What size pot is needed for the healthy development of gloxinia?

Your windowsill is decorated with an overseas guest - gloxinia. However, sooner or later, every grower asks about a plant transplant or a pot change.

Today we will analyze in detail: the required diameter, width and height of the pot. We will find out whether the material and color of the pot affects the well-being of the plant and the abundance of flowering.

And also tell you what kind of soil is needed and how to treat the tuber during a plant transplant.

Acquaintance with the plant

Gloxinia (lat. Gloxinia) is a tuberous perennial that is grown mainly in pots. However, there are varieties suitable for planting in open ground. The homeland of gloxinia is the tropics and subtropics of Asia and America. Nevertheless, these plants with bright flowers grow well on the windowsills in a city apartment.

Root system features

As we have already noted, gloxinia is a plant whose root is represented by a tuber.

The selection of varieties is huge, it is presented both in specialized flower shops and in online stores.

Gardeners of gloxinia are conventionally divided into 2 parts: upper and lower. On the upper surface of the curved shape there are kidneys in the form of small tubercles. The lower part is smoother, less convex. On the entire surface of the gloxinia tuber, small roots-strings grow, including near the kidneys.

What soil to plant?

The main condition here is: friability and high fluid throughput. It is optimal to use a mixture where 1 part of leafy soil, 1 part of deoxidized peat and 0.5 part of river sand.

Important! Normal peat with a high degree of acidity does not need to be used, otherwise gloxinia will grow poorly and will not please flowering.

Before planting, the soil must be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or you can calcine it in the oven, or pour it with boiling water.

You can learn more about how to choose the best primer for gloxinia in this material, and more about the correct planting and care can be found here.

Watering mode at home

Gloxinia is popularly called the "water chowder". In a room with dry air, the leaves begin to dry, and the collected buds do not bloom.

It is NOT possible to spray the gloxinia foliage! To solve, gaps can be placed next to water containers to increase the percentage of air humidity. During the growing season, generous watering is required.

Avoid getting water on the leaves and on the outlet. Filling the flower is also not recommended, the next watering is done after the top layer of the earth has dried.

In August, after flowering, they adhere to a more moderate regime. By the period of the wilting of the plant before winter, watering is gradually stopped.

Watering Gloxinia:

More details on how to properly water and feed gloxinia at home can be found here.

What pot is needed for a comfortable plant condition?

Diameter or width

The gloxinia tuber pot depends on the tuber. In diameter, the pot should be 4-5 centimeters wider.

Height

The height of the walls of the pot for growing gloxinia should be such that it was possible to place 3-4 centimeters of the drainage layer, the soil with the tuber, so that it was completely covered.

Note! Note the presence of drainage holes. Water stagnation is unacceptable.

Tank shape

Gloxinia can be perfectly grown in a pot of absolutely any shape, do not attach much importance to this.

So that the lower leaves do not touch the windowsill, gloxinia is best grown in relatively high pots.

Material selection: clay or plastic

Plastic and clay pots are great for growing gloxinia. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, it all depends on your personal preferences.

Color

The color of the pots doesn't really matter. The choice here depends only on your desire and, possibly, on the interior of the room. From the point of view of floriculture, there is one insignificant recommendation: if the pot with gloxinia stands on a sunlit window sill, then prefer light colors to avoid overheating of the earth and burns on the leaves.

The Importance of Proper Sizing

It is better not to plant still small tubers in containers that are too wide. This will lead to the fact that gloxinia will increase the root and leaf mass, postponing flowering for a long time (more about why gloxinia does not bloom and what to do at the same time can be found here).

In a pot less than 9 centimeters in diameter, gloxinia will feel cramped, there will be little soil and it will often dry out.

Due to the lack of sufficient space, the plant may begin to fade and discard leaves.

How to place a tuber?

After hibernation in February-March, buds on the tuber begin to wake up, the first sprouts appear. If it was stored in a pot in the soil in your pot, you should get it and get rid of the old earth, thoroughly shake off the tuber.

Important! It is necessary to destroy all pests and diseases that could have formed during the winter in a pot. To do this, dip the tuber in a solution of potassium permanganate or any other fungicide for about half an hour.

You can learn more about the diseases of gloxinia and about methods of their treatment here, and in more detail about diseases of the leaves of the plant can be found in this material.

Also, to accelerate the formation of small roots on the surface, you can treat the tuber with a solution of a root growth stimulator. The solution is prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions. The tuber is placed in the soil substrate with a recess upward and sprinkled with a layer of earth no more than 1 centimeter. A drainage layer is laid on the bottom without fail: brick chips, polystyrene or expanded clay.

Conclusion

Thus, we figured out how to choose a "house" for the guest from the subtropics - gloxinia. The main characteristic here is the diameter of the pot. Choose a pot of at least 9 centimeters in diameter, even for the smallest tuber. In general, you can follow the rule and choose a capacity 4-5 centimeters wider than the diameter of the tuber. Then gloxinia will feel comfortable, and in the opposite situation it will often dry and discard leaves.

Moreover, from a small container you will have to transplant it more often (more information about the correct gloxinia transplant can be found here). However, do not indulge in enthusiasm and choose a pot with a "margin". With free space, gloxinia will build up the root system and fluffy green foliage. The minus here lies in the fact that so she will not let out flower stalks for a long time and delight you with abundant flowering.

The material and color of the pot does not matter. The only recommendation: give preference to light colors in order to avoid overheating of the plant, if it is standing on a sunny window.

If you made the right choice of soil and pot, and also observed all the details of the procedure, then very soon gloxinia will delight you with its first shoots, and after a while with beautiful plentiful flowering.

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