We grow variegated aglaonema at home: features of planting
Aglaonema is a member of the Aroid family. This plant belongs to decorative-deciduous and has very beautiful large leaves, which is why it is widely used for growing in offices and private homes. Under natural conditions, the leaves of aglaonema have a uniform color - they are painted in a rich green color. At home, variegated varieties with a pattern on the leaves are more common.
Aglonema reproduces very well by layering. Over time, children are formed near an adult bush. When they grow up and form their own root system, they are separated from the mother plant and transplanted into a separate pot, thus obtaining a new bush.
What kind of pot does Aglaonema need?
For planting aglaonema it is better to use shallow bowls, since the roots do not grow deep in it.
If you don't have such a flowerpot at hand, you can take an ordinary pot, but you need to pour a good drainage layer into it, filling at least 1/3 of the height of the container.
This will significantly reduce the volume of the flowerpot: there will be no excess soil in the pot, and the water will pass well through the drainage, which will eliminate the risk of root rot. In addition, a small pot should be used for a young plant. In a spacious flowerpot, aglaonema will not be able to master all the soil, it will grow poorly and may hurt.
What kind of earth does a flower like?
Aglaonema loves light and nutritious leafy soil, it is difficult for her to form children in solid soil. To grow a flower, you can use two soil options:
- A mixture of store substrates: for decorative foliage plants and for orchids. The first soil mixture is too loose and tends to cake, which is not very good for aglaonema. But if you dilute it with the same amount of substrate for orchids, you get the best version of soil for aroids.
- For those gardeners who prefer to prepare the soil mixture themselves, it is necessary to prepare and mix in equal parts humus and leafy soil, add about a third of river sand, as well as a little charcoal and bark.
How to plant?
If the young plant has managed to grow long roots, it is not necessary to cut them off, but it is better to carefully lay and spread them in a pot, sprinkling with earth. Because of this, sometimes the aglaonema has to be positioned at the very edge of the flowerpot so that there is a place for laying the roots, but there is nothing wrong with that.
When planting an aglaonema, it should be remembered that its roots are very fragile, so you should not compact the soil around the bush too much so as not to break them.
How much light does a flower need?
Like all aroids, aglaonema does not tolerate direct sunlight, although it is this plant, among all the other members of the family, that needs brighter illumination. This is due to the fact that the leaf plate of the plant has a lighter pattern, and all variegated varieties are known to require more light than flowers with pure green leaves.