Growing And Varieties Of Lisianthus

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Beautiful rival of the rose

Lisianthus is quite easy to confuse with a rose - this flower is gorgeous in bouquets and is quite expensive due to its rarity. Hundreds of varieties of Lisianthus amaze with the splendor of size, shape, color and height - from miniature to one and a half meter giants.

There are species with buds that fit in a closed palm, others reach sizes of seven or even ten centimeters.

Lisianthus is exactly the plant that can bring real joy and replenish your family budget, because bouquets with lisianthus in the center do not sit on the shelves for a long time, this is always a welcome gift!

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Most often in culture you can find lisianthus russeliana or, as it is also called, large-flowered eustoma. This plant is perennial with strong height variation - from 30 centimeters to one and a half meters. It has oblong blue-green leaves with a slight, barely noticeable waxy bloom and rather large bell-shaped flowers reaching 15 cm in diameter. More than two dozen flowers can form on one plant. Of course, not all of them are so large, usually most of them barely exceed five to seven centimeters in diameter.

The advantage of this plant is that the flowers do not bloom at the same time, as a result, the flowering period is greatly stretched, and, therefore, gives more pleasure from contemplation. Eustoma flowers can stand in the cut for a very long time - if you change the water and renew the cuts, then the bouquet will delight you for more than twenty days. All these features contributed to the rather wide and rapid spread of Lisianthus throughout Europe.

Lisianthus varieties

The breeders also actively joined in the work. In a fairly short period of time, they have created several dozen varieties, characterized by a variety of height and quality of buds. The palette of colors has also expanded, now, in addition to the already boring snow-white, pink and reddish with blue shades, purple-yellow, apricot, lilac, bright blue tones have been added, and bicolor specimens have also appeared. Among this large variety, the variety series stands out, which have earned popularity in various parts of the world:

ABC F1 are beautiful plants, reaching a height of one meter, they can stand for a long time in cut vases and delight with their ten centimeter buds of various shades - from white and yellow to exotic light green and even dark lilac.

Mellow F1 - this series of varieties amazes with its silk petals, the plant height barely exceeds half a meter, but the size of the flower, sometimes exceeding 12 centimeters in diameter, is pleasantly surprising. Plants of this variety are characterized by very early flowering and high drought tolerance, and they are also preserved for a long time in the cut. The color of the petals ranges from white to dark pink and pale green. Recently, buds painted in light lilac and purple tones have come into vogue.

Mirage F1 is a fairly new variety of Lisianthus of very large sizes, its peduncle is strong and perfectly straight, it can stretch by a meter or more, and the flowers of the rarest bright color - from white to blue-bordered, have a diameter often exceeding the standard size of an eustoma of eight centimeters.

The variety Heidi F1 is also interesting, its height is slightly lower, and the flowers are smaller, but their petals are amazing - double, which gives the impression of velvety, which is complemented by a series of soft colors - cream, pale pink and light purple. Cut flowers will delight you for a long time, and added to the bouquet will decorate any of its variations.

The Echo F1 variety is also quite spectacular, in fact, its popularity is now at its height, thanks to the most delicate double flowers resembling small rosebuds. Plants barely exceed half a meter in height, but, possessing chic large buds with a diameter of seven or more centimeters, early flowering and a long standing period in the cut, they bypass many varieties of Lisianthus, and a chic series of colors - snow-white and yellow, lilac and light pink, blue edged with white or pink, and even multicolored serve as a nice bonus to this.

However, recently, due to the increased demand for indoor flowers, breeders have seriously thought about creating miniatures - varieties whose height barely exceeds 20 centimeters. A whole series of varieties were created, differing in dwarf growth in combination with rather large buds. These are the varieties:

Matador F1 is a very delicate plant with low maintenance requirements and very beautiful and large flowers, often white and sometimes pink with a blue border. The plant is compact, no more than 20 centimeters high, well suited for growing in a pot culture.

Mermaid F1 is an even lower plant (12-14 cm) which is rightfully considered the leading among indoor lisianthus due to its compact shape, large flowers (6-8 cm in diameter) with silk-like petals, painted in snow-white or light pink shades.

The Florida F1 variety is also magnificent - this is a very spectacular plant, reaching a height of 20-25 centimeters, it feels great in the presence of constant daylight and temperatures above + 20 ° C degrees. In such an environment, "long-playing" large double flowers are quickly formed, reaching a diameter of 7 centimeters and having a very bright exciting color - pink, bluish-blue, silvery-white or purple.

Of the newest varieties of the dwarf type, I would like to note Wonderus Light Brown, which is characterized by a light pink color and dark edging, Colorado Purple with very large monochromatic, dark blue buds, Roccoco Marine White - a snow-white flower with bluish edges, stored for a long time in the cut, Advantage Green - Often referred to as "angel wings" for its amazingly pure snow-white buds.

All lisianthus are perennial plants, but most often they are grown as annuals, usually using cut flowers or planting them in pots to decorate homes. With age, Lisianthus loses its decorative effect, its buds become smaller and there are less and less of them on the plant, sometimes four to five-year-old plants suddenly dry up. If you decide to have Lisianthus at home, then purchase it in the middle of summer, at this time the plants are already strong enough and ready for transplantation.

Growing seedlings

By the way, about buying: on the shelves you can most often see lisianthuses propagated by sowing seeds and much less often duplicated vegetatively.

There is a lot of fuss with seed reproduction, so often lovers of wonders prefer to buy a flower, although there are also daredevils who reproduce lisianthus on their own. The whole problem lies in the too small seeds of this plant, just think - there are more than 23,000 seeds in one gram of seeds!

In order to somehow facilitate their sowing, firms that sell seeds, cover each seed with a special nutrient, which has a dual purpose. And the seeds sprout much more amicably, and sowing them is much easier. Usually more than 60 flowers sprout out of a hundred of these "dragees".

By the way, growing Lisianthus seedlings is a very profitable business: you can opt for the production of seedlings for cutting or for growing perennial potted crops. The production technology of lisianthus has already been worked out, tested and literally brought to perfection, thanks to which both seedlings for cutting and flowers for decorating your windowsills can be obtained all year round.

Seed sowing usually begins in mid-January and continues until the end of March. This is in the absence of artificial lighting, but if you have the opportunity to install additional lighting, then you can sow seeds all year round.

Looking ahead, I want to note that it is better to get seedlings by sowing seeds in cassettes, in this case you do not have to remove the plants from the soil, because the root system of Lisianthus is extremely fragile and, being damaged during transplantation, can cause a long illness of the plant, and sometimes it death.

As a substrate for sowing seeds, a well-drained and sterilized flower soil is used, necessarily with a low nitrogen content in it and a pH of 6-7. After sowing, the seeds do not fall asleep - they are left on the surface of the substrate, but the entire container is covered with transparent glass or film, leaving gaps for air circulation and setting the backlight for 12-14 hours.

The ideal temperature of the substrate in conditions of sufficient moisture (periodic spraying) should be at the level of 20 … 25 ° С during the daytime and 14 … 16 ° С at night. In such conditions, you will not have to wait for the emergence of seedlings for a long time, they will appear in 12 days. Immediately after that, it is necessary to limit watering to a minimum, and lower the temperature to 14 … 17 ° С. If you decide to sow the seeds not in a separate container, but in a large bowl, then you need to wait for the formation of several pairs of real leaves on the plant, which will happen in 45-50 days, and then start picking.

This time it is highly recommended to plant seedlings in separate pots with a diameter of 4-5 centimeters. After about three months, the already formed plants can, without destroying the earthen coma, be planted in a permanent place - in a greenhouse (if they are supposed to be grown for cutting) or in large pots, which will be quite useful in the future for growing a room culture of Lisianthus.

Lisianthus for cutting

By the way, about cuts. Not everyone knows that it is necessary to grow plants suitable for the production of bouquets in a special way.

First, you should pick up the soil - it must be well moistened, but stagnation of water should not be allowed in any case. The soil must first be disinfected - with hot steam or a solution of potassium permanganate and well loosened. It is in such a substrate containing peat or humus (40-50%) that it is necessary, without deepening the root collar, to plant eustoma.

In order for cut plants to turn out beautiful, have chic, even, dense buds of bright colors, they must be watered regularly - the soil should not suffer from drying out, but also from an excess of moisture. Ideally, the soil moisture level should be constantly kept at around 75% until the first buds bloom.

As for the temperature, its optimal value should be in the range from 23 to 25 degrees during the daytime and about 15 degrees at night. To ensure the full development of cut plants, sufficient feeding is necessary. They begin to do it 20 days after planting seedlings in a greenhouse, for this they use exclusively water-soluble mineral fertilizers.

The first feeding is carried out using only nitrogen fertilizers, it is divided into several parts and carried out at intervals of once a week until the plants reach a height of 35-45 centimeters. Only after that they begin to apply complex mineral fertilizers containing, in addition to the obligatory nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The best cut plants are usually bushy, branched.

To give just this look, they must be pinched, which will lead to active growth of side shoots. In addition to the obvious advantages, this technique allows plants to bloom more luxuriantly, but the flowering itself will come a little later. In general, the entire period, from planting seedlings in a greenhouse to receiving the first marketable product, takes about 3-3.5 months. As for artificial lighting, it will contribute to a slightly more active growth of plants, as well as a faster onset of the flowering period.

Cutting begins immediately after the final formation of the buds. Usually the standard size of a flower with a peduncle is 60-70 centimeters long, while all the lower leaves are necessarily removed. Provided that the water is regularly changed - clean and cool - a bouquet of cut lisianthus flowers in a vase can stand for a very long time. Therefore, it is ideal for decorating all kinds of celebrations and is always a welcome gift.

In the compositions, lisianthus is perfectly combined with orchids and roses, lilies and camillas, as well as with leafless gerberas, touching chrysanthemums, chic gypsophila and unusual ruscus.

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Lisianthus on the windowsill

They continue to grow lisianthus for cutting, but still we see it more often in pot culture. To grow this miracle for yourself or for sale, the seeds need to be sown only between July and the end of September.

The technique of sowing seeds is very similar to that of growing cut plants. They are sown on the soil surface, placed in small containers filled with damp earth, consisting of peat and sand in equal proportions, and placed in any warm and bright place, where the temperature can be maintained at 19 … 22 ° C. With enough light and heat, as well as moisture, seedlings will appear in 15-20 days.

When a pair of true leaves forms, which marks the formation of a root in a seedling, watering is reduced, periodically allowing the lump of earth to dry out a little. In the future, all watering is carried out exclusively in the early morning, ensuring that the leaf blade and the surface of the soil are dry in the evening and at night, this will help to avoid black leg disease, which is fatal for seedlings.

In the winter, the potted culture of Lisianthus needs a dormant period, during which it is provided with a temperature of no higher than 12 ° C. Seedlings are transplanted from pots, usually in March. And if everything is done correctly, and the roots are not damaged, then in 8-10 months the first flowering of this plant will come.

In fact, keeping lisianthus in pots is not an easy task: in the summer, fresh air and bright, but always diffused light are vital to it. In this regard, it is possible to recommend placing pots with a flower on a window sill, oriented to the west or east, and the premises must be selected so that the temperature in them is kept at around 19 … 22 ° C.

As for watering, you will only have to use soft and settled water for this. It is necessary to water strictly as the substrate dries - it is impossible to overfill, as well as to underfill the plants, but it is not recommended to spray, as some advise. This can lead to a number of unpleasant diseases on the leaves.

Here are general tips to help prolong the flowering of Lisianthus - trim off faded buds and ensure optimal moisture and temperature. If these conditions are met, your plants will bloom again after 90-100 days!

During the budding period, as well as during periods accompanied by active growth, the eustoma must be fed. For this, liquid complex fertilizers are suitable with a dosage calculated for 10 liters of water - 10-15 ml. If you have taken into account all these tips, then you can relax for a couple of years and just enjoy the flowering of your pet. And after this period, it is advisable to plant a new plant. Good luck everyone!