Aglaonema - home care, photo

Aglaonema (Aglaonema) - A decorative evergreen plant from the Aroid family (Aronikovye). Southeast Asia is considered homeland. It is found in the natural environment in the Philippines, in New Guinea, India. The height of the bush varies from 25 to 75 cm. The trunk is not noticeable. The flower attracts attention with leathery green leaves that have an oblong shape and pointed ends. They clearly see the central light strip and small patterns in the form of spots, stripes.

Aglaonema grows slowly, over a year the foliage is replenished with 5 - 6 leaves. It rarely blooms, releasing an inflorescence - an ear, wrapped in a pale blanket. At home, lives up to 3 years, then loses decorativeness and needs updating.

Beneficial features

Athumidifies the air in the room. Reduces the level of toxic substances released by new furniture and gas stoves. Some species disinfect the air, purifying it from anaerobic bacteria. The flower during the period of intensive growth releases air ions, causing a charge of vivacity, increasing resistance to stress.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

Despite the tropical origin, aglaonema grows well at home, if you follow the elementary rules for its cultivation:

The plant is unpretentious, caring for it is simple, but there are some features of growing aglaonema. All parts of the flower contain toxic substances, oxalic acid, which cause skin burns and irritation of the mucous membranes. Juice and berries that appear after flowering plants cause severe allergies. Therefore, you must work with the plant very carefully, wearing gloves. They make sure that children and animals do not touch the bush.

Aglonema care at home. In detail

The aglaonema flower in room conditions develops correctly and feels good if its needs for light, heat, nutrition and moisture are satisfied.

Landing

The high decorative properties of the plant largely depend on a well-conducted planting. Important quality of planting material (cuttings, seeds, fragment of the bush). If you have chosen the seed variant of planting, the seeds are used only fresh, collected from ripe red berries. Landing is carried out in spring and summer.

Fertile, friable, breathable acidic substrate will provide the plant with good nutrition and improve appearance. Landing aglaonema involves choosing the right place. The flower feels comfortable on a window facing any side except the south: bright sunlight can cause burns to foliage.

Bloom

Aglaonema rarely blooms at home. All the charm of the plant lies in its variegated emerald leaves. Flowering aglaonema is an unattractive phenomenon. From February to November, inconspicuous inflorescences are formed in the axils of the upper leaves in the form of greenish-yellow ears, wrapped in a pale veil.

There may be 1 to 3 pieces. Depending on the variety, the cobs look like a thick short mace or a thin long cylinder. Sometimes flower growers sacrifice inflorescences and cut them off for the sake of the appearance of new leaves. If this is not done, you can wait for the appearance of fruits - red (less often - white) berries with a single grain inside.

Temperature mode

To preserve the decorativeness of the flower, it is important to strictly observe the temperature regime. Aglaonema is a thermophilic plant. Drafts and sudden changes in temperature can ruin it. Although there are varieties that tolerate cooling to + 10 ° C, the optimum temperature for a flower is considered to be from 15 - 25 ° C in the summer and 15 - 18 ° C - in the winter.

If you do without watering in winter, the plant can tolerate a lower temperature.

Spraying

The tropics are characterized by increased air humidity. To make the room aglaonema comfortable, it is required to spray the plant 2 times every 14 days in the summer, arrange a warm shower or wipe the leaves more often with a damp cloth. Just do not allow moisture to accumulate in the leaf outlet: this can lead to the death of the plant.

In winter, spraying is carried out less often, but the flower is placed in a pan with moist expanded clay or pebbles. During the heating season, the flower is kept away from batteries, air humidifiers are used, or an open container of water is placed next to it.

Lighting

Lighting is important for plant vegetation. The Aglaonema is genetically determined to receive a lot of light, but it should not be bright and scorching, but scattered. The scorching summer sun can burn a flower, so windows facing south are dangerous for him. It is best to place green leaf bushes in partial shade.

Variegated species of aglaonema, on the contrary, love bright sunlight: under its influence, the leaves become more beautiful. But a slight shade is also useful for these species. In winter, they install additional lighting.

Watering

The plant is hygrophilous, but stagnant water is detrimental to it. Watering aglaonemes spend in spring and summer, when the topsoil dries.

In winter and when the aglaonema is kept in a cool room, this is done less frequently - about once every 10 days. For irrigation take clean water, settled in the room.

Pot size

There are no trifles in the content of the plant. For proper development, even the size of the pot in which the flower is planted is important. A low pot of small volume is preferred. Tightness will stimulate the formation of new leaves and strengthen the root system of the bush.

Priming

Breathable, moisture-retaining soil for sinter is very important. The flower grows well in acidic loose soil. Ready-mix soil for bulbs corresponds to these characteristics. You can make the soil yourself, taking garden soil, peat, perlite, (1: 2: 1), and put 2 times more for young bushes of sheet land.

Charcoal can be added to the mixture. For adult plants, the amount of turf soil can be increased.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Fertilizer and fertilizer mineral and organic substances - an important component of flower care. Once every 2 weeks, aglaonema is fertilized with liquid compositions for ornamental-deciduous plants, containing not only the main elements, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, but also trace elements that prevent soil alkalization.

To preserve the foliage decorativeness, foliar top dressing is carried out: the leaves are sprayed with diluted liquid fertilizer. This is best done after watering in cloudy weather, so as not to accidentally burn the plant. All dressings are carried out from early March to early October.

You can’t fertilize in winter, because the plant is resting at this time.

Transfer

The first time aglaonema is transplanted a week after purchase. When it adapts a little to home conditions, it is transferred from a temporary pot to a permanent container. Young bushes are transplanted once a year, adults - once every 4 years. Transfer aglaonemes necessary when the roots are completely braided by an earthen lump. It is always produced in the spring. A new pot is selected 20 to 30 mm larger than the previous one.

It must have drainage holes and a place to pour a thick layer of drainage, which is necessary so that the water in the pot does not stagnate. They carefully select the soil, given that she loves the soil is acidic and loose. The soil mixture should include turf land (an adult bush can put more of it), peat, leaf land, charcoal and perlite (sand).

Rest period

Like most plants, rest period aglaonemes falls for the winter. At this time, reduce the amount of watering, cease to stimulate the growth of fertilizers and top dressing.

Pruning

When the aglaonema grows up, its trunk is exposed. This suggests that the flower needs pruningby means of which its rejuvenation is carried out. The top of the plant is trimmed with a sharp knife, the cut points are dusted with coal powder. The stump is left in the pot.

They continue to take care of him and wait for the kidneys to resume. And the top is rooted in water, in which activated carbon is pre-dissolved in order to avoid acidification. Sometimes the apex is immediately planted in moist soil. Cover with polyethylene and contain at a temperature of + 25 ° C until rooting.

A home aglaonema does not require special care, with proper maintenance it will grow up healthy and become a real decoration of the interior.

Aglaonema reproduction

If the trunk of the flower begins to branch or bare, the plant is ready for propagation. Reproduction is possible in different ways.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The easiest method.

• They take the aglaonema out of the pot, examine the root system.
• Fragments with a developed root system are separated.
• Plant them in separate containers.
• It is watered, covered with a film and left at a temperature of + 23 ° C for several days so that the plant takes root.
• Periodically it is watered and sprayed.

Aglaonema propagation by cuttings

Carried out when the trunk is exposed.

• The apical shoot is cut up to 10 cm long, the cut is sprinkled with charcoal powder, and dried.
• Then 5 cm immersed in wet sand.
• Cover with a film and hold for a month at + 25 ° C until the bush gives root.
• Periodically watered and ventilated.

Growing aglaonema from seeds

Perhaps when aglaonema self-pollinates. The plant ripe red fruit. When they ripen on the bush, the seeds must be removed from the berries, washed and planted in a mixture of peat and sand, taken in equal parts. Pour, cover with foil and leave at + 25 ° C. The first shoots appear quickly. When 2 to 3 leaves appear, the bushes are planted in separate pots. After 3 years, you get strong plants.

All methods of reproduction are accessible and simple, but it is important to know that when propagating by seeds, the aglaoneme loses varietal traits.

Diseases and Pests

If you follow the basic rules of care and create comfortable conditions, the aglaonema will grow strong, many diseases and pests will bypass it. But sometimes difficulties arise when growing a plant:

• rotting stalk - excess moisture (overstate the top);
• gray spots on the leaves aglaonemes - a fungal infection (fungicides are used);
• leaves curl and blacken - at low temperature (rearrange to heat);
• the leaves became pale - lack of nutrients (feed) or little light (rearrange in a brighter place);
• dry spots on the leaves - excess sun (pritenit);
• slowly growing - a natural process, a plant from among slowly growing;
• not growing - lack of light (rearrange in a bright place); watering with cold or hard water (use warm, settled water; 0.2 g of citric acid is added to soften 10 l of water); spoiled leaves take away strength from the flower (in time to clean the bush from them);
• brown leaf tips - low humidity (spray, place an open container with water nearby);
• dark spots on the leaves - subcooling or pouring with hard cold water (put in a warm place, pour over with warm, settled water, adding 0.2 g of citric acid per 10 l of water);
• lower leaves turn yellow - a natural physiological process (you can update the flower by rooting the top);
• droplets on the tips of the leaves - the allocation of excess moisture from waterlogging, temperature and humidity;
• yellow or white spots - sunburn (pritenit);
• dry leaf edges, their deformation - lack of moisture and humidity (water and ventilate well without drafts);
• spots of swamp color on the leaves - little light (put in a brighter place).

If the aglaonema grows weak, pests can attack it: aphids, mealybugs, thrips, whiteflies, spider mites.

Types of home aglaonema

About 50 species of aglaonema growing in nature are known. Some of them are grown at home. Depending on the height of the plant, the species are divided into 3 groups.

Undersized aglaonemes

Growth up to 0.25 m; leaves are creeping or drooping. The most popular 3 varieties:

Round Aglaonema (Aglaonema Rotundum)

Dark green heart-shaped leaves with bright pink stripes running along the veins along the entire length of the leaf. A flower is a pink cob surrounded by a pink and white coverlet.

Ribbed Aglaonema (Aglaonema Costatum)

The trunk branches at the base. Oval green leaves with bright spots and stripes. The sheet length is up to 20 cm, the width is half that. A flower is a white ear covered with a green veil. The smallest aglaonema.

Short-coated Aglaonema (Aglaonema Brevispathum)

The trunk is located underground. Narrow green leaves of elongated shape. In the center is a vertical white stripe. Forms few leaves. A flower is an ear covered with a white veil.

Medium-sized varieties

Bushes up to 50 cm high. The trunk is straight. Leaves are long - up to 30 cm.

Aglaonema Maria

A bush up to 60 cm high. The length of green leaves covered with white spots is 20 cm. A white ear is wrapped in a white veil. It can grow under artificial lighting without losing its decorative effect.

Silver Queen (Silver Queen)

Silver-blue leaves with green strokes. The length of the leaf is from 15 - 30 cm. The height of the bush is up to 0.4 m. The white ear is covered with a white veil only on one side. Loves a lot of light.

Aglaonema Treyb (Aglaonema Treubii)

Green leaves with a silver pattern reach 17 cm. A white ear is wrapped in a snow-white cover. The most unpretentious kind of domestic aglaonem.

High aglaonems

Popular varieties derived from shade-tolerant species.

Aglaonema Silver Bay

The bush branches from the roots. The trunk is slowly exposed. The height of an adult bush can reach 100 cm. The pointed leaves are up to 30 cm long. In the center they are pale green, dark stripes and spots along the edges. The underside is dark green. In an adult bush, the leaves darken. Resistant to cold.

Aglaonema Friedman (Gabriel, Cecilia) (Aglaonema pictum Freedman)

Large wide leaves with wavy bends at the edges. Light spots are in the center of the leaf, dark green specks on the edges and closer to the center. Bush height - up to 150 cm.

Aglaonema Stripes (Aglaonema Stripes)

Oval wide leaves with pointed ends grow to 35 cm. Dark green stripes alternate with light ones. Connecting at the tip, they form a small bright spot.

Exotic ornamental plant, the charm of which is not in the original bright flowers characteristic of exotics, but in unusual leaves. The color of the foliage surprises with a game of green shades with light stripes and spots. Fancyly located on a leaf plate, they create a special motley ornament that sets it apart from other plants.A guest from the rainforest is a worthy decoration of a modern interior.

Watch the video: Aglaonema Stars of India Care (April 2024).