This plant adorns the green corners in institutions, offices, shopping centers and living rooms. Crested chlorophytum easily adapts to deficits in lighting and water, grows rapidly, and multiplies by daughter sockets. Long leaves effectively clean the air of contaminants and germs. Indoor flower with a cascade of "children" looks especially attractive in a hanging planter. It looks great in various compositional arrangements.
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Chlorophytum crested: features of cultivation
The species Chlorophytum comosum is a herbaceous perennial native to subtropics and tropics in southern Africa. In the XIX century, the plant was exported to Europe, where the cultivation of chlorophytum for a long time was available only to wealthy citizens. The popular name of the indoor flower "green lily" reflects the main feature of the appearance of the plant - narrow long leaves forming a dense bunch.
Chlorophytum reaches a height of 30-50 cm. The length of the leaves is from 20 to 60 cm. For most modern varieties, the presence of white and green longitudinal stripes is characteristic. In spring, thin stems of pale green or yellow color grow from the root. On these "mustaches" small white flowers bloom, "children" with aerial roots form.
The plant can be grown in a vessel with water.
Home Care
The plant is considered one of the least demanding among indoor flowers. Minimal care at home is to water and transplant into a more spacious pot.
Soil requirements
For normal growth and development, chlorophytum needs light, fertile substrates. You can buy soil for indoor flowers or cook it yourself. Compost is mixed with peat, or garden soil, with humus and sand (3: 1: 1). It is better if the soil has a slightly acidic pH (6–7).
The roots of chlorophytum take up a lot of space, so you should choose fairly wide pots, 15 cm high. With a lack of space in the soil, the roots come to the surface, penetrate the drain hole, and even damage the pot. The distance from the soil surface to the root system should be at least 2 cm. If the roots begin to swell, then chlorophytum needs to be transplanted into a wider pot.
Lighting
Chlorophytum is best placed on the walls and in the corners of the room, which are exposed to the sun from morning to noon or after 14 hours and until the evening. Window sills of windows facing north, rooms with artificial lighting are also suitable. On the south side, the light should be scattered, from direct sunlight on the leaves burns appear.
Attention! Crested chlorophytum with variegated leaves loses decorative qualities with a lack of lighting. Such conditions are better tolerated by varieties with completely green leaves.
Indoor flower prefers summer temperatures from 18 to 24 ° C. For winter content, temperatures from 12 to 14 ° C are more suitable.
Watering a plant
Chlorophytum is often and abundantly watered, but without stagnating water in the pan. It is advisable that from spring to autumn the soil in the pot is constantly moist, which is possible when watering 2 times a week. The plant stores moisture in juicy roots, therefore it easily tolerates short periods without water. However, such artificial drought should not be repeated often and be long-lasting. From autumn to spring, watered once a week.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
Nutrients are especially needed by the plant from March to September. Adult chlorophytum can be fed once or twice a month with fertilizer dissolved in water for indoor flowers. With an annual transplant into fresh nutrient soil, chlorophytum does not need top dressing.
Pruning
Part of the stems with daughter sockets is recommended to cut, or shorten. The abundant growth of "children" weakens the maternal bush, worsens its decorative qualities. Cut rosettes are used for vegetative propagation.
Transplant at home
An annual transplant of young sockets into larger pots is practiced, which stimulates leaf growth. It is recommended to perform this procedure in the spring. After 5 years, the need for an annual change of soil disappears.
How to transplant chlorophytum:
- Before transplanting, shake off the old soil from the roots, if necessary, rinse with a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Drainage material is poured at the bottom of the pot, and a soil layer is placed on top.
- The roots are spread on the surface of the soil and fill the remaining soil.
- Seal the top layer and water the plant.
Tip. With massive drying of the leaves, it is better to transplant the plant. Also a signal for a change of soil and pot is the absence of "children".
An adult chlorophytum is transplanted a year later in a pot that is 3 or 4 cm wider than the previous one. It is not recommended to divide the bush, the plant does not tolerate separation of the root system.
Chlorophytum crested: reproduction
An adult plant forms many “babies” that take root easily thanks to the already developed air roots. Daughter sockets are formed in place of flowers after they dry. Separate from the parent plant "children", which have 5 or more leaves, roots with a length of at least 3 cm. The more often this procedure is performed, the more new bunches appear that form several tiers.
Cut “kids” and immediately planted in a separate pot. If there are no roots or they are still short, then the lower part of the leaf outlet is placed in water. After regrowth, you can plant in a pot with soil.An alternative is to fix the children on the surface of the earth without separation from the stem. After a few weeks, the outlet can be cut off from the stem.
The seeds of crested chlorophytum, which ripen in dry fruits in place of flowers, can be sown. With this method, daughter plants will not always inherit varietal traits. Seed propagation is mainly used in professional floriculture.
Pests and diseases and methods of dealing with them
Crested chlorophytum is resistant to pests and diseases. Plants that are waterlogged are more susceptible to bacterial and fungal diseases. Rot quickly spreads, it is difficult to fight infection. The affected plant should be destroyed.
The most common pests of crested chlorophytum:
- mushroom mosquitoes (flower midges);
- spider mites;
- scale insects;
- worms;
- aphid.
Insects and ticks are destroyed using folk remedies and chemicals. If there are few pests, then wipe the leaves with a solution of laundry soap in water. Be sure to cut off all the affected parts and destroy. You can spray the plants with infusion of flowers and leaves of tansy, wormwood, but these funds will not help with a strong infection.
Against ticks and insects, they are treated with insect acaricides:
- Permethrin;
- Fitoverm;
- Vertimek;
- Actara.
Fitoverm suitable for processing directly in the green corner of the room. Other means are sprayed in non-residential premises or on the balcony. It will take several sprayings, since the listed funds do not affect the eggs of pests.
Cats are big fans of playing with long leaves of chlorophytum, tearing their ends with teeth and claws. As a result, the green plant loses its decorative effect. The only way out is to place the pots in places inaccessible to four-legged pets.
The main problems when growing
"Diseases of care" make themselves felt with too frequent or rare watering, an excess of fertilizers. In these cases, it is noticeable that the leaves dry at the ends, become yellow-brown and curl. Brown spots remain after burns in direct sunlight on summer days or when hot air gets in from batteries in winter.
Slow growth can be caused by a shortage of essential nutrients in the soil. In such cases, they are fed with solutions of ammofoski, urea or potassium nitrate. With a lack of trace elements appears "marble" color of the leaves. In this case, microfertilizers are used.
Important! Chlorophytum absorbs gases that are released during the operation of a gas stove, burning wood and coal. Leaves can neutralize toxic compounds.
The plant feels good under artificial lighting, is widely used to create green walls in halls, offices. Indoor flower for a long time retains decorativeness and does not require special attention. Easy care, ease of reproduction provided crested chlorophytum popularity among amateurs and professional flower growers.
