Pentas flower: how to care at home

The variety of flowers is so great that there are those about which even very experienced flower growers know very little. One of these is the pentas flower, which will be described in this article.

Botanical description of the plant

The flower is a shrub that grows to a height of 80 cm, while it has upright weakly branched shoots. The leaves are colored green and have a wide-lanceolate shape. The length varies between 5-8 cm. On the stem they are mounted opposite. To the touch, rough, slightly wavy and selected along the central vein.

In bloom, the plant is long enough. This period lasts from March to October. The buds are collected in large dome-shaped inflorescences with a diameter of up to 10 cm. The color of the petals depends on the variety.

Did you know? The oldest flower in the world is a rose, which blooms in Germany for 100 years. You can admire its beauty near the Hildesheim Cathedral.

The main types

Pentas - a plant from the Marenov family, which includes 50 species. The most common flower was in Madagascar and in tropical Africa.

Despite a fairly large variety, the following varieties are considered the most popular:

• lanceolate - characterized by large inflorescences, which reach a diameter of 10 cm. The stalk is straight and stiff in the lower part;
  

• long - flowered - the flowers are long, in shape resemble tubules, painted only in white. Each bud is deflected to the side;
  

• Bussei Pentas - buds painted pink with an orange tint. The flowering is dense, in summer almost the entire bush is covered with flowers.
  

House growing conditions

For full growth, the flower needs certain conditions, consider them in more detail.

Location and Lighting

A flower needs a lot of sunlight. It is better to choose a south window for the pot. However, it is necessary to accustom him to light gradually. This is especially true for the summer period, at this time the window needs to be shaded, since the leaves can get burned. In the warm season, it is recommended to take the pot out to fresh air.

Important! Lack of light leads to negative consequences, such as stretching the stems, fading leaves, resulting in a loss of flower of its attractiveness.

Temperature and humidity

During active growth, the pentas likes a moderate temperature, the best mode is + 20 ... + 25 ° C. When the flower is in the resting period, the indicator is lowered to the level of + 10 ... + 16 ° С. This line is important, since higher rates will lead to drying out of the leaves and excessive stretching of the stems.

Humidity level - 60%. Moisture is very important for a flower; it can be increased by spraying foliage or laying expanded clay or moss on a pallet, which is systematically moistened.

How to care at home

Pentas is a rather complicated plant in care for beginners, which requires the owner to follow certain rules. Only in this case there should not be any special problems.

Watering

To enjoy flowering in summer, watering is intensified, starting in spring. It is recommended that water be used at a steady and room temperature. To stimulate the formation of buds, it is recommended to add a complex of fertilizers for flowering plants with a large amount of phosphorus to the water.

In autumn and winter, watering should be moderate, but it is important not to dry the land. Watering is carried out under the root, it is important that the liquid does not fall on the flowers.

Did you know? A relative of the pentas is the Arabian coffee tree, from the beans of which everyone's favorite drink is brewed.

Top dressing

Fertilizers are applied only during the growing season. The plant is fed with ready-made complex fertilizers, which can be bought at any specialized store. This should be done every 2 weeks. In winter, feeding is not carried out.

Bush formation

To obtain a beautiful bush, it is important to monitor its aesthetic appearance. Since often it can stretch or grow in the wrong direction. The bush is formed by pinching. You need to do this in between the flowering pentas.

For a neat appearance, it is recommended to systematically cut the shoots at a height of about 50 cm. Only in this case the bush will retain its beauty and concentration.

Transfer

Pentas owners need to be prepared for frequent transplants, as the flower loves this. The plant actively forms young shoots that take root quickly enough, creating a tightness in the pot.

Young plants are recommended to be transplanted 2 times in the first year of life. The next year - once in a permanent pot, and then every 2 years. With annual rejuvenation, the need for transplantation disappears.

For transplantation, prepared soil is used, presented in the form of a substrate for decorative and deciduous plants, which can be purchased in stores. When moving a flower into a new pot, it is important not to destroy the lump around the roots so as not to damage them.

Find out how and when to transplant indoor plants.

Breeding

Since after 3 years the plant without rejuvenation loses its appearance, you need to take care of its reproduction. You can do this in the following ways.

Cuttings

If your pentas grows indoors - this is the best way. To obtain cuttings from an adult plant, the tops of shoots are cut to a length of 10 cm. A mini-greenhouse is collected for rooting. In it, the temperature should be in the range +16 ... + 18 ° C.

As long as the roots appear, cuttings can be in water or land. Most often this period takes about 10 days. After their sufficient growth, new plants are already transplanted to a permanent place.

To do this, use a small pot (diameter 7–9 cm), since the plant will not bloom until the roots occupy its entire space. During the first year it needs to be transplanted twice. The second time, the diameter of the pot is increased to 12 cm. And only after a year the flower is planted in a permanent place.

Seeds

Propagation by seeds is used when growing flowers on open lands. This can be done throughout the year, but the best time is mid-January. Seeds are laid out in a thin layer on the surface without deepening, since they can germinate only in the light.

The air temperature should be within + 23 ... + 25 ° С. Crops are covered with a film, watering is carried out using a spray gun. On average, seeds germinate after 3 weeks. When it takes 1.5 months after sowing, the plants dive into small pots.

At this time, the temperature drops to the level of + 18 ... + 21 ° С. And only after 2 months they are transplanted in containers with a diameter of 12 cm, while pinching the tops. Most often, buds appear six months after sowing seeds.

Important! When planting in open ground, it is important to make sure that the temperature does not fall below +7 ° C. At lower rates, the plant will not be able to grow.

Growing difficulties

Despite the demanding care, the flower can be exposed to disease and pest attacks. The grower needs to know how to deal with them.

Disease

The most common problem is leaf chlorosis. It is necessary to act immediately as soon as the first signs have appeared. The plant is fed with iron chelates, which lead to increased release of chlorophyll in the green of the flower.

Pests

Among pests, a flower is annoyed by:

• scale insects and spider mites. To get rid of them, the plant is sprayed with Actellic;
• aphids . You can get rid of by spraying the flower with infusion of garlic or marigold.

As can be seen from all of the above, despite the many nuances, caring for a pentas is not so difficult. Having the desire to admire a beautiful flower grown by your own hands, you can easily cope with all the problems.