Culture of The Gesneriaceae. This is one of the most distinguished plant families. 
The Gesneriads listed here are all tropical. They are natives from Mexico to Brazil in 
America or from the equator to the Cape in Africa. Most of them are warm house plants. 
The culture requirements are so similar that we can generalize on most points. Any 
exceptions will be noted with the listings. They may be either tuberous rooted and 
deciduous or fibrous rooted and evergreen. 
Storage of Tubers. Tubers may be left in the pots or baskets when dormant, but 
dry and warm, or they may be dug, dried and stored in vermiculite. Smithianthas 
multiply rapidly and should be divided as crowding them gives unsatisfactory results. 
Large tubers like Gloxinias should be shifted to larger pots usually. Most tubers may be 
dried off soon after flowering. Best storage temperature is about 50°. 
Fibrous Rooted Gesneriads, Streptocarpus, Aeschynanthes, Episcia, Columnea, etc., 
are evergreen and must be kept growing all year. 
Basket Culture is our method for fibrous rooted Gesneriads. Line baskets with 
a compressed layer of wet sphagnum. The compost for the center may be any combi- 
nation of coarse fibrous peat, sphagnum and leaf mould. Well divided osmundine may, 
be added to make it coarser, if too fine. Peat must be wet in advance as it is difficult 
to wet it thruout in a basket. The compost should be coarse enough to allow water to 
drain freely and to prevent its retention in a dense sodden mass, which prevents entrance 
of air. Plants breathe. All parts need air, but do not allow compost to become dry 
between waterings. Keep it moist not soggy. 
For plants that vine like Aeschynanthes or Columnea, we usually add enough 
sand to make the compost feel gritty. 
Pot culture is much the better for Gloxinias, Smithiantha and those having sturdy 
upright stems. For pots we use a similar compost with sand, enough to make it gritty 
in texture and rather more than we would use in a basket. There must be plenty of 
drainage material in bottom of pot. See potting directions under “General Culture.” 
When a plant becomes too large for its pot—shift to one size larger. 
Fertilizing. See General Culture. We do not add fertilizer to soils or composts 
usually, but bone meal is good and it does not burn. A little powdered dairy or sheep 
manure is often used. We prefer to add pinches to surface when growing well—if we 
use at all. We prefer liquid fertilizers when in growth. We never use inorganic, chemical 
fertilizers, for anything, anywhere. 
Light Exposure. Most Gesneriads are shade plants, but they do need much light 
and most of them like a little morning and evening sun. Light shade is needed in winter. 
If Gloxinias do not receive enough filtered sunlight they become “leggy,” poor plants 
with little or no bloom. Enough sun is required by nearly all plants to make proper 
growth and flowers. If Smithiantha have weak stems and fall over it can result from: 
compost not firm enough; becoming too dry; not enough light. 
Watering. Do not allow plants to become dry thruout. They should never wilt. 
Water when surface appears a little dry. They are natives of regions of heavy rain fall. 
Early morning is the best time as if sun touches wet foliage it becomes discolored and 
wet foliage at night is not good. 
Best Temperature for nearly all is 60° to 70°. Those we list are tropicals. 
Streptocarpus like cool temperatures. 
Gloxinias. The valid botanical name is, “Sinningia.” Only the hybrids are of garden 
value. They are vastly different from the wild Sinningia and we do not care much for 
the forms, such as “Slipper type” that revert back to their wild prototype. The best 
Gloxinias grown in America are the product of two California firms, Antonelli and 
Vetterlee. Promotion and advertising cannot change this fact. This applies to the 
named varieties, Emperor William, etc., as these are reproduced from seed and are 
variable. The California growers have greatly improved these old varieties and they are 
far better than the imported or any other American grown tubers. 
There are great Gloxinia breeders in Europe and the variety Pointille, probably a 
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