Fittonia

Fittonia: description of a home flower

Native herbaceous perennial Fittonia from the South American continent (a large number of varieties from Peru). This genus belongs to the Acanthus family, it includes approximately ten species.

Fittonia's bushes are not very tall. The surface of the creeping stems is pubescent. Flowers grow singly, are yellow-colored (closer to sulfur). In the axils of the bracts, the flowers are collected in inflorescences-spikelets. The bracts are round, egg-shaped, about ten mm in length and breadth. Leaves in the form of an ellipse, in length can grow up to two to sixteen cm, it depends on the variety. Fittonia's leaves are green, cast with a purple tint, and pronounced veins can be traced on them. If the care is carried out correctly, then the development and growth of the flower will be normal. Moreover, keep in mind that the indoor flower Fittonia requires temperature conditions without fluctuations and increased air humidity. In a room with very dry air and with sudden changes in temperature conditions, the death of the bush can occur.

Fittonia: growing at home

Fittonia: photo of an indoor flower

This vegetation is grown as decorative deciduous.

Fittonia requires a lot of bright, but diffused light.

• Temperature conditionsI should be about twenty-four degrees in the summer, and about twenty degrees in the winter.
• Watering conducted regularly and in moderation. In the spring and summer seasons, they are watered immediately after the complete drying of the surface soil layer in the container. In winter, it is advisable to water after the substrate dries one quarter deep.
• Humidity of air must be very high. The bush is required to be regularly sprayed in the morning and evening. To maintain increased air humidity, wet pebbles are poured into the pan, and an open container filled with water is placed next to the pot.
• Top dressing. From spring to autumn, the plant is fed once every fifteen days, for this purpose, minerals are used for decorative deciduous vegetation, and the dose should be halved from the dose indicated on the package. In the winter season, feeding is reduced to once a month.
• Circumcision. During the growing season, pinch the upper parts of the stems. At the end of March, the bare stems are cut, this is carried out in several stages. The rest period is not very pronounced.
• Transplanting bushes produced systematically once a year in spring (March-April days) immediately after pruning. The substrate consists of sand, peat, coniferous and sod soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 2.
• Reproduction methods. Dividing the bush, using layering, cuttings.
• Pests. Thrips, scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites.
• Diseases. There is a loss of decorativeness due to the fact that they illiterately care for the bush, or because of old age.

Fittonia: home care

Fittonia: indoor flower video

Illumination level.

When cultivated at home, the flower is provided with a lot of bright illumination. But it should not be placed on the south window. If window sills of a different orientation are not available, then place the pot with the plant slightly deeper into the apartment to protect the leaves from the direct sun. Fittonia thrives on an east or west windowsill.The bush can be placed on the north-facing window, however, in poor light, the leaves will cease to be decorative. In winter, with a shortened daylight hours, it is required to artificially create additional light for the plant, for this purpose fluorescent lamps are used.

Temperature conditions.

In summer, the indoor flower Fittonia should grow under temperature conditions within twenty-four degrees, and in winter - at twenty degrees. Do not forget that if in the winter season it is colder in the room, then for this reason the bush may be affected by the disease. It is necessary to make protection against drafts and sudden changes in temperature conditions, because because of this, all leaves may fall off. In the spring and summer, Fittonia is not transferred to the balcony or garden area, this is prohibited.

Watering.

When cultivating Fittonia, do not forget that the soil coma in the pot should not dry out, because for this reason all the leaves can fly around. You also need to ensure that there is no stagnation of water in the soil mixture, because of this, rot on the roots may appear. Usually, the bush is watered immediately after the surface soil layer has completely dried. In the winter season, the substrate is watered two days after the surface layer dries. Watering is carried out only with well-settled slightly warm water.

Humidification from a sprayer.

The indoor plant Fittonia requires regular spraying without fail, since due to a very low moisture content, a disease can overtake it, or harmful insects will attack it. Spraying is carried out once a day at least, it is recommended to spray the bush even twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. To increase the level of air humidity, an open container filled with water is placed next to the pot, or wet pebbles are poured into the pallet, and a container with a flower is placed on it. But it is worth making sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with water. Also keep in mind that polishing the leaves can significantly harm Fittonia.

Top dressing.

Top dressing is applied throughout the year. But do not forget that if a large number of nutrients are contained in the soil mixture, the condition of the plant may deteriorate. Therefore, it is necessary to feed it with half the dose specified by the manufacturer. For this purpose, a complex of minerals is used. In winter, the bush is fed once a month, from spring to autumn - once every fifteen days.

Circumcision.

In order for the Fittonia bush to branch better, you need to systematically pinch the upper parts of the stems. Over time, the bottom of the fittonia becomes bare, because of this, it becomes less decorative. To rejuvenate the plant, it is pruned at the end of March. But immediately pruning of all leaves is prohibited, because in this situation, young shoots will develop more slowly. Therefore, pruning is carried out in several stages.

Transplanting.

Fittonia bushes are transplanted regularly once a year on March or April days. When transplanting a plant, you can immediately carry out anti-aging pruning, because over time, the decorative appearance may be lost. For planting, a not narrow and high pot is selected. Good drainage is laid at the bottom, which includes broken brick or expanded clay. On top, the drainage is covered with a substrate, it is prepared from peat, sand, sod and coniferous soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 2.

Fittonia: breeding at home

Fittonia: photo of an indoor flower

Propagation by cuttings.

If desired, flower reproduction can be carried out annually during transplantation, and this procedure is combined with anti-aging pruning. For this purpose, cuttings are harvested, having three to five leaves, they are cut from the top of the bush. In order for the cuttings to take root quickly, they should be no more than eighty mm in length.Then the cuttings are rooted in the sand, the cut tip is stuck into it. They are covered with a jar on top of the planting, the roots will grow back in a month. It is required to regularly moisten, water, ventilate the seedlings.

You can also root the cuttings in water, its volume should be ten mm, the container itself is tied with polyethylene. Two or three times a week, the film is temporarily removed and the leaves are sprayed. In order for the cuttings to take root well, the temperature elevated conditions should be maintained within twenty-six degrees, no less. After the formation of strong roots, the plants are planted in the soil mixture.

Reproduction by dividing the bush.

When transplanting, the bush is divided into several segments, planted in separate containers. But do not forget that you need to divide the bush very carefully so as not to harm the root system. For the splendor of the bush, several plants are planted in one pot.

Layers.

When cultivated in indoor conditions, Fittonia can reproduce itself with the help of cuttings. But, if you want to quickly implement this, then your help is required. For this purpose, part of the shoot without leaves must be bent to the surface soil layer and dug in. After a while, roots are formed in this area, then the layering is cut off from the mother bush and transplanted into an individual pot.

Difficulties in growing at home

• Sudden death of the plant. This happens with too much watering, especially in winter. Be sure to water it correctly. This situation can also happen due to sudden changes in temperature conditions or due to the action of very cold air masses.
• Falling of the lower leaves. This is a natural case, because over the years, the stem of Fittonia can become bare. It is necessary to carry out a rejuvenating pruning of the plant; for this purpose, shoots that have begun to become naked are removed.
• The leaves turned yellow. Yellowing begins due to the fact that liquid stagnates systematically in the soil mixture. Consequently, the frequency of watering is reduced and they are carried out after the complete drying of the surface soil layer.
• The ends of the leaves turned brown. The ends of the leaves can sometimes turn brown or turn yellowish brown. This can happen due to the fact that there are a lot of nutrients in the soil mixture, or, on the contrary, they are not enough.
• Wrinkled leaves. The flower requires increased air humidity. If the leaves wrinkle, this means that the air is dry. Also, wrinkling may appear due to very bright light or if the direct sun has hit the leaves.
• Harmful insects. In the most frequent cases, scale insects, mealybugs, thrips, spider mites can run into fittonia on the light.

Varieties of culture

Fittonia "Large" (Fittonia gigantea).

This variety comes from Peru, namely, from the forests of the tropical zone. Fittonia grows up to half a meter. The surface of the stems is violet-red, pubescent. The leaves are in the form of an ellipse, ten to sixteen cm long and four to ten cm wide. The leaves are glossy, green in color, with red veins on them.

Fittonia "Verschaffelta" (Fittonia verschaffeltii).

Fittonia: photo of an indoor flower

The bush of this Fittonia is very large in growth, it is found wild only in the Peruvian and Colombian forests of the tropical zone. The stems are pubescent, almost creeping, so it is enough to simply propagate them using layering. Leaves in the form of an ellipse or egg, dark green in color, you can see red veins on them. Fittonias grow in length up to five to ten cm, and in breadth - up to four to six cm.