Sansevieria
Content:
Sansevieria is an incredibly common plant among flower growers, which is very popular even among non-professionals. It is also called Sansevieria, however, despite the fact that these names are incredibly similar, in this article we will use the name Sansevieria.
Sansevieria: description of the plant
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
If we talk about the classification, Sansevieria belongs to the genus of asparagus plants. Some experts and advanced florists also call this genus of plants Agate. It combines (according to various estimates) from sixty to sixty-five species, each of which contains a huge number of both natural and hybrid varieties. Sansevieria is native to Madagascar, Indonesia, Africa or South Florida. It is also highly likely that you will come across this flower in India. Although, in fact, it is most often found on the balconies in our homes, because it was in the Soviet Union that this tropical plant gained simply tremendous popularity, thanks to which Sansevieria is now very common in our country. By the way, you might have known about this flower under its popular names, such as snake skin or pike tail.
The Sansevieria plant is considered especially valuable because you need to treat it incredibly badly in order to destroy it. At home, Sansevieria is so unpretentious that absolutely anyone, even the greenest and most inexperienced beginner, will be able to achieve the best decorative qualities from it. Surprisingly, even if you forget for half a month that the flower exists at all, he Sansevieria will not feel any difficulties and will continue to live and grow. In addition, many designers believe that its best adornment is its simplicity. Sansevieria is really an incredibly simple outwardly plant, which, however, only makes it better and allows it to fit into absolutely any interior. It also looks very beautiful in flower arrangements.
Sansevieria: home care
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria is grown as an ornamental deciduous plant and can be used to decorate absolutely any room with absolutely any interior.
Lighting is also not very important for Sansevieria. You can even grow it in partial shade, and even then it will be quite bright and variegated. On the other hand, it is highly undesirable to grow it in a too shaded place, as, indeed, in direct sunlight, which are especially detrimental to Sansevieria.
Temperature is not important at all, at least in summer. Of course, growing it in the refrigerator at this time will not be the best solution, however, believe me, if you feel comfortable in your room, then Sansevieria will be comfortable too. However, there is still one limitation: in winter, the temperature should not fall below sixteen degrees.
Watering must be systematic and not too abundant.In principle, it is enough to water the flower when you see fit.
Air humidity for Sansevieria is not at all important, which you probably did not expect from a tropical plant. However, here everything is the same as with the temperature: you are comfortable - the flower is comfortable.
Fertilization can be completely neglected, especially if you are not chasing record decorativeness, however, if you want to get the best results in the beauty of the leaves from your Sansevieria, then you can feed it once a month during the summer period.
This plant practically does not have a dormant period, or at least it is so imperceptible that the conditions of courtship practically do not change throughout the year.
Any systematic transplant of Sansevieria is not needed. This procedure is carried out only if the plant becomes too cramped in its pot.
There are two ways to propagate a plant such as Sansevieria (at least these are the most effective of all): by dividing or by leaf cuttings.
There are few pests in this plant and they are quite rare, but most often the threat is represented by worms and spider mites.
The only mass disease, the chance of encountering which you have above one percent is root rot, but with proper care of the flower, even it is not scary.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Of course, before we move on to consider the features of each procedure included in the Sansevieria care complex, we should remind you that this genus of plants has more than sixty species, each of which contains many individual varieties, and, therefore, to breed some kind of ultimatum rules that would be suitable for all of them are simply impossible. However, in fact, I must admit that there is no particular need for this, since if you give the plant at least such attention, which will be described below, it will in any case feel good, no matter what kind it is. or grade.
It should be noted that, given the incredible unpretentiousness of this flower, it is incredibly effective and beautiful, for which, for sure, it is loved most of all. Therefore, we want to offer you a couple of small tips to help make your Sansevieria even better:
The more dressings, the better. Sansevieria reacts very positively to them and pleases the owner with especially green leaves and beautiful coloring. However, this does not mean that feeding is required.
Best of all, Sansevieria grows on the windowsill, but in no case on the southern one, since in this case there is a high probability of serious sunburn. But the temperature on the windowsill, by the way, is not at all important, and therefore Sansevieria can stand on it even in winter, when there is a huge heat from the heating radiator from below.
Watering Sansevieria should be regular and moderate, however, a deviation towards a slightly rarer watering is still acceptable. Of course, then you should be prepared for the plant to fade significantly, but for those who often and for a long time leave their home, this is very good news.
On the other hand, a deviation towards more frequent watering should in no case occur, since this is fraught with stagnation of moisture at the roots, and we all know for sure that this leads to root rot.
Temperature and humidity
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
As already mentioned, the temperature regime for Sansevieria does not play practically any role, and it grows well at room temperature. However, the worst thing you can do for this flower is to expose it to the balcony during high winds or, heaven forbid, in winter. In this case, hoping that the flower, in principle, cannot be destroyed, you will remain very disappointed.
As for humidity, Sansevieria also has no requirements and quibbles for it.However, it will be very useful to wipe its leaves with a special sponge or ordinary rag. Thus, you can rid the flower of dust, to which it reacts very negatively.
Sansevieria: watering rules
We have already drawn your attention to the fact that watering Sansevieria should preferably be regular and not too abundant. However, we also strongly advise you to purchase a dedicated moisture meter from one of the garden shops. The fact is that only with the help of it you can determine when the plant really needs watering - the watering method only when the topsoil dries out here, unfortunately, does not always work.
However, in fact, this advice for the most part only applies to those who want to grow the most beautiful and healthy flower. If you just put it on the window for beauty, then you should not bother.
Nevertheless, there are certain and very strict requirements for watering. If you are going to water a flower, then you must collect water in advance. So it will not only infuse a little, but also heat up / cool down to room temperature. These two requirements are the most important for the watering of Sansevieria.
Plant transplant
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
As we already said, you need to transplant a flower only when the roots become cramped, however, if you are not very versed in plants and do not know how to find it, then it is enough to simply transplant Sansevieria into a new, slightly larger pot, once a year - you definitely won't be mistaken.
The transplant itself, despite the fact that it would seem to be a very serious and major operation, does not represent anything complicated. The most important thing is to find the right soil and the right pot, and everything else will be no more difficult than playing in the sandbox. Speaking of soil, ordinary garden soil is completely unsuitable for Sansevieria, and therefore the best solution would be to buy a peat mixture in a specialized store. However, if you have the spirit of experimentation, you can prepare the potting mix yourself. To do this, you will need some turf and leafy soil, as well as sand in a two to one to one ratio, respectively. In addition, you need to provide the flower with a small drainage layer of fine rubble or gravel.
By the way, you shouldn't think that you need to be a super professional florist to determine that it's time for a flower to pick up a new home. To do this, it is enough just to have sufficient care: as soon as the roots begin to emerge from the holes in the bottom of the pot, an immediate transplant should be carried out.
By the way, there are also certain requirements for the pot: it is desirable that its walls are thick enough, and it itself is earthen. The fact is that it is these qualities that will help you avoid some unexpected situations. The problem is that a plant like Sansevieria has an incredibly powerful root system, and therefore, having grown too much, it can simply break a flimsy pot, and a light specimen, at the slightest overweight, can simply fall off due to the massive leaves of the flower.
Sansevieria: rules for feeding
Fertilization of Sansevieria, as already mentioned, is carried out in the summer once a month. However, even such a seemingly rare top dressing is completely optional. Even if you do not give the flower a single gram of fertilizer, but at the same time continue to systematically water it, everything will be fine with it. Nevertheless, if you still decide to fertilize Sansevieria, it will definitely not remain in your debt and will delight you with exceptional flowering and very bright leaves.
However, even with the introduction of fertilizers, you need to be vigilant. First of all, make sure that the mixture does not contain too much nitrogen, as it is incredibly harmful to Sansevieria in large doses.In general, whatever the mixture you are using, the best solution would be to reduce its concentration by half compared to the recommended one. The problem is that any mineral that is introduced into the soil of Sansevieria in too large quantities is likely to lead to an overdose, and therefore it is very important to know when to stop. Also, if you can see a pattern on the leaves of the variety you are growing, then the concentration should be even less, namely, three times less than the manufacturer's recommended one.
However, what exactly leads to an overdose of minerals, we did not say. And it leads to a complete loss of the pattern on the surface of the leaves of the plant. Of course, this is by no means lethal, however, you must admit, it is very unpleasant.
Sansevieria: plant propagation
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
There are two most effective methods for breeding Sansevieria, and therefore we advise you to use them. All the rest, unfortunately, do not have the desired survival rate.
Rhizome division
The best time for this breeding procedure is spring. It is at this time that it is best to transplant, and therefore, choosing this time for both procedures, you can kill two birds with one stone. In order to directly carry out the procedure for dividing the rhizome, you will need a very sharp and very accurate instrument that will allow you, without difficulty and complications, to delicately divide the bush into as many parts as you deem necessary. Of course, it is simply impossible to endlessly divide a bush, since every plot, without exception, must have at least one growth point.
After division, for each part of the once whole bush, its own individual pot is selected. It is filled with exactly the same potting mix as for simple planting. In addition, it is very important to place the flower in a place where it will receive a sufficient amount of sunshine and where it will be warm enough.
We recommend this method to you most of all, especially if you are a beginner florist, as it is incredibly simple and intuitive to perform, although it may not seem so at first glance.
Sansevieria: propagation by leaf cuttings
In order to propagate Sansevieria with leaf cuttings, you will need to cut the old leaf blade with a sharp garden knife. Cutting it in this way several times, you should get several pieces, reaching a length of thirty to forty centimeters. For a while, they will need to lie down in the open air under the rays of the sun, and after that these pieces of leaf plates can be planted in a small container filled with sand and nothing else. A very important detail: the plots must be at approximately an angle of forty-five degrees.
From above, each plot is covered with a special cap, which can be an ordinary plastic bottle. She will probably be the best choice. However, along with the bottle, you can choose a glass jar, but this is somewhat less convenient. Now that a piece of a leaf is well fixed, it remains only to provide it with systematic watering. However, this can only be done through the pallet: by pouring water on the cuttings from above, you can most likely disturb them, which is fraught with the fall of the plots on the sand.
In this state, the plots are maintained for a month. During this period, it will have pronounced roots and noticeable cuttings of its own. If all this is present, then you can transplant the cutting from the common container into your own pot, into which the same potting mixture will be poured as in pots in adult plants. However, unfortunately, this breeding method is not suitable for all species, but only for those with green foliage. Otherwise, the stalk, of course, will take root and grow, but it will not inherit the mother's pattern.
Although, most likely, you are unlikely to use this method, given that it is much more complicated than the previous one.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria: plant species
If we are talking about a typical natural representative of the genus Sansevieria, then it should be noted that its height, on average, reaches a meter, and its rhizome is creeping. The leaves are usually green in color, although colors can range all the way to brown. This plant also blooms, but its flowering is not of any decorative interest, since the flowers grow completely nondescript and uninteresting, and in color they are hardly distinguishable from the foliage itself. Of course, since there is a Sansevieria flower, then there must be a fruit. In the wild, it actually forms and is a small berry with several medium-sized seeds inside. However, as mentioned, flowering occurs only in the wild. At home, you most likely will not observe it.
Sansevieria large (Sansevieria grandis)
Of course, we do not need to explain at all how this type of Sansevieria differs, since this is quite obvious. Of course, its distinguishing feature is its outstanding size. Leaf plates can grow from sixty centimeters and above. In addition, on the leaves of this species, you can find a rather interesting pattern, which is a structure darker than the shade of the entire leaf plate. Also, a small pattern can be observed along the edges of the sheet, where they are painted in a whitish-green color.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria hyacinthoides
It is also difficult to call this Sansevieria small, but it still does not grow above one and a half meters. The leaf plates are combined into peculiar buds, in which there are from two to four leaves, however, since they develop unevenly, there is a high probability of meeting a single leaf. The pattern on the surface of the leaves of this species is quite attractive. It is somewhat similar to the Latin letter "W", and the shade of these strokes is much darker than that of the rest of the leaf plate. In addition, the edging of the leaves of this species is very attractive. It is very thin, but still, this golden orange stripe looks very attractive.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria dooneri
This species is much more like a typical representative of succulents than the rest. In fact, this Sansevieria even somewhat resembles the very famous Aloe Vera plant. The bush consists of individual rosettes, each of which can contain up to twenty separate leaves. They themselves reach no more than forty centimeters in length, and they are also rather narrow compared to other species. However, there is still an attractive and interesting pattern on their surface, however, unfortunately, the edging is missing.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria graceful, or graceful (Sansevieria gracilis)
This type of Sansevieria looks even more like the most typical representative of succulents than the previous one. In fact, they have a huge number of similarities, but the main difference is that this Sansevieria is simply better, especially if you like bigger plants. Its leaves reach a length of about half a meter, and on their surface you can find a much more pronounced pattern. In addition, they have a very thin and barely noticeable, but, nevertheless, edging, which has an almost snow-white color and is especially noticeable at the very-very tips of the leaves.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria Kirkii
This Sansevieria, perhaps, has the simplest and most unremarkable color of all, because it is very difficult to find any pattern on its surface. Nevertheless, this is probably what attracts it, because, oddly enough, this particular type is one of the most popular among modern interior designers. In addition, varieties with brownish-brown foliage can also be found in this species, so you can easily find a plant for any room.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Liberian Sansevieria (Sansevieria liberica)
Sansevieria of this species is a rather inexpressive plant, and therefore it is not very well suited for home growing in a pot. Nevertheless, it looks great in the garden among other plants and flowers, and therefore it is there that it is most often grown. The rosettes most often consist of six long and very wide leaves that grow absolutely parallel to the surface, making their appearance very similar to algae. Well, this, of course, makes them an excellent decoration for any artificial reservoir. Speaking of the pattern, it should be noted that small white spots can be seen on the surface of the leaf plates, and there is also a very pale edging.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria three-lane (Sansevieria trifasciata)
This is the very type of Sansevieria that has become incredibly widespread not only among gardeners and florists, but also among ordinary people around the world. Perhaps what makes it so popular to this day is its incredibly beautiful yellow edging, which is distinguished by its width and brightness.In addition, of course, a very rich and bright pattern gives a few extra points. And why grovel if you, most likely, at home, or at least in the workplace, this particular species is growing, and not any other.
Sansevieria: photo of a plant
Sansevieria: plant properties
Of course, in addition to decorative, Sansevieria has a large number of other properties: those that we actively use, and even those that we did not know about. First of all, these are, of course, all kinds of medicinal and medicinal properties. You probably know that Sansevieria has taken an honorable niche in the arena of traditional medicine. And, although traditional methods have absolutely nothing to do with science and real treatment, it cannot be denied that Sansevieria contains a fairly large amount of saponins, and saponins are incredibly useful and important medicinal substances. They are used to create anti-inflammatory, expectorant and choleretic agents. In addition, they are capable of generating foam, which means that they are very widely used in the cosmetics and various detergent industries. Although, perhaps, this use of saponins is unlikely to be useful to you.
However, there is a very important property of such a plant as Sansevieria, which you simply must know if you are going to use this plant as a medicine: using this plant or its derivatives in any form is absolutely contraindicated during pregnancy, as they have an abortive effect.
Important! This also does not mean that tincture or decoction of Sansevieria can be used as an abortive drug! Such procedures can only be carried out under supervision and with a prescription prescribed by a doctor! Therefore, be careful and prudent!
Sansevieria: conclusion
Sansevieria has long been an integral part of our life. As soon as someone talks about a houseplant, it is probably her picture that appears in our head. Well, now you also know all the intricacies of caring for this flower, and how to make it a real decoration of your home. We hope this article was helpful to you, and growing Sansevieria will be an easy and enjoyable experience for you.
Sansevieria: video about the plant
