Small-leaved sawing - home care

Pilea is the largest genus of flowering plants in the Nettle family, with about 700 species. The most popular is the small-leaved saw, which has won the love of flower growers for its ease of care and aesthetic appearance.

Description

The homeland of the flower is the subtropical and tropical countries of America. The pilea plant prefers moist, shaded areas. Under ideal conditions, the crop can grow up to 70 cm.

Small pilea flowers

The indoor small-leaved saw is a perennial up to 15 cm high with highly branching shoots, on which small leaves of a pale green hue grow. The maximum size of a sheet plate is 5 mm in length. It is shiny, semicircular in shape, convex at the top, with a solid or carved edge.

The plant blooms rarely in apartment conditions. Small light-colored pilea buds, collected in inflorescences, usually appear in early summer and have no decorative value. Many of them are cut so as not to weaken the plant during the flowering period.

Flower types

Common types of pilea that can be grown at home:

• Peperomium (Chinese money tree). The height of the flower is up to 40 cm. From the main stem, rounded concave leaves hang on elongated petioles, which makes them look like umbrellas.
• Silver (other names - Silver, Kadier). New shoots look up, and old ones creep along the ground. The leaves are elongated, with carved edges, with 3 veins, along which silvery threads stand out. Thanks to them, this species got its name. The maximum flower height is 40 cm.
• Filiform. A plant with thin, curly reddish shoots. The leaves are small, oval, purple below.
• Wrapped. At each node of its stem, there are 2 leaves with carved edges. The sheet plate is corrugated with brown veins. The flower grows up to 30 cm.
• Coin-leaved. Shoots are creeping, with rounded, bright green, coin-like leaves. They are located on small petioles. The lower part of the leaf plate is colored red.
• Lebanese. This is an ampelous saw with brown curly shoots. Small oval leaves on top have a pale green color, as if covered with silver, and below the plate is deep green.

Lebanese pilea

The pilea flower increases the humidity level in the room. Some species are able to secrete biologically active substances that stop the growth of bacteria, fungi and other protozoa.

Care features

Caring for small-leaved saws at home is simple. But still, some requirements must be taken into account so that the plant pleases with fast growth and flowering.

Conditions for keeping a flower:

1. Accommodation. In the wild, the pilea grows in the mountains, so at home it is better not to place the plant in direct sunlight. The ideal place is in the shade of other colors under diffused lighting. In summer, you can plant a flower in an open space. In winter, it is recommended to use a phytolamp.
2. Temperature indicators. It is better to place the flower in a room where the air temperature is not higher than +23 degrees. In winter, the plant can be kept on an insulated balcony. It is important not to place the saw pot in a draft.
3. Air humidity. The optimal conditions for growing a pilea are a cool microclimate.Increase the humidity level during summer and heating periods. This can be done with a humidifier or with a bowl of water placed near the pot.

Regrown shoots that need to be cut

Caring for a flower consists in choosing the right soil, timely watering, feeding and forming a bush. Things to remember:

• For planting pylaea, it is better to choose a fertile soil of medium density with neutral or low acidity. The flower grows well without soil, with roots submerged in water or nutrient solution.
• You should beware of overflow and waterlogging of the soil, do not allow long breaks between watering. It is necessary to water the flower after the top layer of the soil has completely dried, using settled water at room temperature.
• To maintain the beauty of the leaves and prevent stretching of the sawtooth shoots, you need to fertilize the soil throughout the year, even after the growing season. In winter, top dressing is applied monthly, the rest of the time - once a week. To replenish nutrients in the soil, universal fertilizers for flowering plants are suitable.
• During the growing season, you need to take care of the young shoots of the saw, give them shape. An adult plant is regularly pruned, removing the elongated processes.

Transplant and reproduction rules

It is recommended to transplant small-leaved saws every spring. You can update the flower less often, focusing on its appearance. If the shoots are stretched out and drooped, the trunk of the plant is bare - it is better to transplant it.

Tips for replanting a pilea:

• It is recommended to prune old shoots, divide the flower into several bushes and form them.
• The plant has a superficial root system, so it is better to choose a pot that is not high, but wide.
• If the soil mixture was prepared at home, you need to disinfect it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
• The first layer is spread with expanded clay about a third of the pot, and soil is poured on top.

Saw cuttings ready for transplant

Pruned shoots can be used for reproduction. They are simply placed in the water until the roots appear, and then planted in the prepared soil. For decorative effect, it is recommended to place several cuttings in the pot.

Growing a flower by seed is difficult. In a small container, a layer of expanded clay should be placed on the bottom, and earth should be placed on top. Place the seed in the recess and sprinkle with soil, cover the container with foil. Shoots should appear by the end of the month. You can transplant them into a pot when the first leaves are formed on the sprouts.

Pest control

The small-leaved indoor flower sawtooth is resistant to diseases, and pests appear most often due to non-observance of the temperature regime and low humidity. spider mites, thrips or scale insects can infect the plant.

The main signs of the presence of a spider mite: deformation and curling of leaves, discoloration. As a result of the infection, the sawtooth stops growing and may die. The parasites hide on the back of the leaf and are difficult to see, especially at the initial stage. Mites can be found during the molting period by white grains, similar to dandruff. The reason for the appearance of pests is dry air. If parasites are detected, the sheets should be treated with soapy water. In case of severe infection, the Actellic insecticide will help.

This is what a spider mite looks like under a microscope.

Flower thrips are oval-shaped insects that live in colonies and carry the fungus. The ideal conditions for their existence are high temperatures and low levels of humidity. After infection, brown spots appear on the leaf blade, most often on the reverse side. Above the leaf, you can see whitish foci with yellow stripes.As a result, the flower withers and may die. To combat thrips, chemical preparations Aktellik, Mospilan, Aktara are used. Antifungal prophylaxis is recommended.

Thrips-infested leaves

The first sign of the appearance of a scale insect is tiny red, brown or yellow plaques on the leaves and sticky secretions. These are insect colonies. As a result of infection, the leaves of the flower turn yellow, dry out and fall off. The plant begins to lack nutrients. To get rid of the pest, chemical preparations are used.

Plaques by which you can recognize the scale insect on flowers

Overflows can cause the sawtooth to develop root rot. This fungal disease develops on the stem and spreads to the roots, which can lead to wilting of the ground part of the flower and its death. For treatment, biological and chemical fungicides are used - Previkur Energy, Maxim, Mikosan, Gamair.

Breeding problems

Despite the fact that the pilea flower is unpretentious, when growing it, you can face some difficulties:

• Due to non-observance of the temperature regime, leaves may fall off.
• Improper watering often causes root rot.
• The color of the leaves fades due to too bright lighting, and due to a lack of light, the leaves become shallow and the shoots stretch out.
• Direct sunlight can cause leaf burns.

Experienced and novice florists can grow small-leaved saws. The main requirements are the correct placement of the flower, maintaining the required temperature and humidity, watering and timely transplantation. If they are observed, the ornamental plant will delight for a long time and serve as an interior decoration.