Flower Plant mix: the right move at home

Plant Mix is ​​a novelty in the flower business. Knowing some of the secrets of floristry and floriculture, everyone can acquire a unique specimen of flora, which will decorate and revitalize any interior. But, like any living being, he needs care and attention.

Inexperienced, sellers in flower shops can paste the name "Plant Mix" on any small or unfamiliar plant. But this is fundamentally wrong, because Plant mix in translation from English means "Mix of plants". That is, a single specimen cannot bear such a name, with the exception of representatives that combine the characteristics of different varieties of the genus. But in this case they bear the name of the genus with the addition of "mix". For example, Dracaena mix or Anthurium mix.

Content:

• Plant mix - what is it?
• Features of plant mix flower care
• How to transplant flowers correctly
• Possible growing problems

Plant mix - what is it?

Plant mix is ​​a miniature garden of several young plants of the same size, planted in separate identical pots. All pieces are collected on one decorative pallet or in a box and represent a unique variegated composition.

You can often find such compositions planted in one container. This can be an aquarium, terrarium, decorative shells, or caves. To create such compositions, several varieties of plants of the same species are selected. Their foliage can be painted in different colors, have variegated bizarre patterns, they can bloom in different shades or at different times. The most common are such compositions composed of cactus, ficuses and succulents that do not grow rapidly.

For the preparation of the Plant mix, plants with similar conditions of maintenance and appearance can be selected.

One such set can include up to 25 representatives of indoor flowers. Usually they are all undemanding to care for, need moderate watering and are well adapted for living in an apartment.

Many flowers in Plant Mix have not only a spectacular appearance, but also benefit a person. Dieffenbachia, spathiphyllum, ivyand, palm and ferns emit into the environment substances that are able to cleanse the air from vapors of household chemicals, tobacco smoke and other harmful substances, which has a positive effect on the health of households. They are also able to humidify too dry air. Dracaena, ficuses, cacti and succulents resist well the radiation from the operation of office equipment and computers.

Basically, Plant Mix, consisting of different plants, prefers moderate watering and occasional spraying during the hot season. Place them in well-lit rooms out of direct sunlight. In spring and summer, plants should be provided with a temperature in the range of 20-23 degrees. And in autumn and winter - not lower than 15 degrees. Also, in winter, watering and fertilization should be reduced, because most plants enter a dormant period.

Features of plant mix flower care

Since there is a wide variety of indoor flowers combined in the Plant Mix, it is impossible to give specific advice on how to care for them.But florists and experienced florists advise adhering to standard agricultural practices.

• Watering in the summer. Almost all flowers like moderate watering and it is better to underfill them than overflow them. The optimum is to irrigate when the top layer of the soil dries up. If it is found that the composition is composed of moisture-loving plants, then regular spraying is additionally carried out, which helps not only to maintain the moisture level, but also to free the leaves from contamination. For glaze and spraying, you need to use clean, settled water at room temperature. The frequency of watering will depend on the generic plant mix.
• Watering in the winter. In winter, watering is reduced, because the flowers enter a dormant period and restore strength for the spring gain of green mass or flowering. And also the temperature of the winter content is much lower than in the summer, so the moisture evaporates longer, which means that the soil should be irrigated less intensively.
• The soil. Since Plant mixes are made from plants with similar requirements or from different varieties of the same genus, it is not difficult to find the right potting mix. You just need to figure out what composition of the earth is needed for a specific set of colors.
• Fertilization. It is customary to feed the plants during the period of active growth and development - in spring and summer, twice a month. Can be applied complex mineral fertilizers for decorative leafy or flowering indoor flowers. The alternation of mineral and organic mixtures.

All deviations from the general scheme of care will depend on which genus or species the composition belongs to.

How to transplant flowers correctly

It is customary to make a plant mix from young, slow-growing flowers. Plants should not be transplanted immediately after purchase - they need to get used to the new conditions of detention. Containers for flowers must be taken of the same size and combined color scheme, so as not to disturb the composition and preserve the decorativeness of the set.

Work progress is standard:

1. in each pot you need to lay a layer of drainage, which consists of crushed stone, pebbles, fragments of ceramics or expanded clay
2. nutrient soil is laid on the drainage layer, taking into account the size of the roots
3. the plant is carefully placed in the ground, straightening its roots, and filling up the missing soil
4. the final stage is abundant watering

Plant mix compositions began to spread from Europe and it is not customary to transplant them there. But it is known that purchased plants do not live long without transplantation. Therefore, all should spend a minimum of effort in order to preserve the decorative composition for a long time.

Possible growing problems

The most common problems in the cultivation of Plant Mix kits are diseases and pests. Diseases develop due to non-compliance with agricultural techniques and can be fungal or viral. The danger of diseases lies in the fact that if one plant has become infected, then the whole mini-garden will soon get sick. Therefore, you should be attentive to the care and observe the norm in everything.

The most common disease is black rot, which develops with excessive watering and affects first the roots of plants, and then the ground part of it.

To save the flowers, they need to be transplanted with a complete replacement of the soil by treating the roots with a manganese solution. The plants themselves need to be processed fungicides and reduce watering.

Plants can be attacked by different pests, it all depends on the types of plants in the set. For example, aphids are often attacked, but if the composition consists of conifers or palms, then this parasite will bypass them. Most often you can find:

• Aphids - small immobile insects that envelop leaves and stems with a sticky cobweb and feed on plant sap.
• The scale insects are small winged insects.
• Thrips.
• Spider mites, the activity of which leads to curling and drying of leaves.They are distinguished by their swiftness of distribution. Parasites must be removed manually using a cotton pad soaked in alcohol.

If signs of infection are found, flowers should be isolated from the rest, because this parasite multiplies very quickly. With a slight infection, all damaged parts of the plant are removed and treated with insecticides. As a preventive measure, all other plants should be sprayed with soapy water.

Plant mix from plants with smooth and dense leaves, succulents and cacti are the most resistant to diseases and pests, so they will not cause any problems.

At first, Plant mixes were created to decorate offices and classrooms. They were small in size and easily placed on the corner of the table or on the windowsill. But flower growers fell in love with the compositions and increasingly began to appear in houses and apartments. They captivate with ease of care and spectacular appearance, therefore they are very popular. There are also outdoor kits that can be used to decorate patios or outdoor verandas. And their mobility makes it easy to provide wintering in a warm room.

More information can be found in the video: