Anthurium Andre is a beautiful houseplant, a favorite of many flower growers, emphasizing the harmony of the decoration of the home, introducing a touch of comfort, natural freshness and bright colors into the home interior. In the natural environment, the representative of the aroid family is found in the tropical zone of South and Central America.
Anthurium flower is a symbol of courage, freedom, passion and is popularly called "male happiness." This type of anthurium got its name in 1877 in honor of the famous French naturalist and botanist Eduard Andre, with the light hand of the Belgian scientist J. Linden.
Beautiful legend of anthurium flower
An interesting story is the origin of this beautiful flower, which supposedly turned a young beautiful girl. This story happened in ancient times, when people existed as tribes, one of which was headed by a cruel bloodthirsty leader. He planned to marry a 15-year-old girl - a resident of a neighboring tribe. But the imperious ruler did not come to the liking of the young beauty, and she refused him. In order to revenge, the leader attacked the village where the girl lived, and took her by force. The bride could not come to terms with life without near and dear people, with a cruel ruler, and threw herself into a fire, divorced in honor of the wedding. Before she could touch the fire, the merciful gods turned the unfortunate creature into a graceful red anthurium flower , and the village into a tropical impenetrable forest. Colombian residents believe that it is the red anthurium that brings prosperity and happiness to the family, therefore couples who marry decorate their homes with these flowers and keep them in wedding chambers for a month. Therefore, the symbol of a honeymoon is considered anthurium.
A photo of flowers conveys the variety of varieties of this beautiful and sought-after plant.
Description of Anthurium Andre
Externally, Anthurium Andre, home care for which is not particularly difficult, is large enough and reaches a height of 70-90 cm. It is characterized by a shortened stem with many roots, including air. With good care, a pet will enjoy flowering all year round, its palette is very diverse and attractive: orange, greenish, white, purple, pink, yellow. Breeders even bred varieties with two-tone and almost black bracts - an integral part of the flower. The bracts of Andre's anthurium are heart-shaped, often vesicular, with distinct veins on the surface.
An inflorescence is an ear (the second part of the flower), most often white or yellow, its approximate length is 15 centimeters. The leaves of a homely handsome man are quite large (about 30 cm), bright green in color, shiny, with a distinct heart-shaped base. They grow on long petioles, which are almost perpendicular to the leaf blades.
Proper lighting is the key to the successful growth of anthurium
The key to the successful growth and flowering of Anthurium Andre is its location: it is important for the plant to provide diffused light or light partial shade; most suitable eastern, western and northern windows. The lack of lighting should be made up artificially using phytolamps.
The most comfortable temperature for Anthurium Andre is 22-25 ° C of heat, at +18 ° C and below the flower stops growing. In winter, it is recommended to keep anthurium in a cool place, not allowing placement nearby with heating appliances.
Features of watering
Anthurium Andre loves regular plentiful watering, but no frills: the upper soil layer needs to be given time to dry. Excess moisture can cause rhizome decay, and its lack is the lack of flowering and wilting of leaves. The optimum mode of soil moisture is once every 4 days, irrigation water should be soft, at room temperature. In winter, the moisture supply must be reduced to once a week, while not allowing the drying of an earthen coma. An important factor in the successful development of the plant is high air humidity: 85-95%. To ensure it, it is recommended to install an air humidifier near the container with the plant or spray air around the anthurium from the spray gun twice a day. Moreover, the ingress of water on the leaves is undesirable, since they will leave a white calcareous coating. And this will spoil the appearance of such a beautiful indoor plant as anthurium.
A photo of flowers conveys all the beauty of a tropical guest who has taken root in new conditions for him.
Cut Anthurium
For bouquets, the flowers of the pet are cut off with an open flower cover, when the ear is in the stamen stage (that is, covered with pollen), and the upper part of the peduncle is strong and solid. Flowers cut at the time of opening of the anthurium remain fresh for about 5 weeks, if earlier, then they fade within a few days.
Plant nutrition is carried out with fertilizers for orchids or universal mineral and nitrogen-containing preparations every 2-3 weeks, it is especially important to conduct it before flowering. In winter, the plant needs to give rest.
How to transplant anthurium
Young plants are transplanted every spring, in a container of a larger diameter. Adult specimens are transplanted at a time when the plant already becomes crowded in the old pot. The soil for anthurium should be light, nutritious, provide air access to the roots; most suitable composition for orchids or bromeliads. Independently soil for anthurium can be prepared from peat, leaf and coniferous land. To maintain moisture on top, it is recommended to put sphagnum moss.
Breeding
Anthurium Andre propagates by lateral offspring, by dividing the overgrown bush, apical cuttings and seeds - a method that is quite laborious and not particularly loved by flower growers. Sowing is required to be done 3-5 days after collecting the seed material, which can be obtained by pollination of flowers with a brush in the first days of flowering. Then you should wait for the formation and ripening of berries that form on the cob. Crops are recommended to be kept at a temperature of +22 ° C. The emergence of seedlings occurs within two weeks. After 1.5 months, seedlings in the phase of this leaf require picking. With the advent of 5-6 leaves, young plants can be planted in separate pots. Anthuriums grown from seeds will please flowering only in the third year.
The easiest way is reproduction by the lateral processes. This procedure is often performed during transplantation. Division is required to be done with a sharp-edged knife, and the places of cuts must be powdered with powdered coal. After landing, the young anthurium must be watered. A piece of stem with an aerial spine and leaf takes root fairly quickly.
Planting is required in small containers with a good drainage layer (1/4 of the volume of the landing tank). It is recommended to make small holes for the air flow in the walls of the pot.
Diseases and Pests
Of the pests, anthurium is most affected by scale insects and ticks. Sucking out cell sap, they contribute to the drying out and falling of leaves. It is quite difficult to get rid of such pests, therefore it is recommended to apply preventive measures by regularly rinsing the plant under a warm shower and wiping the leaf plates with a soapy sponge. Then the anthurium should be treated with 0.15% of the composition of the drug "Actellik" (in a liter of water you need to dilute 1.5 ml). Another scourge of Anthurium Andre is mealybugs that inhabit all the aerial parts of the plant. In this case, the processing of “Karbofos” will help.
Anthurium Andre is often affected by stem and root rot, due to low temperature and waterlogging of the soil. Sometimes the plant may suffer from anthracnose: the edges of the leaf blades dry out, and the pet gradually dies. Damaged leaves must be removed and the plant treated several times with 0.2% Fundazole solution, or 0.5% with Copper Chloride. It is quite difficult to deal with such a disease, so it is better not to prevent its occurrence by taking preventive measures. The excess of calcium in the soil will be indicated by curl of leaves, blackening of their tips.
The enemies of Anthurium Andre are downy mildew and rust, most often provoked by contact with infected plants or transmission through the soil.
Anthurium Andre: varieties
- Arizona. Bright red leafy bract with pronounced veins and yellow-green ears.
- Anthurium Andre Champion. It is characterized by a yellow-pink ear and white, with slightly pink veins "bedspread".
- Florida The sheet “bedspread” is characterized by playing shades: from red to yellow, and then to green. Greenish, white, yellow cobs.
- Polaris The bract leaf is green, gradually changes in color to white, the cob is pinkish.
- Minnesota. Yellow-white ear and salmon-colored bedspread.
- Acropolis Anthurium Andre is white, with dark green, fairly large leaves and a bright yellow ears.
- Lunette. Hot pink cob and pink-red leafy bract;
- Otazu. Anthurium Andre red.
- Casino It is characterized by bright yellow leaf bract and red-green cob.
- Sensa. The "cover" is lilac, elongated with a dark purple ear.
- Kuba. The white-green “veil” contrasts brightly with the ear of a yellow-green color.
Anthurium Andre (a mix of varieties and shades) is widely used by florists to create beautiful bouquet compositions.
Moreover, not only the flowers of the plant are used, but also its leaves: juicy green and expressive.