HIRITA: HOME CARE, PHOTO SPECIES (AIKO, TAMIANA)

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Chirita is a flower belonging to the Gesneriev family. It can be annual and perennial, the distribution area is the tropics of Asia.

Description of Hirita

The plant was first described in 1822 by the botanist David Don. And in the XX century, breeders were actively engaged in the study of these flowers, which led to the appearance of hybrid species.

The stem of the plant is thin and strong. The foliage is green, the shape varies depending on the species, it is smooth and pubescent. The flowers look like bells, the color is pink, white, lilac, yellow.

Varieties of Hirita for Home Maintenance

In room conditions, you can grow only a few varieties of hirita:

Grade	Description	Leaves	Flowers
Lavender	Annual, trunk high, slightly pubescent.	Oval. Color - light green.	Placed on tops of shoots and in axils of leaves. Gentle lavender.
Primulina	It blooms throughout almost the whole year, with small intervals.	Placed symmetrically, are smooth and slightly pubescent. Color is green. They grow wide and sometimes create whole tiers. Sizes from small to large. On the surface you can see a silver color pattern.	They remind a narrow tube and have 5 petals. Collected in inflorescences, different color, but light colors. Occasionally, dark stripes are visible on the surface of the buds.
Sinensis hisako	It is considered the most beautiful variety.	Variegated, strongly drooping, have long light villi. Large, green with a silver pattern.	Similar to bells, lavender, throat - bright yellow.
Aiko	Hybrid.	Ellipsoid, color - dark green. Fleshy, slightly pubescent.	Large, rich yellow color.
Silver surfer	Shrub plant.	Drooping, lanceolate. Color - bright green with a mother-of-pearl pattern.	Lavender bells with an orange neck.
Tamiana	It blooms throughout the year, only the dormant period is considered an exception.	Diameter from 10 to 15 cm, the shape is round-heart-shaped. Fleshy, there is slight pubescence.	Low peduncles, on which 2-3 white buds with blue spots appear.
Chinese	Perennial growing up to 15-20 cm.	Oval, fleshy, create a strong basal rosette. Bright green with silver spots. The edge is serrated.	Medium, lavender-purple buds.

Home Care

When caring for a flower at home, you should focus on the time of year:

Factor	Spring Summer	Autumn winter
Location / Lighting	Placed on the west or east window. Provide bright but diffused light.	Cover up with a phytolamp.
Temperature	+ 18 ... +24 ° С.	+15 ° C.
Humidity	The level is 55-65%. The flower is placed on a pallet with moistened peat or expanded clay. The plant is not sprayed as it begins to hurt.	Level 55-65%.
Watering	Once every 2 days, only after drying of the topsoil.	Once every 7 days.
Top dressing	Once a month, with fertilizers high in potassium and phosphorus.	Suspend.

Transplant, soil

The transplant is performed when the root system occupies the entire capacity (every 2-3 years). The best period is spring. Pot pick up low and deep. When moving the flower, you must be extremely careful not to injure the fragile roots of hirita.

The soil should be light, slightly acidic and breathable. With the independent preparation of the substrate, in the ratio 2: 1: 1: 1 take the following components:

leaf soil;
coarse sand or perlite;
peat;
humus.

Be sure to use brick crumb or pebble drainage.

Pruning

The plant negatively refers to frequent pruning. Suitable option: before or after flowering (beginning of spring - end of autumn). Remove dry and yellowed foliage, dead pedicels.

During the procedure, they act carefully so as not to injure healthy parts of the plant, they are quite fragile.

Breeding

Hirita propagation is performed in several ways:

by seed;
cuttings;
leaf processes;
stepsons.

The most popular way is considered to be cuttings. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that a cut, dried and fungicide-treated plant process is placed in the soil. There should be no mechanical damage to the planting material. Cuttings are watered and do not allow the drying of the earth. In addition, using polyethylene, you can create greenhouse conditions that provide daylight hours at 12 o’clock.

After the emergence and strengthening of seedlings, they are seated in different containers.

Difficulties in growing hirita, diseases and pests

During home cultivation, hirita can be attacked by diseases and pests, and improper care provokes a number of additional difficulties:

Manifestation	Cause	Remedial measures
Rotting of the root system and stems.	Abundant watering.	Adjust the irrigation mode.
Light brown spotting on foliage.	The use of cold water.	They control the temperature of the water, it must be at least +20 ° C.
Growth from only one side.	Lack of lighting.	The flower is periodically rotated in different directions to the light source.
Foliage drying.	Burn.	At noon, the plant is shaded. Affected leaves are removed.
Brown blotches on the inside of the sheet, sticky and viscous coating.	Shield.	Process with a solution of Actar or Actellik. Using an old toothbrush or cotton swab, insects are cleaned by hand.
White lumps that look like fluff, sticky coating.	Mealybug.	Spray with insecticides Fitoverm or Biotlin.
Yellowing and drying of the leaves, a light web on the inside.	Spider mite.	Apply chemical agents Karbofos and Neoron, use a soap solution.
White masonry under the leaves.	Thrips.	Spray with Vermitek and Bankol.
White insects throughout the plant.	Whitefly	To destroy pests, Akarin and Actellik solutions are used.
Whitish wet spotting.	Gray rot.	Remove all damaged areas. The healthy part is treated with any strong fungicide.