Streptocarpus Polka-Dot Purple

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Cape Primroses are, as expressed earlier, nature-made houseplants for European and American climates (excluding the northern regions of the countries) because the climatic conditions in the average home are quite similar to those of their native habitats.

I grow them as ground covers in large terracotta pots of Camellia azalea at the entrance to our garden room where they charm me every time I walk in. They can take lots and lots of water and rain in summer but prefer to be a little on the dry side through winter. Streptocarpus and I have an on/off love affair. I buy them from the garden centre looking fresh and full of promise; sometimes they stay that way until the fatal day when I give them a drop more water than they would like. Then, taking no account of the months, occasionally years of TLC I have bestowed upon them, they go terminally limp and refuse to recover. Be sure to provide a bright location with little to no direct sunlight. The warmth from the sun will not only nourish the foliage, but it'll also downplay the risk of over-watering, which is a common issue over the depth of winter. For total empathise on the current season, avoid the use of artificial lighting or locations that boast temperatures higher than 18℃ (64℉). Insert the cuttings with the cut side down to about 2 centimetres into the type of soil described above. Next, dip the wounds in a water/bleach solution (9 parts water, 1 part household bleach) to promote sterility. (Only use if you're an adult, following safety recommendations of the manufacturer). While using a seed tray or Bonsai dish and 'Houseplant' labelled potting mix, place the leaf sections wound-down in around 1.5cm (0.6 inches) into the soil. Apply slight pressure around the base of the leaf for extra stability with the sounding soil. Provide a bright, indirect setting with temperatures above 18℃ (64℉) and keep the pot in a sealed transparent bag with multiple small holes to maintain high humidity. Open the bag every couple of days to monitor how the cuttings are performing and to allow fresh air to circulate. Remove any rotten or yellowing material as it can spread onto neighbouring leaves. If propagation is successful, you should start to see new shoots surfacing the soil line after six to eight weeks. Keep the growing conditions the same, and once the shoots are big enough to pot on (four leaves on each growth), they can be potted up in 'Houseplant' Compost with 7cm (3 inch) pots. Repot as necessary and care in the same way as adult specimens with the care tips written at the top.

Tips for Growing Streptocarpus Plants

Lawrence’s studies also suffered from the extra workload imposed on him by the reduction in staff as more and more of his gardeners were called up for war duties. This plant loves light, but direct sunlight can burn foliage. A home with an east or west-facing window is perfect, but if a southern view is all you have, you can slip a sheer curtain between the plant and the windowpane to diffuse the worst of the glare. Tips for Growing Streptocarpus Plants In 2010 Dibley’s nursery in Denbighshire won Chelsea Flower Show’s coveted ‘Plant of the Year’ Award for its new Streptocarpus variety, ‘Harlequin blue’- the first flat-flowering, bicoloured Streptocarpus. On our Nursery we use a combination of biological control and a weekly spray SB Plant Invigorator. It must be noted however that biological methods alone may only control pests but not eradicate them. Biological control can be done on an amateur scale in a glasshouse or conservatory. Supplies are available in the UK from: Green Gardener, 41 Stumpshaw Road, Brundall, Norfolk, NR13 5PG.

To ensureyour plants produce seeds, it is best to pollinate the flowers by hand. This also allows you to choose the parents, in the hope that the offspring will have the best characteristics of each. Sprinkle the microscopicseeds thinly onto finely sieved, slightly damp seed compost. Leave them uncovered Water regularly from March onwards. Plants can be watered from above or below, but don’t allow the pot to sit in waterIn their native habitats, Streptocarpus species often grow at the edge of and in forests, and also under the forest canopy where they thrive in shade in humid conditions. William Lawrence began his career in horticulture to save his eyesight, after the family doctor told his parents ‘the boy may go blind unless he gets a job out-of-doors’. These plants require excellent drainage so also make sure that the container or pot has drainage holes.

If possible, reduce the ambient temperature to around 12°C (54°F) over the autumn and winter to provide a proper dormancy. Introduce around two hours of off-peak sunshine thorough this period to avert the heightened chance of root rot and over-watering. This period of rest will allow more efficient foliar growth in the spring and summer, along with the heightened probability of generating blooms in the late spring. When re-potting choose a pot only slightly bigger than the current one, about a thumb's width wider in diameter, or one 'pot size' larger if using old-fashioned clay pots. A wide shallow pot or half-pot is more suitable than a deep pot.

After seedlings have two true leaves they can be potted into individual pots, which should be of a small size. At this time reduce the amount of watering. Double Form Flowers Watering Though some varieties are a little more robust than others, all varieties can succumb to thrips, mealybugs, vine weevil, glasshouse leafhoppers, and tarsonemid mite. Running some 500 miles from Cape Province through Natal to the Transvaal and forming the eastern scarp of the high central plateau of South Africa, is that great range of hills, the Drakensberg. The eastern slopes are furrowed with many narrow gorges, known as kloofs, which are often wooded and provide cool moist conditions for plant life… the kloofs are typically the home of those species of Streptocarpus from which the familiar garden hybrids have been developed” said, William Lawrence, who was working on the genetics of colour inheritance at the John Innes. Remove several tiny yellow pollen sacs from the centre of an older flower that is just starting to fade

Inconsistent soil moisture will result in an unhappy Streptocarpus. We recommend introducing an watering schedule to prevent droughts and prolonged soil moisture, as both will have detrimental effects on the specimen. Once the soil's top third dry out, give the plant a thorough soak, allowing the excess moisture to drain from its base freely. Reduce this slightly further during the autumn and winter to downplay the risk of over-watering and to reinforce the crucial dormancy period. The flowers and leaves are very different than the violet, the leaves are long, dark green and strap like. They do not have the same symmetry as a violet but the flowers are simply outstanding with their larger size, tubular shape and unique colors and markings. Some have one color on the outside of the flower, and a contrasting color inside the throat, which is quite dramatic. (This could be, but isn’t, called “strep throat.”) A beautiful plant to drive away those winter blues.Plants can be potted-on if necessary in spring, using a specialist houseplant or multi-purpose compost Streptocarpus ‘Constant Nymph’ was only a by-product of Lawrence’s scientific journey of discovery but it launched a new horticultural industry. As, Jane says, the Streptocarpus genus falls in the Gesneriad family comprising numerous genera that are relatively little-known but include many types of plants, the vast majority of which bear unusual and attractive flowers.