Strelitzia

This plant belongs to the Strelitziev family of the same name. This includes four varieties of strelitzia. In its natural habitat, strelitzia is found in Madagascar, as well as in southern Africa.

Strelitzia is often referred to as the “bird of paradise”, since the colors and shapes of flowers are very unusual and, indeed, somewhat resemble a bird.

How strelitzia is grown at home

This unusual plant blooms, as a rule, in the spring. Flowering lasts about a month and a half.

For the normal growth and development of strelitzia, a fairly large amount of scattered light is required. It is better to place a flower pot on a windowsill with an east or west exposure.

When the strelitzia is actively gaining in growth, then a room one is quite suitable. temperature. In winter, Strelitzia has a rest period, so the air temperature should be lowered to at least +14 degrees.

During the growing season, it is necessary to carry out quite frequent, but moderate watering plants. The soil should not dry out, it should always be slightly moistened. In winter, the plant is watered once every one and a half to two weeks.

Concerning humidity environment, it is worth noting that high humidity is important for strelitzia. If there is a prolonged drought, then systematically you need to spray the leaves with a spray bottle.

Top dressing must be applied during the growing season, as well as during the period when the plant is blooming. This is usually done once every seven to ten days. It is recommended to alternate organic fertilizing with fertilizers based on mineral elements.

In winter, the plant rests and gains strength for the next flowering.

Concerning transplants Strelitzia, then this procedure is carried out annually for a young plant. When the strelitzia has grown, then it needs to be transplanted once every three to four years.

Breeds a given flower using seeds. They must be fresh. Strelitzia also reproduces well with the help of lateral stems, as well as by dividing a plant that is already six to seven years old.

Due to improper care, various insects can harm the flower. Strelitzia can be affected by aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites.

Strelitzia has strong immunity against diseases. But if you systematically overdo it with moistening the soil, then the root system can get sick with fungal infections.

Strelitzia flower: characteristic

In its natural habitat, such a plant is a herbaceous perennial. Large varieties in natural conditions can grow up to ten meters in height. On average, the bush grows two to three meters.

The root system is in the form of a rod, it sinks deep into the soil. The leaves are oval in shape, with a texture reminiscent of skin. The color of the leaves is green, there is a bluish bloom with a bluish tinge. In its width, the leaf plate can vary from ten to seventy centimeters. The length varies from thirty centimeters to two meters. In shape, the leaves of strelitzia are similar to the leaf plates of a banana palm. At the same time, the length of the petioles is longer, reaching from fifty to ninety centimeters.

The peduncle is long enough, the inflorescences are directed horizontally. The flower can be orange or purple. In the transverse length, the flower grows from ten to twenty centimeters. One peduncle can contain from five to seven flowers. And one bush can have about six peduncles.For this reason, the plant can be in bloom for six months.

If you follow the basic recommendations for the care and cultivation of strelitzia, then a lush and long flowering is almost guaranteed. It happens that a plant blooms more than once a year. Strelitzia is popular in floristry; such a flower is quite expensive. In the cut state, the flower can retain its beautiful appearance from fifteen days to one month.

Strelitzia - home care

Taking care of the strelitzia at home is not so difficult. This is not a very whimsical and capricious plant. Strelitzia will feel best when there is a lot of diffused light. It is recommended to place the flower pot on a windowsill with an east or west exposure. Direct sunlight should not fall on the plant, as there is a risk that the plant will receive burns.

Strelitzia likes warm growing conditions, but during the dormant period in winter, the flower should be provided with cooler conditions. Temperature the room should be a maximum of fourteen degrees. The rest of the time, the flower feels quite comfortable in apartment conditions. In the summer it is not forbidden, and even, on the contrary, it is advisable to take the flower out into the fresh air. For this, a veranda and a balcony are well suited. In this case, the place on the street should be protected from gusty winds, as well as from aggressive direct rays of the sun.

In the spring and summer, strelitzia watered moderately and often enough. The soil should always be slightly moist. At the same time, moisture in the soil should not stagnate. If this happens to a flower too often, then there is a risk that the root system will begin to rot. In winter, strelitzia is watered once every ten days. In order not to harm the plant, it is recommended to use water that has settled well before this. Water filtered through a household filter will do. It should not be cold, room temperature is preferable.

When growing strelitzia at home, you need to observe a fairly high level humidity air. Regularly, for this, you need to wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, and also spray the plant with a spray bottle.

Introduction additional food for a given flower is carried out during the growing season, as well as when the plant is blooming. This is done at intervals of about one and a half weeks. For this purpose, it is recommended to use organic fertilizing, as well as fertilizers based on mineral elements.

At the same time, experienced florists recommend adding them to the soil in turn. After the plant has faded, feeding should be stopped for two to three months. This period usually falls in the winter. Before taking the plant to a cool place for wintering, it is necessary to remove all peduncles.

How to transplant strelitzia

As for the transplant of strelitzia, young plants are transplanted about once a year. This is done in the spring. This regular procedure has a good effect on the growth and development of strelitzia. When the plant is already quite mature, then the transplant is carried out less often, about once every three to four years. The fact is that the root system has a rather fragile structure, so there is no need to disturb the plant once again.

In order not to accidentally damage the rhizome, you need to follow some rules for transplanting.

• Before replanting a plant, you need to prepare the substrate in advance. It should have a not too heavy structure, and also contain all the necessary nutrients. This mixture consists of peat, turf, sand, humus and leafy soil. The proportions are kept equal.
• The pot should be deep enough to have a good drainage layer on the bottom. A layer of the prepared mixture is placed on top. After this, the plant is carefully transferred to the planting container by transshipment.
• Further, all the empty space is filled with soil.
• From time to time it needs to be tamped down a little.
• If the plant that is being transplanted does not have a completely healthy root system, then after removing the plant from the old pot, you need to remove all the old soil. Next, the rhizome must be examined for affected areas. If there are any, they need to be cut off and the "wounds" treated with charcoal. After that, a transplant is carried out into another pot.

Diseases and pests

With improper care, strelitzia can be affected by spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs.

To get rid of ticks, you need to use special products - acaricides, which can be purchased at a specialized store.

In order to defeat the rest of the above pests, experienced florists recommend using Aktar. On the basis of this tool, a solution is prepared with which the bushes are sprayed. This procedure must be repeated again after twenty days.

The plant is very resistant to various diseases. In order to be guaranteed not to face such problems as, for example, root rot, you must follow all the basic rules for care and cultivation.

Flowering features

Some growers are perplexed why their plant cannot bloom in any way. The fact is that flowers appear only on those plants that are at least four to five years old. At the same time, there are cases when flowering does not occur in an adult plant.

To change this situation, you need to arrange a so-called "temperature shock" for the flower. To this end, in the winter or in the first days of spring, it is necessary to move the plant for a short time to a place where the temperature regime will vary from ten to twelve degrees.

A loggia, balcony, veranda are well suited for this. After that, the plant is again placed in the room where it usually grows. In this case, the lighting should be bright enough, but diffused. Then leaving is carried out according to the usual scheme. After such stress, most likely, Strelitzia will delight you with its flowering.

How to propagate strelitzia correctly

If you decide to breed strelitzia seminal method, it is important to know the fact that the freshest seeds are used for this. To obtain strelitzia seeds, it is necessary to organize artificial pollination of plants.

If you purchased strelitzia seeds in a store, then carefully study the expiration date of the planting material. There is a very small chance that the seeds are older than six months will sprout at all. The seeds that have been purchased can be sown even in summer, even in winter. The time of year is not that important in this case.

Moreover, they need to be prepared for this process. To this end, you need to immerse the seeds in water for a day, the temperature of which will vary from thirty-five to forty degrees. When the water gets colder than the specified temperature, you need to change the water to a new one. After this procedure, the seeds should be saturated with water and increase in size.

Seeds are sown in special soil, which should include river sand, peat and compost. All components are added in equal amounts. More than half of small plastic cups are poured with such a mixture.

The bottom of the same containers should have holes that are designed to drain excess liquid. Next, thoroughly pour boiled water over the soil and lightly press down on it. When the soil has cooled from watering with boiling water, you need to pour a twenty-millimeter layer of sand on top.

After that, the seeds are laid out. One glass contains one seed. You just need to put the seed on the surface, and then press it in so that a small part of it is visible above the surface.

Crops should be kept in a warm room, where the air temperature will vary from twenty-two to twenty-four degrees. This room should also be well lit.

After sowing, cover the containers with foil without fail. In such a mini-greenhouse, you need to leave crops until the first leaf appears. Seeds do not sprout quickly, it can take from one and a half to six months. It is not recommended to clean the shelter during this period.

When the first real leaf is formed, you need to start airing your seedlings every day. To do this, you need to shoot the film for fifteen to twenty minutes a day.

When the sprouts have already appeared, you need to start watering young plants. This is done after the top layer of the soil has become dry. It is best to use boiled water for watering. When the strelitzia becomes a little stronger and grows up, it can be moved to a larger container.

When replanting plants, remember that the strelitzia root system is rod-shaped. Its rhizome is very fragile. If you damage this part of the plant, then there is a risk that the strelitzia will grow too slowly or die completely.

When the plant is still at a young age, it must be kept in a bright room. The air temperature should be about +22 degrees. Watering should be moderate but sufficient.

When your bush is six to seven years old, you might think about division plants. Thus, Strelitzia is also very successfully able to reproduce. In addition, side shoots can be used for this purpose.

The separated parts of the plant are best rooted after the mother strelitzia has finished blooming. To propagate a bush in this way, you need to get the plant out of the pot and then divide it into parts.

Each of them must contain at least one shoot. Which pot to plant the cut depends on its size. Typically, the transverse size of the capacity varies from sixteen to twenty centimeters. In this case, the soil is used the same as when sowing seeds. Transplant parts of an adult plant carefully so as not to damage fragile and delicate roots.

What is strelitzia

There are several types of strelitzia. Let's dwell on each of them in more detail

Royal Strelitzia

Royal Strelitzia: Photos

This variety is also called small-leaved. This strelitzia is most often bought by lovers of exotic flowers. In its natural habitat, this plant grows in a forest area located in the mountains of Africa.

In its height, such a bush can grow a couple of meters. The rosettes are quite lush and include dark greenish leaves. Their size is quite large, in length they grow about forty-five centimeters. The edges are wavy.

As for the petioles, they are truly outstanding in such a strelitzia. They can grow up to ninety centimeters. The flower petals are dark blue on the inside and orange on the outside. In their length, the flowers grow by about fifteen centimeters. Flowering occurs, as a rule, twice during one year.

Strelitzia Nicholas

Photo of Nikolay's Strelitzia

This species grows in its natural habitat in Africa. Strelitzia feels best in mountainous and forest areas with a tropical climate. In appearance, such a plant looks like a banana palm.

It is a woody plant that can grow up to ten meters in height. The base of the strelitzia resembles the trunk of a palm tree, as it is covered with scars left after the foliage has died.

The peduncle has four elements, which are colored green and reddish. The outer part of the petals is white, the inside is blue. In their length, they grow by about seventeen centimeters.

Mountain strelitzia

In its natural habitat, such a plant grows in southern Africa. This is not a very common plant.This is a tree-like strelitzia, which can reach a height of about ten meters. Large leaves. They are arranged in two rows and encircle the bottom of the plant along the perimeter. The flowers are quite large, painted in a white tone. The bracts are pointed at the ends, painted in a red tone. In their length, they grow up to forty-five centimeters.

Reed strelitzia

Photo: reed strelitzia

In its natural habitat, this species grows in eastern Africa. Such strelitzia calmly tolerates a dry season, and is also not so sensitive to sudden temperature fluctuations. The flowers are similar in appearance to the flowers of another variety of strelitzia - royal. But there is a difference in the leaves. Reed strelitzia has very narrow leaves. The leaves are grouped into a dense rosette. In transverse length, it can grow about two meters.

White strelitzia

It is a perennial that originated in South Africa. The leaves are quite long, reaching about a meter. By their shape they are similar to an ellipse, painted in a light greenish color. Peduncles include two bracts. The flowers are white.