Description of the general appearance of Smithians, advice on growing, advice on the choice of soil, fertilizers, transplantation and reproduction of a flower, pest control, species. Smithiantha is a herb that belongs to the Gesneriaceae family, containing 9 more representatives of this species. Sometimes this plant is found in literary sources under the name Negelia. The birthplace of this flower is considered to be humid mountainousness in the tropical forests of the Mexican and Guatemalan regions of South America, it can also be found in the Central strip of the continent. The plant has been known as a pot culture since the mid-19th century (1840), and the flower is named after Matilda Smith, who lived from 1854-1926 and was an artist of the private English botanical garden called Kew.
Negelia has a sufficiently developed rhizome, which is covered with scales, which are underdeveloped leaves, combined with adventitious root processes. The shoots of the plant are upright, with pubescence and reaching a height of 30–70 cm. The leaves of the flower grow opposite each other (opposite arrangement). They have a heart-shaped shape or an oval shape and the entire leaf plate is covered with a small, like velvet fluff of a reddish or purple hue. The color of the leaves is greenish with a brown undertone or richly emerald. The size of the leaf can vary between 15-18 cm, they look very juicy.
The flowering process occurs in mid-summer and can last until the end of autumn days. At the tops of the flowering shoots are inflorescences in the form of brushes. Flowers gather in them, which in their shape resemble tubes drooping down, or bells (the petals seem to be spliced), and only closer to the top of the flower there is a division into 5 bent semicircular lobes. There are no leaves that would frame the inflorescence. The color range of the buds is very extensive, there are fiery red with an orange tint, but many hybrid varieties have already been bred, which have white, pinkish, yellow with a speckled ornament on the pharynx. After the flowering is completed, all the aboveground parts of the smithyanta gradually die off, and then new shoots begin to grow from the underground rhizome processes. In nonhelia, the period of winter dormancy is pronounced, when the plant seems to go into hibernation, therefore, for successful further growth and flowering, the owner of the flower will have to withstand the conditions of "wintering". The plant can be found in miniature forms of only 10 cm.
The plant does not require too much effort for its cultivation, but the conditions of winter dormancy should be carefully observed. In this case, the smithiante will be able to delight with its flowering for several years. The growth rate of helium is quite high, because after wintering, the above-ground parts of the plant must be re-grown and only after that bell-shaped flowers will appear.
Smitiantu can sometimes be confused with koleriya, which outwardly is very similar to her. But the difference between these plants is that in the first, the aerial parts die off completely after flowering, and there is a pronounced time for winter rest, while the coleria only bare its shoots. Well, the care of these plants is different. If an inexperienced florist confuses them, then this will lead to the fact that the Smithian will simply die.
It is also recommended to grow helium in hanging flowerpots, pots, but often florariums are used for its cultivation.
Recommendations for cultivating smithians indoors
- Lighting. The bell-shaped beauty is very fond of bright light, but direct sunlight is not desirable for her. In the room, it is necessary to choose those window sills, the windows of which will face the west or east side of the world. If this is not possible, then a southern location may be suitable for the Smithyanta, but then you will have to arrange shading in the hottest hours of the day from too strong ultraviolet radiation. This can be organized with thin and light fabric curtains, or you can use gauze for sewing them. Some growers simply stick tracing paper or other thin paper on window glass. If you expose a flower under bright solar streams, then its growth becomes uneven - this is the least that can happen to a smithian, but most often, such an arrangement of the plant will lead to severe sunburn on the leaf plates. But on the northern windows, the smithian may feel bad, since she will not have enough light to continue successful growth and further vegetation. Then you will have to illuminate the flower with the help of special phytolamps or fluorescent lamps.
- Temperature of non-helium content. In order for the flower to feel comfortable and please with the subsequent flowering, it is necessary to withstand moderate room heat indicators of 23-25 degrees. But when the flowering stops and all the aboveground parts die off, the plant will require temperatures of at least 18–20 degrees Celsius. The boundary limit at which the plant does not die should not be less than 13 degrees.
- Air humidity for a smithyanta in those periods when its growth begins and flowering continues, it should be high enough. But since all parts of the flower are covered with fine pubescence, it is unacceptable to spray and moisten helium, as this can lead to decay of leaves or shoots. To solve this problem, a flower pot is placed in a deep and wide container (pallet), in which expanded clay or chopped sphagnum moss is placed. A small amount of water is added there, but it is important to ensure that the bottom of the flowerpot does not touch the edge of the moisture. To do this, you can put the pot on a saucer. Another possibility to increase the air humidity is to install cans of water next to the plant pot, which will evaporate and reduce dryness. If you break this rule and spray the plant, then a brownish spot appears on the leaf plates, peduncles or buds, and later on in these places damage and decay will begin.
- Watering. At a time when the plant is in a period of active growth or flowering, and this occurs in the spring and until the end of autumn days, it is necessary to moisten the soil in the pot well. The signal that the plant requires moisture will be the drying of the upper layer of the substrate. Watering should be done with such regularity that the soil in the pot never becomes too dry, but waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed, as this will lead to the beginning of decay of the plant's rhizome system. Therefore, experienced flower growers advise using only bottom watering, when water is poured into a bowl under the flowerpot, and after 15 minutes, when the moisture necessary for the plant is saturated with soil, its residues are poured out (this method is called "ebb and flow"). In this case, drops of moisture will not fall on the non-helium parts and will not spoil its decorative appearance. When the time of winter rest comes for the flower, they very rarely moisten the soil in the flowerpot, only so that the rhizomes do not dry out. Water for irrigation must be taken soft, free from harmful impurities and only at room temperature (22-23 degrees Celsius). In order to obtain the required water hardness, tap water should be passed through a filter, boiled and then settled for several days. You can also soften the water by putting a handful of peat earth in it overnight, wrapped in gauze or a linen bag. In the best case, if possible, it is necessary to collect moisture from the rain or melt the snow in cold weather, such water is heated to the required parameters and is the most acceptable option for watering plants.
- Fertilization occurs for the Smithian when she is actively growing leaves, shoots, or is in the process of flowering (spring-late autumn). To maintain the plant, complex mineral supplements are selected, the dosage of which should be almost halved from that indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. You can also use fertilizer for flowering indoor plants. The main condition is the increased content of potassium in the composition. Top dressing must be diluted in water for irrigation and then fertilized non-helium. The regularity of introducing such components can be weekly or, in extreme cases, three times a month.
- During the rest, which occurs in the Smithian when all the ground parts die completely, they begin to reduce the amount of watering, and then they stop completely moistening the rhizome. You can remove the plant from the pot, place it in sand or peaty dry soil and store it in a dark and cool place until the end of winter. The winter dormant temperature should not be lower than 12 degrees Celsius, otherwise the helium may die. If this is not done, then it is simply better to place the pot in the farthest and coolest place in the room, where there is almost no access to daylight. Watering at this time is extremely rare.
- Soil selection and transplantation of Smithyanta. Since the plant comes out of winter dormancy with the arrival of spring, it is also required to transplant helium at this time. Several rhizomes can be placed in a pot at once, so that the future bush looks more impressive. The capacity for planting smithians is not required deep, but wide enough, since the plant has a shallow root system. For planting 2-3 rhizomes, you can use a pot with a diameter of 15 cm. Having placed the root shoots in a flowerpot, you need to sprinkle them a little with earth, its layer should be approximately 1 cm.
At the bottom of the container, without fail, it is necessary to pour about 2 cm of moisture-retaining materials that will serve as drainage. It can be fine expanded clay, pebbles or crushed bricks. It is important that the material is sized to prevent it from spilling out through the holes in the pot that are designed to drain or absorb moisture during “bottom watering”.
When replanting, you should choose a soil that is light enough in composition and with good air permeability, with a weak acid reaction (pH 5, 5–6, 5). You can use ready-made substrates, which are presented in large quantities in flower shops, for example, "Violet" or, in extreme cases, soil for Saintpaulias. Many growers independently mix soil mixture for planting Smithians. The composition of the earth can consist of the following components:
- garden soil, river sand or perlite, moistened peat or humus (you can use leafy soil instead), all these components are taken in equal parts, and a small part of lime is also added to the substrate;
- leafy soil, sod, coniferous soil, peat soil (in proportions 2: 2: 1: 1), coarse-grain sand can be added to the composition.
Breeding tips for Smithians
Nonhelium can be propagated in several ways: by dividing the rhizome, cuttings or planting seeds.
- Rhizome division method. When using the method of sectioning the root process, this operation must be carried out at a time when the time of new growth comes for the Smithyanta (end of February). The rhizome is removed from the pot or container where the plant was kept during its "wintering" period. Then, using a sharpened knife, you need to divide the root into parts. The cut sites must be powdered with crushed activated charcoal or charcoal to ensure disinfection of the wounds. The chopped pieces must be placed in pots with soil in a horizontal position to a depth of about 2-3 cm. You can plant 2-3 pieces in containers. Water the new plants little by little, until the young leaves appear.
- When breeding by cuttings this can be done when the flower has shoots. To do this, you need to cut them from the tops to a length of 5–6 cm. Then the cuttings are placed in water and wait for the appearance of root shoots, but they are also recommended to be immediately planted in the soil intended for Saintpaulias or the soil mixtures previously compiled by ourselves. Before planting, the slices should be dipped in any stimulant of root formation (for example, heteroauxin). After that, it is recommended to keep the humidity in the range of 70–80%. In this case, it is necessary to wrap the cuttings with a plastic bag and provide the bottom heating of the soil. If the cuttings are set in water, then after the roots appear, they wait until their length becomes approximately one centimeter and then they are planted in several pieces in a pot, the soil is appropriate.
- If you breed smithyanta with seed material, then it is necessary to land from mid-winter to mid-spring. It is best to germinate seeds in good light, but without direct sunlight. To do this, it is necessary to fill the container with a peat-sand mixture, moisten it a little with a spray bottle and distribute the seed material on its surface. You cannot immerse seeds in the ground! Since successful germination requires high humidity and heat, it is recommended to cover the container with seedlings with a piece of glass (or plexiglass) or cover it with a plastic bag. The first shoots of Smithyanta appear in approximately 20 days. It is required to wait about another month for the plant to get stronger, and dive into the appropriate container. After a month and a half, it is necessary to transplant the seedlings into separate small pots with a diameter of 4-6 cm with a substrate suitable for adult specimens. As soon as the grown Smitians are still stronger, they are re-transplanted into pots with a diameter of 9-10 cm. If you think about it, then from the moment when the seed was planted until you can admire the flowers of nonhelium, it will take about 24 weeks.
Problems growing Smithians at home
The most common pests include spider mites, whiteflies, aphids or mealybugs. Each of the harmful insects is characterized by different symptoms in the plant, but they are united by the fact that the flower has a varied (sticky or white) bloom on the leaf plates, they turn yellow, deform and wither. To combat, you can use modern insecticidal agents. Also, if the conditions of detention have been violated, namely, with high humidity, various diseases caused by parasitic fungi can affect the Smithyant, here fungicides are used to combat diseases.
If drops of liquid fall on the plant, then these places turn yellow or brown. Also, such spotting can be the result of watering the plant with too cold water or its high hardness. If the air humidity is insufficient, then the leaf plates of the Smithians will begin to curl and turn yellow. The same can happen with prolonged exposure to non-helium in direct sunlight.
Types of Smithyanta
- Smithiantha hybrida - differs in inflorescence in the form of a panicle, the flower has the shape of a narrowed bell. The buds can be rich orange, pinkish and yellow.
- Smithiantha zerbina - a bright orange flower with a red spot on the throat.
- Smithiantha multiflora - cream-colored buds 4 cm long.
- Smithiantha cinnabarina - a red bell tube with a yellowish center, inflorescences - 25 cm.
Learn more about the Smithian in this video:
