How to care for aphelandra at home, breeding methods and species description
Aphelyandra is a very beautiful and unusual houseplant. But, despite all its beauty, the plant is not very popular among flower growers. This is due to the fact that the flower is very capricious, so many do not even know how to care for aphelandra at home. With improper care, the plant quickly dies, and in order to prevent this from happening, you need to give it a lot of time.
Distinctive characteristics of the aphelandra plant
Aphelyandra belongs to the evergreen ornamental flowering houseplants. Under natural growing conditions, the flower can reach 1-2 m. The foliage of the plant is large, there are small flowers. The leaves are arranged oppositely. The surface of the leaves is shiny and slightly prickly. In adult flowers, the variegated colored foliage is green with white spots.
The inflorescences are small, pineal or spike-shaped. In length, they can reach 15 cm. The shades of the flowers are different. The petals can be yellow, red or orange.After flowering, the fruit remains with the seeds. They are presented in a box with two interlockings.
Popular varieties
In the natural environment, there are a large number of species of aphelandra. But only a few varieties are grown at home.
Projecting
This variety has large dark green leaves up to 20 cm in diameter, and white stripes along the veins are present on the surface of the foliage. The plant blooms in the summer-autumn period. The flower is tetrahedral, the petals are yellow.
Orange
Orange or golden aphelion is considered one of the most common varieties grown at home. The variety belongs to small shrubs. The stem of the plant is fleshy with a reddish tint. The foliage is dark green with silver spots. Inflorescences reach a length of 12-14 cm. The flowering period is short, lasts no more than 10 days.
four sides
The leaves are oval in shape, reach a length of 30 cm, and the shade is saturated green. The inflorescences are tubular, with a saturated scarlet hue. They have dark green bracts.
Conditions of detention
Aphelendra belongs to capricious plants. Therefore, in order for the flower to grow healthily and bloom regularly at home, it must provide favorable conditions for its preservation.
Temperature
The flower loves heat. The optimum temperature in the warm season is +20 degrees. In autumn and winter, it tolerates a temperature drop of up to +10 degrees. This temperature regime has a beneficial effect on flowering. The main thing is that the pots are located in sunny places.
Lighting
The plant prefers bright light. The longer the flower stays in the sun, the lusher the foliage will be. The main thing is that the sun's rays should not be direct and scorching. It is not recommended to place the pots in the shade or even in partial shade.
air humidity
Like all indoor tropical plants, aphelandra needs high humidity in the room where the pots are located. This is especially true in the cold season during the heating season. The foliage should be sprayed with warm water as often as possible. You can also put the pot in a pallet with wet expanded clay or foam.
Dormant period
The dormant period of the plant begins in winter and lasts until about March. At this time, the amount of watering is reduced and the feeding of the flower is stopped. The ambient temperature should be at least +17 degrees. It is also important that the room with the flower is bright.
Size
One of the problems that one constantly has to face when growing a plant is its rapid growth, because of this it loses its decorative effect. Therefore, frequent pruning is necessary to maintain the appearance of the flower. The optimal time for the procedure is the beginning of the growing or transplanting season. Very elongated shoots are shortened. The branches are left 25-30 cm long. After pruning, the bush is sprayed and a bag is put on it so that there is no loss of moisture.
top dresser
Abundant feeding is necessary during the period of active growth from May to October. Fertilizers for flowering plants are applied to the soil every two weeks. It is also useful to alternate mineral and organic foods. In winter, the bush is fed every 1.5 months. From organic dressings, you can use compost, sprinkle the soil with wood ash or water the flower with a solution of urea. The main thing is not to overdo it with fertilizers.
How to plant and replant correctly
Aphelandra transplant is required every year. The main thing is to choose the right soil composition. The soil for planting should be loose and breathable.
The composition of the soil for the plant:
- turf land;
- sand;
- peat;
- sheet metal ground (4 pieces).
Alternatively, you can buy a ready-to-use tropical flower potting mix that you can find at any garden store. The plant is carefully removed from the old pot, transplanted into a new container with the old soil.
Solve common problems
When growing aphelandra, you often have to deal with various problems. Most often, they result from improper care or improper growing conditions.
Care errors
Aphelyandra belongs to capricious plants, therefore, with the slightest mistake, trouble begins immediately. The leaves may wilt, become small or brown.
dieback
One of the common problems when growing a flower is wilting of foliage and stipules. If only the tips of the leaves have begun to turn pale, this means that the flower is in a room with too dry air. It is necessary to spray the leaves as often as possible and remove the pot from heaters. If the leaves wither completely, it means that the plant is standing in a draft or does not have enough humidity. It is especially dangerous to open the windows in the evening after watering. Because of this, the flower may die. Poorly organized watering, the constant presence of a flower in the sun and a draft are the causes of leaf fall.
If this happens in winter, the plant, on the contrary, may not get enough sunlight.
Brown leaf edges
The edges of the leaves turn brown due to too dry air in the room in which the flower is located. In order to avoid this problem, the leaves should be regularly sprayed and damp cloths should be placed on the radiators during the heating season.
Brown stains
The appearance of brown spots on the leaves of aphelandra indicates that the plant is exposed to too much direct sunlight. In order for the flower to stop appearing brown spots on the foliage, it must be rearranged in partial shade.
shrinking leaves
If it becomes noticeable that the foliage becomes shallow, the reason for this is a lack of nutrients in the soil. It is necessary to introduce mineral and organic substances into the soil more often. It can also be due to a lack of nutrients in the soil.
pests
Often you have to deal with pests that can appear on the plant for various reasons.
cochineal
The first signs of the appearance of a mealybug are twisting and falling of foliage, the plant itself stops growing. If there are a lot of pests, white lumps begin to appear on the foliage. In order to get rid of the worm, you need to treat the plant with Actellik. First, the leaves should be rinsed in the shower to get rid of some insects. This procedure can be repeated several times.
Aphid
Aphids usually appear on the underside of leaves. The insects feed on sap, which causes the leaves to dry up and drop. In this case, the drug "Actellik" and rinsing the foliage under a hot shower will also help. A spray of soapy water helps control aphids.
Shield
If small brown or reddish-brown bumps appear on the leaves, it is a mealybug.Sometimes the bumps can be green or yellow. They can be located both inside and outside next to the veins. The leaves themselves become sticky to the touch. As soon as insects begin to appear on the foliage, the plant should be immediately sprayed with insecticides. Mechanical cleaning will also help. For example, you can use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush the scabbards.
Diseases
Various diseases are another problem that must be faced when growing.
Most often, aphelandra suffers from the following diseases:
- corynespora fungus;
- leaf spot;
- root rot.
With the corinespore fungus, brown or yellow spots appear on the foliage. The leaves begin to dry up, then die. Plants are treated with fungicides three times a week. All affected leaves and stems are pruned. When spotted, wet yellow or brown spots appear. They are often covered with mucous secretions. Spraying with fungicides three times a day helps control this disease.
With root rot, there are no signs, the plant just begins to wilt for no reason. All damaged parts of the root system should be cut off. Sprinkle the slices with charcoal. Then the plant is transplanted into new soil and watered with "Fitosporin".
Breeding methods
There are two ways of propagating aphelandra - cuttings and planting with seeds. The seed cultivation method is longer and more laborious. It is easier and faster to propagate the plant by cuttings.
Seeds
Seeds for planting are collected immediately after flowering and planted in the ground (in February-March).For planting it is better to use a substrate of sand, earth and rotten leaves. In order for the seeds to germinate faster, they are covered with a plastic bag. Regularly, until the appearance of shoots, the bag is removed and the soil is watered. Once the germs finally start to appear, the bag should be removed.
After the appearance of the first pair of full leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots. It is best to use large containers right away so that you do not have to transplant the flower after a while.
Cuttings
The second method is planting by cuttings. Cuttings are carried out from May to August. For reproduction in this way, a stem cutting 8-10 cm long is needed. The stem is cut just below the node - this is where it is attached to the main stem. The cut site should be treated with a growth stimulant. First, the cutting is planted in moist perlite, then transferred to a greenhouse. For the cutting to root successfully, the following conditions must be met:
- cuttings need partial shade;
- the temperature in the room where the pots are located should be between +25 and +27 degrees;
- very high humidity - up to 90%;
- every day the greenhouse should be ventilated, and the soil should be watered with warm water.
Rooting takes place within 3 weeks. When the root system develops in the cutting, it can be transplanted into a prepared pot.
Additional tips and tricks
Although aphelandra is a rather capricious plant, it is not so difficult to grow it. The main thing is to observe favorable conditions for the growth of the flower.
Tips and tricks for growing a plant at home:
- It is not recommended to put flowerpots on windows that are often opened, especially in the cold season.
- Water the aphelandra only with lukewarm water. Watering with cold water leads to fungal infections.
- In order for the crown to be lush, at the end of each winter the stems are cut off, leaving about 25 cm in length.
- To make the houseplant bushier, pinch the tops of the stems.
- If the soil lacks nutrients, this will immediately affect the appearance of plants. With a lack of nitrogen in the soil, the leaves become small and begin to turn yellow. And if there is an excess of nitrogen, then there is a delay in the appearance of buds.
- With a lack of phosphorus, the flowers become small and the petals dull.
- If yellow or brown spots start to appear on the foliage, the leaves are starting to fall off, which indicates a potassium deficiency in the soil.
If you follow the recommendations for care, organize proper watering and provide the plant with favorable conditions, then the aphelandra will delight you with lush foliage and beautiful abundant flowering for more than a year.