Gloxinia is a very beautiful and very common indoor flower. Throughout the summer, he is in an active state, blooms in large velvety flowers, somewhat shaped like a bell. But with the advent of autumn, they fall, the plant enters the dormant phase. Not everyone knows that this plant is one of the few that require special care in the cold season. Gloxinia falls asleep for the winter, and it needs to be prepared for this.
In the fall, the flower slows down its growth; leaves begin to turn yellow. Buds are no longer formed. All these are signs that the plant is starting to fall asleep. Gloxinia comes into this state gradually. Once these signs have manifested, it is necessary to begin to "lay" the flower. Gloxinia for the winter is cleaned in a dark, damp place. But before that, the leaves under the root are cut off from her. The best time for this is mid-November.
Sometimes, under certain conditions, the plant finds it difficult to hibernate on its own. This happens if the flower tuber is older than three years. In such a situation, gloxinia for the winter is still removed, but before that it is necessary to perform some actions. First, it must be forced to enter the stage of rest. To "trick" a flower, they reduce watering and rearrange it in a cooler place. Top dressing is stopped completely. Only after this the plant will slow down the growth, the leaves turn yellow. Then it is cut under the root and removed.
Gloxinia for the winter can be carried, for example, in a closet on an insulated loggia, some put it under the bath. It is very important that the tubers of the plant are stored in a humid place. There should not be access to sunlight, and the temperature is preferable not higher than 16 degrees. If the rhizome was pulled out of the ground, then it can be kept in the lower section of the refrigerator. In principle, such conditions are suitable for tubers, and they remain viable until spring.
So, how to save gloxinia in winter so that in spring it again gives young leaves and releases more than one bud? Most often, the plant is not disturbed, it is left in the same pot where it grew. The ground should be slightly moist, but not wet. In this case, gloxinia will need watering. Once a month, the soil is moistened by pouring not more than 100 g of water into the pot. If this is not enough, and the earthen lump begins to dry out, it will be necessary to increase the number of irrigations to two or three. You can do much easier: just put the pot of tubers in a plastic bag and tie it tightly. After that, the need for watering will disappear, and the earth will remain wet.
There is another way to save the tubers. After the preparation of gloxinia for winter has been completed (the plant is brought to rest and all the leaves have been cut off), you must carefully dig up the tuber. It is transferred to a pre-prepared plastic container. A layer of moist soil is poured at its bottom. The tuber itself is laid directly on top and sprinkled with earth. The container closes tightly to avoid moisture loss. This method saves space and avoids drying of the tuber.