Afelandra - houseplant care at home

What is this flower

Afelandra is a capricious flower, so it is still rarely seen on Russian windowsills. She prefers to grow in rooms with high air humidity - greenhouses or greenhouses.

What does an afelandra flower look like?

For your information! In Japan, traditional medicine recommends treating burns, abscesses, frostbite with aphelandra leaves.

Description of the plant

Afelandra belongs to the Acanthus family. The culture is native to the rainforest of the United States. In nature, a flower can grow up to 2 m, but in indoor conditions its height does not exceed 90 cm.

Afelandra has large green leaves. Some varieties show pronounced white, silvery or cream veins. The decorative appearance of Afelandra is due to the spectacular bracts of yellow, orange or red. Their shape can be pineal or spike-shaped.

Signs

Aphelendra, as it is also called, is not poisonous, so it can be grown even in a room where there are small children. The plant is capricious, so caring for it teaches responsibility and patience.

The flower has rounded leaves that tend upward, which attracts positive energy into the room. The meaning of the afelander flower in the house lies in the ability to help the owners in personal growth, the desire to create comfort in the home.

Types and varieties suitable for indoor floriculture

Afelandru is used for the improvement of residential and office premises, various exhibitions, etc. Popular varieties of Aphelyandra:

Varieties

Of the many varieties, two are adapted for home cultivation: orange aphelandra and thawed aphelandra. In flower shops, you can often find the second option.

Aphelandra golden (Aphelandra aurantiaca), or orange

Calathea Crocata - home care

The bushes of this variety are stunted. They have light red shoots, greenish-silvery leaves with a pointed tip. Flowers are painted in a red-orange palette, bracts are green. The length of the leaf plates is 25 cm, the height of the pointed inflorescences is 15 cm.

Note! The golden variety blooms during the week.

Afelandra orange

Protruding aphelandra (Aphelandra squarrosa), or aphelandra Squarrosa

It differs from the previous variety in glossy leaves, on which veins stand out brightly. Bracts are rich orange, yellow tubular flowers.Flowering begins in autumn and lasts 40-45 days. Afelandra Squarrosa is a flower most often found on the shelves of flower shops.

Afelandra protruding

How to care

Afelandra requires constant home care. A capricious exotic needs timely watering, feeding, transplanting, humidifying the air. To give the bush a decorative look, it is subjected to shaping and pruning.

Illumination and temperature conditions

Sansevieria cylindrical - home care

Afelandra prefers to grow in a well-lit room, but without direct sunlight. In summer, the flower can be placed outdoors, protecting it from precipitation, drafts, sun glare.

The preferred air temperature in summer is 20-25 ° С. In winter, you need to give the plant a dormant period, reducing the room temperature to 15-16 ° C. During this period, the flower can be transferred to the glazed balcony.

Watering rules and humidity

Afelandra is watered often and abundantly, especially an adult plant, but so that the ground is not wet all the time. After each watering, pour out excess water from the pan. Root decay can occur from excess moisture.

To increase the required air humidity, you can put small stones in the pan, pour water on top so that it does not touch the pot. Another option is to spray the air around the plant with water from a spray bottle. Periodically, afelandre can have a shower, having previously covered the ground with a film.

Important! To water the flower, use warm, well-settled water.

Top dressing and soil quality

The soil for afelandra should be loose, breathable. The substrate can be prepared independently from the following components:

• leafy land;
• sod land;
• peat;
• sand;
• charcoal.

From spring to late autumn, Afelandru is fed with complex mineral fertilizer. Nutrients are introduced 2-3 times a month.

Flower container size

A pot for Afelandra is selected with a diameter of 15-20 cm.When planted in a large container, the growth of the plant will be slowed down. This happens because until the root system has mastered the entire volume of the pot, the aboveground part will grow poorly.

A flower pot is selected with a diameter of 15-20 cm

Pruning and replanting

An adult Afelandra stretches out, while the lower leaves fall off. To maintain a decorative look, an adult bush requires pruning. The procedure is carried out in early spring, removing the shoots in half. In order for young plants to have a lush crown, pinch the top.

After purchase, the plant is left to adapt, then transplanted into a new substrate. Old soil already contains a minimum amount of nutrients.

Note! In the future, the transplant is carried out once a year, and when the afelandra reaches 4 years of age - once every 2-3 years.

The origin and description of Afelandra

Afelandra belongs to the genus of flowering perennial shrubs from the numerous Acanthus family. There are 196 species in the genus. The main range extends to Central and South America. It grows mainly in tropical and subtropical jungles, where it reaches a height of up to two meters. The flower received extraordinary popularity in Mexico and Brazil.

Afelandra is native to the tropical jungle

The plant is low, up to half a meter, with a juicy woody trunk. The leaves are very decorative - large, up to 25-30 cm, shiny, oval-elliptical in shape with a pointed tip. Painted in dark green with white veins. It is because of them that Afelandra is called the zebra flower in the common people.

The inflorescence of Afelandra is very beautiful and bright, it is an ear or cone with large bracts. Bracts are colored yellow, orange-red, yellow-red.They reach a height of up to 20 cm.

Afelandra is an unusually beautiful plant

The fruit looks like an oblong box with two cells, in which there are 2 seeds, ripening begins by the arrival of spring.

The name Afelandra is translated from Greek as a simple man. In fact, the flower is not that simple. In indoor floriculture, it is considered difficult to grow, requiring a special approach and care.

Most popular varieties

• Afelandra gold, or orange. A short shrub with a dense, over time woody stem of a reddish hue. The leaf is large - up to 25 cm long, oblong. They are located opposite. The leaf blade is green, with silvery veins. It blooms very beautifully - it throws out bright orange inflorescences up to 15 cm tall.
• Afelandre Sinclair. High, up to 3 meters high, shrub. Leaves are whole-cut, fleshy, veins are depressed. The color of the leaf plate is dark green. The inflorescence is spicate, the flowers are pink.
• Afelandra tetrahedral. The plant is large - up to 1 meter in height. The leaf blade is up to 30 cm long and 15 cm wide. It is painted green. The shape is oval. The inflorescence is spike-shaped, bright scarlet.
• Afelandra is protruding. A small evergreen bush with juicy and thick reddish stems. The leaves are elliptical, dark green, with the underside being lighter than the top. The leaf blade is covered with bright white veins, glossy shining. The flowers are bright yellow, very decorative. Has popular varieties: Denmark, Leopoldi, Louise.
• Afelandre Retzl. Named after a Czech botanist. It attracts with large silvery-green leaves and wonderful red-orange flowers. The fruits are easy to set.

The color variety of Afelandra in the photo

Afelandre Sinclair

Afelandre Retzl

Afelandra tetrahedral

Afelandra orange, or gold

Afelandra protruding

Seasonal home care - table

Where is the best place to place Afelandru

In the summertime, Afelandro can be placed on the balcony or in the garden
The most suitable place for Afelandra is near the west or east window. In the summer, on the windows in the south, the plant is slightly shaded from the midday sun. Since Afelandra is very demanding on lighting, in winter it is best to move the pot to the south side, turning on additional lighting. The north window is not suitable for growing a flower.

The room where the plant is kept should be well ventilated, but the plant itself must be protected from drafts.

In the summer, if the weather permits, the flower can be easily taken out to the balcony or garden, before hardening it for several days. Outdoors, Afelandra should be protected from strong winds, precipitation and sudden temperature changes.

Flowering features

Callisia creeping - home care

Afelandra blooms in autumn with yellow, orange or red inflorescences. Depending on the variety, they can stay on the bush from 1 to 6 weeks. To make the plant look decorative, the dried flowers are removed. In winter, the bush is kept in a cool room, watering is reduced, feeding is stopped.

Afelandra bloom

Conditions for growing at home

Since Afelandra is a tropical species, in order to grow it on a windowsill, you should definitely take care of the necessary microclimate and maintenance regime. First of all, attention should be paid to lighting and watering the bush, since these factors often play a decisive role in the growth of the flower, as well as its flowering.

The indoor flower Fittonia can also be attributed to the acanthus family.

Lighting and ventilation

The flower belongs to the light-loving species, therefore, it must be provided with daylight hours at least 10 hours a day. However, direct sunlight often causes burns in the green mass of the bush, so it is kept in an area with diffused light or shaded with a translucent fabric. From the end of autumn to the end of winter, direct sunlight is not terrible for Afelandre, however, it is necessary to avoid intense illumination of the foliage for more than 4-5 hours.

Reproduction methods

You can propagate a culture in 2 ways: by seeds and cuttings. The first method is rarely used by flower growers due to the laboriousness.

Seeds

Growing a flower from seeds is carried out as follows:

1. Mix leaf earth and sand in equal proportions.
2. Pour the substrate into the box.
3. Sow seeds.
4. Cover the box with glass.

The container with seedlings is placed in a warm room. Every day, the container is opened for ventilation, if necessary, the soil is moistened. The sprouted sprouts are thinned out, removing weak, not viable ones. When 4 leaves appear on the plants, they are transplanted into pots.

Note! When propagated by seeds, all maternal qualities may not be transferred to future flowers.

Cuttings

Reproduction of Afelandra is possible by apical or lateral shoots. The procedure is carried out in the spring as follows:

1. Shoots 12-15 cm long are cut with at least 2 leaves.
2. The lower sections are dusted with growth stimulants.
3. A loose substrate is poured into the box, moistened.
4. Prepared cuttings are planted.
5. Cover the container with transparent wrap.

A box with seedlings is placed in a warm place. Within a month, they are sprayed and the film is opened for airing. When the cuttings take root, young leaves appear, they are transplanted into pots.

Rooted cuttings

Features of planting and transplanting

The pot for planting Afelandra should be medium in size with the obligatory presence of drainage holes. If you plant a plant in a large pot, it will negatively affect its normal development, and the risk of waterlogging of the soil increases. The material from which the landing container is made does not play a big role.

We pay special attention to the soil for planting. Afelandra loves neutral or slightly acidic substrates. If the soil is acidic, the leaves of the plant turn yellow, the flowers become smaller. On soils with an increased alkaline reaction, the flower stops growing and dies.

It is best to prepare the soil yourself using the following ingredients:

• leaf or sod land - 4 parts;
• peat - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part;
• some charcoal or bone meal.

You can also use a soil mixture of the following composition:

• sod land - 2 parts;
• peat - 1 part;
• perlite - 1 part.

The prepared mixture should have good looseness, air and water permeability. If you decide to purchase a soil mixture in a store, carefully study its composition so that it corresponds to the declared indicators.

Be sure to sterilize the soil before transplanting.

When to transplant

An adult Afelandra is transplanted every 4 years

Young specimens are replanted annually in March until they reach the age of five. Since the root system of Afelandra does not grow very quickly, adult plants need a transplant procedure less often - once every 4 years. It is also necessary if the plant has become cramped in the pot, or it has lost its decorative appeal.

Step by step process

To avoid damaging the roots, remove the Afelandra from the pot along with the earthy clod.

• In a pot that is 2–4 cm larger than the previous one, pour a layer of drainage, and then the prepared substrate.
• Carefully remove the plant from the old pot.
• Gently shake off the old soil, being careful not to harm the root system. If it is difficult to remove the old soil, place an earthen lump in a container of water and free the roots.
• Examine the root system - if you find damage, remove it with a sharp knife or scissors. Treat the cut sites with crushed activated carbon.
• Place the plant in a new pot and sprinkle earth on all sides.
• Water to fill any voids between the roots, then top up with the rest of the soil.

Afelandra grows remarkably well in hydroponics.

Growing problems, diseases and pests

Due to mistakes in care on the part of the florist, Afelandra may lose its decorative appearance. Here's what can happen to her, and why it happens:

• the tips of the leaves dry. This means that the air in the room is dry. To remedy the situation, you need to spray the air around the flower. In winter, it must not be placed next to radiators;
• brown spots form on the leaf blades. This is due to bright sunlight falling on the leaves, as well as due to a draft;
• aphelandra grows slowly. Possible reasons: the flower was planted in heavy soil; lack of dressing;
• the lower leaves fall off. This is a natural process. Bare cuttings can be cut and rooted;
• the flower withers. Probable reasons: the plant is kept at air temperatures below 15 ° С; root rot develops;
• small, convex brown spots appeared on the leaves. This is a shield that can be easily removed by wiping the sheet plates with soapy water;
• the plant is covered with small green insects. This is an aphid that damages the flower by sucking out juices. To get rid of the pest, the bush is sprayed with an insecticide solution.

If the tips of the leaves dry on aphelandra, it means that the air in the room is too dry

Afelandra is a beautiful flower that requires constant care from the florist. Observing all the requirements of the plant, exotic lovers will admire the beautiful leaves all year round, and in the fall - also spectacular inflorescences.

Home care for Afelandra, secrets and difficulties

The zebra plant can often be seen at many flower exhibitions; with its original, memorable appearance, it attracts flower lovers who want to decorate their home with such an unusual specimen. However, very often, after buying, inexperienced growers are faced with care problems, which are reflected in the appearance of the indoor variety.

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The most common problems are:

• brown spots on the leaves that indicate burns from direct sunlight;
• a brown dry edge of a leaf plate indicates a lack of moisture or mold damage;
• leaf fall is the most common cause of care errors and is solved by regulating irrigation, choosing a comfortable temperature, nutrients and lighting.

Therefore, before acquiring a capricious culture, you need to carefully study how to care for it.

Lighting

It is important to provide bright light, but not in direct sunlight. For comfortable growth, it is best to adjust the pot to the west or east side of the room. Bright direct light will cause a leaf burn, therefore, when taking the pot out to fresh air in the summer, you should put it in an openwork shade.

In winter, daylight hours should be at least 8 hours, which cannot be achieved naturally. In this case, the right solution would be to use phytolamps to get the required dose of lighting. Supplementary lighting is especially important in cloudy, rainy weather.

Attention!

Lack of lighting will affect the flowering and decorativeness of the leaf, it will lose color saturation and stretch.

Temperature and humidity

The plant is thermophilic. A comfortable temperature range for him is 22-23 ° C. The maximum temperature without compromising the quality of life is 27 ° C, but only with good moisture. In winter, temperatures can drop as low as 15 ° C. The flower can withstand 13 ° C for no more than a week.

Humidity should be as high as in natural conditions. This issue is especially relevant in winter because of heating devices and in summer because of hot days and air conditioners. You can increase the humidity by installing a humidifier, decorative fountains, or just containers with water.

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Watering and feeding

Watering is carried out regularly and plentiful, with warm soft water. In the summer and spring seasons, they do not wait for the topsoil to dry out. But you need to make sure that the water does not stagnate in the pan. In winter and autumn, watering becomes less frequent, you should wait until the topsoil dries a little. But too dry an earthen lump will lead to the rapid withering of the flower.

Use preparations for flowering indoor plants, but the dose is halved. In winter, once a month is enough, subject to all other conditions of detention, especially the lighting regime.

Fertilizers are applied to the ground once every two weeks.

Flowering care

In the conditions of the apartment, Afelandra blooms from March to November, the exact period depends on the species. Flowering lasts from two weeks to two months. The dying bud must be removed immediately, since fruiting leads to the death of the flower.

In order for the plant to give color, it needs to arrange a short period of rest. For this, the pot is moved to a cooler place, without lowering the temperature below the permissible norm.

Watering is reduced, but not brought to a dry earthen coma. It is important that the plant has enough light at this time. Moreover, the intensity affects more than the duration. During the period of active flowering, you need to ensure that the room temperature does not rise above 25 ° C. You also need regular spraying, but without getting moisture on the flowers.

Trimming and pinching

Afelandra is growing pretty fast. To keep the shape beautiful and compact, pinch the flower growth cone. Pruning is used to rejuvenate an adult plant. It can be carried out only after removing the dry faded buds. It is important to carry out the pruning correctly so that the bush does not lose its decorative effect, but, on the contrary, is updated. Prepare a sharp pruner, cut off all the shoots, measuring so that the height of the remaining ones in the pot is about 25 cm.

Pruning afelandra

Proper care after cutting the shoots contributes to the rapid recovery of the plant. It is necessary to create a greenhouse (polyethylene is suitable for shelter), which must be ventilated, it is also important to spray the shoots daily.

Preparing for winter

The dormant period in an apartment near the aphelandra begins immediately after flowering and is created artificially. The pot is moved to a cool place without drafts, the temperature is maintained at about 16 degrees.

Remember!

It is important during this period to provide access to a large amount of light. This can be done with the help of lamps, which must be supplemented so that the total amount of daylight hours is at least 8, and preferably 10 hours. Watering is reduced and is done only if the topsoil has dried out. Irrigation is also required, but in smaller volumes. Fertilizers are not recommended to be applied during the dormant period.

Diseases and pests

The plant is affected by such pests:

1. Shield. In the first period of infection it is not visible, later it is noticeable with brown plaques on the leaf and trunk. Leaves curl and fall off. Mechanical cleaning with a soft cloth is required before chemical treatment. Several interval treatments may be required as the pest eggs are in the soil.

   
   Shield

2. Mealybug. Easy to spot by white cotton bloom. It is destroyed by insecticides, but before that it is necessary to wash the plant with soapy water.
3. Aphid. Insects can be seen on the flower, the leaves are deformed, become sticky to the touch. They are treated with drugs against aphids or herbal tinctures, garlic.

Root rot can also affect indoor exotic. The reason for its appearance is high soil moisture or stagnant water in the sump. Treatment is carried out by removing rotten roots and transplanting into new soil with a good drainage layer.

Reproduction

The flower propagates by seeds and cuttings:

1. For seed breeding, seeds are collected from a fruiting flower and immediately sown into a prepared substrate from a mixture of one part of sand and four parts of leafy soil. It is imperative to create a greenhouse and keep it at a temperature of at least 25 ° C. The greenhouse is ventilated daily. Only when the seedlings are strong enough are they transplanted into pots.

   
   Afelandra seeds

2. Cutting is a more common method, since it does not lead to the death of the mother bush. Shoots are cut in spring, the length should be about 15 cm with the presence of two leaves. The cuttings are treated with root-forming preparations and placed in a moist substrate. This method also requires a greenhouse, temperature maintenance and diffused light. Rooting lasts up to 2 months, after which the sprouts are transplanted into a permanent pot.

   
   Propagation by cuttings

Indoor plant transplant

In young plants, transplantation is carried out annually in the spring, and in adults, once every couple of years. The soil is chosen light, breathable. Before planting, it must be disinfected with steam, boiling water, or baked in the oven.

The transplant is carried out according to the following algorithm:

• carefully remove the plant from the old pot, inspect the roots for rot and cut off any damaged areas with a sharp knife. Treat the cut points with charcoal powder;
• ¼ the pot is filled with drainage, then 4 cm of soil;
• the plant is set so that the roots do not bend too much, and carefully covered with the mixture, completely covering the roots with earth;
• mulch the surface of the soil with expanded clay or pebbles, pour with warm, settled water.