Eshinanthus - home care

Eshinanthus - a smart houseplant, attracting not only brightly green openwork leaves, but also long flowering. However, to grow such a handsome man is not an easy task.

In nature, this wonderful flower is found on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, as well as in the tropical forests of East and South Asia. It grows mainly near waterfalls and streams under the trees. High humidity, scattered sunlight and heat are the most important conditions necessary for the life of eschinanthus.

Eshinanthus has long hanging stalks, which can reach up to 70 centimeters in length, due to what it looks great in pendant pots, pots and baskets. Its fleshy leaves are characterized by an oval shape and pointed at the ends. The flowers of eschinanthus are especially striking in their originality-bright, orange, red or maroon narrow-brow calyxes with fluffed corollas inside. The flowering of eschinanthus lasts quite a long time, from June to October.

Flower eschinanthus - care

Cultivation of escinanthus at home is a rather difficult task. This flower has its own "complex character": one season it can abundantly bloom and please the eye, and in another, for example, do not bloom at all. However, as is known, to care for eschinanthus and to achieve its flowering is a pleasure.

To water this flower is necessary only by warm settled water temperature of 32-35 degrees Celsius. In this case, the soil in the pot should always be slightly moist. Eshinanthus is not able to survive the drought; however, it is contraindicated to over-fill it, otherwise its leaves fall off. Water for irrigation should be soft and not contain a lot of calcium, as this will damage the plant. In winter, the frequency of watering can be less. In summer, eschinanthus is sprinkled daily with warm water at room temperature. Such a procedure will satisfy the excessive need of a flower in moisture.

The optimum temperature for a plant in winter will be 16-18 degrees Celsius, and in the summer period not less than 25. The flower does not tolerate sudden temperature changes. In a draft or in dampness, eschinanthus discards its buds, and its leaves turn yellow and fall off.

Eshinanthus is a very photophilous plant, requiring intensive illumination, but it is still necessary to protect it from direct sunlight. So the flower will feel comfortable on the windowsills of the western or eastern windows. Too shady places categorically do not fit, otherwise the eschinanthus simply does not bloom.

The soil for the flower should be neutral or slightly acidic. Suitable will be a mixture of leaf and sod land, which should be added sand, pieces of charcoal and boiled chopped sphagnum moss. Eschinanthus also needs reliable drainage.

Eshinanthus - Diseases

With improper care (bay, drafts, dampness), the plant can be damaged by gray rot and mushroom diseases. Of pests, the most common are aphids , thrips, or scutes .

Eshinanthus - reproduction

This plant multiplies usually by apical cuttings. For this purpose cuttings with five internodes, picked up to flowering plants in early spring. The lower leaves are removed, and the cuttings are placed in a moist mixture of peat and sand or in water. You can also cover them with a plastic bag. Thus, the temperature for rooting should be 22-25 degrees Celsius. Usually, after 2-3 weeks, young plants take root, and they can be transplanted into a pot.

Eschinanthus - transplant

Plant transplantation can be carried out every two to three years in the spring by rolling into a larger pot. In this case it is necessary to keep a small clod of ground around the roots. In parallel with this, pruning of long shoots is also carried out.