Succulents and cacti can often be found on the windowsills of houses. They are cute and look neat. The article tells about the plant species Gasteria: a review of the varieties, the rules of cultivation and care, the breeding procedure.
Gasteria: types and description
Gasteria is a genus of the Asphodel family, which consists of 26 species. The most popular of them are: Spotted Gasteria, Warty Gasteria, Variegatnaya, Armstrong and Batesian. The name comes from the Latin word "gasltron", which means "pot-bellied vessel".
The flower has a useful property: it cleans the air very well, so it is often placed in the bedrooms.
Gasteria
Gasteria Spotted
Dark green succulent with light yellow small spots, reaching a height of about 20 cm.
The leaves are smooth, narrowed towards the end, and flowering occurs in the form of bright red flowers.
Gasteria Warty
Thin leaves, reaching 20 cm, are strewn with numerous warts of a white color, which makes them rough.
Blossoms in pink or red flowers. They can be with green splashes.
Additional Information! All types of cacti can be neighbors for all varieties - flowers will grow well in such an environment.
Gasteria Variegatnaya
A small succulent, where there is no stem, and the leaves are collected in a rose.
Variegate plants are those whose parts are not capable of synthesizing chlorophyll, therefore they differ in different green-yellow or green-white colors. So it is here: the leaves are long, fleshy, to the end they are pointed with a green-yellow color. They are arranged in two rows one above the other.
Different types of Gasteria
Gasteria Armstrong
A 10-centimeter plant has thick, smooth leaves of dark green color and orange flowers during flowering.
An interesting feature: old leaves always grow horizontally, and new ones first tend to go up, and then bend down to form bizarre plexuses.
Gasteria Batesiana
A succulent growing in a rose has rough triangular-lanceolate leaves with light tubercles and reaches 18 cm in height.
Flowering occurs in pink-orange flowers.
Gasteria: home care
Since the flower comes from Africa, it is not necessary to create special humidity. A person’s housing conditions are great for him.
Soil can be bought (the most suitable for cacti and succulents) or prepared independently. For this you will need: sheet land, peat and sand in a ratio of 4: 2: 1. You can also add small pebbles. The acidity should be between 5.5 and 7 pH.
In the active period, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, which have a positive effect both on flowering and on the whole organism of the plant as a whole, will be beneficial.
Important! Despite the fact that Gasteria is a succulent, it must be watered abundantly (1-2 times a week).
However, this should be done carefully, because the plant does not tolerate constantly wet soil. In winter, watering is reduced (once every 2-3 weeks), because the water does not have time to completely absorb, and stagnation should not be allowed.
In the active period (spring-summer), the temperature should be from 18 to 25 degrees, and in the rest period (autumn-winter) it should be lowered to 12 degrees. This is done to enjoy the blooming of Gasteria, because without changing the temperature regimes it will not bloom.
Attention! If in winter the temperature is above 15 degrees, then the plant will simply dry up.
The genus grows well in bright places, but without direct sunlight. Also, the plant will feel comfortable in the shade. It is best to look after him on the east or west windows. In the south it withers, and in the north it will grow, but the owner will not see how the gasteria blooms.
In the spring-summer period, the flower can be taken out onto the street. It is quite sensitive to precipitation, winds and sunlight, so before you make it, you need to carefully select a place.
Before the dormant period, it is necessary to saturate the flower with light: sunbathing can be done either 8-hour or 16-hour using fluorescent lamps.
Gasteria Armstrong in a pot
Breeding methods
To propagate Gasteria with cuttings, it is necessary to cut off a part of a long and strong leaf, dry it a little (12-24 hours) and plant it in the ground for succulents or cacti. Watering is the same as for an adult plant.
The most important stage in the propagation by root processes is the separation of the daughter from the mother plant, because if you do this carelessly, you can disrupt the root of both organisms, after which the first one may not take root in a new pot. Further, the procedure is identical to that of propagation by cuttings: to dry, plant, and water.
Gasteria leaf propagation
Gasteria is a flower, distinguished by its unpretentiousness, beautiful flowering and accuracy. However, do not forget that it is easily affected by weather conditions.
