Manettia
Content:
Manettia: description and characteristics
Manettia: photo of a flower
Manettia is a genus of herbaceous evergreens belonging to the Madder family. In the wild, they grow in South America - about 80 species of mantle are found in their natural habitat. As a rule, the foliage of this southern plant is colored in dark shades of green and consists of opposite lanceolate leaves. The length of glossy leaf plates, on average, is 5 cm. They can be attached to the stems by means of petioles, or they can be sessile.
The flowering of the mantle most often occurs in the warm half of the year and begins in May and ends in September. However, it is not uncommon for individual flowers to bloom in the cold season. In shape, the flowers of the mantle resemble pubescent tubes, consisting of petals about 2.5 cm long fused together. Their color, as a rule, is bright scarlet. Flowers are located in the axils and are attached to the stems one by one.
The mantle is characterized by high growth rates: annually the plant stems lengthen by 5-9 cm.The height of adult bushes can be about 3 m.For this reason, regular pruning is indispensable, otherwise it can be difficult to grow the mantle at home. To keep the plant compact, it is recommended to shorten last year's and older stems and shoots by about half in the spring. This must be done before the active growth phase of the plant begins. If the florist aims at vertical gardening with the help of vines, the construction of a support structure will be required, along which the shoots of the mantle will climb up.
Manettia: Secrets of Flower Care
Manettia: photo of a flower
Competent care and adherence to simple recommendations will allow you to grow a manettia at home without any problems and enjoy the beauty of its flowers for many years. This southern plant will look great both as a liana and when planted in a hanging basket - in this case, its long shoots will fall down picturesquely.
Temperature regime
In the spring-summer period, the optimum air temperature in the room where the mantle is located should be between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius. Like many southern plants, she prefers daily temperature drops, when at night the thermometer drops to 13-15 degrees. It is quite simple to provide the mantle with such conditions in the warm season - the container with the plant must be taken out to the open balcony or loggia with the windows wide open in the summer months. In this case, it is extremely important to provide the vines with protection from exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime, as well as from strong winds and rain.
Lighting mode
Manettia loves sunlight, so the place to grow it should be well lit. At the same time, the direct rays of the sun can harm its flowers, therefore, on hot summer days, you should take care of a little shading for the plant.
Requirements for the composition of the soil
Manettia successfully takes root on any soils, provided they have a high nutritional value, as well as the presence of a drainage layer.
Top dressing
During the growing season, the mantle needs additional nutrition. You can feed the manettia once every 14 days with liquid nutritional complexes containing potassium.
Air humidification
Since dry periods occur in the natural habitat of the mantle, this plant is able to withstand the dry air of rooms during the heating period.However, the optimal condition for its content is a fairly high air humidity. For this purpose, you can use a room humidifier, or place a container with a manetta on a tray filled with wet pebbles. A layer of moistened moss around the plant pot will also increase the humidity level in the room.
Watering mode
During the spring and summer months, the mantle should be watered quite often and abundantly - the earthen lump should be completely saturated with moisture. The water accumulated in the sump must be drained in a timely manner to prevent moisture stagnation, which provokes rotting of the plant root system. The interval between waterings of the mantle should be sufficient so that the top layer of soil about 5 cm thick has time to dry. With the arrival of autumn, the frequency of irrigation and the amount of water used for this should be reduced.
Transplant recommendations
Mantle transplant should be used in cases where the plant becomes cramped in the pot. This is evidenced by the roots protruding from the soil and drain holes of the pot. It should be remembered that a little tightness contributes to the abundant flowering of the mantle. The best time to transplant a plant into a new container is spring.
Manettia: reproduction
Manettia: photo of a flower
Cuttings are a reliable way to propagate the mantle. In spring or summer, cuttings from 5 to 8 cm long are cut from the upper shoots of the mother bush. Before planting them in the ground, it is recommended to treat their bases with a solution that stimulates the growth of the root system. After planting in the substrate, the cuttings should be covered with a glass or plastic cap. In about a month, they will form their own roots and will be ready to be transplanted into the open ground.
Protection from pests and diseases
Manettia: photo of a flower
The main danger to the manettia is the stagnation of moisture in the soil. That is why it is important to take care of the drainage layer in the pot, as well as the correct watering regime. For the same reason, you should drain the water from the sump in time. Due to too frequent and abundant watering, the roots of the manettia are affected by rot.
Sudden changes in temperature can also harm the mantle - its foliage will begin to fall off, and flowering may stop.
A lack of nutrition caused by a lack of fertilization can provoke a slowdown in growth, or a complete stop.
Exposure to direct sunlight during the daytime burns the leaf plates and delicate petals of the mantle flowers.
Among harmful insects, the whitefly and aphids are the most dangerous for the mantle. You can get rid of them with the help of insecticidal preparations.
