Pandanus, whose photo is familiar to many gardeners, is a tropical inhabitant. In nature, it is found in Madagascar, Vietnam and other tropical zones of the Eastern Hemisphere.
Description
The plant has long and narrow leaves. As a rule, they are only green or have white stripes. Leaves grow in a spiral, and in several rows, so the second name of this plant is a spiral palm, or pine. But few know that pandanus has nothing to do with these plants. This is a completely different representative of the flora. Often the pandanus, whose photo resembles a dracaena, is confused with the latter. And this is not surprising, because they are very similar.
Such a beautiful tropical plant as pandanus, home care of which is quite simple, can even be grown by a beginner grower. However, many believe that it should not be kept in an apartment. And it is right. The fact is that the plant grows very quickly to very impressive sizes, and if the room is not wide or does not have high ceilings, then the owners begin to have problems. Nevertheless, today, many gardeners in the apartment still can meet a young pandanus.
Home Care
If the dimensions of the room still allow you to grow this spiral palm tree at home, then it can decorate any interior. In addition, the plant is very picky about the care.
Spiral palm (pandanus) belongs to the pandanus family. The plant grows well in warm rooms. Summer temperature should be at least twenty, and winter - at least sixteen degrees of heat. Like many home-grown flowers, the pandanus also does not like drafts, although in winter it still needs a little ventilation.
Growing Features
The light should be bright and diffused. Harmful sunlight on the pandanus. The leaves can quickly burn in this case. The best option for placing the pot would be an east or west window, but not a north window, where it might not be enough light. In the autumn and winter months, pandanus, home care for which requires certain knowledge, loves artificial lighting. For this, experienced flower growers install a light bulb at a distance of about a meter from the plant and leave it on for six to eight hours a day. It is not recommended to take a spiral palm outside. Pots standing on the windowsill must be rotated periodically to ensure uniform development.
Watering
Every two weeks, the pandanus needs to be sprayed, although experts say that it tolerates the dry air around it quite persistently and calmly. The plant feels pretty well if you periodically wipe its leaves with a damp cloth, cleaning it from dust. Accumulation of water in the sinuses must be avoided, otherwise rot may begin. And in order to prevent the drying of numerous air roots of the plant, it is better to overlay them with moistened moss.
Watering should be moderate: it will be optimal to add moisture to the pot in spring or summer every other day. Starting in the fall, you need to generally reduce it to two times a week. The soil should dry thoroughly by the next watering.
An interesting mechanism by which pandanus is watered. Home care involves abundant watering, but after a maximum of thirty minutes, all excess water is removed, because stagnation is harmful to this spiral palm. Do not use cold liquid; soft, standing water at room temperature is best suited.
Transplant and fertilizer
Pandanus needs a nutritious and slightly clayey soil. For it, you can use ready-made mixtures for palm trees. Independently, the substrate can be composed of turf and leaf soil, as well as humus and sand, taken in equal proportions. To feed the plant in the spring and summer seasons, it is better to use liquid fertilizers designed for decorative and leafy varieties. The frequency is once every fifteen days. In autumn and winter, fertilizer supply should be reduced to a month.
Young plants are recommended to be replanted once a year. But mature individuals require the implementation of this procedure approximately every two to three years. A sign of the need for transplantation is almost completely braided by roots in the pot. The roots of the pandanus are fragile, airy, so you need to do so in order not to accidentally damage them. To do this, the plant needs to be transshipped from a pot to another, while not freeing the roots from the ground.
The new flowerpot should be a third deeper. A prerequisite is good drainage at the bottom. Do not deepen the pandanus in a large pot, it is better to plant it at the same level as before. And so as not to damage the hands during transplantation, experts recommend collecting spiky leaves in a bunch.
If you need to restrain the growth of the plant a little, it is better not to touch it for several years, leaving it in the same pot. Young individuals should not be immediately placed in a large tub so that their root system does not rot as a result of undeveloped soil. Pandanus propagates by cuttings and seeds, as well as by dividing the bush.
Possible problems
Of the pests, a spiral palm can be affected by mealybugs, scale insects and spider mites. If the first type of pests appears from waterlogging of the soil, then the latter - from too dry air or insufficient moisture of the soil. Get rid of them with the help of special chemicals.
When pandanus leaves have dry brown tips, the air may become too dry. If the plant "lives" on the window above the battery, then it must be regularly moistened and sprayed. Another reason for this problem may be a lack of fertilizer.
Due to the low light, pandanus leaves may lose their color, and new ones will grow small. In turn, due to an overabundance of light, the plant may become dull in color.
Bloom
For those who like to take care of unpretentious fast-growing domestic "pets", pandanus is best suited. With age, the plant gradually takes the form of a false palm. It grows several tens of centimeters and has long, arched leaves. Its trunk is spirally twisted. The reason lies in the helical leaf scars located on it. Most species of pandanus and the edges of the leaves, and their middle vein below are covered with strong sharp spikes. This circumstance must be taken into account when buying a plant in a house where there are small children or pets.
Pandanus, the flower of which has a sweet and fragrant smell, is very pleasant and slightly reminiscent of the scent of a rose. Depending on the species, it can grow both in one meter, and in twenty centimeters. Leaves of large varieties are very heavy and durable. Small varieties, as a rule, grow slowly and have a wide visor.