This beautiful tropical flower, which has the mysterious name “fiery tongue” for its bright scarlet color and shape, has gained great popularity in recent years. Effective flowering can only be achieved with proper care of anthurium at home and creating a favorable climate for it in the apartment.
Botanical Description
The flower Anthurium (Latin Anthurium) in the wild can be found in countries of the American continent with a tropical climate: in the southern and central regions. According to the classification, it belongs to the perennials of the aroid family, which has more than 500 species. Among them there are grassy plants growing among the rocks or directly on the trees.
Anthurium when leaving at home (photo below) requires the creation of a favorable climate in the room, close to natural.
All the various types of anthurium are united by the same structure of flowers. The official name Anthurium is translated from Greek as anthos (flower) and oura (tail), which is given for the shape of small flowers gathered in a narrow dense ear surrounded by a bright "veil" bract. It is it that is a bright decoration of anthurium, which, after flowering, turns into a regular green leaf.
The color of the bedspread varies from white, yellow to shades of red and even black. The shape of the leaves is petiolate, but there are species that differ in a variety of sizes and colors: whole, openwork or carved.
All aroid plants are poisonous, because flowers contain the substance oxalate, which when ingested by the human body can cause laryngeal edema. Therefore, all manipulations during transplantation or care must be performed with gloves.
Interesting flower names
According to Feng Shui, the anthurium in the house increases family wealth and career success, it is also considered a home esoteric who senses the owners biofield and increases their susceptibility to positive emotions and happiness.
Anthurium has many names:
- romantic - “flamingo flower” - for the elegance of inflorescences resembling graceful beautiful birds in shape;
- "Tailwood" - for the original shape of leaves and flowers;
- “Flower of passion” - for maintaining love and harmony between spouses in the house;
- he received the popular name “male happiness” for the tradition of giving it to representatives of the strong half of humanity, which adds courage, success in work and personal life, and also increases their sexual capabilities.
Varieties of "flamingo flower"
All varieties of Anthuriums are divided into 3 main varieties:
- flowering, decorated with bright exotic flowers;
- green leaves and variegated, which are valued precisely for the beauty of the leaves.
Many types of anthuriums can be grown only in greenhouses, and their maintenance in the room is difficult.
Among the whole variety of varieties of anthurium for growing and caring at home, only a few are suitable:
- Andre (Andreanum) - the most popular because of the long flowering period (almost all year round). On long peduncles there are spectacular, amazingly beautiful flowers. Their shades are different: snow-white, lilac, scarlet, pink, burgundy. In recent years, breeders have also bred varieties with green and almost black bracts.
- Scherzerianum (Scherzerianum) - differs in the rounded shape of the bedspread, colors: orange, red shades and white, plants with bracts in speck are also bred.
- Crystal and magnificent - representatives of variegated species, undersized plants with velvety large dark green leaves, decorated with white veins. These 2 varieties differ in cross-section of petioles: in the first - rounded in the shape of a heart with veins resembling patterns on crystal, in the second - tetrahedral up to 40 cm in size, the color varies from green to purple.
- The multi-dissected anthurium has dark green leaves in the shape of fingers, a creeper plant.
Buying and planting a "male flower"
After buying an anthurium, you should wait 3 days for acclimatization, and then you need to transplant it, which some growers do not know about. Many are afraid to touch the purchased plant, strewn with bright flowers, so as not to interfere with the flowering process. However, for anthurium, this rule does not apply. In order for the plant to continue to bloom profusely after purchase, for care at home, the anthurium needs to be transplanted correctly.
The main attention should be paid to the choice of capacity and soil mixture, adhering to 3 basic rules:
- The size of the pot is selected from the calculation: the root system and spare 3 cm in diameter. You need to know that Anthurium grows better in narrow and small containers, which positively affects flowering. Ideal for a pot: plastic or glass flowerpots, but not clay, in which the roots are very cold during the cold season, which can lead to the death of the flower.
- The soil is better suited special, purchased at a flower shop for aroid plants or a mixture for orchids. Bottom is necessarily laid drainage. It is possible to prepare the soil on your own from turf land, peat, bog moss in the proportions of 1: 2: 1, to improve the air intake add polystyrene or coarse sand.
- The optimal method of transplantation is transshipment, however, you should inspect the root system and remove decayed or damaged areas.
In the future, young plants should be replanted annually, each time slightly increasing the pot. For adult anthuriums, a transplant when leaving at home should be done every 3 years, best of all during the period of active growth (February-March).
In the first 2 weeks after planting, watering should be minimal, and spraying should be carried out regularly. The first fertilizer can be applied only after 2 months.
Creating climate
When caring for the flower of anthurium at home, its tropical origin should be taken into account, because of which the creation of favorable conditions in the room for a capricious plant may be accompanied by some difficulties. However, all of them are surmountable and quite accessible for experienced and even beginner growers.
Basic care rules:
- Anthurium loves sunlight, but not direct, but diffused, optimally put it on windows with access to the west or east; in the cold season, with a lack of lighting, the plant must be highlighted;
- the flower loves high humidity, so 80% is considered ideal for it: to achieve it, it is recommended to use air humidifiers, as well as regular rubbing with a damp cloth of leaves (do not touch the inflorescences!), spraying from a spray bottle, installing a container of water near the pot;
- favorable temperature for anthurium: from 20 to 28 ° C, and in the autumn-winter period - 18 ° C, which can affect flowering; when reduced to 16 ° C, the plant may die;
- Anthurium does not tolerate drafts, temperature surges and the proximity of hot batteries.
Watering and spraying
Since this is a truly tropical plant, when caring for anthurium at home, a rare and plentiful watering is necessary: in the summer - once every 4 days, in the winter - once a week, for which water is defended in advance for 2 days. It can only be used in a warm form. The ideal option is to use melt water.
Watering is carried out by immersion, i.e. a flower pot is placed in a container of water so that its edges are above the liquid level. After completely soaking the soil with moisture, the pot is removed. Be sure to wait until the excess water drains, because when stagnating, excessive moisture will provoke root decay.
When caring for anthurium in winter at home, when the temperature in the apartment drops to 18 ° C, the number of waterings is reduced, but a warm shower is added. You can use a plastic bag for it, in which a pot with a plant is placed and tied so that during the procedure the soil remains dry. A flower is sprayed from the shower using the “water mist” method, and then a small watering of the soil must be done, not forgetting to drain the excess liquid from the sump. When spraying a flowering plant in the summer, you can not spray water on the flowers themselves so as not to spoil them.
Regular fertilizer of the flower is carried out every 2 weeks in the spring-summer months, it is especially important to do this during a period of increased growth of flower and leafy shoots. It is best to use ready-made mineral complex mixtures intended for orchids or aroid plants for top dressing. It is recommended to use only half the dose indicated in the instructions so as not to burn.
Propagation of anthurium by cuttings
The most common method is the vegetative one, which can be carried out by dividing the bush during transplantation, by separating the “children” or apical cuttings. Some gardeners use a single leaf stem cultivation method. With optimal care at home, the reproduction of anthurium is carried out in the warm months, it is better from May to July, which contributes to better plant survival.
The procedure for the vegetative method:
- during transplantation, the processes must be separated from an adult plant, cutting off the top of the stems or separating the lower parts (roots);
- plant them in special containers and cover with glass or polyethylene to create a greenhouse;
- rooting usually takes 2 weeks, with 2 leaves beginning to form on the sprout, then each young plant is planted in a separate pot.
Some gardeners root the cuttings in water, however, with this method often weak young roots rot.
Seed propagation
In order to get the seeds of indoor flowers of anthurium when leaving at home, the plant must first be pollinated, for which, using a brush, pollen is transferred from one flower to another. After fruit ripening in the form of berries, the seeds are removed and washed in a flowing stream of water.
Many experts also recommend soaking the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 2 hours, which helps protect them from mold.
Sowing is carried out in a shallow container on moist foam, which is then covered with a film or glass. After germination, the seeds are planted in the soil. Pick-up of small anthurium seedlings when leaving at home (see the photo of the process below) three times, as they grow. Ready-made seedlings 7 cm long are settled in separate containers, using special soil for aroid plants.
Problems in the cultivation of "needles"
When growing indoor anthurium, home care often causes unforeseen difficulties that are associated with non-compliance with the rules for its optimal growth and flowering.
The main problems, causes and treatment:
- Yellowing of the leaves usually occurs due to waterlogging of the soil, irrigation with unsuitable chlorinated water, over-feeding, lack of lighting, or too tight a pot.
- The leaves turn black at the plant for the following reasons: the presence of drafts, lack of moisture in the air; improper temperature conditions (hot or cold); direct sun exposure; there is an excess of potassium in the soil.
- Brown spots are due to waterlogging, damage or hypothermia of the roots, poor soil; watering with hard or cold water.
- If anthurium leaves or their tips dry when leaving at home, then this happens due to a lack of light and moisture in the air, a lack of water during irrigation, or when a weakened plant becomes sick with anthractosis.
- Light spots on the green parts of the plant signal its freezing, which means that the pot with anthurium must be rearranged in a warmer place;
- Withering of the leaves occurs when the root system is rotten from excessive watering, and it should be transplanted quickly, cutting off the affected roots and drying for 30 minutes. rest.
To cure a diseased plant, it is necessary to optimize the care of it, observing the correct watering, temperature and humidity.
Pests
When the flower of anthurium, when leaving at home, looks sick or has lost its beauty, then pests can also be to blame, the fight against which must be started immediately after their identification.
The most common parasites:
- Aphids (green or black) - usually visible on the leaves of the plant itself, because its size reaches 2 mm. It feeds on plant juices and secretes a liquid that prevents the leaves from consuming oxygen, they curl and dry out. To destroy the pest, spraying with an insecticide (“Akarin” and others) or tobacco dust should be done.
- Thrips are small invisible flies that release their excrement on the leaves, attracting fungi. When infected, the color of the leaves changes: yellow-white or brown spots appear. To combat thrips, sticky traps and spraying with Actellik are used daily for a week.
- The spider mite leaves thin threads and punctures on the plant, after which it begins to fade and dry. For treatment, the leaves should be wiped with a cloth dipped in a solution of water and laundry soap, then treated with acaricides.
- Scutellaria is a parasite sucking out juices from green parts, which can be seen by the appearance of brown tubercles on the leaves and stem. Insects should be hand-picked, then processed with Actellic, repeated after 10 days. To maintain the plants do spraying with mineral oil.
How to achieve flowering?
When caring for anthurium at home, some lovers cannot wait for it to bloom. There can be many reasons for this, among which the main one is non-compliance with all the rules for creating a favorable climate, humidity, light and heat in an apartment, as well as improper selection of soil, pot or feeding. The plant loses its strength, is sick and incapable of forming peduncles.
It is also important to consider that already faded buds of anthurium should be removed immediately. They can be left only if the plans include collecting seeds from the plant. One more tip: in order to stimulate flowering, experienced gardeners advise in the beginning of spring to make the plant “temperature shock”, i.e. pour water with a temperature of 40-50 ° C, which perfectly invigorates him.
Subject to all the rules for caring for anthurium at home and creating favorable conditions for it, the “flamingo flower” will delight its owner with beautiful bright colors for a long time.