One of the inhabitants of the tropical forests of Africa and Asia, settled in our apartments, is the flower of the koleus. This plant from the family gubotsvetnyh decorates the room not only in the flowering period, but constantly, due to the bright coloration of its leaves.
Kinds of a domestic gauge
The entire genus of these ornamental deciduous plants consists of about 150 species. In the premises, various types of Blume wheel, hybrid wheel, Vershaffelta wheel, as well as ampel - dwarf and Renétta are usually grown.
They are perennial plants up to 80 cm tall with sprouting branching stalks, on which are located oblong leaves. Their color and appearance of the edges (denticles, corrugated or fringed) depends on the variety. For example, the Kolume Blume is yellow (Golden Bedder) and dark red (Volcano). Also, dwarf varieties are reached, reaching only 10-15 cm in height.
To your flower always looked bright, you must adhere to the basic rules of its cultivation.
Care for the wheel
- Location. It is better to place the wheel on the west or east window. This is due to the fact that when direct sunlight hits, the leaves lose their bright color. But this does not apply to varieties with a white and red color. They can be placed on the southern.
- Temperature regime. The plant develops well at normal room temperature. It reacts badly to sharp changes: it freezes the leaves when it is cold and can rotate the roots, and with the increase, the turgor is lost.
- Watering. It requires moderate, but there are special requirements for water. It should be soft, steady and room temperature. You can even use the rain. With a decrease in temperature in the place of detention, watering should be reduced, but not allowing a strong drying of the soil.
- Top dressing. Fertilizers need to be introduced weekly only during a period of intensive growth (in spring and summer). It is best to use potassium fertilizer (0.5 g per 1 liter of water). In the rest of the time, fertilizing is carried out once a month at will, reducing the concentration of mineral matter by half.
- Pruning. To create a good bush, the upper shoots of the koleus should be regularly plucked.
- Transfer. It is held every 2-3 years. For planting, it is best to prepare a neutral or slightly acidic substrate. Put a good drain on the bottom of the tank.
Cultivation of different types of koleus on one window sill, will help you to create a beautiful composition.