Soleirolia - home care and reproduction

This green cap of small oval or round leaves is called saltium. A beautiful bush can creep along the soil, forming a carpet, or hang down as a waterfall of greenery along the entire diameter of the pot. The decorativeness of this plant allows it to be a frequent guest of compositions in aquariums and florariums. In the garden, Soleirolia creates an unusual thick carpet up to 5 cm high.In the conditions of apartments, breeders plant this handsome creeping man in pots with large palms or tall plants to cover the soil with them.

Description of the plant

The plant belongs to the Nettle family. In the wild, it grows along the banks of rivers and reservoirs of the Mediterranean, huddles well on rocky terrain. When domesticated, Solleyrolia left all the requirements of maintenance, as in the wild - abundant light and moisture. If these two factors are observed, the bush will delight with its greenery all year round, very quickly growing and hanging its shoots.

Juicy greens of salt

Common varieties

In nature, there is only one subspecies of this plant, which is called the salt of Soleirole.

• Gelksina Soleirolia is a creeping ground cover plant, the stems of which are densely covered with round leaves, not exceeding 0.5 cm in diameter. The stems can reach 20 cm in length, they are thin and very fragile. Grows greens very quickly, covering the entire surface of the pot. Gelksina flowers are inconspicuous and light.
• Soleirolia Green is a variety that differs from the previous variety in size, its bush reaches up to 20 cm in diameter. The miniature variety is picky about light and moisture, with a lack of which it loses its decorative effect, stretching out long stems, almost not covered with foliage.

Varieties

The other types of saltium are the work of breeders who have tried to improve the decorativeness of this flower:

• an unusual variety Argentea boasts a silvery color of its oval leaves;
• Variegata has green, round leaves with a white border;
• variety Aurea has densely growing oval leaves of light green color with a golden sheen.

The flower got its name in honor of its discoverer - the navigator and botanist J. Soileroy. It was brought to Europe in the 19th century, and gained its popularity already at the end of the 20th century, when small mixes of herbs and flowers came into fashion.

Soleirolia: home care

Many growers believe that the plant is very picky and caring for it will be too troublesome. Yes, salt will not grow in normal apartment conditions, it needs special conditions. But it cannot be called very complex or hothouse.

Conditions of detention:

• the temperature in summer should not exceed 25 ° С, optimally - 20 ° С. In winter, 15-20 ° С;
• lighting should be maximum, but diffused, since soft leaves can get burned;
• watering is plentiful on hot days, it is important to ensure that the soil is always moist. The roots are thin and easily rot if there is water in the pan or there is no good drainage in the pot.A signal that there is too much stagnant moisture in the soil - decaying and turning brown leaves at the base of the stems;
• humidity should be tropical. On hot summer days, you need to spray the flower three times a day, then the juicy and dense greens will become grateful in return. In winter, it should be sprayed once a week. If the humidity for the plant is low, its leaves will fall off, and the tips of the stems will dry;
• feeding continues from the beginning of active growth until September. The usual complex composition is suitable no more than twice a month.

Winter care

As the light and humidity drop sharply, the flower stems often stretch out, the leaves grow sparsely and lose their color saturation. If you arrange a dormant period for the plant, then it will perfectly retain its decorative appearance. When the temperature drops, it goes into sleep mode, growth stops, and the flower does not require frequent watering, spraying and abundant lighting.

It is important during this period to reduce the temperature to 12-15 ° C and keep it without hesitation. An increase to 20 ° C will wake up the plant after hibernation, and it will begin to grow, and this requires light and humidity. A decrease in temperature to 8 ° C will completely destroy the flower without the possibility of recovery.

Soleirolia is a houseplant that does not feel very comfortable in winter.

If there is no way to make the temperature regime for hibernation, you need to take into account several nuances of wintering:

• for the growth of dense stems, additional artificial lighting is needed;
• if the flower stands next to heating devices, the air will be dry, which has a detrimental effect on the appearance of the flower. To increase the humidity, you need to place containers with water next to the saltrolium pot;
• if active growth is observed, you can feed it once a month with complex fertilizer.

The awakening period for nettles is late February, early March. During this period, the plant is pruned, transplanted, placed in a sunny place and begin to fertilize. In early spring, with proper care, it can even bloom. Although its bloom does not represent a colorful picture, this fact serves as a sign of the comfortable living conditions of the flower.

Pruning

The bush loses its decorative effect after 2-3 years of growth in the same pot, so it is often completely renewed. If saltium is adjacent to a larger plant in a pot, you can save its decorative effect after wintering by pruning.

During transplanting, it is also recommended to prune shoots that are too long so as not to deplete them while adapting to new soil.

Reproduction

It is easy to propagate the saltium flower, there are several ways. On average, the first strong roots appear within 20 days.

Seeds

One of the painstaking methods, you need to take care of future sprouts every day. The seeds are only available for purchase. It should be sown in bowls with a mixture of peat and sand in equal amounts. The container must be tightened with foil or covered with glass, moistened by spraying and ventilated every day. It is important to keep the pots warm to 25 ° C and not lower the temperature until sprouts appear.

On average, after a month, seedlings can be planted in separate pots and continue growing in the open air.

Cuttings

Small shoots need to be cut off or pinched off and sent to a glass of water or immediately rooted in a mixture of peat and sand. When planting in one pot, it is better to root several shoots at once for the rapid growth of the bush, and also if the shoot does not take root, or it takes a long time to take root in the new soil.

Due to the fragility of the roots, it is better to root directly into the ground

Rooting

One of the easiest ways to get a healthy new plant is to root the mother's shoots. In this case, the cuttings are not cut, but laid out on the ground in a new pot, which is placed next to the pot of the mother plant. Soon, new branches appear from parts of the shoots, and the plant is ready for independent life, the mother shoots are cut off.

By dividing the bush

Another easy way to multiply saltium. During transplantation, the roots are separated along with an earthen lump, as they are very thin and fragile. It is important not to water the divided flower after dividing the bush, so that the damaged roots can heal without the formation of rot.

Transfer

Salleurolium needs a transplant two weeks after the acquisition, when she got used to the new place and conditions of detention. An adult plant needs to be replanted as it grows and to change the soil.

It is advisable to transplant the flower once a year.

The pot needs to be wide and low. The wider the pot, the more beautiful the carpet will be on it. If the pot is tall, there is a possibility of moisture retention in it, which can cause rot and fungus to appear. The bottom should have many large drainage holes so that the soil does not accumulate moisture.

The plant is not picky about the soil, easily lives in the usual commercial mixture for green plants, loves a mixture for palm trees, since it does not forget its roots. It grows well in a mixture of turfy soil with coarse sand or small pebbles. It is important that the soil breathes and does not sour. An important condition for healthy growth is the drainage layer - it must be at least 2 cm from expanded clay or vermiculite.

After transplanting, it is important to let the plant rest for a few days:

• do not water or spray;
• put in partial shade or shade;
• the average temperature is not higher than 20 ° С.

The transplant is tolerated without complications, provided that all recommendations are followed. The first top dressing can be applied after two weeks.

Soleirolia is an excellent ornamental plant that can be used in the interior of the house on its own or become part of the composition. In summer, the flower grows wonderfully in the fresh air, decorating balconies and loggias. The demanding care of a houseplant with salturolium is made up for by the beauty and uniqueness of this delicate bush.