GLOXINIAS 
Gloxinia is a member of the family 
Gesneriaceae comprising of African 
Violets, Achimenes, Streptocarpus, 
Naegelia, Episcia etc. It has the largest 
and most spectacular flowers of this 
group and one of the easiest of culture. 
The important requirements are light 
warmth, a good pot mix and to be 
kept free of insects. With just a little 
care your Gloxinias will reward you 
with beauty for many months of the 
year. 
CULTURE 
Sey onl) 
Gloxinia seed may be started by the 
same requirements and soil mixture 
used for Tuberous Begonia or African 
Violets. Either method is satisfactory. 
Care should be taken not to keep your 
soil too wet and that foliage is dry 
during the night. 
When plants attain this second set 
of leaves prick off into flats or pots 
2 inches apart. When they start to 
crowd each other it is time to pot in- 
dividually. A good method is to start 
in a 4 inch pot and transfer into a 6 
inch pot in 5 or 6 weeks. 
Allow room between plants to keep 
short and bushy, feed with fish em- 
ulsion if possible (or your African 
Violet fertilizer) every 2 or 3 weeks. 
(We have attained the finest results 
by using Full Bloom Fertilizer in pot- 
ting and Hurry-Up Fish Emulsion for 
supplement feeding.) 
Seedling Plants will bloom in 5 to 6 
months and will flower continuously 
for 3 months. After the completion of 
the flowering period you may cut off 
the plant just above the soil level and 
it will sprout again. You then treat it 
as a tuber. 
Ez 
TUBERS 
Gloxinia tubers may be started as 
soon as you receive them. 
To encourage root growth and to 
avoid overwatering, start tubers the 
same as Tuberous Begonias in flats 
or in small 4 or 5 inch pots. 
Tubers generally give several sprouts 
To achieve a well formed plant with 
the largest flowers it is important to 
remove all but the main shoot by 
breaking or cutting off at the tuber. 
These shoots may then be started 
in sand or your regular rooting media. 
After rooting, treat the same as seed- 
lings. 
These cuttings will give a nice plant 
the first year that will blossom along 
with your tubers. This is a much more 
satisfactory method for increasing your 
Gloxinia collection than the slow dis- 
couraging leaf method. 
POTTING 
Our pot mix consists of 2/3 well 
decayed leaf mold 1/6 loam and 
1/6 sieer manure. African Violet mix is 
satisfactory. 
Large tubers need a 7 or 8 inch pot 
medium tubers 6 or 7 inch pot, using 
the same procedure as directions given 
for Tuberous Begonias. 
PESIS 
The most common pests are thrip 
and aphids, controlled easily by 
several insecticides made for that 
purpose. 
BUD BLAST 
This is usually caused by attack of 
thrip. Other causes are over feeding 
with a chemical fertilizer during the 
blooming period and wetting the buds 
during very warm days with cold 
water. 
Remedy is simply correcting the 
cause—Keep plants clean, feed with 
organic fertilizer and care in keeping 
flower stems dry during very hot days. 
