Amateur gardeners know that many of their green pets come from warm tropics. The decorative plant of the Maranta tricolor belongs to such. The photo shows how unusual and attractive it is. Its flowers are small and unprepossessing, but shiny light or dark green oval-shaped leaves with contrasting colors are especially beautiful. Their upper, front side is penetrated by red veins around which spots spread (depending on the variety, they can be brown, yellow or black), and the lower part is purple. The plant reaches a height of 25-30 centimeters, its homeland is the tropics of Brazil.
The second name that Maranta has is a three-colored one - "prayer plant", she deserved it because of the leaves that rise and fold, like palms, during the night. The flower belongs to creeping species and fits perfectly into decorative compositions with other plants. It can decorate a room if placed in hanging flowerpots.
The heat-loving Maranta is three-colored, care for it is appropriate. In the room where the flower is located, a constant temperature should be kept within eighteen to twenty degrees, without sharp fluctuations. There should be no drafts in the room. The plant does not tolerate direct light, so the guest from the tropics should be placed in partial shade. Leaves may turn white in the sun.
He loves the moist peaty soil of the Maranta tricolor. At the same time, a "prayer plant" cannot be poured. The soil for the flower is made up of the following ingredients: leafy, humus and coniferous land. Charcoal, river sand and pieces of bark will be a useful addition.
It is necessary to spray it in the hot summer period. With insufficient watering, arrowroots can begin to wrap leaves. To maintain soil moisture, the pot should be placed on a pallet with expanded clay or pebbles, which should be regularly moistened. The rhizome of a green tropical pet should be covered with wet moss. In winter, watering is moderate, since at this time a period of rest begins for the flower.
Three-color ("prayer plant") needs to be fed with Maranta from the beginning of spring to October. Fertilizers need to be selected not rich in nitrogen, otherwise the leaves may acquire a more saturated green color and lose their decorative effect. Due to an overabundance of this element, diseases can also develop.
This beautiful flower can be planted by dividing the bush or cuttings. Layers should be kept in the ground, in a warm place, covered with a film, until they take root. An adult plant can reproduce with the help of "children", which are formed on aerial roots. Transplantation is carried out every year in the spring. In this case, you need to choose a new pot wider than the previous, but not deep.
Often Maranta is a tricolor ("prayer plant") affected by pests, among which a spider red tick stands out . It signals the appearance of a web, which braids a flower. Signs of activity of the scale insect are brown plaques, which cover the leaves and stems. In this case, the plant must be treated with a soapy solution or sprayed with special means from parasites.