Today, flower growers grow many indoor plants. Flowers allow you to decorate the interior, make the room more comfortable, and the microclimate - healthier. One popular species is the dollar tree. Care of the plant must be considered in detail before growing it.
Reasons for popularity
In the past few years, Zamioculcas or, as it is often called, a dollar tree has become one of the best-bought indoor plants. There are several reasons for this demand for the plant.
Firstly, it is a spectacular appearance. The plant fits perfectly into the interior of an apartment, office or school. Secondly, he is credited with wonderful properties for attracting wealth and prosperity, so it is considered fashionable to give it to various celebrations.
The third reason to have a dollar tree is to take care of it at home is extremely simple. Therefore, even the myth that the flower is a symbol of celibacy does not impede the growth of its popularity.
Origin and appearance
A dollar tree, care (the photo is presented below) for which you need to consider in detail, it is quite simple to grow. His homeland is Tanzania. This is a small arid country located in eastern Africa. The structure of the plant is quite unusual. From the roots in the form of tubers, leaves grow up to one meter high. They resemble the branches of trees.
In fact, this flower belongs to a group of herbaceous plants. The leaves are fleshy. They have a shiny surface. Leaves are painted in a dark green tint.
Dollar tree blooms quite rarely. Its inflorescence looks like an ear of corn. It is painted white or beige. The ear is on a low peduncle. It sprouts directly from the tuber. Small flowers are collected by gender. There are male and female inflorescences. The entire cob is protected by a light green leaf. In nature, pollination occurs with the participation of wind and insect flows. After the fruits appear in the form of brown berries. Fruiting is extremely rare.
The natural conditions in which the flower grows make it an extremely unpretentious plant. Therefore, when grown at home, it does not require much trouble.
Lighting
To see the flowering of a dollar tree, care needs to be provided right and thought out to the smallest detail. The plant is photophilous, therefore, it requires providing a place on the south window.
However, in the first two or even three days, the plant will get used to its new growing conditions. At this time, he needs to provide partial shade. In the future, the flower can be rearranged on a sunny windowsill. It is also worth considering that the tree needs to be shaded. This will protect the leaves from direct sunlight. Otherwise, they may appear ugly yellow spots, which are burns.
Temperature
The plant belongs to the species of African thermophilic flowers. Therefore, care for the dollar tree must be ensured appropriate. The plant feels good in a room where the air is heated to +26 º.
In winter, during dormancy, they contain a tree at a temperature that does not exceed +15 º. Some gardeners recommend taking the plant to an insulated balcony or veranda. However, this can be done if the air heating here is not less than + 13º.
Air humidity
Despite the arid climate of its homeland, the plant requires maintaining high humidity. In this case, the dollar tree flower, which is taken care of at home, will feel great.
To do this, spray the leaves every day in the morning or evening. Water should be at room temperature and settled. A drain pan is also installed under the pot. It must be periodically moistened. If the plant stands on a windowsill above the battery, its leaves will need to be wiped with a damp cloth.
Watering, fertilizing
Caring for a dollar tree at home does not require frequent watering. The plant is drought tolerant. It can do without watering for a week. These plants can be grown by those who leave their home for a sufficiently long period.
Water the flower should be plentiful. This procedure should be performed only after the soil has completely become dry. If you perform this procedure often, this will cause the tubers to rot. The liquid must not stagnate in the pot or in the pan below it. Overflow is much worse than drying out.
During the development period, the flower must provide a certain amount of fertilizing. Therefore, once every two weeks you should fertilize the flower with special compounds. Suitable substances intended for cacti. If in winter the plant is kept in a cool room, watering and feeding it is not necessary.
Transplant procedure
Caring for a dollar tree involves a transplant. It is necessary in three cases:
- If the plant was purchased in a store, it should be transplanted a couple of days after purchase. It is sold and transported in special containers with peat. After the purchase, the transplant procedure should not be performed. The flower should be given time to get used to the surrounding environment.
- Young plants should be replanted every 12 months, choosing a slightly larger container for this.
- Adult flowers are transplanted when the roots fill the entire space of the pot and begin to bulge out of it.
It is best to carry out the transplant procedure in the spring. This must be done very carefully. The root system is tubers that are vulnerable. They are easily damaged during transplantation, and this can lead to the death of the plant.
The plant is planted in a ceramic container. Do not use plastic containers, otherwise the roots can easily break the pot during the development process. Drainage must be placed at the bottom. When planting, use soil for cacti. It can be purchased at the store. Expanded clay must be added to the ground in order to improve its permeability to air.
In order to protect the roots from damage as much as possible, the transplant is carried out by transplantation. A plant with an earthen lump is removed from the old container and installed in a new container. Top tubers should remain bare by about a centimeter. They can not be completely covered with a substrate.
When transplanting, precautions should be taken, since the juice of a dollar tree is poisonous. If it gets on the skin, it will cause itching and irritation. Therefore, it is better to work in protective gloves.
Breeding
At home, the dollar tree is propagated in several ways. The choice depends on the skills of the grower. Apply such techniques:
- Cuttings. The method is used for adult flowers. The shoot is cut from a bare branch. We need to take the bottom stalk, on which a small kidney appeared. The bottom of the stem is cut with a knife (always sharp). The result is a small stem with a bud and a leaf. Sprinkle its bottom with activated charcoal. The handle needs to be dried for a couple of hours, and then placed in a filled container. Vermiculite must first be added to the container. A month later, roots appear on the shoot. All this time the soil must be constantly moistened.
- Tuber division. The root system is tubers. They can be divided, and then planted in containers. The capacity should be several centimeters wider than the roots.
- Reproduction by leaf. This is the longest way. A small leaf is separated from the branch and deepens into loose nutrient soil or peat. It should be slightly moistened. It is recommended to plant several leaves at once. Seedlings are placed in a well-lit place and covered with a polyethylene film to accelerate ripening. This allows you to create greenhouse conditions. The tubers will ripen for several months.
Knowing such techniques, you can independently grow several plants of the present species. This is an exciting process. A new plant can be presented to relatives or friends.
Having learned about how to care for a dollar tree, you can grow a strong, healthy plant yourself.