Anthurium - how to care for a flower? Features and Tips

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Flowers with an unusual name and exotic species - anthuriums, were brought to Europe in the 19th century. However, the attention of lovers of indoor floriculture to this plant turned only at the end of the twentieth century. Today, 30 pure species and about 80 hybrid varieties are available to fans of tropical flora.

Among them are not only flowering crops, but also decorative deciduous species, striking with expressive and variegated foliage. Any anthurium requires a comfortable atmosphere and regular home care.

Temperature regime

Anthurium is rightfully recognized as an unpretentious plant. If comfortable conditions are created and maintained for it, it will delight with bright foliage and frequent flowering. This inhabitant of the tropics feels great on the windowsill at temperatures from 22 to 24 ° C. However, 15-17 ° C is acceptable for a flower.

Important! Anthurium does not tolerate temperature changes, drafts and cold winds.

Often, when staying on a cold windowsill, root rot is observed. When caring for anthurium at home, this phenomenon can be easily avoided by installing a pot with a plant on a piece of foam that is suitable in size.

Correct lighting

Under natural conditions, anthuriums grow in the shade of larger plants. Direct sunlight can cause serious damage to the flower. When breeding it in an apartment, it is recommended to install pots at home on the western and eastern windows. This rule applies to both brightly flowering and deciduous varieties.

If it is not possible to follow it, proper conditions can be arranged from the south side. To do this, you will need to shade the plant or simply place it at some distance from the window.

It is useful to take anthuriums outside on warm summer days. Of course, protection from direct sunlight, precipitation and wind is pre-arranged.

Some novice flower growers note that the leaves of anthurium dry up. Why might this be happening? In general, a violation of the state of the foliage can be of several types:

• brown burns on leaves, rapid drying of the soil is a signal of an excess of sun;
• yellowing, drying of foliage, excessive elongation of cuttings indicates a lack of lighting.

A similar thing can be observed in plants located on the north side, also in winter. The organization of additional lighting helps to establish care, stimulate flowering and a healthy appearance.

Proper watering

Novice growers mistakenly believe that a tropical plant requires abundant, frequent watering. Anthuriums, like other plants from the Aroid family, are equally contraindicated in both excessive watering and allowing the substrate to dry out.

Waterlogging of the soil causes rotting of the roots, the development of late blight. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the water drained during watering into the sump, especially if the plant is kept in a cool room.

In the summer, as well as when keeping a flower in a heated room, under artificial lighting conditions, care must necessarily include frequent watering. Additionally, you will need to treat the soil with a slightly damp sponge.

Fact! If the water used for irrigation is too hard or excessive watering, the flower will definitely react. Namely - its leaves are covered with dark brown, almost black spots.

To soften the water, it is recommended to add a few citric acid granules to it. Another tip is that preference should be given to settled water at room temperature.

Air humidity

For the full development of anthurium, it requires not only optimal soil moisture, but also sufficient air humidity.

The optimum humidity at which growing conditions for anthurium promotes normal flowering is 75-85%.

To achieve these indicators, you can use:

• irrigation with warm water of the green part of the plant;
• the use of household humidifiers;
• placing the pot in a pallet with wet gravel.

To avoid the appearance of dark spots, blackening on the leaves in a cool room, you can wipe the leaves. The dry surface rule also applies to inflorescences. You should also avoid getting moisture on the decorative foliage of those types of flowers whose leaves have a matte texture.

For the heating season, those varieties that are especially sensitive to dry air are recommended to be placed closer to artificial sources of moisture. For example, decorative fountains, illuminated bathrooms.

Ground requirements

Anthurium at home will bloom well, grow normally, provided that a structured lightweight substrate is placed in the pot. The acidity level is from 5, 5 to 6, 0. It is known that in natural conditions flowers consume moisture, nutrients, oxygen not only from the soil, but also small-volume accumulations of humus on the trunks of nearby trees.

Given this feature, it becomes clear why the root system of a plant planted in a heavy soil mixture rots.

An optimal potting mix can be prepared from the following components:

• high-moor peat purified from impurities;
• leafy land;
• sand;
• boiled, chopped bark of coniferous trees.

In terms of proportions, for every two parts of peat and earth, one bark and sand is taken. Additionally, charcoal, previously crushed, can be added to the soil. This will not only affect the structure, but also disinfect the soil. Perlite, sphagnum moss help to loosen the soil purchased in the store.

Small pots are best suited for planting anthurium. They must be made of plastic and have drainage holes. Additionally, a drainage layer should be organized in the container - this will help remove excess moisture into the pan, and not accumulate it in the lower zones of the earthen coma.

As a soil for anthurium, some growers use earth for orchids. There is no blunder in this.

However, the plant will need more frequent feeding. The second option is to add a certain amount of garden soil, previously disinfected (you can fry it in the oven at a low temperature).

During the period when the plant is actively growing and blooming, it is required to organize regular feeding. This should be done twice a month. For the procedure, you will need ready-made products that can be easily replaced with mineral and organic additives used in turn. Those plants that go into a state of sleep for the winter period are not fed and are rarely watered.

Important! Additional feeding and watering in winter is not required, even if the anthurium blooms on an ongoing basis under conditions of increased daylight hours.

Transplant features

An important and mandatory element of care is periodic replanting. This will promote normal flowering.

The main reasons why a plant needs to be transplanted include:

• the development of an earthen coma by the root system, a noticeable tightness of the pot (such a transplant is most often required after purchase);
• errors in the selection of the soil mixture, due to which the condition of the plant, its development, deteriorates;
• diseases of the root system, the appearance of signs of rot.

Important! Adults and, most importantly, healthy plants that are actively blooming, do not reveal external manifestations of diseases, are transferred to a large pot every two to three years.

The fact that a florist needs a transplant will be prompted by the fact that thick roots will peep out of the drainage holes. So they look for additional moisture, nutrition.

Preliminary abundant wetting of the soil helps to eliminate the likelihood of damage to the root system. You can also slightly wrinkle the pot itself. Having taken out the anthurium, they conduct a thorough examination for the presence of traces of decay or signs of disease. Provided that the plant is healthy, it is transplanted into a new container, where there is already a drainage layer.

If the grower wants the plant to bloom soon after transplanting, the new pot should only be slightly larger than the previous one. The optimal choice is containers in which the height is equal to the diameter.

An earthen lump is always located in the center, the gaps on the sides are filled with a substrate. The soil is slightly compacted, watered if necessary and covered with sphagnum, which eliminates rapid drying out.

In cases where an external examination of the plant showed signs of disease, a different approach will be required.

In general, the grower should be alerted by the following phenomena:

• spots on leaves, stems;
• loss of foliage of the usual tone;
• slowdown in growth, cessation of flowering.

Damaged, decayed areas are carefully trimmed to the level of healthy white tissue before transplanting into new soil. Places of cuts must be processed with activated charcoal, pre-crushed to a powder state.

On the green part of the plant, leaves are removed that have dried up, have lost their appearance. Also do with peduncles and inflorescences. These actions will reduce the stress on the flower, thereby helping it to cope with the stress of the transplant.

After the plant has undergone late blight (the photo shows the external manifestations of the disease), will be moved to a new pot, you need to carefully monitor its condition. When the first alarming symptoms appear, the entire crown is re-treated, as well as the root system and soil.

After transplantation, anthurium requires special care.… First of all, watering should be abandoned before the upper words of the soil are dry. It is important to protect the plant from drafts, direct sunlight.

For 2-3 months from the moment of transplantation, you should refuse to feed the flower. The root system requires acclimatization to the soil that has changed in composition. Mineral and organic matter entering the ground at this time can cause root burns.

Reproduction

There are several breeding practices for anthurium. The choice should be made taking into account your own preferences, condition and appearance of the plant.

Dividing a large bush

The method is suitable for plants from 3 years old. Leaving does not involve any special action. Allows you to rejuvenate the flower, while obtaining new copies. Held in the spring (early or middle).

Sequencing:

• moisten the soil;
• remove from the pot and gently shake off the soil;
• untangle the roots;
• sanitize the roots;
• plant the pieces in new pots.

Cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is considered the easiest way to get a new flower. It is best suited for home use. The attractiveness of the method is that the material can be taken at any time of the year. However, the best results can be obtained in late spring and early summer. It is better to give preference to stems, the height of which is 12 cm or more and having at least two leaves.

An anthurium stalk is a leaf that is cut along with a part of the stem. The cut is made in the lower part of the plant (5-8 cm from the ground).

Sequencing:

• cut off the selected leaves. "Wounds" must be sprinkled with chalk (pre-crush), colloidal sulfur. You can also use iodine, brilliant green;
• dry the resulting cuttings for 10-15 minutes in the open air;
• plant the material in small cups. They are pre-filled with a mixture of peat chips and sand in proportions of 1: 1. It can be replaced with sphagnum moss. The cups must have drainage holes. If there is no substrate and / or containers at hand, germination in water is allowed. It should be at room temperature and soft. A prerequisite is a daily fluid change. The use of a stimulant helps to speed up the process, as well as sprinkling the base with a preparation of a similar spectrum of action in the form of a powder. The planting material is deepened into water or substrate to a depth of 4-5 cm;
• containers with cuttings must be covered with a glass cap, a bag. The optimum temperature is from 25 to 28 ° C. Watering is carried out once every 2 or 3 days.