How to Grow & Cultivate Episcia / Flame Violet : Episcia Plant Care

This was commonly known as Flame Violets which is much hardier than violets itself, both share the same genes - Gesneriaceae. I was ambitious to start a collection on this genes as I thought Episcias were easy and perhaps level up my challenge to another level. 

To my disappointment - it was not as easy as I thought. Regardless, I'm sharing my years of experience with this plant - truly my love-hate relationship plant as they appear to almost to die and revert back to healthy again and at times, the reverse happens like in a cycle. 

Tips 1: 

Do take importance on propagating the Stolons as spare plants as this plant is short lived and having spares will ensure you don't lose that particular type when the plant succumbs to rot or dies. 

Tip 2: 

Do invest on a Terrarium or a Glass Bowl or a Glass Tank to keep them inside the enclosure for maximum humidity and protection against pest such as mealy bug or scale insect, often ants bring those pest as the ants farm them bringing these pest to feed and produce nectar juices from these plants. 

Tip 3:

 Also do invest on a very good fertilizer that is not too strong for these sensitive types where the leaves may get burned if overdosed. 

Tip 4: 

If you are planning to grow them on ground - do layer them together in between pebbles and stones and place at the corner like drain-side area where the humidity is strong. Also they thrive in bright indirect shaded area - as these require such conditions to thrive. 

Thank you so much for visiting, do click like and if you have any questions, do write on the comment below.

How to Grow & Cultivate Flame Violet : Episcia Cupreata

I'm talking about the structure of the plant where the runners also known as stolon form along each node where it comes from the parent plant - hence from the bottom to the top. When the top most mother plant has many generations - the main plant suffers exhaustion and dies - therefore it needs to be trimmed off and replanted before the whole plant dies. 

The cut - stolons can later be replanted and propagated as a new plant.This ensure the longevity of the main plant and the new (stolon) plant can also enjoy the rooted based instead of receiving it's life support from the top most main plant(great grandmother) Hope this give more information on propagating these episcia. 

If you have an queries, do put your questions on the comment below. Also will really appreciate if you can subscribe my channel and click like on my videos. I will update the status of these plants in this closed container for the growth progress.

Begonia Erythrophylla Jungle Black - Hybrid

CHARACTERISTICS:

By appearance it looks like a hybrid mix of Beefsteak begonia with the Black Velvet Varieties similar of a Begonia Breakdance variation. The added beauty are the frills that appears like mini-escargots at the end of each leaf structure. 

In a way, if you able to notice carefully there are fine whiskers like features around the foliage perimeter - something that appears in some Begonia Black Fang varieties. 

Hence - there could be many mix parentage made to establish this stable mix hybrid.

Truth be told - I can't really find the exact ID for this particular begonia hybrid, one thing for sure - Im very positive that this particular one has it's origins from Asia especially surrounding the Thailand - Malaysia borders.

GENERAL BEGONIA PLANT CARE:

Plant Care is very similar like most Rhizome Begonia Care & Cultivation Needs. This depends in different garden or indoor conditions - its all depending on getting the right balanced conditions.

Depending on the Begonia adaptation and its ability to handle hardy conditions - if the plant is stress it may drop all it's leaves before regeneration - hence more care is required to ensure the right balance of watering and humidity verse root and stem rot. 

Medium:

Fast Draining - 1/3 Compost at the bottom layered with coconut chips and sand in between the rhizome root-ball.

Watering
Water only when the Medium is Dry

Feeding
Foliar Fertilizer - Once a Week with 1/2 Dilution Strength. 

(Depending on what works best in your garden conditions - some gardeners use chicken/goat manure, coffee based fertilizer, organic fertilizer - test out and see on a trial basis to see what works best in your garden conditions)

Light

Place in Bright, Indirect Light - Shaded from direct hot sun areas - Ideal for Balcony Plants.

Do take note that this one truly hate too much water - the leaves may also change colors, especially turning pale green and the red and burgundy coloration faded. Do take note that if this happens - most likely the plant lifespan is numbered and the eventually leaf by leaf - they start dropping and the rhizome dried up or rotting and it is too late to safe the plant or rectify the problem.

Hence - do watch out on the overwatering part - the medium too play a big part on this, especially if it purchased with cocopeat planted with it - its more likely a dooms-day time clocking by the days for it to kaput.  It is much better to take the risk to replant it to a new medium and allow the plant to grow through shock and recover and safe the plant - keeping it long term for years to go by then seeing it fall apart when the cocopeat dried up together with the root-ball.

Begonia Common Names and Images

Do click on the Link Above ☝

Here is the link where I had put together a list of all the begonias that I had come across. 

A database of all the different types & their characteristics. 

Please click on the link on the title above for the post.