Rules for planting and caring for fatsia at home
Florists fell in love with Fatsia for its rapid growth, reproduction and attractive appearance. Pillars, showcases, walls, tables are decorated with evergreen shrubs with regular leaves. The plant is used indoors as a decorative element because of the leaves, similar to maple. According to the rules of Feng Shui, Fatsia protects the house from evil forces, negative influences from the outside and brings prosperity to its owners. You can improve the atmosphere in the house, purify the air by mastering the rules for caring for fatsia at home.
Description and peculiarities of the plant
Fatsia is a popular herb in southeastern countries like Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand.
Previously, Japanese aralia was used to plant trees in shady areas, but in the late 19th century a separate plant variety was identified, renaming it fatsia.
The flower was brought to the territory of Europe in the 1930s, over time it was brought to the countries of the Far East, mixed coniferous forests. The plant grows up to 150 cm, covered with a fluffy crown with large leaves (30-35 cm). The shape of the leaves is original - first they are rounded, then they are divided into petals, sharpened.
The leaf plate of the plant is characterized by its density, luster and bright green color. Fatsia is distinguished by openwork foliage with strange white or greenish umbrella-shaped inflorescences. During pollination, the berries begin to acquire a blue-black color, but do not fully ripen.
The Japanese aralia is slightly poisonous. People with allergies are advised to protect their hands with rubber gloves during transplantation to avoid contact with fat.
Popular varieties
Fatsia has a modest species palette. Breeders have bred a variety of varieties, hybrids of the plant for its use as a decorative element in the design of a room.
Spider web
The plant is characterized by greenish-gray leaves with longitudinal white veins, the pattern resembles a white spider web. The crown is covered with lobed palm leaves in the shape of a ball with a diameter of 35-40 cm.
Samurai
The plant of this variety grows up to 140-150 cm in 2-3 years after planting. The leaves are smooth, bright green, star-shaped. The samurai maintains a presentable appearance throughout the year. Thanks to bright foliage, dark blue fruits of fatsia decorate the terraces, to be integrated into garden compositions.
Variegated
An adult specimen of fatsia grows up to 80-90 cm, has wide glossy leaves with spiral lobes.A distinctive feature of Variegata is considered a shade of green and whitish spots on the foliage.
Moseri
The plant is characterized by slow growth, the shrub grows up to 50-60 cm. The adult plant has a dense dense crown with short petioles, dark green leaves. Moseri is picky about the conditions of maintenance and conservation - it is placed in an aquarium to create a humid microclimate and a stable temperature.
Lisa
To breed a hybrid, breeders crossed fatsia with common ivy. The new subspecies has a long stem 4.5-5 m high, with five-lobed dark green leaves. Due to its high growth and lush crown, the plant needs support.
Anneliese
Chlorophyll in the leaves is contained in a low concentration - for this reason they are colored not green, but amber-yellow with a greenish pattern.
Nishiki
Nishiki leaves resemble those of yellowed autumn maple due to yellowish lemon patterns.
Conditions of detention
According to Dr. Hession, Fatsia is characterized by an unpretentious detention. He recommends providing the flower with fresh air, diffused light. Drought and excessive moisture have a detrimental effect on the plant. Fatsia is often referred to as a homemade Japanese chestnut due to the similarity of the crown. There is a similarity, the difference is only in size, growth rate.
Lighting
Fatsia must provide access to fresh air, for this it is placed in well-ventilated places. The location of the bush should be light and shaded. A dark green plant is kept in the shade; with a bright green color of the leaves, the pot is placed in the sun.
Florists recommend placing the fatsia on the east and west side of the room. The pot is not placed on the sunny side, the northern part is decorated with a plant with a monochromatic crown. For the summer, it is placed outside, under a canopy/shelter.
air humidity
Irrigation of the plant is carried out after the top layer of soil dries up in a pot. In September, the frequency of watering should be reduced. In a cold winter, the soil is rarely watered, the main thing is to prevent the substrate from completely drying out. If during the winter the fatsia is in a warm room, then the irrigation does not stop, they just pour excess water under the pot 3-3.5 hours after watering.
It is important to remember that fatsia is susceptible to earthy coma, stagnation of liquid in the roots. When the clod of earth dries up, the leaves fall off, it will be difficult to regain their liveliness. Florists save the day by tying up foliage, this partially improves the condition of the bush.
The plant is distinguished by large leaves, they need systematic moisture. The flower is sprayed with a spray bottle of settled water, regularly wiped with a damp cloth. In summer, the bush is systematically laid out with water procedures, in winter it is moistened according to the temperature regime of the room.
Temperature
For fatsia, the best condition is room temperature. The optimal temperature regime in the spring-autumn period is +17 ohFrom to +24 ohC. As the temperature rises, the watering frequency is adjusted. During the winter rest, the pot with the plant is rearranged in a cool place with a temperature of + 11-16 ohWITH. Variegated varieties are demanding on lighting - they are placed near the window or illuminated by lamps.
Fatsia needs to be supplied with fresh air, in the summer it is not susceptible to drafts. In mid-June, the pot is placed on the balcony, the terrace, the garden.
It is important to plant the crop in shady areas avoiding the scorching sun.
Soil and capacity
For wild species, areas with a large amount of humus are suitable. The soil should be of normal or low acidity. To maintain the required balance of the acidity of the earth, you can independently correct the situation using special planting soil.
It is prepared from:
- lawn soil (2 portions);
- deciduous humus (1 portion);
- sand (1 portion).
In the absence of the above components, a ready-made substrate purchased in the store is used to create a soil composition. Florists recommend replacing homemade soil with hydroponic. When transplanting, the fatsia is placed in a new container, the top of the soil is removed and covered with fresh substrate. It is important to properly lay the drainage: preference should be given to coarse-grained materials, fill the drainage container by one third.
For transplanting a young fatsia, the pot is selected 5 cm in diameter larger than the previous one. When choosing a pot for fatsia, you should give preference to tall pots of medium diameter. It will facilitate the placement of drainage without reducing the growth area of the rhizomes.
It is recommended to choose a ceramic pot - it is more stable than a plastic pot, it will not tip over under the weight of the plant.
top dresser
Fatsia is fed from the first days of March to October in 10-15 days. Top dressing is carried out using organic and mineral fertilizers suitable for deciduous ornamental plants. With the onset of winter, feeding is stopped.
Dormant period
With the onset of winter, Fatsia enters a dormant phase - vital activity slows down, leaf growth. The flower accumulates liquid, consuming it carefully, therefore irrigation is reduced, feeding is stopped.
Fatsia rests at low temperature. The room must be +15 ohFrom ... + 17 ohC. In a cool winter, the plant is not sprayed, at normal and high temperatures, the bush is sprayed with a spray bottle.
In addition to the optimal temperature regime, fatsia are demanding on lighting. The pot is placed near the window in a dark place or illuminated by artificial light sources. It is not recommended to use incandescent lamps - they are not useful, they only give off heat. Fatsia is illuminated by fluorescent lamps, LED backlighting and special phytolamps.
Bloom
At home, flowers rarely form on the bush. In nature in late autumn and early winter, Fatsia grows with umbrella-shaped inflorescences with whitish flowers.
They have an unusual shape, 5-6 small petals, long stamens.
Cut and shape
The fatsia pruning procedure is carried out 1 time when a young specimen is transplanted to create the shape of the foliage. Young shrubs are pruned for the first three years. Old specimens do not need pruning - this spoils their appearance, reduces the attractiveness of the crown.
Fatsia stands out for its rigor in the pruning procedure. It is carried out 3-4 times a year, pinching the top. Prune the plant carefully, protecting your hands with rubber gloves to avoid contact with the flower sap.Ordinary specimens do not need additional support; in some cases, the fallen leaves are shaped with spacer sticks.
Seasonal Care Features
The number of waterings, feeding fatsia directly depends on the season.
Spring
From spring to summer, fatsia is kept in a room with a temperature of +18 ohFrom ... + 21 ohC. From March to October, the plant is fed with mineral and organic additives. The transplant is carried out once every 2-3 years in May-June.
Summer
In summer, the fatsia is taken outside to shaded areas. Watering should be abundant with soft, settled water.
Autumn
Since the beginning of September, the plant is watered less, fertilizing is reduced.
Winter
In winter, it is necessary to provide bright lighting, cool temperature conditions (from +10 ohFrom to +14 ohWITH). The frequency of irrigation, humidification is reduced, less often feeding is applied.
How to plant and replant
During active growth, the fatsia with roots is placed in a large container, covered with soil with a rhizome growth simulator. The frequency of transplantation is determined by the growth rate of the bush, its development. Young plants with actively growing leaves and rhizomes should be replanted annually. The frequency of transplanting adult fatsias is 1 time every 2-3 years in early spring. In this case, it is important to remove the soil surface and replace it with fresh soil composition.
As the plant grows, the size of the pot increases. New trunks are formed due to basal processes.To obtain a slightly acidic and neutral soil composition, turf, humus, leafy soil is mixed with sand, peat.
the reproduction
Fatsia is characterized by ease of reproduction, it is bred using vegetative methods, from seeds.
Cuttings
Growing plants vegetatively is done in stages:
- In April, the stem with the scion is precut.
- To treat the plant, a growth rooting agent is used - it will help the cuttings take root.
- The shoots are deepened in a pot with a 2-3 cm peat-sand mixture, covered with cellophane.
- The pot is placed in a heated place with a temperature of + 25-26 ohWITH.
The rooted shoots of the plant are planted in individual containers.
Seeds
For cultivation, the fatsias are filled with fresh seeds with a high rooting rate:
- After drying the seeds, they begin to prepare the nutrient substrate - they mix the leafy and gaseous soil with sand.
- Water the soil in a pot, sow the seeds, sprinkle it with soil 1-1.5 cm thick.
- The container is covered with a plastic bag, placed in a heated area.
The leaves that appear are transplanted one by one into the pot.
Layers
The bare trunk of the plant is saved with layers of air. The breeding procedure takes place in stages:
- The trunk is cut along the longitudinal line.
- The cut site is covered with sphagnum, impregnated with a growth stimulator and fixed with foil.
- It is necessary to maintain the moisture content of sphagnum.
After the roots germinate and the root system grows, the top of the plant is cut off from the plant and planted in a new pot.
Solve common problems
Improperly chosen care, the frequency of watering can cause a number of problems for the plant.
Care errors
The reason for the withering of the leaves may be insufficient watering, excessively high temperature. Drying and wrinkling of foliage occurs due to insufficient level of humidity in the atmosphere. In the open sun, the leaves of fatsia become covered with burns, light spots.
Diseases
The plant is often affected by fungal and viral infections, causing the foliage to dry out. Due to gray rot, anthracnose leaves dry up, turn brown and fall off.
pests
Fatsia is not resistant to gray rot, red spider mites, aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, scale insects. They are removed with a soapy sponge, when breeding parasites they are removed with Aktellik, Aktaroy, Karbofos.
Additional tips and tricks
Fatsia is characterized by rapid adaptation to different environments, a short period of rest. In winter, it does not need to create a certain microclimate in the room. Prolonged drought is a detrimental factor for perennials. The main condition for the growth of a plant is considered moderate irrigation.