Pandanus - spiral palm flower at home

The pandanus flower is one of the most exotic plants. Moreover, its distinctive features are unpretentiousness and absolute non-capriciousness. The culture is undeservedly forgotten. Even in the last century, tubs with a beautiful palm-shaped crown stood in the homes of many wealthy people, decorated winter gardens, country residences, and rest houses.

Now the indoor pandanus is a rare guest of modern houses. Gradually, the fashion for such plants, bringing a special chic to the interior, is returning again.

Views

The ancestors of the indoor flower pandanus (pandanus) are native to tropical countries. Tall (about 15 meters) shrubs from the genus of tree-like plants of the Pandanov family still adorn hot territories. Most of all, the plant in wildlife is common in Madagascar. There you can find pandanus mini-forests. Pandanuses are not afraid of dry air, heat, poor soil. They can even grow on the beach, in mountainous areas, on volcanic slopes.

An exotic plant will decorate any interior

At first glance, the plant resembles chlorophytum, dracaena. The pandanus also has elongated thin leaf plates emerging from a miniature stem located close to the basal zone. However, the exotic is distinguished by thorns that frame the edges of the leaves. Each spike is sharp enough. The leaves emerge from the stem and are twisted with a screw, a spiral. Because of this feature, the flower has the name spiral tree, spiral palm.

Another feature of the pandanus plant is aerial roots. They appear in adult specimens. Exit the trunk.

In nature, the trunk can dry out, and the tree will be held by these roots, which act as strong supports.

Exotic leaves have sharp thorns

Can Pandanus be kept at home? The answer is yes. At home, the plant usually does not grow taller than 1.5 meters. For apartments, certain types of pandanus are provided. Among the most popular types:

1. Veitch;
2. Sander.

Veitch

Pandanus Veicha (Vicha) is loved by flower growers for its attractive appearance. The leaves of the plant are of two colors. The middle in the form of long stripes is emerald or dark green. The edges are gray-white or whitish. This species is variegated. Sharp thorns grow on the light areas along the edges. They are also light colored.

The helical palm pandanus Veitch is also available without a variegated color. But flower growers prefer the variegated (Polynesian) variety.

Vicha has a stocky, shortened trunk. It is formed from the remnants of dried spiral leaves. In this species, as it grows, noticeable aerial roots appear. They look like stilts.

With good home care, the bush can grow to a meter in height over several years.

In total, homemade evergreen Veichi grow to 1.3-1.5 meters.

Sander

Sandera is the opposite of Veichi in color. She also has elongated leaf plates with a pattern. But the central longitudinal region of the leaf is light beige or white-yellow. The edges are light green or green. Spikes are also present along the edges. However, unlike Vici's many sharp needles, Sandera does not have many thorns, and they are not critically sharp.

Sander's view

Exot has a short barrel.Even in the tropics, the pandanus plant of the Sander species is not trees, with aerial stilt roots, but squat, lush bushes with long and thin foliage.

Pandanus benefit or harm

If at home it is almost impossible to see the flowering of exotic plants, then in nature the plant blooms very beautifully. The tree during this period is decorated with spikelets of numerous small inflorescences. The flowers do not have perianths, but cover leaves.

The plant is unisexual. Therefore, male flowers appear on one shrub. They resemble elongated spikelets. On the female, the inflorescences are in the form of corn cobs. Exotic flowering is accompanied by a delicate pleasant fruity aroma.

The fruit resembles a pineapple. As it grows, it becomes clear that the fruit has features and resembles pineapple only distantly.

It is difficult to collect fruits from compound fruits. They can be compared to very large corn kernels.

Residents of the Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea cannot imagine their diet without pandanus fruits. Pandan fruit provides people with vitamins, gives a boost of vivacity, saturation. Fruits are boiled, cooked over a fire or eaten fresh. It is noteworthy that not only the fruits are edible in the plant, but also the lower parts of the foliage, inflorescences.

Pandan fruit

Some tourists believe that the pandanus is poisonous. This is not true. The fruit is edible and incapable of causing harm. On the contrary, the pandanus is useful.

For example:

• Seed oil tones the body, benefits the nervous system.
• The oil is used to eliminate migraines and headaches.
• Leaves are suitable for healing wounds, abscesses, skin diseases.
• Gruel from the leaves helps in the treatment of infectious diseases such as leprosy (leprosy), etc.

Exotic care

Pandanus home care is simple. This does not mean that you do not need to pay attention to the plant at all. A flower grower should know that a palm with thorny leaves prefers freedom. For it, it is necessary to allocate a corner with an area of ​​at least 1.5 square meters. If the apartment is small, then as it grows, long leaves will interfere with the owners. In addition, other points of care should be taken into account. Among which:

• soil composition, annual top dressing;
• irrigation scheme, air humidity in the house;
• optimal temperature and lighting.

Soil composition, annual feeding

Usually purchased soil marked "for palm trees" is used. It is allowed to prepare the substrate yourself. To do this, mix sod soil, leafy soil, sand, humus. Each ingredient is equal in relation to the rest of the amount.

Annual feeding takes place over four to five months. In April, when the shrub leaves the dormant period, it is fed with a mineral mixture. Organic matter is added after 15 days. It is allowed to use preparations marked "for palms, ficuses". As organic matter, compost, humus, tea leaves, etc. are suitable.

Fertilizers are applied twice in April, May, June, July, August. The procedure is stopped in September.

Watering, humidity in the apartment

The bush will grow well if it is watered in a timely manner. Because of the fleshy foliage, the indoor pandanus flower loves moisture.

Watering is carried out every 5-7 days. Separated water is used. The plant should not be watered with cold water.

During the dormant period, watering is carried out once or twice a month. The main thing is to prevent the complete drying out of the soil mixture.

Exot should not be sprayed with water from a spray bottle

The optimum humidity in the house is 60-80%.For this, it is recommended to spray the air near the pandanus. This is done in the summer. You can put a container with water next to the tub. Evaporating, it will humidify the air next to the tropical pandanus palm. Do not spray the plant itself with water from a spray bottle. In this case, moisture accumulates on the foliage. This can cause mold or disease such as rot.

Optimal temperature and lighting

Pandanus care also requires temperature.

For good growth and health, the temperature should be at + 19 ... + 27 degrees. Despite not being capricious, the plant will not survive if it gets colder at home to +10 degrees.

Exotic lighting should be moderate. It feels good in a room with a little shading. Pandanas are not kept in complete darkness. Due to a lack of light, its leaves lose their elasticity, rich color.

Leaf problems: dry, turn yellow

Taking care of a pandanus is not difficult, but it is important to constantly monitor its well-being. The most common problems are that foliage can suddenly turn yellow and dry out. There may be several reasons for this development of events. Among them:

1. diseases;
2. invasion of pests.

Diseases

Indoor spiral palm is a fairly resistant plant. She has good immunity. However, even this exotic can pick up a disease, for example, root rot. When the roots decompose, the ground part suffers. It dries, turns yellow, fades. Root rot is a fungus. It occurs due to waterlogging of the soil. Treatment involves transplanting into a new pot and switching to a normal watering scheme (once every 5-7 days).

A few more reasons for yellowing, drying out of foliage:

• finding the tub in bright light;
• excess calcium in the soil;
• nutritional deficiencies;
• drying out of the soil.

Invasion of pests

Among the parasites that love the pandanus, the following stand out:

• scabbards;
• mealybugs;
• ticks.

It is because of these insects that yellow spots appear on the foliage, or the leaves turn yellow completely, they can dry out. If mealybugs are bred, then a whitish bloom is also visible on the trunk.

The invasion of pests does not appear for a reason. Even if the owner carefully looks after the specimen, the parasites can still show up. The main reason for this is that the air in the house is too dry.

For the fight, drugs are used:

• Akarin;
• Fitoverm;
• Apollo;
• Omite;
• Anti-mite, etc.

Foliage suffers from pests

Among the popular ways to get rid of parasites is the treatment of the plant with an aqueous solution of laundry soap.

Reproduction methods

Reproduction of an unpretentious plant is best done in the spring, when nature comes to life. Among the types of reproduction that involve rooting, there are:

1. cuttings;
2. removal of sockets.

Cuttings

Cuttings should be at least 18-23 cm in length. They have aerial roots. This lateral shoot is cut off and immediately placed in the prepared soil.

Recommendations for propagation by cuttings:

1. The shoot is separated from the parent specimen with a knife rubbed with alcohol.
2. A voluminous pot is being prepared.
3. Drainage is laid out in the pot, soil mixture for palm trees or peat soil mixed with sand is laid on it.
4. The stalk is placed in the ground. The roots should not be completely in the soil.
5. The pot with young pandanus is covered with a bag. It is important that there is a greenhouse temperature there - about 30 degrees. Every day the sprout is opened and aired.
6. Water it every 2 days.
7. Rooting will take place in 50-80 days.

Removal of sockets

Rosettes are formed in excess on the mother plant. The collection takes place when the length of the daughter is at least 18 cm.

Potted sockets

Sockets do not take root immediately. It is important to stand for 12-18 hours so that the roots dry out a little. After they are placed in a pot of earth, as in the case of cuttings. Covering with a film is also required.

Seeds

Pandanus can also be propagated by seeds. This method is suitable for the Useful view. Seeds are sown into a substrate of river sand and high moor peat. The planting is watered and covered with foil. Air and watered every 24 hours. The sprouts sprout in a month. After another 40-80 days, they can be transplanted into a separate container.

An evergreen sprawling pandan will decorate a spacious apartment. Even a beginner can handle its cultivation. Pandanus care is not difficult. The main thing is not to expose it to the bright sun, not to flood or overdry it, and also to feed it on time.