How to grow long tube flowers?

Like its close relatives, Pittospora and Viola, it is popular in Europe and America and is often regarded as the main character of summer ground cover or hanging pot plants.

Long tube flowers originated in Central and South America, belonging to the Gesneriaceae perennial herbs. Plant height about 10-50 cm, plant type has erect and vine sex 2 kinds, leaf color light green to dark green, long oval, serrated edge. Flowers axillary, corolla tubular, flower diameter about 3-8 cm, color has white, purple, crimson, pink, blue, orange, yellow and other colors, long tube flowers for long-day flowering plants, flowering for late spring to autumn. Underground part with bulbs, winter dormancy when the ground will wither, to winter bulbs, to be warm weather in spring will sprout again.

Generally, bulbs can be planted in April and May when the weather turns warmer. After the bulbs begin to germinate, the bulbs will be planted upright or parallel to the soil surface, covering the soil about 1.5 cm high. Cultivation medium needs good drainage, can be cultivated soil mixed with pearl stone, vermiculite after use. The cultivation site needs bright scattered light, and the adult plants can accept direct light, just avoid strong sunlight. If you want to grow more dense plants (especially hanging pot varieties), you can shoot when the new buds emerge from the ground and grow the second or third pair of leaves to promote more new buds. The optimum temperature for growth is about 15-21℃ at night and higher than 21℃ at day.

Don't let the plant lack water during the growth period, otherwise it will cause the plant to dormancy early, and the bulbs in the underground part cannot be generated. After autumn plants will stop flowering, branches and leaves will slowly wither into the rest period, at this time need to reduce watering, promote the development of bulbs, and avoid excessive water to make bulbs rot. When the upper part of the ground is withered, the bulb can be dug out, stored in a transparent plastic bag, and put some slightly wet vermiculite to keep moisture, placed in the shade, and then taken out after the spring bulb sprouts; the bulb can also be left in the original pot, but it needs to be moved to a cool shelter. As long as the pot soil is kept slightly wet, do not water it often.

Can bulb or cuttage, sow breed. Bulb propagation spring for the appropriate period, the bulb will be divided into several sections and then separate planting, or the bulb will be kneaded open, each scale can grow a plant. In addition, when the long tube flower encounters adversity, it will also grow reproductive buds in the axils of leaves, and can also bury the reproductive buds in the soil, that is, grow new plants; cutting in spring and summer for the appropriate period, the branches will be more than 2 sections for a section, remove the leaves of the lowest section and insert them into the medium, keep the medium moist, about 1 week to root; the appropriate sowing period is 3-5 months, the germination temperature is about 25℃, the germination days are about 21-30 days, and the seeds are good optical activity without covering soil.