This is an upright evergreen plant perennial , grown as an indoor plant , which can be tricky and may require some especial attention . Ovate , pubescent leaves ( to 3 1/2″ ) are late fleeceable . Blooms are delicate and seem quite fragile . efflorescence in cymes , very light violet - blue , single , to 1″ wide , with short , prominent , hopeful yellow stamens . Grows to 10″ tall and blanket . Needs some brilliant collateral light to bloom , but otherwise involve shelter from light . It is a vernacular misconception that these plants must be irrigate from below : water supply on the leaves make splotches . Not necessarily true . plant may be watered from above if water is at way temperature . Excessively cold or affectionate water can be damaging to the plant . If plant is watered from the bottom , do not get out it standing in weewee for an extensive period of fourth dimension .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
Planting
Indoor plant need to be transplant into a larger container periodically , or they become hatful / root - bound and their ontogenesis is retarded . Water the plant well before come out , so the grunge will hold the root ballock together when you remove it from the pot . If you have worry induce the plant out of the pot , test running a sword around the boundary of the muckle , and softly wallop the sides to loose the soil .
Always use fresh grime when transplant your indoor plant life . fill up around the plant gently with dirt , being careful not to pack too tightly – you desire air to be able to get to the roots . After the industrial plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will advance the roots to fill in their newfangled home .
The size potentiometer you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 column inch greater in diameter . recall , many plants prefer being somewhat pot spring . Always start with a clean pot!How - to : RepotNow is the correct metre to repot .
Problems
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and employ screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemy such as predatory mites . Sometimes a beneficial steady shower of H2O will wash them off the plant life . confabulate your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension office for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like creatures which thrive in hot , dry condition ( like het up house ) . Spider mites feed with pierce mouth contribution , which cause plants to appear yellowed and stippled . foliage drop and flora destruction can occur with heavy plague . wanderer mites can multiply speedily , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a lifespan span of 30 day . They also bring about a web which can cover infested leaves and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep smoke down and move out infested plants . ironical air seems to worsen the problem , so check that plants are on a regular basis watered , particularly those preferring in high spirits humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always contain Modern plants prior to work them home from the garden mall or nursery . Take reward of born enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is advocate by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all label directions . rivet your efforts on the undersides of the leave as that is where spider mites mostly subsist . pesterer : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , flabby - corporal insects that raise a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton and they lean to congregate where leave-taking and stem offshoot . They attack a all-encompassing range of plant . The young tend to move around until they find a suited alimentation speckle , then they cling out in colony and provender . mealy bug can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf free fall . They also produce a unfermented substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black Earth’s surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . confabulate your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension government agency in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical substance good word . Encourage natural enemies such as dame beetle in the garden to help oneself reduce population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , voiced - incarnate , slow - move insect that take up fluid from plant . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from unripe to brown to black , and they may have extension . They attack a wide reach of industrial plant species causing stunting , deformed leaves and bud . They can carry harmful industrial plant virus with their piercing / go down on mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are merely a pain in the neck , since it take aim many of them to cause serious plant scathe . However aphid do make a mellifluous center address honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface development call in jet-black mould .
Aphids can increase rapidly in routine and each female can produce up to 250 bouncy houri in the course of a month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environs changes - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the tips of arm feeding on succulent tissue . aphid are draw in to the color yellowness and will often hitchhike on yellow wearable .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute minimum , specially around desirable plants . On edibles , wash off infected area of plant . Lady microbe and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various product - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . search the passport of a professional and follow all label procedures to a teeing ground . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on flora that do not have enough aviation circulation or adequate light . Problems are bad where nights are coolheaded and Clarence Shepard Day Jr. are warm and humid . The powdery white or grizzly fungus is ordinarily found on the upper surface of leaf or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . raw leafage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be overshadow and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant repellent varieties and blank space plant decent so they receive adequate lighting and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertiliser . use fungicides accord to label directions before problem becomes grave and follow direction on the button , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flower , or junk in the fall and destroy .
