How to care for lisianthus?

Lisianthus lilac flowers

All flowers are very decorative, but when looking for something very special, there is often no choice but to visit several nurseries or take a look at the catalog of online stores. And it is that, to enjoy the beauty of plants such as lisianthus, it is well worth it.

These are plants of tropical origin that are grown as annuals, as they are unfortunately very sensitive to cold. But, despite everything, they are so beautiful that we are going to explain to you how to care for lisianthus.

What are lisianthus like?

White flowered lisianthus

The lisianthus, whose scientific name is eustoma grandiflorumIs a annual plant native to the southern part of the United States and northern Mexico. It grows forming a rosette of leaves that develops on a stem of up to 50cm long. Its beautiful flowers are large, 3-4cm in diameter, and in colors that can be white, pink or blue.

Its growth is very fast; not in vain, they only spend a few months germinating, growing, developing, flowering and bearing fruit.

Lisianthus cultivation

Lisianthus plants in bloom

If you would like to have lisianthus in your garden or patio, here is how to take care of it:

Location

To get them to grow up healthy and strong, they need to be protected from direct sun. They can also be indoors, in a very bright room. Its acceptable temperature range is between 35ºC and 20ºC.

Soil or substrate

As they can be grown both in pots and in the garden, you should know that:

  • If it is potted we recommend mixing universal substrate (on sale here!) with 20-30% perlite or similar. Also, if you want the drainage to be even better, put a first layer of arlite or volcanic clay, in this way, you will see that the water that is left over when watering will come out faster.
  • If it’s in the gardenthe land must also have very good drainage and be fertile, that is, rich in nutrients. Being small plants, if the one you have in your garden does not meet these characteristics, do not worry: make a planting hole of about 40 x 40cm, cover its sides with shading mesh, and then fill it with the mixture of substrates mentioned before . Or you can even plant it first in a slightly large pot, about 20cm in diameter, and without taking it out of there put it inside the hole.

Irrigation

Frequentbut avoiding waterlogging. It should be watered 3 or 4 times a week in summer, and 1-2 every six days the rest of the year. If you have a plate underneath, you should remove the excess water within ten minutes of having watered since otherwise the roots could rot easily.

Also, you should avoid wetting the leaves and flowers in order to keep them healthy.

Multiplication

View of the lisianthus flower

Image – Flickr / Luca Melette

The lisianthus multiply by seeds in springfollowing this step by step:

  1. First, put the seeds in a glass of water for about 30 minutes. After that time, keep only the ones that have sunk, as the others will probably not be viable (although you always have the option of sowing them in a separate seedbed).
  2. Then, fill a pot, a seedling tray, or any other seedbed with universal substrate and water.
  3. Then, place the seeds on the surface so that they are slightly separated from each other. If you sow them in seedling trays, put a maximum of two in each socket.
  4. Then cover them with a thin layer of substrate.
  5. Finally, moisten the top layer of the earth with a sprayer full of water, and place the seedbed outside, in semi-shade.

This way they will germinate in about 20 to 30 days.

Subscriber

From spring to late summer It is advisable to pay with a universal fertilizer (for sale here!) or a fertilizer for flowering plants (for sale here!) following the indications specified on the product packaging.

Planting or transplanting time

In springwhen the minimum temperature is at least 15 degrees Celsius.

Rusticity

The lisianthus they do not resist frost; in fact, once they bloom and, if they are lucky, bear fruit, they begin to dry out. You can extend their life a bit by removing the flowers as soon as they begin to wilt.

What is the meaning of lisianthus?

Lisianthus are annual plants

Image – Wikimedia / Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia

Although they may seem like nonsense words, they all have theirs. Lisianthus is a term that comes from the Greek »lysis» which means dissolution, and »anthos» which means »flower». Thus, it refers to the healing properties of this plant.

But if we want to know what meaning and symbolism they have, it is interesting to know that it is one of the flowers that express love and commitmentso it is highly recommended to give to loved ones, especially to the couple.

Lisianthus colors

Depending on its color, its meaning will be completed:

  • Yellow: is ideal for creative people.
  • Blanco: for those who are sweet, charming.
  • Rose: for those who are very sensitive.
  • Mauve: for those who are rather extravagant.

Lisiantus properties

The flowers once macerated have antifungal properties.

Did you know this plant?

How to care for lisianthus?

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