Gasteria PULCHRA

Gasteria PULCHRA - Gasteria pulchra.

Gasteria is a genus of perennial succulents in the family Asphodelaceae, comprising about 75 species native to arid regions of South Africa. In the wild, it grows in deserts, valleys, and on mountain slopes. Like its relatives Aloe and Haworthia from the subfamily Asphodeloideae, it has become widespread in botanical gardens and home collections.

It grows in uneven rosettes of two-ranked or multi-ranked fleshy, rigid, tongue-like leaves on strongly shortened stems. Dark green triangular leaves are adorned with whitish stripes and spots across the surface or along the margins. After each rank of leaves, it blooms with beautiful, bright orange-yellow inflorescences transitioning to green on flower stalks 40-70 cm (16-28 in) in height. During the flowering period, buds open consecutively over the course of a month.

Gasteria pulchra has typical rounded ribbed leaves 4-6 cm (1.6-2.4 in) long, 1 cm (0.4 in) wide, and 5-8 mm (0.2-0.3 in) thick. Smooth dark green leaves with light spots and a whitish border along the leaf edge are gathered into rosettes up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. Offsets form at the base of the rosette.

It blooms with stomach-shaped green-pink buds gathered in racemes on flower stalks about 30 cm (12 in) high.

Gasteria is propagated by seeds and division. Seeds are sown on the surface of a thin layer of moist sand and are not covered. They are moistened with a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in the light at a temperature of 15-20 °C (59-68 °F). Seedlings require ventilation. Overwatering and drying out of the sowings must be avoided.

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Gasteria is an unpretentious plant that can grow both on a sunny windowsill, provided it is shaded from direct sunlight in summer, and in the shade of a room or on a north window, where it may not bloom. It can grow both individually and in a group with other plants.

In the autumn-winter period, it requires good natural or artificial lighting for at least 8 hours a day. In the spring-summer period, it prefers air temperatures from 18 °C to 25 °C (64-77 °F), and in winter - 6-12 °C (43-54 °F). Watering from March to October should be plentiful; in autumn and winter, watering is restricted, especially when kept in cool rooms. Gasteria does not require spraying and tolerates dry air well.

From May to September, it is fed with low-concentration cactus fertilizers. When feeding with mineral fertilizers, to avoid root rot, adhere to the following ratio of elements: 1/6 - nitrogen, 2/6 - phosphorus, 3/6 - potassium. Repotting is carried out in the spring-summer period.

To quickly grow a large specimen, a mature plant is repotted into a larger pot annually by the slip-potting method, separating offsets. It prefers a well-drained substrate composed of two parts leaf mold, 1 part turf loam, 1 part sand, and 1/2 part peat with the addition of brick chips. Cactus soil with drainage can also be used.