Home flowers: cross-country. Description, reproduction and care

The indoor cross-dress flower is grown in the apartments of the central strip of Russia relatively recently. For a long time this plant was too complex and whimsical in care. Withdrawing more unpretentious varieties allowed to enjoy its beauty and at home. So, what are the flowers? What kind of conditions does the cross-country require?

Crossandra

Her orange or pink flowers seem to immediately create an atmosphere of the tropics around her. It seems that just around the plant there will be hummingbirds and butterflies from hot countries. Someone does not see anything special in the cross, for which it would be worthwhile to create rather complicated conditions. But there is something interesting in it, but if care is sufficient, she will regularly enjoy abundant flowering from May to September and look simply amazing. As a rule, this occurs up to 3-4 years, taking into account the fact that the whole flower lives to 5-6. Therefore, it is not only necessary to create suitable conditions for it, but also to address the issue of its reproduction in time. Crossandra is a flower whose photo simply does not convey its beauty, so more or less experienced lovers should definitely try to grow it.

Origin

In nature, cross-dress flowers grow on the island of Sri Lanka, located in the Indian Ocean. Also in natural conditions, some species are found in Madagascar, in Africa, in South-East Asia. They have successfully taken root in the Arabian Peninsula. It is not surprising that these beauties are accustomed to sufficiently mild conditions, which are difficult to reproduce at home. For a long time, only those florists who had greenhouse and a significant amount of time managed to tame them, to track and correct temperature, light, humidity and other parameters in time.

Fortunately, breeders managed to bring out new varieties that are better amenable to cultivation outside greenhouses and suitable for keeping in a normal apartment. That is why today the home flower of the cross-dress is not a miracle on the windowsill, but quite a common thing, you need only a little patience and attention.

Varieties

In total, botanists number about 50 kinds of cross-dress. But at home, as a rule, there are only a few: the funnel-shaped (Crossandra infundibuliformis), prickly (Crossandra pungens), nylotika (Crossandra nilotika), Guinean (Crossandra guineensis). The first of them, as well as its hybrid, are the most popular ones, so they will be discussed first of all. The combination of coral-orange petals and dark green leaves looks quite impressive, so it is not surprising that these plants are increasingly found in flats. So, what does the cross-dresser flower require?

At home

Knowing where the birthplace of this plant, it is necessary to maximally bring his surroundings to an eternal summer. First of all, it is worthwhile to look for a suitable place: there should be enough light and moist, without drafts. There are two basic approaches to caring for cross-dressing: with and without hibernation. In the first case, in the cold season it is necessary to lower the temperature of the content, reduce watering and reduce the lighting somewhat. It is believed that this style of care stimulates a more abundant and long flowering in spring and summer. In the second case, the conditions are kept constant throughout the year. Depending on the specific species, the growth rate may be different, but the funnel-shaped cross-frame can bloom almost from infancy, barely having grown roots and leaves.

Temperature

Usually in the room where the cross-dress is located, it must be from 18 to 25 degrees. If wintering is practiced, you need to transfer the pot to a cooler place. But it is worth considering that at a temperature of less than 16 degrees the flower will begin to die. You also need to be very careful about airing, because, despite the love of fresh air, the cross-dress does not make drafts, immediately dropping the leaves. In other words, the conditions must be stable and soft. Crossandra is an indoor flower, caring for it does not involve putting a pot on the street even in summer, so do not experiment.

Lighting

Like most plants, which come from the tropics, the crossandra is quite capricious in this matter. She needs a bright, but diffuse light, direct sunlight is contraindicated because of the danger of burns on the leaves. It is best to have a pot on the east or west window sill, in winter you can move it to the south, but there it is worth keeping an eye on that the insolation is not excessive. It tolerates the plant and partial shade, but in this case the flowering will be less abundant and prolonged.

Watering

Regular and sufficient hydration is almost determinant in the matter of plant care factor. Cross-dress flowers do not endure both shortage and moisture surplus, so in the first few weeks it is worth to look for a balance. Earth clod should not dry out, but the marsh in the pot should not be arranged, in spite of the fact that the plant prefers abundant and frequent watering. Water should be necessarily room temperature and soft, ideally - boiled.

If wintering is practiced, in the cold period it is worth lowering watering to avoid decay. Water should suffice, so as not to completely dry the roots, the soil should remain virtually devoid of moisture. Also during this period, the amount of light is reduced.

As for air humidity, it should also be quite high - about 60%. Otherwise, the leaves will quickly begin to dry on the tips and roll into a tube. Therefore, frequent spraying is the best friend of a cross-dresser, only if moisture does not fall on the flowers. Another method of improving the well-being of a flower is regular rubbing of leaves with a damp cloth. You can also put a pot on a tray with wet gravel - this is a very popular technique. By the way, the cross-tree grows well on hydroponics.

Transplant and molding

In March, before the period of active growth, the plant can be moved from one pot to another. It is better to do this in the spring, but if the need for relocation arose suddenly, it is better not to disassemble the earth clod and dispense transshipment - it lessens the plant. Usually transplantation is carried out not more often than once in 2 years. Thus, the plant experiences only 2-3 moves in its entire life.

The flower of the cross-dress, care of which seems not so complicated, prefers light, fertile and slightly acidic soils. Excellent mixture suitable for azaleas, but you can prepare the substrate yourself, taking sand, gravel and loam with peat. Required good drainage, because the plant does not tolerate the dampness and stagnation of water in the root system.

As for the formation of the bush, in the spring and after flowering it is necessary to trim or pinch shoots to stimulate branching. To extend the period when the cross-dress will please the house with delicate petals, it is necessary to remove the dead inflorescences.

You can feed the flower throughout the year. In the warm season, fertilizer frequency is usually once every two weeks, during wintering - maximum once a month. In this case, mineral mixtures are used in a solution of 1-2%, usually the need for organic top dressing, provided there is no transfer to good soil.

Reproduction

After flowering the cross-tree forms pods in which the seeds ripen. Waiting until it happens, you can sow them to get new plants. To do this, you need to get a warmed-up hothouse and have enough patience. Plant the seeds in the early spring in sand or its mixture with peat. If during 20-25 days the temperature is kept at 22-24 degrees Celsius, and the humidity remains high, the first shoots will appear. In a week or one and a half separate shoots can be planted in pots.

Well tolerates the flower of the cross-breed reproduction and with the help of cuttings. For successful rooting, their length should be at least 7-10 centimeters. The soil is quartz or river sand. After 2-2.5 weeks, the first roots will appear, you can wait until they are enough to plant 2-3 cuttings in each pot. In six months you will be able to enjoy the flowering of the cross-country.

Diseases

Most often, a poor plant condition is associated with inaccuracies in care. Too frequent watering will quickly cause yellowing of the leaves, lack of light will make the stems stretch and look ugly. And, of course, first of all problems will be expressed in the absence of flowering.

Often happens and infection of the plant with parasites. Very much like settling in pots with a crossand mealybug, aphids and spider mites. The latter also indicates a lack of humidity around the plant. Get rid of parasites as soon as possible after detection, previously isolating the flower. Crossandra as a relative of the magnolia is also fond of a red spider, appearing in dry and hot conditions. For each type of parasite, there are their own treatment regimens, and in order to start it on time, you should regularly inspect the soil and the underside of the leaves for the appearance of uninvited guests.

Also, flowers (cross-dress) are affected by leaf mold. In this case, it is necessary to remove all diseased parts and spray the plant with a fungicide in order to prevent the spread of mold.