Anthurium planting and care. Location and lighting for the plant

It is rare to find an amateur florist in whose apartment there is no anthurium. It can be safely attributed to the most popular indoor plants, despite its tenderness, whimsical care and some capriciousness. But with the reproduction of anthurium, problems almost never arise - there are several different ways... But each of them has its own nuances that need to be studied before starting the procedure.

What does anthurium look like

Anthurium (Anthurium) - one of the most popular tropical plants grown at home. The genus belongs to the Araceae family and has more than five hundred "natural" representatives, without taking into account the hybrids bred by breeding. Most anthuriums can be found in the forests of South and Central America, as well as on the islands of the Caribbean.

Enduring success with amateurs indoor plants anthurium owes abundant, bright and almost continuous flowering. Experienced flower growers believe that only some types of orchids can be compared with this "living bouquet" in spectacularity.

Anthurium leaves are dense, leathery, rich green. They seem to be carved from shiny satin or velvet with a fine pile. The size of the leaf plate varies from 5-10 cm to 90-100 cm. The shape resembles a heart (botanists call it broad-lanceolate), which seems to be laid on the petiole almost flat. Leaves can be not only monochromatic - there are varieties with white or silver veins, or with "ornaments".

Anthurium inflorescence is a large ear. It is to its shape that the plant owes its name. Translated from Greek, anthos is a flower, oura is a tail. However, there are species with a more interesting inflorescence shape - it can bend and even curl into a spiral. When the anthurium fades, the ear is covered with fruits that look like berries.

The inflorescence is "wrapped" in one petal-blanket, which seems to be sculpted from wax. Veins are clearly visible on it. Often the petal is quite bright, red, orange or pink, shiny, therefore anthurium is called "flamingo flower". Although there are many varieties with a rather nondescript, greenish or creamy bedspread. The petal almost does not hide the inflorescence, resembling a wing.

Anthurium is a rather demanding plant. Many species are physically impossible to grow at home - only specially equipped greenhouses or greenhouses are suitable for this. Nevertheless, many growers are not ready to give up a capricious pet, because even if there are problems with an old plant, it is relatively easy to get a new one - nature has provided several methods of reproduction.

Video: appearance and other characteristic features of anthurium

What you need to know when starting to propagate a plant at home

There are several ways of reproduction of anthurium, so the florist can choose the one that he likes best, focusing on the state and appearance flower.

In any case, it should be remembered that anthurium, like all Aroids, is poisonous. The sap of the plant, getting on the skin or mucous membranes, causes unpleasant symptoms characteristic of allergies (itching, rash, redness, irritation, and so on). The intensity of their manifestation depends on the sensitivity of the skin. If the juice is accidentally swallowed, a serious stomach upset is likely. Therefore, when starting to reproduce anthurium, be sure to wear gloves, and at the end of the work, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

The soil in which the flower is sold in the store is absolutely not suitable for him. The substrate, however, designed specifically for epiphytes or Aroids, is quite problematic to find. You can use soil for orchids, saintpaulias (violets) or bromeliads - it meets the requirements for acidity (pH 4.5-6.5), but it is still not ideal.

Therefore, it is best to mix the soil yourself. Before planting, it must be disinfected by exposing it to cold, heat or steam.

• Fertile turf, leaf humus, perlite or vermiculite (1: 3: 1). Small pieces of birch charcoal are added to the finished mixture (about 5% of the total volume).
• Soil for azaleas or rhododendrons, peat chips, pieces of pine bark (about 1 cm), expanded clay (up to 3 mm in diameter), crushed sphagnum moss. The substrate turns out to be light and loose, but at the same time it retains moisture well.

The missing components can be easily found alternative. Perlite and vermiculite will replace large river sand, sphagnum - common swamp moss or, birch charcoal - crushed chalk or crushed pumice.

The grown anthuriums are transplanted into pots, shaped like bowls - shallow and wide. The root system of the plant is superficial. A thick layer is required drainage material... It should fill at least a quarter of the pot's volume.

The established young anthuriums are watered abundantly before transplanting into a container and soil suitable for adult plants. Then the soil is not moistened for 3-4 days. The first month with watering, you need to be especially careful - there is a high risk of rot development.

Video: general information about the reproduction of anthurium

Step-by-step instructions with a photo

In principle, there is nothing difficult in the reproduction of anthurium. All parts of the plant are suitable for this. It is important to study the technology in advance and understand whether it is right for your flower.

How to propagate by dividing a large bush

The method is suitable only for adult plants (3-4 years and older). Caring for the anthuriums obtained in this way has no specific features. Is that during the first two to three months, experienced flower growers recommend weekly spray the plant with any biostimulant - Epin, Kornevin, Zircon, Heteroauxin, potassium humate. Ordinary succinic acid will do.

Dividing the anthurium bush allows not only to get new specimens, but also to significantly rejuvenate the plant. The procedure is carried out at the beginning or in the middle of spring, simultaneously with the next transplant.

1. Water the plant abundantly 20-30 minutes before the procedure.
2. Remove the anthurium from the pot by tapping lightly on the sides. Shake the substrate off the roots.
3. Untangle the roots carefully. They are cut with a knife only as a last resort, because they are very fragile, easily break. "Wounds" are immediately sprinkled with crushed chalk, activated carbon, cinnamon. Each part of the plant must have a growth point, well-developed roots and at least one leaf.
4. Get rid of all rotten, dead, dried out roots. Process the sections as described above. Let the plant dry for about an hour outdoors.
5. Plant the pieces into new pots using a medium suitable for mature plants. In general, this procedure is similar to a transplant. In the process, watch the level of the soil - the roots should be buried in the same way as in the old pot or a little more. They are extremely sensitive. If left outdoors, the plant will quickly become sick and die.
6. Tie the anthurium to the support if necessary. It is necessary to estimate in advance whether it will be needed, because it is placed in a pot before the flower is placed there, and not stuck into the ground after the transplant is completed.

Rooting side shoots

Lateral shoots are the "offspring" of anthurium. This breeding method is provided by nature itself. Separate the "kids" during the transplant. If you try to remove them from the pot without touching the mother plant, the roots will be severely damaged. An adult anthurium may even die.

If a transplant is not foreseen in the near future, and the "offspring" is desperately needed, remove the plant from the pot, trying to destroy the earthen lump as little as possible. Manually carefully separate the lateral shoot (always with roots), return the "donor" to its place and add fresh substrate, closing the resulting void.

1. Fill small pots with clean sphagnum moss or a mixture of humus and perlite, vermiculite (1: 1). Moisten the substrate well.
2. Plant the offspring in the ground. Cover the containers with glass caps, cut off plastic bottles, place in transparent plastic bags, tying them tightly.
3. For rooting, anthuriums need a constant temperature of 28–32 ° C and a humidity of 85% and above. Choose the brightest place in the room, but protect the "offspring" from direct sunlight.
4. Remove the cover every day for 10-15 minutes, airing the plantings, and spray the soil with a weak solution of a biostimulant (2-3 ml per liter of water).
5. Remove the greenhouse after about a month. Place the pot in a permanent place.

Growing "male happiness" from the root

The method is very similar to the previous version, but it takes more time. The roots (healthy and strong) are manually removed from the stem during the transplanting process. They are germinated in clean sand, perlite, vermiculite, constantly maintaining the substrate in a slightly moist state.

The shelter is removed no earlier than 1-2 true leaves appear. The process usually takes 1.5–2 months. After another month, it can be in the soil for adult anthuriums.

Cuttings

The easiest way to get a new anthurium. At home, they resort to it most often. Planting material from a plant can be taken at any convenient time, but the best period for this is late spring or early summer. To do this, choose stems 12 cm or more long, on which there are at least two leaves.

Anthurium stalk - a leaf cut along with a part of the stem. Only the bottom 5–8 cm will be needed, so the sheet plate itself can be removed.

1. Sprinkle the "wound" on the mother plant with crushed chalk, colloidal sulfur, sifted wood ash, or grease with green stuff, iodine.
2. Air dry the cuttings for 10-15 minutes.
3. Plant them in small cups filled with a mixture of sand and peat chips (1: 1) or sphagnum moss. Previously, drainage holes must be made in them. The substrate must be dry. An alternative is to germinate the roots in water. It should be soft, warmed to room temperature. The fluid must be changed daily. To speed up the process, the water is replaced with a weak solution of a rooting stimulator, and the base of the cutting is sprinkled with any powdery preparation of a similar action before being placed in the substrate. Do not deepen planting material too much - only the bottom 4–5 cm should be in the substrate or in the water.
4. Cover the containers with cuttings with plastic bags, glass caps, ensure the temperature is 25-28 ° C, bright diffused light and humidity of about 80%. Moisten the substrate every 2-3 days without letting it dry out, even the top layer.
5. Root buds will appear in a week. When they reach a length of 2–3 cm (after about 30–40 days), anthuriums can be transplanted into soil suitable for mature plants. At first, a pot with a diameter of no more than 10 cm is enough.

Germinating seeds

The method is not very popular with amateur flower growers. First, the procedure is quite time consuming, and success is not guaranteed. Secondly, it is not a fact that the plant obtained from seeds will retain the varietal characteristics of the "parent". Especially if it is an artificially bred hybrid. But on the other hand, this is a unique opportunity to act as a breeder and become the happy owner of an anthurium that no one else has. The flowering of such a specimen will have to wait at least three years.

The seeds can be purchased from specialized stores without any problems. Be sure to pay attention to the expiration date. Six months after harvesting, there is no longer any point in planting them, germination is very short-lived. It is best to use seeds harvested at least three months before purchase.

Planting material can also be obtained at home. This requires at least two anthuriums. When one of them blooms, brush over the "cob" with a soft brush, brushing off the pollen on a sheet of paper. Put the collected in the refrigerator.

Wait until the ear appears on the second plant and cross-pollinate (at the very beginning of flowering). The best time for this is a sunny morning. Using a cotton pad or fingers, spread the pollen, moving first from the bottom up, then in the opposite direction. Repeat the procedure every day. Four or five times should be enough. In principle, you can try to pollinate the anthurium with your own pollen, but the likelihood of success is low.

After about a month, the ear will begin to swell. It will take 9-12 months for the fruit to fully ripen. When the coverlet turns green, the inflorescence is greenish-brown, and the darkest berries look like they are about to fall out of it, remove the fruits. Delete top shell, dry the seeds in the open air for 2-3 days, no more. Sow them as soon as possible.

Video: ripening anthurium seeds

1. Fill a shallow bowl with peat chips, moisten and level the substrate. Let the moisture absorb.
2. Soak the planting material in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes. Then spread on a napkin or soft cloth to absorb excess moisture.
3. Spread the seeds evenly over the surface, sprinkle with soil a little (layer no more than 2-3 mm thick). Cover the container with glass or plastic wrap.
4. Provide bottom heating, temperature around 25 ° C, bright ambient light. Open the "greenhouse" daily for 5-7 minutes to ventilate, as it dries, spray the soil from a fine spray gun.
5. The first shoots appear in a week, mass shoots - in 12-15 days. When the first true leaf has formed (about a month later), remove the greenhouse.
6. Plant the plants with three leaves in separate cups with a diameter of 7-10 cm, filled with a mixture of peat, leafy earth and powdered charcoal (in equal proportions). Drainage is required, filling at least a third of the volume of the pot.
7. Take care of young anthuriums as usual. Only when feeding for six months, reduce the fertilizer concentration in the solution by half compared with that recommended by the manufacturer.

Video: anthurium from seeds

Leaf propagation

The method is not suitable for all types of plants. Thus, the anthuriums of Scherzer, Andre, leathery and other varieties with thick, prominent veins on the leaves reproduce.

1. Cut the leaf together with a part of the petiole about 3 cm long.
2. Roll it up with a tube or funnel, tighten with a thin elastic band or thread. Do not over tighten.
3. Fill small deep pots with a mixture of peat, sand, perlite, vermiculite (1: 1). Dip the leaves 2/3 into the ground. An alternative is germination in boiled water at room temperature. It does not need to be defended, but it will have to be changed daily.
4. Water the plantings and cover the containers with glass caps or plastic bags.
5. Place the pots in a light partial shade, maintain a temperature of 25-27 ° C. No bottom heating required. Air the plantings daily, spray the substrate with a weak solution of a root stimulator.
6. After 20-25 days, a sprout should appear from the middle of the funnel. Wait another month and transplant the young anthurium into the soil for mature plants.

Possible problems and solutions

Anthurium is a rather delicate and capricious plant. The main danger that threatens him during reproduction is rot. Most often, its development is provoked by the florist himself, often and abundantly watering a young flower. The process goes even faster if high humidity the soil is combined with the low temperature in the room.

Inspect young plants regularly. If you notice dark brown spots at the base of the stems and on the leaf petioles, small black dots on the leaf blade, immediately proceed to "resuscitation". Anthurium can be saved only at an early stage of the development of the disease. If the soil becomes moldy, an unpleasant putrid smell comes from it, most likely it's too late, the plant can only be thrown away.

When alarming symptoms appear:

1. Cut off all parts of the plant affected by the fungus to healthy tissue. Sprinkle "wounds" with crushed chalk, activated carbon, cinnamon or treat with iodine, greenery.
2. Repot the plant by completely changing the substrate and sterilizing the pot. Add granules of Glyocladin, Trichodermin to the soil.
3. For 2-3 months, water the anthurium with a 0.5% solution of Alirin-B, Previkur, Baikal-EM instead of ordinary water.

If the leaves of a young plant go numb, lose their tone, it most likely suffers from a moisture deficit or low temperature. Its sharp fluctuations are also dangerous. To solve the problem, it is usually enough to adjust the watering, spray the plant daily and move the pot to a warmer place.

When the transplanted part of the anthurium looks good, but is in no hurry to start growing, replace the water for irrigation with a solution of any biostimulator, preparing it according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

In principle, problems with anthurium can be avoided if you study in advance the rules for caring for the plant and the "requirements" for the indoor microclimate. This applies to both adult flowers and young specimens.

• Optimum temperature, after the "greenhouse" is removed - 20-24 ° C. The minimum indicator at which anthurium can still survive is 15-18 ° C.
• In spring and summer, the plant is watered often and abundantly, sprayed several times a day. In this case, stagnation of water in the pot should not be allowed. When transplanting, provide a drainage layer of sufficient thickness, after half an hour after the procedure, drain excess moisture from the pallet.
• Anthurium needs very high air humidity (85–90%). In the heat, raise it with everyone available ways... Be sure to cover the potting soil with wet sphagnum moss or coconut fiber... The root system of the plant is superficial; in young specimens, the roots are very thin and delicate, they dry out easily.
• Optimum illumination is bright, diffused light. But the plant must be protected from direct sunlight.
• A deficiency of fertilizers for anthurium is preferable to an excess of them. And the flower does not tolerate an increased concentration of mineral salts in the soil at all. Therefore, it is better to use natural organic matter (humus, infusions of bird droppings or cow dung diluted with water). Leave complex mineral liquid fertilizers for foliar dressing.

New anthurium can be obtained from almost any part of the mother plant. This is a definite plus of a capricious and demanding flower. The specific breeding method is chosen depending on the variety, appearance and state of the anthurium-"parent". Each of them has advantages and disadvantages, which are taken into account when determining their course of action.

A fiery tongue or a flamingo flower - this is how it is customary to call the anthurium plant for the spectacular shape of the inflorescences, and its scientific name translated from Greek means "tailed flower" or "tail flower".

A representative of the Aroid family, who arrived in our region from the distant American tropics, is considered one of the most popular indoor crops, but the attitude of flower growers to him is very ambiguous. Judge for yourself: on one side of the scale, an amazing exotic appearance, on the other - a demanding character. But if for the sake of beauty you are ready to work hard, anthurium is your flower!

Conditions of detention

For the full development of the anthurium, a bright diffused light is needed, so the eastern window sill will be the best place for it. On the south side, the flower will be too hot, on the north and west - too dark. The optimum temperature during the growing season is from +22 to +28 ° C.

The most difficult thing in growing anthurium is to provide it with a comfortable rest period. Ideally, the flower should rest at + 16 ° C from September to February, but in a city apartment it becomes hostage to central heating. And yet, try to find a cool corner for the proud handsome man, for this in the spring he will reward you with a real explosion of flowers.

Agrotechnics

Anthurium care comes down to simple, but very important activities:

• During the growing season, the flamingo flower is infrequently and abundantly watered with soft (rain, melt or settled) water. Make sure the soil in the pot is half the height of the pot before adding water. In no case should it be poured with anthurium, its roots rot rapidly from excess moisture.
• During active growth, the plant is fed every 15–20 days. It is advisable to alternate complex mineral fertilizers with organics.
• As a true Tropican, accustomed to warm showers, Anthurium is very picky about the ambient humidity. In the summer heat, the leaves (but not the inflorescences) of the plants are regularly sprayed or wiped with a wet sponge, and the tray under the pot is filled with wet expanded clay. For water procedures, it is advisable to use boiled water, otherwise ugly stains will remain on the leaves.

At good care anthurium is able to bloom all year round, but in order to prolong this splendor, worn-out peduncles must be removed in a timely manner. If desired, an original composition can be made from the inflorescences of the "fiery tail". Choose only well-formed flowers for cutting, as the underdeveloped ears will wither quickly.

Transplant rules

The best time for transplanting anthurium is late February - early March, but in case of emergency, the procedure is allowed at any time, except for the dormant period. Young plants are transplanted every year, adults - once every 2-3 years. The flower pot should be tall and spacious (1–2 cm wider than the previous one). Give preference to plastic flowerpots and flowerpots, since anthurium does not like hypothermia of the roots, and in ceramics, the substrate always remains cool.

You can make up a nutritious potting soil mixture according to one of the following recipes:

• peat, sphagnum moss, sod land (2: 2: 1).
• deciduous land, peat, sand (1: 1: 1). It is recommended to add a small amount of pine bark or charcoal to this mixture.
• crushed pine bark (fraction diameter - 3-5 cm), pumice (fraction diameter - 1-3 cm), coarse peat, half-rotted horse manure (2: 2: 1: 1).
• leaf and coniferous land, peat, sand (2: 2: 2: 1).

Pine bark without additives can serve as a substrate for anthurium, but then the plant will have to be heavily fed.

Growing from seeds

The generative method of reproduction of anthurium is possible only in the presence of freshly harvested seeds, since they very quickly lose their germination. To obtain high-quality seed, anthurium flowers are artificially pollinated: with a soft brush they transfer pollen from one ear to another. For reliability, "work as a bee" should be 3-4 times with an interval of 2 days. Ripening of fruits with seeds takes 8-10 months. When the berries acquire a characteristic color (depending on the type, they can be white, red or purple), they are removed from the plant. The seeds extracted from the fruits are cleaned of fruit pulp, washed and soaked for an hour and a half in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

The further procedure is as follows:

• Fill a low container with light sterilized soil mixture, level it and pour a thin (about 1 cm) layer of perlite on top.
• Anthurium seeds are laid out on the substrate and pressed slightly.
• Crops are sprayed from a spray bottle with settled water.
• The container is covered with glass and placed in a warm place.

At a temperature of +22 ° C, the first shoots will appear in 12-15 days. When the seedlings form 2 leaves, transplant them into separate containers. As they grow, young specimens will need to be split into larger pots twice more. Anthurium grown from seeds can bloom in a year and a half, but the first bloom will be weak and unattractive. You can admire full-fledged luxurious buds only when the seedlings are 3-4 years old.

Vegetative breeding method

Experienced growers prefer to grow anthurium not from seeds, but from apical cuttings or lateral processes. Both of them successfully root in clean sand or perlite at a temperature of + 22 ... + 24 ° C. To provide the seedlings with the necessary moisture level, they are covered with glass or half-cut plastic bottles.

Mini-greenhouses are regularly opened for airing and watering, and after rooting, young plants are transplanted into a light nutrient mixture.

Tip: in order for cuttings or shoots to take root faster, warm the substrate to +25 ° C before planting.

Pest control

Among insects, spider mites, aphids and scale insects cause serious damage to the flamingo flower. Acaricide preparations ("Akarin", "Kleschevit", "Aktara") will help to eliminate ticks. Against aphids and scale insects, the plant is treated with insecticides (Actellik, Karbofos, Fitoverm).

The main indicator of the well-being of anthurium is its appearance. You can easily recognize a flower's malaise by the color and condition of the leaves:

• Leaves turn yellow - very dangerous symptom, indicating decay of the plant roots. In this case, the anthurium must be immediately removed from the pot and, after removing the damaged areas, transplanted into a fresh substrate.
• The tips of the leaves turn black - a sure sign of an excess of calcium in the soil. Cut the dose of this ingredient in half.
• Leaves curl - this problem can be triggered by several factors: exposure to direct sunlight, drafts, low ambient humidity or low light.
• The leaves are covered with spots - most likely, you are flooding the flower or it was attacked by pests.

Another headache for anthurium owners is the lack of flowers. Pay attention to the conditions for keeping the flower. The "tongue of fire" needs a bright light and a cool rest period to set the buds.

Popular types

• Anthurium Andre. An epiphytic plant with a short stem and large, petiolate, heart-shaped leaves. A cylindrical inflorescence-ear of white, yellowish or cream color reaches a height of 10–12 cm. The color of a large leathery bedspread, depending on the variety, can be bright pink, salmon-orange or fiery red. The species is distinguished by long (up to 6 weeks) flowering. Over time, the brightly colored bedspread takes on a greenish tint.
• Anthurium is majestic. Epiphytic or terrestrial plant with dark green broad leaves. The velvety surface of each leaf plate is dotted with olive veins. The long ear (about 25 cm) is covered with a purple-green blanket.
• Anthurium Baker. Short-stemmed epiphytic plant with long (35–40 cm) belt-like leaves. The upper side of the leaf plate is dark green, the lower one is covered with reddish-brown specks. A light greenish-yellow bedspread with a lilac edge envelops the creamy ear. The fruits are small, bright red berries.
• Anthurium climbing is an epiphytic climbing plant about 1 m high, growing well in the shade. Leathery, oval or lanceolate leaves underneath are covered with black "freckles". A miniature greenish-yellow ear is wrapped in a long light green blanket. Fruits are white, light or dark purple berries.
• Hooker's Anthurium is a spectacular epiphytic representative of the genus with petiolate wide leaves of a bright green color and a light purple ear wrapped in a green veil. The fruits are red and white berries.
• Crystal anthurium. The main decoration of this handsome epiphytic man is dark leaves covered with a silvery veined ornament. The ear reaches a length of 25 cm. The bedspread is painted in purple-green tones. The fruits are purple berries.
• Anthurium multi-dissected. Decorative liana with original finger-cut leaves, wavy along the edge.
• Scherzer's Anthurium. Epiphytic representative of the genus with dark green matte leaves, mottled with black dots. An orange or bright yellow coiled ear is enclosed in the embrace of a fiery red veil. Fruits - berries of a red-orange hue.

Is there a spathiphyllum flower in your collection, popularly called "female happiness"? So anthurium, on the contrary, personifies masculinity... Place the pots of plants close to each other, and the powerful energy of a beautiful duet will become a talisman for your family happiness and home comfort.

Be careful!

Many representatives of the Aroid family are poisonous, and anthurium is no exception, therefore, you should work with the flower with gloves, and at the end of the procedure, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water. If you have small children and curious pets, look for a place for the "tongue of fire" where they cannot get.

The anthurium plant gained popularity as indoor culture only at the end of the last century. Today, for those who prefer to grow tropical plants, about 30 species and more than 80 hybrid forms of evergreen anthurium are available. At home, you can successfully start flowering or decorative deciduous varieties, and even exotic vines or tree species. We will talk about how to grow this real pride of many flower growers further.

This tropical plant of the aroid family attracted the attention of flower growers with its decorative evergreen foliage and unusual flowers, consisting of a veil wrapped in a spiral around an inflorescence-cob. Anthurium flowers retain freshness in cut form for up to three weeks and are often used by phytodesigners in the composition of bouquets.

Most of about 900 natural species- epiphytes or semi-epiphytes.

Read below:

• Types of anthurium for indoor floriculture;
• Conditions required for keeping anthurium;
• How to care for anthurium at home;
• Rejuvenation of an old flower;
• Antrium breeding methods;
• Diseases and pests of anthuriums;

Types of anthurium for indoor floriculture

The most widespread of all the variety were two decorative flowering species- Anthurium Andre and Anthurium Scherzer and two decorative leafy - Anthurium magnificent and Anthurium crystal. Consider a photo.

Anthurium Andre

Plant with large heart-shaped leaves on high petioles. The shoot is covered with numerous aerial roots. The heart-shaped bedspread is textured, with pronounced streaks or bubbles. The color of flowers varies from red to delicate pink, it is greenish, yellow and white.

Scherzer's Anthurium

Small anthurium, the size of which does not exceed 40 cm. Leathery dark leaves covered with black dots on both sides. Large flowers rise above the leaves. Varieties with a twisted spiral tail look very original.

Anthurium magnificent and crystal Anthurium

These varieties are quite similar to each other. They have large velvety foliage with a pointed tip and pronounced voluminous white or silver veins that form a unique pattern against a dark background. The coverlet of flowers is greenish, less often with a purple tint.

Conditions required for keeping anthurium

Plant care is difficult enough. Anthurium grows best in closed greenhouses with a maintained tropical microclimate. Home care takes more time and more worries. Alternatively, cultivation in closed arboretums.

Growing temperature range

For proper development and regular flowering, it is required to create a difference in the microclimate of winter and summer seasons... In the summer months, the temperature should vary between 20-25 C, in winter, a decrease to 16-18 ° C is required.

Sudden changes in temperature and drafts weaken the plant.

Demanding lighting

Anthuriums are quite shade-tolerant. Decorative deciduous varieties perfectly exist on the northern windows. Decorative flowers are more demanding for light. They should be grown in good brightness, but not exposed to direct sunlight, causing burns to the leaf plate.

In winter or in shaded areas, it is advisable for the plant to organize artificial illumination with a predominance of the red and blue spectra of the lamp.

Proper watering and spraying

As an indigenous inhabitant of tropical forests, the anthurium flower needs high humidity.

Watering is carried out soft warm water 3-4 times a week. In winter, watered less often - once every seven days is enough.

For supporting optimum humidity around the surface of the plant, daily spraying is used through a fine spray.

Sphagnum moss can be spread around the flowerpot. The moisture evaporated from the surface of the moss pan will create an excellent microclimate.

Advice! Watch for moisture and always drain excess water from the sump. Overdrying and overflowing are equally disastrous for the root system.

How to make up a soil mixture

The pot needs to be selected wide and not very deep, a little more than the root system. A good drainage layer is required.

The soil mixture should be light and loose, large fraction. When compiling it, take the following ratio: 4 parts of humus, 2 parts of leaf whole earth, 2 parts of peat and 1 part of sand. To the ground add up to 15% of the volume of charcoal, moss and pieces of cones. These inclusions increase the air and water permeability of the substrate.

The Ph reaction should fluctuate in a slightly acidic range - from 5.5 to 6.5 units.

How to care for anthurium at home

Besides maintaining optimal conditions, anthuriums require certain care - regular transplants and feeding.

Advice! When working with anthurium, it is advisable to wear gloves. The sap of these plants is poisonous and, when it gets on the mucous membrane, causes severe irritation.

How often to feed anthuriums

Top dressing is required only during the period of active flowering or growth. Both excess and lack nutrients in soil can lead to visible defects on leaves and flower bedding.

In order not to be mistaken, dilute half of the norm of liquid fertilizer for indoor ornamental flowering plants and water every 2 weeks.

Boarding and transfer rules

In the spring, a young anthurium is transplanted once a year. A home transplant does not cause any particular difficulties. Tap the edges of the pot to help the roots separate from the walls more easily. We take out the plant along with the earthen lump. Well developed root system usually tightly woven. It must be gently shaken off, removing loose pieces of soil. Do not be too zealous so as not to damage the brittle roots.

We install the plant in the center of the pot with drainage and add earth mixture on the sides, periodically shaking the container. This will better fill the voids between the roots with fresh soil.

An adult anthurium requires soil renewal once every two years. The transplant is carried out in the same way and may be accompanied by dividing the overgrown bush.

You can see how to transplant anthurium at home in the video.

Rejuvenation of an old flower

With age, the lower part of the stem becomes bare, the leaves and flowers become smaller and lose their decorative effect. Rejuvenation will help to restore its former beauty.
You can simply cut off the top of the shoot with aerial roots and plant it in a new pot with the prepared soil mixture.

If the roots on the shoot are in their infancy, the cutting can be placed in warm boiled or distilled water. When the roots germinate, the plant is transplanted into a pot.

Important! At room temperatures below 20 ° C, an attempt at rooting the cuttings in water may result in decay.

There is one more original way rejuvenation by cuttings. The shoot is not cut immediately, but the emergence of roots is stimulated by tying a piece of moss around the lower part of the branch intended for cutting. The moisture of the moss is constantly maintained until roots grow through it. A cut is made under the roots, powdered with charcoal and planted.

Leaf polishing

Anthuriums look great with polished leaves. For this, plants are sprayed with a special phytospray for 20-30 seconds.
Polishes remove stains from water drops, prevent dust from settling, give a beautiful glossy shine to the leaf plate without affecting the course of photosynthesis.

Anthurium breeding methods

For those who appreciate anthurium, plant propagation is possible in several ways:

• dividing the bush;
• stem cuttings;
• seeds.

The division of the overgrown bush is performed in the spring during the transplantation of the plant. The main task is to neatly untwist the roots and divide them evenly between the two parts to be divided. It is advisable to powder the wound at the site of the division of the common root and the fracture of the roots with activated carbon powder to prevent rot.

For grafting, take the top of the shoot with several air roots. On some bushes, you can take a side shoot with its own root system.

Seed propagation is more laborious and time-consuming. As a result of artificial pollination, berries develop on the anthurium, in each of which from one to four seeds ripen. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for two hours to prevent mold fungi in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Germination is long. Seedlings can be expected in two months, and the first flowering - only after 4 years.

Diseases and pests of anthuriums

If the growing conditions are violated or in the absence of preventive measures against pests, diseases can occur in anthuriums.

Signs of illness and treatment

• Anthurium leaves are curled up into tubes. The lighting is too bright and triggered the inclusion defense mechanism... Move the pot away from direct sunlight. The plant will react quickly and unfold the leaf blades.
• Black spots appeared on the flowers. Result of large water droplets hitting the plant. Spray carefully using a good spray. Sometimes an excess of calcium salts in the soil mixture or content in a cold room manifests itself this way.
• The stems began to rot. Excessive moisture and watering. It is recommended to remove the affected stems on which putrefactive bacteria and fungi develop. For treatment, it is necessary to completely stop watering and spraying until the earthen lump dries up. Reduce further watering, spraying is not so intensive.
• Dark spots appear on the leaves. Excessive moisture and watering. Lightly dry the flowerpot and normalize the moisture of the plant and the earthen coma.
• Yellowing of the lower leaves. It can talk about an excess of fertilizers or too cold temperature of the content.
• Mass yellowing of leaves. Indicates problems with the root system. The plant is urgently removed from the pot, dead parts are removed and planted in fresh soil.
• Drying of leaves. May be the norm as they age. If the leaves dry out in large quantities, check for mites or aphids. The tips of the leaves can dry out with insufficient air humidity and high temperatures.
• Why doesn't anthurium bloom? Lack of flowering is a sign of insufficient lighting, a mismatch in the size of the pot or an overestimated temperature of the content. Move the pot to a bright place, out of direct sunlight, transplant and lower the room temperature below 20 degrees to stimulate the formation of flower buds.

Advice! Closer to spring, the plant is spilled once with warm (from forty to fifty degrees) water. Such watering will provoke a lush flowering.

• Aphids are clearly visible to the naked eye. Most of all, it affects the young, most delicate parts of the plant. The plant is easily cured by spraying with special preparations.
• Scabbard: dark spots appear on the leaves. On the reverse side of the leaf, a brown tubercle is clearly visible in this place. Helps against scabies wiping the leaves with a solution laundry soap or spraying with insecticides.
• Spider mite. Leaves turn yellow in spots and curl, young leaves grow back in an irregular degenerative shape. Treatment with acaricide is required.
• Root nematodes. Thickening and tubercles on the roots indicate the defeat of anthurium by nematodes. Such a disease cannot be treated. Plant and flower pot destroyed (preferably incinerated to prevent the spread of nematodes).

Advice! Ceramic pots can be sterilized in the oven instead of being disposed of.