Experienced flower growers do not need to introduce the zamiokulkas houseplant, because this flower appeared in our country back in the late 90s. It was at that time that a plant with an unusual name, grown in Dutch nurseries, became available for the first time to domestic florists.
It did not take long for Zamioculcas to win the love of many flower growers. This was facilitated not only by its unpretentiousness, but also by decorative properties, thanks to which it looks great both in ordinary apartments and in office premises.
However, the official name of this exotic plant did not take root among ordinary flower growers, so they came up with an alternative one - dollar tree... Perhaps this can explain the fact that in most cases, zamioculcas today adorns banks and other financial institutions. It is also often called "female happiness": people gave it a similar name due to the fact that the flowering of this plant is rare and very unusual.
Content
Features of zamiokulkas
The dollar tree, which is most commonly found in East Africa, belongs to the aroid family. However, it stands out against the background of its relatives in that it is unpretentious.
Under natural conditions of growth, zamiokulkas is not afraid of either drought or hot scorching sun. Therefore this exotic flower perfectly takes root in our climate.
Zamiokulkas has pronounced decorative properties, which is manifested in its spectacular appearance and unusual structure. What makes the plant unique is its lack of branches. The part of the plant that seems to many as stems is actually complex leaves that begin to form immediately from the tuber.
When growing zamiokulkas, tubers that are underground play an important role for the plant, since they accumulate moisture. In this flower, in the process of development, erect, feathery large leaves are formed, on the surface of which there is a waxy coating. All leaves grow on thickened petioles that originate at the base. Adaptability to periods of drought is explained by the fact that any part of the plant, if possible, accumulates moisture.
Over the season, the dollar tree demonstrates slight increase in height... Another feature is the extremely rare flowering - a similar event is observed only in very adult specimens. Because of this, zamiokulkas, which is grown at home, can rarely please the owner with flowers.
How tropical Zamioculcas blooms:https://flowers.bigbadmole.com/en/komnatnye-rasteniya/zamiokulkas/kak-cvetet-tropicheskiy-zamiokulkas-cvetok-bezbrachiya.html
Zamioculcas in many ways corresponds to its family. It looks like a small ear of corn that surrounds a pale green blanket in a circle. Zamioculcas is not a very durable plant, usually after 5-10 years you have to look for a replacement for it. Throughout his life, he does not grow above one meter.
It should be borne in mind that zamioculcas is a poisonous plant, and any part of it is dangerous. For this reason, it is recommended to grow it in places where neither small children nor pets can reach it.
You need to be especially careful with poisonous juiceas contact with eyes may worsen. Therefore, it is necessary to observe precautions during the care of zamioculcas.
Zamioculcas houseplant care
Although zamioculcas can feel comfortable under any growing conditions, it reacts appropriately to lack of care. Having brought home the purchased plant, do not rush to plant. First you need to let it stand for two to three weeks in order to adapt to new conditions. Further, after assessing the current season and the characteristics of the plant, a decision is made to transplant zamiokulkas.
Caring for this plant allows delays between waterings, this will not lead to a slowdown in its growth or other negative phenomena. Drafts are not dangerous for him. With the onset of summer, you can transfer the flower pot to the balcony, veranda or outdoor terrace, where the zamiokulkas will feel even better.
A selection of plants for a sunny balcony: https://flowers.bigbadmole.com/en/komnatnye-cvety/kakie-cvety-posadit-na-balkone-na-solnechnoy-storone-ih-nazvaniya.html
Lighting
It is advisable to place this exotic plant on a windowsill located on the south side, where it will be provided with sufficient sunlight. The dollar tree grows best when it receives diffused lighting. Moreover, if rare direct sunlight reaches the leaves, this will not harm it.
It is allowed to keep this houseplant on the north side, but in this case you will not get the same stable growth as on the south side. In addition, as experience shows, in this part of the room the leaves will not have such a saturated shade, since the plant will not receive the required amount of light.
It is not recommended to grow zamioculcas in full or partial shade conditions. If a there will be a shortage of lighting, then this will make its leaves reach for the light, moreover, they will turn out to be thin, weak, with rarely located leaf blades. Therefore, the lack of sunlight can hurt the plant, which will primarily affect its decorative qualities.
Temperature
Considering that the natural environment for the plant is a hot climate, the flower feels quite comfortable in dry and hot weather. In summer, zamiokulkas can grow at temperatures of + 21 ... + 29 degrees. In winter, the optimal temperature for him is + 15 ... + 18 degrees. Much less harm is done to this exotic flower by lowering the temperature in winter, if rare watering is carried out at this time of the year.
Zamioculcas can experience severe stress with sharp temperature fluctuations... If the temperature drops below + 12 degrees, then in some cases this can lead to his death.
Watering
Along with lighting, it is no less important for the normal development of zamiokulkas and watering. If this event is neglected during leaving, then at a certain point the dollar tree will begin to weaken and dry out. It should be remembered that this flower withstands long periods of drought well, so this will not disrupt the rhythm of its life as much as an excess of moisture.
Although the dollar tree is among the drought-resistant crops, watering is still necessary. Otherwise it will cause leaves to fall... This is an additional clue to the grower that the plant is lacking moisture, and it gets rid of parts to reduce its consumption. Usually, if the root is viable, the plant will start to feel better when watering is resumed and will gradually recover.
- it is undesirable to carry out frequent abundant watering, as this can bring even more harm to the plant. In the absence of the possibility of removing excess moisture, the roots will soon begin to rot and die off. In the summer, it is important to carry out moderate watering, their frequency is determined by the state of the earthen coma: it is optimal when only the top layer has time to dry out between the next waterings;
- in the case when it is difficult to understand whether the plant needs moisture, it is recommended to postpone this event for a day. In winter, watering should be reduced even more. It is enough to water the zamiokulkas once every 3-4 weeks, using settled warm water;
- given that the leaves of the plant have a natural waxy coating on the surface, dust quickly accumulates on them. For this reason, you will have to regularly carry out water procedures. During a warm shower, it is important to protect the soil from moisture so as not to disrupt the growing conditions for zamiokulkas.
Top dressing zamiokulkas
Home-grown plants, especially need feeding... And zamioculcas is no exception.
it is possible to provide this houseplant with the necessary nutrients during care by applying universal fertilizers, which are used in a half dose. During the growth period, fertilizers are applied to the soil every two weeks;- excellent results are provided by leaf feeding. They must be carried out at least 1-2 times a month, choosing the moment between watering. The essence of the method consists in spraying zamiokulkas leaves with a pre-prepared solution of complex fertilizer or urea.
Banana peel as a fertilizer in home gardening: https://flowers.bigbadmole.com/en/komnatnye-cvety/bananovaya-kozhura-kak-udobrenie-dlya-komnatnyh-rasteniy.html
Transplant and reproduction
Given that zamioculcas grows rather slowly, it can be transplanted rather rarely. Usually the need for this arises at a time when there is no room for the roots for further growth in the pot. Mature plants need to be replanted every five years, and young - every two years... This operation must be carried out with great care, trying not to injure the rhizomes, since after that they take a long time to recover.
the safest for zamioculcas is the transshipment method. For this, old soil is used, to which only the missing amount of new is added. It is necessary to use new soil only in cases where there is an urgent need for it: for example, reproduction is carried out by dividing the bush;- it is best to grow a dollar tree in clay pots, since moisture is absorbed in them faster, and therefore the likelihood of stagnant water is reduced;
- in the process of growth in zamioculcas, each new leaves are larger than the previous ones. Therefore, to grow this plant, it is necessary to select a stable pot.
Conclusion
Among exotic plants, there are many interesting representatives that can be grown without any problems in our latitudes at home. Indoor flower zamiokulkas today is not uncommon for most flower growers, because for the first time it began to be offered in our country back in the 90s. Therefore, during this time, experienced florists were able to get enough information about the peculiarities of growing zamiokulkas: how to care, how often to replant, etc. Although zamiokulkas is an unpretentious plant, it still needs provide some care, which guarantees not only rapid growth, but also resistance to disease.
Ivan Vinogradov
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