Home care
Arrowroot indoor plants do not require painstaking care. It is enough to follow simple rules for the flower to grow healthy.
Temperature
Arrowroot is native to the rainforests of America, so it is comfortable in the warmth. In summer, it is better to keep at a temperature of 22-25 degrees.
Important! In winter, the main thing is that the thermometer does not fall below 17. The cold will destroy the plant, as well as the draft.
In the summer, you can keep the flower outside, but make sure that it is in the shade. Also, avoid gusts of wind, whether warm or cold.
Illumination
The arrowroot flower does not like direct sunlight. Bright rays can be fatal. Even during a short daylight hours, the plant is not recommended to be placed on the windowsill. In summer, the most comfortable place for him is in the back of the room. In winter, it can be moved closer to the window.
Watering
Watering is recommended with water at room temperature. In this case, you need to defend it for at least a day. You can use boiled or rain water. In summer, arrowroot requires abundant watering. In winter, the amount of liquid required by the plant decreases: one watering every 3-4 days is enough. If the room temperature is below average, you can alternate moistening the soil with spraying the leaves.
Spraying
The flower must be sprayed in summer and winter. In the cold season, the issue remains relevant due to the operation of central heating. It creates dry air in which the plant does not feel well.
Humidity
Humidity is important for the well-being of arrowroot. The plant loves spraying, but this is not enough, especially in the heat.
To create the necessary conditions, it is recommended:
- spray neighboring flowers, if the procedure does not harm them;
- use air humidifiers;
- put the pot on a container with damp pebbles or expanded clay.
Instead of drainage materials, it is allowed to use moss.
Humidification container
It is recommended to arrange a warm shower for the plant. It will help get rid of dust accumulated on the leaves, create the necessary moisture.
Note! In this case, it is important not to wet the soil in the pot, so it is covered with a bag in advance.
Priming
The arrowroot soil prefers slightly acidic. You can buy a ready-made composition for ornamental deciduous plants or prepare the soil yourself. This requires the following components:
- Leafy land - 3 parts. It can be replaced with a garden one;
- Peat - 1.5 parts;
- Sand - 1 part. I often use perlite instead;
- Coniferous land - 1 part.
Ash can be added in small quantities (0.3 parts). Sometimes a dry mullein is used in the amount of 1 part.
Top dressing
It is recommended to feed arrowroot with the arrival of spring until late autumn. In this case, mineral and organic fertilizers are used. Different types of dressings alternate every two weeks
It is important to follow the instructions, as over-fertilization can do much more harm
Pruning
Pruning is essential for the plant to maintain a healthy appearance and get rid of dried stems and leaves. They must be removed as they appear. This will help preserve the strength of the flower and direct it to the growth of new stems and branches.
Crown formation is recommended to be carried out once a year. At the same time, long branches and stems are cut off. About three internodes should be left in the pot, just like on cuttings. This is the section of the stem between the growth points where the leaves emerge.
Transfer
Arrowroot is usually transplanted after purchase, when the plant becomes a little familiar and gets used to changing conditions. It is enough to withstand two weeks. A flower pot needs a wide, small root system.Drainage is laid at the bottom of it. Can be used:
- pebbles;
- expanded clay;
- clay shards;
- broken red brick.
The plant is taken out of the old pot, pre-watered a day so as not to injure the roots. The earth lump is not destroyed, but the arrowroot is immediately placed in a container. Top up with soil until there are empty spaces to the walls of the pot. After that, the plant is transplanted no more than once every two years.
How to grow arrowroot at home: how to care for a plant during dormancy and flowering
At home, caring for an arrowroot flower is not so difficult - the plant is not very demanding, and in order to provide it with the necessary environmental conditions, you do not need to make much effort.
The flower needs bright light with shade from direct sunlight. Exposure to the sun is bad for this plant, so the arrowroot will begin to curl the leaves, which can confuse its owner. The best place for her is north, east or west windows.
In winter, arrowroot as a houseplant is no different from most other house flowers - it needs additional lighting with fluorescent lamps. Otherwise, the shoots will begin to stretch, and the leaves will shrink, which will ruin their decorative appearance. Too much light can negatively affect the color of the leaves - they get a pale shade. This may also be the reason why the arrowroot turns yellow, since the plant tolerates a slightly shady habitat much better.
Arrowroot is moderately thermophilic, it must be protected from drafts, otherwise the leaves will begin to dry. Dislikes sudden temperature changes. In the warm season, the flower will feel best at 20 - 25 ºC. In autumn and winter, the temperature should be reduced to 18 - 23 degrees. If it falls below 12 degrees, the flower may die. In winter, the room temperature should be at least 18 ° C. The soil in the pot should never dry out.
Do not put this plant pot on a cold floor or windowsill. If weather conditions permit, arrowroot can be taken outside, but it is necessary to find the right location - without drafts and direct sunlight.
This flower feels good in moderate humidity. If the air in the room is very dry, the plant should be sprayed frequently. In addition to spraying, there are several other ways to increase the moisture around the arrowroot. You can put the pot on a pallet with wet pebbles or expanded clay. But the roots should not be allowed to touch the filling.
You can also simply place a small container of water near the flower. On days when the air temperature rises above normal, the plant must be gently rinsed under the shower
It is important to cover the soil with plastic before this procedure. If the air in the house is too dry, the pattern will cease to be distinct, the leaves will lose their tone, and their tips will begin to die off. Before you start caring for arrowroot, you need to remember that home conditions are not entirely natural for her, and in her native lands she lives in wet areas near water bodies, in wetlands
Therefore, it is desirable to bring the conditions of its growth closer to natural ones. To do this, use the tips below.
Before you start caring for arrowroot, you need to remember that home conditions are not entirely natural for her, and in her native lands she lives in wet areas near water bodies, in wetlands. Therefore, it is desirable to bring the conditions of its growth closer to natural ones. To do this, use the tips below.
As you could already understand, this plant loves moisture. During the period of growth and development (spring and summer), arrowroot needs abundant watering. It is better to cover the soil in a pot with damp moss. With insufficient watering, the flower wilts and can dry out completely. However, excess moisture is also very harmful - it can lead to rotting of the root system.A particularly high probability of such an outcome appears at low air temperatures and heavy soil.
In winter, watering should be moderate. It is better to use water at room temperature. It is imperative to make sure that water does not fall on the leaves when watering, as this will lead to the appearance of fungi.
In the warm season, every two weeks, arrowroot should be fed with flower fertilizers, the concentration of which should be two times lower than indicated on the package. It is best to have a fertilizer nutrient ratio (NPK) of 3: 1: 2. If in the winter season the temperature and light conditions remain optimal, the plant must be fed once a month. However, if the plant is dormant, feeding is not necessary.
Flowering is not the main advantage of arrowroot, therefore, often only the bud that has appeared is cut off so as not to tire the plant once again. However, at home, this genus rarely blooms, so this is a whole event for some growers.
Feng Shui meaning
Recently, it has become more and more popular to grow indoor ornamental plants according to the Eastern teachings of Feng Shui.
From the point of view of this teaching, all indoor flowers are divided according to their energy characteristics and, given the energy of the decorative culture, the florist has an excellent opportunity to correctly determine the most suitable location for the arrowroot. In accordance with the teachings of Feng Shui, it is the arrowroot that allows you to find meaning in life, as well as reveals talents and helps you decide on the choice of a profession. Also, a houseplant promotes communication and strengthens intra-family ties.
Arrowroot, or prayer plant, lifts and folds its foliage at night, as if folding the palms in prayer, so the appearance of this popular ornamental culture is soothing and pacifying, which allows it to be positioned in relaxation rooms or in the bedroom. Ornamental culture is very undemanding and great for novice florists. Reproduction of arrowroot in home floriculture is carried out by vegetative methods, which contributes to the fastest and easiest production of young plants, and experienced amateur flower growers recommend planting a decorative indoor flower directly during the next planned transplant.
Tropical plants look great in your home. One of the popular indoor plants is arrowroot. Signs and superstitions about arrowroot scare some people. They hesitate whether to start a plant at home. If handled correctly, a flower will delight with beauty and create a pleasant atmosphere.
About caring for Maranta:
Temperature: The optimum temperature for Arrowroot in summer is 16-24 ºC, while in winter the temperature should not drop below 16 ºC. There should be no strong variation in temperature at night and during the day. Arrowroot belongs to heat-loving plants, but it is not recommended to place it next to batteries or heaters in winter. In summer, the plant can be affected by the cold air currents of the air conditioner, so avoid placing it under or in critical proximity to air conditioners. The plant is afraid of drafts and hypothermia of the root system. In summer, Maranta can be taken out on a balcony or terrace, while it is necessary to protect it from direct sunlight, wind and precipitation.
Maranta arundinacea.
Lighting: Arrowroot needs bright diffused lighting and an eastern or western window sill is suitable for it, the same one develops well on the northern window, since the plant is considered not demanding on lighting and shade-tolerant. When kept in a south-facing room, it is recommended that you find a place for her on a table next to the window.
Watering: Should be regular and abundant. Watering is necessary with warm soft settled water. Watering frequency depends on the temperature of the content.In summer, watering should be carried out as soon as the topsoil dries out, on average 2-3 times a week. In winter, watering is reduced, but it is not recommended to bring the substrate to dryness and it is necessary to water it once a week, the soil should dry out between two waterings. The water from the pallet must be drained. Excess water in the soil can lead to root rot.
Air humidity: Arrowroot is hygrophilous and for her a daily procedure should be spraying, like a fog, the air around the leaves of the plant with soft, settled water in the morning and evening, especially if the plant is kept in a room with dry air. In order to increase the humidity, pallets with wet expanded clay can be used. In this case, the bottom of the arrowroot pot should not touch the water. It is useful to spread wet sphagnum on the soil surface. It is necessary to clean the leaves from dust and periodically arrange shower for the plant, but make sure that after the shower, drops do not remain on the foliage.
Maranta leuconeura var. Kerchoviana.
Plant formation: Shoots that are strongly stretched throughout the year must be pruned. It is not recommended to tie them to the supports, it is advisable to direct them horizontally, so the arrowroot can still be grown as an ampelous plant in hanging pots.
Very often they practice cardinal pruning of the plant in the spring, cutting off all shoots and reducing watering. Within 1-1.5 months Arrowroot completely regains its appearance, while the leaves look more saturated and bright. Pruned shoots can be used for propagation and get new copies of the plant.
Fertilizers: Fertilizing Arrowroot is necessary in spring and summer 2 times a month, and in winter, watering can be reduced to 1 time in 2 months. Fertilizers must be applied in half dose, as the plant is very sensitive to fertilizers. Further, for feeding, complex fertilizers are used for decorative deciduous plants.
Soil: For decorative deciduous plants, a versatile substrate. You can use special soil for Marantovs. It is advisable to add charcoal, coconut soil and humus. It is undesirable to add perlite to the substrate, because it contains fluoride, which has a negative effect on the plant. Good drainage is required at the bottom of the pot.
Maranta leuconeura.
Transplant: It is necessary to transplant once every 2 years in order to accelerate the development of the plant, and adults only once every 4 years by the transfer method. The pot should be wide and not deep and 1-2 cm larger than the previous one. When transplanting, it is recommended to wrap the roots of the plant with sphagnum moss. It is not recommended to compact the soil too much. After transplanting, the plant is not fertilized for a month. If the transplant is not carried out, it is recommended to replace the top layer by adding fresh substrate.
Pests of arrowroot. It is damaged by spider mites, thrips, mealybugs and scabies.
