Pilea

The genus, which is called that, Pilea, is a prominent representative Nettle families. This genus, in turn, includes about four hundred varieties. At the same time, both perennial plants and specimens that are annuals are found. They grow like shrubs. But they are often herbaceous representatives. In the natural environment, this plant is easy to meet in tropical climates in various countries. The only exception is Australia.

Full description of the saw

This plant is distinguished by its special endurance, in its height it can reach about forty centimeters. The foliage of the plant has an elegant decorative appearance. As a rule, saws are planted on the territory of winter gardens, flower beds, and showcases are also decorated with this plant.

Separately, it is worth noting the Kadier saw. Unlike other varieties of this culture, such a sawtooth grows very quickly. For this reason, this plant is very popular among flower lovers who create flower arrangements. The flowers are unisexual and miniature in size. Typically, flowers are grouped in brushes. The spread of the fruits of this culture is quite interesting, in many ways it resembles a catapult system.

When the moment of fruiting comes, the stamens begin to grow intensively. They do not hold the fruit that is on top very well. When the fruit reaches maturity, it becomes practically unrelated to the plant. At this point, the stamens take a straight shape and the fetus is discarded. This distance can reach about 100 meters!

Briefly about growing pilea

This culture blooms from June to October. At the same time, flowers are not the main "attraction" of this plant. As a rule, the sawe is planted to obtain a beautiful green mass.

For normal growth and development, the saw needs a lot of light. The plant will work best with diffused lighting. Too aggressive and active rays are not permissible for this culture.

Throughout the year, most pylea varieties require an ambient temperature of about +25 degrees. At the same time, there are varieties for which it is better to lower the temperature in winter and they will feel comfortable at +10 degrees. But most species can even die if the temperature is lowered to +16 degrees.

As for watering, during the spring and summer seasons, the soil should be slightly moistened. The soil should not be too wet. In winter, the plant is watered less often when the ground is one-fifth dry.

The humidity level of the environment must be kept at a sufficiently high level. It is best to place open containers next to the plant, which will be filled with water. For the same purpose, it is convenient to use pallets that will be filled with wet pebbles. Watering or spraying the green part of the plant is highly discouraged.

Fertilizing is an important element of caring for this crop. This procedure is carried out in the spring and summer. This is done approximately once every seven days.To this end, it is best to buy supplements that contain the full range of mineral elements that are required for the normal growth and development of the saw. In winter, such a plant is fed once in thirty days. More frequent feeding during this time will not be beneficial.

The dormant period for the pylaea falls on a period that begins in October and ends, as a rule, in February.

Transplanting of this plant is carried out annually, as a rule, at the start of the growing season.

The earth should contain quite a lot of humus. The acidity reaction should be neutral or weak. The best way for planting a saw is a soil that will consist of sand, peat, humus and turf. The proportions should be kept equal.

Propagates saws by cuttings and seeds.

As for pests that can harm the plant, as a rule, saws can suffer from attacks by spider mites, scale insects, and thrips. Various diseases can visit your pylaea plantings only when the basic rules for plant care are not followed.

Basic rules for caring for a saw at home

In order for the sawtooth to feel good, it is necessary to provide the plant with the correct light regime. There should be a lot of light, but it should be diffused. The scalding rays of the sun will be destructive for the saw. The best positioning of the pot would be a window sill with a west or east exposure. If the saw is placed on a window with a south side, then the light falling on the plant should be scattered. In the summer, it is not forbidden to move the saw to the open air, but it is worth remembering that direct sunlight should not fall on the plants. In autumn and winter, a large amount of light is also important for the plant. If the pilea lacks sunlight, then there is a risk that the color of the leaves will become faded and expressionless, thus, the decorative appearance will be lost.

This plant feels best if the temperature regime is observed at +25 degrees. In winter, the temperature must be lowered, as the plants enter a dormant period. For different varieties, the temperature regime is correspondingly different. So, for example, for the Kadiera pilea in winter, a temperature of +15 degrees is preferable. At the same time, the Peperomium Saw feels better in winter at +10 degrees. As for other varieties, the air temperature should be at least +17 degrees. In winter, there should be no drafts in the room where the saw is located. This can kill the plant.

Watering is an important point in plant care. In the spring and summer, water the saw when the topsoil is dry. For irrigation, it is necessary to defend the water in advance. In winter, watering is carried out less often, about a couple of days after the topsoil has dried out. If a clod of earth in a pot is too dry for a short time, this is not so scary for a saw. But as for too much water that has stagnated in the root system, this is very harmful for the plant. But it is best when the soil is always slightly damp. If there is too much water, then the leaf plates will become inconspicuous. It is especially dangerous to overfill the saws in winter.

For normal growth and development of this culture, a sufficiently high level of environmental humidity is required. This condition is important to observe in order to obtain a beautiful lush crown. At the same time, it is not recommended to compensate for air humidity by spraying the leaves from a spray bottle. So the crown will lose its decorative appearance. To comply with this requirement, it is best to place the container with the plant on a pallet in which the wet tracing paper will lie. For the same purposes, you can use expanded clay.In this case, you need to ensure that the bottom of the flower pot does not have contact with water. You can also place a container next to the plant in which there will be water.

In the spring and summer, additional nutrients need to be added regularly. This is done, as a rule, once a week. In autumn and winter, this procedure is performed less frequently, about once a month. For this purpose, it is most convenient to purchase ready-made dressings that are intended for indoor plants. Such fertilizer should contain a full range of essential mineral elements. Before use, you need to carefully study the instructions for use and observe all dosages.

Such a plant grows quite actively, for this reason it is necessary to trim the saw from time to time. As a rule, this removes old shoots in order to give more opportunity to develop more decorative young stems. Those shoots that have been cut are used by experienced flower growers as cuttings. In order for the bush to have a lush crown, and also in order for it not to be exposed, you need to periodically engage in pinching the shoots.

Transplantation for this plant is carried out annually. For this purpose, you need to use soil with a lot of humus. The reaction in terms of the acidity of the earth should be at a weak or neutral level. If you want to prepare the soil yourself, then you need to mix turf, humus, peat and sand in equal proportions. This plant has a superficial root system, for this reason the planting capacity should not be too large. In no case should moisture stagnate in the root system, for this reason, a drainage layer must be laid on the bottom of the pot. Some growers grow the sawn using the hydroponic method.

As for reproduction, this can be done using seeds or cuttings. Some varieties can self-propagate using seeds. The method of grafting is convenient in that it can be carried out at any time, when it is convenient for you, be it summer or winter. In order for the cuttings to take root, they must be placed in a container filled with water. Sand is suitable for the same purposes. After the roots have been formed, the cuttings are planted in small planting containers, which will be filled with soil, including greenhouse soil, sand, deciduous soil. The proportions are equal.

What problems can you face

If you do not follow the rules for caring for this crop, then you may encounter some difficulties. Let's list the most common of them:

• The leaves dry up and the plant discards it. Most likely, you have this problem due to the wrong temperature regime. If the room is below +12 degrees or, conversely, above +27 degrees, then the leaves will begin to acquire a wrinkled structure, dry, and subsequently leaf fall will occur. The same symptoms are observed if the clod of earth in the pot is too dry.
• The leaf blades are withering away. This symptom signals that moisture is too often stagnant in the soil. At the same time, the leaves begin to actively wither, after a while they will turn black and fall off. At the same time, the stem will acquire a soft structure.
• The foliage takes on a pale shade. This indicates that the lighting level is too high. If too much light falls on the plants, then the leaves become lethargic, inconspicuous. In addition, at the edges of the sheet plates, they may dry out, and also acquire a brownish tint. If, on the contrary, the plants do not have enough light, then the edges of the leaves also turn brown, they dry out. The decorative appearance of the leaves is lost, while the young leaves are too small, and the shoots stretch upwards.
• The presence of spots on the foliage. If the plant is exposed to direct sunlight, there is a risk that the sawe will get sunburn. Burns look like yellow spots.After a while, they acquire a brown tint.
• The plant sheds foliage. If this happens with leaves that are located in the lower part of the plant, then you should not be surprised, this is a normal phenomenon for a plant "aged". It is best in such a situation to cut off cuttings from the saw and plant them in pots, thereby after a while you will have young bushes.
• Pests. With improper care, plants can be affected by scale insects, spider mites, thrips, and mealybugs.

What is a saw

Kadiera.

The homeland of this species is Southeast Asia. This is a herb that belongs to perennials. In height, such a saw, as a rule, reaches about forty centimeters. Shoots grow straight, as they mature, they begin to slope downward. The shoots are glabrous, have a lot of juice, the branching is quite active. The leaves are oval, elongated. The upper part of the leaves is pointed, there are three veins in each leaf. In its length, the leaf grows by about twenty centimeters, and the width is about five centimeters. In Germany, this type of pilea is called silver. The fact is that leaf plates, painted in a deep green or green with a bluish tint, have silver stripes on their surface. After a while, young stems branch out, thus, the plant acquires an ampelous shape. In order for the green crown to delight you with its splendor, you need to periodically pinch the stems.

Small-leaved saw.

It is a herb that is perennial. It grows by about fifteen centimeters. The shoots are quite actively branching, the green mass is lush. When the shoots come into contact with the soil, the rapid formation of the root system begins. The branches have beautiful curves, the leaves are not large, they have a round or oval shape. The leaves are no more than five millimeters long. Flowers are miniature, they can be of different sexes, or both. An interesting feature is that the stamen flowers, when the anthers open, form a cloud of dust. If you touch such a flower in the summer, you will see a haze of pollen.

Coin saw.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant. The stems have a shape creeping along the ground. In their length they reach about forty centimeters. The leaves are green, rounded. After a while, the plant begins to grow quite actively, thus forming a real green carpet.

Wrapped saw.

This plant is quite compact, reaching a maximum of thirty centimeters in height. Shoots are directed straight. The leaves are oval in shape, the top is pointed. In its length, the sheet reaches about seven centimeters. The leaf plates are painted in a green tone, in places they have a brownish tint. This type of pilea is actively used by breeders to create new hybrid forms.

Peperomisous pilea.

The stem of this type of saw is sufficiently rigid in structure. The leaves are rounded, slightly elongated.

Creeping saw.

This plant in its height reaches about twenty-five centimeters. Shoots spread. The leaves are smooth and rounded. In its length, the leaf grows no more than two and a half centimeters, there is waviness at the edges. The upper part of the leaf is painted in a dark green color, and the lower part has a purple hue.

Pilea Spruce.

The homeland of such a plant is Venezuela and Peru. Leaves are oval, sometimes round. The petioles are rather short. The upper part of the leaves is sometimes pointed. The colors can vary in silver and bronze palettes.

Bronze.

Such a plant grows, as a rule, thirty centimeters. The leaves are oval, the upper part is pointed, the length of the leaf is about seven centimeters.They have leaves with a wrinkled texture, painted in a dark green tone with a silvery tint. At the same time, a line of silver color is sometimes found.

Norfolk.

It is still unknown how this variety was obtained. This is a herbaceous plant, young stems grow straight. In this case, the adult stems have a lodging shape. The leaves have a wrinkled texture and are colored deep green. The surface of the leaves is covered with fine hairs. The veins in the leaves are brown with a reddish tint.

Silver tree.

How such a hybrid came about is still unclear. It is a perennial plant that winds very beautifully and intensively. The leaves are painted in a green tone with a bronze tint, the shape of an oval. The leaves are covered with fluff, and jagged edges are observed. The hairs are colored white or red. In the center of each foliage there is a strip of silvery color. Its surface has many specks of the same color.