A photoMaranta (Maranta) - indoor perennials with variegated leaves of the Maranta family, effective decoration for any room. Among the variety of cultures there are the most beloved gardeners. One of these plants is the arrowroot ("praying grass"). She is appreciated for its attractive appearance and unpretentiousness.
The homeland of the arrowroot is the tropical rainforests of South America. The flower was named in honor of the outstanding Italian scientist Bartolomeo Marant, who became famous for treatises on botanical pharmacology and antidotes.
The plant is a bush of erect shoots, on which are widely oval leaves, covered, depending on the variety, with spots or patterns of various shades. At night, the plates take a vertical position. The culture reaches 30-35 cm in height. At home, flowering does not always occur. The buds are small, the petals are white or light purple.
Each instance during the growing season produces 5-6 new leaves. A plant is able to live for decades, provided it is properly cared for and propagated every 3-4 years.
Maranta is visually very similar to calathea and stromantha.
| Growth rate is low, 5-6 new leaves per year. | |
| At home, flowering does not always occur. | |
| The plant is easy to grow. | |
| It is a perennial plant. |
Beneficial features
It is believed that when placing a pot with a plant at the head of the bed, it helps to normalize sleep, increase mood, increase efficiency. In office premises, where a large number of employees are located, it is recommended to place it in order to harmonize energy.
Thickened rhizomes of Maranta arundinacea are used for the preparation of dietary flour - arrowurut.
Maranta tricolor. A photoFeatures of growing at home. Briefly
The main sign that the arrowroot feels comfortable at home is the appearance of the leaves. In a healthy plant, they are even and symmetrical, with a bright color, they do not have drying areas and dark spots.
Main parameters (memo):
| Temperature mode | The temperature in summer should be 19-24 ° C, in winter it is permissible to drop to 15 ° C. |
| Air humidity | At least 60%, in the heat higher values are required (80-85%). |
| Lighting | Moderate, it is necessary to ensure that direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves. |
| Watering | In summer, 2-3 times a week, in winter - 1 time. |
| Priming | Breathable, containing sand or peat (can be purchased ready-made). |
| Fertilizer and fertilizer | During the growing season, liquid mixtures are added every 2 weeks. |
| Transfer | For young plants annually (in March), then every 2-3 years. |
| Arrowroot propagation | By dividing the bush or cuttings obtained from short shoots. |
| Growing Features | In the warm season, you can move the pots to the balcony (loggia), providing protection from drafts. It is undesirable to place a room arrow in the kitchen, since it does not tolerate the combustion products of natural gas. Dry leaves and shoots should be carefully removed with a sharp tool. The plates are regularly wiped with a soft cloth to remove dust from them. |
Caring for arrowroot at home. In detail
Homemade arrowroot is considered a living barometer. When the weather approaches, the sheet plates fold up like the hands of a praying person.
This feature is provided by nature so that the plant does not suffer from large raindrops. When the sun comes out from behind the clouds, they again straighten to catch the rays, which under natural conditions break through the crowns of tall trees.
Bloom
The culture is not grown for buds. However, many try to achieve their dissolution as an experiment. The phase most often occurs in the middle of summer.
Petals are small, pale lilac or creamy white. Some growers cut flower stalks immediately after emergence, so that it does not spend energy on their formation. The period can last up to 2 months.
Temperature mode
The "praying grass" is thermophilic, despite the fact that it does not tolerate bright light. In summer, the temperature must be maintained at 19-24 ˚C, in winter it should not fall below 15 ˚C. The plant does not tolerate sudden changes. The presence of drafts is also highly undesirable for him.
Therefore, pots cannot be placed near open windows.
It is not recommended to put a pot with arrowroot on a surface with high thermal conductivity (iron, steel pallets).
Spraying
In the natural environment, the plant lives near swamps and ponds. When placed near radiators, the ends of the leaves quickly begin to dry out. Therefore, humidity must be maintained at a level not lower than 60%. The plant should be sprayed daily with soft water spray.
Placing dishes with flowers on wet expanded clay will help maintain the parameter at the proper level. You can put the pot in a large tray, and then spread sphagnum moss moistened with water around it.
Lighting
The best place for arrowroot at home is a shelf located at a distance of 1-1.5 m from the east or west window. In winter, the pot can be moved closer to the light source. This shade-tolerant plant needs to be protected from direct sunlight by gluing a reflective film to the glass or by installing blinds.
If there is not enough light, the shoots can stretch, the leaves become smaller. Such symptoms are often observed when grown on the northern windowsills. In this case, a phytolamp can help, which should be turned on every night for 3-4 hours.
Watering
To moisten the soil using only settled water at room temperature. The arrowroot flower at home needs abundant watering. The plant suffers a particularly painful lack of fluid in the summer. Therefore, the surface of the substrate must not be allowed to dry completely: it should always remain slightly moist.
Since stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots, it is better to water the “praying grass” often, but in small portions. In summer the procedure is carried out 2-3 times a week, in the winter - 1 time in 6-7 days. 35-40 minutes after wetting, the liquid collected in the pan must be drained.
Pot
It is better to choose a round-shaped container, wide and not too deep. Developing, the bush will gradually grow in different directions. The root system does not need a lot of space, so the pot should be medium in size.
It is undesirable to use ceramic dishes, since the moisture in it is retained worse than in plastic. The soil dries very quickly, which the plant does not like.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
The period of intensive growth begins in late February. From this time, you can begin to gradually apply liquid fertilizers (1 time in 3 weeks). With the onset of summer, the arrowroot is fed every 2 weeks. In the fall, the introduction of nutrients is again reduced, and in the winter they are suspended for 2.5-3 months. For a flower, funds are suitable:
- Kemira Suite
- "Dream of a botanist";
- "Florika";
- Fasco.
In the hot season, drugs are diluted according to the instructions. In transitional periods, twice as much liquid is added to the composition as provided by the fertilizer manufacturer.
Transfer
Caring for the arrowroot at home involves periodically updating the depleted substrate. In the first three years of life, the bush must be moved to a new pot every spring. In this case, choose dishes whose diameter is 3-4 cm larger than the previous one. To compare containers, just place one inside the other.
After removing the earthen coma, the root system is freed from excess land and carefully inspected for rot. If damaged areas are identified, they must be cut off. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the new dishes, the thickness of which should be 3-3.5 cm. Then it is sprinkled with a substrate.
The plant is placed on the resulting "pillow" vertically, after which the space around the roots is filled with fresh soil.
The soil is carefully compacted with hands, then its surface is watered with previously prepared water.
Pruning
Maranta almost does not need a pruning procedure. Cutting off fragments may be required if signs of disease, decay or drying out of the aerial parts are detected. Some gardeners do not like elongated shoots knocking out of the total mass, on which 5-6 leaves are located.
However, this is a feature of the growth of some varieties of culture. If the plates are healthy, it is better to install a vertical support than to remove them.
Rest period
The phase begins in late October and ends in February. Growth arrowroot in this period of the year slows down. In winter, they reduce watering and protect the crop from dry air caused by the functioning of heating batteries.
The plant tolerates low temperatures well, in the heat, on the contrary, he feels uncomfortable. Therefore, to "winter" it is better to transfer it to a cool room.
Is it possible to leave the arrowroot without leaving on vacation?
Since a decrease in the concentration of water vapor negatively affects the decorative qualities of the leaves, it is better to ask someone to turn on a moisturizer every day for 3-4 hours before leaving. If this is not possible, you can place a bucket filled with liquid next to the flowers.
It will gradually evaporate, saturating the air.
Also on the eve of departure you can do wet cleaning.
Wet irrigation is equipped to wet the substrate. A hydrogel is also suitable for this purpose. This is a polymer that is able to absorb an amount of water several times higher than its own mass. It is placed in a liquid for 8 hours, then laid out on the soil and covered with moss on top.
Arrowroot propagation
To get new copies it is not necessary to go to the store. Propagation of the plant can be done independently.
Reproduction of arrowroot cuttings
This method is the least traumatic for the "praying grass." In the presence of elongated shoots, they can be used as cuttings. Suitable stems are carefully cut with a sharpened knife. In the presence of an internode, clipping is performed 2 cm below it. The size of the handle should be about 10-12 cm.
The stems are lowered into the water to begin the process of root formation. The fluid must have room temperature. The container is located away from direct sunlight. After the appearance of the roots, the cuttings are planted in dishes filled with soil, watered and covered with a plastic wrap. In such a "greenhouse" they are kept until signs of growth of the aerial parts of the plant appear.
Some prefer to root shoots in wet sand. The temperature in the room with this method should be 20-25 ° C. The process will last about a month.
Reproduction of arrowroot by dividing the bush
This method is used for spring plant transplantation. The plant extracted from the dishes is divided into 2-3 equal parts, dissecting the rhizomes with a sharp tool. Fragments are placed in individual pots filled with earth, and watered with settling water. Before the appearance of young leaves, it is better to cover the containers with cellophane.
Diseases and Pests
In most cases, the "praying grass" does not cause trouble to its owner: it is quite resistant to infection by infectious diseases. However, it is better for each grower to have an idea of the possible problems, so that in case of adversity, they can quickly be localized.
| Symptoms | Causes |
| Arrowroot leaf tips turn brown |
|
| Leaves fall |
|
| Arrowroot leaves |
|
| Loss of decorative color |
|
| The stems become sluggish and dry |
|
| Arrowroot leaves are covered with dark spots |
|
If the arrowroot leaves become pale, the reason lies in the excess of sunlight. It is necessary to transfer the plant to a shaded place. The plates may turn yellow when soil is alkalized. To fix the problem, pour the substrate with slightly acidified water. Rotting of the roots is observed when using too dense heavy soil during transplantation. Young leaf plates dry out during uneven watering or settling on the parasite
In general, many problems (growth retardation, deformation of the aerial parts, loss of decorativeness) can be caused by insects. Most often, "praying grass" is attacked by mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites, thrips. With improper care, sciarides settle on the surface of the soil.
Types of homemade arrowroot with photo and names
The genus Maranta includes more than 40 species. Consider the most popular, which can often be found on sale.
Arrowhead tricolor, tricolor
Oval leaves reach a length of 12-14 cm. The edges of the plates are light green, closer to the middle along the entire length are marshy spots. Rays of the same color extend from the burgundy-red central vein to the sides. The flowers are purple, small. The height of the bush does not exceed 35 cm.
White-veined arrowroot
This is a low plant with large leaves (up to 14 cm). The main color of the plates is dark olive. The middle vein is pale green, along the entire length next to it there are light blotches. Almost white rays diverge from the middle of the plate, for which the plant got its name.
Maranta black Massange
The edges of the plates of this type of "praying grass" are green. The core of the leaves is light. Along it are rows of spots of almost dark brown color. The plant reaches a height of 25-30 cm.
Maranta Kerkhovina
This is the most popular view among amateur gardeners. Leaf plates have a uniform green color, veins do not stand out on them. Along the entire length pass two rows of brown spots of irregular shape.
Some consider the arrowroot a moody plant. This is not a true statement. Observing the above parameters is not at all difficult. It is enough to devote 5-10 minutes to the “praying grass” daily so that it delights the grower with lush, spectacular foliage.
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