Image – Wikimedia/Adityamadhav83
The Crossandra infundibuliformis It is a small but very interesting plant, which can be in a tropical garden, or inside a house where a lot of light comes in from outside. And it is that it produces flowers of great ornamental value, very numerous.
But because of its place of origin, it can become difficult to keep her alive and healthy. For this reason, it would not be unusual to buy it, for example, in the spring, and see how autumn comes and it is already beginning to fade. Is it possible to prevent this from happening?
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Where is he from ? Crossandra infundibuliformis?
It is a shrub species native to the tropical region of India.. Similarly, it is also possible to see it in Thailand and Sri Lanka. Today, in addition, it has become naturalized in Central America, where the climatic conditions are very similar to those of its place of origin.
For this reason, it is a delicate plant when you have a region with a temperate climate, since it has difficulty when the coolness arrives. But that should not discourage us, because if we take care of it, which we will explain later, it will not be difficult for us to maintain it.
What are their characteristics ?
The Crossandra infundibuliformis it is an ephemeral perennial (it can live about 3 years) that reaches half a meter in height. The leaves can be egg-shaped or a bit longer and thinner. These measure up to 17 centimeters long by 5 centimeters wide, and are green with whitish veins.
Its flowers are orange or yellow, and are grouped in terminal inflorescences. They grow throughout the spring. The fruit is an elliptical-shaped capsule containing small seeds.
How to take care of Crossandra infundibuliformis?
The crossandra is a plant that can be very demanding. It needs plenty of light, warm (but not extreme) temperatures and high air humidity to grow well; that is, to live (and not to survive). So let’s see what care he needs if we are going to have him outside, or if we choose to have him inside the house:
Location
Where should it be placed? It will depend on whether we prefer to have it outside or inside, but in any case, it is important that there is no lack of light. Therefore, if you are going to be at home, your ideal location will be that room with windows that faces east, where the sun rises; this way you will have the light you need.
And if, on the contrary, we are going to put it outside, it must be in a place where there is a lot of light, but no direct sun.
Pot or soil?
Image – Wikimedia/Mokkie
The Crossandra infundibuliformis, as it does not resist the cold, it is often chosen to have it in a pot. In this way, it is easier to change places if necessary, bringing it from the terrace to the living room for example. Now, even if it is cold in winter in your area, you can choose to plant it in the ground without removing it from the pot and have it there in spring and summer; later you will only have to extract it by separating the earth.
And speaking of land, which one do you need? Well, it’s a plant that it must be put in a soil or earth whose pH is neutral or acidic. So, if she is to be potted, an acidic plant medium like this will come in handy; and if it is going to be in the garden, it will be important to check the pH of the soil before planting it in it. You can do it with a meter like this, for example, or at home, as we explain in this article:
Related article:
How to Correct Soil pH
Irrigation
It is necessary to water the crosandra with fresh water, which is fit for consumption. If it is watered once with hard water, i.e. with water with a very high pH (8 for example) nothing will happen to it, but it is very important to avoid it. so that the leaves do not lose color and, also, so that can flourish without problems.
In addition, it will need to be watered several times a week during the summer, but less the rest of the year. Indeed, during the warm months, the earth dries out more quickly than in winter.
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The time to pay it is from spring to summer, because that’s when it grows. If the climate is tropical, that is, there are no frosts, it can be fertilized all year roundbecause under these conditions, it is easy for it to flower longer.
But what to use? To make it bloom, we will fertilize it with a fertilizer that contains phosphorus and potassium, since these two nutrients are essential for it to produce flowers. And luckily, we won’t have much trouble finding one, since any fertilizer for flowering plants will do.
If you want to pay for it with fertilizers of natural origin, then we recommend guano (on sale here). But be careful, because it is very concentrated and, if you exceed the dose indicated on the package, the roots of the plant will burn.
Multiplication
Image – Wikimedia/Dinesh Valke
The Crossandra infundibuliformis propagates by seed in spring. These are planted in pots with seedling soil and covered with a thin layer of it. Then the seedbed is placed outdoors, in a place where there is plenty of light but no direct light, and finally it is watered from below (i.e. by placing a plate below and filling it with water).
hardiness
He is very, very sensitive to the cold. The minimum temperature it supports is 10ºC.
What do you think about decrosandra?