Calceolarian family. Homeland South and Central America (Chile, Argentina, Ecuador). The name of the genus comes from the Latin calceolatus - shoe - in the form of a two-lipped original flower. In total, there are about 300 species of this plant in nature, and most of them are endemic to Ecuador.
At home and in the garden, Calceolaria hybrid Calceolaria herbeohybrida is grown. The plant forms a shrub up to 45-50 cm tall. The leaves are sessile, often located on an erect stem, form a kind of rosette. The leaves resemble dandelion leaves in shape, but are significantly wider, covered with short gray hairs on both sides. Flowers are one-color or various colors (marble, tiger, red or white colors with dark specks). Reproduction of calceolaria at home is very difficult (due to the balance of cool temperatures and moderate soil humidity), so it is best to buy an already flowering plant. Undoubtedly, calceolaria is a very beautiful plant, but, unfortunately, it pleases with its beauty only during flowering, which does not last long - 6-8 weeks. In order not to damage the plant, try to deliver it from the store in a neat package, so that the leaves and flowers do not crumble, and do not fall under a strong wind.
Care for Calceolaria
Temperature: Calceolaria loves a cool room, on average 15-18 ° C, but it is possible below 10-12 ° C. In too warm rooms or summer heat, when the temperature is above 22-25 ° C, the plants are very short-lived, dropping buds or flowers.
Lighting: bright scattered light is preferred, light partial shade, does not tolerate direct sunlight. It is good to place on the windowsill of the east, north or northwest window.
Watering: plentiful, earthen lump should not dry into dust, but have time to dry out at the top of the pot. In humid cool weather, when the heating season has already ended (since May), the soil in the pot dries longer, you need to water less often than on dry warm days.
Air humidity: Calceolaria requires very high air humidity, for this pots with plants are placed on a wide tray with pebbles or expanded clay. Pubescent calceolaria leaves do not like water to fall on them, so you can moisten the air in other ways, for example, put a room fountain next to it.
Transplantation: only plants grown from seeds are needed. If you bought calceolaria in a pot, you don't need to transplant it. After flowering, the plant is discarded. Seedlings require nutritious, well-drained soil. The soil for planting calceolaria can consist of 2 parts of turf, 2 parts of leaf, 1 part of pine bark or needles and 1 part of small gravel. You can use the soil from the store based on the top peat, add a spoonful of vermiculite to 1 pot, a spoonful of coarse sand.
Calceolaria from seeds
Calceolaria can be propagated by seed. Seeds are sown in May-July without sprinkling soil on top (calceolaria seeds germinate in the light) and with double picking. The first time, they dive when two real leaves are formed in a pot with a diameter of about 7 cm. Then, after another month, in a pot with a diameter of 12 cm. Calceolaria seeds germinate at a temperature not exceeding 18 ° C, usually within 5-10 days. Calceolaria grows quite quickly, but it will take about 2 months from the time of emergence to bloom.
Calceolaria can theoretically be propagated by apical cuttings, rooting them in water. In this case, cuttings need to be cut in July-August. But this is only theoretically, since the plant will still not survive winter at home.
