Any interior is boring without living room flowers. It is they who give the home coziness and beauty. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to create a winter garden at home. It happens that you bring a gorgeous flower from the store, you caress it, cherish it, but it either does not grow at all, or dies after some time. And the thing is that not everyone has the art of a gardener. One flower needs abundant watering, another, on the contrary, is contraindicated; humidity is not suitable for one, lighting for another.
In general, it is difficult to grow indoor plants. And if you relate specifically to the so-called “flower lucky people”, then you should start your acquaintance with such a flower as an aspidistra, which is easy to care for at home. And this is easy to see.
Indoor Aspidistra Flower or Japanese Lily of the Valley
This plant belongs to the lily family. And the homeland is the Himalayas and Japan. Four species of this flower grow in the wild, but only Elatior aspidistra flowers, which grow in China, are used in home cultivation. The plant has oblong leaves up to forty centimeters in length. An aspidistra blooms extremely rarely and only in the summer. This plant has several more names: “mother-in-law's tongue” - this name was given to the flower because of the shape of the leaves, “friendly family” - because of the numerous leaves, but the name “iron flower” of the aspidistra is more suitable. And all because the plant is so unpretentious that it will bloom and delight the eye of any, the most inattentive housewife.
Iron Aspidistra: Home Care
If you forget to water the flowers all the time, you have little light in the room, and the temperature regime is not stable, then your flower is an aspidistra. Care for it will be minimal. The plant develops better in dried soil than in waterlogged soil. In summer, watering should be done once a week, but in winter - once every two weeks. He does not like the aspidistra of sunlight, they can leave burns on the leaves. The flower feels more comfortable in the shaded area of the room. Therefore, with this plant you can decorate the bathroom. Even drafts are not a problem for him. In the summer, you can take the flower to the terrace or balcony, or you can plant it in the ground during the summer season, you just have to take care of the shady place. In order to achieve lush vegetation, feed the plant with any nitrogen fertilizer for indoor flowers, but not more than once a week. Aspidistra does not like plentiful food.
Plant transplant
For a year, the flower gives an increase of 4-5 leaves. The root system is very well developed. And about once every three years the plant should be transplanted. To do this, take the pot twice as large as the root system. To reduce stress for the aspidistra flower, do not shake the ground from its roots when transplanting. So the flower will be easier to take root in a new place. Before planting the plant in a new pot, prepare the soil mixture: take in a 1: 1 ratio garden sandy soil and soil mix from the store.
Aspidistra flower transplant
Home care is not complete without planting the plant. How does the beloved flower propagate? And it propagates by cuttings. Cut a large flower into small portions - four to five leaves. Sprinkle the slices with activated charcoal so that infection does not occur. In the first days after the cuttings, try not to dry the soil, otherwise the young plant will not take root well.
Problematic moments and pests aspidistra
And although the flower stoically endures any ups and downs, some problems can still arise with it. If small cracks appear on the leaves, then this indicates that too much fertilizer is being applied to the soil. The solution to the problem is to stop feeding until the flower is restored, and subsequently make it in smaller quantities. Also, if you use a special solution to induce glossy gloss, spots may appear on the leaves. It is recommended to wipe the plant with a damp cloth. Pests can also bring troubles: a spider mite, a mealybug, a scab. To get rid of this misfortune, spray the flower with a special solution that you can buy at any gardening store, after consulting with the seller.
Some nuances of growing aspidistra flower
Home care, if correct, will allow you to grow a flower with leaves up to seventy centimeters long. And yet, depending on the size of the pot and the amount of fertilizing, you can achieve a variegated color of the plant. With good care, a flower can please you with its beauty. Try to make yourself such a "green pet", and he will become your favorite. After all, even with not too careful care, the plant always looks very elegant.