Features of growing arrowroot
Arrowroot are fairly shade-tolerant plants that thrive in diffused light. In winter, bright diffused light is also desirable for plants. They do not tolerate direct sunlight during the spring and summer months. The size and color of the leaves depends on whether the plant is successfully protected from the sun. If the light is very bright, the leaves lose their color, and the leaf blade also shrinks. Arrowroot grows very well under artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps for 16 hours a day.
White-veined arrowroot, variety Massangen (Maranta leuconeura var.massangeana)
Arrowroots are quite thermophilic. In summer, the optimum temperature is + 22 ... + 24 ° С; overheating is also dangerous for plants. Watch the temperature of the soil - it should not fall below + 18 ° C. From October to February, during the dormant period, the optimum temperature for keeping arrowroot is + 18 ... + 20 ° С; in no case should the temperature drop below + 10 ° С. The plant is very sensitive to temperature changes and drafts - they must be avoided.
Watering for arrowroot requires abundant, warm soft water. The soil should be kept moist and during the growing period should not be allowed to dry out between waterings. In autumn and winter, watering is somewhat reduced, and in cool conditions it is necessary to allow the surface of the substrate to dry out
It is important to ensure that the soil does not become waterlogged and that the root system does not cool.
Arrowroot prefers high humidity. It requires regular spraying throughout the year. Spray with well-settled or filtered water. For arrowroot, you need to choose a place with the maximum air humidity.
With dry indoor air, spraying is necessary at least once, and ideally twice a day. To increase moisture, the plant can be placed on a pallet with damp moss, expanded clay or pebbles. In this case, the bottom of the pot should not touch the water.
Periodically arrowroot can be washed under the shower. This procedure removes dust and moisturizes the leaves of the plant, while during washing, you should close the pot with a bag so that water does not get into the substrate.
Arrowroot reed variegated, variegata (Maranta arundinacea ‘Variegata’). Mokkie
Often, in spite of measures to increase the humidity of the air, the tips of the leaves of the plant dry out in room conditions. Arrowroot grows well, as already noted, in mini-greenhouses, florariums, terrariums.
The plant needs fertilizing with both organic and mineral fertilizers. Arrowroot is fed in spring and summer once every 2 weeks with a highly diluted solution of mineral fertilizers, as well as highly diluted organic fertilizer.
Arrowroot is transplanted, on average, after two years, in the spring, while the pot is taken a little more than the previous one, better plastic (it holds moisture better). Dried and wilted leaves are cut off from the plant so that young shoots grow better.
For planting arrowroot, shallow pots are used (the root system of plants is shallow); it is necessary to arrange good drainage in them, consisting of shards, expanded clay or coarse sand.
The plant prefers a slightly acidic soil (pH about 6), it can be made from leafy, humus, peat soil (1: 1: 1) or from garden soil, peat and sand (3: 1.5: 1). It is useful to add dry mullein, crushed charcoal and some coniferous earth to this mixture.
White-veined arrowroot, Kerkhov's variety (Maranta leuconeura var.kerchoveana). Maja dumat
When grown in a hydroponic culture or on an ion-exchange substrate, arrowroot forms powerful large-leaved low plants, without requiring transplants, transshipments and feeding for 2-3 years.
Types of arrowroot photos
In total, there are more than 25 species of arrowroot. But, unfortunately, not all of them are popular with flower growers. The following types of arrowroot are commonly used as a houseplant:
Arrowroot arrowroot
This type is the most common in home collections of florists. The flower has tuberous roots.The stem is not tall, reaching only 25-30 cm. The oval-rounded leaves give the flower sophistication, while their size ranges from 10 to 15 cm in length and about 5-9 cm in width. The leaves of this plant are dark green in color, while the veins are silvery. The underside of the leaf is different and has a green-red color. Arrowroot arrowroot: photo At home, you can rarely find a real, pure variety, its varieties are usually grown:
- Kerhoven... The plant reaches only 15-20 cm. Kerhoven arrowroot has leaves that reach a maximum of 15 cm. The color of the leaves is similar to a purebred variety, the difference is a silvery stripe and black ocellated spots located near the central stripe.
- Massange black... This variety practically does not differ from the above. The difference can only be seen in the color of the leaves. The color of the leaves is dark green, close to black. The spots are olive green. Arrowroot massage: photo
- Arrowroot tricolor (tricolor)... The leaves of this arrowroot are oval, slightly velvety. The veins are distinctly red on the outside and pink on the inside. There are also spots along the lateral veins and are dark green in color.
Bicolor arrowroot
It is a rare variety that has distinctive oval leaves with wavy edges, reaching 10-15cm in size. The leaves of this variety have a dark green base color and brown brown spots in the middle of the vein. All leaves are omitted, slightly reddish on the inside and located on short cuttings.
Arrowroot reed
This variety is a kind of shrub, as it can grow up to 1 m in height. Arrowroot has large roots that look like tubers. The leaves of this variety are simply gigantic in comparison with the previous species and can reach 25 cm. Their shape resembles an oval, slightly pointed at the top. All leaves are down and have a dark green color.
If you want to have such an exotic plant in your home, you need to pay attention to watering, lighting, choice and, of course,. Only when all the recommendations are followed will the plant be healthy and beautiful.
Lighting
The arrowroot family tolerates shady places well; the northern part of an apartment or house is ideal for placing a flower.
If it is not possible to place the plant away from the sun's rays, then you need to make sure that on hot days, the burning sun's rays do not come into contact with the leaves of the plant. Otherwise, the plant will begin to ache, dry, and the leaves will curl.
With a lack of light, the plant withers, its shape is lost, the leaves of the plant become thin, the cuttings become stretched.
Watering and humidifying the air
This plant perfectly feels the air humidity of about 90%. For settlement, it is recommended to spray the leaves of the plant with soft, settled water. If you spray with plain water, then white spots may appear on the leaves.
Don't forget about the soul. Arrowroot should be washed under running water, no more than once a month.
It is necessary to water the plant only with soft water. The soil should always remain slightly damp. In the hot period, watering is carried out after 3-4 days. In winter, it is recommended to let the soil dry out by about 2-3 cm.
Arrowroot care
The arrowroot flower is a rather capricious plant and any errors in caring for it can lead to a deterioration in the well-being of the plant. It should not be forgotten for a minute that arrowroot comes from the humid tropics, so the main task of flower growers who want to get a beautiful and healthy arrowroot flower is to take care of it closer to natural conditions. The main condition for growing an arrowroot flower is a high level of air humidity.This can be achieved in different ways, the simplest is considered - placing the pot on wet pebbles or moss, pouring water into the pan, placing the pot so that it does not touch the water
You can practice regular spraying, but you need to pay attention to the fact that the drops of water are as small as possible, large drops remain on the leaves of the plant and spoil its appearance. Be sure to moisten the soil too.
For an arrowroot plant, care does not end with timely watering and creating high humidity. The second necessary condition for safe keeping is a sufficiently high temperature. In winter, the air temperature of the place where arrowroot is kept should be at least +12 degrees, and in summer + 23-24 degrees. Arrowroot does not like drafts. The arrowroot flower is a plant that simply adores shade, but it must be kept away from direct sunlight. In the presence of too bright light, the color of the leaves fades and loses its saturation. In a breathable, loose, slightly acidic soil, arrowroot feels good. You can make up the soil for arrowroot yourself from turf and leafy soil and sand in equal parts, but it is better to buy a specially designed soil for arrowroot plants
During planting, arrowroots pay attention to the presence of good drainage. Water should not stagnate in the pot
Top dressing and watering of the plant must be carried out in accordance with the temperature regime, despite the fact that the period during which dormancy occurs in arrowroot is not expressed in any way. The flower is fed every two weeks from spring to autumn and watered as the earthen coma dries up. Watering and feeding should be reduced as the temperature decreases (in the autumn-winter period).
Top dressing at this time is given no more than once a month, but the humidity of the air and soil remains relevant when growing an arrowroot plant. Care does not provide for abundant watering. It is better to transplant arrowroot in the spring. Adult plants are transplanted every 2 years, but young plants need to be transplanted every year. For transplanting, it is better to take a not too large and wide pot. When transplanting, be careful not to damage the roots. If you do not pursue the idea of dividing the plant when transplanting, then it is better to transplant it into a new pot along with the old clod of earth and add a new one on the sides. The transplanted plant needs high humidity.
Arrowroot care at home
Illumination
Arrowroot needs bright, but diffused light, it must be protected from direct sunlight. Therefore, it is recommended to place it on an east or west orientation window. If the direct rays of the sun regularly fall on the flower, then the adult leaf plates may lose their spectacular color, and the young ones become smaller. If you cannot find a place for a flower with optimal lighting, then it is recommended to grow it under fluorescent lamps, while the duration of daylight hours in this case should be at least 16 hours.
Temperature regime
Such a flower can be harmed by both excessively high and low air temperatures. In the summer, make sure that the air temperature is from 23 to 25 degrees, while do not allow the substrate in the pot to overcool (at least 18 degrees). From mid-autumn to early summer, the optimum air temperature for arrowroot is 18–20 degrees. It can withstand a temperature drop of up to 10 degrees, but if it is colder, the plant will die. Protect him from sudden changes in temperature during the day, as well as from drafts.
Watering
During the spring-summer period, watering should be plentiful, while making sure that water does not stagnate in the substrate, but the clod of earth should not be allowed to dry out. In the cold season, watering is moderate, it is carried out immediately after the surface of the soil mixture in the pot dries out.For watering, you need to use warm water, the temperature of which should be slightly higher than room temperature, because the root system reacts extremely negatively to hypothermia. It should also be soft and well-settled (at least 12 hours).
Air humidity
The flower needs high air humidity, in this regard, it is moistened with settled soft water from a sprayer throughout the year. If the humidity level is very low, then spraying should be carried out regularly in the morning and evening. And to increase the humidity, the container with the flower is placed on a pallet, which is filled with wet expanded clay or pebbles, while making sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with the liquid. In the warm season, the plant can be given a warm shower, while remember that the substrate in the pot must be covered with a film so that no water gets into it during the procedure. However, be prepared for the fact that even if all these conditions are met, the tops of the leaf plates will dry on the arrowroot.
Fertilizer
Top dressing is carried out systematically once every 2 weeks, for this, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are used alternately (the concentration of the nutrient mixture should be 2-3 times less than that recommended by the manufacturer).
Transplanting arrowroot
The transplant is carried out once every 2 years in the first spring weeks. The planting capacity is taken low and it is better if it is plastic, while in size it should be slightly larger than the old one. At the bottom, a drainage layer is made of coarse sand and broken brick (expanded clay). The substrate needs a slightly acidic one. It can include peat, sand and garden soil (3: 2: 6) or peat, humus and leafy soil (1: 1: 1). It is recommended to add a small amount of charcoal and coniferous soil to the finished soil mixture.
Before proceeding with the transplant, you need to cut off all the dried and sluggish foliage from the bush, in this case, young shoots will develop more actively.
transplant of arrowroot tricolor
Home care
Arrowroots love diffused light and warmth, so they are recommended to be placed near windows facing west or east. On hot summer days, protection from direct exposure to midday rays is desirable. Otherwise, decorative indicators deteriorate significantly, up to drying and sagging of foliage. Provide artificial lighting in winter
It is equally important to protect flowers from drafts and dry microclimate.
Home care includes the following:
- In the spring-summer season, it is watered abundantly, with warm, settled water. Melted and boiled are also suitable. There is no specific moistening schedule, it depends on the degree of soil drying. Since the soil retains moisture longer in winter and autumn, irrigation is also reduced. It will be enough twice a week. Do not leave water in the pan so that the roots do not rot. Vegetation is sprayed periodically.
- The ideal ambient temperature from May to October is 22-25 ° C. When the flower enters dormancy, the temperature is lowered to 18–20 ° C. Excessive cooling in the room and through blowing can be disastrous. The leaves retain a beautiful and rich pattern with moderate air humidity. To avoid drying out, place a container of water next to it or place the pot on damp pebbles. During the heating season, the foliage is arranged with water procedures under running water. Only pre-cover the soil with polyethylene. With a lack of moisture, the foliage fades and deforms.
- Mineral and organic fertilizers are applied alternately every 10-14 days. As the first, ready-made mixtures are used for decorative leafy specimens. They are fed after moistening. Without organic matter, the stems are strongly stretched to the detriment of flower setting.
Arrowroot does not tolerate direct sunlight. Sometimes, even on the northern side, the leaves begin to dry out and curl up, acquiring a pale appearance. In the back of the room, they are much better up until the onset of flowering.
The transplant is carried out only after a year, in the spring. The pots are selected spacious, since the roots are voluminous. The soil mixture is purchased ready-made or mixed independently: peat, leaf compost and mullein. All components are taken in equal proportions. Due to the intolerance of an acidic environment, wood ash and coniferous soil are added to the planting soil. This levels out the lime in the composition.
When transplanting, damaged and diseased leaves are immediately removed, which stimulates better development. During the winter, the stems are able to stretch excessively, so corrective pruning is done in the spring.
Features of caring for a plant at home
Arrowroot fascinator tricolor is not demanding in care. If you follow simple and clear rules, you can observe a healthy plant with beautiful leaves on your windowsill. In the spring and summer, pots of flowers are taken out to the street or balcony.
A hanging or tabletop ceramic or plastic pot is chosen as a container.
It is important to take care of the location of the prayer flower pot. The most unfavorable room is the kitchen
Arrowroot is bad for the products of natural gas combustion.
Note! In no case should the plant be exposed to drafts. Use a damp cloth to remove dust from sheet plates.
With its help, gently wipe the surface without pressing on the sheet
Use a damp cloth to remove dust from the sheet plates. With its help, they gently wipe the surface without pressing on the sheet.
Temperature
The optimal summer temperature for arrowroot is about 19-24 ℃ above zero. In winter, the reading on the thermometer should not fall below +15 ℃. Sharp temperature changes are undesirable for indoor perennials.
Note! Do not place a prayer flower pot near an open window.
Lighting
The plant does not need a lot of light. Lighting for him should be moderate. It is recommended to put arrowroot on a shelf close to the western or eastern window of the apartment.
Watering
You need to water the prayer flower about 2-3 times a week. An abundance of moisture can negatively affect the root system of a perennial.
Spraying
Since the natural habitat of the plant is an area near swamps and water basins, it is important to maintain a moisture balance. To do this, every day you need to spray a flower from a spray bottle with soft water.
Humidity
Under normal conditions, the humidity should be 60%. During particularly hot weather conditions, the humidity is required to rise to 80%.
Priming
The soil for the prayer flower should contain peat and sand. You can prepare such a soil yourself or purchase a ready-made one in a flower shop
The ground should not be heavy, it is important that air can penetrate inside
Top dressing
Mineral supplements are essential during the growing season. Twice a week, it is recommended to apply top dressing in the form of liquid mixtures.
In flower shops, you can easily buy fertilizer for arrowroot.
Features of care in winter, dormant period
Caring for tricolor arrowroot at home in winter is practically no different from care in other seasons. The dormant period of the flower lasts from October to February. At this time, the number of waterings is reduced to 1 time per week. In addition, the pot is transferred to a cooler place.
Important! Do not allow direct sunlight to hit the surface of the leaves. Otherwise, the leaves will be covered with burns in the form of spots.
Pests
Spider mite
It affects the leaves, settles mainly on their back side. The leaves brighten, turn yellow, white spots, cobwebs are observed on them. Soon the leaves fall off.
The spider mite is a small arthropod.It is barely visible to the naked eye, has a size of 0.2–0.4 mm, translucent, greenish or yellowish-red. It is a dangerous parasite that can lead to death of the plant.
From solutions of tobacco with soap, the effect is minimal; in order to defeat the pest, it is better to use pesticides.
Important: only acaricides are effective to get rid of spider mite egg clutches.
Arrowroot for spraying should be taken out of the room.
Important: take precautions, as any pesticides are harmful to health
It is necessary to thoroughly irrigate the trunk and leaves. If you have applied acaricides, re-treatment is required after a week. In the case of insecticides, the treatment must be repeated more than three times.
To prevent infection, regularly spray the plant with cool water, humidify the air, rinse the arrowroot, keep it clean. Inspect periodically.
Mealybug
It affects the leaves of arrowroot. The leaves dry up, fall off. The shoots stop growing, the plant withers. The parasite is easily detected - cotton clusters appear on the leaves, with which the pest is covered.
The mealybug is a sedentary arthropod ranging in size from 3 to 5 mm, on its back there are transverse grooves and along the edges it is covered with a white bloom resembling flour, which is why its name came about. The insect feeds on the sap of the plant, while injecting its poison into it. This creates conditions for the rapid wilting of the flower.
If the parasite is detected in a timely manner, it can be dealt with by washing the arrowroot leaves with soapy water (20 g of soap per liter of water). You can use a cotton swab dipped in an alcohol solution diluted to forty degrees.
Important: the surface where the plant stands must be thoroughly washed.
If the flower is heavily infested with the parasite, chemicals such as mosplan or fufafon should be applied. Perform the procedure three times with an interval of a week.
Shield
It affects the leaves and stems of the plant. The pest sucks the sap of the flower, weakening it. The shoots are curved, the growth of arrowroot slows down significantly. A sticky bloom forms on the leaves - the release of the parasite. A fungus may develop on the plaque, which will further aggravate the situation - the plant will have nothing to breathe and it will quickly die.
The scale insect is a relative of the mealybug, it also drinks the juices of the plant and releases its poisonous substances into it, only this parasite is even more cruel and invulnerable. In a few days, pest colonies can cover the entire plant.
The scabbards measure from 0.5 to 5 mm, on top they are covered with a wax rounded shield of a brownish hue, which protects them from external influences and makes them almost invulnerable to insecticides.
Tip: destroy the extensively affected plant so that it does not infect other flowers, and the place where it stood should be washed with soap, preferably with washing powder.
In the case when the parasite has just begun its development, measures should be taken to destroy it.
Since it is very difficult to fight this pest, the destruction of the parasite is carried out in several stages:
- Rinse the arrowroot under a shower with a water temperature not exceeding 40 degrees. Thus, some of the larvae and adult insects will be washed off.
- Next, you should thoroughly wipe the leaves with a soapy sponge or cotton wool moistened with 70% alcohol, removing all pests.
- Then dry the arrowroot and treat it with bitoxibacillin and vertitemec.
- After a week, the whole cycle must be repeated regardless of whether you see the parasite (the larvae are very small, you can not notice them).
Important: spraying with insecticide can only be carried out on dry leaves.
Take the treatment of the plant very seriously - just one live larva will nullify all your efforts - after a few days the plant will again be covered with a sticky bloom.
Arrowroot is a thermophilic flower that requires careful care (read about the features of caring for arrowroot at home here, and from this article you will learn about the rules for growing the tricolor subspecies). Even excessive ventilation of the room can affect her health. All diseases are associated precisely with improper care of her.
Therefore, careful attention and care for this beautiful plant will contribute to its health for a long time.
How to care for arrowroot at home
Arrowroot is a herbaceous perennial plant with creeping or straight shoots and tuberous roots. Leaves are oval-rounded, oblong-elliptical, linear-lanceolate, green or colored. It stands out for its spectacular color, on an even background, distinct spots or bright veins. The background of the leaves themselves is from dark green, almost black, to beige. The genus Maranta has about 25 plant species named after the Venetian physician Bartolomeo Maranta (16th century). Since the homeland of arrowroot is the humid tropical and swampy jungles of South and Central America, you need to understand that the plant will not survive in a dry climate, and before planting it, it is imperative to prepare favorable conditions.
Types of arrowroot
- The leader in popularity in the interiors of the arrowroot is white-veined decorative. A small stem not exceeding 30 cm, crowned with oval leaves up to 10-15 cm long and up to 5-9 cm wide. The outer edge of the plate is dark green, has a silvery strip in the center, a colored pattern and white veins on the sides. The lower part of the leaf is decorated with a reddish and gray-green pattern. White-fronted arrowroot is unpretentious and easy to reproduce, it is distinguished by a variety of surfaces. These flowers are not for decoration, but for the soul.
- Red arrowroot (tricolor) with light lilac flowers. Oval small leaves are characterized by a rich color that fades on the sides. Yellowish or light green spots along the central vein transform into a dark green feather-shaped pattern. Red veins are clearly visible on the outer side of the leaf, but from below they already become much paler, acquiring a pale crimson or pink tint.
- Arrowroot kerkhovina with oval leaves on short cuttings and small whitish flowers. On the upper part of the plate, feather-like or ocellated greenish spots with a central light stripe flaunt. The color of the underside of the leaf ranges from red to bluish.
- Arrowroot masange differs from the previous species in color of spots - from light olive to black.
- Arrowroot bicolor does not form tubers. Oval leaves with wavy edges are arranged on a short red stalk. The upper pattern is represented by dark green and brown specks, and the lower one is represented by a reddish pattern.
- Arrowroot is a compact shrub with a thick tuberous root. Plant height reaches 1.2 meters. The leaves are long, dark green with a bluish tint in the form of an oval with a pointed top. The flowers are white and small.
Watering arrowroots
For watering, use softened water at room temperature - settled for more than a day, boiled or thawed. The plant does not require watering according to the schedule, but according to the state of the soil. Before watering, the soil in the flowerpot should be slightly dry. In summer, the soil dries out faster, so you need to increase the frequency of watering. In winter, you can limit yourself to a couple of waterings per week. Also, in cold weather, you can alternate watering with spraying the entire plant. Arrowroot simply loves spraying at any time of the year.
Illumination
This flower is not very fond of the sunny side. Even living on the north side, the leaves of the plant are withered and pale, here they are also too light. But, moving the arrowroot to the back of the room, it will feel great. New leaves with a bright color will begin to grow, perhaps there will be flowering.With short daylight hours, the pot can be placed closer to the window, but not on the windowsill.
Temperature regime
Since the arrowroot is a resident of the tropics, it prefers a warm content. In summer, she needs a temperature of about 20-25̊C, in winter - at least 17-18̊C. The plant is terribly afraid of drafts, which is why the delicate leaves dry quickly. You also don't need to place the pot on cold floors or windowsill. In the warm season, arrowroot can be kept just outside, but in the shade and in a windproof place.
Humidity
This criterion is perhaps the most important when caring for arrowroot... Conventional spraying may not be enough. To maintain the desired humidity, place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles or moss and occasionally shower with water. Only in this case, cover the ground with a plastic bag so as not to overwet it. Make sure the soil is dry the next time you water.
Fertilizers and top dressing arrowroot
Top dressing of arrowroot takes place from the first spring days to autumn. Fertilize after a week, counting one gram per liter of water. From April to the end of summer, you can feed with a complex set of fertilizers for ornamental indoor plants. The flower is quite sensitive to excess feeding. Requires mineral and organic fertilizers, which are applied in turn once every two weeks.
Botanical description
Oval leaves of arrowroot tricolor have a velvety outer surface from light green to dark green in color. It is decorated with bright red veins radiating from the central part to the sides, probably because of this it was called by the people “the herring ridge”. Spots of yellow-green color run along the center, and a pattern resembling feathers diverges to the sides. The underside of the leaf is colored crimson with pink veins. Its length reaches thirty centimeters, and its width is six. Small white or light lilac flowers form spikelet inflorescences.
Arrowroot was nicknamed the prayer plant or prayer herb, as it reacts in a peculiar way to changing lighting. In the dark, its leaves rise up, until they are completely closed. With an increase in the level of illumination, the leaves again take a horizontal position. This is due to their special structure. In dense rainforests, the flower grows at the lowest levels, so its foliage rises to receive the amount of light required for full development.
Arrowroot breeding at home
Sometimes in a flower shop you can buy the seed of another plant consonant with indoor exotic. Growing from amaranth seeds occurs in summer cottages, and they are far from being related to arrowroot. Arrowroot will not seed at home. The plant successfully multiplies by root division and cuttings.
It's important to know! Rooting is best done in spring, cut off cuttings - in spring or autumn. When transplanting, you can separate the bushes with a sharp knife and root the delenki
It is important to divide so that there are enough roots for the further development of both plants. The flower takes root quickly, you can arrange a greenhouse for a young seedling for a faster and more successful rooting. Together with the pot, the plant is placed in a bag, leaving a window for fresh air. An optimal moisture balance will create ideal conditions for active growth of roots and shoots. With the appearance of the first leaves, the package can be removed
When transplanting, you can separate the bushes with a sharp knife and root the delenki
It is important to divide so that there are enough roots for the further development of both plants. The flower takes root quickly, you can arrange for a young seedling greenhouse conditions for faster and more successful rooting
Together with the pot, the plant is placed in a bag, leaving a window for fresh air. An optimal moisture balance will create ideal conditions for active growth of roots and shoots. With the appearance of the first leaves, the bag can be removed.
The arrowroot species calathea reproduces remarkably by dividing the root
For propagation of arrowroot cuttings, shoots are needed at least 10 cm in length and with two internodes. You need to cut off the shoot 1.5-2 cm below the node. Remove the lower leaves and place the cutting in an opaque container with water. Already after 10 days, the first roots appear on the shoots. According to the experience of breeders, rooting directly into the soil is not always successful.
There is a proven way to propagate arrowroot quickly and with a 100% guarantee of rooting. If the plant is more than a year old, aerial roots appear on the shoots near the nodes. Cuttings along with them will take root even faster and more successfully, since the root system has already begun to form and the forces were taken from the mother's supply.
Kerhoven species is rooted with several cuttings in one pot for a more lush bush
Transfer
The root system of arrowroot does not grow too quickly, it braids the edges of the soil around the perimeter of the pot, collecting moisture and usefulness from fertilizers there. It is optimal to transplant a bright representative of Brazil once every two years during the awakening period - in the spring.
A regular plastic pot will do, wide and low, with good drainage holes. It should be two centimeters larger in diameter.
Interesting fact! If you transplant the arrowroot in a very large pot, it will give all its strength to build up the root system and stop the growth of shoots and leaves.
The drainage layer needs a thick and loose, moisture-permeable layer.
What soil is suitable for arrowroot
We get the necessary soil by mixing:
- 2 pieces of leafy land;
- 1 part peat;
- ½ part of sand.
Advice! To improve the quality of the soil, you can add coniferous soil, bark, charcoal, sphagnum moss to the mixture.
If the bush stretches out after winter and has lost its decorative effect, flower lovers recommend completely cutting off all the shoots of the flower before transplanting. This will stimulate the growth of new shoots from the root, the development of buds on the remnants of cut shoots and the formation of a lush bush.
Arrowroot reed has the most lush bushes due to densely planted variegated leaves
