Achimenes

Gender Achimenes includes about 25 species. These herbaceous perennials grow well in rooms and greenhouses, so they are widely used as indoor flowering plants. Achimenes is characterized by a small white or pinkish scaly rhizome, which usually develops a single shoot with whole toothed leaves, oval or lanceolate depending on the species. Purple, red, blue or white flowers, tubular and funnel-shaped, are formed throughout the summer-they stay on the plant for only a few days, but new ones bloom constantly until October. In General, it is a compact plant with soft, drooping (depending on the variety) shoots. Achimenes snow-white (Achimenes candida) with brownish-red shoots, rough leaves with a toothed edge, small funnel-shaped white and yellow flowers, with purple spots in the mouth. Achimenes large-flowered (A. grandiflora) is a relatively tall plant that reaches a height of 60 cm. The stems are erect, the leaves are oval with a toothed edge, pubescent on the reverse side, often with red spots. The flowers are red-purple, solitary or in groups of 2-3, tubular at the base, in the upper part they have a flattened Corolla with a diameter of approximately 5 cm; they bloom from July to September. In Achimenes heterophylla, the leaves are pointed, rough, slightly pubescent, with a serrated edge; the orange flowers are solitary. The cover species-achimenes longiflora (A. longiflora) is characterized by shoots up to 30 cm long, which makes it ideal for hanging baskets. It has small oval pubescent leaves with a toothed edge, often with red spots on the reverse side. The flowers are solitary, approximately 5 cm in diameter, tubular in the lower part, flattened and rounded in the upper part; mauve-blue colors in Botanical species, in varieties can be from white to mauve-blue and shiny red flowers.

Gender Achimenes includes about 25 species. These herbaceous perennials grow well in rooms and greenhouses, so they are widely used as indoor flowering plants. Achimenes is characterized by a small white or pinkish scaly rhizome, which usually develops a single shoot with whole toothed leaves, oval or lanceolate depending on the species. Purple, red, blue or white flowers, tubular and funnel-shaped, are formed throughout the summer-they stay on the plant for only a few days, but new ones bloom constantly until October.

In General, it is a compact plant with soft, drooping (depending on the variety) shoots.

Achimenes snow-white (Achimenes candida) with brownish-red shoots, rough leaves with a toothed edge, small funnel-shaped white and yellow flowers, with purple spots in the mouth.

Achimenes large-flowered (A. grandiflora) is a relatively tall plant that reaches a height of 60 cm. The stems are erect, the leaves are oval with a toothed edge, pubescent on the reverse side, often with red spots. The flowers are red-purple, solitary or in groups of 2-3, tubular at the base, in the upper part they have a flattened Corolla with a diameter of approximately 5 cm; they bloom from July to September.

In Achimenes heterophylla, the leaves are pointed, rough, slightly pubescent, with a serrated edge; the orange flowers are solitary.

The cover species-achimenes longiflora (A. longiflora) is characterized by shoots up to 30 cm long, which makes it ideal for hanging baskets. It has small oval pubescent leaves with a toothed edge, often with red spots on the reverse side. The flowers are solitary, approximately 5 cm in diameter, tubular in the lower part, flattened and rounded in the upper part; mauve-blue colors in Botanical species, in varieties can be from white to mauve-blue and shiny red flowers.

Cultivation

It grows well in a bright place, in conditions of sufficient humidity and abundant watering in summer. Rhizomes (one or several) are planted in March-April to a depth of 2 cm, using a good peat soil. In spring, a special liquid fertilizer for flower crops is periodically added to the water for irrigation: with a high content of potassium and a low content of nitrogen. In order to make the plant more bushy, you can stimulate its branching by pinching the tops of the shoots in the spring by about 2.5 cm. To make the plant grow erect, we recommend using a support (sticks or bars). After flowering, watering is gradually stopped, the plants drop their leaves, the stems gradually die off. The plant is cut to the root and removed to a cool, dark place. The following spring, achimenes is transplanted into fresh ground. Spraying is not recommended.

Location

Achimenes prefers a very well-lit place, but not in direct sunlight. Partial shade also suits him.

Temperature

At the beginning of the growing season, in spring, the temperature should be maintained at 15-16 °C. In summer, it is gradually increased to 22-27 °C with high humidity of the soil and air.

Watering

In early spring, plants begin to be moderately fed and watered with warm water if possible. Then they are watered abundantly - in summer they maintain a fairly high, but not excessive soil moisture.

Reproduction

In spring, you can easily divide the rhizomes. In the spring (until June), apical cuttings are rooted at a soil temperature of at least 20 °C and high humidity. There are also varieties that are propagated by seeds (they germinate at a temperature of 20-22 °C and sufficiently high humidity).

Diseases

With excessive watering, the rhizome of achimenes rots. In this situation, if you stop watering, the plant usually straightens out. If, on the contrary, the crop is watered too rarely, it can lead to drying of the rhizome.