Aptenia - an evergreen plant, is a succulent and is part of the Aizov family. Distribution area - Africa and the southern regions of America. The plant is often called a mesembryanthemum, which means "a flower that opens at noon."
Appearance and features of aptenia
Included in the number of creeping, fleshy shoots. The foliage is juicy, oval. The flowers are small, have a rich purple color, as they grow, fruits form in the form of multi-chamber capsules instead. In them one dark seed with a rough membrane ripens.
Succulent got its name precisely due to the structure of the fruit, since from Greek aptenia it is translated as “wingless”.
Popular types of aptenia
For indoor cultivation, only the following types of aptenia are suitable:
- Lanceolate. The foliage has a lanceolate shape, rough to the touch, the color is dark green. The shoots reach a length of 70-80 cm. The flowers are purple or red, are multi-petal. In order for the plant to fully open, bright lighting is required.
- Hearty. The foliage is fleshy, on the stems it is opposite. The flowers are small, the color is red, lilac, raspberry.
- Variegate. Has short shoots, small flowers. The leaves are light green in a dark randomly located speck. This species is highly regarded by gardeners and is recognized as a biological chimera. Compared with other varieties, it requires much more care.
Planting, soil
Aptenia is suitable for both outdoor and indoor cultivation; ordinary pots or hanging baskets are used for this purpose. In winter, the flower is brought into a warm room.
Mesembryanthemum is planted in a substrate of turf soil and fine sand, taken in the same amount. In addition, purchased land suitable for succulents is used.
Aptenia care at home
When caring for a flower at home, you should pay attention to the season of the year:
| Parameter | Spring Summer | Autumn winter |
| Lighting | Bright, aptenia is transferred to fresh air, where it feels good in direct sunlight. | Bright at night, additional lighting is required. |
| Temperature | + 22 ... +25 ° C. | + 8 ... +10 ° C. |
| Humidity | They are placed in a room with dry air. | Placed in a room away from heating appliances, humidity - 50%. |
| Watering | Moderate, only after drying of the top layer of the earth. | Once a month. The main thing is to prevent leaves from withering. |
| Top dressing | Once every 4 weeks. A complex type fertilizer made for succulents is used. | Stop it. |
Pruning
The flower tolerates formative pruning without any problems. It is advised to perform the procedure in the fall, then the aptenia will bloom on time.
If during the winter the plant is a little bare, then pruning is performed no later than February. The remaining shoots are used in the future for the propagation of succulents.
Transplant Features
The root system of aptenia grows rapidly, so every spring season the flower is moved to a large capacity.
A drainage layer consisting of fine pebbles and expanded clay is necessarily laid at the bottom of the pot.
Then the plant is carefully removed from the old pot and placed in the center of a new flowerpot, a pre-selected soil substrate is added. The first watering after transplantation is performed only after 3-5 days. Water is introduced carefully so as not to provoke rotting of the root system.
Breeding methods
Reproduction of aptenia is carried out by cuttings and seeds. Seeds are placed in a common container, in sandy soil to a depth of about 1 cm. A distance of 3-4 cm is left between the seedlings.
After sowing, the earth is moistened from the spray gun, after which the container is covered with a transparent lid. The seeds are provided with a temperature of + 21 ... +25 ° C, they are aired every day. Shoots will appear within 14 days, after which the seedlings are provided with bright light and an air temperature of about +21 ° C. After a month, a pick of the plant is performed and they are seated in different containers.
For cuttings using apical or leaf processes. Rooting is done in the soil for succulents mixed with sand. They accelerate the rooting process by holding the cuttings for 24 hours in a heteroauxin solution.
Pests, diseases, difficulties in caring for aptenia
The plant is recognized as resistant to the onset of diseases and pests, only rotting of the root system or trunk caused by frequent watering is considered an exception. Occasionally, a spider mite or mealybug may appear. But certain difficulties arise when caring for aptenia:
| Manifestation | Causes | Elimination |
| Falling foliage. | High winter temperatures, excessive or insufficient watering. | Aptenia is moved to a cool place. Watering only after drying of the top layer of the earth, but do not allow a long absence of watering. |
| Lack of flowering. | Poor lighting, warm wintering, late pruning. | Placed in the brightest room of the house. Pruning is carried out before the start of active growth. |
| Decay of the root system. | Excessive watering, poor-quality drainage. | Transplanted into a new container and provide high-quality drainage. Regulate the frequency of watering. |
If you follow all the rules for caring for aptenia, then the flower will become an adornment of any room.
