When Your Streptocarpella Plant Arrives
When Your Plant Arrives
Please remove the plants from the box immediately, and water them thoroughly if they are dry. Do not allow the box to sit out in the sun or cold as it can result in the plants being damaged or killed.
When you receive your plants in the mail they have been in the dark for days and may be exiting their box into a completely different environment than they were grown in. Please avoid transplanting them into a larger pot until they have had a week or two to adjust to their new home.
If you will be growing your Streptocarpella outdoors it is doubly important to acclimate your plant properly. Place the plants in a shaded, sheltered area for a few days or week to allow them to acclimate. They need to adapt to the local humidity level and also the outdoor wind conditions. Do NOT place your Streptocarpella plants in a sunny or windy location. This will result in the plant being burned or broken, and it may kill your new plant.
Our starter plants are well rooted and ready to be transplanted into a larger pot or into the ground. Once the plants are acclimated you can repot them. The best way to know they are acclimated is by watching for new growth. When they have resumed active growth they are no longer shocked from shipping.
Streptocarpellas are relatives of African violets and have similar care requirements.
They are a tropical perennial native to the moist warm climates of African forests. Plants from this region thrive on bright indirect light, consistently mild, but not hot temperatures and consistent moisture.
Watering:
Streptocarpellas require regular watering and would like to have evenly moist (but not wet), well drained soil. It is important that your soil and pot are well draining as they can be prone to rotting in overly wet conditions. Try to avoid getting water on the leaves as you are watering the plant as it can cause brown spots to appear on the leaves.
Fertilizing:
Streptocarpellas grow vigorously and can get quite large, so they appreciate regular fertilizing with a mild house plant fertilizer. African violet food would be an excellent fertilizer for them.
Sun Exposure:
Streptocarpellas appreciate bright, but indirect light. They would prefer to be kept out of full sun. They can be happily grown indoors in an east or west facing window, and will bloom continuously year round.
Streptocarpellas can also very successfully be grown outside. They are less demanding of perfect temperatures than their African violet relatives, and can make a wonderful patio plant. If you are growing your streptocarpella outdoors, try to provide it full shade in a bright fairly humid location.
Cold Hardiness:
Streptocarpellas have no cold hardiness, and come from a climate that maintains a constant temperature year round. They need to be protected from both frost and cold temperatures. Do not keep them in temperatures below 50 degrees, and bring them indoors before your weather starts to cool in the fall.
Ideally, to keep your streptocarpella blooming, keep them in a 70ish degree room. If it is comfortable for you, it should be comfortable for your plant. Additionally, make sure that they are not placed too closely to a cold or drafty window in the winter as the cold from this could damage the plant.
Trimming/Training:
Streptocarpellas are trailing plants. They will perform best grown in a hanging basket or suspended on a plant stand. They respond well to occasional trimming. You can trim off branches that have become overgrown, or those that have become too heavy. Streptocarpella plants can grow to become very dense and bushy. They can also be brittle and prone to breaking if they get too overgrown and heavy. Breaking can be reduced or prevented by keeping the plant in a sheltered location, and by occasionally thinning out dense growth.
We hope that this helps you get started with your new plants! If you still have any questions or concerns about caring for your new Streptocarpella, please contact us so that we can help!
