Pike tail: features of home care

• October 20, 2018
• Houseplants
• Lily

The pike tail flower is a well-known houseplant in our country, it can be found in offices, schools, kindergartens, residential premises. Various signs and superstitions are associated with it. What does the plant look like, how do its types differ? In what conditions does it prefer to grow? What do you need to do to get several copies of the plant you like? What signs are associated with mother-in-law's language? Will it bring harm or benefit to the home? Read about the pike tail flower below.

Description

The pike tail flower, which has the scientific name sansevieria, is a perennial herb that is part of the Asparagus family. It is traditionally used in indoor floriculture. At the same time, tall varieties look good in floor tubs. Undersized are used everywhere in different varieties. In addition, they can be planted in bottle gardens, terrariums.

In its natural environment, it grows in Africa and the tropics of Asia, calmly tolerates heat and drought.

A plant at home can bloom, a thin peduncle appears, buds with white-green petals are tied on it. It begins to bloom in the evening, the buds close in the morning with sunrise. The aroma is reminiscent of vanilla.

Different names

Sansevieria is the name of a houseplant, which it received in honor of a prince from Italy, who lived in the 18th century. It was he who studied the composition of the plant, for the first time began to use its medicinal properties. In addition, there are a large number of other folk names, which are called the same plant in different countries and regions: mother-in-law's tongue, pike tail, wolf's tail, devil's tongue, Indian sword. The names of certain species are known: leopard lily, snake skin, African hemp. Each of them is associated with something, for example, snake skin speaks of the color of the plant. Mother-in-law's tongue symbolizes the length of the tongue of a close relative. The Indian sword is associated with sharp leaves.

When is the best time to propagate sansevier?

It should be noted that mother-in-law's tongue is such an unpretentious plant that, in principle, it can be successfully propagated at any time of the year. Especially if the reason for reproduction was urgent measures to save the dying sansevieria: the root system began to rot, the flower fell and broke, etc.

Breeding is not recommended in winter, since it is difficult to provide a new plant with the necessary conditions for its rooting, and metabolic processes are slowed down: the plant will be sick for a long time, it is possible that it will not take root at all.

Views

There are more than 60 types of sansevieria, they can be grouped into two groups:

• undersized - leaf plates can be straight and curved, they grow from a rosette;
• tall can reach a height of 2 meters.

What does a laurenti pike tail flower look like? This is one of the most popular species, it belongs to the tall group, reaches a height of a meter, although it can grow taller. The leaf plates are elongated with longitudinal stripes, and they grow vertically.

The most popular types of sansevieria:

• "Cylindrical".
• "Zeylanika".
• Robusta.
• "Futura".
• "White Sansevieria".
• "Nelson".
• "Compact".
• Twist Sister.

In the 20th century, breeders bred the "dwarf Hanni".These are plants with compact bushes, no more than 30 cm in height, very decorative. The leaf plates are dark green, growing in the shape of a vase.

Hanni subspecies:

• Golden Hanni (gold grade).
• Silver Hanni.
• "Hanni Christa", it is also called African hemp.

The variety of plant varieties will allow you to choose specimens for any, even the most demanding taste.

Sansevieria cylindrical

Sansevieria cylindrical is one of the types of sansevieria, belongs to the ornamental perennial plants of the agave family. It does not have a stem, and the tall, cylindrical leaves stretch up to 2 meters in height. They have a dark green color and a longitudinal groove along the entire leaf, and at the very top there is a thorn formed due to the drying out of the tip.

How to care for cylindrical sansevieria at home?

The homeland of the plant is the territory of South Africa. However, it is successfully and happily bred by amateur flower growers around the world. Caring for it is not difficult, but this plant has an exotic look, thanks to which it often becomes a green decoration of houses, apartments and offices.

Sansivieria cylindrical loves good lighting, although not particularly demanding. The light should be bright, but as indirect as possible.

Lighting and temperature requirements

The pike tail flower needs good lighting, it perfectly tolerates the sun's rays even on hot days. In the summer, the plant is recommended to be taken out to loggias, balconies; additional cover is not required. In winter, you should choose the most illuminated window sill, you can use a phytolamp.

The plant has the ability to react to light levels with its appearance. In bright light, the coloring of the leaf plates is enhanced. The pike tail looks more decorative.

This is a tropical plant that loves high temperatures and is afraid of coolness. Therefore, it calmly endures the heat, but 14 ° C and below threatens with death.

Is a whimsical pike tail flower? Even a novice gardener can take care of the plant at home.

Sansevieria home care with photo demonstration

You need to take a thick-walled ceramic pot for sansevieria, since the powerful roots of the flower can break the walls, taking up space. Young plants are transplanted every one and a half, then three years later. In large tubs and boxes, only the topsoil is changed. Often transplanting sansevieria in the spring is accompanied by the division of the bush.

The composition of the soil is uncomplicated, it is collected independently from the volumetric fractions:

• leafy land;
• peat;
• sand;
• humus.

Take the ingredients in equal parts and add two parts of the sod land. The drainage layer can also be made of expanded clay balls or pieces of foam.

If sansevieria blooms in the house, it is time to fulfill a long-planned undertaking. A flowering plant blesses a new business, it will be successful. The winter bloom of sansevieria is not a messenger of good luck.

Watering in the care of sansevieria is carried out with rain or soft settled water. The plant does not require frequent and abundant moisture. Watering as the soil dries up, rarely in winter. Sansevieria is fed twice a summer with a predominance of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Excess nitrogen can provoke root rot, loss of decorativeness.

Lighting in the care of sansevieria at home affects the contrast of the patterned stripes on the leaves. With a lack of light, the leaves become dull, with an excess, they turn yellow. Winter supplementary lighting, to maintain the beauty of the mother-in-law's tongue, is a must.

Watering

The pike tail flower belongs to succulents, therefore it is undemanding to watering. Due to the fleshy structure of the leaf, the plant is able to accumulate water reserves.The number of waterings per week depends on how high the indoor temperature and how dry the air is. In spring and summer, once every 10 days is enough. In autumn and winter, the amount of water must be reduced, it is better to wait until the soil in the pot is completely dry, and only then water it.

Florists recommend adhering to this watering scheme: in summer and spring, once every 10 days, in autumn and spring - once a month. With a pike tail, the rule applies: it is better to underfill than overflow.

It is recommended to use settled water, melt or rainwater is well suited.

Spraying the plant is not required, it is enough to clean the leaves from time to time with a damp sponge, thus removing the accumulated dust, which can lead to the appearance of diseases and pests.

Care rules

Despite the undemanding nature of sansevieria, you need to know the basic rules of care. Then the plant will look good and will have a decorative look. What should be considered first?

Shine

1. The flower is very fond of the sun. But the mother-in-law's language suits the lighting diffused, so it is better to define the flowerpot on the west or east window in the room.
2. Varieties with variegated colors require more careful maintenance with regard to lighting. If the sheets have stripes or strokes of a bright yellow hue, then you should limit the sun's rays, since the yellow will quickly turn to light green.
3. It is undesirable to put the pot on the north side of the room, where there is little light. In this case, the growth and development of sansevieria slows down.
4. In the warmer months, in spring and summer, you can take the flower out to the balcony, terrace or loggia. Fresh air will only benefit the pike tail. It is only necessary to protect it from drafts, precipitation and the scorching rays of the sun.

Temperature regime

The plant is completely undemanding to a certain temperature. It will be enough to keep the temperature in the range of +20 - 27 degrees in the spring and summer period. During the rest period, in winter, the thermometer should be lowered to +15 - 18 degrees.

It is impossible to lower the temperature below, as this can lead to sansevieria disease. Remember that this is a tropical plant that will ache in a cold room and then die.

Watering

This is a succulent plant, which means it loves water, but within reasonable limits. It receives moisture not only after moistening the soil in the pot, but also from the air. Its leaves accumulate moisture, and then gradually distribute it over all tissues. For this reason, the flower can tolerate dry periods.

• During the period of active growth and development, in the spring and summer months, it is necessary to water the plant more often. But at the same time, carefully look so that the top layer of the soil dries out a few centimeters.
• It is dangerous to flood the soil, swamp it. Excess moisture has a detrimental effect on the root system of the pike tail. Watering should be significantly reduced during the winter months. The plant reacts especially negatively to excess moisture and a cold room. In this case, fungal diseases can develop.
• Mother-in-law's tongue is a plant that is better not to water it again than to fill it. On hot days, you can spray the aboveground part. But it's better to just wipe with a damp cloth from dust.
• The flower is classified as dry-resistant, but it cannot be left completely without water. Otherwise, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and die off.
• Do not use tap water, where there is a lot of lime and chlorine. Experienced flower growers use at least 24 hours, filtered or melt water at room temperature.

Fertilizer

It is recommended to use ready-made complex dressings intended for cactus or succulents, as well as, as an option, for decorative deciduous indoor plants.

These fertilizers contain less nitrogen-containing substances.For sansevieria, it is important that nitrogen is in a very moderate amount, since excess can lead to putrefactive processes in the root system. You should be very careful to use top dressing so as not to harm the plant.

Top dressing and transplanting

How to transplant a pike tail flower and how to feed it? Sansevieria does not need a lot of fertilizer. Strong roots can find food even in poor soil. Therefore, the introduction of fertilizers when transplanting a plant is quite enough to provide it with nutrition for a long time.

Young pike tail should be replanted every 1.5 years, older specimens every 3 years.

Pike tail flower transplant consists in the following actions:

1. Carefully remove the plant with a clod of earth.
2. Slightly clean the roots from the soil, check for rot.
3. Pour drainage into a new pot.
4. Fill the container with soil, plant the plant, slightly pressing the roots into the ground.
5. Drizzle.

Put the pike tail in its original place, at first, observe the state of the plant.

Step-by-step instructions for planting a flower

The roots of the flower do not grow in depth, but in width, and sometimes, having freed the plant from the old pot, the owner is surprised, contemplating a huge root spiral with young shoots on it. In nature, the root, not limited by anything, grows as it pleases, and new shoots of the sansevier simply sprout out of the ground along its entire length.

• sharp knife;
• a new pot (or several, depending on how much the sansevier has grown);
• drainage;
• soil for succulents or neutral for ornamental deciduous plants (you can find out what the soil should be for sansevieria here);
• some crushed activated carbon.

Procedure:

1. Slide the blunt side of the knife along the inside of the pot to separate the earthen ball.
2. Remove the sansevier from the pot and gently shake off the old soil from the roots. This can also be done in a bowl of water by rinsing the roots.
3. If there are many young plants, carefully cut the rhizome with a knife, leaving points of growth. Treat the cut points with coal. It is desirable to separate the babies from the mother plants. Leave to dry for a day or put in water, but both are not necessary for successful rooting.
4. Pour expanded clay on the bottom of new pots according to the number of plants.
5. Install a new sprout in each and sprinkle well with soil, tamp, water and, if possible, strengthen until the end of the adaptation period of the plant.

The choice of container and soil for the plant

The pike tail has powerful roots, this must be taken into account when choosing a pot for it. Preference should be given to clay containers with thick walls, otherwise the growing roots can break them. It should be a small container, wide enough in diameter.

To create the right conditions, drainage is necessary. It is recommended to use expanded clay, broken brick, sand can be poured over them, which must first be sieved.

We make the soil from the following components: 2 parts of turf, 1 part of leafy earth, humus, peat, sand.

Reproduction

What you need to know to successfully reproduce a pike tail flower? It is believed that even novice florists have no problems; different options can be used.

Pike tail breeding methods:

• seeds;
• leaves;
• dividing the rhizome.

If the seeds are obtained from a pet, then you should first dry the pod, and only then remove the seed material. It must be planted in a small container with loose, fertile soil. It is necessary to cover with foil, creating a small greenhouse, which should be regularly ventilated. As soon as shoots appear, remove the shelter.

Reproduction by leaf plates is a rather laborious process. Breeding technology:

1. Cut the sheet into several pieces, each about 6 cm.
2. Mark the bottom of the sheet.
3. Treat the bottom with a growth stimulant, for example, "Kornevin".
4. Dry the planting material for several days.
5. Fill small cups with sandy soil, plant prepared leaf parts no deeper than 2 cm.

After 2 months, roots are formed, the plants can be planted in containers with soil.

It is recommended to give preference to the method of dividing the root; this should be done in the spring, in March-April. The event is held at this time, because during the summer period the plants will get stronger and prepare for the cold season.

Breeding technology:

1. Remove the pike tail from the pot, remove excess soil, rinse the root.
2. Cut with a sharp knife so that the leaves are along with the root.
3. Place the planting material in separate pots.

Plants take root well and begin to grow.

You need to know that some varieties of sansevieria should not be propagated by cuttings, they lose their decorative properties. For example, if the Nelson hybrid is propagated in this way, the result will be the original Laurenti variety, with a different appearance.

What if the plant does not take root?

Despite the fact that the sansevier is very unpretentious to care for, sometimes the rooted segments do not take root. What is the reason? As a rule, excessive watering is to blame for this, as a result of which rotting of the tip of the cutting after planting is possible. You can try to correct the situation by doing the following: get the petiole out of the ground, cut off the decayed tip, dry it in the open air, process it with Kornevin and root it again. You should also adjust the watering pattern so that this situation does not happen again.

Even a novice florist can propagate a favorite plant in this way. But it is important not to forget about proper care of the sansevieria, so that for more than one year, young and old plants decorate the interior of the apartment or the design of the flower bed with their original form.

Plant pests

If the temperature conditions are not observed, the pike tail can be attacked by pests, which can cause significant damage to the plant and lead to its death.

For sansevieria, such pests are dangerous:

• thrips;
• spider mite;
• mealy worms.

Thrips settle in colonies on the back of the leaf plate, which changes color, becoming gray-brown. You can help the plant by using insecticides for treatment.

Due to the defeat of a spider mite, the leaves become pale, and then completely dry out. They are saved from the invasion of pests by spraying with insecticides. A good preventive measure is to regularly wipe the leaves of the plant with a damp cloth.

Mealy worms extract juices from the plant, which leads to the death of the pet. Pests settle at the base of the plant, which bends, turns yellow. It is recommended to remove mealy worms if possible, wipe the base of the plant with a damp sponge. After that, treat the pike tail with karbofos.

Plant diseases

Overuse of watering is dangerous and leads to root rot. Yellowed leaf plates are a clear sign.

Helping the plant with the appearance of rot:

1. Remove the pike tail from the pot.
2. Remove the affected roots.
3. Treat with antifungal agents.
4. Dry for a week.
5. Plant in new land.

Sometimes the pike tail suffers from large stature, high leaf plates fall and wither. Good support can save you from this problem.

Sansevieria is an unpretentious plant, if you create the necessary conditions for it, it will not suffer from diseases and pests.

Possible problems in growing a houseplant pike tail

With proper care, this plant rarely gets into trouble. Possible cases of probable flower disease:

• brown spots on the sheets are sunburn. The plant must be rearranged to another place where there will be no direct sunlight;
• the softness and yellowing of the leaf plates indicate the constant waterlogging of the soil. In this case, the injured parts are removed, and the socket is removed from the pot and transplanted.

Sansevieria in the open field

It is difficult to find a more unpretentious plant than a pike tail. But thanks to their extraordinary appearance, they can decorate a flower arrangement in any interior. In addition, in the summer, this plant will become a worthy element of the street landscape.

Signs and superstitions

Will the plant bring harm or benefit to the home? A large number of all kinds of signs are associated with a flower, a pike tail, which have both positive and negative interpretations. In different sources, you can find completely contradictory superstitions.

Signs associated with a pike tail indoor flower:

• Protects from gossip, intrigue, slander.
• Through the leaves of the plant, negative energy goes into the ground, therefore it is believed that the plant saves from quarrels, conflicts.
• Increases self-confidence of people who are next to him.
• Improves male potency.
• Reduces the influence of magnetic storms.

When a pike-tail flower blooms, it can be an omen of some event. This phenomenon is most controversial. There are several interpretation options:

• Blooming brings good luck.
• Bloomed in winter - get ready for a period of failure.
• Flowering foreshadows disagreements, quarrels, conflict situations.
• Flowers appear to fulfill wishes.
• Promotes the development of creativity.

All these superstitions are not proven by science, you can believe in them or not. Many people believe that a pike tail flower at home is a good omen, because it takes on all the bad energy. This is a beautiful plant that can be a decoration and protection for any room.

Useful properties of the plant

Despite all sorts of signs and superstitions, it has been proven that the pike tail has a beneficial effect on the microclimate and energy of the room, having a positive effect on the people in it. In offices, next to computers, you can often find this plant; it is believed that it takes away the negative effects of devices.

Positive impact:

• has medicinal properties;
• filters polluted air;
• saves indoor plants from pests;
• kills pathogenic viruses in the air;
• saturates the room with oxygen.

In addition, the plant has a beneficial effect on the energy of the room.