Asplenium flower - home care
Content:
Indoor plants create coziness in the home. Every year, non-flowering representatives of the green world are gaining more and more popularity among domestic flower lovers. For example, today, the asplenium fern is in great demand. However, few gardeners know well how to properly grow this unusual plant.
What does asplenium look like?
The Asplenium fern belongs to the Asplenev family. Another name for this plant is "Kostenets". At home, more varieties of asplenium are grown.
Fern asplenium
The appearance of this fern depends on the particular cultivar. The main difference is the shape of the leaf, on the back of which there are sporangia.
Common varieties
Popular varieties for growing at home are presented below.
- Asplenium Nidus - the variety has long, whole leaves. Asplenium Nidus prefers to grow in partial shade. This variety is also called the nesting Asplenium.
- Asplenium Parvati - grows up to 50 cm in height. Prefers to grow in the shade or partial shade.
- Asplenium Osaka (Osaka) - the leaves of this variety are whole, the leafy rosette is lush. It is rarely grown at home. The variety is also called Asplenium Anticum.
- Asplenium Bulbous - cirrus-dissected leaves of a dark emerald hue. The plant grows more than 1 m in height. This variety is also called Asplenium viviparous.
- Asplenium dimorphum is one of the most popular varieties among florists. The leaves are dissected, grow up to 1 m in length.
- Asplenium centipede - lush foliage, plant height reaches 1 m.The leaves are simple, xiphoid.
Features of caring for a plant at home
In order for the asplenium flower to grow normally, home care for it must be regular.
Temperature
Refers to heat-loving plants. The temperature should be between +20 and +25 degrees. In the cold season, a decrease of up to +18 degrees is possible.
Lighting
Asplenium care involves choosing the right place for the pot. The flower loves partial shade and diffused light.
Do not allow open sunlight to fall on the foliage. This leads to burns.
Watering
In spring and summer, the asplenium flower needs abundant watering. It is advisable to use warm, settled water for irrigation. Towards the middle of autumn, the amount of watering is reduced.
Spraying
In summer, when it is hot outside, spraying is carried out about 2-4 times every 10 days. In winter, the number of sprays should be reduced to 1-2 times a week.
Asplenium loves moisture, so the flower will have to be regularly sprayed and dust-free from the leaves.
Priming
Fern prefers slightly acidic, loose soil with good air permeability. It is best to purchase a ready-made soil mixture. If this is not possible, you can make the soil yourself.
In which ready-made mixture to plant asplenium:
- sod land,
- leafy land,
- peat,
- coarse river sand.
All ingredients are mixed in equal parts.
Top dressing
Home care for the Nidus asplenium, like other varieties of this plant, involves regular fertilization.Once a month, complex organic fertilizing with a high potassium content in the composition is introduced into the soil.
Features of care in winter, dormant period
The dormant period is from late November to March. At this time, you need to take care of the flower in a different way. The number of watering and spraying should be reduced. You can also significantly reduce the amount of fertilizer applied or stop adding it altogether, until spring.
Pruning
The plant needs regular pruning. Large old leaves must be removed so that young leaves can grow.
How asplenium reproduces
The bone marrow reproduces in two ways - by children and by dividing the bush.
Children
Children breed mainly viviparous varieties.
Reproduction by children is as follows:
- Babies emerge from meristematic tubercles on leaf veins.
- From these buds, full-fledged sprouts develop, which can be planted separately.
- The grown kidney is carefully separated from the mother bush. The main thing is not to damage anything.
- Then the bud is planted in a separate pot in the ground.
By dividing the bush
By dividing the bush, all varieties of fern reproduce, including dwarf ones. For this method of reproduction, only adult, heavily overgrown bushes are used.
Reproduction by dividing the root
Transfer
The number of transplants depends on how quickly the root system is growing. The first sign that it is time to transplant - the roots begin to be seen through the holes in the pot.
Transfer description:
- Remove the flower carefully.
- Do not shake the earth from the roots.
- Fill the drainage at the bottom of the new pot, then fill it halfway with earth.
- Place the flower and cover it with soil.
- Tamp down the soil slightly.
At the end of the transplant, pour plenty of water.
Diseases and pests
The most common diseases that occur when growing asplenium are gray rot and bacteriosis of the leaves, which cause the foliage to dry out. With gray rot, you need to limit watering. Spraying with fungicides based on zineb and mineba helps against bacterial spotting.
Fern nematode
Leaf spot can occur due to improperly selected soil. You should first check the acidity. If it is high, the flower must be transplanted into another slightly acidic substrate.
How to keep the asplenium plant so that diseases and pests do not appear:
- It is important to organize the care properly.
- For irrigation use warm water, filtered or boiled. Watering the flower is desirable until evening.
- Mineral fertilizers are required once a week.
- Regularly inspect the plant in order to notice pests and diseases in time.
Asplenium will add a little wild forest atmosphere to the interior. This is a very beautiful and at the same time unpretentious flower to care for. The fern is rarely found in the homes of compatriots, which means it will certainly arouse the interest of all guests and neighbors.
