Indoor flower anthurium is able to decorate any room, and transform even the most boring interior. The plant has dense glossy leaves and heart-shaped flowers. The color of anthurium flowers can be from light pink to maroon. When you see a plant for the first time, you might think that its leaves and flowers are made of plastic.
Most often, anthurium is used as a houseplant. When kept at home, the flower requires special care. Experienced growers consider the plant to be very unpretentious. But amateurs may face some problems, the solution of which will be discussed in our article.
Features of anthurium care
First of all, you need to know that the plant does not tolerate high temperatures and direct sunlight. In summer air temperature should be in the range of 20-23C, and in winter - 16-18C... A well-lit place is chosen for the anthurium. With a lack of light, the plant will stretch out, and its flowers will fade. Avoid direct sunlight.
When caring for anthurium, you must follow some rules:
The plant loves regular watering, however, it does not tolerate stagnant water. That is why a wide pot should be chosen for it, on the bottom of which a drainage layer is laid. The superficial root system of a flower is capable of picking up moisture from the air. Therefore, it is recommended to cover the topsoil with moss, which will need to be sprayed periodically.- The plant needs high humidity. To ensure such conditions, the leaves of anthurium must be constantly sprayed with settled water. The air humidity can be increased by using a purchased humidifier, or by placing the plant pot on a tray filled with wet expanded clay, peat or moss.
- Anthurium is not particularly demanding for feeding, but it needs additional nutrients. Fertilize the plant about once every two weeks from March to October. Foliar dressing for flower leaves is very effective. They can be sprayed on the plant once a week. Organic matter is applied to the surface of the substrate.
- The acquired plant from the container is transplanted into a pot filled with special soil. You can use an earthen mixture designed for orchids and bromeliads. The soil must be breathable, loose and contain coarse fibers. The permissible soil pH is from 5 to 6. The transplanted flower is well watered. In the future, caring for him consists in frequent spraying and careful watering. The first time after transplanting, the plant is very sensitive to a lack of moisture.
- Anthurium propagates at home by cuttings. For this, the apical cuttings with aerial roots are separated from the main plant, and planted in a separate container.
These are all the rules you need to know when caring for an anthurium. But if, nevertheless, the flower is sick, then the recommendations below will help to save it.
The main problems when growing anthurium
The main difficulty in caring for a plant at home is the problem with flowers and leaves. They may begin to curl, stain, or dry out... There can be many reasons for this.
Why do anthurium leaves dry?
The main reasons why the leaves begin to dry:
- dry air;
- insufficient watering;
- anthractosis and other diseases;
- defeat of aphids.
The regularity of watering the plant should depend on the season. In summer, watering can be plentiful, and in winter, if the room is cool, anthurium is rarely watered... The soil should dry out by 1/3 of the pot between waterings. Air humidity can be increased by daily spraying of the leaves.
If the leaf begins to dry from the edges, and then becomes thinner and dries completely, then the anthurium is affected by anthractosis. In this case, trequires systemic fungicide treatment.
Curled and wrinkled leaves with light spots indicate that the flower is infested with greenhouse aphids. You can get rid of the pest using the drug "Aktelik" or "Karbofos".
Why do brown spots appear on the leaves?
In this case, there can be three main reasons:
- If the spots are large, then there is a problem with feeding the plant. It is imperative to use only special fertilizers that contain balanced substances.
- Small brown dots on the leaves indicate that the room temperature is too low.
- If spots are found, it is necessary to inspect the stem and the inside of the leaves of the flower, as it can be affected by the mealy worm. In this case, the use of special chemicals will help.
Why do leaf tips dry?
Possible reasons:
- dry indoor air;
- insufficient oxygen is supplied to the root system.
In the first case, in winter, the pot with anthurium should be removed away from the heating appliances, and the plant should be regularly sprayed at any time of the year.
In the second case the flower is recommended to be transplanted into the groundby adding charcoal, pieces of brick or cones to it. After adding the coarse fraction, the soil will become looser, and oxygen will flow well to the roots.
What if the leaves turn black?
There may be several reasons:
- draft;
- direct sunlight;
- excess in the soil of calcium salts;
- low or high room temperature.
If the pot with anthurium is in a room with constant drafts, then its leaves will begin to turn black and curl. Therefore, the flower must be rearranged to a place that is safer for it.
Anthurium should be shaded from direct sunlight, otherwise a burn will appear on its leaves in the form of black spots.
You can recognize that there are a lot of calcium salts in the soil by the limescale, which manifested itself on the inside of the pot. If a the soil cannot be completely replaced, then it is enriched with peat or humus, and watered only with settled water.
Inappropriate temperature conditions when caring for anthurium can lead to the appearance of black spots on its leaves. It must be remembered that the temperature in winter should be within +18C, and in summer not higher than + 26C.
Why do the leaves turn yellow?
By yellowing the leaves, anthurium reacts to a number of reasons:
In winter, yellow leaves indicate a lack of light. Additional lighting may be a solution.- When watering the plant with water rich in chlorine and heavy metal oxides, the leaves may begin to turn yellow. Therefore, it is recommended to use rainwater, melt or settled water.
- When water stagnates in the pan, the root system begins to rot, and the leaves turn yellow. As a result, the plant dies. Therefore, it is not necessary to excessively moisten the soil, and after watering, the water must be poured out of the sump.
- Lack of earthen mixture. In this case, you need to add earth to the container with anthurium. If the plant pot is already small, then the flower is transplanted into a larger one.
- The defeat of anthurium with a mealybug or aphids leads to yellowing of the leaves, since the insects feed on the sap of the plant. Chemicals can help get rid of the problem.
What if the anthurium flowers become small?
The plant grows old over time, while losing its attractive appearance.Its trunk is bare, and the leaves and flowers become pale and small. Anthurium cannot be left in such a deplorable state. It needs to be rejuvenated... To do this, using a pruner, the upper part of the plant with two or three aerial roots is cut off, and planted in a container filled with earth. Caring for a young plant consists in spraying, regular watering and maintaining the temperature in the room at least + 20C.
When growing anthurium at home, you should remember that you need to follow all recommendations for caring for it. In this case, there should be no problems with the plant.
