ROOM FLOWERS OF THE MARANTINE FAMILY – CARE

Plants of the arrowroot family – Photo

I got the first arrowroot, when there was still no large collection of flowers. The experience of caring for the plant came in handy later, when buying kalatej: calathea pinkish-colored, calathea wonderful, kalatei Makoya, striped calathea.

Getting angry, that we managed to tame the restive nature of these sissies, also acquired stromantu blood red, Triostar variety.

CARE FOR MARANTOS IN HOME CONDITIONS

My arrowroots hibernate indoors on stands and shelves with artificial lighting.

There are no sudden changes in temperature (optimally - + 18-25 degrees.) and drafts. The roots do not tolerate hypothermia.

To ensure sufficient air humidity, I spray water around the bushes from a fine spray, I spray the leaves passed through the filter (no white spots remain) and always warm, as for watering. If these conditions are not met, dry brown spots may appear at the ends of the leaves.

Calatheas and arrowroots love a warm shower, while protecting the roots with a plastic bag. I wash the foliage once a month (and the bottom side) laundry soap, adding a few drops of alcoholic garlic tincture to the sponge to prevent ticks.

Arrowroots grow in light soil. I feed them with complex fertilizer in a weak concentration 2 once a month.

PLANTS OF THE MARANTINE FAMILY – TIPS AND FEEDBACK

Maranta conquered my heart

With these two bright fashionistas of the Marantovy family, she gradually found a common language., what I want to tell you about.

STROMANTA

Comfortable temperature for blood-red Triostar stromant - +22-25 city, (not lower + 18 deg.) with high humidity, as it does not tolerate dry air. When the leaves used to dry out from this, neatly cut their ends with alcohol-treated scissors, trying to sharpen. Now I spray the plant with warm water, passed through the filter. In the heat or the heating season, I keep a flower on a pallet with wet expanded clay and often wipe the leaves with a moistened sponge.

Like all arrowroots, the leaves of the stromanthus move towards the light, which should be bright, but without direct sunlight. My pet stands all year round on a shelf under LED lamps..

Watering her, preventing the soil from drying out and overflow. I feed with liquid fertilizers based on vermicompost in low concentration, although I often use mineral for decorative leaf species, diluting by half.

Stromanta – Photo

I transfer young specimens annually in the spring into a fresh loose mixture of leafy soil, peat, humus, sand (3:1:1:1), adding sphagnum and charcoal. Drainage - foam. I transplant adult plants once a 2-3 of the year, and every spring I replace the top layer of the substrate with a fresh one. You can use ready-made soil for palm trees, adding peat to it.

KTENANT

My first tenant grew up on a shelf under fluorescent lamps at a temperature of about +20-25 city. And everything would be fine, if one day the heating hadn’t been turned on late, but the plant does not tolerate a drop in temperature. So I didn't save my pupil. A few years later I got a pretty solid bush, but all infected with thrips. I had to get rid of the pest with various insecticides (Fitoverm, "Vertimek", "Aktara" - according to the instructions), alternating them: sprayed at intervals of 5-7 days and watered the soil. Ktenant's treatment was hard, I was sick for a long time. After recovery, she transplanted her into a new soil from leafy soil., peat, humus, coniferous land, river sand (2:1:1:1:1).

Ktenanta – Photo

The plant does not like the direct sun (leaves roll up into a tube), easily tolerates partial shade, although the stripes on the leaves become more contrasting from the bright diffused light. With insufficient lighting, new records are shorter and narrower, than the old.

The flower prefers a constant temperature and high humidity.. Therefore, I spray around it with warm filtered water, not hitting the leaves, so that there are no divorces, which spoil the original variegation. The tips of the foliage turn brown from dry air, dry out or become stained.

© Author: Olga MALYAR Photo by the author

I LOVE MARANTA FOR ATTRACTIVE LEAVES, ALTHOUGH IT FLOWERS ALSO BEAUTIFUL.

My flower already 7 years old, and over the years I constantly learn to “negotiate” with him, using only proven methods in care.

There is a plant on the windowsill only in winter and spring, because it does not like direct sun. In the summer (starting from June) and autumn I put it on the chest of drawers. The color and size of the leaves depend on the lighting.. Better arrowroot feels in a dark place.

I water the bush after drying the topsoil with water at room temperature (can't stand cold), settled for at least two "days. There shouldn't be overdrying.

I TREAT MARANTA COFFEE

Once a month I water the arrowroot with Nescafe instant coffee.: 1 ч.л.. pour 250 ml of boiling water (I don't add sugar) and after cooling I pour (1/2 Art.) priming. Store leftover solution in the refrigerator., and after 3 day I repeat watering, let the liquid stand for about 1 hours at room temperature.

I wipe beautiful leaves from dust with a sponge, I spray with water.

I rarely transplant, only when the pot becomes small - I carefully transfer it to a flowerpot one size larger.

“If your pet slows down growth or leaves turn yellow, or their tips become dry and brown, I solve the problem like this: for a week every day I spray with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and put it in a pan, in which I constantly add water, to drink the flower. Then I put it back.

COMMENTS OF THE SPECIALIST

Although the arrowroot does not tolerate direct sunlight, she needs enough intense diffused light, eg, as on northeast and northwest windows. In the back of the room, the leaves may lose their brightness.. In this case, additional illumination with a phytolamp or cultivation under artificial light is saved. (near 14 hours), and better in the florarium.

plant growth retardation, yellowing of the leaves and drying of their tips always indicate a problem with the roots. Causes are mostly heavy soil and over watering.. This is solved by properly selected loose substrate, which is difficult to fill, eg: deoxidized high-moor peat, leaf land, croup

sand and perlite (2:1:0,5:0,25). Important: after watering, the water from the pan must be drained. In winter, it is necessary to give the soil for a short time (1 -2 days) dry out, watering cut.

Maranta loves showers and constant spraying.. So that there is no plaque on the leaves, soften hard water, passing through a filter, or add succinic acid (0,5-1 tab, on 1 l of water). By the way, from a solution of potassium permanganate, ugly stains on the leaves can also remain, so there is no point in using it here..

As for watering coffee, this can be called light nutritious top dressing., which also slightly acidify the soil

and do not let it sour when waterlogged. But it is better to use ground, together with thick it is more effective.

© Author: Tatiana KUSHNIKOVA, plant protection specialist. r. Novosibirsk

PLANTS OF THE FAMILY MARANTE – HOME CARE. VIDEO

© Author: Olga MALYAR Photo by the author