KATARANTUS: WHAT KIND OF FLOWER IS THIS, HOME CARE IN TABLES

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Katarantus is an evergreen herbaceous shrub plant belonging to the Kutrov family. Its healing properties and beauty are known throughout the world.

Wild flower found in tropical countries, such as Cuba, Africa, Indochina, Indonesia, Java. The birthplace of the plant is Madagascar. The flower is suitable for breeding at home and in the garden.

Description of Catharanthus

As a home plant, catharanthus is a perennial or annual flower reaching a height of about 30-60 cm. Stems with smooth green bark branch to the top. Dark green leaves do not taper to the edge and have a white vein in the middle, their length is about 8 cm. The root of the catharanthus is rod, goes underground to a depth of 30 cm and exudes a characteristic unpleasant odor.

The flowers of the plant almost do not smell, are very similar to phloxes, grow on the tops of shoots. Petals are painted white or pink, some varieties have a pronounced contrast, for example, the center is burgundy, and the edges are white. Only five petals of the correct form. The plant blooms all summer and even the beginning of autumn.

Types and varieties of catharanthus for the home

View	Description	Flowers
Ampelic	The bush reaches a height of no more than 15 cm. The length of the drooping shoots is 100-150 cm.	Large bright pinkish or violet grow along the entire length of the processes. Color evenly passes from the light edges of the petals to the dark middle.
Pink	It grows to 60 cm and is perennial. With a brilliant shimmer, the leaves, greased with vegetable wax, are green in color, rather large and reach a length of 10 cm. Some external signs are similar to the parasitic, previously scientists mistakenly believed that this was the same variety.	Single, with five petals. The color palette is diverse: from light pink or white to burgundy, and the purple throat of the corolla harmoniously completes the overall picture. In size 3-5 cm.
Aristocrat	It grows to 50 cm in length. It is noteworthy for being suitable for growing at home and in the garden.	The sizes reach 5 cm. There is a contrasting eye, and the color is the most diverse: from snow-white to burgundy.
Pacific Burgundy	Small in size, with a developed root system. In height reaches no more than 30 cm.	Petals are pale pink with a white middle, there are five in total.
Pacific Apricot	Low, 30 cm, while the cap is about 20 cm in diameter.	Apricot hue with a rich red middle.
Pacific White	Low, 30 cm, while the cap is about 20 cm in diameter.	Solid white petals. There are flowers where the central part is red.
First kiss	Small size - 35-40 cm. Has a beautiful hat.	Shades are very diverse. There are about 13 of them in this variety; violet-blue, white-pink and others are found.

Care for catharanthus at home

Parameter	The necessary conditions
Location / Lighting	It is photophilous, therefore pots with it are placed on windows facing east or west. In direct sunlight, it quickly dies, and with a lack of light, the stems become feeble, the flowers almost disappear.
Temperature	+ 22 ... +26 ° С, the flower feels great and gives the largest number of buds.
Humidity / Watering	Regular and thorough, the soil should never dry out, otherwise harmful insects will appear on the flower. You also need to spray the bush every day, especially in the root part to maintain water balance.
The soil	Land should be prepared in advance. Katarantus is well established in peat soils. Usually, a special substrate is added to the pot, consisting of turf land and perlite, so that the plant takes root.
Top dressing	Mineral fertilizers, phosphorus and coal solutions. You can start two weeks after landing.

Landing of a catharanthus and its care in the open ground

Parameter	The necessary conditions
Location / Lighting	Most often, flower beds with shrubs are located on the sunny side of the plot, in the east or west. However, the plant does not like direct sunlight, which must be remembered when planting.
Temperature	Plant seedlings at temperatures above +20 ° C, otherwise the plant will die, tolerates heat poorly, needs constant hydration.
Humidity / Watering	Make sure that the soil does not dry out and always remains wet. But too high a level negatively affects catharanthus. So, with long torrential rains above the bush you need to build a special tent.
The soil	You must first weed and get rid of weeds. You can add ash or expanded clay to make the bush feel more comfortable. Especially katarantus loves peat soils, so a few peat tablets are often placed in the pit.
Top dressing	Every two weeks, no more often, with special mixtures for ornamental plants. Reduce the dosage mentioned in the instructions in half, inject the resulting solution under the root, it is better not to use fertilizers in winter.

Catharanthus transplant

Katarantus needs to be transplanted annually, because it is fast-growing. In order for the plant to grow better, you should cut the stems stretched during the winter period every spring.

Catharanthus pruning and bush formation

On a cropped process, flowers will appear in a few weeks. It is noted that maintaining shrubs for more than three years is not recommended. Over time, it loses its former splendor, the flowers become thinner, and the stems become feeble.

It is much more effective to rejuvenate the catharanthus with cuttings. Often pinch the tips of the shoots to give the plant an organic look. The shrub grows vertically and pleases with its lush inflorescences.

Catharanthus propagation

Seeds can be sown at home at any time of the year.

A container with a depth of more than 10 cm should be prepared, since the catharanthus has a long root, make drainage holes at the bottom for excess water.
Before immersing the seeds in the prepared soil, you need to hold them in Epin's solution for two hours.
The first shoots should appear within a week and a half, then the pot should be placed in a well-lit place.
In the period of early development, the catharanthus is rather vulnerable, therefore, it is always necessary to maintain the temperature not lower than + 22 ... +23 ° С. It takes a whole month for the plant to create a strong root system, which is why its growth is practically invisible.
Catharanthus need to be planted in separate containers only after the appearance of four healthy leaves. Do this in February-March, so that the plant has time to ripen.

After hardening the seedlings on the balcony, it can be planted on the site when the air temperature in the street reaches above + 20 ° C. These conditions accompany the adaptation of shoots and promise stunning flowers in the future. Before planting, garden soil must be carefully dug up and mixed with expanded clay.

Cutting is perhaps the easiest and most practical way. To propagate the catharanthus in this way, you need:

In the spring, prepare apical shoots about 12 cm long.
The main thing: remove the leaves from below and place the stalk in the soil with peat, after moistening it first. To ensure a constant temperature for the plant, the container should be covered with a protective film or a greenhouse cover.
The next three weeks, it is necessary to ventilate and spray the cuttings with water, after about this time the plant will take root.
The operation can be done on the open ground, for this you need to cover the cuttings with a special container (jar or polyethylene) and sprinkle with earth about 3 cm - that is, create greenhouse conditions.
Germination of catharanthus is best in greenhouses, but most amateur gardeners do not have the appropriate equipment. Cuttings can be planted (or remove protective devices when removing on the open ground) when the shoots give the first leaves.

Two of the above methods are characteristic of both the garden and the home. The following is usually used when transplanting a cataranthus from one pot to another.

The division of the bush occurs in several stages:

The plant is taken out of the pot and the excess soil is shaken off, after which, having decided on how much parts to divide the rhizome (this depends on its size, usually 3-4 parts), cut with a pre-sanitized knife.
To prevent the katarantus, an antiseptic or activated carbon is applied to the sections.
At the end of the process, the resulting plants are placed in individual containers.

The method is widespread, because the result is an adult catharanthus that quickly adapts. After the full development of the new root system (about 3 weeks), the plant can be placed in open ground.

Possible problems when caring for catharanthus, diseases and pests

Manifestation	Causes	Remedial measures
Dark spots on the leaves. Disease: rust.	Excessive hydration.	Spray with fungicides. Transplant the bush into new soil.
Yellowness on the leaves.	Excessively dry air and lack of proper moisture.	Increase the frequency of spraying or place a saucer with water near the plant.
Swift foliage wilting	Exposure to direct sunlight. Ultraviolet light adversely affects the catharanthus, which is why the plant loses its strength and dies.	Avoid direct sunlight.
A thin web appears on the plant. The stalk weakens and fades. Pest: spider mite.	Arid and hot environments are ideal for this pest to appear. Spider mites spread infections, due to which the plant dies before the eyes.	To process with insecticides ("Akarin", "Bitoksibacillin" and others), to spray regularly. To carry out prophylaxis, treating the shrub with a soapy solution
The cessation of flowering and wilting foliage.	The catharanthus pot is too small; its root has nowhere to grow further.	Transplant the plant into a deeper container.

Mr. Dachnik warns: cataractus is a useful and dangerous plant

Aboveground shoots of cataractus pink are used as medicinal raw materials, leaves - for the production of pharmacological preparations. Plants are harvested at the end of summer (August-September), since flowering occurs in the shrub during this period, and all nutrients accumulate in the stem and leaves. They are cut and dried at a temperature of about +50 ° C (in special dryers). Catharanthus can preserve the healing properties for three years, after which it becomes useless.

It is customary to use the shrub as an antibacterial, antitumor, antihypertensive agent. Tincture from it helps with diabetes, fibroids, endometriosis, infertility and even hemorrhoids. Rose catarrhus oil and serum based on it are also used, which fight against fungal infections, ulcers and other skin diseases. In some countries, even scurvy is treated with this plant.