Spathiphyllum or, as it is also called "female happiness" or "flower of happiness", is a popular perennial plant that can often be found in residential buildings. This flower was brought from South America and East Asia.
This plant has its own characteristics. The fact is that the flower has no stem. Instead, its basal leaves form a tight bundle that comes from the soil. The rhizome of the plant is quite short. The leaves are oval. Veins are clearly visible on them.
This amazing flower is able to absorb carbon monoxide, benzene and even formaldehyde from the air. At the same time, it saturates the atmosphere with ions and phytoncides, which inhibit the development of mold fungi. To understand how to care for a female flower of spathiphyllum, it is worth learning a little more about the varieties of this unusual plant.
Popular views
In the genus Spathiphyllum, there are more than 50 species that share several common features. On all plants you can see large leaves, characterized by tall stalks, short roots and flowers resembling a white sail.
If we talk about the differences, they are very minor. In some species, leaf plates are slightly larger, in others they are sharper. There are varieties of spathiphyllum flower ("female happiness"), which differ in cream-colored inflorescences or veins of bright green color.
There are some differences in cob inflorescences. In some plants, it is longer and thicker, while others have a paler shade.
It is worth considering that not every spathiphyllum flower is suitable for home growing. "Female happiness" should be adapted to home breeding. Among the most popular representatives of this genus, Wallis spathiphyllum can be distinguished. This flower got its name in honor of one researcher from Germany who discovered this species. Based on this species, several varieties have been created that differ in their height. Spathiphyllum happens:
- Large. Plant height reaches 1.5 meters. In this case, the plant is distinguished by long oval-shaped leaf plates, the size of which is about 70-90 cm.
- Average. This is a fairly compact spathiphyllum. "Female happiness" of this species grows to 50 cm.
- Miniature. In this case, the height of the flower rarely exceeds 30 cm.
Based on this, you can choose the best option for a particular type of housing. Also speaking of home care, the features of the spathiphyllum flower should be considered. This applies even to the earliest stages of its cultivation, immediately after acquiring an unusual plant.
What to do after purchase?
If the plants are located in a technical pot, then leave it in it is not worth it. It is recommended to transplant a flower in 2-3 weeks. To do this, choose a slightly larger pot.
It should also be noted that the flower spathiphyllum loves moisture much more (compared to other indoor plants). Therefore, after the purchase, you need to make sure that the earth in the pot is sufficiently moistened. If the soil is too dry, water the flower immediately.
In all other respects, the plant is unpretentious. However, even the least moody flower needs proper care. It can be prone to disease and parasite attacks. It is necessary that the plant receives everything necessary for full growth and flowering.
Lighting
In this matter, the plant is completely picky. A flower can easily survive even in the shade. However, this does not mean that it can be kept in poorly lit rooms for a long time. In this case, there is a risk that the leaves of the spathiphyllum flower will become smaller over time. Therefore, it is better not to overdo it with the shadow and provide an unusual plant with a normal level of lighting.
Bright sunlight is also not able to harm the flower. It is best to mount the plant on a window (or next to it) located on the north side of the house. In this case, the spathiphyllum flower will receive the optimal amount of sunlight, but will not get burns. If you install the pot on the south side, then morning rays will fall on it, which is not very good for its full life.
It is also important to ensure that the plant is not exposed to cooling, so do not install it in a draft.
Spathiphyllum flower: home care, temperature
In this matter, the plant is not much different from any other indoor flowers. To make the plant feel good, it is enough to maintain 22-23 degrees in the room. However, spathiphyllum can bloom at 16-18 degrees of heat.
But do not bring to lower temperatures. In this case, the thermophilic plant may cease to please with beautiful flowers. Also, cold negatively affects foliage.
Humidity
In care, the spathiphyllum flower is most demanding on this parameter. Humidity in the room should be quite high so that the plant feels comfortable. In typical apartments, these indicators are far from ideal. However, you can independently help the plant.
To do this, it is enough to spray it twice a day (or more, depending on temperature) in the hot season. In winter, procedures can be shortened.
Some people simply do not physically have the opportunity to devote so much time to indoor plants. In this case, you can use one trick. A pot with a home flower spathiphyllum can be installed in a container in which moist expanded clay was previously poured. Due to this, the optimum humidity will be maintained much longer, so it will be possible to reduce the number of spraying procedures.
Watering
Many plants dump foliage and go into hibernation for the duration of frosts. However, it should be borne in mind that the spathiphyllum flower does not apply to such. He needs year-round watering. In the spring and summer, large volumes of water must be added, and in winter, watering should be moderate. Nevertheless, it is worth constantly checking the soil so that it is not too dry.
However, one must remember that stagnant water is harmful to any plant. If there is a lot of moisture in the soil, this can lead to decay of the rhizome, as well as provoke the appearance of parasites, mold and other ailments. Therefore, it is better to drain stagnant water or organize good drainage in a pot.
If we talk about the temperature of the water, then when caring for this amazing plant, it is worth heating it to 18-23 degrees.
The soil
If we talk about the optimal composition, it is best to mix turf, foliage, peat, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1. Additionally, you can enrich the soil with sphagnum, however, you can do without it, if you independently monitor so that the earth does not dry out.
You can purchase a finished composition. However, it should be borne in mind that only natural components are not always included in such soils.
Top dressing
It is very difficult for the spathiphyllum flower to survive without timely fertilizer application. If he does not receive the necessary amount of trace elements and nutrients, then this will lead to the fact that the plant simply ceases to bloom. If small flowers will appear on it, then infrequently and of the lowest quality.
It must be borne in mind that in the period from spring to autumn the plant is in the phase of active development. This means that it needs help in the form of fertilizers. Therefore, you need to apply dressing 1 time in 14 days. The rest of the year, it is enough to make nutritional supplements no more than once a month.
If we talk about home care, the spathiphyllum flower prefers organic top dressing. For this, diluted bird droppings are most suitable. However, in urban environments, getting this component is not so simple. Therefore, you can use universal store-bought fertilizers for flowering domestic plants.
Transfer
Indoor flower spathiphyllum does not need frequent changes in capacity to a larger pot. The procedure is enough to carry out once a year for a young plant. Older bushes are enough to replant once every 3-5 years. Each time the pot is selected a few centimeters more than the previous one. If the capacity is too large, this can delay the flowering of the plant, so it is better not to overdo it.
The procedure itself is carried out by transshipment. The roots of the plant are very sensitive, so it is important not to damage them. To do this, first drainage and a small layer of earth are poured into the prepared container. A flower is planted in the center. After that, the rest of the soil is sent to the tank and distributed over it.
Between transplants, it is recommended to periodically update the topsoil. This will help the plant get new nutrients. During the procedure, the drainage layer must be filled in a new pot.
It is best to transplant a plant in spring when it is able to quickly adapt to new soil.
Flowering conditions
In order for the "flower of happiness" to begin to delight spathiphyllum with beautiful flowers, you need to pay attention to some nuances.
Firstly, the young plant is not yet ready for this process, so you should not expect the appearance of inflorescences in the first year of life of a handsome indoor man. The same goes for the "oldies." Too an adult plant does not have the strength for such processes, so do not force it to bloom by force.
Secondly, for a flower to fully develop, it should not be in a too spacious pot. If the grower decided to carry out the transplant procedure with a margin, then this can lead to the fact that he will not be happy to bloom. This is because the root system will have to evolve to fill all the space. This will take all the forces of the plant.
If the leaves of the female flower of spathiphyllum become small and begin to turn yellow, then in such conditions it will be difficult to obtain beautiful flowers. This indicates a lack of nutrients. Therefore, it is worth considering feeding the flower. It happens and vice versa. If the plant has acquired a plentiful deciduous mass, do not rejoice. This indicates that the soil has a lot of nitrogen, which is responsible for the leaves. To get beautiful flowers it is worth enriching the earth with phosphorus and potassium, since it is these components that are responsible for flowering.
Female spathiphyllum flower: how to care, reproduction
If we talk about this procedure, then it can be performed by sowing seeds, rooting the cuttings in the ground or dividing the rhizome. The latter option is most popular among amateur gardeners.
Reproduction activities are best carried out during the spring transplant. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the room temperature is constantly maintained at around 20-22 degrees.
To obtain more beautiful plants from the mother bush, it is necessary to separate the lateral shoot (divide), on which there are at least 3 leaves. Each process is planted in a separate container, which must first be filled with a mixture for growing adult plants. After this, the female flower of the spathiphyllum will need the care that was described earlier.
However, do not assume that the plant is not susceptible to parasite attacks or diseases. Therefore, it is important to consider this topic in more detail.
Diseases and Pests
First of all, it is worth considering that trouble with an unusual flower can occur due to the usual carelessness of an amateur grower. For example, if the spathiphyllum does not bloom, then this may be due to a lack of lighting, nutrition, or an overly spacious pot.
When blackening the sheets, it is worth checking the composition of the soil. If the earth does not have the necessary trace elements, then this provokes an unbalanced plant nutrition. You may have to transplant it into more optimal soil.
If the tips of the foliage began to dry out, acquiring a characteristic straw color, then this indicates a too dry microclimate in the room. You must always remember that this plant needs quite moist air.
These problems can be called the most harmless. It is much more dangerous if the plant suffers from a fungal infection, for example, root rot. This ailment quite often affects domestic flowers. To blame for excessive watering. If the soil constantly stagnates, then this leads to darkening of the leaves and growth retardation.
To solve this problem, you need to pull the plant out of the pot and carefully look at its rhizome. If the roots are very soft and have a characteristic putrefactive odor, then this is the first and main sign of a fungal ailment that got the spathiphyllum flower. How to care for him in this situation? First of all, it is necessary to cut off all rotting roots. Slicing locations are processed using charcoal. After this, the plant should undergo treatment using fungicides. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that the plant will not be able to survive. Such a lesion can spread to very large areas. If you cut off the lion's share of the roots, then there is a high probability that the flower will not be able to recover. Therefore, experienced flower growers prefer to immediately destroy the flower than to suffer with a long and often unsuccessful recovery process.
Spathiphyllum can be attacked by spider mites and aphids. These parasites usually appear in the hot season. In order to prevent their attacks, it is necessary to spray the plant in a timely manner. If parasites still wound up, you need to treat the flower with a soapy solution or use more effective chemicals.
It is worth noting that weekly bathing in warm water at a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius is an excellent way to protect the flower from potential danger in the form of parasites and ailments.
Reviews of growing difficulties
Speaking about why not all growers grow a spathiphyllum flower, it is worth noting some problems that an inexperienced gardener may encounter.
Most often, people complain that the plant does not bloom. As mentioned earlier, this may be due to several factors that are quite simple to fix.
Also, many complain that the plants dry out. This is due to infrequent watering or, when the florist, on the contrary, overdid it and began to literally flood the indoor flower. Such problems are quickly resolved and cannot be the reason for refusing to grow this plant.
If we talk about transplantation and reproduction of spathiphyllum, then in this case almost no one has problems.
In all other respects, the reviews about the plant are only positive. It is really unpretentious and has a lot of advantages.
Finally
Spathiphyllum is a unique plant that has a lot of positive sides. Due to its appearance, the flower is suitable for any interior. At the same time, it fills the air with useful trace elements and helps get rid of harmful fumes. The plant is a kind of biological filter, which will be a great addition to any home. It creates an optimal microclimate for people in the premises, therefore, it is also possible to have a female spathiphyllum flower in children's rooms. How to care for him is already known. This does not require special events, the plant will begin to bloom quite quickly and will delight the household with its attractive appearance throughout the year.