Stapelia is a perennial succulent from the Lastovnev family. In nature, there are approximately 100 species of this plant. They grow mostly in South and South-West Africa. The plant can be found on the slopes of the mountains, in the shade of trees and near ponds. The flower is named after the famous Dutch doctor of the 17th century. Culture began to be popular among flower growers for a long time.
How does stapelia grow? Home care for this succulent is not particularly difficult. It is worth noting that it blooms extremely unusual. The aroma of a flower is very different from the usual floral scents. Goethe called him beautiful, but monstrous. The aroma of stapelia is unpleasant and more reminiscent of the smell of rot. But it even attracts someone.
Features
What does a slipway look like? Photos of this plant provide a general idea. Succulents can reach a height of 0.1-0.6 meters. At the base, it has many juicy tetrahedral shoots, and quite large denticles are located along the faces. For this reason, many call the slipway cactus. Its stems have a pale bluish or green color.
You can also find varieties with red-violet stems, manifested in bright sunlight. The plant has practically no foliage. Flowers can be either paired or single. They grow on bent pedicels. The flower itself can have a size of 5 to 30 cm, and in appearance it is very aesthetic. It even resembles a starfish. Flowers can be either monophonic or variegated, but all species have one unpleasant feature - a sickening smell.
Temperature
How does stapelia grow? Home care provides for compliance with a special temperature regime. When growing this plant in room conditions, it should be borne in mind that caring for the slipway is associated with seasonality. In the warm season, the culture will feel better at an air temperature of 22–26 degrees. In the summer, it is recommended to take the flower to a balcony or terrace. In spring and autumn, stapelia enters the dormant period. In winter, it is better to clean the plant in a cool place. The air temperature should not be higher than 15 degrees.
Lighting
What you need to know about this? To grow a stapelia flower at home, it is recommended to comply with certain lighting requirements. A plant needs a lot of bright light. Every day he needs intense sun baths, otherwise the shoots will stretch out and become thinner. Because of this, the plant may refuse to bloom. However, in the afternoon and hot summer days, culture needs protection from the scorching sun. This will prevent burns on the leaves. Experienced growers are advised to place a slipway on a windowsill on the west or east side of the apartment.
How to water?
What is the peculiarity of this process? Since stapelia belongs to succulents, it must be abundantly watered and sprayed. Stagnant water in the soil can cause the development of fungal diseases, which will result in rotting of the roots of the flower. To prevent this, put a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot during planting. Pieces of expanded clay or clay shards are well suited for this purpose. In the period from March to September, the plant should be watered no more than once every seven days, and in the first months of winter the slipway should not be moistened at all.
Fertilizers and fertilizers
What are they needed for? Culture should be fed once every 14 days in the summer. For fertilizer, it is best to use special nutrient mixtures for succulents and cacti. To increase the plant's resistance to diseases and pests, you can feed them with potash fertilizers. In winter, stapelia does not require additional nutrients.
Transfer
This aspect should be given special attention. How does stapelia grow? Photos, home care, basic requirements for the conditions of detention - these are the information that is usually of interest to beginners in this matter. Young instances of the plant require regular transplantation. It should be carried out 1 time per year in the spring, since the plants grow relatively quickly in width. Adult flowers are transplanted approximately every 2-3 years. Gardeners with experience advise during the plant transplant to pull old stems from the center of the bush, since they will not bloom anyway.
Perennial stocks should not be transplanted; it is enough to change the top layer of the soil mixture to a new one once a year. From the middle of the bush it is recommended to tear out the stems from time to time.
Where is the stapelia better to grow? Home care for the flower involves choosing the right capacity for planting. It is better to take a pot that is not too high, since the root system of the plant is poorly developed. A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot. It should occupy about a third of the capacity. The substrate for planting a slipway can be prepared with your own hands. For this purpose, you should combine sod land and coarse sand in a ratio of 1 to 2. If you prefer to use a special mixture for succulents, it must be mixed with charcoal. Before planting, the soil must be steamed. Then, for several days, the flower should not be watered.
Bloom
Let's dwell on this in more detail. How does stapelia bloom? Varieties of this plant can give unique inflorescences. The beginning of the flowering period is indicated by an unpleasant odor emanating from the flower. In the wild, this aroma helps the bud to attract carrion flies, which serve as pollinators for it. These insects are attracted by the unusual smell of the plant. Flies pollinate the slipway, arrange masonry in the leaves of the flower. It is worth considering that there are exceptions to any rule. The Flavo-purpurea slipway has a rather pleasant wax aroma.
Why do flower growers prefer to grow the crop in question, even despite the terrible smell? The fact is that flowering lasts about two weeks. Fans of this plant at this time just take it to the balcony. The problem of bad smell is solved quite simply.
Diseases and Pests
What problems can arise when growing a flower like stapelia? Home care for this plant does not cause much difficulty. It is important to prevent fluid stagnation in the substrate. Therefore, it is important to properly water the slipway.
As for pests, aphids, mealybugs and spider mites usually settle on the culture in question. To get rid of these insects, it is recommended to treat the bush with insecticides. You can purchase these funds in specialized flower shops. It is worth noting that wild stapelia is extremely resistant to diseases and pests.
Lack of flowering
What you need to know about this? How does stapelia bloom? The species of this plant have one common feature - the appearance of interesting odorous inflorescences. However, for some reason, the plant may refuse to bloom. This can occur due to a lack of light, excessive watering, a warm winter, inappropriate fertilizers, or an excess or lack of nutrients in the soil.
In order for the plant to please the owner with regular flowering, it is recommended to observe the following rules:
- The flower needs to be provided with the correct watering regime. In spring and summer, the plant is moistened every fourteen days. Between moisturizing, the substrate in the pot should completely dry. Since October, you can reduce the number of irrigations to once a month. From December to January, the plant can not be moistened at all.
- During dormancy, the plant should be kept in a cool room.
- Try not to overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers.
- For planting, it is better to use sandy soil.
- Stapelia needs good lighting.
The yellowing of the base of the stem can also speak of a lack of light. In this case, shoots are recommended to be cut and used as cuttings.
Breeding
Many beginner gardeners today are interested in such a plant as stapelia. Reproduction of this succulent can be carried out in various ways. The cuttings method is well suited. To cut the processes, you need to take a sharp clean knife. Slices on the uterine plant and the cuttings themselves are recommended to be covered with crushed coal. Before planting, it is recommended to slightly wilt the stalk. It takes a few hours. After this, a young plant can be planted in a pre-prepared substrate from coarse sand with the addition of peat. When the plant takes root, it can be transplanted into a pot. The diameter of the container must be at least 70 mm. For planting, you should use a soil mixture consisting of coarse sand, light turf and sheet land. You can also add some charcoal.
Seed propagation
What you need to know about this? Another interesting way of stapelia propagation is by seeds. After the fruit has fully ripened, seeds can be extracted from them. This will happen no earlier than in a year. When the seeds ripen, they can be sown in plates filled with a light substrate. The first seedlings will appear 20-30 days after sowing. When the plants grow a little, you will need to peck them in pots. After 12 months, young plants should be transplanted into larger pots (90-100 mm) by transhipment. When choosing this method of plant propagation, it should be borne in mind that they may not retain the characteristics of the parent plants.
Kinds
Let's dwell on this aspect in more detail. We examined the main features of a plant called stapelia. Species, photos and names of varieties are presented below:
- Stapelia Asterias: a stunted plant 20 cm high. The stems are bright green in color, but can also be light red. On the faces of the stems there are small teeth. On the surface of the flowers you can see small yellow stripes and thick pale pink hairs. Flowers are placed on long pedicels at the base of the shoot.
- Stapelia Gigantea: This type of succulent is a perennial plant with powerful erect stems. The height of the plant can reach 20 cm. Shoots have blunt edges and a huge number of small teeth. The flowers of the plant are quite large and can reach a diameter of 35 cm. On the pedicels are slightly pointed yellowish triangular petals. On the surface they have dark red hairs. This species has the same unpleasant aroma as other slipways.
- Stapelia Variegata: a low-growing variety, reaches a height of only 10 cm. The stems are green in color, plants of a pale red hue are less common. On the blunt sides of the plant are cloves. At the base of young stems, up to 5 flowers can be located. Petals are yellow, have a pointed ovoid shape. Outside, they are smooth, and inside wrinkled. The plant blooms most often in the warm season.
- Stapelia Glanduliflora: stunted succulent, up to 15 cm high. Stems are straight, about 30 mm thick, with pterygoid faces and small rare denticles. On a bush usually located 1-3 flowers. Yellow-green petals have a pointed triangular shape. On the surface of the flowers there are pinkish stripes and spots. The petals around the edges are slightly bent and have characteristic long white villi. The surface is strewn with a huge number of colorless club-shaped hairs.
- Stapelia Flavo-purpurea: one of the most interesting varieties of stapelia flower. Photos of the plant confirm its unusualness, since its stems are purple in color. At the top of the stems, 1 to 3 flowers with pointed, ovoid-shaped petals can bloom. The flower is yellowish and smooth on the outside, and burgundy and wrinkled on the inside. This variety is characterized by a pleasant waxy aroma.
- Stapelia Grandiflora: perennial succulent with tetrahedral stems. Large flowers with lanceolate petals. Outside they have a blue-green color, and inside - burgundy. Gray hairs can be seen on the surface of the flower. The edges of the petals are slightly bent, and inside you can see a slight pubescence.
Conclusion
In this review, we examined in detail what a stapelia is. Photos, plant care, the main problems encountered during cultivation - this information will help beginner growers to grow a healthy and strong plant.