Growing Eustoma from seeds at home

Each summer resident has his own way to make the plot the most original. Someone relies on exotic plants that need to be watched like a hawk, while someone prefers to use familiar flowers for decoration that do not require special conditions.



Eustoma can rightfully be classified as such delightful plants. This floral miracle is cultivated in open ground as an annual. This is primarily due to climatic conditions - in the middle zone, the flower rarely manages to successfully overwinter.

Eustoma reproduces only by seeds. Other methods of reproduction are not suitable for it: eustoma cuttings do not germinate, and the root system does not tolerate division.



Of course, in order to grow a plant on a summer cottage, you will still have to make some effort. And the most important thing is to comply with the sowing dates. In order for the eustoma to have time to grow and bloom, you need to plant the seeds for seedlings in December-January (but not later than February). It begins to bloom immediately after the first shoots appear (17-20 weeks after planting).

If you do not have time with the timing, then this beauty will have to bloom in the fall, and this is dangerous: it can be destroyed by autumn frosts. If you do not plan to transplant the eustoma into open ground, then the optimal time for sowing in this case is June or July.
 

Gardeners use a ready-made soil mixture for Saintpaulias to grow eustoma, which is sold in stores. The mixture must be sifted and a little washed sand added.

You can also mix peat, garden soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:0.5. Make sure that the mixture is light, breathable, and has a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. If the peat is high moor, with an acidic reaction, add 1 tbsp. of ash per 0.5 l of soil mixture. Sift the finished mixture.

The soil mixture must be sterile - this is an important condition for growing eustoma. To do this, steam it in a steamer for an hour.

The container where you plan to grow eustoma must be washed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and only then filled with soil mixture. The soil should be slightly damp. The soil surface should be leveled and slightly compacted, eustoma seeds are carefully laid out on the surface using a damp wooden toothpick or other suitable object.



To get high-quality seedlings from eustoma seeds later, you need to create ideal conditions for seedlings to develop. Lighting and temperature conditions play an important role in this. To help the seeds germinate better, they are moistened with a fine spray. The wet shell is carefully crushed with a toothpick - this will help the seeds to sprout faster.

After you are done with the seeds, place the container in a plastic bag (as an alternative - cover with glass) and provide the future seedlings with 12-hour illumination with fluorescent lamps. Moreover, those lamps that do not heat up very much are ideal. Make sure that the temperature on the soil surface is a maximum of 20-25 ° C.

The first shoots can be expected 10-12 days after sowing.

Don't worry if the seedlings are not growing fast enough - they need to develop a root system. When the seedlings grow a little, gradually accustom them to room temperature and also ventilate them. The ventilation time should be increased every day. And be sure to monitor the soil moisture - overdrying will ruin the immature seedlings!
 

Many gardeners have long been using the method of planting plants in peat tablets. Many have fallen in love with this method of growing for its simplicity and effectiveness, as well as for the fact that the plants do not suffer when transplanted into the ground and do not get sick, because the risk of damaging the roots during transplantation is excluded.

It is also suitable for growing eustoma. Gardeners recommend using medium-sized peat tablets with a diameter of 4 cm for this.

Each peat tablet should be soaked in water one by one. To do this, they are lowered into a plastic container, previously washed with a solution of potassium permanganate. Water is added to the container as the tablets swell, you do not need to pour a lot of water at once. When the tablet swells, make a depression in it, into which eustoma seeds are placed. They do not need to be pressed down or sprinkled with earth.

After this, the container is covered with a lid or plastic wrap. To provide the seeds with access to fresh air, the lid (film) must be periodically lifted.

Initially, eustoma will need bright, but diffused light: this will help the seedlings germinate compactly, they will not be too elongated. To do this, place the container under a fluorescent lamp. Eustoma daylight should last 12 hours, so provide the plant with additional lighting.

Towards the end of winter, the seedlings are moved to a windowsill on the sunny side.
 

You can dive eustoma as soon as 2-3 pairs of true leaves appear on it. This usually happens after 6-8 weeks. It is very important to dive on time, this process cannot be postponed, and do not be afraid of the small size of the seedlings. After all, if you miss the right moment, and they have time to grow larger than necessary, during the dive, the risk of damaging the roots of the eustoma will increase.

Dive is a painstaking business and requires increased caution. Your work should be truly jewelry, because it is this that will further ensure the rapid and high-quality growth of the eustoma. In order to dive the seedlings more quickly and efficiently, use a thin awl - this will help to extract tiny bushes from the soil with the least damage.
 

Gardeners transplant eustoma to a flowerbed in early July. The plant can be planted in the ground after the first 4-8 full leaves appear. If you did everything right from the very beginning, then your flower will take root in a new place without problems. Almost immediately after adaptation, flower stalks will appear, and very soon your eustoma will bloom until the frost and delight you!

It is preferable to plant eustoma in the ground in the evening. When choosing a flowerbed, remember that eustoma can reveal its maximum beauty only in sunny places. Together with the soil, each seedling is lowered into a pre-prepared, well-watered hole. The remaining space is filled with soil. The roots of the plant in the hole should be at the same depth at which they were in the container.

Eustoma grows well in moist soils, the acidity of which reaches pH 6.5-7.0. In soils where the acidity is increased, eustoma will grow very slowly. To speed up its growth, you need to monitor the condition of the soil: loosen, moisten, remove weeds in time. If the soil in your flowerbed is rich in humus, then the eustoma will not need to be fed often - just a couple of times per season.



Remember that not only the soil is important for eustoma, but also high-quality, timely watering. If there is not enough water, the eustoma begins to shed its buds. It is important to maintain a balance: the soil should be moderately moistened, but in no case oversaturated with moisture! The most correct thing is to water the eustoma only after the top layer of soil has dried out enough after the previous watering. It is important that water does not get on the leaves of the plant, otherwise the plant will be at risk of fungal diseases.

Therefore, in the first two months after transplanting into open ground, it is advisable to water the eustoma seedlings with a solution of the fungicide Chistotsvet (4 ml per 5 l of water) - this will provide the young plants with strong leaves and stems, and also protect them from diseases. Growing eustoma is not an easy task. However, it is worth it! Eustoma will add sophistication to any flowerbed. And with proper care and watering, it will delight you with lush flowering for a long time.