Stefanotis: how to care for and make the capricious Madagascar jasmine blossom

Stephanotis (Stephanotis) was found on the island of Madagascar. Its flowers resemble jasmine in shape and aroma. Hence the second name - Madagascar jasmine. In nature, the plant is found in China, Japan, and the Malay Islands. But most of the varieties of the flower can be seen in its homeland - in the tropical forests of Madagascar.

In nature, stefanotis is a large vine that wraps around trees growing nearby. In a tropical climate, Madagascar jasmine blooms almost all year round - up to ten months. The "domesticated" exot delights with flowers not so long, usually up to four months. But once seeing this beautiful sight, it is impossible to forget it. Therefore, flower growers are ready to cater to the overseas "fickleness" - all for the sake of delicate flowers and their amazing aroma that fills the entire room. Literally, the name of the plant is translated as "crown of ears." Stefanotis flowers really resemble a crown consisting of petal ears.

Botanical Description

Stefanotis is a representative of the Lastonev family. In nature, this perennial liana grows up to 6 m. Madagascar jasmine acquires special decorativeness during flowering. When a peduncle with a white cloud of inflorescences breaks through bright green leaves, it is impossible to take your eyes off a tropical vine. A climbing plant can be recognized by its characteristic features.

• Stem. In a young plant, the stem is elastic, resilient. With age, he becomes stiff.
• Leaves. The creeper has large sheets. They can be extended up to 12 cm. Sheets are attached to the stem with the help of long cuttings. The leaves are oval with a pointed tip, a bright vein is clearly visible in the center. Glossy, leathery, dark emerald leaves are no less attractive than flowers. Varieties with variegated leaves are found.
• Flowers Consist of five petals, similar to asterisks. They are assembled in a brush. They have a persistent pleasant aroma. Flowers can be white, lilac, yellowish, but in many gardeners, stefanotis is associated exclusively with white flowers. So the domesticated variety of creepers blooms.
• Fruit. Fruits on a plant are rare even in nature. They are a two-part box in which the seeds are located. It takes a year to ripen the fetus. After the box opens and seeds, similar to small parachutes, fly apart.

Species diversity and variety for the home

There are only 16 species (according to some, only 12) of stefanotis. The features of the most popular varieties will help you find out the table.

Table - Varieties of stephanotis and their features

The only variety adapted for indoor cultivation is stefanotis, abundantly flowering. Although Liana needs special conditions, she can very well adapt to the windowsill. Ideally, if there is an opportunity to grow Madagascar jasmine in the conservatory or in the greenhouse.

Basic care

It is believed that Madagascar jasmine enhances women's energy and negatively affects men's. Popular wisdom says that it should not be put in the bedroom, but in the kitchen, which for centuries has been recognized as female possession, just right. The voice of the people is worth listening to, even if you do not believe in signs. The flowers have a rich smell: it is not recommended to place plants in the bedroom, they may cause a headache.

Lighting

Madagascar jasmine is famous for its photophilousness. In nature, it grows where the day is long, therefore it reacts sharply to a lack of light. But do not rush to put a flowerpot with a flower on a windowsill, bathed in sunshine: from direct sunlight, stefanotis loses its decorativeness - burns appear on leaves and flowers. The best solution is the east or west window. In summer, it is worth shading the plant, creating diffused light. A light curtain will help to solve the problem if there is a place for the flowerpot only on the south window, where the lighting is too bright, and the sun's rays are directed all day directly at the plant. When the day becomes short, it is recommended to illuminate the vine with fluorescent lamps.

Temperature mode

With warming in the street, the temperature in the room where the exotic grows should be + 20-25 ° C. Liana needs a cool winter: then she will gain strength and delight with a riot of flowers. In winter, it is recommended to maintain the temperature within + 14-17 ° С. If it is higher, then the laying of flower buds may not occur. Make sure that the thermometer readings do not fall below + 12 ° C. Too cold content negatively affects the decorativeness of the flower - the plant may begin to wither, refuse to bloom with the onset of the season.

Watering

With the onset of spring, stefanotis needs abundant watering. During the growing season, the land should always be moderately humid. Sometimes for this you have to water the plant every two days, sometimes less often. The frequency depends on the microclimate in the house.

Do not allow the soil to dry out in the pot, but it is important to ensure that the water in the pan does not stagnate. In autumn, the plant is watered sparingly, and with the onset of cold weather, the frequency of the procedure is minimized - once a week.

It is only necessary to water the tropical guest with the settled water: lime harms the picky plant. Room water temperature is a prerequisite, otherwise the "whims" will begin.

Humidity

In the homeland of Madagascar jasmine, high humidity. If you do not create similar conditions for the liana, it will not take root in the house. In the summer, daily spraying will help to “appease” the plant. Water should be warm. Do not let the liquid fall on the flowers. You can increase the humidity in the house with a humidifier.In the reviews, flower growers recommend putting the pot on a pallet with wet pebbles or expanded clay, and placing containers filled with water near the flowerpot.

If the plant winters in cool, then it comes to rest. Spraying a vine should be much less common. But when the flowerpot is located near heating appliances, do not rush to hide the spray gun. You can wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, but it should be soft.

Frequency of Feeding

In the period when stefanotis is in intensive vegetation (spring-summer season), regular feeding is required. "Feed" the plant twice a month. Use mineral or complex fertilizer. You should choose "food" designed specifically for flowering plants. If the soil is saturated with nitrogen, the stems and leaves of the creeper will actively develop, but to the detriment of flowering. When the plant is at rest, it is not "fed".

Pruning

In spring, it is necessary to trim stefanotis. This procedure is required to stimulate flowering, because little star flowers are tied exclusively on new shoots. Damaged shoots and those that look weak are removed, the remaining stems are cut off by about half. The main stem is cut minimally. Act carefully, otherwise it will be difficult for the plant to recover after pruning.

Care Mistakes

The main difficulty in growing a tropical guest is that he does not forgive mistakes in leaving. If at least a little deviate from the rules - Madagascar jasmine will begin to languish before our eyes. Errors lead to the fact that at Stefanotis the leaves turn yellow and fall, the liana refuses to grow and bloom. Do not worry: if you immediately respond to signals of discontent, then you can solve the problem quickly and easily - you just need to optimize the care. The main thing is to understand where the oversight is made.

Slowing growth and the appearance of "problem" leaves

Leaves of stefanotis are no less decorative value than flowers. The sheet blanket loses its beauty if the “pet” is not satisfied with the quality of care that surrounds it. Gaps in care can also come in handy with stunted vines. Why “problematic” leaves appear, and Madagascar jasmine suddenly stops growing, you can find out from the table.

Table - Problems in growing stefanotis and their causes

Lack of flowering and stimulation method

In an apartment, the plant blooms annually for four months. The beginning of flowering occurs in June. However, it happens that the grower is waiting for the appearance of white stars, but they are all gone ... This is due to improper care. Make mistakes and the plant will delight with its fragrant flowers. Look for a problem with flowering, and the causes of its occurrence in the table.

Table - Problems with flowering stephanotis and provoking factors

Stefanotis will bloom every year, if you protect it from "stress" in the form of temperature changes and drafts, do not disturb it during the budding period, send it to rest, cut it with the advent of spring. To bloom for a long time, use the advice of experienced gardeners: pinch young shoots in the summer, leaving eight pairs of leaves on one stem.

5 transplant rules

Madagascar jasmine needs to be transplanted regularly, then it will actively grow and delight in flowers. Young specimens are relocated to new pots once a year, adults can not be touched for two to three years. The transplant should be carried out in the spring: it is important to be in time before the buds appear. If the liana got into the house blossoming or with buds - do not rush to the transplant: wait until it blossoms. In order for a plant to take root in a new "house", you need to know five nuances.

1. Choose a pot. It is necessary to take a flowerpot, which is two to three centimeters larger than the previous one in diameter. In a too large pot, stefanotis will develop poorly and bloom poorly - all forces will go to active root growth. It is better to choose a ceramic pot. It must be heavy: the liana grows rapidly and can turn over the capacity. A massive flowerpot will serve as a support. Do not forget about the support in the form of an arch.
2. We are preparing the soil mixture. A tropical guest needs a slightly acidic soil with a complex composition. If the soil is alkaline, a moody pet may refuse to bloom. To create a suitable mixture you need to take peat (three parts), sand (two parts), deciduous and clay soil (one part each).
3. Do not forget about drainage. Drainage at the bottom of the pot is a prerequisite for the successful cultivation of Madagascar jasmine. Drainage prevents stagnation of water, due to which the plant may die. Expanded clay is usually used as drainage. The layer should be at least three centimeters.
4. Correctly transplant. It is necessary to transplant the liana by the method of transshipment. So the small roots of stefanotis will remain intact. It is very important not to damage them during transplantation: the roots are responsible for the absorption of moisture, damage leads to wilting of the plant.
5. Take care after transplantation. When Madagascar jasmine is in a new pot, he will need special care. Water the plant sparingly: excess moisture leads to damage to the fragile root system. To compensate for heavy irrigation with frequent spraying of water from the spray gun. Transplanting is stress. The plant adapts in a week, after which you can resume the usual regime.

Breeding

Features New specimens of Madagascar jasmine are grown from cuttings. The plant also propagates by seed, but this method is rarely used in home floriculture. On the windowsill to achieve the appearance and ripening of the fetus is a task from the realm of fantasy, which means that there is nowhere to take seed.

To propagate stefanotis cuttings, you need to cut the shoots in early spring. It is important to choose only healthy shoots. They should be semi-lignified, have two or three leaves. You need to cut correctly: make a cut below the knot, backing 2 cm.

Action algorithm

1. Mix peat and sand in equal parts.
2. Plant the cuttings. (You can plant several in one pot, and when transplanting into permanent soil, plant them).
3. Create a “greenhouse”: place the cuttings under glass or polyethylene.
4. Make sure that the temperature does not fall below + 22 ° C - in a month it will be possible to root the cuttings.
5. When the sprouts begin to appear new leaves, get transplanted. Do not forget to pinch the young specimens: so they will begin to branch.
6. Provide plenty of light for new plants.
7. The first month after the "greenhouse" keep your pets at a temperature of + 17 ° C to stimulate growth.

Pests and diseases

Madagascar jasmine is not only fussy, but also a fan of cheering. Diseases are especially dangerous if the plant is weakened by improper care. Pests love to settle on stefanotis, which can also lead to the loss of a pet. You need to regularly inspect the overseas handsome, diseases and the appearance of insects can be determined by characteristic signs. Timely treatment will help save the exotica and restore its former beauty. Diseases of Madagascar jasmine, insects that infect a plant, signs of a problem and solutions are presented in the table.

Table - Diseases and insects infecting Madagascar jasmine

Do not be afraid: to make friends with a tropical guest is not as difficult as it might seem, you just need to create conditions for him as at home, to surround him with attention and care. Interestingly, those who succeeded in fulfilling all the conditions begin to argue that the plant is unpretentious.

Reviews

My stefanotis was in a very small pot, and the liana itself was wound on a metal wire (unraveling, I thought, I would break all branches). In addition, it was evident that the roots of the plant were placed in a white bag, and only then they stuck out into the ground and half out. I was very afraid that the roots there would simply rot. A day later, the flowers wilted and fell, and the plant began to turn yellow. I decided to transplant the flower, although it was winter. And judging by the information from the Internet, it is very bad to transfer the transplant. After all my manipulations with trying to free the branches from the wire, and the roots from an incomprehensible fabric bag, I finally transplanted my “jasmine”. Frankly, I doubted that he would survive. The leaves began to turn yellow and fall one after another. From time to time I splashed it with EPIN (probably a total of three times). In total, he lost about 8 leaves. And then he somehow came to life, new branches began to appear. And after about two months, he even bloomed. True, there were only two inflorescences (I did not photograph).

I have a flower on the western window, where it is sunny enough after lunch. Only when the sun is very strong, I put it on the table. I read somewhere that stefanotis really does not like rearrangement. But mine, apparently, got used to it)). I spray and water the flowers only in the shower, so he calmly transfers my “dragging” to and from the bathroom.The only thing I remember is which side it is facing the sun, and so I always set it.

Now I have transplanted my "jasmine" for 8 months a second time, since almost all the roots were at the top. He was very crowded. Once again I am faced with a problem, according to all the rules, it is necessary to transplant the plants in a pot not much larger than before. But, apparently, in me they grow by leaps and bounds and grow very quickly from it. Some even have to be transplanted earlier than a year later. My friend survived the second transplant calmly, since I did not break the earthen lump and simply transferred the plant to another pot.

I always water either with well-maintained water or boiled. I periodically add fertilizer for flowering plants. And in the spring I watched this picture: it was all strewn with flowers))). The aroma in the apartment was unreal. After he threw off all the flowers, he began to release new ones. And bloomed in the summer just as plentifully. At the second transplant, I was not able to release the support from the branches, there were a lot of them messed up and I was afraid to break, so I didn’t think of anything to insert just another support into the pot.

LanaSvet83, http://irecommend.ru/content/tsvetushchee-rastenie-aromat-kotorogo-menya-pokoril-raz-i-navsegda

I was delighted with stefanotis flowering at home not for long. After a few days, he threw away all the flowers. I bought it in the fall and could not judge what would happen next. the rest period begins. I did not have to wait long, a sprout soon appeared from the sinus of the leaves. It should be noted that the flower is curly and you need to worry about the support. The stems stretch very quickly per day can 5 cm. To be honest, I did not know what to do. There is very little literature and information on this flower, and no details either. In flower shops, the lash is tied to a thread, and then wound on a stubborn wire. While I was thinking about where to attach the new lashes, in the end I bought a bamboo grill, but the first lash turned yellow and dried up, but new ones started to appear just as quickly. I only had time to tie the threads and wrap the already bamboo arc. When there were a lot of lashes, and flowering did not occur, then I began to break them off i.e. I wait for 2-3 large leaflets and pluck off the top.

But flowering is in trouble. Over the 2.5 years that he lives with me, he has bloomed once - 3 flowers and already the next day he threw them away. By the way, it blooms for a very long time. From the moment buds appear until flowering, 1-2 months pass.

And I watered it and fed it and changed rooms, in the summer on the balcony. Grow grows and is very good, but does not bloom, but I do not give up. In any case, without flowers it is very beautiful and decorative. Very picky about watering. The leaves fade and turn yellow, therefore, does not tolerate dryness. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth from dust. I spray it sometimes. By the way, I read that when flowering it should never be rotated, much less change its place.

KIrra, http://irecommend.ru/content/kapriznyi-krasavets

For a long time I had a dream - to get stefanotis myself. My dream came true - I bought it! Such a beautiful, green stem, solid green leaves, and flowers ... beautiful, white, fragrant stars - bells! For two years, probably, the plant pleased me with flowers ... The plant is not picky about the care: plentiful watering, and spraying. I do watering in the pan, spraying - once a week.

The only minus from me is a long period of time between the flowering period and its lack of touch ... As soon as I turn the pot a bit, the leaves begin to turn yellow to the right or left. Therefore, I do not rotate or move it ... I even wipe the leaves in its permanent place. But this is not a problem, this decoration is worth it! If you are still in doubt - take it or take it for yourself this joy - be sure to take it! Make yourself beautiful!

Alla-Nova, http://otzovik.com/review_2642222.html