At the word "Ficus" most people is tall plant with large glossy leaves, which was very popular in the 60s of the last century. However, the popularity of this flower does not fade, and now, so we decided to tell how to grow ficus in the home and what kinds of room for this approach.
Home ficus is an evergreen plant from the mulberry family. Among the known species, there are huge trees, and very tiny specimens. Potted Ficus comprises about 20 species, among which in the first place can be safely put Ficus Elastica. Also popular lyre-shaped appearance, Ficus benjamina, dwarf species, and Bengali.
Terms maintenance: watering, lighting, trains
Home ficus tolerates room conditions and quite unpretentious. It adapts to any lighting, but in a completely darkened rooms can extend branches, and becomes a little leafy ficus. It is better to prepare in advance place and try to direct sunlight shining onto the ficus. Remember, variegated types need more bright light. In the warmer months better make ficus fresh air balcony or terrace.
Indoor Ficus is very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, humidity, and generally does not like to change. In winter, in low light, you can use additional lighting. To ficus leaves were glossy, it is necessary to periodically foliar application and, of course, do not forget about the regular fertilization.
Watering Ficus need, making sure that the earth is enough dry out, because the overflow negatively affect the condition of the plant. It is better to use a little heated water for irrigation. The most optimal way to "drink" Ficus is such a scheme: the plants watered until until the water begins to flow through the drain hole. Then the pot in such a state is left for half an hour and then poured into excess water. Alternatively, you can just put the ficus in a pan with water and leave it for 20 minutes. This time is enough to satiate the earthen room moisture.
In winter, water the ficus need to be very careful. But considering that in our apartments during the heating season the air rather over-dried, it will still need to be watered frequently. At the same time, make sure that the ficus is not standing on the cold floor. Hypothermia quickly leads to the death of the root system.
Young ficus need to be transplanted annually in pots larger diameter. Large specimens have not transplanted, but simply replace partially ground. To transplant you can use special soil or any universal soil. The main thing is to give enough attention to drainage - on the bottom of the pot is required to pour a layer of expanded clay of about 1-3 cm.
From October to February, all rooms rubber plants are dormant. It forced the state that occurs due to lack of light and reduce the air temperature. If you need to ficus continued growth in the need to improve the indoor air temperature and install additional lighting. Species such as figs and bottle in a period of rest shed their leaves, others just slow down growth.
Popular varieties
Ficus Elastica
The home is a large tree with oval leaves. Leaf length up to 35 cm and a width of 20 cm. The height of the tree depends on the conditions of detention and can reach 2 m. This ficus came to us from the hot tropics, where it can reach up to 30 m.
Ficus has one feature: the presence of aerial roots-props. The trunk almost branches. There are species with variegated leaves and the usual green, the latter are considered more unpretentious care. It is imperative to maintain a ficus clean (especially the leaves), and make sure that it is not damaged. If a short stalk leaf still damaged, it appears a white sap that is poisonous.
Indoor rubber plants of this type practically do not bloom, but overall pretty unpretentious. Rubber-Ficus does not like sudden changes in soil moisture, and if the first is too fill with water, and then dry thoroughly, then there is a risk that the ficus just throw all the leaves. Humidity and the lighting is not that important, but direct sunlight can burn the leaves. Variegated ficus elastica more fussy and requires frequent spraying the leaves, usually grows a little slower than the species with green leaves.
Dwarf Ficus
It basket plant capable of completely ground to lay a beautiful carpet. Numerous stems shoots continuously release a length of about 5 cm, which in turn produce roots. This ficus brought to us from Japan and China. Its leaves are heart-shaped and slightly crimped. The young shoots of leaves are asymmetrical, and if at this moment ficus propagate vegetatively, such asymmetry persist in the adult plant.
In young specimens the length of the leaf is about 2, 5 cm, with age, it can grow to 10 cm. This Ficus grows very slowly; to increase the rate of growth of shoots should be increased air humidity and temperature. But such individuals can easily tolerate a lack of lighting, lossless appearance.
Ficus lyrata
It named for its specific form of leaves - a violin. In young plants the leaves are covered with a small gun with a waxy coating. Leaves reach a length of 60 cm and a width of 30 cm in adult plants. Under natural conditions, such rubber plants can grow up to 12 meters in height. The trunk is straight, without branches and aerial roots. It requires bright light. To ficus correctly formed, the plant should be regularly rotated around its axis.
Ficus blunted
Once known as the Cuban laurel or ficus. It is a green tree trunk with a smooth and very branched crown. It produces aerial roots. Leaves are rounded egg-shaped, up to 8 cm. Due to structural features of the trunk a ficus often used for bonsai. The trunk is covered with bark, which has a distinctive reddish spots - through which gas exchange occurs plants. To give the necessary form the trunk, use a wire that is periodically replaced to prevent damage to the plant.
Ficus Benjamin
Very popular due to its universal size. This can be a ficus bush, and this tree. There are many varieties of this plant, but they are all reminiscent of a weeping tree reaching 2 m in height. The difference between these types of sheet size and color: can be normal green leaves, with white stains and even twisted spiral.
Florists use that the rubber plants produce aerial roots and create amazing weave. With age, the plants grow, and the trunk becomes a real work of art. Ficus has a rather weak stems, so often planted in a pot of several copies or use additional props. Very unpretentious care. Well tolerated haircut, so the shape of the crown can complement the design of the room. This ficus little flowers, but the lack of buds offset by evergreen leaves.
Ficus carica
According to Biblical tradition, it was his first leaves began to "dress" for Adam and Eve. Although we do this better known as ficus figs. Fruit trees up to 12 m is considered one of the oldest fruit trees, and without a care easy runs wild.
Ficus sacred
Originally from East Asia. In India, revered by Buddhists because of the legend that it was under his leaf on the Buddha was enlightened. At home it reaches 30 m in height and looks very spectacular thanks to the roots-props. Ficus has heart-shaped leaves and drops in air pressure release juice. In people, this phenomenon is called a sacred tree crying. Petioles of the leaves are long and reach almost half of the lamina. At home, a Ficus does not like too dry air and high temperatures - immediately begins to drop leaves.
Bengali ficus
Under natural conditions, it grows into a huge tree with additional backups, which are converted into aerial roots. The "captive" a ficus more like a bush. The leaves are dark green, covered with a small cannon. The pot does not bloom. In winter, do not place near a heat source - may lose leaves. The special features of the plant include the need for content in a fairly large room.
Contents:
Orchid, which is suitable even for inexperienced florist
Healthy plants - learn to choose correctly
Sun, air and water
Plant, transplant, otsazhivayut
Nature has created tens of thousands of species of orchids. We can meet a representative of orchids almost everywhere in the natural habitat. Of course, except for the desert or snowy land of polar ice.
The most incredible beauty of orchids live in tropical and subtropical lesah.Usloviya constant high temperature and heavy rainfall have on the cultivation of orchids the most beneficial effect. Therefore, although the greatest diversity of species of these divinely beautiful plants, not all of them can be grown at home, in the ordinary household realities.
Orchid, which is suitable even for inexperienced florist
Getting to the selection of the desired species of orchids, consider the following thing: what is the temperature in the room where your pitomitsy will grow, bloom and delight you with his presence? In a warm room will feel comfortable themselves Wanda Cuttle, phalaenopsis, dendrobium. Houses with a moderate temperature in the rooms suitable for lelii. For tselogony, pafiopedilyumi Dendrobiums ideal cool room. In this article we will talk about the most popular orchids, which increasingly decorate their homes not only experienced growers, but also quite inexperienced amateurs of this activity. We'll tell you about the hybrid, which is often called the "orchid for beginners." Such a title she earned enough for ease of care and maintenance.
It's about phalaenopsis. This flower got the nickname "Butterfly Orchid" of some resemblance of its flowers to the wings of this butterfly. Admire at home these colors with proper care you can from six months to eight months continuously. To your new lodger was comfortable rooms in your home, you should know and take care of the three components that provide it. We are talking about a special substrate for orchids, for her special irrigation and air circulation of your beauty.
Healthy plants - learn to choose correctly
Of course, that determine the color of the petals of your future, you can trust yourself, because it all depends on personal taste preferences. But to understand the health of the plant, you need to know some of the signs that distinguish diseased plant from its healthy peers. Thus, in healthy plants:
Fresh, bright, elastic flap
Leaves bright green or reddish-green, with their lack of brown spots, dryness, yellowness traces and signs web or mold
Fleshy roots and solid whitish-green. Note that if the substrate in which the orchid, the dry, the roots will be bright, resembling silver threads. If it is wet, the roots will be green.
If you see that you selected the plant complies with all these features, so be sure that it is completely healthy and there is no danger to acquire it to decorate your home. If you choose to buy a flower winter season, the pobespokoytes on how to wrap a paper plant and then put in a plastic bag.
Do it gently and carefully, so as not to damage the leaves and flowers, while providing them with protection from the effects of cold temperatures. Do not leave the delicate beauty in the car in the cold for more than fifteen or twenty minutes.
Once you get home with a new tenant, you have to take care of his acclimatization in the new space. To do this, place the plant in the place, protected by directional direct sunlight and good ventilation. Let him stand up here and spent a few days, he will realize that his journey from greenhouses, conservatories, shops were completed successfully. Now he is at home. Notify everyone on your home that your family addition in the form of a graceful flower that now everyone will enjoy.
Sun, air and water
Flower will be happy to live and grow in any light box, but the scattered light orchids prefer. The most preferred are windows facing east or west. After all, there will not be the scorching heat of the sun in the summer, but there is enough lighting during winter. Putting an orchid on the south side, be sure to take care of creating shade for the plants.
Or just remove the flower from the window sill on the table near the window. If you forget to do this, exposure to direct rays of the sun darkened tender leaves. The plant suffered burns that look like dents, or spots of brown, light or dark, depending on the degree of injury. By placing his beauty on the north window, in the winter it provide additional lighting.
Like all other plants, phalaenopsis stretches into the light. In order to position the flower was right, periodically turn the pot with a plant on its axis. Pay attention to the color of its leaves pitomitsy. If you notice that they have started to change color or have it changed, for example, becoming dark green, though the light was green or red and green, it means that the plant lacks light.
There are three ways of watering orchids, which we will tell you now that your plants never experienced pangs of thirst, but not under threat of flooding.
Just to inform you that if irrigation has its own quirks, which is easy to remember, because they, too, are only three. So you should know:
The plant should be watered only when the substrate is completely dried out;
Water for irrigation is preferable to use warm or at room temperature;
All water treatment (and watering, and spraying) for orchids spend the morning or afternoon, with the expectation that the night before the plant has had time to dry.
The first method of irrigation - irrigation. It is most similar to the natural, the natural watering. The essence of it is this: when we see that the substrate is completely dry, we take the pot with his orchid, attribute it to the bathroom, there is set up a jet of water, making it not strong and warm. Begin watering orchids on top until such time as the substrate is not completely gets wet. Immersion - this is the second way that you can use in the care of an orchid. He also carried out in the bathroom.
You should dial container (basin or bucket) of warm water and immerse the plant at the time of about ten minutes or quarter of an hour. This time is quite enough to the substrate is completely saturated with water and got wet to the extent necessary. To carry out watering plants at home is very convenient as using a watering can. To the substrate was soaked completely on all sides, pour the water, the pot slightly rotating around its axis.
Whichever way you go practice of watering, be sure to allow the water to drain freely. Remove from the pan all the excess moisture. Make sure the sheet funnel plants, so-called point of growth, not the accumulated water. If it's there, remove moisture cloth. The point of growth in this hybrid orchids available in the singular. It is literally - the heart of the flower. Without it, he can not not that developed, but also to live. Sprinkling the plant, remove it at this time to direct sunlight to gentle orchid does not get burned.
During active growth and flowering orchids require more frequent watering than in times of peace, when the plant has bloomed. In addition, guided by the temperature in the room - if the house warm, then the need for irrigation increases. Warn your home, not to overdo the water treatments. About the lack of moisture the plant will hint you lethargic and even shriveled leaves on waterlogging - rotting roots that are melted and potemneyut.Ot excess water delicate orchid can become seriously ill or even die. Do not allow this, and then your unearthly beauty will please you view their flowering for at least seven years.
Plant, transplant, otsazhivayut
Provided that you are the owner of a healthy and flowering plants, transplant it immediately after the purchase is not necessary. The reason for the transplant is usually the fact that the substrate comes into disrepair. It happens once every two or three years. Determine this is not difficult, if you look a little closer to the substrate. Compacted, brittle, blackened substrate zapahnuvshy sour - that's a reason for replanting.
Phalaenopsis Orchid refers to monopodial plants. This means that because the growing point of a plant is at the top, orchid due to growth just lengthened. Most of the new and healthy roots of plants are between the leaves, go outside and are airy. The pot is the old inner barrel with dried, spent his own, roots.
All this is about to happen in five years to seven. And during the growth of orchids need a new, clean, fresh substrate. Repot your darling should be in a transparent container. The simplest version is suitable for this - food containers required size. To hide their unattractive design in the future, place the container with a flower in wood, bamboo or ceramic pots.
The most "delicious" substrate for Phalaenopsis orchids, as well as most other species of orchids, you can safely "call" cocktail. It includes a variety of ingredients: the bark of trees, a variety of natural fibers (eg, peat), charcoal, moss, clay granulated cork, large-beaded sand with the addition of perlite or vermiculite. You can pour a little foam. Of course, buy ready-mix in the store will be much easier than cooking its own at home. But if for some reason it has disappeared from the market, we need to know how to do it yourself.
Initially, it should prepare all the ingredients correctly. You should start with the crust - is the cornerstone for the whole mixture. It is best to use the bark from pine trees, and you need to remove it from a dead tree. Bark should be cleaned and crushed so that the pieces across approximately three dimensions. Large pieces of about ten millimeters; the average - two times less, and trash the size of two millimeters. Before using the bark must be decontaminated by boiling a couple of times at intervals of two to three days. Use may be in wet form.
Another important component - a moss. Most often used for planting sphagnum moss, but it is adequate for this purpose and moss, which is called Kukushkin flax. In appearance it resembles spruce twigs. For our purposes it is better to use the green part, discarding the stems. Before start up of the mixture should also moss rinse thoroughly with hot water. Thereafter, it may be ground to pieces of two to five centimeters. All other components (sand, coal, concrete block) may be purchased separately. If you collect the sand or expanded clay in terms of wildlife, you should also take care of the disinfection of raw materials. Sand can be ignited in the oven, and expanded clay - boil.
It is important that the substrate and the container epifitovspravlyalis with its main task, which is as follows:
they should keep the plant well and ensure it is in the upright position
to deliver plant roots from excess moisture around them, congestion and stagnation of water inside the tank
easy to pass air to the roots of the plant, thus ensuring their airing and ventilation
Therefore epiphytes substrate usually contains no garden soil, as planting container at the bottom must be sufficiently large openings providing exit of water and air circulation.
So when it's time to repot an orchid in domashnihusloviyah, proceed as follows:
You have to remove the orchid from its old pot so as not to damage the roots. To avoid this, you can even donate old pot, cut it in several places from top to bottom. Also, be careful not to cause damage to the plant;
Try as carefully as possible to remove all the old substrate plant roots. Take sharp scissors and remove all the old dried roots and decayed. Treat the cut with powdered charcoal, sprinkled them a little;
For the transplant, you will need a pot larger than the previous one. At the bottom of the new home of your orchid put a few stones of large size, it gives greater stability pot. Then put a layer of drainage, for which you can use expanded clay, shards of clay pots, granite rubble or brick chips;
Now place the orchid in a pot and start rattling off the new substrate, occasionally shaking the pot, the mixture can better lie down. It must be free to fill the space around the roots of orchids, without seal, but without excessive voids. Do not fill the root neck of the plant substrate, it should remain open. Its location is optimal if it is slightly below the level of the edges of the pot;
After all these procedures the plant should be watered, observing all the subtleties of irrigation. Then, place your orchid in a shady place for a few days for adaptation and habituation. Do not forget to rest after her back on the already familiar to her place.
Now you can say that you know everything you need to create in your home the most favorable conditions for the cultivation of orchids. Do not stop progress, begin to develop other types of these divine plants, enchanting us with their wonderful views. Most of them have undoubted similarities in the intricacies of care.
But you will not be difficult to learn some of the nuances that are incomparable pleasure to witness the enchanting plants in your home.
