Streptocarpus

If you are looking for a long flowering indoor plant then Streptocarpus could well be worth investigating. Easy care, colorful flowers. With hundreds of varieties or cultivars, they do fall into two simple groups, those with stems and those without stems.

Although they are from South Africa they are not heat and sun lovers. They come from forested areas, the foothills of mountains where it is cooler, and where they grow in filtered light, never direct sun.

Growing and Care of Streptocarpus

Having been successfully grown in the UK for nearly 200 years, it is only over the last 50 years or so that the modern hybrids have come to the fore. Larger and more colorful flowers is the main step forward. Care remains the same.

If you are buying plants by mail order, or online, you will need to take a little extra care when acclimatizing them to your environment.

Streptocarpus Care

New plants should be potted into a peat based potting mix with perlite mixed through is excellent. The perlite ensures that drainage is good, and this is essential for Streptocarpus.

New plants should be potted up, watered in and left in shade for a week before moving into that filtered light that they love.

Watering Streptocarpus

You need to let the soil mix dry between watering's. Over watering is one of the main causes of problems with Streptocarpus.

Always water the soil rather than the foliage, this helps avoid fungal problems.

Streptocarpus Problems

• Plants produce leaves but do not flower.
  Usually caused by over fertilizing.
  Streptocarpus also flower more freely if they are slightly pot bound, so do not over pot.
  
  
• Plants Rot
  Over watering is usually the issue

Streptocarpus species

Although it is the cultivars that demand attention, the species are also well worth looking for, these include :

• Streptocarpus caulescens - stemmed
• Streptocarpus grandis
• Streptocarpus cyandrus
• Streptocarpus dunnii
• Streptocarpus galpinii
• Streptocarpus glandulosissi - stemmed
• Streptocarpus kentianensis
• Streptocarpus pallidiflorus
• Streptocarpus pentherianus
• Streptocarpus primulifolius
• Streptocarpus rexii -
• Streptocarpus saxorum - stemmed

You may also be interested in:

• achimen e
• kohlerias
• african violets
• streptocarpus
• smithianthas

Streptocarpus Plants are available for sale from the following nurseries and growers.

STAN'S PLANTS email: general@achimenes.co.uk
Stanley Mossops achimene rhizomes are once again for sale. Also selling: kohlerias, african violets, streptocarpus and smithianthas
www.achimenes.co.uk

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