Chlorophytum: what it looks like, homeland, care and diseases

Chlorophytum has won the hearts of many flower growers. In addition to decorative purposes, the plant has such a useful property as purifying the air from harmful impurities. A large number of different varieties allows you to choose a flower that will meet all the wishes of the owner. All these features have made chlorophytum one of the most popular indoor plants. Where did chlorophytum come from in Russia and how to properly care for it - the answers to these and other questions can be found in this article.

Chlorophytum is a genus of herbaceous plants. Their appearance is a rosette of oblong leaves, which, as they grow, take on a decorative appearance. He fell in love with flower growers for his unpretentious nature and beautiful leaves that look beautiful with proper watering. The homeland of the plant is Africa and its southern part.

Several years ago it was difficult to find a Russian apartment or house that did not contain at least one pot with this plant. The most famous names among flower growers are "spider", "bride veil" and "green lily". Chlorophytum began its existence in 1794 in South Africa. Only 40 years later, the plant was imported to Europe, from where the plant's rapid popularity came from.

Most of all, chlorophytum has taken root in Holland. Residents considered it a tradition in every home to have at least one plant with beautiful stems that gracefully hang down from the pots. Hence, a new name for the species appeared: "The Flying Dutchman", which owes its origin to the inhabitants of Holland.

Before domestication, species had the tendency to settle in the forks of branches, rooting in cracks in the bark of trees. The stem has a rooted structure and most often white stripes that adorn it from beginning to end. The oxygen that the plant produces through the process of photosynthesis is distributed throughout the room and improves the saturation of the air. Most chlorophytums in their structure resemble fireworks: the rosette is designed in such a way that the shoots grow in different directions, forming a circle of stems, which, as they mature, go down.

Chlorophytum is so widespread that it is difficult to name the exact number of its varieties: this number ranges from 200 to 300. In addition to its decorative use, the plant is also used to purify the air.

In the course of scientific research, the properties of chlorophytum to purify the air have been confirmed. It was for this reason that such plants began to flicker on space expeditions: astronauts were allowed to take this living organism on board.... Later, this decision had to be abandoned due to the fact that care takes time and additional equipment on the way, and the living conditions of the plant were at a low level due to artificial lighting.

There was no big excitement around this news, but the fact remains: the plant produces pure oxygen in the process of photosynthesis to ensure its vital activity.

Florists love chlorophytum for the following reasons.

1. Unpretentious care... It is enough to water it in a timely manner and check the leaves for possible diseases.
2. Indoor chlorophytum species have a powerful ability to cleanse the atmosphere. It is not just that they try to keep the plant near the children's room or in the kitchen: the air in the nursery will be cleaner, and in the kitchen unfavorable substances will leave the gas stove.
3. Variety of varieties will impress even the sophisticated plant lover. Recently, many amazing varieties of chlorophytum have been bred.

Due to the above reasons, chlorophytum has spread as part of the home garden, and today the plant can be seen in almost every home where flowers are grown.

Immediately it is necessary to dispute the myth of the "Blue Pearl" or the chlorophytum "Pearl". Chlorophytum "Blue Pearl" flower seeds are widely sold in Chinese online stores. The photo of this plant is amazing, because not every day you see gorgeous bluish beads hanging from the shoots. Many inexperienced growers immediately bought seeds. The popularity of these wonderful seeds was prohibitive, because the photos of the plant seemed to be real.

In reality, this is nothing more than cheating for the sake of sales. The images, which pretend to be Blue Pearl chlorophytum, are edited photos of another plant, the Pearl String, whose official name is Rowley's Ragwort. Marketers and unscrupulous sellers have simply changed the color of the peas that inhabit the vine to blue. So the pearls became blue. So chlorophytum with a similar appearance does not exist.

Laxum is a subspecies of crested chlorophytum. Although the cultivar is grown indoors, it often dies from improper care. As a light-demanding plant, Laxum needs to be checked daily for the quality of its shoots. The middle of each sheet is "cut" by a white stripe of gray tint. The variety is rather rare in comparison with other types of chlorophytum.

It is difficult to find this variety on sale, it is not as common as other types. However, if the grower is lucky enough to get a home plant with a white stripe in the middle of a green leaf, you need to take care of it.

"Komosum" is the same crested chlorophytum. "Komosum" attracts cats and other pets with its smell, which is why it is widely believed that the variety is dangerous to animals and can cause them poisoning. It's a lie. A certain smell only attracts cats and dogs, but it does not bring any harm to their body.

This is a small bush up to 70 centimeters in size. Due to its appearance, flower growers also gave the crested chlorophytum a beautiful nickname - "St. Bernard's lily". During the flowering period, white six-leafed flowers open. Its roots are thick and constantly accumulate moisture.

The flowering process at home is a rare occurrence. In the room by the window, the plant does not bloom due to a lack of the required temperature or lighting. For those who want to see the flowering of crested chlorophytum, it is necessary to move the plant to a greenhouse. You can also watch the variety bloom in the wild.

In the process of cultivation, which has been going on for more than 200 years on the windowsills of flower growers, crested chlorophytum has adapted to the home climate and has become resistant to various diseases.

In the process of breeding new species, a variety of crested chlorophytum appeared under the exquisite name "Ocean". It was first registered relatively recently - in mid-2002. Unlike its "parent", this plant does not start up new branches with children. The leaves have a smooth surface and light green color, as well as a length of 60 centimeters.The structure of the plant resembles a spiral, its leaves curl as they appear.

The "winged" variety is also referred to as "orange" because of its color: the veins on the leaves are cast orange. Also in the circle of flower growers it is customary to call this variety "marmalade". Leaves tend to grow up to 10 centimeters in length and gather in a tight outlet. The petioles differ from many varieties in that they have an elongated structure and a bright orange color, for which many people fell in love with this plant. The edges of the leaves are also bordered with thin orange stripes.

It is noteworthy that this variety is the only one who managed to get an official double name - Orchidostellar is an alternative to Winged Chlorophytum and denotes the same flower. The peduncle is very small in comparison with the leaves, and the flowers are arranged spirally in relation to each other.

The main advantage of all types of chlorophytum is the absence of capricious requirements for the conditions of detention. For this reason, the plant has taken root in apartments, houses and gardens. Temperature conditions for it should not exceed +28 degrees and should not fall below +8. Lighting is allowed in the form of an open sun or partial shade. In bright light, the leaves will be brighter.

It should be watered every three days in summer, and once a week in winter. Air humidity does not play a significant role in the development of leaves, so it is not necessary to monitor this parameter. Spraying the shoots is also not necessary, but once a month you need to give the plant a warm shower (water temperature is about 23-26 degrees) to clean the leaves. Regular rubbing is contraindicated: brittle leaves can easily fall off from contact with them.

Feeding with mineral components is required from the beginning of May to the end of September, once a month. You can feed chlorophytum with extracts from banana peels, if there are no special products nearby. It is also allowed to feed with purchased fertilizers for the rapid growth of the plant. Chlorophytum is not picky about the soil, so there is no need to buy a special soil composition for it.

To plant a plant, there are a few things you need to know to help prepare the soil for planting. If you have to plant seedlings, you should prepare a cut bottle and a peat tablet. When it comes to planting an adult plant, you need to properly prepare the soil for it. The simplest and best option is to purchase a ready-made mixture. This will eliminate the process of selecting and mixing components that should be in the soil.

The bottom of the pot should be with drainage. You can use expanded clay. You need to choose the ratio of soil as follows: 2 parts of sod land + 2 parts of leaf humus + 1 part of sand.

If you purchase ready-made soil, it is advisable to pay attention to the following options.

• For any type of chlorophytum, "Biopergnoy" from the "Russian Fields" company is suitable. Its loose structure is perfect for the root system of the plant, and the presence of all the necessary minerals in the composition will accelerate its growth.

• Kekkila soil it is advisable to buy in cases where chlorophytum will be grown in a large container. The composition of the soil will ensure the effectiveness of future fertilizing.

Like many plants, chlorophytum can reproduce in three ways: by dividing the bush, by seeds, and by the lateral shoots (also known as babies). Planting seeds at home is not the most convenient and effective method, so it is easiest to propagate chlorophytum by dividing the bush and by children, growing seeds is suitable for more experienced florists.

In the process of growth, chlorophytum reaches large dimensions.The pot in which the plant is contained becomes small over time. On average, once a year, it is necessary to divide the bush in order to get a new plant and give better conditions to the old one. Since chlorophytum has one of the most powerful root systems among indoor plants, its division is not difficult. The division of the bush is done only in the spring.

1. 2-3 hours before dividing, you need moisten the soil plants are larger than usual. This will protect the roots and allow the procedure to be carried out quickly.
2. When the bush was removed from the pot, you need free the roots from the remaining soil and carefully untangle them.
3. Then divide the bush into several parts. It remains to transplant the separated parts into a new container.

An adult chlorophytum plant forms several peduncle stems, on which rosettes are formed. Some growers note that after the separation of such children from the main plant, they should be kept in a glass of water for several days. After this, the shoots can be planted in a pot.

Before starting reproduction, you should carefully choose the future dwelling of chlorophytum. The rapid growth of this flower must be taken into account. Considering that the plant will have to live in a pot without transplants for the whole next year, you need to make sure that the container is of a suitable size. It should be noted that not all chlorophytum varieties form lateral shoots on their shoots.

When preparing for the procedure, you need to understand that more than half of the seeds do not germinate at all, so you do not need to expect supernatural results. Before planting, the seeds should be covered with a thin layer of cotton wool and kept in a glass of water for a day, regularly changing the liquid to fresh (every 3-4 hours). The soil, the composition of which should contain peat and sand, must be moistened by the time the seeds are planted from cotton wool. From above, the container with seeds must be covered with glass or polyethylene. It is necessary to transfer the container to a warm and dark place and provide a temperature of 25 degrees, maintaining it constantly.

It is necessary to often open and ventilate the soil, as well as spray. After about 30 days, with proper care, sprouts will appear. By gradually increasing the airing time, after 10-14 days the container with hatched seeds can be freed from the film.

Some noteworthy facts about chlorophytum make it a rather unusual plant. When growing one of its many varieties, you need to keep in mind some of the flowering features that this exotic air purifier has.

• Root system - a capricious thing in the development of chlorophytum. Many growers are perplexed why flowering does not occur. The reason lies in the wrong place of its growth. Too large or, conversely, a small pot does not allow chlorophytum to develop normally. The large pot causes the root system to expand to fill the space. Small, however, does not allow important root compounds to develop, which is why flowering is out of the question. In the case of a pot that is too large, you need to wait: sooner or later, the plant will be able to take up its entire volume and begin to bloom.

• Yellow leaf tint - not a good sign. Chlorophytum can communicate many of the problems that a host is experiencing. This indicates the presence of rotten roots or soil acidification. The solution is to avoid watering the plant too often. If the leaves have not stopped turning yellow, transplanting the plant into a more favorable soil will help cure chlorophytum.

• A long peduncle with white flowers is not a decorative part of the culture. It is necessary for reproduction, because when the flowers fade, daughter rosettes are formed in their place, which can be transplanted into a separate soil and grown as an independent plant.

Infection with harmful organisms is a rare occurrence for any type of chlorophytum. However, from the attacks of aphids, scale insects and spider mites, you need to be able to protect your indoor pet. Timely elimination of these troubles will not affect the plant's body in any way.

Scale insects are hemiptera insects that have more than 2,400 species. Outwardly, it is difficult to find the scale insects themselves: their tiny size is beyond the ordinary eye. The most common is the brown scale insect. It is dangerous because within a few hours after the eggs are planted, the plant will have a whole colony of dangerous organisms that will suck the juice from chlorophytum.

In the course of their life, the scale insects secrete a liquid that is sticky to the touch - a pad, in which a sooty fungus develops after a certain period of time. It is noteworthy that her males are highly active and can even fly. However, they live no more than 3 days, while females can exist for several months.

As pests, these insects can be detected by visual inspection of the leaves - you will notice sticky areas that will differ from a healthy leaf in color.

To eliminate the consequences of a shield attack, you must:

• wipe affected leaves with a cotton pad moistened with soapy water;

• if the scale is located on more than 2 leaves, it should prune infected areas;

• in spring it is desirable to use Axoris Quick-Sticks, which is shaped like a stick set in the ground at a depth next to the roots of the plant. Having spread along its shoots, it will destroy the unfortunate insects.

In total, 4 thousand different species of aphids are known. All of them feed on plant juices and for this reason pose a threat to all plants living on the planet. Also, most of its species can carry viruses from some plants and cause numerous diseases and anomalies in others, therefore, you should not neglect the treatment of a plant for such a disease.

One female is capable of laying 100 eggs during the winter. New organisms that mature a week later also lay the same number of eggs. Thus, during one season, a single female is capable of giving birth to more than 20 thousand harmful insects. This cumbersome figure suggests that the consequences of even hundreds of aphids can be catastrophic for one plant.

First of all, the appearance of the plant suffers. Graceful and luxurious before aphids attack, after defeat it becomes lethargic and drooping.

To exterminate aphids on chlorophytum, you need to do the following.

• To achieve a quick effect, you can use chemicals. Fitoverm, which is sold in ampoules and small bottles, does an excellent job with it. It works after two days, and exactly one week later the number of aphids will be zero. Also for this use drugs "Arrow", "Tanrek" and "Entobacterin".

• If the grower does not want to disrupt the plant's immune system and wants to cope without the use of chemicals, he can wash off aphid colonies under a warm shower. It is also necessary to cut off all affected leaves.

• If there are no drugs at hand, it is welcome spraying the leaves with a decoction of yarrow or an infusion of orange peels. This will not harm the health of the chlorophytum, but will cause the aphids to leave the plant.

One of the most unpleasant pests of almost all indoor plants is the spider mite. Entangling shoots and leaves, the insect sucks juices from chlorophytum. It is extremely simple to detect the presence of a tick: a cobweb forms on the surface of the leaves, which is constantly growing.If the colony of spider mites exceeds 10 individuals, they can be seen even with the naked eye.

Also, insects skillfully hide in the soil, so inspection of the ground will also not be superfluous to identify spider mites. In most cases, they should be expected to attack in winter. Experienced owners of chlorophytums note that frequent spraying of the plant prevents the appearance of these pests: spider mites do not tolerate wet conditions of existence. However, there is a rare species of spider mite - Atlantic, which can ignore humidity and settle on chlorophytum.

Chemicals are the fastest and most effective solution for ticks. But there are many popular ways to destroy them, but they are inferior to chemical ones several times. Such preparations do an excellent job with spider mites.

• "Actellik", which is poisonous, so you need to use it outdoors in a protective suit. It blocks access to food for the tick, thereby killing it. You need to carry out the procedure twice a month.

• "Skelta" - a new tool on the market. One spraying is enough, and the pests will no longer bother the owner of the flower. Dying off of ticks occurs exactly one week after treatment.

Among the folk remedies, the following methods of getting rid of spider mites can be distinguished.

• Alcohol... This liquid has established itself as a quick killer of parasites. You need to soak a cotton pad in alcohol so that it is sufficiently moistened. Next, you need to wipe the leaves on which the insect colonies are located.

• Infusion of garlic. To create an infusion, you need to finely chop several heads of garlic and pour a liter of boiled water, close the lid tightly and put in a cool place for infusion. After 5 days, you need to dilute the resulting solution with a liter of water. This is followed by processing the leaves with a garlic solution.

• Soap solution. You only need to use this method if you don't have alcohol and garlic on hand. It is not as effective as the above methods, but it can harm the ticks. In a small amount of water, you need to dilute any soap (household soap is better than others: its composition will have a minimal effect on the chlorophytum itself) and process the leaves, leaving the foam for several hours (3-4 hours is enough), then rinse it off with a small amount of running water. Then you need to cover the whole plant with polyethylene and remove the cape after a day.

All these actions can be easily avoided if you carry out preventive examinations of the flower and observe its condition. By following the following tips, you can prevent the appearance of aphids, spider mites and scale insects on your plant.

1. Once every 30 days take a warm shower for chlorophytum with running water.
2. Steam the substrate. In it, pests often hibernate, which, after waking up, begin to feed on the plant.
3. Spray the leaves regularly clean water (about once every few days).
4. Do not postpone treatment and do not wait for the flower to heal itself. If inactive, the florist risks losing the plant forever.

In addition to the pests described, there are several more problems that plague chlorophytum. They are often classified as a disease. For example, when the tips of the leaves turn black and dry out, flower growers start looking in the store for remedies to correct this ailment. However, the reason lies elsewhere: the plant lacks moisture.

Chlorophytum prefers a warm atmosphere and a humid habitat. If the general appearance of the plant fades, and the parasites cannot be detected, you need to try to rearrange the plant in a room with bright lighting.

The presence of brown spots on the leaves indicates that:

1. the temperature in the room drops below the permissible norms for the plant, therefore, you need to either change the place where the pot with it stands, or increase the temperature in the room;
2. watering is too abundant, therefore, you need to get rid of the moisture in the pot and drain off the excess water, which chlorophytum does not need.

You should always remember that any plant is a living organism. It can give signals that a person needs to understand. Then chlorophytum will always delight its owner with a beautiful appearance.

Of course, chlorophytum is not a whimsical room dweller, who needs care several times a day and feeding four times a month.

You can learn how to transplant chlorophytum from the following video.