Systematic care for a reo flower at home
Fans of indoor greenery will appreciate this stylish plant with purple foliage. Caring for a reo flower at home is very simple. It is often used to decorate offices and residential premises. The unpretentiousness of the culture is compared with the sansevier and cacti. And its appearance resembles an exquisite dracaena. To grow a reo flower on your windowsill, you first need to get to know it. Find out what plant varieties exist. How it is transplanted and propagated at home. The answers received will help you boldly get to work.
External splendor of culture
The culture belongs to the Kommelinovye family and is considered a close relative of the zebrin and tradescantia.
The homeland is the southern part of North America, as well as the African continent, where the flower is found:
- on the shores of lakes and rivers;
- on the edges of humid forests;
- on rocky mountain slopes.
The basis of the reo is a straight shoot of a shortened character. Dense lateral processes and xiphoid foliage emerge from it, 25 to 30 cm long and about 7 cm wide. It is painted in 2 colors. The upper part of the plate is green, and the back is purple or reddish. Some variegated varieties are decorated with longitudinal stripes of white, yellow or pinkish color. Red and orange plates make the rheo flower truly beautiful.
At the base of the foliage, a miniature boat of a greenish or purple hue periodically appears. Inside there are small snow-white buds. They are arranged on graceful short petioles and framed by an exquisite purple "veil". For such an original beauty, the indoor flower with purple leaves below and delicate buds in a boat is called the "Rook of Moses". Flowering occurs regardless of the season. Rheo is generally grown for its decorative foliage.
For the home interior, breeders have developed original varieties. The most popular are:
- "Spathacea Vittata";
- "Stripe in Pink";
- Hawaiian Dwarf;
- Vitatta;
- Sitara Gold.
Each variety is distinguished by the color of the foliage. For some, it is green-pink. Others boast white and green stripes interspersed with pink dotted lines. Some are embellished with yellow veins.
Over time, the reo root leaf plates dry up, turning the plant into a miniature palm tree.
Consistent care of a reo flower at home
The modern pace of life makes many people give up their hobby. Traffic jams, total immersion in work and instability in the world cause constant stress. However, indoor flowers help to recuperate after a busy day. They also bring lasting joy to their fans. Fortunately, caring for a reo flower at home requires a minimum of effort and time. We will consistently analyze what its secret is.
A comfortable place in the sun
Although indoor plants live under a roof, that doesn't mean they don't need enough light. In nature, rheo grows in humid forests. Therefore, it is constantly under the protection of majestic trees.Thanks to this, the flower receives diffused light.
Given this moment, it becomes clear that it is better to place the indoor culture away from direct rays of the sun. However, there should be enough light for the successful development of rheo. It is best to "settle" the flower on the east or west window. Residents of apartment buildings can take it out on a balcony or loggia, directed to the north, in the warm season.
Lack of lighting often leads to a loss of decorative color of the leaf plates.
Temperature conditions and humidity levels
Routine home care for rheo includes maintaining a suitable microclimate. Although the tropics are considered the homeland of the culture, + 25 ° C is considered the ideal temperature for its development. In winter, allowed between 18 ° C and 20 ° C. If the "Moses' Boat" is located on a veranda or balcony, the temperature must not be allowed to drop to + 12 ° C. The first sign of an uncomfortable existence is the lowered leaf plates of the plant.
To provide the flower with an optimal moisture level, it is regularly sprayed with a spray bottle. For business use boiled water at room temperature. The procedure is carried out 2 times a week.
Expanded clay, located on a pallet, will help regulate the level of humidity. It is advisable to moisturize it periodically.
Top dressing and competent watering
Fertilize indoor culture 2 times a month. The most commonly used substances are:
- "Zdraven";
- "Good Power";
- Agricola Aqua.
Mineral dressing begins in May, and completely stops in mid-November. In winter, the plant is dormant. Despite this, it looks quite presentable.
Florists have noticed that the tropical rheo flower does not like moisture stagnation. When planting a culture in a container, its bottom is filled with drainage material. It should be at least 4 cm. Water the plant as the soil surface dries. Abundant irrigation begins in mid-spring. In autumn and winter, the amount of moisture is significantly reduced. For the procedure, use a settled liquid or a liquid passed through a filter.
It is advisable to keep containers with reo away from heating sources. Hot air causes the soil surface to dry out quickly.
Formation of a stylish "crown"
The uncontrolled growth of a flower destroys its decorative effect. Too long shoots are constantly stretched. As a result, the main stem is exposed. We will learn how to pinch a rheo to get a beautiful and stylish crown. There is a simple scheme. The procedure is performed in early spring, when the plant begins to develop intensively. The branches are cut off just below the main growth point. Due to this, lateral shoots are actively developing. They turn the flower into a lush grassy bush.
Reproduction methods
To create an original home interior, flower lovers use group planting of indoor crops. The same flowers look especially stylish, displayed in a row. Consider the most affordable ways to breed rheo at home.
We use ready-made cuttings
This method, which is considered the easiest, will help to get young plants. The main thing is to find shoots on the culture. Usually "babies" are formed in the root zone after the pinching procedure. They are carefully cut. Placed in a container with water diluted with a root growth stimulant. When the roots appear, the cutting is transferred to a pot with fertile soil. Water abundantly. After a few days, the plant gains strength and develops rapidly.
Dividing the bush
The breeding option is used with a planned rheo transplant into a larger pot.
The work is performed according to the following scheme:
- a container with a flower is poured abundantly with water;
- carefully extract the culture along with the earthen clod;
- gently shake off the soil;
- cut off a part of the plant along with the roots.
The resulting specimens are immediately transplanted into prepared pots filled with fresh substrate.All procedures are performed very carefully so that the plant successfully adapts to the new habitat.
Lossless pruning of shoots
During the formation of the "crown" of the bush, a lot of planting material appears at hand.
The procedure for reproduction of rheo with apical cuttings is performed as follows:
- cut off the "tops" with a sharp knife or blade;
- the resulting wounds are treated with activated carbon, crushed into powder;
- the cuttings are placed in a vessel with water;
- leave in a warm, well-lit room.
After the roots appear, medium-sized containers are prepared. They are filled with a substrate that is purchased in specialized stores. If it is taken from the garden, then a little sand is added to it. Rooted apical cuttings are buried in the ground. The root area is lightly tamped and watered abundantly.
Reproduction is best done in the spring, when the plant enters an active phase of development.
The fun process of seed propagation
Fans of indoor green spaces love to grow all kinds of crops with their own hands. From this they get joy and satisfaction. Consider the procedure for reproduction of reo seeds, which can be carried out at any time of the year. The first step is to collect the seeds. After white buds appear in the boat, the flower growers patiently wait until they are completely dry. Then, planting material is removed from them.
Fertile substrate is poured into wide containers. Seeds are sown, lightly sprinkled with soil and moistened with a spray bottle. After a while, sprouts will appear on the surface. When they get stronger and take root, they are transplanted into individual pots.
Caring for a reo flower at home helps to create gorgeous live compositions. Timely watering, feeding and pruning stimulates the active growth of the culture. If desired, it is propagated in at least three ways. A self-grown "garden" on the windowsill will delight us all year round.