How to care for anthurium at home

Anthurium, which grew up in the tropical forests of South America, is difficult to adapt to the temperature conditions of the temperate climate zone. The flower has more than 900 species, but only 4 take root in ordinary urban apartments. The plant, which is called devil's tongue and male happiness, is recommended to grow in mini-greenhouses or dendraria, or to choose the right room, which is always warm and humid.

First meeting

Novice flower growers are advised to pay attention to Anthurium Scherzer. Unlike the Andre variety, it is heavier and less sensitive to low temperatures. Scherzer has a shortened stem, and the height of the peduncle reaches up to 30 cm.

If you need ornamental deciduous species, you should buy Anthurium Crystal or Majestic.In such plants the veil is dark green rather than bright red or orange, and the leaves are wide, covered with a mesh of white or silver veins.

It is recommended to purchase sprouts of anthurium in spring or summer, when it is warm enough, and it is easier for the devil's language to adapt to new conditions. Selected specimens should be left in the old pot for 2–3 weeks for the plant to get used to. After the young sprouts are transplanted into another container, replacing the old soil with a new one.

What type of soil to choose

The composition of the earth determines how well the anthurium will be protected from fungus and parasites. What should be the ideal soil?

• slightly acidic;
• loose;
• moisture absorbing;
• contain many nutrients;
• oxygen flowing to the roots.

Flower shops offer universal formulations for anthurium, but they are too heavy for the gentle root system of male happiness. Some flower growers say that a bloody tongue can be planted in the soil for orchids, but in such cases too few nutrients, because of which tropical plants weaken and fade.

Prepare the right soil at home.It is enough to mix the turf with peat in a ratio of 1 to 2 and add 2 parts of moss. The second component is provided with power, and the third retains moisture, but does not allow liquid stagnation.

To create the perfect soil you can use:

• composition for azaleas, sold in flower shops;
• perlite;
• crushed pine bark;
• sphagnum.

It will take 2 parts of the first and second component and 1 - the third and fourth. Suitable for growing bloody tongue and hydroponics: a mixture of perlite with expanded clay or sphagnum without other additives. If such a basis was used, the temperature in the room should not fall below +18. In winter and early spring, anthurium is replenished with phytolamps, and twice a month instead of water for irrigation, the root system is moistened with a solution for hydroponics.

Suitable for growing tropical flower and soil consisting of:

• 4 parts of humus;
• 2 parts of coarse-grained sheet sod, which is not sifted;
• the same amount of peat;
• 1 part of river sand.

To make the foundation loose and moisture-permeable, charcoal, pieces of bog moss and pine cones are added to it. You can mix the soil with coke fibers or crushed brick. Connect with wood chips.

The pot is first filled with a drainage layer, for which shredded foam, clay shards, expanded clay or crushed stone are used. Solid material should be covered with moss or coconut fibers, and sprinkled on top of the prepared soil.

Tip: The earth should not be tamped too much when planting an anthurium, otherwise the flower will be difficult to fix in the soil. Too dense basis badly passes oxygen which is necessary for a devil's language for growth.

Where to put anthurium

If cacti and hibiscus bathe in the sun with pleasure, then red wax inflorescences can easily fade from the abundance of ultraviolet radiation. Anthurium, as a native of the tropics, loves heat and moisture, because in the wild, he has to constantly soak in the rain. But with the sunlight at the flower complex relationship.

Ultraviolet plant needs for photosynthesis and growth, and in South America there are almost no gloomy days. But in its natural environment, anthurium hides under tall trees with spreading crowns that scatter the sun's rays. On the dark green leaves of the flower gets gentle and muffled light, which feeds and warms.By direct contact with ultraviolet, the plant runs the risk of burns and death.

Pots with a damn tongue can be put on the southern window-sills, but only if:

• on the windows there are blinds;
• on the street there is a tree that casts a shadow on the anthurium;
• a film of brown or dark blue is stuck on the glass;
• the flower is protected from ultraviolet radiation in other ways.

In other cases, for anthurium buy coasters, shelves or hanging pots, which are placed 50-60 cm from the windows.

In winter, when the house becomes cool, the plant can be moved to the kitchen or bathroom. In these rooms it is always hotter than in other rooms, and high humidity, almost like in tropical forests. In summer, a pot with wax buds can be taken out on the balcony or left until evening in the garden, hidden under the largest tree.

Important: Do not put anthurium next to batteries and other heaters. They desiccate the soil inside the pot, and the plant becomes vulnerable due to dehydration by being attacked by pests. It should protect the bloody tongue from drafts and do not leave next to the open vents.

Temperature and watering

From late spring to early winter in the room where Anthurium stands, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of + 20-25 degrees. Above you can, the flower tolerates heat well. Below it is impossible, otherwise the growth stops, and the lower leaves wither.

From early December to mid-late January, the temperature should be reduced to +18, and after that to +16. At the same time, it is necessary to dosachivat plant with special lamps to compensate for the lack of heat.

Important: The lower the temperature in the room, the less moisture the anthurium needs. If in the summer the flower is watered 3-4 times a week, then in the winter one is enough, maximum two.

Next to the damn language recommend installing an ionizer or humidifier. The leaves of the plant are regularly sprayed with a spray bottle, trying not to fall on the roots and stem. It is necessary to ensure that the soil in the pot does not dry out, but always remains slightly damp.

Anthurium is not watered often, but plentifully. If at the bottom of the pot water accumulates, you need to wait until the moisture evaporates. An excess of fluid leads to the appearance of a fungus, which primarily attacks the root system.It is difficult to save a bloody tongue, you have to change the soil and the pot, but even emergency measures do not guarantee that the plant will recover and will not wither.

What should be the water for irrigation? Warm, about 25-30 degrees. Liquid for irrigation must be defended for 2–3 days in order for harmful impurities to precipitate. You can use rainwater or melting snow, but be sure to warm it up.

Fertilizer and water treatments

Anthurium needs to be fed twice a month. Suitable and mineral and organic fertilizers. In March-April, when the growing season begins, and new leaves and inflorescences appear on the plant, it is recommended to bring in nutrients for ornamental deciduous species into the soil.

You can add pine chips or bark, a little charcoal or moss to the soil. Among the mineral emit "Ideal" and "Kemira." If there is no desire to tinker with liquid fertilizers, it is recommended to put granulated in the ground during transplantation, which slowly dissolve and regularly feed the plant.

From May to the end of September fertilizers should be used for decorative flowering species.This group includes:

• Uniflor-bud;
• Fertika-luxury;
• Agricola.

Water anthurium with a weak solution, reducing the dosage specified in the instructions, twice. Water mixed with fertilizer, make the root. After feeding, water the flower with a clean liquid to improve the absorption of beneficial components. Fertilizers can burn the plant, so if the solution gets on the sheets or stems, they should be immediately wiped with a damp cloth.

Hygiene against pests
Anthurium must not only be fertilized and protected from ultraviolet radiation, but also bathed regularly. Water improves the appearance of leaves and inflorescences, washes away the cobweb and small insects that are difficult to see with the naked eye. How to prepare the plant for hygienic procedures?

1. Cover the bottom of the pot with a plastic bag or cling film. Make a small cut, wrap around the stem and tape all the joints and small holes. The ground after bathing should remain dry.
2. Adjust the temperature of the shower: not too cold, but not hot, closer to the room.
3. Do not turn on too powerful pressure, so as not to injure the leaves.
4. Hold the pot in one hand and the mixer in the second.If you put a flower in a bath, the drainage layer will absorb water, the soil will become too wet, and a fungus will appear, or the root system will start to rot.

It is necessary to wash the leaves of anthurium on both sides, because dust accumulates on the outside, and the cobweb and insect eggs - on the inside. You can use a soft sponge or cloth to better clean the flower from dirt.

After bathing, slightly blot the plant with a dry towel and put it in a warm place until the moisture has completely evaporated. Protect anthurium from drafts and the sun. When the plant is completely dry, carefully remove the protective film from the pot and return to its original place.

Arrange water procedures should be 1-2 times a month. Every week, wipe the leaves and wax flowers with a damp cloth, trying not to leave marks and stains.

How and when to replant the plant

The root system of anthurium is constantly growing, so a young bloody tongue is transplanted annually into a more spacious pot. Nothing complicated:

1. Tap the clay walls with a spatula to separate the ground with the roots from them.
2. Remove the plant along with the earthy ball, gently pulling it up.
3. Shake the anthurium and clean the root system of the soil. Work carefully so as not to damage the delicate base of the flower.
4. Pour drainage layer and some soil into new pot.
5. Place the plant in the center, add soil to hide the root system.
6. Shake the pot several times and knock on the walls. The roots of anthurium are strongly intertwined, and it is necessary for the soil to fill the voids between them.
7. Pour the land, water the flower and fertilize.

It is recommended to transplant anthurium in spring when new leaves begin to form. The plant will transfer the pot easier and adapt faster. Adult flowers are transplanted every 2-3 years, because they grow more slowly.

Tip: No need to buy a pot "for growth". In non-sized containers, the root system becomes too thick. Anthurium has many leaves, but the plant does not bloom.

Pests

1. It is easy to recognize an aphid that decided to eat young shoots, and a solution from household soap or special preparations will help to get rid of it.
2. If dark spots appeared on the outside, and hillocks on the inside, the anthurium attacked the shield.Insects do not tolerate soap, and especially resistant individuals will destroy insecticides.
3. Old leaves are covered with yellow spots and curled? Young are deformed? Anthurium eats a spider mite, from which acaricide will deliver.
4. There were bumps and strange seals on the roots? Symptoms point to brown nematodes, for which there is no cure. Only isolation and destruction of the flower so that the pest does not spread to the rest of the plants.

Growing anthurium is a complex and time consuming process. Tropical guest is sensitive to temperature extremes, ultraviolet and cold, sick from drafts and excess moisture. But if you regularly take care of the damn tongue and protect the plant from frost and sun, it will delight you with bright and unusual flowers all year round.

Video: anthurium care