Many people are attracted by decorative achymenes, care and cultivation of these plants is not a difficult task, when fulfilling common requirements, they feel great in a city apartment. The basic methods of reproduction of this wonderful flower are simple, for their realization special preparations or the equipment are not necessary.
Ahimenez - care at home
Close relatives of the achimenes are decorative houseplants of senpolia and gloxinia . In the European climate, these flowers do not live in nature, they are newcomers from the South American tropical forests. Adult vases grow in the form of branched bush with drooping or creeping stems, covered with soft pubescent leaves. There are compact upright forms of achymenes, which are great for indoor growing.
The main advantage of the ahimenes is that the care and cultivation of these pots does not require special adaptations and high costs from the owner. At home, they are pleased with the long flowering, when the bushes are abundantly decorated with beautiful bells of various colors. The petals of the ahemenes are bright and dark, monophonic and spotted, in a decorative strip. The flowering period lasts from May to cold October in two stages and ends with a state of rest with complete withering of the aboveground part.
Achimenes - care
These flowers do not differ capricious temper, they easily multiply and are able to forgive minor errors for beginners. Solving the problem of how to care for the achymene at home, you do not have to spend precious time on your pets in the winter. These plants, like gloxinium, wither and stored in any dark secluded place until the springtime, without causing unnecessary trouble to the person.
The main rules for growing ahimenes:
- An important point - akhimenez care and growing prefer with good, but diffuse natural light, so for them it is desirable to take away the window sills on the west or east side. On the southern or south-eastern windows, it is required to prish pots with pots.
- In small containers up to 0.7 liters, the plants will bloom poorly, as soon as they grow, immediately transfer the bush into a spacious container.
- Irrigation is moderate, drought and overflow are equally harmful for achymenes.
- Humidify the air periodically, but without direct spraying of the vase, this procedure causes spots on the leaf plates.
- Mineral fertilizing is carried out after 1-2 weeks.
- In the winter, watering is minimized.
- The stems must die off on their own, the aboveground mass is cut out after it dries completely.
Achimenes - planting and care
Studying the beautiful achymenes, care and cultivation of these pots in the apartment conditions, it is more often possible to meet the method of plant multiplication by means of the division of the rhizome. For a complete picture, you need to mention all the ways of breeding this culture, which can be useful to fans of ornamental plants. Some of them require a careful approach and use of drugs that help improve rooting.
Methods of reproduction of the ahimenes:
- Planting of seeded ahimenes is done from the beginning of February or in March. The crops germinate for about 3 weeks at a temperature of about 24 ° C, the picking is done after the appearance of 2 leaflets.
- Cutting of achymenes in water or sand. For best results, it is desirable to process the material with stimulants, and cover the container with seedlings, creating a greenhouse effect. The rooting period is about 2 weeks. The main difficulty of this method is that the plants form weak rhizomes until winter, so the seedlings need to be watered and illuminated before the beginning of winter, so that they grow stronger and normally enter a state of rest.
- The division of rhizomes is the easiest way to implement it, when a transplant is used in separate containers that have grown up in a rhizome, capable of forming qualitative shoots.
How to grow achymenes from rhizome?
Rhizomes are called underground stems, which in these flowers look like cones with scales. In winter, they sleep, but by February they begin to release germs of sprouts that wake up with the beginning of optimal conditions for vegetation. Successful cultivation of achymenes from the rhizome is obtained with proper storage. By autumn we reduce the temperature of the air and the frequency of watering, we send the flowerpot and hibernate after the stalk drying out. Rhizomes in winter store in an old container or dig, placing them in a nutrient substrate or vermiculite at a temperature of 10 ° C to 15 ° C.
When do awakening after rest?
An important issue for owners of ahimenes - when a young plant wakes up. In a warm room they are able to wake up even at the end of November or in December, which is highly undesirable. When storing a rhizome in a cool environment, there is a minimal risk of premature waking of shoot buds. If it is noticed that the acquired rhizome has gone into growth, then this process can be slowed down by placing it in a room with a temperature of up to 12 ° C.
How to wake up the rhizomes of achymenes?
The main factor that stimulates the appearance of germs is an increase in the temperature of the environment. To solve the problem, how to properly awaken the rhizomes of the Achimenes, you just need to transfer them to a warm room. It is advisable to put the sachets on a cabinet or table, but away from hot batteries, at a temperature of about 25-28 ° C. When in a bright spot, the germ buds can turn green, but this does not affect their quality. It is noticed that the rhizomes from plants that have gone away during cultivation earlier at rest, sprout in care more quickly.
Achimenes - when to plant rhizomes?
The solution to the problem, when planting rhizomes of the Achimenes, depends on the specific conditions in your apartment. Start germination can be from February, but the early terms can be used only if there is a high-quality artificial light. Cultivation and care of these flowers without special lamps is allowed after a significant increase in daylight, so in this case it is better to postpone the landing of the apexies until the end of March or early April.
Planting of rhizomes of achymenes
It is undesirable to plant small rhizomes without primordia germs, with the beginning of watering, this material often rot. It is better to immediately throw out dried up rhizomes or roots with signs of disease, healthy "bumps" to the touch are elastic and dense. Large roots can be divided by a clean knife into parts with eyes, the cut must then be dried and sprinkled with activated charcoal. It is allowed to treat the rhizome of achymenes before planting "Fitosporin" or other fungicide with precautionary measures. As an alternative, soaking rootlets for 20 minutes in manganese is used.
Primer for achymenes
In the care of the achymenes, ready-made soil mixtures can be used, which are intended for the cultivation of senpolia. Many lovers prefer to prepare nutrient substrates themselves, using the available ingredients. A light primer for achymenes can be made from sheet humus, peat, garden soil and coarse sand, mixing the listed components in a ratio of 1: 2: 1: 2.
How to plant achymenes in pots?
The density of planting roots affects the normal life of the plant. You can roughly calculate how much rhizomized ahimenes plant in a pot, dividing its diameter in centimeters by 2.5. Be sure to apply drainage from pebbles or expanded clay, filling it with the bottom of the container to 1/4 of the total volume. Next, we plant and grow young plants in accordance with a simple instruction that will help to carry out quality care for flowers.
How to plant Rhizomes Achimenes:
- We use for germination sprouted rootlets.
- On the surface of the soil we have rhizomes horizontally.
- When planting a single rhizome, you need to put them in the center of the pot.
- In spacious pots at the same time put up to 5-6 rhizome.
- Sprinkle the roots of achymenes followed by a thin layer of light substrate no more than 1.5-2 cm.
- After planting the soil is moistened.
- We put the pots in a tray and cover with a transparent plastic lid to reduce the drying of the soil during the initial period of growing young achymenes.
- Green shoots with normal care sprout from the soil for 1.5 to 3 weeks, depending on the size and condition of the budding bud, the temperature of the medium.