In winter, in flower shops you can often see a spectacular cineraria... This short plant has pale green rounded leaves and very lush inflorescences-baskets, painted in various saturated colors. The most common plants are with pink or blue flowers, which, closer to the middle, change color to snow-white. However, in indoor conditions, cineraria does not want to grow and after a short time after the end of flowering, it dies. But why is this happening?
At home, they grow hybrid cineraria (Cineraria hybrida), it is also called bloody cineraria (Cineraria cruenta). This flower is directly related to the Aster family. In the wild, it can be seen in the Canary Islands. Cineraria is its closest relative. This plant is intended for growing in flower beds. It is grown as an ornamental deciduous plant, since it has leaves painted in a spectacular silvery shade.
The dark green toothed leaves of the hybrid cineraria are rather soft to the touch, and there is a thin fluff on their surface. The flower is rather small, so during flowering, together with lush inflorescences-baskets, its height is approximately 35-50 centimeters.
Breeding work has been going on for quite a long time, and during this time many excellent varieties of hybrid cineraria have been created. Different varieties may have different colors, as well as the size of the inflorescences, and, as a rule, they also differ in the height of the plant itself. There are small-flowered hybrids, the inflorescences of which cover the entire plant with a continuous cap of spectacular flowers. There are also large-flowered hybrids, their large inflorescences are attached to a branched peduncle.
This type of plant lives for a relatively short time and this is its distinctive feature. After the flowering is over, the hybrid cineraria should be thrown out. It is grown as an annual, but it should be borne in mind that it has a fairly long growing season. So, from the moment the seeds are planted to the beginning of flowering, as a rule, it takes 8 or 9 months. In temperate latitudes with a long winter period, growing this flower, which adores warmth, is quite a difficult task. Most often they are grown in a cool winter garden. And hybrid cineraria is grown in gardens, where it blooms in late autumn or in winter.
After purchasing such a flower, it is recommended to put it in a fairly cool place, so you can prolong flowering. When choosing a plant in a store, one should give preference to one that has a large number of unopened buds, and there should be a minimum number of blossoming flowers.When choosing a place to place a flower, you should not take into account the amount of light, you just need to know that the hotter it is, the faster the plant will bloom.
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Caring for cineraria at home
Seat selection
Cineraria hybrid is very fond of light, so you need to choose a well-lit place for it. However, it should be borne in mind that during intensive growth, she needs diffused light and should be shaded from the direct rays of the sun. The window located in the eastern part of the room is excellent for placement. During flowering, the plant doesn't really care where you put it.
Temperature regime
The flower prefers coolness. Indoor temperature is very important to him. For flower buds to form, the plant needs coolness (no more than 15 degrees). It is recommended to keep young plants at a temperature of no more than 20 degrees, as they do not tolerate heat well. In this regard, they cannot be placed on a windowsill located in the southern part of the room, as overheating has an extremely negative effect on the flower. During flowering, cineraria is able to withstand a decrease in temperature at night to 5 degrees.
How to water
Watering should be abundant, but moisture should not remain in the soil, as this can provoke the appearance of rot.
Humidity
It grows best in high humidity. But you cannot spray the flower, since its leaves are pubescent.
How to transplant
The transplant is not carried out. When the plant fades, it is thrown away.
Earth mix
A suitable dredge consists of peat, leaf soil and compost, taken in a ratio of 1: 2: 0.5. To increase the friability, you can add perlite or small pieces of bark.
Reproduction methods
As a rule, hybrid cineraria is propagated by seeds. The soil in the pot should be lightly tamped and spilled with water. The small seeds are then spread directly over the surface of the substrate. Top should be covered with foil or glass and put in heat (21-22 degrees). Seedlings should appear after 14 days. After the appearance of 2 true leaves, a pick is made. And after the plant is placed in a cool place (no higher than 15 degrees).
When sown in December, flowering will come in autumn. But if you do not want to take care of the seedlings for a long time and you have a garden, then sowing seeds can be done in March-April. Then the seedlings must be transplanted into open ground, where the plants will grow calmly until autumn. In the autumn, cineraria must be transplanted into a container and wait until the buds are formed. If the bush has grown a lot, then it can be divided.
After the onset of frost, the plant is rearranged into the house. For him, choose a cool place (no higher than 15 degrees). A loggia or a glazed balcony will do. Cineraria will bloom in the late autumn or early winter. It will bloom for about 4 weeks.
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