Beauty and unpretentiousness are qualities for which many flower growers appreciate spathiphyllum. How to care for this plant, which blooms almost all year round? Fortunately, this does not require special skills. It is enough to follow the recommendations that are given in the article.
Description
Even an unpretentious flower like spathiphyllum requires care. How to care for him? First you need to understand what this plant is. The flower belongs to the aroid family, it came to our windowsills from the tropics of Central America. The plant is known as "female happiness." He is often presented as a gift to the fair sex as a wish for a happy marriage, harmony in the family. There is an opinion that spathiphyllum languishes in a house in which spouses constantly conflict with each other.
The plant has no stem, flower stalks and leaves grow immediately from the ground. The ear of a plant can be white-green or white, it is surrounded by a so-called veil, which changes color during flowering. Leaves have a lanceolate or oval shape, saturated green color. The midrib is very pronounced.
How to care for spathiphyllum properly
The plant is famous not only for its beauty, but also for its unpretentiousness, but nevertheless, spathiphyllum needs to be taken care of. How to care for it so that it develops harmoniously, turns green and flourishes? Factors to consider are discussed below.
Lighting
The best place for a flower is near the window. It is important that direct sunlight not fall on the spathiphyllum. A shade-loving plant can be placed on a western or eastern window, where diffused light is observed.
In summer, the flower is allowed to take out to fresh air, but it should be in the shade. It is not necessary for a long time to leave spathiphyllum in the back of the room or in a dark room. This will lead to the fact that the leaves of the plant are deformed, become narrow and long. It is unlikely that a flower will bloom in such conditions.
Temperature
What else does spathiphyllum need, how to care for it, so that it pleases with its beauty for a long time? We must not forget that the plant was brought to us from the tropical regions of Central America. The flower prefers a warm atmosphere.
How will the room temperature be optimal for him? During flowering and growth, this figure is about 20 degrees. At rest - 16-18 degrees. Cold is a great danger to spathiphyllum; a plant may stop flowering. Also, we must not forget that the flower does not tolerate drafts.
Humidity
How to care for spathiphyllum at home correctly? We must not forget that the flower needs high humidity, like other tropical plants. How to satisfy this need?
- Creating a microclimate. The wide pan of the flower pot is filled with sand, expanded clay, moss and small pebbles. Water is also poured there, increasing the level of humidity during evaporation.
- Regular spraying. In summer, this procedure must be done two to four times a day. In the cold season, you need to put a damp towel on the battery, which is located next to the flower.
- Wipe with a damp sponge. This procedure is very beneficial for spathiphyllum.
We must also not forget that during the growing season, the plant must be washed with warm water in the shower once a week.
Watering
How to care for spathiphyllum? How often to water it? The fact that the flower needs moisture is signaled by dried soil, as well as drooping leaves. The secrets of proper watering are simple.
- It is necessary to use water at room temperature. It is important that it settles for a day before use.
- In winter, the flower should be watered sparingly; in summer, it needs abundant watering.
- Be sure to pour water into the pan. This will have a beneficial effect on the root system of the plant.
- You can not fill the plant with water. Often it is excessive watering that causes the flowering of spathiphyllum to stop.
This flower will not die if the owners are forced to leave the house for a week. However, before leaving, you should definitely water the plant abundantly.
Priming
The soil for spathiphyllum is composed of humus, peat, leafy soil and turf. Hydrogel granules, crushed sphagnum, sand are also added. It is important that the sod prevails, it needs to be used about twice as much as the rest of the components.
Top dressing
The full development and growth of spathiphyllum is not possible without top dressing. Guided by the tips that are given below.
- In the spring-summer period, the plant needs to be fed once a week. While the flower is small, in the summer months it can be fertilized once every two weeks.
- In the autumn-winter period, it is enough to use top dressing once a month.
- Spathiphyllum must be watered before applying fertilizer.
- Complex mineral and organic fertilizers at the rate of 1.5 g per liter of water act as fertilizing.
Bloom
How to care for spathiphyllum so that it blooms on time? This may require stimulation. The plant is placed in a cool, bright place for about 10-12 days, it is not necessary to water it during this period. Then the flower should be returned to its original place, fertilized and resume regular watering. Flowering can be expected after about 20-30 days. Also, special preparations, for example, "Zircon", "Epin" will help to provoke it. Such a tool must be sprayed on the foliage.
The reasons why the plant does not bloom may be different. For example, the source of the problem could be:
- Incorrect location
- too big flowerpot;
- excessive or insufficient watering;
- too frequent transplants.
How to transplant
What other information is useful to people who have a home flower spathiphyllum? How to care for him? Plant care includes annual transplantation. This procedure should be carried out in the spring, before flowering. First you need to choose the right capacity. The flowerpot should be slightly larger than the previous one, the roots in it should be slightly cramped. It must be remembered that the roots of the plant grow in the horizontal plane. Therefore, a low and wide pot is needed. If the flowerpot is too spacious, spathiphyllum will not bloom.
The plant grows well in nutritious and light soil. You can stop at a ready-made universal mixture or mix in equal proportions garden soil, soddy soil, sand, humus and peat, and then add 100 g of bark, gravel and charcoal. When preparing the soil, you should definitely make a drainage layer at the bottom of the tank, this will prevent the root system from decaying.
The leaves turn black or yellow
How to care for spathiphyllum at home? What problems can a flower grower face?
The leaves of the plant turn black - what to do in this case? The problem may be excessive watering, lack of nutrients, insufficiently moist air. If brown spots appear on the leaves, this may be a manifestation of the disease caused by pests. Also, excessive lighting cannot be ruled out.
Spathiphyllum leaves may turn yellow for a number of reasons. The following options are possible:
- profuse flowering, which caused the weakening of the flower;
- faded, but not cut peduncle, depriving the plant of strength;
- insufficient lighting;
- excess moisture.
Also, leaves may turn yellow in spathiphyllum, which is many years old. When it comes to a young plant, the problem may be a lack of nutrients and fluids.
Pests
In the article you can see a photo of spathiphyllum. How to care for a flower so that it looks just as luxurious? What other information is useful? Various pests pose a threat to the plant. Protecting a green pet from them is one of the important tasks.
- Aphid, spider mite. They are most dangerous for a flower that suffers from a lack of moisture. You can get rid of pests by treating with nicotine sulfate with a soap solution. Before the procedure, it is necessary to cover the soil with a film in order to prevent the ingress of a poisonous agent. The drug should be washed off the leaves a day later.
- Mealybug. In most cases, the appearance of this pest is due to excess moisture. If there are few insects, they can be removed with a rag dipped in alcohol. With a large number of pests, it is worth fighting with them through treatment with Actellic.
- Home scale. Nicotine sulfate treatment also helps to cope with this pest. Be sure to remove the drug from the leaves a day later with a soap solution. After completing the procedure, you need to water the soil with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Varieties
The answer to the question of how to care is directly dependent on the variety. The spathiphyllum flower, the photo of which can be seen in the article, has gained great popularity in many countries of the world. What plant varieties are most in demand because of their unpretentiousness and attractive appearance, if we talk about growing at home?
- Spathiphyllum is abundantly flowering. This variety is famous for its long flowering period, which attracts many. Oval leaves that darken as they grow older, medium-sized inflorescences are its characteristic features.
- Spathiphyllum Strauss. A species that has gained popularity due to its unusual appearance. The height of the flower, as a rule, does not go beyond 30 cm. This plant has elongated and leathery leaves.
- Spathiphyllum Sensation. If you properly care for this flower, its length can reach one and a half meters. There is another interesting feature - expressive and large inflorescences.
- Spathiphyllum Chopin. This variety is bred by breeders and has a pleasant and unobtrusive aroma. Oblong, neat, with pronounced veins - such are his leaves. Plant height does not go beyond 40 cm.
- Spathiphyllum Wallis. This flower is an ideal choice for those plant lovers who put unpretentiousness in care above all else. It was he who became the basis for the creation of many modern varieties. Its height does not exceed 45 cm.