Features of care for the episode, methods of reproduction

For lovers of original indoor plants, the Episcia, a representative of the Gesneriaceae family, a close relative of Saintpaulia (violets), will become a real decoration of the collection. Episode maintenance is not difficult, but good lighting and warmth are essential for full development. Due to a violation of the conditions of detention, the plant can quickly die, so it is important to recognize warning signs in time.

Varieties and popular varieties

All the beauty of the episode is revealed upon closer inspection. Embossed velvety leaves with an original pattern and a whole palette of shades, numerous bright flowers in the form of gramophones - a varietal variety worthy of the attention of the most sophisticated florists. In many types of episodes, the leaf plate casts silver or mother-of-pearl, for this plant it received two more names: chameleon and peacock flower.

The genus of episodes includes about 40 species, of which the following are the most popular.

1. Cupreata - copper. On the basis of this species, many hybrids have been bred. In the classic version, the light green tint in the center of the leaf turns into a dark brown or copper edge. The leaf blade is rather large: about 15 cm long and 10 cm wide. Creeping shoots grow from the main bush, on which daughter rosettes are formed. The flowers are solitary, in most varieties they are of a bright red hue, but there are also yellow flowers (Tropical Topaz).
2. Reptans - creeping (creeping). From the main plant, numerous shoots branch off, beautifully framing the pot and the space around it. The leaf blade of the creeping episode is dark olive in color with light veins, approximately 5 cm wide and 10 cm long. The flowers are pink, fringed at the edges.
3. Lilacina - lilac. The leaf plate is pubescent, evenly colored, embossed, the edges are serrated. The lilac episode produces single flowers of a delicate lilac shade with double petals. At home, it blooms reluctantly, it is grown for the sake of decorative greenery.
4. Dianthiflora - carnation (alsobia). A very elegant kind of episode. The leaves are small (up to 3 cm), almost without relief, the color is dark green with a weakly pronounced burgundy vein. A mustache with "babies" that form a "cap" around the pot extends from the mother's rosette bushes. The "highlight" of the carnation-flowered episode is snow-white or delicate lilac flowers with a long fringe along the edges of the petals, in some varieties the center of the "gramophone" is strewn with specks. From a distance, the bush seems to be hung with fur lumps.

Especially popular are hybrids based on copper, creeping and lilac descriptions:

• Pink Brocade with a pink and white border around the leaf;
• Chocolate Cream - a leaf plate with a brown wide border, well-pronounced silvery veins;
• Ember Lace is a very interesting variety of the episode, wide pink strokes on the leaf plates are in harmony with flowers of the same color;
• Chocolate Velor - pubescent dark brown leaves with a slight terracotta shade, reminiscent of plush to the touch.

Varieties with a compact crown:

• Star of Bethlehem;
• Tropical Topaz;
• Sun Gold;
• Moss Brocade.

Episode varieties that look especially good in hanging planters:

• Cameo;
• Tricolor;
• Wine Brocade.

Examples of episodes with lush crowns:

• Chocolate Soldier;
• Velvet Green;
• Green Haga.

Episodes for beginners (bloom profusely, extremely unpretentious):

• Acajou;
• Cameo;
• Chocolate Soldier;
• Moss Agate;
• Tropical Topaz.

All types of episodes bloom in June-July, the end of flowering is in September-October. They do not need a dormant period, but in winter, the frequency of watering is reduced.

Care

The episodes are native to the tropics. Some species form carpets in the canopy of trees, while others occupy open meadows. But although the name of this plant comes from the Greek episkios, which translates as "shaded", it will not be able to fully develop with poor lighting.

Shade-tolerant varieties of episodes:

• Boston Gray;
• Frosty;
• Emerald Queen;
• Wine Brocade.

Indirect sunlight is necessary for flowering varieties with brown or copper leaves, and blooming blue, pink, lilac flowers require not only good lighting, but also heat and high humidity.

Advice

In good light, the copper episode blooms profusely, and in moderate shade it forms large leaves of a rich shade, but there will be almost no flowers.

With insufficient illumination, the episodes lose their decorative effect: the leaves become small, lose their turgor and relief, the shoots stretch out and become thinner. Aggressive sunlight, for example, on a hot afternoon on a windowsill for episodes is dangerous. Varieties with silvery leaves are particularly affected.

Due to their tropical origin, all episodes love heat and tolerate heat well up to 40 ° C, but only under high humidity conditions. Some inexperienced growers, in an effort to provide these plants with optimal conditions, spray them with cold water, as a result of which the leaves become stained and die off. All varieties of episodes develop well at 70-75% humidity. To maintain the desired mode, instead of the traditional stand, it is recommended to place a tray filled with moist moss under the pot.

The temperature range of the episode content depends on the color of the leaves: from 18 to 32 ° С - for light and silvery, from 18 to 43 ° С - for brown, pink-lilac, copper, bronze. The lower the temperature, the slower the bush will grow and develop. The most problematic time for episodes is winter. Those plants that are provided with additional lighting and moderate watering survive well. If you just leave the pot with the inscription on the window, then there is a risk that it will gradually dry out without waiting for the spring sun and warmth.

Soil and pot

Since the root system of the episodes is close to the soil surface, deep pots are not needed. Wide and flattened containers work well. The soil is used the same as for the familiar Saintpaulias. Can be purchased generic.

There are two options for self-preparation of the substrate for episodes:

1. Leafy soil - 2 parts, peat - 1 part, river sand - 1 part.
2. Leafy ground - 3 parts, peat - 2 parts, sand - 1 part.

Components taken from open ground must be ignited, spilled with a weak solution of manganese, and then with a biological product "Fitosporin". This will not only help to neutralize disease-causing organisms, but will also prevent their development.

The roots of the episodes are thin, easily dry out and rot, therefore, for high-quality air exchange, a drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the pot, and it is useful to add chopped sphagnum (moss), vermiculite, and crushed bark to the soil.

Top dressing

Supplemental nutrition is needed to maintain a healthy green mass of the episode. You can use complex fertilizers for violets, universal for indoor plants. During the period of active growth, supplements are applied every two weeks, but the dosage recommended by the manufacturer is reduced by 2 times. In winter, feeding is done once a month with a threefold reduced dose.

Advice

An excess of nitrogen is dangerous for episodes. A sign of an overdose is darkening and drying out of the centers of the outlets.

Pruning and reproduction

Episodes tend to grow, filling the surrounding space with stolon shoots. In the wild, their growth is not limited to the framework of the pot, so the size of the plant does not affect the quality of greenery and flowering. Home care includes periodic pruning to shape and rejuvenate the shrub. The procedure is carried out in the fall after flowering or in the spring before it begins. Scissors or other cutting tools should be treated with an antiseptic (such as chlorhexidine).

When pruning, the daughter shoots coming from the mother bush are carefully separated. They can be rooted in a pot next to the main plant or planted separately.

Apical shoots are also suitable for reproduction of episodes.Those with strong stems and 3 pairs of leaves are chosen. In a container of water, they will give roots within two weeks.

Episation, like Saintpaulia, is easily propagated by leaves. The petiole can be placed in water or immediately buried in moist soil by about 1 cm. In many sources it is recommended to cover the leaf with a jar, but rooting will occur without shelter.

Advice

Reproduction of the episode by seeds is possible, but at home it is impractical: it is too labor-intensive, and there is also no guarantee of preservation of varietal traits.

Diseases and pests

Episodes are resistant to most diseases. The only thing that can quickly destroy a flower is root rot. First signs:

• the leaf plate loses its turgor even in wet soil;
• shoots will nip;
• flowering stops.

Treatment is troublesome and often counterproductive. It is easier to cut the cuttings and put them in water, preferably in Kornevin's solution. For prevention, watering is done only after the first centimeter of the soil has dried.

Some owners of the episodes complain about the gradual and unreasonable withering of pets: the leaves first twist slightly, then their edges become thinner, turn brown, and as a result, the leaf plate dies off. A common cause is overflow due to excess cut moss in the substrate. By allowing water to pass through, it creates the illusion of dry soil, although there is enough moisture inside. Such additives are useful, but in moderation (no more than 1/6 of the pot volume is recommended). Often the problem of overflowing episodes arises in winter when using wick irrigation. A diseased plant will be saved by a change of soil.

If the episode is constantly watered with ice water, the leaves will begin to become covered with brown spots. This disease is stopped by switching to watering with standing water at room temperature.

Direct sunlight is fraught with burnout of the sheet plate. The leaves can either completely turn yellow and fall off, or fade, having lost their former decorative effect.

Dry air also affects the appearance of the episodes: the tips of the leaf plate dry out, young shoots become weak and small.

Mites

Episodes often suffer from ticks, and the owners often sin on overflow or hypothermia due to the similarity of symptoms. It is impossible to see these insects, only traces of activity are visible. The eggs of parasites are easily brought in with fruits, flowers, or simply by the wind through the window.

Cyclamen mites, as well as transparent orange mites, settle in the very center of the outlet. The growth point weakens, the leaves become smaller and tuck down. If small ulcerations, punctures, strokes, depressions are visible on the surface of the leaf plates, then it is likely that a flat-bodied mite attacked the episode.

To get rid of ticks will help the treatment with the drug "Nissoran" together with "Aktofit", "Vermitek" or "Sunmight". It will take 3-4 sprays every 3 days. If the above funds are not available, then you can use Fitoverm (found on sale most often). For the treatment of episodes, a solution is used in the proportion of 2 ml of the product to 200 ml of water.

Important!

The temperature in the room where the treatment is carried out must be above 20 ° C, otherwise the funds will not work. Such drugs as "Fufanon" or "Actellik" (hazard class 2) are very harmful to health. It is not recommended to use them in a confined space, since the decay period of toxic compounds is very long.

Nematodes

Nematodes hit the episode extremely rarely, despite the opposite assurances of some information sources. But the main signs of the presence of this filamentous worm in the soil and on the plant should be known:

• softening of leaves;
• thickening of the stem;
• mounds on leaf petioles;
• small nodules on the roots;
• the root system weakens, so water is hardly absorbed from the soil.

Nematodes are very stubborn parasites.The only sure way to get rid of them is to cut and root healthy upper leaves or cuttings and destroy the infected plant. The soil is thrown away, the pot is calcined if possible.

Mealybugs and aphids occasionally attack the episode. Treatment with the complex preparation "Aktara" is effective against them. For a small colony of aphids, Green Soap will help.

Some, having acquired a beautiful healthy episode, are soon disappointed, since the plant loses its presentation, or even dies altogether. The reason usually lies in the lack of knowledge about the features of the conditions of detention and the main causes of diseases. It is important to notice negative changes in time and take appropriate measures: rearrange, change the soil, add backlighting, treat pests. Even in a critical situation, an episode always gives a chance to correct mistakes - just pinch off a stalk or leaf and put it in water. With proper care, the bush will not only preserve and increase its decorative qualities, but also bloom profusely.