Gloxinia Plant Care

Gloxinia flowers are extremely attractive also known as florist's Gloxinia. These are velvety flowers with around 40 attractive colors. Nowadays, these flowers are also available in bi or tricolors. Gloxinia can make lovely house plants as long as you know how to take good care of these. Before you grow these flowers in your garden, you must know a little more about these flowers original habitat and other background information.

About Gloxinia Plant

Gloxinia is a flowering plant that was originally cultivated in Brazil in 1817 from where these flowers later gained popularity. The binomial nomenclature of this flower is Sinningia speciosa. It was earlier included in the Gloxinia genus and now it is included in Sinningia. It is also called 'Florist's Gloxinia'.

Gloxinia is a tuberous plant with rounded bottoms and is similar to African violets and ferns. They bloom all around the year. The flowers are bell shaped, with velvety and ruffled petals and have vibrant colors. Usually these flowers are large and deep throated, however there is a modern variety of Gloxinia flowers that have been developed which have smaller flowers. This is the hybrid variety with drooping flowers in bi-colors. Gloxinia flowers make very beautiful bouquets and also adorn homes as houseplants.

How to Grow and Care for your Gloxinia Plant

If you are planning to decorate your home with some ornamental plants, Gloxinia flowers would be the perfect choice. It does not require you to be an expert at gardening. Here we discuss how to care for Gloxinia flowers.

Basic Necessities
Sunlight and water are the basic requirements for any plant to grow and blossom well. Similarly, Gloxinia requires these as well. Gloxinia plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Filtered light through a screen is preferred for these plants. Moderate watering is recommended when the plants are growing actively. Spray the flowers with water, at least twice a day. The soil should remain moist and not clogged with water, which may lead to wilting. Ideal growth temperatures for this plant is 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Soil and Fertilizer Requirements
Whichever type of garden soil you use for Gloxinia, be sure the soil drains well. Artificial soil which is used in green houses also works very well. Some gardeners recommend African Violet potted soil. The plant enters dormancy around winter, also known as winter rest. This period lasts for around 2 to 4 months. This is the best time re-pot the plant in a bigger space with new soil. During this time it is necessary to dig up the tuber and store it at a lower, dry temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is necessary that you provide your Gloxinia with fresh fertilizers every month. A weak balanced fertilizer, which is water soluble is the best for these plants. The fertilizer requirements change according to the water provided and also the season.

Pruning
Pruning your plant helps in good vegetation. Always remember to cut off the flowers from the base. The leaves of Gloxinia are very brittle. Hence, you must take care that these leaves are not damaged while pruning these plants.

Propagation
Sowing seeds of Gloxinia is the simplest method of propagation. There are other methods such as propagation by leaf and stem cuttings. A slanted cut with a sharp knife is required for stem cutting propagation. This can then be grown in the best suited potted medium.

Pests
Gloxinia house plants are usually free of pests. However, sometimes mites and thrips do infest and create a nuisance. In such cases it is recommended that you use natural or organic insecticides to get rid of these pests.

This was all about caring for Gloxinia plants. A beautiful ornamental plant that looks perfect anywhere, right from your living room to patio tables.