How to Grow Gloxinia? A Detailed Guide to Care and Management Essentials

Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) has excellent ornamental value, and many flower enthusiasts buy them from the market to grow at home. Gloxinia has a certain degree of drought tolerance, its growth requires high air humidity, and during the winter dormant period the environment must be kept dry. When cultivating gloxinia artificially, pay attention to the following points.

Gloxinia

1. Suitable temperature

The suitable growth temperature for gloxinia is 18-22°C from January to October, and 10-12°C from October to the following January. During the winter dormant period, the potting soil should be kept slightly dry; if the temperature drops below 8°C and the air humidity is high, it will cause the tubers to rot.

2. Appropriate shading

Gloxinia is a semi-sun plant and prefers a semi-shaded environment. Therefore, during the growing period, avoid strong direct sunlight; the environment should not be too dry either. In summer, high temperature and high humidity are unfavorable for plant growth, so appropriate shading is needed. Place it under a shade shed with scattered light and good ventilation for care, otherwise the leaves will easily wither. Watering should be done 1-2 times a day depending on how dry or wet the pot is.

3. Appropriate fertilization

Gloxinia prefers fertilizer and requires fertile, loose, well-drained soil rich in humus. From the time the leaves expand until before flowering, apply dilute cake fertilizer water once every 10-15 days. When flower buds form, apply an additional dose of bone meal or superphosphate.

4. Soil

For potted gloxinia, a mixed substrate of leaf mold, coarse sand and vermiculite is commonly used.

Care Essentials for Gloxinia

Care Essentials and Precautions for Gloxinia

When first hearing the name gloxinia, one might think it is a woody plant like the phoenix tree, but after seeing the actual plant, one finds it is so petite and lovely, also known as "Luoxuoni" (falling snow mud). The plant is short, less than a chi in height. The leaves are lush and green, thick and large, densely covered with fine hairs. The bell-shaped corolla is large and beautifully colored. The flower colors are rich and the flowering period is long-lasting, making it a famous excellent indoor summer potted flowering plant.

Gloxinia should not be planted too deep. Generally, when the sown seedlings grow 4-5 true leaves, transplant them into small pots. The planting depth should be such that the tuber's top bud is level with the soil surface; if planted too deep, the tuber is prone to rot or poor growth.

After planting, place in a spot with a relatively high room temperature (around 20°C). After the seedlings recover, begin applying dilute liquid fertilizer. During the growing period, generally apply a thin fertilizer once every 7-10 days. In the early growth stage, the focus is on promoting leaf growth, so liquid fertilizer with more nitrogen is suitable; in the late growth stage, the focus is on forcing flowers, so liquid fertilizer with more phosphorus is suitable. Gloxinia is a perennial succulent herbaceous plant with a fleshy tuber. Therefore, watering must be even and moderate, neither too dry nor too wet, and the water temperature must not fluctuate between hot and cold.

If the potting soil is too dry, the plant grows poorly and the leaves turn yellow; if the potting soil is too wet, it not only easily causes leggy growth, soft and drooping flower stems, failure to bloom or bud drop, but also, due to long-term water accumulation in the pot, crown rot is likely to occur. Whether watering or fertilizing, never let fertilizer water contaminate the leaves or flower buds, because both the flowers and leaves have fine hairs, and once they get wet, they rot very easily. During the growing season, frequently sprinkle water on the ground to increase air humidity.

If the room is too dry, the leaves tend to turn yellow, affecting the ornamental value. Gloxinia is a semi-shade flower. After late spring, sunlight gradually becomes stronger, so appropriate shading is needed at noon; in summer, move it to a place indoors with a little sunlight for care, paying attention to appropriate ventilation, but air convection should not be allowed. Maintain relatively high indoor air humidity and pay attention to lowering the temperature, which can prevent it from going dormant. If the temperature exceeds 30 degrees, the plant enters a dormant or semi-dormant state.

After flowering, the light should be slightly stronger to facilitate seed maturation and tuber development. During the flowering period, gradually lowering the temperature to around 15°C can extend the flowering period. After the flowers fade, for those not intended for seed collection, promptly cut off the flower stems to prevent nutrient consumption, so as to facilitate continued flowering and tuber growth.

After winter begins, the leaves wither and the plant enters the dormant period. You can place the pot in a shaded, dry place indoors and let it go dormant, or knock the tuber out of the pot and bury it in a pot filled with f sand, strictly preventing moisture from causing rot. In winter, the room temperature should be kept above 0 degrees. During the overwintering period, stop fertilizing and control watering. Tubers can generally be cultivated continuously for 7-8 years. For old tubers, attention should be paid to renewal.