Stromant flower - home care
Content:
Stromanta is one of the plants that rarely blooms at home. At the same time, the stromant has a pleasant appearance and decorates the interior even without the formation of a flower. Caring for it has some nuances, but if you follow them, the plant will only bring joy.
What does the stromant look like, which family does it belong to
Stromanta is one of the most common species of the Marantov family. This perennial ornamental deciduous plant is often confused with its closest relatives. The height of a plant cultivated at home can reach about 80 cm, and the stromant itself comes from the tropical forests of South and Central America, where it grows much higher.
Stromant flower
The festive appearance of this plant is striking, created by its beautiful foliage and bright green, cream or pink stripes. The purple and shiny colors under the leaves also look attractive. The fact that the leaves of the flower always point towards the sun is a distinguishing feature. And since the leaves are directed up in the evening, this plant is called "praying."
When flowering under natural conditions, a long stem of a small flower with a yellow or white tint is formed on the plant. The plant usually flowers in summer, but unfortunately when grown indoors it is nearly impossible to achieve indoor stromant flowering.
The following types and varieties are most common:
- The stromant is nice. A distinctive feature is a light green shade of leaves and a small height (20-25 cm).
- The stromanta is blood red. The color is brilliant, green, height 40-45 cm.
- Stromanta magic is old. A distinctive feature is large dark green leaves with yellow segments.
- Stromanthe triostar (also called stromanthe tricolor). The stromantha tricolor is the most common cultivar. The leaves of a dark green color have spots on the surface of three shades from light green to pink. Stromant tricolor home care is the simplest. Perhaps that is why it is most often chosen by domestic flower lovers.
- Stromantha chorticolor. Has light spots on the top of the leaves.
Potted stromant looks very attractive
Stromanta: home care
There are certain peculiarities when growing stromant and caring for it.
Temperature
The optimum temperature for this indoor plant is 20-30 degrees in summer and 18-20 degrees in winter. If the temperature drops below 18 degrees, the roots may freeze and the plants will die completely.
Lighting
For this type of plant, it is best to choose a window location that faces east or west.
If a location is selected on the south window, it should be shaded. The room stromant can be placed on the north window, but only under the auxiliary lighting of the fluorescent lamp.
Watering
When irrigating, use warm filtered water. Watering should be reduced in winter and autumn. It is important not to keep the roots dry.However, stagnation of moisture in the roots is also not desirable.
Spraying
Water should be sprayed daily during the hot summer months, as moisture is an important condition for the plant to grow. This should be done at least twice, in the morning and in the evening.
Due to the threat of sunburn, do not spray the plants during the day. In winter, due to the operation of heating systems, the air in the premises is dry. So during this period it is also necessary to spray water next to the flower.
The constant high humidity and room temperature of 20-25 ° C will help the plants survive the difficult season.
Humidity
The optimum temperature for growth is 90%. In the case of indoor air drying, the plant should be sprayed with filtered water at least once a day or even twice. This approach will prevent the plant from drying out.
The soil
The soil for stromant should be slightly acidic, loose and nutritious.
To prepare the soil, a mixture of peat, sand and leaf humus is created, and fine charcoal is also added.
Good drainage should also be organized - expanded clay should be poured one quarter of the height of the pot.
Top dressing
Complex fertilizers for deciduous plants should be used to feed the stromant.
It is necessary to observe the dosage and be careful when feeding, because when there are too many minerals and calcium in the soil, the tropical beauty can disappear.
It is recommended to feed the indoor flower once every 2 weeks. To saturate the soil in a pot, it is advisable to use fertilizer diluted to half the concentration.
When and how stromanthus blooms
In summer, in the wild, during the flowering period, the stromant has a peduncle, the length of which reaches one meter. Green and white flowers are scattered around it, surrounded by dark red inflorescences.
Houseplants rarely bloom. Moreover, if a peduncle appears, it is recommended to cut it off immediately. Flowering is very dangerous for this plant. After it, the leaves wither, the shoots become thin, begin to rot, and growth stops.
That is, it is important for those wishing to care for this exotic to know that flowering is one-time, then the plant dies.
How the indoor stromant flower reproduces
The plant has several methods of reproduction.
Dividing the bush
It is best to separate the bushes during the spring transplant. For this, the plants are removed from the pots and carefully divided into two or three parts.
A separate part of the flower can be immediately planted in the ground and watered well. The next time you need to water only after the soil is completely dry.
Freshly transplanted pots should be covered with plastic bags and placed in a warm place until tender leaves appear.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
Apical cuttings
For this method, in spring or summer, the top of the stem (about 10 cm long) is cut from the plant.
Cuttings cut at the joint between the leaves and the stem should be placed in water and covered with a polyethylene bag. Due to the high humidity and temperature, such cuttings will soon give roots. The stromanthus takes root after about 6 weeks. After that, the plants can be planted in a regular pot of soil.
Stromant transplant
Plants should be replanted every two years, and the procedure is performed during the spring and summer. In addition, a small amount of fresh soil should be placed in the pot every spring. Dry old leaves must be removed with each transplant.
For transplanted flowers, it is best to choose a slightly taller pot that matches the width of the soil clod around the roots plus 2-3 cm.
Be sure to lay a good layer of expanded clay on the bottom. It is best to choose a mixture of humus, sand and peat as the soil. You can add some charcoal to this mixture.
Seedling
Difficulties of growing
The reason for the drying of the leaves is sunburn. Most likely, the flower is dangerously close to the window, and the midday sun burns the leaves. The only way out in this case is to place the pot behind the screen. In this case, the stromant will have enough scattered light.
At this point, the number of sprays of the plant and the surrounding air should be increased fivefold during the day.
Pests
Red spider mites settle under yellowed leaves. You can identify them by a small, thin, barely noticeable cobweb. The appearance of white spots on the funnel and subsequent leaf rot also indicate the appearance of a red spider. To destroy such pests, the affected leaves should be removed, and the shoots of the plant should be washed with warm soapy water.
Changes in leaf color also indicate the presence of a scale insect, which can suck plant sap from all shoots, causing damage and leaving a sticky discharge on it. In the end, with a strong defeat, the bush will simply dry out. To eliminate harmful insects, it is necessary to clean the leaves with a soapy sponge, then spray with preparations marked "insecticides".
If all the rules of care are followed, the breeding of the stromant will be successful. In rare cases, even flowering is possible, but you should not rely on it too much. However, even without the usual flower, this South American exotic can easily amaze with its beauty.
