Diseases and pests
The plant most often becomes infected with spider mites, thrips, scabbard, mealybug.
The main problem with this plant is that pests are sometimes very difficult to detect on variegated, multi-colored leaves.
A sign of the presence of spider mites is the appearance of a thin whitish cobweb on the leaves.
To get rid of it, you need to rinse the plant with a sponge and soapy water. If the infection is started, then after that you can spray the flower with insecticides.
When thrips or mealybugs appear, sticky shiny secretions appear on the surface of the leaves, in which a sooty fungus then settles. To combat these pests, the plant is first washed with soapy water and then treated with chemicals.
A sign of the scale insect is the appearance of convex red "plaques", which are the shells of this pest. To combat it, the leaves and shoots are treated with a brush with a soapy solution, with the help of which the insect is mechanically removed.
Also, those interested in the "Pilea" flower may find useful information about the following plant varieties:
- "Coin-leaved";
- "Peperomium".
"Pilea Kadje" - one of the types of "Pilea", which stands out due to the variegated color of the leaves
It does not require special care, however, it is important not to expose the pot to direct rays, and not to fill in the soil. In order to form a beautiful appearance, the flower needs to be regularly trimmed and plucked at the tops of the shoots.
Care
Pilea easily forgives the owner small mistakes in care, but with serious ones, like any other plant, it can die.
Priming
The soil is for deciduous ornamental plants. You can buy it at the garden center. You can make it yourself by mixing humus, turf soil, sand and peat in equal parts. The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic humus reactions. The drainage layer is made of the finest fraction.
Do not forget to carry out the disinfection procedure. This can be done both with each component separately, and with a ready-made mixture. Ignite the composition in the oven or hold it for a day or two in the freezer. To enhance the effect, you can additionally treat the mixture with insecticides.
Lighting
Bright, but diffused, without direct rays of the leaves. Window sills of the western and eastern windows are suitable, the southern one is also not prohibited, but in this case, move the plant away from the glass or shade. On cloudy winter days, be sure to organize additional lighting for the saw with a phytolamp, because the lack of light will make its leaves fade.
Temperature regime
The optimal temperature regime for the saw is within 22-25 degrees above zero. There are varieties (small-leaved, peperomia) that prefer lower rates of -10-15 degrees.
But for everyone else, it is better not to allow the coolness below +17 degrees. Pilea does not tolerate drafts, so take this into account when airing.
In summer, it is allowed to arrange the plant "air baths" on the street or on an open balcony.
Watering and humidity
From March to September, you need to water the saw only when the topsoil dries out. From September to March, wait two more days after the earth dries up. Pilea easily withstands the drying out of an earthen coma, but the stagnation of liquid in the pot can become destructive. The amount of water is determined "by eye": if the leaves began to lose color and wither, you are too generous. Do not pour cold water!
For watering the saw, you can use melt, rain, well or tap water, but each case has its own nuances.Thawing is easy to get: put a glass of water in the freezer and, when most of it freezes, take it out and drain the unfrozen liquid. This will remove excess salt and pollutants. Allow the ice to melt and you will end up with water suitable for irrigation.
Well water can contain too many minerals and salts, and rainwater is polluted with chemicals and toxins (if collected in areas with developed industry, a large number of factories and an unfavorable environmental situation in general). Plumbing must be defended in a vessel without a lid in order to render harmless.
Since the saw loves humid air, pay special attention to the humidity level.
You cannot spray it, because it will look sloppy and lose the shine of the leaves, but you will have to get a pallet with expanded clay or pebbles. And moisturize it regularly, too.
Just make sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with water. You can additionally put an open vessel with water next to the pot.
Top dressing
Pilea needs feeding from spring to autumn, when it builds up its green mass. Pick up fertilizers for decorative leafy plants with a mineral base and apply them 2 times a month. In winter, this also needs to be done, but reducing the dosage to half of the dose of the drug every 30 days.
Pruning
The saw grows quickly and will have to be cut annually, starting from 3-4 years of age. Remove old stems without mercy - they are already ugly. It is beneficial for and for stimulating growth. To make the bush more voluminous, pinch the stems.
Transfer
Transplant time is from mid-March to mid-July. Keep in mind that the root system of the saw is very fragile, compact and close to the surface. The new pot should be slightly wider than the previous one, always with drainage holes. Any material.
- Place a thick layer of drainage and substrate in the sanitized pot.
Remove the saw from the old container and examine the roots. Carefully cut off the rotten and damaged ones with a sharp blade dipped in potassium permanganate, and sprinkle the cut site with crushed activated carbon. Can be lubricated with Kornevin solution. Transplant the plant into a new pot, add the mixture without tamping or deepening, water.
It is very convenient to grow pylaea in the florarium, since it is compact, adapts well to the microclimate in the container and gets along with other plants. The florarium can be either closed or open.
Pests, diseases and possible difficulties
- The leaves of the pilea are very delicate, hence most of the problems with it.
- Pylaea is affected by aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, scabies. Treat the plant with insecticide. In case of severe damage, it makes sense to cut off the shoots shortly, and only then process the saw - it will quickly grow back.
- The lower leaves can fall off both from overflow and from overdrying the soil.
- The leaves turn black and fall off from the cold, especially if they touch the cold window glass.
- Leaves lose their variegated color, internodes stretch out when there is a lack of light.
- The leaves become at first pale, lethargic, almost transparent, then yellow, later brown with an excess of light.
- The leaves wrinkle at first, then dry up and fall off at temperatures above 27 degrees.
- The root and stems easily rot during overflow.
- Only the lower leaves fall off, the whole sawnail looks healthy - a normal process.
Pilea Kadier: care and reproduction
Pilea Cadier (Pilea cadierei) is a species belonging to the genus Pilea of the Nettle family (Urticaceae), which grows naturally in Vietnam and China.
It is a perennial evergreen herb, up to 30 cm tall, strongly branching at the base. Petiole leaves are opposite, broadly or oval, about 8 cm long and 5 cm wide. The leaf is shiny, with an uneven "quilted" surface.On a dark green leaf blade, there are two convex wide silvery stripes running on both sides of the central vein, divided into separate segments by green sections of lateral veins. Separate silvery swellings-inclusions also pass along the edge of the leaf.
The flowers are inconspicuous, small, white, collected in dense racemose inflorescences protruding on long peduncles from the leaf sinuses at the ends of the shoots.
The dwarf form of the Kadier saw - "Minima", which does not exceed a height of 10 cm, is popular among flower growers.
Pilea Kadier: home care
To provide the plant with comfortable conditions when growing indoors, you can adhere to the following recommendations.
Lighting
Piley requires a bright diffused light with obligatory shading from direct sunlight. The best place to place it will be windows with west and east orientation.
In winter and with prolonged cloudy weather, additional lighting is required, otherwise, with a lack of light, the leaves will lose their color and the silvery stripes will become less pronounced.
Pilea Kadier: temperature and humidity
Pilea Kadier prefers summer temperatures in the range of 20 - 24 ° C. In winter, it can be somewhat cooler in the room, but the temperature must not be allowed to drop significantly. Already at 15 ° C, the plant can lose all leaves.
She does not tolerate the saw and temperature fluctuations, so drafts in the winter will be quite dangerous for her.
The plant needs high air humidity, while it is not recommended to spray it, as water droplets leave ugly spots on bright leaves. To increase the humidity around the plant, the pot should be placed in a pallet with wet expanded clay and water should be regularly added to it. You can also cover the surface of the pot with moss and keep it constantly damp.
Watering the saws Kadje
Pilea needs regular, abundant watering with well-settled soft water. However, potted water should be avoided. But between waterings, it is advisable to wait until the soil dries out a little. Excess water is especially dangerous in winter. If the plant is at rest and does not have time to actively evaporate moisture, the roots and root collar can rot, which will lead to the death of the saw.
Pruning and fertilizing
With age, the lower parts of the stems are exposed in the Kadje saw. As a result, it loses its decorative effect. You can try to stimulate the growth of new side shoots by pruning, but usually the adult specimens simply renew by re-growing them from the cuttings.
Pests and popular diseases of the pilea
Insects that can destroy the plant include mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects and thrips. Mites appear in dry air conditions. As soon as the first signs of pests appear on the plant, the flower should be washed under hot water, dried and treated with insecticides. Sometimes even experienced gardeners cannot immediately detect pests due to the bright color of the leaves. That is why experts advise you to inspect the plant as often as possible.
When a mealybug appears, the pilea stops growing and shows all the signs of the disease. The pest leaves white discharge on the leaves, which is the main indicator of the disease. To get rid of them, you should spray the plant with Aktara solution, prepared according to the instructions.
Despite the fact that the scale insect appears extremely rarely on the saw, it can be attributed to the most insidious pests. Adults feed on the juices of the flower, which is why its leaves are deformed and wither.
Small-leaved saw
Young pests are so actively spreading along the saw that there is practically no chance of seeing them in time. If the attack of pests is noticed in a timely manner, the plant can be saved by treating with Aktellik and Fitoverm.
When caring for the saw, over-watering should be avoided.Despite the fact that a flower needs high humidity for good growth, it is not worth compensating for this at the expense of the soil.
Due to the dampness of the substrate, the roots begin to rot, the leaves are watery. As a result, the plant begins to wilt, and the foliage begins to crumble. To save the saw, it is urgently transplanted into new soil and treated with a special Topaz solution.
Pilea types
Pilea Cadiere (silver saw) / Pilea cadierei
Lives in Southeast Asia in tropical forests. This perennial herb grows up to 40 cm in height. Young stems are erect, mature - lodging, strongly branching, succulent and naked. Beautiful leaves on petioles, elongated-oval in shape and pointed towards the top have three veins; leaf width up to 5 cm and up to 20 cm in length. In England this flower is called "Aluminum plant", and in Germany - "Silver saw". The reason is two silvery dashed lines passing along a green-blue or bright green leaf plate. The flowers of the plant are small, gather in racemose axillary inflorescences. Slender young shoots begin to curl with age, getting the form of an ampelous shape. The plant needs to be pinched to increase bushiness.
Small-leaved Saw / Pilea microphylla
Perennial herbaceous plant. Grows up to 15 cm in height. Branching shoots, densely covered with leaves, touching the ground, root easily. Beautifully curving branches look like fern frond, densely covered with tiny glossy light green round and oval leaves (up to 0.5 cm long). In the axils of the leaves, corymbose inflorescences of small flowers, both bisexual and heterosexual, are collected. This species is also called "Artillery" or "Cannoneers" due to the fact that the stamen flowers, when the anthers open, form a cloud of dust. The pylaea will release a smoke of pollen if touched in summer.
Monofilament Saw / Pilea nummulariifolia
This is a perennial herbaceous species of pylaea, with 40-centimeter shoots creeping along the ground. The leaves are round, light green. While developing, the plant grows and covers the ground.
Wrapped Pilea / Pilea involucrata
This pilea is a short bush (about 30 cm). Stem - erect; leaves up to 7 cm long, oval with a pointed apex, opposite. The leaves are light green, brown, bumpy along the veins. This species is widely used for hybridization.
Creeping Saw / Pilea repens
A small bush has creeping stems, and the bush itself grows to a maximum of 25 cm. The leaves are glossy, up to 2.5 cm long, rounded, and the edges of the leaves are wavy; the leaves are located opposite. The color of the upper part of the leaves is dark green with a copper tint, the lower part is purple.
Pilea Spruce / Pilea spruceana
This pilea is found in Venezuela and Peru. The leaves are opposite; the shape of the leaves is round or ovoid, turned 180 °, or sharp, or obtuse at the top; petioles are short. The color of the leaves is shades of silver or bronze.
Pilea "Bronze" / Pilea "Bronze"
A bush with erect stems, growing up to 30 cm in height. The 7-centimeter leaves are opposite and have an oval shape with a taper at the top. The leaves are wrinkled, silvery, and dark green along the veins. Another color of the leaves is a silvery stripe along the midrib, and the edges are dark green.
Pilea "Norfolk"
The origin of this form remains a mystery. It is a perennial herb. Adult shoots are lodging, and young ones are erect. The leaves are covered with tiny bristly hairs, velvety and wrinkled, bright green with reddish-brown veins.
Pilea "Silver Tree"
It is not clear where this hybrid came from, but this is a very beautiful perennial sawn actively curling around. The leaves are oval, the edges are jagged. The color of the leaves is green-bronze, there is a silvery stripe in the middle of the leaf, and the rest is covered with the same specks.Leaves covered with red and white hairs.
Caring for the saw at home
Illumination
Pilea needs bright, but diffused light. Direct rays of the sun should not hit the bush. A western or eastern window sill is best suited for growing such a flower. If you decide to put it on the south window, then be sure to provide it with diffused light, or it can be removed deep into the room. In the summer, the plant can be moved outside, while for it you need to choose a place that will be reliably protected from the direct rays of the sun. Remember that in the cold season, the saw also needs a lot of light, but if it is too little, the color of the foliage of the bush may change, which will negatively affect its decorative effect.
Temperature regime
The flower grows best throughout the year at a temperature of about 25 degrees. In winter, the Cadier pilea grows well at temperatures up to 15 degrees, and the peperomium pilea grows well at 10 degrees. If you grow other species, then remember that the room where the bush is located should not be colder than 17 degrees. In winter, a draft can kill the plant.
Watering
In the spring-summer period, the substrate is moistened immediately after its top layer dries out. To do this, you need to use well-settled water. In the cold season, watering is carried out two days after the top layer of the soil mixture has dried. Pilea is one of those plants that tolerate overdrying of an earthen coma much easier than stagnant liquid in the substrate. Make sure that the substrate in the container is constantly slightly damp. With excessively abundant watering, foliage can fade and fade, especially in the cold season.
Spraying
A room saw needs high air humidity, so you will have to monitor the humidity level in the room. It is highly undesirable to moisten foliage from a spray bottle, as this may cause it to lose its decorative effect. To increase the humidity, the flower pot must be placed on a pallet filled with moistened pebbles or expanded clay. However, make sure that the bottom of the container does not come into contact with the liquid. Instead, an open vessel filled with water can be placed near the flower.
Fertilizer
In the spring-summer period, flower feeding is carried out regularly 1 time in 7 days, and in the autumn and winter time - 1 time in 4 weeks. To do this, use a complex mineral for indoor flowers, the concentration of the nutrient mixture should be the same as recommended by the manufacturer.
Pruning
When grown indoors, the sawtooth grows rather quickly. Since young bushes are much more spectacular than old ones, pruning must be carried out annually, while the cut stems must be used as cuttings. To increase the splendor of the bush and in order to avoid exposing it, you should systematically pinch the stems.
Pilea transplant
The house saw should be replanted every year. To do this, use a humus soil of a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. So, you can take a soil mixture consisting of humus and sod soil, as well as sand and peat (they are taken in equal proportions). Since the flower has a superficial root system, a small pot must be used for transplanting. In order to avoid stagnation of liquid in the substrate, it is imperative to make a good drainage layer at the bottom of the container. The saw can be grown hydroponically if desired.
Pilea. Transfer.
Reproduction methods
You can propagate the saw through cuttings and the seed method. Some of the species of such a plant reproduce by seeds independently. If you decide to propagate it by cuttings, then this can be done at any time of the year. For rooting, cuttings are placed in a container with water or planted in sand (loose substrate).After rooting, the cuttings are planted in a small pot filled with a soil mixture consisting of greenhouse and deciduous soil, and also sand (1: 1: 1).
How to care for a room saw
Pilea cadier photo
Lighting
The best lighting for a saw is intense ambient light. It is preferable to choose east or west windows, however, the plant feels comfortable almost everywhere, calmly transferring shade or direct sunlight.
In winter, it is advisable to move the pots with the plant from the northern windows to the southern ones in order to increase the intensity and duration of the lighting.
Many flower growers are happy to decorate the bathroom, kitchen and even corridors without natural light with pilea. The beauty harmoniously fits into interior compositions, bringing freshness and comfort into them.
Air temperature
The saw is more comfortable in cool rooms at a temperature of 15-18 ° C, so they keep it away from heat sources and try to place it in the coolest rooms. In summer, the saw can be taken out to the loggia or in a shady place in the garden, protecting it from the scorching sun.
How to water a saw
The plant is responsive to regular watering without excess, but it easily tolerates short-term drought. The main thing is not to make it a habit, watering the beauty at least a couple of times a week. The water collected in the pan should be immediately drained so that moisture does not stagnate, provoking the development of rot. Water the saw only when the top layer of the soil dries up a couple of centimeters. To check moisture, you can insert a thin stick into the ground and pull it out, looking at how deep it has dried out. In general, it is better to water the sawtooth more often, but less than rarely, but abundantly.
Air humidity
Considering that the plant does not like high temperatures, in hot weather it is necessary to increase the humidity of the air. This is achieved by placing it next to the aquarium or humidifier, containers with sphagnum moss.
Pinching and trimming
To avoid annual rejuvenating transplants and radical pruning, it is recommended to constantly pinch the saw, cutting off the apical parts of all its shoots. This procedure inhibits the growth of bushes, while maintaining a compact decorative appearance.
What kind of care does pilea prefer?
The good news: even workaholics who "live" on business trips can afford pilea. This plant is not afraid of dry soil and other adversities. Although, of course, there are moments that should not be missed in caring for this flower.
Lighting. It can be bright or semi-shaded. The more hybrid the species and the more variegated the leaves, the more illuminated the place where the pilea grows.
It is important that the light is bright, but the sun leaves do not fall directly on the flowerpot. But this is in summer, and in winter, on the contrary, the plant needs maximum light, otherwise decoratively colored varieties "fade"
- Watering. This flower will not grow in wet or even permanently wet soil. Water it only when the top of the soil is dry. When watering, excess water should go into the sump - do not leave it there, drain it.
- Water procedures. High humidity is not very necessary for a flower, but if it grows warm in winter, the air should still be humid. But no spraying! Or keep the pot on a pallet with wet moss / expanded clay, or buy a "sink" or a banal household humidifier.
- Nutrition. And this is, on the contrary, a necessary procedure, even in winter, when the flowerpot hardly grows. You can buy either a product for decorative leaves, or a universal top dressing. From spring to autumn, it is given twice a month, and in winter - once a month.
Special care rules
The pylaea grows rapidly. A little overlooked - and the branches were already stretched out, the bush fell apart, and almost nothing remained of the former decorativeness of the flowerpot. Therefore, sometimes this exotic needs to arrange "plastic surgery".
- Piley update. Every year you can cut cuttings from an old flowerpot, root them, and discard the "old man".However, many bushes (especially undersized species) do not require such drastic measures. They can be updated every 2 or even 3 years.
- Transfer. It can be done in any month of spring or in the first two months of summer. Before the procedure, the saw can be cut by shaping the crown and collecting the cuttings. It is advisable to pinch many twigs for better bushiness of the flowerpot (pinching can push the need to update the saw farther away). At the same time, it is better to divide old bushes into two parts.
- The choice of soil. It should be loose and humus. You can buy ready-made soil for decorative leaves, or mix 2 parts each of deciduous and humus soil, as well as 1 part each of sand and peat. And don't forget: a third of the pot should be drainage!
- Pot. Since the saw roots are not deep, the pot should be shallow (maximum 10 cm deep).
You can see the transplant of this flower in the form of a master class here:
Reproduction. Cut off an apical stalk with 4-6 leaves, about 10 cm long. Place in water or stick into a mixture of sand and peat. Rooting will happen very quickly. By the way, this procedure can be carried out in any month (even in winter).
What is pilea afraid of?
- Harmful insects. Scabbards, spider mites, thrips can attack the saw. Since most of the saws are small-leaved, the hostess notices the enemies even when the colony grows to a threatening size. Do not take on traditional "medicine", immediately buy a strong insecticide or acaricide - and maybe you will be able to save your favorite flowerpot.
- Lack of sun. Symptoms: the leaves grow smaller and smaller, they "shed", their tips dry.
- Overflow: the leaves wither and fall, and then the stem also withers.
- Drought or hypothermia: leaf plates wrinkle and dry.
- Sunburn: yellow or brown spots on the bush.
- The plant grows old: the lower leaves fall off, the shoots become bare, the bushes seem to fall apart.
True, if you do not flood the flower (water it often, but with small doses of water) and do not keep it in the heat, you may not face all of the above problems at all.
Pilea is the very decorative nettle. At home, the flower does not require increased attention to itself, and thanks to the bright leaves, it pleases the owner all year round. It has about 600 species, so every grower will find a suitable option for himself.
The genus name comes from the Latin pileus, which translates as a cap or cap. This is due to the fact that in many species one of the tepals has the shape of a hood.
Reproduction methods
Cuttings
The propagation procedure for the pilea can be carried out at any time of the year - the cuttings take root quickly.
- Cut the stem 7-10 cm long. Choose an old stem with large and healthy leaves, remove the lower ones. If you want to get a lush bush, plant several cuttings in one container.
- Place it to root in a jar of sand, loose soil, or water (change the water regularly). Cover with glass or cling film to create a greenhouse effect and place in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Make sure that the plant does not touch the walls of the film and the container. Ventilate and moisten the soil regularly.
Remove the film from the appearance of the roots and leave the plant for a week to get used to the new conditions. After another couple of weeks, the cuttings can be transplanted into individual pots with soil.
Seeds
Pilea seeds rarely germinate at home. Under natural conditions, some species reproduce in a very funny way: the stamens grow quickly and gradually begin to outweigh the fruit. The ovary weakens, the staminodes straighten, shooting fruits into the air and scattering seeds around at a distance of up to 100 meters. For home, buy F1 seeds: first generation hybrids that fully convey the characteristics of the variety.
- The seeds can not be pre-soaked, but sown immediately - in moist soil, covering the container with polyethylene or a piece of glass to create a greenhouse effect.
- The container is placed in a well-lit place, well watered and ventilated daily.
- When seedlings appear, the seedlings are dived and planted in separate pots.
Home care
The advantage of the saw as an indoor flower is its unpretentiousness. Regardless of the type, the plant takes root well in almost any apartment. It can be grown in a flower pot, on a stand or in a hanging planter. Serious mistakes in care can lead to the death of the flower, however, small discrepancies with the recommendations will not affect its appearance and active growth.
Lighting and temperature control
Good lighting is one of the basic requirements for keeping flowers alive. Pilea likes bright light, but it should be diffused. Direct rays of ultraviolet radiation can be destructive for her. The best place to place it in the house will be windows facing the west or east side.
In the warm season, the pot can be taken outside, but you need to make sure that this place is shaded. In winter, when there is a lack of light, it is recommended to turn on additional lighting. Otherwise, the leaves may change color to a darker one.
In city apartments, approximately the same air temperature is maintained all year round, so the thermophilic saw is actively growing and blooming even in winter. The optimum temperature for it is considered to be 25 ° C. There are exceptions, for example, small-leaved saws, for which the air temperature can be lowered to 10-15 ° C.
Important! Drafts are strongly discouraged for these shrubs and grasses, especially in the cold season.
Humidity and irrigation features
Strict control over the level of air humidity is not required. The air in apartments is quite suitable for the life of flowers. Summer heat in regions with low humidity should be mentioned as an exception. To avoid drying out, green spaces need to be moistened. This can be done in several ways:
- installation of humidifier devices;
- installation of containers with moss nearby;
- installation on the windowsill of small containers filled with water.
Moisturizing from a spray bottle is not recommended, as after such procedures the leaves lose their attractiveness.
When watering, the following principle should be adhered to: soil moisture should be below average. All types of these shrubs and grasses tolerate mild drought well. The frequency of watering largely depends on the rate of drying of the soil.
Important! You need to water after the soil in the pot has dried. All the water that has accumulated in the pan must be poured out immediately.
Pruning and replanting
The rapid growth of branches can lead to the fact that without regular pruning, the bush will lose its decorative qualities and turn into a ball of tangled shoots. Pruning is carried out regularly as the branches grow. The cuttings can be used for subsequent planting.
Note! Pruning is also used when the flower has long branches. After pinching the tops, the plant turns out to be more bushy and lush
The peculiarity of all types of pylaea is that they quickly degenerate. Over time, the shoots become long, and the leaves on them are less and less. This leads to the loss of the attractiveness of the bush. To avoid this, with the next pinching, the cut parts must be rooted and used to grow new shoots. Thanks to this approach, the plant will invisibly renew itself.
Propagation using cuttings and seeds
All species of this culture reproduce in two ways.
- With the help of cuttings. Freshly cut shoots are used for transplanting the pilea. The length of the branch should be about 10 cm. At the same time, there should be two or three pairs of leaves on it. You can put the cut parts in water for several days, or you can immediately dig into the ground. In most cases, cuttings take root well and quickly.When this happens, it is better to put the pot in a cool place for 10-14 days.
- With the help of seeds. If this propagation method is chosen, the seeds should be purchased from a specialized store. At home, when flowering, they cannot ripen to the end. The prepared seeds are sprinkled with peat and sand a little and covered with film or glass on top. They are in this state until germination (this takes about four weeks). The seedlings are placed in pots and watered regularly.
Growing difficulties
- The leaves of the pilea are very delicate, hence most of the problems with it.
- Pylaea is affected by aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, scabies. Treat the plant with insecticide. In case of severe damage, it makes sense to cut off the shoots shortly, and only then process the saw - it will quickly grow back.
- The lower leaves can fall off both from overflow and from overdrying the soil.
- The leaves turn black and fall off from the cold, especially if they touch the cold window glass.
- Leaves lose their variegated color, internodes stretch out when there is a lack of light.
- The leaves become at first pale, lethargic, almost transparent, then yellow, later brown with an excess of light.
- The leaves wrinkle at first, then dry up and fall off at temperatures above 27 degrees.
- The root and stems easily rot during overflow.
- Only the lower leaves fall off, the whole sawnail looks healthy - a normal process.
Problems that may arise when growing a crop are the result of errors in the content:
- foliage wrinkles and begins to crumble under conditions of too high or too low air temperatures, as well as with a long period between waterings (the flower begins to dry from lack of moisture);
- the leaves turn black and fall off, the lower part of the shoots rots. The reason is excessive watering;
- yellow and brown spots appear on the leaves. The reason is direct sunlight;
- lack of light leads to tarnishing of silvery stripes on the leaves, as well as to crushing of leaves and stretching of shoots;
- if the shoots are bare (the lower part of the stems is losing foliage), this means that the plant needs rejuvenation.
