Caring for Streps

 

 

Rule No. 1: Watering - There are two theories on how to best water Streps. There are those who feel that you should water from the top and only when the plant is dry. Then there are those who water from the bottom like a violet. When I first started with Streps I chose the water from the top and only when the plant was dry. in October of 2013 I decided that the plants I had were just not doing how I felt they should and definitely not as well as some of the prize winners I have seen in shows, or on the sites of overseas growers. So I switched to Self Watering Pots (pots that self water the plant from the bottom) and was impressed with the difference, but still saw things that I didn't like. Things such as brown tips on the leaves, that I was told was too much fertilizer, leaves that didn't stand up, but drooped over the edge of the pots, and leaves that were not as green as I thought they should be. In 2018 I began doing research on having pots made myself that I thought would help solve some of these problems. See the page on Hydro Pots for information on these exciting pots that I think answer most all of the issues people see when growing these awesome plants.

The main thing to keep in mind with these plants, wehether you are watering from the top or from the bottom is that you can easily create root rot if you over water. Some are more susceptable than others. An easy way to keep from doing this is to watch the weight of the pot or basket when you piock it up out of the outer pot. If it is really heavy then don't add more water. If it is a normal weight or a little on the dry side then fill the outer pot.

Rule No. 2: Light - Give the plant the proper light. Morning or soft late afternoon light is best if you have a window sill collection. That means an East, or shaded South-facing window. Avoid direct sun during the harsh hours of the day or West exposure. If you have a large collection, like I do, you are best to use artificial lighting. Shop around for the best pricing but I have found that Sun Blaster T5 light strips are the best for me. Choose a blub, either LED or florescent, that has around 4100 K. The full spectrum at 6500 K is way too much for these plants. 6500 K is natural full sun and these plants , in nature, do not grow in full sun. Leave the lights on for about 9.5-*10 hours a day only.. My streps just love them. I have switched my entire collection to LED recently in order to cut down on power consumption and the plants love them.

Rule No. 3: Feeding - Most growers use a weak 20.10.20 mix at 1/8 tsp per gallon with each watering. This works for watering from the top or watering from the bottom. Fill the bottom of the pot with your weak fertilizer water. Every fourweeks use plain water for a week. to flush out any salts left by the fertilizer you might be using. The fertilizer that I recommend is Dyna-Grow Foliage Pro. The reason I recommend this is that it is fertilizer that spurs growth of leaves a since Streps produce flowers from the leaves, I see more flowers using this fertilizer. With the new Hydro Pots I have been able to increase the amount of Foliage Pro to 1/4 tsp per gallon with no ill efects to the plants. I have also worked with a botonist in California to determine that 1/4 tsp. of Epson Salts added to the Foliage Pro will increase both flower production and intensity of colors is phenominal.

Rule No. 4: Repotting - You need to repot your plant every six to nine months or so. If for no other reason than the plant needs the nutrients from new soil. Increase the pot size only if you must and then by the smallest increment possible, since these plants prefer to be root bound. I find that often, small starter plants in 2 1/2" pots can bloom before it is even time to repot them. Avoid deep pots; they will hold too much moisture. Avoid terra cotta pots; the roots will glue themselves to the porous pot interior and suffer too much damage when you repot. Moisten the mix prior to removing the plant from the old pot. It will just be that much easier to remove the plant without ripping the roots. Moisten the new mix before planting. Pot the Streps so that the mix is firmly in the pot but still airy. Remember to pot the plant so that the crown of leaves sits just above the potting mix surface. When I repot I always sprinkle a small amount of Mycorrhizae and Marathon to the top of the new soil in the bottom of the pot or growing basket. The Marathon keeps bugs away and the Myucorrhizae helps the roots to grow faster and stronger. I also remove part of the soil and roots off the bottom of your root ball to spur new growth.

Rule No. 5: Cleaning - Remove spent flowers. In particular, do not let spent blossoms drop onto the leaves and lay there. This will invite rot and disease. Remove old, yellowed, or unhealthy leaves. A clean plant is better able to remain pest and disease free. I trim my leaves with pinking sheers so that the leaves look as they naturally would. When removing a leaf only remove three fourths of the leaf and leave the bottom attached to the rosette. This will spur the plant to produce more leaves and more new growth.

Rule No. 6: Temperature - Keep the plant in its comfort zone. It is happy in the temperature range between 50 and 80 degrees. Most prefer the cooler side of the spectrum. It is well suited to normal house temperatures but avoid sudden changes which can cause issues such as mold or mildew on leaves. An electric fan running in the room will help to keep them cool and circulate the air so that fungus has a hard time growing.

Rule No. 7: Soil- Use a good quality violet/Strep soil. Make sure it has peat, and perlite for openness. We use and recommend ProMix HP. We then add very coarse perlite in size 3 or larger at a 50/50 rate to the ProMix. This keeps is very airy for streps. It is available on eBay through worldofstreps premixed with the pearlite for those who do not have availability of the ProMis HP by them.

Rather than supply you with information on diseases and pests I will link to the info forum where I believe she has done an excellent job in putting all of that together for you. Follow this link: Pests

 

Now available from World of Streps. A 16 page booklet with the basics of how to best grow these wonderful plants. We update it twice a year with new information and new links. The booklet can be purchased on our new cart system HERE