Tips for growing strelitzia at home
Many people try to diversify the interior of their home with exotic plants. In this regard, it is becoming more and more popular to grow strelitzia at home. This is a troublesome business - an unpretentious flower, whose homeland is Africa, cannot be called. Only careful care will allow you to enjoy the extraordinary beauty of this plant.
Paradise Bird
Care features
Although the plant cannot be called too capricious, growing strelitzia at home requires special attention. For normal development it is necessary to ensure:
- Lighting... The plant is light-loving, but direct sunlight has a detrimental effect on it. The optimal location of the flower pot is on the west or east side. Diffused lighting is best tolerated by strelitzia.
- Temperature conditions. Despite its southern origin, the plant has no special heat requirements. In summer, the temperature of strelitzia should be within 26 бытьС, in autumn it is reduced to 15⁰С. In winter, the flower can withstand temperatures of 12-14⁰С. Thanks to this regime, a better formation of buds occurs, as a result, abundant flowering occurs earlier. Fresh air is important for the plant, therefore, if possible, for the summer period, it is advisable to take the pot out into the garden or on the balcony, shading from the sun.
- Watering. Abundant wetting of the substrate is required from spring to late autumn. In winter, when a state of dormancy occurs, watering is reduced. It is recommended to use soft water, settled or filtered, at room temperature or slightly warmer. Watering and moist air are essential for strelitzia. She responds positively to water procedures. In summer, the leaves are sprayed daily with a spray bottle or wiped with a wet sponge. At low air humidity in the room, water is poured into the pallet and expanded clay is added.
- Fertile soil and top dressing. The substrate for strelitzia can be used universal, or you can prepare a mixture of leaf, greenhouse soil, peat, sand with the addition of moss. A prerequisite for the soil is that it must pass air well and contain a large amount of nutrients. In addition, you will need fertilizer for strelitzia - a complex mineral, organic matter, nitrogen. They are brought in only during the period of active growth - from early spring to November. It is advisable to feed the plant 3 times a month.
When placing strelitzia in a cooler place for the winter, it is necessary to cut off all existing flower stalks.
Growing problems
The reasons for a change in the appearance of a plant are usually associated with making mistakes when caring for it. Yellowed leaves indicate a poor root system. With frequent watering, it begins to rot. Treatment is carried out using special remedies for root rot. Another reason for the appearance of yellow leaves is too low room temperature.
As a result of any violations of the rules of watering, dry leaves can be found on the plant. Excess moisture is determined by the shiny surface of the substrate in pot... With insufficient watering, it becomes covered with cracks.
Why does strelitzia not bloom
The first buds on a plant can be seen only in the fourth year of its life. If a five-year-old strelitzia does not bloom, you will have to change the mode of its maintenance. To do this, it is necessary to provide a long dormant period, during which the plant will be able to lay full buds. From November to March, the temperature is lowered to 14 ° C, reducing the number of waterings. A dormant period can be created for a plant at any time, thanks to which the flowering of strelitzia turns out to be timed to a certain family celebration.
The juice contained in the leaves of strelitzia is poisonous. It is better to place the pot with the plant out of the reach of children and pets.
Cultivating strelitzia at home will require some skill and patience. A plant that receives a sufficient amount of light, heat and moisture will thank it with extraordinary beauty, decorating the interior of the apartment with bright, fabulous flowers.