Pentas flower - growing at home
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A stunningly beautiful, lush-blooming and unpretentious indoor flower called pentas will become the pride of any grower. Today, more than 50 varieties of this plant grow all over the world, which delight with a long and amazingly beautiful flowering.
What does the pentas look like, which family does it belong to
The herbaceous evergreen plant belongs to the madder family. In the wild, the flower can be found in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, as well as on the island of Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula.
The height of the bush reaches about 50 cm. The stem is erect with elongated lanceolate leaves. The flowers are medium-sized, in the shape of a star with five ends, and can be of different colors.
Pentas lanceolata (Pentas lanceolata)
Common varieties
The lanceolate pentas is subdivided into several varieties. Each of them has its own unique characteristics.
The most common varieties are:
- Start White - among all the varieties of this plant, the variety stands out for its attractive and powerful appearance. The height of the flower reaches 45 cm. They are distinguished by dense inflorescences with snow-white five-pointed flowers located on tall, straight stems. It is possible to grow representatives of this variety indoors, on glazed balconies and terraces.
- Starla Lavender Shades is another powerful plant that, with proper care, can grow up to 50 cm in height.It is distinguished by thick, powerful leaves that are located above large inflorescences with light purple flowers. It is possible to grow representatives of this variety successfully both at home and in the open field.
- Starla Deep Rose is a powerfully developed, bushy plant reaching a height of 45 cm. The flowers are distinguished by a deep pink hue and pointed edges. You can grow a pentas Starla Deep Rose flower both at home and in the open field.
- Starla mix - representatives of this variety are grown only indoors, on loggias and in greenhouses. The plant grows to a height of 45 cm, prefers high humidity and regular watering, as well as an air temperature within +20 degrees. The flowers are lilac, white, purple and pink. The leaves are dark green. The plant blooms continuously for 6 months.
- Graffiti is an annual flower, it will grow no more than 35 cm in height. The color of the flowers is lilac, white, red or purple. Under suitable weather conditions, the plant can be grown outdoors.
Pentas is a flower that boasts an abundance of different varieties. Each florist can choose the best option for himself and improve his house or garden plot, depending on his preferences.
Flower Pentas Start White
Features of home care
In order for the pentas plant to please for a long time with its attractive appearance and abundant flowering, it is necessary to provide it with the most optimal growing conditions. The plant does not require special labor-intensive activities. A standard set of procedures is enough for normal growth and flowering at home.
Temperature
During the growing season, normal room temperature is considered optimal for growing and keeping.
Lighting
The Egyptian star is a flower that prefers bright lighting without direct sunlight. The sun can damage the leaf plate, so if burns are found, the plant should be shaded.
The lack of lighting is evidenced by the stretching of the flower and the loss of stability. You can solve the problem with additional lighting.
Watering and humidity
In the spring and summer, the plant should be provided with regular watering and the maintenance of the substrate in an evenly moist state. During the dormant period, the number of waterings is significantly reduced. For watering, you can only use settled water. Water the flower after the topsoil dries.
Now many growers prefer special flasks for automatic irrigation. They are especially useful for those who do not have the opportunity to provide the plant with regular watering.
To extend the duration of flowering, experts advise adding a complex mineral composition specially designed for flowering plants to the water for irrigation.
Increase the natural humidity of the air only during too hot daytime hours.
Starla Lavender Shades in the open field
Priming
Perfectly drained and nutritious soil is ideal for representatives of this variety.
Top dressing
For abundant and lush flowering, it is recommended to feed the plant from the beginning of growth and before transfer to the dormant period twice a month with products specially designed for flowering plants.
Features of winter care
During the dormant period, which falls on the winter months, the number of irrigations is reduced, and the air temperature drops to +10 degrees.
When and how it blooms
Pentas blooms in a conveyor way. The flowering period lasts from May to October. With proper care, the likelihood of re-flowering increases significantly.
Pruning and shaping the bush
Growing a pentas flower does not cause any particular difficulties. The plant is characterized by fast growth and abundant flowering. But in order for the flower to look beautiful and neat, it needs to form a crown on its own.
Stems that rise above the rest need to be systematically cut at the root, and the tops of the flower should be regularly pinched.
How pentas reproduce
There are two ways to grow a plant at home.
Growing a Starla Deep Rose flower
Rooting cuttings
This method is considered the simplest, fastest and most convenient. In order to grow a flower in this way, you can take the shoots obtained as a result of pruning or pinching. They must first be kept in a rooting stimulator for one hour, and then placed in a prepared container with soil.
Planting material is harvested for 10 days in a cool place with good lighting. The flower is transplanted to a permanent place a month after planting.
Seed method
Growing from seeds is very rarely used for breeding. The advantage of the method is that it is possible to plant a plant in this way absolutely at any time of the year.
For sowing seed, a container with a substrate is preliminarily prepared, which is abundantly watered with soft, warm water. Then small grooves are made on the surface of the soil, and a seed is laid out in them.
For germination of seed material, the container is removed in a warm place with a humidity of about 60%.It is strictly forbidden to lower the air temperature below +7 degrees. In such conditions, the plant will not be able to grow and the seeds will die. Under optimal conditions, the first shoots will appear 20 days after sowing.
It is known for sure that this technique works well for the Starl pentas flower; growing from seeds of other varieties is sometimes difficult.
Transfer
Pentas is rapidly developing and increasing in volume, therefore, an annual transplant is a prerequisite for its maintenance during the growth period. An adult plant is transplanted once every 2-3 years.
A larger pot is selected for transplantation. It is best to plant in spring. The plant, along with a lump of earth, is carefully removed from the pot and lowered into a new container.
The amazing beauty of the flower pentas Starla mix
Pests and diseases
Most often, with proper cultivation and ensuring the necessary conditions, the indoor pentas flower is not subject to diseases. But sometimes problems in the form of diseases and pests do arise. You can cope with them yourself.
Most often, domestic plants of this species are subject to the following ailments:
- Chlorosis - occurs as a result of a lack of iron. It is manifested by yellowing of the leaves. The introduction of iron chelates will help to cope with the problem. When the first signs appear, you must act immediately, since otherwise delay can lead to the death of the plant.
- Damage to aphids and spider mites - you can fight pests with the help of folk remedies or pesticides. To eliminate pests, the leaves of the flower are wiped off with a product, and after a few days it is gently washed off with clean, warm water.
According to the descriptions, the cultivation and maintenance of the pentas flower does not cause any problems. Therefore, even a novice florist can cope with the emerging problems. The most important thing is to provide the plant with optimal conditions and care, which is detailed above.
Flower pentas graffiti
Pentas is rightfully one of the favorite plants. Despite the fact that now there are about 50 varieties of this flower, only lanceolate is ideal for home breeding. This amazing plant, with simple care, pleases its owners with a lush and almost year-round flowering.
