Katarantus - care and growing at home

4.06.2019 Flowers

Katarantus is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Kutrov family. It can also be found under the names Madagascar Winka, Loner, Old Virgin, Cayenne Jasmine. In the usual tropics, the flower grows with an evergreen perennial shrub reaching one and a half meters. In the conditions of our climate, it can be grown on a flowerbed only as an annual plant. As a houseplant, catharanthus can live for several years, but the height of the bush will not exceed 40 cm.

At home, care for the quarantine is not a hassle. Provided that all recommendations for growing the plant are observed, the florist is unlikely to encounter serious difficulties.

Content

1 Characterization of cataranthus and species diversity
2 Rules for caring for catharanthus at home
3 Cultivation and transplantation of catharanthus at home
- 3.1 Breeding
- 3.2 Transfer
4 Common questions

Characterization of cataranthus and species diversity

Catharanthus has a rooted root system. In an adult plant, the root reaches 40 cm. A large number of filiform processes are located on it. The leaves are oval. The surface is smooth, leathery structure. The plates are painted dark green. The central vein is distinguished by a thin light green stroke. The size of the leaves depends on the variety: in length they reach from 2.5 to 8 cm, in width - from 3 to 5 cm. The leaves grow opposite. They are attached to the stem with the help of short petioles. Shoots are very branchy. They are covered with smooth bark of green or pink color.

Buds are formed in the leaf sinuses of the apical shoots. Inflorescences are racemose. The flower consists of 5 fused wedge-shaped petals, a narrow tube and short stamens.

In nature, Katarantus is represented by 8 species. In floriculture, only hybrids adapted to our conditions are used. Conventionally, they can be divided into 2 groups:

ampelous types;
shrubs.

Rules for caring for catharanthus at home

Katarantus is a flower with a pronounced period of rest. When growing it, this must be taken into account. After flowering, the plant must be given several weeks to recover.During the rest, it is desirable to place it in cooler conditions, create partial shade and temporarily cancel feeding. The cataractus will let you know about the way out of hibernation with new shoots.

Lighting

The plant loves a lot of bright diffused light. Flowers grown in the shade develop much slower and often refuse to bloom. An active sun can also harm the catharanthus by burning it with its own rays.

On a note!

The optimal solution for placing a flower is the eastern and western window sills. On the north side, additional lighting will be required. On the south window, the catarhus will have to be covered from the scorching sun.

In summer, indoor flowers can be taken out to fresh air. Katarantus is useful for taking morning and evening sunbaths. The place for the pot should be protected from the midday sun, drafts and precipitation.

Temperature and humidity

The flower does not tolerate cold. That is why the Catharanthus, which are grown in the garden, die with the onset of autumn. Indoor flowers grow at temperatures from +20 to 25 ° C. In winter, it is desirable to omit it. The temperature transition should be smooth: the plant will have stress from a sharp drop.

Catarantus — The permissible temperature minimum for growing catharanthus is + 12 ° C.

The homeland of the flower is the tropics, so it must be kept in high humidity. There are a number of recommendations for achieving a high level of air humidity:

Daily spraying.
Shower in the warm season.
Rubbing the leaves with a damp sponge.
A tray with wet expanded clay under the pot.
Direction to the plant for humidification.
Water tank for evaporation in the immediate vicinity of the pot.
Placing a flower near the aquarium.

Important!

Do not overdo it with hydration. A high concentration of moisture provokes the development of fungal diseases.

Watering and feeding

The soil in which the flower grows should not dry out. Therefore, the plant should be watered frequently, but in moderation. Waterlogging of the substrate contributes to rotting of the root. If karantarants grow in the garden, they are covered with film during rains.

It is allowed to use water from the water supply, subject to preliminary purification from salts by filtration.

Katarantus needs fertilizer. Feeding is administered as follows:

from the beginning of the growing season to the period of bud formation - every 2 weeks with organic fertilizers;
the period of budding and flowering - 3 times a month with mineral fertilizers with a high concentration of phosphorus and potassium.

After flowering, feeding is stopped for several weeks. As soon as the plant releases new shoots, the introduction of organic fertilizers is resumed. During active growth, liquid nitrogenous fertilizers are applied to the leaves of the catarhus.

Remember!

Overfeeding the plant is unacceptable. Excess fertilizer affects the root system, causing burns to it.

Diseases and Pests

Catarrhus can be affected by infectious diseases of a fungal, bacterial nature and become victims of harmful insects. Often, flowers affect such diseases and pests:

Definition	Symptoms	Treatment methods
Rust	Red-brown spots between the veins of the leaves. Over time, brown pillow-shaped growths form on the spots.	Removing the affected parts of the plant, followed by repeated treatment with fungicides. The flower must be transplanted into fresh soil, and the pot and all used tools should be sanitized.
Root rot	Blackening and covering of putrid mucus of the root section of the stem.
Gray rot	Wet brown spots on the leaves and stems, which eventually become covered with a gray fluffy coating.
Late blight	Small brown specks on the leaves. Later, spots acquire a purple hue and begin to grow.Then they blacken and rot. The affected parts of the flower are deformed.
Fusarium	The base of the stems becomes thinner and dry out. Leaves lose their tone, yellowish spots appear on them. At the root there is a pinkish mildew. On a section of the affected shoot, you can see a black ring.
Bacterial rot	The appearance on the leaves of watery areas with pronounced borders. Initially, the areas are yellow, but over time they darken, acquiring a brown tint. The disease spreads rapidly, infecting neighboring crops.	Incurable. The flower and the soil in which it grew are subject to destruction, and the pot and used tools must be disinfected.
Shield	Dark wax points on the back of the sheet.	Spraying with an insecticide solution.
Whitefly	Small whitish insects resembling moths are visible on the leaves of the plant.
Aphid	A large number of small insects on the surface of the stem, less often - leaves.
Mealybug	A small whitish worm that wraps itself in a leaf, folding it with a tube.
Spider mite	Thin spider webs on the back of leaves and petioles.

Most cases of cataractus disease are associated with improper care of the plant.

Cultivation and transplantation of catharanthus at home

At home, the flower is not difficult to grow. In addition, the plant is easily propagated by seeds, cuttings and by dividing the bush.

Breeding

A flower can be grown from seeds. The procedure involves the following actions:

Before planting, the seeds are soaked for half an hour with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Then they are placed on moist fertile soil at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other. Top seeds are covered with a thin layer of soil.
Crops are kept in conditions of high humidity and high temperature under the film.

When shoots appear, the film is removed. With the first leaves, plants dive in separate pots.

The shoots left after spring pruning can be used for cuttings. They are easily rooted in water or peaty-sandy soil. Cuttings contain in bright light, high temperature and humidity.

Breeding — Rooted layering is looked after as adult catharanthus.

During the transplant, you can divide the overgrown bush into several parts. Do this with a sharp knife. Slices are treated with an antiseptic. Separated parts of the bush are planted as adult plants. They do not need additional care.

Transfer

Indoor cataranthus are transplanted every spring, but some species grow so rapidly that they need to be transplanted twice a year.

A flower transplant is as follows:

at the bottom of the pot lay a drainage layer of expanded clay;
a small layer of fresh substrate is poured on it;
put a flower in a pot with an earthen lump;
the void of the pot is filled with fresh substrate;
the topsoil is slightly crushed and moisturized well.

Transfer — It is allowed to place several plants at once in one pot.

This creates the impression of a lush bush. The flower grows well in the soil mixture for geraniums.

Common questions

How to distinguish catharanthus from pink periwinkle?

From a pink periwinkle, the flower differs in more compact sizes. In addition, the Catharanthus has a wider color palette.

What medicinal properties does the plant have?

The plant is used in traditional and traditional medicine. It is part of medications against leukemia.The people treat trophic ulcers, some diseases of the gums and oral cavity, respiratory diseases, hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Is it true that the plant is poisonous?

Like all other representatives of the Kutrovy family, cataracts are poisonous. Moreover, toxic are all parts of the plant. They contain up to 60 toxic alkaloids that can cause an allergic reaction of varying degrees and burns.

How to prune a plant?

Pruning is done every spring. The shoots extended over the winter are shortened by a third of the length. All dried parts of the plant are removed. If the flower is grown as an ampel plant, they give it a spherical shape. To increase the density of the crown, pinch the tips of the shoots.

Kataranthus are absolutely unpretentious and very beautiful flowers. They can be grown both in garden plots and indoors in hanging planters or on the windowsill.