Learning to care for gentle achimenes at home
We offer you to get acquainted with the indoor flower achimenes, which enchants with long lush flowering. The plant is used as an ampelous or bush plant, depending on the variety. Achimenes care is simple, but there are features. The very name of the flower translates as "afraid of the cold", it is cold already at 20 0 heat. There are other subtleties in caring for a handsome man. However, the extraordinary decorativeness of the flower is mesmerizing, and at home they promise to create all conditions for the achimenes, to pamper him with love and care.
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Origin and main features of the plant
Low bushes of achimenes, depending on the variety, grow from 30 to 60 cm.The leaves of the plant are dark green, shiny, pubescent and toothed at the edges. The flowers are funnel-shaped, with a calyx with a long-tube crown. They come in up to 5 cm in diameter, in different colors and borders. During the flowering period, the leaves are almost invisible under the carpet of flowers, which are not open for long, but are constantly being replaced by new buds.
Achimenes has a superficial root system. During the summer season, nutrients accumulate in tubers, rhizomes. Each scale of such a cone is ready for reproduction in the spring. With the end of the growing season, the stems dry out, the plant retires until spring, care for it during this period is minimal.
Achimenes home care
Subject to the conditions of maintenance, the plant quickly grows green twigs from spring and enters flowering, which lasts up to 4 months. A beautiful flower can come out of the bosom of each leaf, and more than one. In order not to disturb the beauty, the faded corollas must be removed immediately, leaving several pieces on the seeds. The seeds ripen for about two months.
You can purchase any indoor plant if it is possible to create conditions for its development. Color requirements are sometimes exactly the opposite. To create a composition, you need to select plants with similar care conditions.
In order for the plant to be comfortable, a number of rules must be observed:
- summer and winter temperature of the content;
- lighting conditions;
- air humidity, irrigation regime;
- the composition of the substrate and the container for planting;
- feeding and transplanting;
- protection from pests and diseases;
- special conditions of detention.
Admire the riot of beauty in the Ahimenes video, and caring for the plant does not seem onerous. Summer temperature for the plant should be kept 20-24 0, in winter, a dark cool corner is enough from 13-15 0.
Young plants that have not yet begun to bloom can even be placed on the south window, shading with a light curtain. But the developed plants must be removed from direct rays to the east, west window or into the back of the room. In any case, there should be enough light. The signal of poor lighting will be stretching of the stems, their exposure, and a decrease in the size of both leaves and flowers. We need to find a middle ground. If there is an opportunity to create shade on the balcony or veranda, then the plants will be comfortable.
The value of humidity is high.The plant likes regular plentiful watering, but without stagnant water at the bottom of the pot. But even more it needs a microclimate, humidity of about 60%. Do not wet leaves and flowers with a fine spray when caring for achimenes. A misty cloud is created near, but not over the plant. When droplets hit the flower, black dots appear. The aquarium will help out. You can put a pallet with moss and expanded clay, a humidifier nearby, or you can do it as shown in the photo. At home, achimenes in the summer suffer from dry air. The higher the temperature in the room, the more humidity is required.
A plant of intensive growth and flowering requires special nutrition. In winter, the plant does not grow, in early spring it is transplanted into a fresh substrate. Achimenes are transplanted at home annually, but for better development and flowering during the period of weight gain, the transfer is done twice in the spring.
The composition of the soil is selected nutritious:
- sod land - 2 volumes;
- leaf humus - 3 volumes;
- sand - 1 volume.
The soil is suitable for him violets, or a composition of equal parts perlite, vermiculite and biohumus.
Dishes for achimenes should be shallow and wide, since the roots of the flower are superficial and the rhizomes come out. Therefore, it is a good idea to cover the top of the pot with mulch made of moss or similar material.
You can feed the plant after the start of the growing season no earlier than a month later, with good growth, after two. You need to use a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants every two weeks.
In the fall, the plant retires, discards foliage, twigs dry up. As the ground part disappears, food passes into the root system, where it actively accumulates in the nodules. Therefore, it is important to let the plant collect food, prepare and then prune the achimenes. By this act, the plant is completely freed from the ground part and goes to rest.
Since the rhizomes are located in the surface layer of the soil, the plant cannot be overdried or frozen. The place of rest of the flower in winter is chosen cool, 13-15 degrees. How to preserve the root system of achimenes in winter and what to do with it? Find a secluded corner in an apartment with blackout and place a flower there. At times, you need to check the condition of the earth clod, not allowing it to dry out. In February, with a noticeable lengthening of the day, the plant is taken out, transplanted into a new substrate, if necessary, propagated and set in the light to resume life. At the same time, starting from a poor one, they constantly increase watering, awakening the kidneys.
Caring for achimenes involves a careful examination for the settlement of pests. The plant can be populated by common pests of indoor plants - aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. In this case, insecticide treatment is inevitable. If the conditions of detention are not followed, the flower can be infected with gray rot or other fungal diseases, which are treated with copper solutions, fungicides. Subject to agricultural technology, achimenes rarely get sick at home.
A florist should alert:
- the appearance of spots on the leaves - watered with cold water or the plant is standing in a draft;
- leaves turned yellow - hard water not settled, not enough nitrogen fertilizers;
- buds turn brown and dry - dry air in the room, the plant is hot.
It is not difficult to grow a flower at home. It is enough to give it a little attention. As a reward, he will present all summer with a living bouquet, pride in his ability to grow such beauty at home.