The godson (Senezio) - refers to the family Astrovidae (Compositae). The largest in numbers, number up to 3,000 species. It is presented in the form of annual, perennial shrubs, herbaceous plants, trees. It is found on different continents, in the tropics, the Mediterranean, Asia, North and South America. They call it Kleinia.
Description
The godson has straight, drooping stems, pubescent or smooth. Sheet plates in the form of an ellipse, ball, oval. There are lobed, cirrus, whole-edge. Combines the type of inflorescence - baskets, which are located singly or with a brush. Their color is very different: yellow, orange, red, purple, violet, blue. The plant is grown on flowerbeds, indoors.
Crossing Rowley, common, large-lingual and other species
| View | Description | Leaves | Flowers |
| Rooted | Rooting - perennial, its creeping stems, branched, long up to 50 cm, takes root quickly. Grown in pots, hanging flower pots and in the garden. | Glossy, located one at a time, alternating with each other up to 3 cm in length and 1 cm thick, pointed. Their color is grayish-green, along which dark lines pass. | The peduncle is long; white petals bloom on it at the end of winter or early spring. |
| Rowley (pearl string) | The most original succulent, prefers patches in the shade. Looks beautiful in hanging flowerpots. | Reminiscent of peas with a diameter of 6 mm, densely located on drooping, thin, flexible shoots. | Small, white, with the smell of cinnamon. |
| Gerreina | It is distinguished by yellow stems, fleshy up to 60 cm long. | Large, elongated, bluish-green in the form of beads. They are located at the same distance from each other. | White, with a pleasant aroma, rarely appear. |
| Clove | Weakly branched, creeping, rounded stems. | Up to 2 cm long, thick, with a spur on top. Covered with stripes. | White, formed from small inflorescences-baskets. |
| Lemon-shaped | Short, erect, lays over time. | Oval, pointed, covered with a gray-green waxy coating, transparent veins on them resemble the fruits of a lemon. | In late summer, blooms yellow. |
| Creeping | Bushes of stunted succulents with thickened stems, easily rooted. Drought-resistant, unpretentious. | Linear-lanceolate, thick, cylinder-shaped, pointed. Their shades are bluish-gray, blue-green. | Small, white. |
| Haworth | The stems are straight, single, weakly branched, smooth. He does not like excess moisture. | Grayish-gray, covered with fluff, cylindrical, narrowed at the end. They grow along the stem in a spiral. | Spherical, orange color. |
| Large-lingual | Perennial succulent. The stems are thickened, slightly branched. Good for indoor cultivation. | Pointed, fleshy, in a brilliant wax coating. There are greens with red veins, variegated with a yellow-white pattern. | Pale yellow, like a camomile. |
| Common (Golden) | Erect, branched. Grows like a weed. | Oblong, scapular, long, serrated. | Tubular, yellow. |
| Flat leaf | Medicinal herb with a direct bare stalk. | Large, heart-shaped at the base, dark green, with a margin. | In the form of a tube with a yellow whisk. |
| Stapeliform | Grassy succulent, a two-centimeter thick trunk, 20 cm high, branched at the base, covered with small spikes from above. | Scaly green-gray, almost invisible | Red, orange. |
| Klein | Tree shrub of three meters height. The stem is brown, thick, erect, up to 40 cm long, branches out from above. | Located on the crown, long, pointed, up to 15 cm long and up to 2 cm wide, gray, blue, green. | Thyroid, small, yellow. |
| Ash Cineraria | Annual shrub up to 60 cm. | Dissected, covered with a touch of ash color, under it they are emerald | Small petals of golden color. |
| Bloody | A pot plant, blooms beautifully, resembles a violet, but larger. | Toothed, large, soft. The back side is purple | Different shades: violet, blue, red. |
Care for the godson at home
It is not difficult to take care of a flower at home.
| Parameters | Spring Summer | Autumn winter |
| Location | Diffused light, western and eastern window sills. Shade in bright sunshine. | Extra daylight with backlight. |
| Temperature | During the growing season + 20 ... 26 ° С. | + 12 ... 16 ° С. |
| Humidity | It does not matter, does not need spraying. | |
| Watering | Twice a week with rain, soft water, preventing stagnation. | Once every 3 weeks. |
| Top dressing | Twice a month a composition for cacti. | Need not. |
Landing and transplanting, soil
Transplantation to young specimens is required every spring, for adults every 3-4 years by transplantation. The pot is picked up a little more than the previous one.
They buy soil for succulents or make it themselves from sheet soil, humus, peat and coarse sand, perlite in equal quantities. Drainage is laid at the bottom. Pruning is not done, only pinch.
Breeding
The plant is propagated by cuttings, layering, less often by seeds, the procedure is carried out in spring or early summer:
- Cuttings - cut the stem to 7 cm, the lower leaves are removed. Dry in the air, prepare a small dish with sand, deepen the cuttings, place in a warm, bright place. Watered every two days. After rooting, they are transplanted after two weeks.
- Layers - healthy, long stems are dug up, not pruning into prepared soil. A week later, when the roots appear, cut and transplanted.
- Seeding is a rare method of propagation. Sow germinated seeds in a small container. The mixture is prepared from turf, sheet soil and sand, moistened. Cover with a film. Dive when sprouts appear in the cotyledon phase.
Growing problems
The godson is rarely exposed to diseases and pests. Beginning flower growers make mistakes, because of which difficulties arise.
| Leaf manifestation | Cause | Remedy |
| Dry, fall off, become brown. | Hot and dry air, moisture deficiency. | Water more plentifully, moisten the room. |
| Brown, dry spots on top. | Direct, sunburn. | Rearrange the flower pot or shade from the bright sun. |
| Yellow, brown spots. | Stagnant water, excess moisture, cold water. | Water at room temperature only after the soil has completely dried. |
| Small, elongated, lose their color. | Lack of light. | Rearrange or illuminate artificially. |
| Turn yellow, buds do not develop. | Aphid. | Treat with insecticides. |
| Brown, the web is visible from the inside. | Spider mite. | For prevention, maintain high humidity and treat with Actellic. |
| Cotton lumps are visible. | Mealybug. | Spray with soapy water or Karbofos. |
| White coating. | Powdery Mildew | Remove the affected leaves, treat with Fundazol. |
| Spots with a light gray fluffy coating. | Gray rot. | Trim off diseased parts. Treat with copper sulphate and prevent overflow, light deficit, low temperature. |
Mr. Summer resident recommends: medicinal properties and contraindications
Most varieties of the godson have healing properties. Thanks to the beneficial substances that make up the plant, it acts as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticonvulsant. Also, some species accelerate wound healing, act as an anthelmintic, suppress asthma attacks, help with hypertension, cholecystitis, colitis, and stomach ulcers.
It is forbidden to use the godson to people suffering from glaucoma, circulatory disorders, pathology of the liver, kidneys. Pregnant and lactating do not recommend the godson, since it is poisonous.
The plant is harvested in summer using roots, stems, leaves, flowers. All parts dry well. They are stored for two years in boxes, bags.
