Calceolaria flowers planting and care. Calceolaria at home. Caring for indoor calceolaria flower at home

Calceolaria - an interesting plant with such unusual flowers, bright, eye-catching, gives great pleasure to lush flowering. The unusual shape of the color, similar to a slipper, and the saturation of colors delight the soul and give a wonderful mood.

Pictured is a calceolaria flower

A native of the cold slopes of the mountainous Andes (South America), the exotic handsome man is very whimsical, and in order to grow him at home, you need to create conditions for him as close as possible to the harsh conditions of the habitat. Proper Care for calceolaria affects the quality of its flowering.

Calceolaria flower: planting and reproduction

This original plant is herbaceous. In the wild, there are about 400 species of exotic shoes. It is grown both in greenhouses and at home, as well as in the summer - in the open air. The flower is a biennial, however, it fully blooms only in the first year, so it is recommended to transplant it after the first year of growth.

If there is no desire to bother with a transplant, then after a year they make a complete pruning of the plant, and place the pot in a dark place for two months, maintaining soil moisture.

Calceolaria is propagated by seeds that are planted in the soil in spring (April - May). The seeds are placed on a specially prepared or store-bought soil (a mixture of sand and peat), and covered with gauze on top, which is periodically moistened. Seeds germinate at a temperature of +18 - +20 degrees. When the first sprouts appear, they need to be picked.

As the outlet appears, it should be transplanted into a larger container so that there is sufficient area for growth. This is what calceolaria looks like, growing from seeds, the photo of which is shown below.

Two months later, the plant is again transplanted into a larger pot, while pinching the upper part. After 4-5 months, the flower is already planted in a permanent container - a flower pot with a large volume. The soil must be nutritious and sufficiently fertilized. Flowering occurs approximately 10 months after planting the seeds.

The calceolaria flower, the cultivation and care of which is quite a troublesome business, is worth it - its cheerful bright flowers will decorate any apartment or house, as well as a flower bed or a greenhouse.

Video: Calceolaria flower, sowing

plant care

The plant is quite whimsical, and for full flowering it requires painstaking care:

1. Calceolaria does not like a lot of light, the most favorable place for growth and flowering is the eastern window. In contact with leaves and flowers of direct sun rays burns can occur, therefore, if it is not possible to put the pot in the east, the window should be shaded from the bright sun.
2. Flowering can occur only at a temperature of +14 - +16 degrees, and if you want to enjoy the beauty unusual colors, it is necessary to provide for this a suitable temperature regime.
3. The plant does not require high humidity - it is not necessary to spray it. You can only wipe the leaves from dust from time to time and ventilate the room more often.
4. Watering should be moderate - when pouring a large amount of water, the root system will begin to rot, and the slipper will die. It is enough to water three times a week, and in hot summer period somewhat more frequently. You can not let the soil dry out, otherwise the handsome flower may die.
5. Calceolaria loves to be pampered with top dressing. You should feed the beauty once every two weeks - this will be enough for good growth. When buds appear, top dressing is increased - fertilizers are applied every 10 days.

Calceolaria is a member of the Calceolaria family. Previously, the plant was part of the Nornicaceae genus. Recent studies have revealed that not only does it not belong to their genus, but that it itself became the progenitor of many plants from the order Lavender.

The plant is native to Central and South America. The flower grows up to 45-50 cm in height. The leaves are medium in size (about 10 cm), elongated, with veins and a pubescent inner side. Intense green leaves. If you translate the name "Calceolaria" from Latin into Russian, you get a "slipper". She got this name because of the similarity of the shape of a flower with a shoe or a bag for money.

Flowering occurs from early March to July. Up to 50-60 flower ovaries appear immediately on one plant. The plant gained its popularity thanks to unusual dicotyledonous flowers (large spherical and small, barely noticeable). They are pot-bellied and look like wooden clogs. Calceolaria is an ornamental plant. At home, grown as annual or biennial flowers.

The most popular calceolaria plant species and flower photos

More than 270 species belong to the genus Calceolariaceae. The most popular of them:

• Under this name, many similar varieties are combined. The leaves are light, fluffy on the back. Blooms from white to bright red in various color combinations. More coloring in orange, red and yellow. On the flowers there are patterns different from the main color: blotches, stains, strokes, blots. Two-color calceolaria are more capricious than their solid sisters. Flowers with a brindle color and with strong patches are especially picky. In a very hot climate, they will bloom not as it should be for the variety, but with simple plain flowers.
• Leaves with pointed edges (have the shape of a shovel), light green. Flowering purple, with reddish patches.
• The flowers are small in size (3-5mm), yellow in color.
• Bright yellow flowering (2-3 cm) without inclusions and strokes.
• Calceolaria multiflora. Flowering is large with bright coloring of various shades.

Caring for indoor calceolaria flower at home

Place the flower in places where there is a dim diffused light.

The flower is quite whimsical and requires increased attention. Strong and low light, dryness and waterlogging, high and low temperatures are contraindicated. In the conditions of living in an apartment, especially in the summer, caring for a plant requires the adoption of certain measures.

Lighting

The plant loves soft diffused light. Direct sunlight is detrimental without proper watering. From bright light, the flower should be fenced off with paper or a transparent cloth.

In summer, there will be enough light on the windowsill. It is better if it is the east or west side of the house. A shady place without drafts, for example, on a balcony, is also suitable. Before flowering and throughout the flowering time, the plant needs to be in the shade. Calceolaria overwinters indoors. To obtain a sufficient amount of light for the plant in late autumn and winter, lamps are used.

Optimal temperature for calceolaria

The flower is also capricious about the ambient temperature - it should not be higher than 15-17 ° C. Increasing to 20-25°C will not kill, but can lead to rapid aging, insect infestation and disease. In the cold season, the optimum temperature for calceolaria will be in the range of 9-15 ° C. In the heat and dryness of the air, the flower can throw off the leaves and buds.

Air humidity

The flower loves high humidity, but the plant cannot be sprayed.

It is necessary to maintain high humidity around the calceolaria. Therefore, the air around the plant is sprayed with soft settled water from a small spray bottle. Droplets on the leaves are undesirable (especially on their fluffy back). The pot is placed on a pallet or bowl with porous large material (expanded clay or gravel). The bowl should be half filled with water. This is enough to moisten the flower.

Watering a calceolaria flower

Calceolaria loves not only high humidity, but also regular moistening of the substrate. Watering is done only with settled water. The water temperature should be at room temperature or slightly hotter, but do not exceed the threshold of 30 ° C. Before watering, you can put the water in direct sunlight.

During the flowering period, the frequency of watering is somewhat more frequent (about once a week) than during the dormant period. It is necessary to monitor the water from the pan - it should not stagnate and rot. After flowering stops, the frequency of watering is halved and moisten the soil as the top layer dries. When new shoots begin to break through, frequent watering should be resumed.

The soil

Almost any soil is suitable for calceolaria, the plant is unpretentious to the composition of the soil

The composition of the soil is not important for calceolaria, because the plant was originally wild. Substrate compositions:

1. Sod, leafy soil, peat, fine sand (in proportions 3:1:1:0.5).
2. Soil, humus, peat land, turf (1:0.5:1:2).
3. Sod land, humus and coal (50/50), coarse sand (2:1:1).
4. Soil, leafy soil, compost, sod (2:1:1:2).

You can add to any composition:

1. sphagnum;
2. crushed sawdust;
3. crushed fern roots;
4. crushed bark coniferous tree;
5. vermiculite;
6. wood ash;

Fertilizer for indoor flower calceolaria

Top dressing of the plant must be done every 10-12 days. For this, liquid mineral fertilizers are more suitable, which are quickly absorbed into the soil. Feeding the flower should begin 14 days after transplantation.

All autumn and winter, calceolaria does not need fertilizer. If you regularly feed it during this period, all leaves and flower ovaries may turn yellow and fall off (due to an excess of minerals in the soil and roots).

How to transplant

Calceolaria is an annual plant grown in pots and planters. To transplant a purchased plant into a home pot, it is necessary to pour a layer of drainage into it and transfer the root part there along with a clod of earth. The finished flower is sprinkled on top with a special substrate bought in a store or made by hand.

Calceolaria flower seeds

The flower is planted with seeds. Sow the plant in the ground in March or June. The soil for planting can be a mixture of sand and peat soil (1: 7). Powdering with earth is not needed, because the seeds are very small (dusty). The soil is moistened by pollination warm water from a spray bottle. From above, to ensure the greenhouse effect, lay polyethylene or glass. It is necessary to periodically ventilate the planted seeds to avoid their decay. The pot should be in a dark place.

The first shoots of shoots begin 15-20 days after sowing. The plant immediately dive. Transplantation of seedlings takes place in special pots 7, and then 9 cm long. The first transplant is at the age of 6 weeks, the second - at 14 weeks. Pinching and done before the second flower transplant. Only 3-4 pairs remain from the bottom of the trunk (for the appearance of side branches).

During germination, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 20 ° C. After the appearance of the first shoots - 12-15 ° C. Flower buds begin to set after eight months of growth.

Subshrubs can be propagated by cuttings. They are selected from cuttings of lateral shoots of an adult plant. The time of cutting branches for the formation of cuttings is February, March and August. To take root in a new place, the shoots need about a month. For greater bushiness, you can plant several cuttings in one pot.

Care after flowering

When grown as an annual plant, after flowering it is thrown out and new ones are sown. The maximum life of the plant is two years (two flowering). After flowering is over, all shoots should be cut off, leaving 15-20 cm each. Then the pot is placed in a cool place to rest the plant.

When new shoots appear, the calceolaria is moved back to a well-lit place (but not under the direct rays of the sun). After all the manipulations, they begin to emerge flower buds and the plant blooms. The second flowering occurs a couple of months earlier and is no longer as plentiful, large and beautiful as the first time. The branches are drawn out more strongly, aesthetics are noticeably lost.

Diseases and pests of calceolaria and plant care during this period

1. The plant is susceptible to infection by aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, scale insects, spider mites, which drink juices from it. Due to the complexity of care and the high probability of damage to the plant by pests, it is recommended to renew the calceolaria every year.
2. Foliage can wither with strong heat and insufficient moisture of the leaves and soil.
3. Flower aging occurs with a hot climate in the room and a small amount of watering.
4. Waterlogging leads to yellowing and leaf fall., rot and death of the flower.
5. The slightest deviation from the recommended norms for the content of calceolaria leads to the fall of the ovaries of flowers, the withering of foliage and the death of the plant.

Calceolaria is a plant with flowers of an unusual shape. Their number on one plant reaches 18-50 pieces. From the article you will learn how to care for calceolaria, how often to transplant and when to feed.

The brightly colored calceolaria are usually grown as annuals.

The Calceolaria flower belongs to the Calceolaria family of the same name. This herbaceous plant, a shrub or sub-shrub that grows in Central and South America. Calceolaria are one-, two- and perennial, but in culture they are usually grown as annuals.

The flower reaches a height of 30 cm, a width of 50 cm. Corrugated bright green leaves are pubescent on the underside, reach a length of 5-10 cm. The flowers are small - 2.5-6 cm, outwardly resemble clogs, are yellow, red, white or orange, plain and speckled.

Popular types

The genus Calceolariae contains about 400 plant species. In home cultivation, the following are most popular:

Conditions of detention

Calceolaria is a rather capricious plant. In order for it to please with its growth and flowering, it is necessary to adhere to optimal conditions of detention. This is not always easy, since both too bright lighting and its lack are not suitable for a flower.

Temperature and lighting

Calceolaria need diffused, dim light. On a window sill with direct sunlight, it should be shaded. During the summer the best option there will be an east or west window sill. In winter and late autumn, additional lighting will be needed. Calceolaria needs shade only before flowering and throughout this period.

Together with bright lighting, the flower prefers cool content. It blooms for a long time at a temperature of 9-15 degrees in winter and 15-17 ° C in summer. If you grow calceolaria in a hot room, it will quickly shed or dry out the buds, it will get sick more often, it will grow old faster.

Humidity and watering

The plant loves high humidity, so the pots are placed on pallets with wet pebbles or expanded clay. It helps to spray the air near the plant from a small spray bottle. The ingress of moisture on the pubescent leaves of calceolaria must be excluded. Water the plant often - do not allow the earthen coma to dry out.

To increase moisture, expanded clay is placed next to the plant and moistened.

During the flowering period, water is supplied about 1 time per week - until the top layer of soil dries out. When the calceolaria blooms, watering is reduced by 2 times. Renew the frequency when new shoots break through. For irrigation it is necessary to use only settled water at room temperature. Avoid stagnation in the pan and drain immediately after watering.

Soil and transplant

Calceolaria is unpretentious to the ground, but grows best in a mixture of 2 parts of sod and leaf soil, one part of peat soil and half of sand. It is permissible to use other mixtures, but be sure to use soddy soil. Sphagnum, crushed sawdust, vermiculite, wood ash, crushed coniferous bark can be added to any soil. Purchased universal primer is also suitable.

Usually calceolaria is grown as annual plant. The flower of the second year will be less decorative, although it will bloom earlier. In this case, he does not need a transplant. If you want to transplant the purchased flower into a decorative pot, fill the bottom with a layer of drainage. Then carefully transfer the plant along with the earthen clod, and fill the remaining space with fresh soil.

top dressing

Calceolaria is fertilized from the moment of planting until the beginning of flowering. This is done every 2 weeks, using potassium-phosphate complexes or fertilizers for flowering plants. During the flowering period, in autumn and winter, the flower is not fed. If the calceolaria is left to grow in the second year, feeding is resumed in the spring, with the appearance of young shoots.

Bush formation

In order for the plant to bush well and bloom profusely, they resort to crown formation. In calceolaria, side shoots growing from the axils of the leaves are removed. Sometimes, in order to provoke branching, in the spring, before the start of budding, the flower is pinched. Leave 2-3 pairs of leaves on each shoot. After pinching, the flowers may be smaller than when side shoots are removed (stepping).

flowering period

Calceolaria blooms in March-June, the flowers last for a month. Biennial plants bloom a couple of months earlier, but flowering is not as abundant. On calceolaria, 18-50 flowers can bloom at the same time. They are small, up to 6 cm in diameter, similar to shoes. Blooms in red, orange, yellow, white. The flowering period does not provoke the development of allergic reactions.

Flowering calceolaria.

Why calceolaria does not bloom

If the conditions of detention are not observed, the flower may drop, dry the buds or not bloom at all. Most often, the absence of calceolaria flowers is associated with:

• Content at high temperature.
• Wrong watering.
• Excessive application of fertilizers, mainly nitrogen
• Lack of cold wintering.

Plant care after flowering

When the calceolaria fades, you can either throw it away or grow it for the second year, but then get rid of it anyway. If you want to achieve flowering in the second year, then cut the shoots, leaving 15 cm each. Put the pot in a cool shaded place. In the spring, with the advent of new shoots, the plant is returned to a well-lit window sill, watering is increased, and feeding is resumed. Soon the flower buds will sprout and the calceolaria will bloom.

Calceolaria outdoors

Growing a flower in open field.

In mild climates, the plant is grown outdoors. Since the flower is mainly used as an annual, seeds are sown in a flower bed in early spring or they are germinated in a container and then planted. After flowering, the annual plant dies off on its own. The following year, you can simply sow new seeds. Most often, calceolaria is thin and multi-rooted in flowerbeds.

Difficulties in growing

When growing calceolaria, you must strictly adhere to the required conditions. When deviating from them, the plant begins to turn yellow, drop flowers and leaves, wither, and may even die. Do not bypass it and pests.

Pests

Calceolaria is more often affected by aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, whiteflies, scale insects. Pests drink all the juices from the plant, which first leads to a loss of decorativeness and inhibition of growth, then to the death of the flower. If pests are found, the plant must be treated chemical preparation, for example, "Aktellik".

In case of severe infection, re-treatment will be required after 3-4 days. In especially severe cases, up to 4 treatments are carried out with an interval exposure. The dosage is indicated by the manufacturer on the package with the drug.

Diseases

Calceolaria is susceptible to gray rot. The disease occurs due to prolonged waterlogging combined with low temperature and high humidity. Gray mold can also develop due to overfeeding with nitrogen fertilizers. In the presence of rot, all damaged areas must be removed, the cuts should be sprinkled with sulfur. The plant should be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or a copper-containing preparation ("Topaz", "Oxych").

With the wrong content, pests infect flowers and leaves.

Reproduction of calceolaria

The flower can be propagated by cuttings or grown from seeds.

cuttings

Shoots cut after flowering can be rooted in water or soil mixture. You can cut them both in August and in February-March. When rooting in water, pre-dissolve the tablet activated carbon, and the container is chosen from dark glass. This reduces the risk of cuttings rotting.

When the cutting is deepened into the soil, it is covered from above with a transparent bag or bottle, increasing the humidity around. Rooting will take 3-4 weeks. When the shoots give roots, they can be transplanted into a permanent pot. For splendor, several cuttings are planted in one container.

Growing from seed

Seeds are sown in April. A soil mixture is prepared, consisting of 7 parts of peat, 1 part of sand and 20 g of dolomite flour per 1 kg of soil. The soil is pre-calcined for disinfection, and then moistened.

Seeds are sown on the surface, not buried in the ground. The top of the container is covered with a transparent film or glass. Such a greenhouse is placed in a well-lit place with a temperature of 18 degrees. Periodically, the shelter is removed to remove excess condensate.

Seedlings appear after about 2 weeks. The soil between them is watered with a thin stream of water. The first transplant is carried out in a month, the second - in two. To do this, use pots with a diameter of 7 cm, and watering is carried out once every 2 weeks.

Growing calceolaria from seed.

In September, young plants are transplanted into pots with a diameter of 9-11 cm and placed in a cooler place with a temperature of 8-10°C. In January-February, calceolaria are planted in pots for adult plants. Then they pinch the sockets over 3-4 leaves and put them in a permanent place.

Calceolaria is a capricious plant that can die at the slightest mistake in care. It lives 1-2 years, but is easily propagated by cuttings or seeds. Basically, for cultivation, they buy flower seeds, which are sold in any flower shop. Packing costs about 55 rubles. Having mastered the rules of care, you can regularly admire beautiful flowers calceolaria.

A herbaceous and profusely flowering plant like calceolaria at home grown as an annual or biennial. Its popularity is associated with very spectacular flowers that have an unusual shape, reminiscent of a "purse" or "slipper". So, these bright flowers are two-lipped, the upper lip of which has an extremely small size, and the lower one is large, spherical, swollen.

The genus Calceolaria (Calceolaria) has approximately 400 species of the families of norichnikovyh. In English taxonomy, they are classified in the Calceolariaceae family. In the wild, such a flower can be found in Central and South America. "Calceolaria" is translated from Latin as "little shoe".

This genus includes shrubs, herbs, shrubs, in which the leaves are opposite or whorled. The flower calyx is four-membered, and the corolla is swollen, two-lipped (while the upper lip is usually smaller). Has 2-3 stamens. The fruit is presented in the form of a box.

In calceolaria, most of the species are very beautiful and are grown as ornamental plants. Hybrid garden varieties were created from species such as: C. arachnoidea, C. corymbosa, C. crenatiflora, as well as others. For growing in cool greenhouses, as a rule, hybrids are chosen, the flowers of which are colored purple, orange, yellow or red, and their corollas can also be shaded or spotted. They are propagated by cuttings or seeds.

This beautifully flowering plant will delight you with its flowers in spring time, while it is worth knowing that it is problematic to grow it at home, as it prefers cool places. Its spherical, bright, bubbly flowers stand out in particular. Often there are many different dots and spots on the flowers. As a rule, calceolaria blooms from March to June. Flowering continues for 4 weeks. One plant can form 18–55 flowers.

Temperature regime

This flower needs coolness (12-16 degrees). If the air temperature is too high, then flowers or buds may fall off.

illumination

He likes well-lit places, but the light should be diffused. Requires shading from direct sunlight. It is best to put on the windowsill, located in the northern, eastern or northwestern part of the room.

How to water

Watering should be plentiful. Don't let the soil dry out.

Humidity

The flower needs very high humidity. It is recommended to pour small pebbles or expanded clay into a wide pan, pour water, and put a flower pot on top. When spraying, try not to get the liquid on the pubescent leaves. Only flowers are sprayed.

How to transplant

The soil mixture consists of leaf, peat, sod land, as well as sand, mixed in a ratio of 3:2:3:1. When the calceolaria finishes blooming, it can be thrown out.

How to propagate

This plant can be grown from seed. For this, sowing is carried out from May to July, while the seeds are not sprinkled with earth. A double pick is required. For germination, the seeds need to provide a temperature of about 18 degrees. But to grow this flower in room conditions difficult, it is better to buy ready-made in a special store.

How to care for calceolaria correctly

Such a plant simply needs diffused light, and it does not tolerate the direct rays of the sun, from which it must be shaded. It grows well on windowsills located on the western or eastern window. If the calceolaria is placed on the southern windowsill, then it needs good shading, which can be made of paper or a translucent material (for example, tulle, gauze, tracing paper, and so on). Also feels great on the northern windowsill. When the plant begins to bloom, it will need not very much shading. In the autumn-winter period, it is recommended to illuminate the flower with fluorescent lamps.

In order for calceolaria to grow and develop normally, it needs the air temperature in the room to be no higher than 12–16 degrees, and, importantly, at any time of the year.

During the flowering period, watering should be regular. To do this, you need to use soft and always settled water. It is necessary to moisten the soil immediately after drying the top layer. Some time after watering, be sure to pour out the liquid that has accumulated in the pan. When flowering is over, you need to water the calceolaria very rarely and little, but make sure that the earthen ball does not dry out. After fresh shoots appear, they gradually return to the previous irrigation regime.

This flower simply needs a very high humidity, but at the same time, experts do not advise moistening it from a spray bottle. In order to achieve the necessary humidity, the pot with the plant is placed on a pallet, into which water is poured and pebbles are placed, and moistened peat or expanded clay can also be used. It is also advised to place the flower pot in a flower pot, and fill the remaining space between the 2 vessels with wet peat (it is moistened regularly).

The first time the plant is fed after 2 weeks have passed after transplanting the flower into a permanent pot. Mineral fertilizers are applied 2 times a month.

After this plant has faded, its aerial part can be completely removed. Then the pot needs to be rearranged for 6-8 weeks in a dark, cool place. Watering is rarely needed, but the soil should not dry out completely. After the young growth appears, the pot is placed in a well-lit place, and after a while the calceolaria blooms. As a rule, flowering in such flowers begins a couple of months earlier than those grown from seeds. However, they are characterized by a loss of decorativeness, due to the fact that they are strongly drawn out.

Over time, calceolaria will certainly lose its decorative effect and quickly enough. To always have beautiful plants, they should not be transplanted, but replaced with new ones.

How to propagate calceolaria

Seeds are used to propagate these flowers. If you want flowering to come in the spring, then you need to sow them in June, and if in the fall, then in March.

The seeds of calceolaria are very small in size, for example, in 1 gram there are about 30 thousand of them. Sowing is carried out directly on the surface of the soil, additional powdering with earth is not required. Paper is placed on top of the soil, and it must be systematically moistened. Picking is done after the seedlings grow 2 true leaves. To create a suitable soil mixture, it is necessary to mix hardwood, humus and peat soil, as well as sand in a ratio of 2:2:2:1.

Also, the seeds germinate well on peat. If you want flowering to come in mid-March, then sowing should be done from July 5 to July 15. To do this, use bedding peat disinfected from rot by heating to 90-100 degrees. Chalk is used to reduce the acidity of peat. To do this, it is added to the substrate. 15-20 grams of ground chalk is taken per kilogram of peat. Peat is also mixed with sand in a ratio of 7:1. In the resulting mixture, seeds are sown. To do this, they are scattered over the surface and not sprinkled on top with a substrate. Next, the container is tightly covered with glass or film. When on inner surface covering material will collect condensate, it must be carefully turned over so that water does not get on the seedlings. Be sure to keep the substrate consistently moist.

The second pick in pots with a diameter of 7 centimeters is made after the appearance of the outlet. Then they are placed on light window sills. At the beginning of autumn, another transplant is carried out, and pots with a diameter of 9–11 centimeters are used for it. Do not forget to pinch the calceolaria before this transplant, only 2 or 3 pairs of leaves should remain, and side shoots will begin to grow from their sinuses.

You can also form a bush with the help of pinching. To do this, you need to carefully remove the side shoots that form from the axils of the leaves.

Another transplant is already in larger pots produced from January to February. For this, a nutritious and heavy soil mixture is used, consisting of humus, sod and peat soil, as well as sand, mixed in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1. Also, do not forget to add 2-3 grams of the complex per kilogram of the mixture. mineral fertilizer. This humus substrate must necessarily be slightly acidic (approximate pH 5.5).

Flowering occurs 8-10 months after sowing seeds.

Growing difficulties

Every year these flowers need to be replaced with new ones. It is not advisable to leave them for the next year.

The leaves wither and the calceolaria quickly ages if the air in the room is too hot and dry.

Main types

Mexican calceolaria (Calceolaria mexicana)

Such plants are difficult to combine with others. So, this type of calceolaria has very small flowers (5 mm in diameter) of a light yellow hue. They look most advantageous in the border along with flowers that have decorative leaves, as well as in a composition located on the bank of a stream. The corollas of calceolaria then look like small lanterns.

Under different conditions of detention, the height of the bush may vary (from 20 to 50 centimeters). Taller bushes will be in a moist shaded place with nutrient soil. In the wild, Mexican calceolaria can be found on the wooded slopes of the mountains of Mexico, because it is a heat-loving plant. But at the same time, the bright light of the sun does not tolerate well, only if you provide it with good watering. This flower bears fruit almost always abundantly and it produces a large number of seeds.

wrinkled calceolaria - Calceolaria rugosa

This calceolaria is distinguished by its elegance and originality. Her homeland is Chile.

Such a herbaceous perennial plant, which has a very branched erect stem (25–50 centimeters high), is most often grown as an annual. Small (diameter 1.5-2 centimeters) flowers have a bright yellow color. But there are forms that have brownish dots. small size leaves are collected in rosettes. If you sow this plant as usual, then it begins to bloom in June and continues - until the frost. If there is a desire for this flower to bloom in the month of April, then it must be grown in containers.

Main varieties:

• Goldbukett - the plant has large flowers, and the height of a fairly strong bush reaches 25–30 centimeters;
• Triomphe de Versailles - has small flowers, and the height of a fast-growing bush reaches 35–50 centimeters;
• Sunset (Calceolaria x hybridus) is very showy plant can be grown both at home and in the garden. On each rosette, consisting of dark green leathery leaves, about a dozen short peduncles appear. In this case, the flowers-bells can be painted in orange, yellow or red. The height of the bushes reach 15-20 centimeters. They do not die with a short-term decrease in temperature to minus 5 degrees.

Video review

Calceolaria is a herbaceous profusely flowering plant that is grown in room culture as an annual or biennial. She conquers with her peculiar in shape, bright two-lipped flowers, and the lower lip is large, swollen, spherical, and the upper one is extremely small, barely noticeable. According to their external resemblance, they were nicknamed "shoes" or "purses" by the people.

Calceolaria. © Mark Kent Content:

Description of calceolaria

To the genus Calceolaria ( Calceolaria) belongs to about 400 species of the family Norichnikovye. In English taxonomy, they are classified in the Calceolariaceae family ( Calceolariaceae). Homeland plants - South and Central America. Translated from Latin, the word "calceolaria" means "little shoe."

Representatives of the genus are herbs, shrubs and shrubs with opposite or whorled leaves. Flowers with a four-membered calyx and a bright two-lipped, swollen corolla (the lower lip is usually larger). Stamens 2 or 3. The fruit is a box.

Many types are decorative. When creating numerous garden varieties calceolaria used hybrids of the species C. corymbosa, C. arachnoidea, C. crenatiflora and others. Hybrid calceolaria with yellow, orange, red, purple flowers, as well as with a spotted or shaded corolla, are grown in cool greenhouses, propagated by seeds and cuttings.

Calceolaria is one of the favorite spring flowering plants, although it is quite difficult to grow and breed it indoors (the plant prefers cool rooms). Calceolaria flowers are very peculiar in shape - bubbly and two-lipped (the lower lip is large, swollen, spherical, and the upper lip is extremely small, barely noticeable). Flowers are often covered with a variety of spots, dots. The flowering period lasts from March to June for one month. There are 18 to 55 flowers per plant.

Calceolaria. © Mark Kent

Features of growing calceolaria

Temperature: Calceolaria loves a cool room, 12-16 ° C. In too warm rooms sheds buds or flowers.

Lighting: Bright diffused light preferred, cannot tolerate direct sunlight. It is good to place on the windowsill of the east, north or northwest window.

Watering: Abundant, earthy clod should not dry out.

Air humidity: Calceolaria requires very high humidity, for this, pots with plants are placed on a wide tray with pebbles or expanded clay. The pubescent leaves of calceolaria do not like water to get on them, so they spray this plant, trying to ensure that moisture gets only on the flowers.

Transfer: Soil - 2 parts sod, 2 parts leaf, 1 part peat and 1/2 part sand. After flowering, the plant is discarded.

reproduction: Seeds, sown in May-July, without sprinkling soil on top and with a double pick. Calceolaria seeds germinate at a temperature of about 18 ° C. However, growing calceolaria at home is a rather troublesome task; it is easier to purchase an already flowering plant.

Calceolaria. © Mark Kent

Calceolaria Care

Calceolaria prefers diffused light; the plant is shaded from direct sunlight. Suitable for growing near western and eastern windows. At the southern windows, the calceolaria should be shaded from the direct sun, using a translucent fabric or paper (gauze, tulle, tracing paper) for this. Grows well at the north window. During the flowering period, the plant needs a little shading. In autumn and winter, you can use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

The temperature of keeping calceolaria in all seasons is preferably moderate, in the region of 12-16 ° C.

During flowering, the plant is watered regularly with soft settled water, as the top layer of the substrate dries up, preventing water from stagnation in the pan. After flowering, watering should be reduced, occasionally moistening the soil and preventing the substrate from completely drying out. When new shoots begin to grow, watering is gradually resumed.

Calceolaria needs high humidity. Spraying the plant is not recommended.

To ensure sufficient moisture, the plant pot is placed on a pallet filled with water and pebbles or wet peat, expanded clay. It is advisable to grow calceolaria in pots inserted into a planter. The space between the two vessels is filled with peat, which must be constantly moistened.

Start top dressing two weeks after planting in pots and continue until flowering. Feed every 2 weeks with mineral fertilizers.

After flowering, calceolaria can be cut off and placed for 1.5-2 months in a cool, shady place, occasionally moistening the soil (it is impossible to allow the earthen clod to dry completely). When the shoots begin to grow, the plants are exposed to a lighted place where they bloom. Flowering begins 2 months earlier than in plants grown from seeds, but they are somewhat elongated and lose their decorative effect, characteristic of young calceolaria. Therefore, it is better to grow it annually from seeds.

Since the plant quickly loses its decorative effect with age, it should not be transplanted, but should be replaced with a new one.

Calceolaria Fothergill, cultivar ‘Walter Shrimpton’. © Teddington Gardener

Reproduction of calceolaria

Calceolaria is propagated by seeds.

For autumn flowering, they are sown in March, for spring - in June.

Small seeds (about 30 thousand pieces per 1 g) are sown on the surface of the substrate, they are not covered with soil. Crops are covered with paper, which is periodically moistened. When the seedlings have two true leaves, they dive. At the same time, for the preparation of an earthen mixture, 2 parts of humus, hardwood and peat soil and 1 part of sand are taken.

Calceolaria seeds germinate well on peat. In order for the plants to bloom in mid-March, the seeds are sown on July 5-15 in bedding peat, previously disinfected from rot by heating to 90-100 ° C. To reduce acidity, ground chalk is added to peat (15-20 g per 1 kg of peat). For 7 parts of peat take 1 part of sand. The substrate is well mixed. Seeds are sown randomly, without sprinkling with peat. Crops are covered with plastic wrap or glass.

If condensation forms on the inside of the glass or film, the shelter must be turned over, preventing moisture from getting on the plants. In the future, it is necessary to ensure that the peat is always wet.

After the formation of the outlet, the plants dive a second time, transplanted into 7-centimeter pots and placed on bright windows. In September, they are transplanted again into 9-11 cm pots. Before the second transplant, the plants are pinched, leaving 2-3 pairs of leaves, from the axils of which lateral shoots appear.

Calceolaria bushes are also formed by pinching, i.e., removing lateral shoots growing from the axils of the leaves.

In January-February, they are transplanted into large pots with a heavier and more nutritious earth mixture. For grown plants, a humus, slightly acidic (pH about 5.5) substrate is suitable. To compile the substrate, you can take 2 parts of sod, humus and peat soil and 1 part of sand with the addition of complete mineral fertilizer at the rate of 2-3 g per 1 kg of the mixture. Calceolaria blooms 8-10 months after sowing seeds.

Possible difficulties in growing calceolaria

Every year, plants are replaced - propagated by seeds or already flowering specimens are acquired, not leaving them for the next year.

At high temperatures and lack of moisture, the leaves wither and the plant ages quickly.

Mexican calceolaria. © Alain Charest

Types of calceolaria

Mexican calceolaria - Calceolaria mexicana

All types of calceolaria, due to their too bright colors, are difficult to combine with other plants. Mexican calceolaria is no exception. Its small, having a diameter of only about 5 mm, light yellow flowers look spectacular only in a border with ornamental plants or in a composition located on the bank of a stream. In these cases, their whisks look like small Chinese lanterns.

Depending on the conditions, calceolaria bushes can reach a height of 20-50 cm. Naturally, in a moist, shaded place with fertile soil, they will be taller. In nature, this species grows on the wooded slopes of the mountains of Mexico, so it prefers warmth. However, bright sunlight is well tolerated only with abundant watering. Plants usually bear fruit profusely, producing many seeds.

Calceolaria wrinkled - Calceolaria rugosa

The original elegant plant, similar to a cloud of yellow drops, was brought to Europe from Chile.

A perennial herbaceous plant grown as an annual, it is distinguished by an upright strongly branched stem 25-50 cm high. Medium-sized leaves form a rosette. The flowers are small, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, pure yellow, in some hybrid forms with brown dots. With normal sowing, flowering lasts from June until frost. For early flowering in April, seedlings are grown in containers.

Calceolaria varieties

Goldbucket- large-flowered strong plants 25-30 cm high.
‘Triomphe de Versailles’ - small-flowered fast-growing plants 35-50 cm high.

sunset(Calceolaria x hybridus) - a bright elegant plant for home and garden! Each rosette of leathery dark green leaves forms up to 10 short peduncles with yellow, orange or red bell flowers. Height 15-20 cm. Withstands frosts down to -5 °C.