers of red color with a yellow yawn. |
| Transfer | Transplanted 1 time in 2-3 years in the spring, while not necessarily increase the size of the pot. The pot should be low and wide, so that new rosettes of the epicure can be rooted. Be careful not to damage the fragile roots of the episode. |
| 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. Episode very well grows in terrariums or in bottles. Small plants in bottles should be renewed every 2 years.The neck easily rots, therefore, it is not necessary for the earth to come into contact with it in order to escape decay. For the same purpose, dry leaves should be removed in a timely manner. |
| Difficulties | It is affected by a spider mite (most often affects the plant in dry air), whiteflies and 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. Usually, decay occurs when there is a lack of lighting and a low temperature. The plant becomes limp when moist soil, the leaves lose turgor. In this case, the cuttings of the plant are required. |
| Air cleaning | – |
| Toxicity | – |
