The genus Episia (Latin Episcia Mart) belongs to the family of Gesnerian. Unites, according to various sources, 30-40 species of plants. They grow in the tropical regions of Central and South America. These herbaceous evergreens have a creeping thick (tuber-shaped) subterranean shoot with aerial whiskers; shoots are pubescent. The leaves are solitary or opposite; have a broadly oval form, dyed. Femoral flowers are arranged in bundles or singly, are painted in white or blue tones, tubular, with a five-bladed arching. Episia is an ornamental plant, relatively simple to clean, with it beginners can easily cope. They have very beautiful leaves and pretty flowers.
Kinds
Nailing flowers, the conditions of which are described below, the most popular room view. Her homeland is considered Mexico. This tropical plant, perennial, has two types of shoots: truncated with closely spaced leaves and long thin ones. The latter darkens with age, at the nodes appear antennae with daughter rosettes. Small leaves are 3 cm in length and 2 cm in width. The shape of the leaves is diverse - from elliptical to ovoid. The leaf blade is crenate along the edge, dark green in color with a middle vein of a purple color, velvety pubescent with short villi. Single flowers are white, in pharynx with purple dots, along fringe margin are fringed. This species has highly decorative varieties.
Plant conditions
Lighting. The clavicle flowers do not like direct sunlight, they like diffuse light. The best place for its placement are the western and eastern windows. Normally grows on the north window. On the southern window, the plant should be placed away from the window or create diffuse light with a translucent fabric or paper. In winter the plant requires good lighting.
Temperature regime. In all seasons, the epilation prefers a temperature in the range of 20-25 ° C, do not lower the temperature below 18 ° C. Avoid drafts in the autumn and winter.
Watering. Nail flowering is quite sensitive to violations of the irrigation regime. For her, excessive dampness and unreasonable over-drying are dangerous. In the warm season, from spring to autumn, the plant needs abundant watering as the upper layer of the earth dries up. In the winter, limit watering, but do not allow the earthen coma to dry out. During this period, water the epicure a day or two after the surface of the soil dries. For irrigation, you should use soft, durable water in the room. Perform lower watering, getting drops of water on the leaves of the plant is undesirable.
Air humidity. For the sake of the need for increased humidity. Do not spray it, otherwise it will lead to decay of the pubescent leaves. In order to increase the humidity around the plant, the pot can be placed on a pallet with wet peat or expanded clay. Make sure that the bottom of the pot does not touch the water. Episia feels comfortable when growing in terrariums and mini-greenhouses.
Top dressing. In the period of active growth of the nail flower flow, in spring and summer, fertilizing is carried out every 2 weeks. To do this, use a solution of complex mineral fertilizers, diluted 2 times more compared to the recommendations in the instructions to them. If you use organic fertilizers, you should also dilute them 2 times more than the recommended concentration.
Formation of a bush. The epistle must be formed, as it grows fast enough. After flowering, you need to shorten the shoots, and affiliated rosettes from cut branches to plant in the same pot, then the bush will be more lush. Ampellar varieties of epiphy easily spread and often take roots in neighboring pots, which reduces their decorative appeal. Therefore, it is recommended to hang plants or put on pots, then creeping shoots have nowhere to take root.
Transfer. Plant transplantation is recommended to be performed annually, best in spring. For epicures choose wide, but low pots. The soil must be a weakly acidic or neutral reaction (pH 5.5 - 6.5) of the following composition: leaf land, peat (or greenhouse land), river sand in a proportion of 2: 1: 1. To it add charcoal particles and sphagnum moss. The substrate can also be of a different composition: leaf earth, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1, also with an admixture of sphagnum and charcoal particles. Of commercial mixtures use "Violet", etc. Do not forget about the good drainage and large drain holes on the bottom of the vessel.
Reproduction. Episodes are propagated vegetatively (cuttings) and seeds.
Reproduction by cuttings is the simplest way of reproduction. Shoots with located nodes (3-4), but without side shoots should be put in water. Do not immerse them deeply, about 3-4 cm. Another way is to root the daughter socket without detachment from the mother plant. To do this, you need to put a pot next to the maternal specimen and prikopat daughter shoot into the moist soil in the bend. Problems with the rooting of cuttings do not occur, rootlets appear within one week. However, make sure that the temperature of the soil during rooting is not below + 18 ° C, and the most favorable is + 25 ° C. As young plants grow, they are placed in a container 2-3 cm in larger diameter than in the previous one . The largest diameter of the pot for an adult specimen is 20 cm. The stem cuttings of epiphyles can be rooted directly into the soil substrate. Cuttings should be separated, planted in a light soil in 7-9-centimeter pots and cover the pot with a jar, thereby creating a mini-boy.
Difficulty of care
If brown spots appear on the leaves of the epic, it means that cold water was used in watering the plant. Remember that the water should be warm.
If the leaves of the epistle turn yellow, then the plant suffers from an overdose of fertilizers, very dry and very hot air, and also from direct sun rays.
If a gray patch appears on the leaves and flowers of the epicia, then the plant is affected by gray rot or powdery mildew. These diseases occur in poor conditions, for example, with old souring soil and in a poorly ventilated room.
If the plant does not bloom, then it feels a lack of light, a lack of soil nutrition, or the room is too cold or dry air. The same situation occurs when the content of the episode is incorrect during the rest period, and with excess nitrogenous fertilizers, with frequent substrate drying.
Pests: aphids, mealy worms, whitefly, scabies, thrips.