Caring for arrowroot at home, planting rules and tips for reproduction
Maranta takes its name from the medieval botanist-taxonomist Bartolomeo Maranta. Natural habitat - wetlands of South and Central America, tropical forests. The length of the leaves of some species reaches 1.5 meters with a width of 60 cm. Caring for arrowroot at home is not difficult, it is enough to provide the plant with high humidity and diffused light.
Description and characteristics of the plant
Arrowroot owes its exceptional decorative character to the exotic color of the foliage. The upper part of the leaf plate is covered with a green and white colored pattern, some species have a red color. Arrowroot leaves have a feature: they rotate behind the light source and change position throughout the day.
Breeding methods
The plant can be propagated in three ways.
Cuttings
It is recommended to carry out in the summer: the upper part 8-10 cm long should be separated from the shoot, with 2-3 pairs of healthy leaves. The cuttings are placed in water for 4-5 weeks, until roots form, or in a moist soil mix. For their comfort, greenhouse conditions with high humidity are created. You can use a cut plastic bottle (to cover the container), a glass jar, a bag or a florarium.For grafting, it is recommended to use several tops, the rooting percentage is not high.
Separation of tubers
An adult plant easily reproduces vegetatively. The bush is divided into parts so that each has 2-3 tubercles on the roots and the same number of leaves. To avoid infection, the cut site should be sprinkled with crushed activated carbon. This method is the most effective.
grow seeds
Seeds for seedlings are sown with the onset of spring. They are laid out in a container with prepared earth, without deepening, and then lightly sprinkled with earth. The first shoots can be seen in 1-2 weeks, at a temperature of plus 15-19 ° C.
Saplings dive with the appearance of 2-3 leaves.
Bloom
Arrowroot flowers are collected in loose spike-shaped white-pink inflorescences. In the apartment, she reluctantly blossoms. It needs a carefully calibrated temperature and humidity level.
Transplant Features
The plant does not need an annual transplant, the root system of arrowroot has a rather modest size. But with the development of a thick branched bush, it is transplanted into a larger container. The transplant is performed at the end of February and the first half of March. The roots of the flower grow wide, the pot needs a wide one.
Arrowroot is transplanted by transferring a piece of soil to a new container so as not to injure the roots.
Diseases and pests
The natural immunity of arrowroot is quite high. Diseases thrive in improper agricultural practices, unsuitable growing conditions.
brown leaves
Anthracnose disease manifests as brownish brown spots on the leaves. As they spread, they increase and the fungal spores of the pathogen mature in the center. The mycelium looks like orange-red seals. The fungus develops well with an increase in soil acidity and waterlogging. For treatment, fungicidal preparations are used. If after two treatments the effect is minimal, you will have to part with the flower.
The leaves are fading
Arrowroot signals poor health by drying out the tips and changing the color of the leaf plate:
- the foliage of the plant dries up due to dry air;
- flower leaves may wither and dry out from sunburn;
- with a lack of nutrients, arrowroot slows down growth, the tips of the leaves turn brownish-yellow;
- with an excess of phosphorus-containing fertilizers, the leaves turn pale.
Spider
The most common pest of indoor plants is located on the back of the leaf, feeding on their sap. A colony of spider mites is able to destroy all the flowers in an apartment.
You can avoid its invasion, the insect does not tolerate moisture. Affected flowers are taken to the shower, carefully sprayed with soapy water, paying particular attention to the lower part of the leaves.If the pest is identified immediately, you can get by with traditional methods of struggle.
Important: so that soapy water does not get into the ground, the pot is placed in a bag before processing, and the solution is washed off after a day.
cochineal
The pest is identified by small, dense growths resembling cobwebs on the stem of the plant, on the veins of the leaf plates. Having fixed itself on the chosen place, it builds a cocoon around it. Later, his offspring will appear there.
Before processing the plant, it is necessary to carefully remove the colony of worms. With a cotton swab or a toothpick soaked in it, insects are removed from hard-to-reach places (the joint of the petiole and the stem), the rest of the plant is wiped with a sponge or cotton wool. Wipe the arrowroot with soapy water, or an infusion of tobacco, vodka, alcohol, kerosene. You can finally get rid of pests after using chemicals.
Shield
The insect weakens the plant, feeds on its juices. The arrowroot stops growing, the shoots become deformed. You can notice the defeat of the arrowroot by the growths of brownish color, these shields make the pest inaccessible for the action of drugs. Before starting treatment, the plant is washed under pressure with warm water. The procedure will help get rid of adult scale insects, it will not be possible to get rid of all the larvae. The rest is removed by wiping the plant with soapy water. Later, treat the dried plant with an insecticidal preparation.
Thrips
Thrips multiply rapidly and fill all houseplants. The affected leaves are covered with spots: brown-brown on the lower part, whitish on the top.Systemic insecticides are used against them, or they are wiped, sprayed with folk remedies:
- soapy solution;
- onion or garlic infusion;
- mechanical washing of insects with cold water.
To rot
Low temperature with high humidity provokes the development of fungal diseases, the most dangerous of which are:
- black fusarium rot: spreads to all parts of the plant;
- Fusarium brown rot: affects the crown of the plant and the main root, after which it spreads to the stem.
Affected parts of the plant should be removed, the plant should be treated with antifungal drugs.
Spots on foliage
It's not just diseases that rob arrowroot of its appeal. Improper care, namely air-dry spraying, will cause leaf spotting.
Fading bush
The plant loses its decorative effect primarily due to illiterate care. Excessive lighting or its absence affects the exotic color. Arrowroot loses contrast, becomes light. Spots and spots look washed out.
Ground requirements
It is advisable to grow arrowroot in a wide and spacious pot. A wide drainage layer of 1/3 of the planting capacity is required. For this, pebbles, shards or broken bricks, expanded clay, coarse sand are suitable. The soil should be nutritious and light, permeable. A special soil mixture for arrowroot can be bought at the store or prepared by yourself. The main components necessary for the growth and development of a plant:
- leafy earth;
- turf land;
- conifer litter;
- humus;
- sand;
- crushed charcoal.
The plant grows well on slightly acidic soils, suffers from lime particles in the soil.It responds with new shoots to regular, shallow loosening of the root soil.
Content Features
Arrowroot likes humidity and moderate light, without direct sun exposure. A burn can also occur from touching the cold surface of a window in winter. The raised leaves in the composition of the prayer speak of problems. The foliage of a healthy plant is open and slightly drooping.
Temperature and humidity
The optimum temperature for keeping arrowroot in the summer ranges from 23-25 ° C, in winter it should not fall below + 12 ° C. It is advisable to maintain the soil temperature at least +18 C. In the second half of autumn, a dormant period begins for the plant, until late spring it is recommended to maintain a temperature of 18-20 in the room. C. In nature, the plant lives in a tropical rainforest, protected from winds and aggressive sun by the crowns of trees. It is possible to achieve close-to-nature conditions by humidifying the air in the room. The pot with the plant is placed on a tray with water, adding it as it evaporates.
Lighting
Requires good lighting, but no direct sunlight. Feels comfortable on west or east facing windows. With the condition of additional lighting, you can place the arrowroot on the north windows.
Size
Pruning, as a mandatory maintenance procedure, allows you to improve the general appearance of the plant, and is also carried out for sanitary purposes.
Formative
To obtain a dense bush, training pruning stimulates the growth of lateral axillary buds. Regular pruning is carried out at 3 soil internodes - the main stem (stems) and 3-4 nodes on the cuttings.
Sanitary
Dried leaves and disease-damaged plant parts should be removed. When most of the plant loses its decorative effect, it is dramatically cut off, at the root. To stimulate the germination of new shoots, the bush is placed in a dark room, they continue to be watered regularly. The plant needs 1.5-2 months to build green mass.
watering mode
During the growing season, the plant needs abundant watering, it should be guided by the drying of the top layer of soil. During the rest period, watering is reduced. The soil in the pot should be moist, but not too much. Arrowroot roots are sensitive to standing water. For irrigation use boiled, rain or settled water.
Spray
To maintain the optimal level of humidity in the room, it is necessary to irrigate the aerial part of the arrowroot at least 2-3 times a week. Spraying is also carried out for prophylaxis against pests.
Ventilation
Air circulation is necessary for the plant, while it categorically does not tolerate drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations. In some cases, it is better to sacrifice lighting than to lose the neighborhood plant with a cold window and drafts.
Support and garter
Arrowroot prefers to grow upwards, even after pruning it doesn't bush much. A free-growing adult plant can be tied to a support, or used in an ampelous version, then the leaves hang down the sides of the pot. For the splendor of the bush, several plants are planted in one container.
Fertilization and feeding
The diet in the warm period is 2 times a month, it is better to use special fertilizers.They are raised with more water than indicated; Arrowroot reacts poorly to overfeeding.
In winter and after transplanting, the plant is not fertilized.
The purpose of the flower
Starchy arrowroot tubers are used as a thickener for dietary meals, they are processed into flour (arrowroot).Native Americans used the medicinal properties of the roots to feed children and the elderly. Nowadays, a drink is prepared from the tubers to maintain immunity in case of ARVI.There are contraindications to the use of plant products:
- postoperative period;
- low blood clotting;
- bleeding;
- peptic ulcer diseases.
Varieties
Among the most popular flower species among plant breeders, the following are most often found.
Tricolor
Tricolor arrow or streaked with red:
- oval leaf (13 cm x 6 cm), green veined with red;
- light green spots along the midrib, dark spots along the lateral veins. The lower part has a purple color, the veins are pink;
- blooms with pale lilac panicles.
Veined white
This type of plant is the undisputed favorite, it has a short, drooping stem (30 cm). The leaves are oval, with a transition from dark green to light green, the veins are silver-white, the back is purple-red. The species is not capricious, quickly adapts to conditions and easily multiplies.
Kerhoven
Arrowroot does not exceed 25 cm. The leaves are wide, oval (15 cm), with short cuttings. The upper plate is light green with a light stripe in the center, with dark spots. On the back there may be a red or blue powder coating. It blooms with small white flowers.
black masange
Maranta Masange is a demanding care species.Olive, almost black, leaf color creates a dramatic contrast with light green stripes and veins. The slipper is purplish pink.
Reed
The plant is 1.2-1.3 m high, the roots form a lot of tubers. Elongated leaves on strong stems have a grayish-gray pattern with green.
Traditional medicine uses this arrow to strengthen the immune system and treat insomnia.
Two-tone
Arrowroot bicolor (bicolor). On the upper side of the sheet, stripes of bright green color alternate with silver-green, their length can reach 15 cm. The lower part is woolly, pink.
Common Mistakes
Caring for arrowroot means strictly observing the rules of agricultural technology. Errors are non-compliance with watering rules, temperature conditions or lighting conditions:
- Temperature conditions. Indoor plants are most often placed on window sills; for arrowroot, it's not the best place to live. In summer, the plant can suffer from a draft, in winter get burned from cold glass, hot air from batteries is contraindicated for this;
- The flower requires high humidity, this cannot be achieved exclusively by watering, an integrated approach is needed: regular watering, spraying three times a week and periodic showering of foliage.
- Choosing the right location takes into account the lighting needs of the plant. The scorching rays of the sun damage the foliage, the lack of light causes the plant to stretch abnormally.
The best praise and gratitude to the grower will be the shiny, wide-open leaves of an elegant arrowroot.