Castanospermum chestnut natural habitats are the moist forests of the eastern coast of Australia, where the plant is called the Moreton Coast chestnut or black beans.
Today they plant indoor chestnut, which is very demanding of the conditions of detention. The plant needs an abundance of light, high temperatures throughout the year and not very dry air. On the windowsill, a southern variety of chestnut is grown, which is the only representative of the genus Castanospermum.
The plant belongs to the legume family and in natural conditions reaches a height of twenty meters. At home, indoor chestnut has a more modest size and, unfortunately, does not bloom. There is no opportunity to admire the beautiful red-orange flowers of a huge size, collected in long inflorescences, which for six months stand out against the backdrop of evergreen foliage. Chestnut flowering begins in November, the length of the buds reaches four centimeters, pollination is carried out only by birds and bats. In May, the pods ripen, which contain 3-5 beans. Each weighs about thirty grams.
Be that as it may, chestnut - an indoor plant is also beautiful and exotic. The plant requires special care. The room should maintain a temperature of at least 18 degrees, and the optimum temperature should be 23-24C. Castanospermum must be kept in openwork partial shade, it does not tolerate direct sun, whose rays leave burns on the leaves - scars. Watering the plant should be settled water at home temperature, which should not be present in excess in the pot.
In winter , chestnut leaves must be sprayed with settled warm soft water. Do not place the plant close to heating batteries. On hot summer days, you also need to spray the indoor chestnut more often, leaving the tree to dry away from the sun.
The soil for the flower should be loose and air-, moisture-permeable. It is prepared from equal parts of sheet, compost, sod land and coarse granular sand. Lumps of clay, pieces of crushed coal and brick chips can also be added to the substrate.
Since castanospermum is a plant with a developed root system, the capacity for planting will need a deep and stable one. Indoor chestnuts begin to feed in early spring with organic matter once a week and continue until late autumn.
Reproduction is carried out by beans, which are sold in floriculture centers. Before planting, the seeds must be held for 24 hours in warm water, and then lowered into the ground. Sprouts appear at a temperature of 18 degrees.
So that the seeds do not die, you can not plant them very deeply. Without access to air in wet soil, they quickly rot.
To plant a plant, you need a medium-sized pot in which the future pet will live for a year. It is necessary to pour seedlings into the pot mixed in equal parts with perlite and peat. Beans should be placed on the surface of the soil, not forgetting to moisten it regularly, and sprinkle crushed charcoal next to the seeds . Care must be taken to ensure that the seeds are not moldy. If the chestnut does not wrinkle, does not become moldy and does not germinate, it is worth soaking it in a solution of epin. It is necessary to stock up on patience, since the process of the appearance of sprouts can last months.
If you managed to get fresh beans, then indoor flowers – chestnuts should shoot in two months. After the first leaves appear, it is necessary to begin top dressing. After the full return of all nutrients by the cotyledons, they frown and disappear. This is a signal to start transplanting a young plant. Until the "chestnut" falls off, the plant is forbidden to transplant, otherwise it will die.