Lisianthus is a beautiful flowering plant in the garden and at home. It has only recently become very popular with florists. Wide varieties of Lisianthus vary in color, flower size, and bush height.

An American Indian legend tells us that the lisianthus first bloomed on a grave where an innocent girl was buried, killed by the spirit of war because she didn't want to marry him. In Europe, the lisianthus came to be thanks to Patrick Brown, an Irish botanist, and physician. For florists, the Lisianthus is very popular and is grown as a cut flower. Freshly cut flowers of such a plant can stand in water for a very long time (up to 20 days). In the nineties of the twentieth century, the lisianthus began to be cultivated as a houseplant.

Features of Lisianthus

The stems are about 100 cm tall and yet look very elegant. The flowering of the stem begins in the middle, so if you cut off one branch, you will have an actual bouquet of up to 35 buds, which open one by one. The matte greyish or pale grey leaflets are lanceolate-oval in shape as if made of wax. The flower calyx is deep and large, funnel-shaped. The non-majestic or tepid flowers vary from 50 to 80 mm in cross-section and may be tinged purple, violet, pink or white.

The flowers may be monochromatic or have a contrasting border. The half-open bud of the lisianthus resembles a rose, but when fully opened, it will look like a poppy. Under natural conditions, the lisianthus is a biennial, but in gardening, it is usually cultivated as an annual. As a perennial, it can only be cultivated as a houseplant.

Basic rules for cultivating Lysianthus:
● Provide the plant with diffused but bright light.
● It grows best in humus made from peat and tree bark (1:1).
● Only use the seed method for propagation, as the bush's root system is fragile and will not tolerate division, and cuttings do not develop roots.
● Only water when the soil has dried to a depth of 20 mm.
● Transplanting lisianthus when growing indoors is not permitted. The fact is that it is considered, in this case, a perennial only conditionally because its delicate roots will not be able to withstand transplanting.
● The lisianthus blooms most abundantly in a cool, well-ventilated room.

Growing Lisianthus From Seed

It takes a lot of patience. But if you master the process, you can make growing lisianthus from seed a profitable business since they are becoming increasingly popular with both florists and gardeners each year.

Difficulties can already begin at the time of sowing since the seeds of this plant are very small (up to 23,000 seeds in 1g). The seeds available at specialist retailers are specially treated to increase their germinating capacity. Therefore out of 100 seeds, about 60 will germinate. If seedlings are grown for planting in the open air, the seeds are sown in February and March, and the bushes will flower in July and August. Use the same soil for sowing as other flowering plants, namely disinfected, with a pH of 6-7 and low nitrogen content. Fill a container with a moist substrate and distribute the seeds evenly on the surface; you don't need to cover them with a layer of soil. Simply use your hand to gently press them down. Cover the container with glass (cling film), leaving gaps to allow air to circulate. The seeds will also need extra daylight for 10-12 hours daily. To enable the seeds to germinate, the temperature should be at least 14 degrees at night and at least 20 degrees during the day. Water the seeds with a sprayer, but only if necessary. You don't have to water the seeds first because evaporated moisture will be enough for the seeds.

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If you do everything correctly, the first seedlings will appear in about 15 days. The glass is entirely removed, and the seedlings are methodically misted with Fitosporin solution from the sprayer. Once the seedlings have formed several pairs of leaf laminae (after about 6 weeks), the seedlings are potted into individual pots that can reach 40 to 50 mm in cross-section. After 3 months, the seedlings are transplanted into the garden with the root ball.

Lisianthus at Home

Planting

If you want your lisianthus to bloom in winter, sow the seeds between July and September. Take a medium-sized container and fill it with a moist potting soil mixture of peat and sand. Spread the seeds evenly over the surface. Cover the container with glass or film and put it in a warm (19 to 22 degrees) and well-lit place. If necessary, moisten the seeds with a sprayer, and the first seedlings will appear after 15-20 days.

Seedling care

Once the seedlings have formed the first pair of true leaves, reduce the watering frequency and spend it only when the substrate surface is well dried. Only water the seedlings in the morning, as moisture left on the leaves overnight can cause blackleg disease. Once the seedlings have formed 2 pairs of true leaves, they should be potted into individual pots. The seedlings will flower in January or February.

Light and temperature

Lisianthus is challenging to raise indoors because they need fresh air and diffused bright light. The flower grows best on a window sill oriented either east or west. The room should be chosen so that it can be aired systematically to maintain a temperature of 19 to 22 degrees, which is ideal for lisianthus.

Watering

Water the flower moderately with soft, well-drained water. Only moisten the potting soil once the top layer has dried out. Make sure that the clump of soil in the pot does not dry out, but do not allow any moisture to accumulate in the root system either. Do not spray the leaves with a sprayer, as this can lead to disease.

Fertilizing

During the buds' formation and growing season, fertilize the shrub with a solution of liquid complex fertilizer (10 to 15 ml per bucket of water).

Flowering

Also, remember to cut off flowers that have begun to fade. If done correctly, the shrub will flower again after 90-100 days.

Planting and Care in the Open Air

Sowing

If you want to plant lisianthus in the garden, sow the seeds in December and January. The shrubs will then bloom in June or July. Take 50ml cups and fill them with the violet substrate. Put 3 to 5 seeds on its surface and do not bury them; only press them into the soil just a little. Make sure to cover the cups with cling film (glass) to create greenhouse conditions for the seeds. Lift the cover regularly once every 1.5 weeks, to remove condensation and air out the seedlings. The seedlings emerge best at a temperature of between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius and should emerge within half a month. During the first 2 months, the seedlings will need extra light. However, even with enough light, the seedlings will still grow very slowly. In the last days of February, place the seedlings on a well-lit windowsill.

Care of the Seedlings

Preventive treatment of seedlings from diseases is carried out with a solution of Fundazole and to accelerate growth bush is treated with a resolution of Epin or Zircon. In 4-6 weeks after the emergence of seedlings, when they develop a pair of true leaf plates, they should be unpacked in separate pots of 3-5 pieces and planted in the substrate on the lower leaves. The plants are then watered, and a plastic bag is placed over the pots to create greenhouse conditions. After 7 days, the plants should have doubled in size. In the last days of February or the first few days of March, place the seedlings in larger pots, up to 80 mm across, by transplanting them together with a clump of soil. Remember to make a drainage layer at the bottom of each pot. The seedlings will then grow and thrive.

Blooming Features

Once the shoot has formed 6-8 leaf blades, prune the top so the shrubs will be lusher. About 30 days after planting, apply fertilizer when the flowers have fully taken root. Plantafol, a nitrogen-rich solution can be used in this case. The flowering time of the lisianthus is related to when you sow the seeds. If the seeds were planted in the last days of November or the first days of December, the shrubs would flower in the first half of July (it also depends on the spring weather). Shrubs sown from seeds sown in mid-January usually start to bloom in August. Flowering will continue uninterrupted until October, when some flowers have faded, and others will open. Lisianthus is not affected by early frosts only if the temperature drops to minus 10 degrees and snowfalls do flowering stop. If flowering ends too early, it is advisable to cut off any wilted flowers, and the shrubs may bloom again after a month.

Types and Varieties

The lisianthus species and cultivars can be divided according to their intended use. There are both low (up to 0.45 m high) and high-growing lisianthus. The high-growing varieties are most often cultivated in the open air and used as cuttings, while the low-growing ones are most often grown as balcony or room plants.

• Aurora The plant grows to a height of 0.9-1.2 m with white, pink, blue, or vibrant blue flowers. It blooms 15 to 20 days earlier than the other cultivars.
• Echo Spreading stems up to 0.7 m tall, with large flowers in 11 different shades. Some are bicolor, and others monochromatic. Flowering is early.
• Heidi The bush is about 0.9m tall and blooms lushly with simple flowers. There are 15 color variations of the flowers.
• Flamenco Ranging in height from 0.9 to 1.2 m, the powerful stems are decorated with simple but huge flowers (diameter ca. 80mm), which can be colored in different shades. This variety is good because it is flexible.

Conclusion

Lisianthus needs regular nutrient application to flower well. Fertilize the lisianthus with a complete mineral fertilizer every week during the growing season, but at a lower concentration than specified in the instructions.

Growing Lisianthus is often tricky for hobby plant growers who need more skills. Especially for inexperienced growers, it is only sometimes possible to get the plant through its dormancy period and then get a new crop of flowers. In this case, it is essential to supply your lisianthus seeds.

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