Katarantus - planting, growing and care at home, photo

Plant photo

Catharanthus or “flawless flower” - an evergreen semi-shrub or herbaceous flower belonging to the Apocynaceae familygrowing in many countries with a tropical climate. It is believed that the homeland of the Catharanthus, the island of Madagascar, where it is most widespread. For a long time it was attributed to the species of pink periwinkle flower, and only at the beginning of the 20th century the genus Katarantus was singled out.

8 of its species are known. Indoor varieties have a height of 30 to 60 cm and are grown in a perennial culture. In open ground, they are cultivated as annuals. Leaf blades of the plant are lanceolate in shape, oblong (from 3 to 8 cm), leathery, with a pronounced central vein, dark green.

Petioles in leaves are practically absent. The stems are smooth, erect, branching to the top, give a lot of shoots, painted in green or pinkish color. The root system is powerful, rod type.

Be sure to pay attention to the beautiful Waller balsam flower.

	Growth rate is high.
	It blooms from late spring to late summer.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	It is a perennial plant.

Beneficial features

Photo of Catharanthus pink

Despite the fact that all the organs of the plant are poisonous, cataractus has been used since ancient times in folk medicine, and in modern conditions, and in professional medicine. Juice contains biologically active substances - alkaloids, which are part of many drugs. When used properly under medical supervision, they:

• lower blood sugar;
• possess anti-cancer properties, reduce the size of tumors and polyps;
• heals wounds and ulcers, skin diseases;
• treat respiratory diseases, oral diseases, hypertension.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

The plant is unpretentious, but for a spectacular appearance and prolonged flowering of catharanthus, certain conditions must be provided:

Temperature mode	Optimum conditions are created at moderate temperatures from +20 to + 25 ° C.
Air humidity	It looks most impressive with high humidity.
Lighting	Katarus at home blooms in bright light.
Watering	Watering should provide a constant, light soil moisture.
Priming	Must have good drainage and air exchange.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	Mineral fertilizing after 10-14 days.
Transfer	Annually, maintaining the integrity of the root system.
Breeding	Vegetative organs and seeds.
Growing Features	In annual and perennial culture, in flowerpots and flower beds.

Care for catharanthus at home. In detail

Bloom

Active flowering lasts from April to October. In the axils of the leaves, single flowers bloom or collected two or three in inflorescences. They are located mainly on the upper part of the shoots and in warm weather form a lush, spectacular hat of flowers. Indoor cataranthus can bloom in the winter, but there will be much less buds.

The flower of the catharanthus has five petals with a flat corolla and bright yellow anthers looking out from a narrow tube. The size of the flower in diameter is up to 5 cm. The color of the petals is the most diverse, mostly monophonic. Many varieties in the center of the flower have a small eye of a contrasting color. The flowers are practically odorless.

As a result of fertilization, sickle-shaped, oblong leaflets are formed containing up to 10 sufficiently large seeds suitable for propagation.

Temperature mode

In summer, she feels good with a wide temperature range - from +18 to 28 ° C. In hot weather, it is required to maintain high humidity so that the appearance of the leaves does not deteriorate.

In winter, the temperature regime is lowered to + 13-15 ° C.

Spraying

To ensure sufficient humidity, a catharanthus plant is regularly sprayed at home from a small-droplet atomizer with warm, purified water. In hot weather, spraying can be repeated during the day. With sufficient humidity and low temperature with spraying, it is worth the time.

Lighting

With a lack of sunlight, home Catharanthus will not give abundant flowering. Under natural conditions, the flower grows in well-lit areas or in light partial shade. Indoor plants contain in the western, eastern or southern windows, when shading during the hours of the most active sunlight. With sufficient ventilation, solar activity does not harm the plant.

Watering

Keep the soil in a moderately moist state. Watering should be frequent and plentiful. However, stagnation of water is also harmful, as well as drying out of the soil. After each watering, it is necessary to free the pan from excess water, to provide air ventilation in the room.

To increase humidity, the pot is placed on a pallet with wet pebbles or a vessel with water is placed next to it.

Pot

Given the rapid growth of the flower and the length of the root system, which reaches 30-35 cm, a capacity for planting is chosen large enough and deep. If the pot is small, for a short period, the roots spread throughout the volume and the plant growth will slow down. At the next transplant, the size of the pot in diameter is 4-5 cm larger than the previous one.

A prerequisite is the presence of drainage holes.

Priming

For cultivation of catharanthus, a fertile nutrient soil, loose, well-drained, is required. Soddy, leafy land and peat are mixed in equal parts and coarse sand or perlite is added. You can use a mixture of peat, humus and sand. The bottom of the pot is covered with 2-3 cm of existing drainage material.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

During the period of active growth and flowering, the cataractus needs constant feeding at least 2-3 times a month. Annual bushes feed every week. Long and plentiful flowering is ensured by sufficient doses of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. With a lack of mineral nutrition, flowering will be sparse or will not begin at all.

You can use complex nutrition for flowering domestic plants, for example, for roses. Fertilizers are applied in dissolved form in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and are combined with irrigation.

Attention! After transplanting the plants, the first top dressing is carried out after 10-14 days.

Catharanthus transplant

Bushes grow very quickly, the root system completely occupies the volume of the pot, resulting in poor nutrition. A houseplant is recommended to be replanted every spring and used no more than 2-3 years.

Transfer Catharanthus made by transshipment method to a freer capacity. Work is carried out carefully, so the plant painfully responds to damage to the root system. The roots are placed over the entire depth of the pot and sprinkle free places with soil.

How to cut a catharanthus?

To preserve a neat decorative appearance of the bush, it is necessary to carry out spring pruning of elongated stems by one third of their length. In this way, the plant is given the desired shape and stimulated lateral branching. Periodically carry out the removal of dried and damaged vegetative parts. The old shoots are cut with a sterile sharp knife, the young ones are pinched by hand.

Rest period

The condition of the plant depends on the microclimate in the room. To preserve a perennial bush for abundant flowering next year, it is kept at a temperature of + 12-17 ° C degrees and reduce the number of irrigation to a minimum.

Attention! If there is no way to reduce the temperature, the plant will continue to grow and then additional lighting will be required in a short day so that the shoots are not too stretched.

Katarantus in winter

Annual species until the end of the growing season contain in the most favorable, warm conditions in good light. The flower will continue to please the flowering part of winter, after which it is thrown away. A long-standing catharanthus dug from a flower bed is cut to 2/3 of the length, its root system is laid in a free pot, and covered with earth. The container is stored in cool conditions until spring. At an air temperature of + 18 ° C, the plant is again planted in open ground.

Growing Catharanthus from Seeds

For germination, a shallow container filled with moist soil is used. Materials and seeds are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds are laid out on the surface and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. Cover with a film, a transparent lid or glass and, until the seeds are pecked, leave in a warm (+ 22-25 ° C), dark place.

As soon as the first shoots appear, the container is transferred to a well-lit place and maintain optimal humidity. At the first stage, the aerial part of the seedlings develops slowly, and the root - intensively. In the phase of two true leaves, seedlings dive into pots.

You should not be late with picking seedlings, as too large a root system can be damaged during transplantation.

Propagation of catharanthus by cuttings

For vegetative propagation, cuttings are used, cut from the top of the green shoots or young lateral processes. Their size can be from 5 to 10cm. The shank should have 2-3 internodes. Harvesting material is prepared during spring or autumn pruning and during the formation of the bush. Cuttings root in two ways:

• They are deepened by 2-3 cm in moist soil, compacted. Place a container under the film and install in a well-lit place. Maintain humidity, temperature + 22-25 ° C and regularly air the greenhouse. As soon as the plant starts growing, the shelter is removed.
• In a glass of boiled water, add a couple of drops of the growth stimulator and place the stalk so that one internode is constantly in the water. The glass is left in a warm, bright place, maintain the fluid level until the roots form.

Diseases and Pests

Katarantus is quite resistant to adverse growing conditions of the flower, but if the optimal parameters are violated, the decorative qualities and flowering are significantly impaired:

• Young leaves fall occurs with rare, insufficiently plentiful watering, as well as in low light conditions and low temperatures.
• Dark spots and tubercles form on the leaves. as a result of rust disease. They are located on the top of the leaf blade. On the bottom, perhaps the appearance of pustules. Conditions for the development of rust are created with frequent waterlogging of the soil, too high humidity, in the absence of ventilation and drafts.
• The leaves turned yellow and fallen. The cause may be excessive solar activity. It is enough to remove the flowerpot from the windowsill or to cover the blinds to correct the situation.
• The tips of the leaves turn yellow Catharanthus most often, if not sufficiently high humidity in the room. During the heating season, it is necessary to apply all possible methods for moisturizing.
• Catarantus blooms poorly in low light and low temperature. Moving the pot into a warm, bright room with moderate humidity will correct the situation.
• The lower leaves fall off when their natural aging occurs. So that outdated leaves do not spoil the decorative look, they are regularly cleaned.
• The leaves turn yellow and the plant stops blooming when the root system completely fills the pot and the soil is depleted. Roots appear even in drainage holes. The plant is undernourished and needs a transplant.

Occasionally damaged by thrips or scale insects. This happens in conditions of insufficient humidity. In an excessively damp room, aphids can appear, which feeds on the sap of the plant.

Types of home catharanthus with photos and names

The genus Catharanthus is not too numerous. It consists of 8 main species and decorative varieties, which are interspecific hybrids. As a result of breeding work, spectacular, compact plants were obtained. These are varieties of Catharanthus pink, having flowers of all kinds of shades.

Catharahus pink (Catharanthus roseus)

It has a variety of shades of pink petals. Eyes are yellow or raspberry. At favorable temperatures and lighting blooms all year.

Katarantus ampelous (cascade)

It has long, up to 1.5 m descending to the bottom of the scourge, the entire length of which is lined with red flowers from the sinuses of dark green leaves.

Aristocrat

Shoots form a spherical crown. Abundant flowering occurs in the second half of summer. The flowers are large, with a contrasting eye. The colors of the petals are from white to scarlet.

Pacific (Pacifica)

The crown of the bush is low, compact. Flowering is not very plentiful, but large flowers look spectacular on bright large leaves. In all varieties of the variety, the center of the flower is decorated with a contrasting eye. The most popular varieties of Pacific:

• Burgundy

• Epticott

• White

First kiss

The shape of the bush is cylindrical, height up to 40cm. The leaves are elongated, bright green. The flowers are large, the petals can have different shades of pink. Peephole - more saturated color to match the petals.

Watch the video: Catharanthus - garden plants (May 2024).