Indoor plants create comfort in the house. Every year, non-blooming representatives of the green world are gaining more and more popularity among domestic flower lovers. For example, today, the fern asplenium is very much in demand. However, few gardeners know well how to properly grow this unusual plant.
What does the asplenium look like?
Fern Asplenium belongs to the Asplenev family. Another name for this plant is "bones". At home, more varieties of asplenium are grown.
Fern asplenium
The appearance of this fern depends on the particular variety. The main difference is the shape of the leaf, on the back of which there are sporangia.
Common varieties
Popular varieties for growing a house are presented below.
- Asplenium Nidus - a variety characterized by long, whole leaves. Asplenium Nidus prefers to grow in partial shade. This variety is also called Asplenium nesting.
- Asplenium Parvati - grows up to 50 cm in height. Prefers to grow in the shade or partial shade.
- Oslenium Osaka (Osaka) - the leaves of this species are whole, the deciduous rosette is magnificent. It is rarely grown at home. The variety is also called asplenium Anticum.
- Asplenium Onion-bearing - cirrus-dissected leaves of a dark emerald hue. The plant grows in height more than 1 m. This species is also called Asplenium viviparous.
- Asplenium dimorphum is one of the most popular varieties among gardeners. The leaves are dissected, grow in length to 1 m.
- Asplenium skolopendrovy - lush foliage, plant height reaches 1 m. The leaves are simple, xiphoid.
Features of home care
In order for the asplenium flower to grow normally, care at home should be regular.
Temperature
Refers to heat-loving plants. The temperature should be from +20 to +25 degrees. In the cold season, a decrease to +18 degrees is possible.
Attention! A flower should not be allowed to stand in a draft.
Lighting
Caring for asplenium involves choosing the right place for the pot. A flower loves partial shade and diffused light.
Do not allow open sunlight to fall on the foliage. This leads to burns.
Watering
In spring and summer, asplenium flower needs abundant watering. For irrigation, it is advisable to use warm, settled water. Closer to mid-autumn, the number of irrigations is reduced.
Spraying
In summer, when it is hot outside, spraying is carried out about 2-4 times every 10 days. In winter, the number of sprayings should be reduced to 1-2 times a week.
Asplenium loves moisture, so the flower will have to be sprayed regularly and wipe the leaves from dust.
Additional Information! To increase humidity, the pot can be placed in a tray with wet expanded clay.
Priming
Fern prefers slightly acidic, loose soil with good breathability. It is best to purchase a ready-made soil mixture. If not possible, you can make the soil yourself.
What ready mix to plant asplenium in:
- turf land
- sheet land
- peat,
- coarse river sand.
All ingredients are mixed in equal parts.
Top dressing
Home care for the aspenium Nidus, as well as for other varieties of this plant, involves regular fertilizing. Once a month, complex organic fertilizing with a high potassium content is applied to the soil.
Features of winter care, rest period
The rest period is from late November to March. At this time, take care of the flower in a different way. The amount of watering and spraying should be reduced. You can also significantly reduce the amount of fertilizer applied or stop adding them at all, until spring.
Pruning
The plant needs regular pruning. Large old leaves must be removed so that young leaves can grow.
Attention! The trimming procedure must be performed carefully, with a disinfected tool.
How does the asplenium multiply
Kostenitsa breeds in two ways - by children and by dividing the bush.
Kids
Mostly viviparous varieties are propagated by children.
Reproduction by children occurs as follows:
- Children appear from meristematic tubercles on leaf veins.
- From these buds, full-fledged sprouts develop, which can be planted separately.
- The grown kidney is carefully separated from the mother bush. The main thing is not to damage anything.
- Then the kidney is planted in a separate pot in the ground.
Attention! At the end of planting, watered abundantly with water. The first few weeks, the seedling can be covered with a bottle so that it begins to grow more actively.
Dividing the bush
By dividing the bush, all varieties of fern reproduce, including dwarf ones. For this method of reproduction, only adult, highly overgrown bushes are used.
Propagation by division of the root
Transfer
The number of transplants depends on how quickly the root system grows. The first sign that it is time to transplant - the roots begin to be visible through the holes in the pot.
Important! The best time for a house transplant is in autumn or spring.
Transplant Description:
- Gently extract the flower.
- Do not shake the ground from the roots.
- At the bottom of a new pot, fill up the drainage, then half-fill it with earth.
- Put a flower and cover it with soil.
- Tamp the ground lightly.
At the end of the transplant, pour plenty of water.
Diseases and pests
The most common diseases that occur when growing asplenium are gray rot and leaf bacteriosis, which lead to drying out of the foliage. With gray rot, watering should be limited. From bacterial spotting, spraying with fungicides based on cineb and mineb helps.
Fern Nematodes
Leaf spotting may occur due to improperly selected soil. You should first check the acidity. If it is elevated, the flower needs to be transplanted into another slightly acidic substrate.
Attention! Brown spots on the foliage are the first sign of a nematode. In this case, it is easier to throw a flower than to try to remove the pest.
How to contain the plant asplenium so that diseases and pests do not appear:
- It is important to properly organize care.
- For irrigation use warm water, filtered or boiled. It is advisable to water the flower until evening.
- Once a week, mineral fertilizers must be applied.
- Inspect the plant regularly to notice pests and diseases on time.
Asplenium will add a little atmosphere of wild forest to the interior. This is a very beautiful and at the same time unpretentious flower care. Fern is rarely found in the homes of compatriots, which means it will certainly cause interest among all guests and neighbors.
