Characteristics and care of the hypoestes

The plant known as hypoestes It is a beauty that can be enjoyed throughout the year inside the house. Its wonderful leaves are so brightly colored that it seems that someone has wanted to create a natural work of art; in fact, one of its common names is precisely painter’s palette. With this I tell you everything …

But their care sometimes turns out to be very complicated. And is that, being a plant of tropical origin, you have to control a lot the irrigation, humidity, fertilizer … and everything that you are going to see below. So if you want to get a copy, read the advice that I am going to offer you and put them into practice.

How is it?

The genus gets its name from the Greek word “hypo” meaning low, and “estia” meaning house of flowers surrounded by leaves. The hypoestes, known as blood leaf, polka dot plant or painter’s palette, It is a herbaceous plant native to the tropical rainforests of Africa and Asia which belongs to the botanical genus Hypoestes, but has spread throughout the world. The most common species is Hypoestes phyllostachya.

This plant gets its name from the moles that spread across its broad leaves. The most common version has green leaves with pink spots, but there are many different types.

This plant produces small purple flowers from late summer to early summerbut they are insignificant compared to the leaves, so they are often clipped.

It reaches a height of about 20cm to 100cm depending on the speciesand is characterized by having lanceolate to ovoid leaves, 2-7,5cm long by 1-3,5cm wide that can be of various colors: green, reddish, green with white or reddish dots.

What are the cares?

To be able to enjoy it for many years, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:

Hypotheses: care

Weather: Warm. To be able to grow it outdoors, the minimum temperature must not be less than 10ºC. This plant prefers temperatures around 25 ° C and grows best in high humidity.
Location:
- Exterior: in semi-shade.
- Indoor: in a room with plenty of natural light, away from drafts.
Soil or substrate: must have good drainage and be fertile. Get the best substrate for your plant here!.
Irrigation: 3-4 times a week in summer and every 5-6 days the rest of the year. It does not resist drought, but neither does waterlogging. Use lime-free water.
Subscriber: during the warm months it can be paid with a universal fertilizer following the instructions specified on the package that you can buy here!.
Transplant: every two years, in spring.
Multiplication: by cuttings in spring or summer.
Pests: This plant can be infested with white flies, aphids and mealybugs, so you can use a green solution at half strength to get rid of these pests.
Diseases- Excessive watering can cause powdery mildew and root rot and for example, mildew powdery is a type of fungal disease that will appear on the leaves, looking like a grayish white substance. You will need to use a fungicide like this or a home remedy of a few teaspoons of baking soda and one to two teaspoons of mineral oil with water.
Root rot is what happens when a plant’s roots stay in water for too long. The roots essentially choke and turn black and mushy. They will no longer absorb the water. To cure this, you have to drain the soil, cut off any of the affected roots, and then replant in fresh soil.

Specific ways to care for this plant

Give it the right amount of light

To this plant loves bright indirect lightas it is very sensitive to the amount of light it receives and too much or too little light will cause the colors of the leaves to fade.

If you notice that your plant’s leaves are curling, this could be a sign of too much sun, the same goes for brown spots. Try moving them to a more shady place with indirect sun.

Giving it enough water

You have to water this plant well and then wait until about 25 percent of the soil is dry before watering again. Overwatering can cause root rot. If you notice that the leaves of your plant are falling off, they may rise after a little water.

Power and frequency

This plant grows fast, so must be fed monthly with basic liquid fertilizer and this at half its strength during spring and summer. In autumn and winter this plant should be fed every two months.

How much should this plant prune?

Some people choose to cut back the flowers that can bloom on this plant because they are not as interesting as the leaves, and they take up energy that can be used elsewhere.

How to propagate this plant

Propagation means creating more plants from the original, something that can be done with this plant by means of leaf cuttings. Some of the leaves are cut off and the ends dipped in a root hormone, then put on some peat moss. You should keep it moist until it grows roots and then treat it like a mature plant.

Similarly, you have the option of propagating this plant through cuttings or seeds if you prefer and in case you do it through seeds, then you should do it when spring is beginning. In the same way, you have to place the seeds right on the surface of the soil and make sure that it is warm and humid.

It shouldn’t take too long for the breakouts to start to show up. In fact, it only takes a few days for it to do so. Once the seedlings are established, then it will be time to transplant them. This should be done in about two weeks or so.

As for propagation by cuttings, all you have to do is cut a stem about 12 or 14 cm. Keep in mind that this process should only be done for those plants that are already established.

After you make the cut, you will need to dip one of its ends in rooting hormone (you can buy these here!) and right after that you will have to plant the stem in warm and moist soil. If you do everything right, the roots will surely start to appear in a week at the most.

The hypoestes is not known for its long lifespan, in fact, many throw this plant away when it is dormant. They are relatively inexpensive to buy, so it doesn’t cost a lot, but if you want something that will last longer in your pot, then you will have to find another plant.

Characteristics and care of the hypoestes
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How is it?

What are the cares?

Specific ways to care for this plant

Give it the right amount of light

Giving it enough water

Power and frequency

How much should this plant prune?

How to propagate this plant

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