To grow in your garden exotic plant you need to find the secrets and contents. Gardeners want to see colorful plants. In this collection, the editors tried to provide a selection of tips to prevent death when cultivating a particular plant. The conditions for caring for large groups of flowers are different. An exotic flowering creature requires careful approach. We recommend that you clarify for subsequent procedures what species the desired plant is classified as.

Garden of living stones in home collections

The history of Lithops begins with William Burchell, who chose African exploration over his father's work in England. The English botanist Burchell, who first discovered this plant in 1811, while traveling through the desert region of the Great Carro, one day decided to rest and sat down next to a pile of pebbles. Upon careful examination, among these stones, he discovered plants that almost completely matched the pebbles in shape and pattern.

He made an accurate sketch and description of the plant, while mentioning the features of the surrounding area. Burchell subsequently wrote a book, Travels through Central South Africa, which preserved, sketched or described for posterity the 60,000 species of flora and fauna he recorded. There was also a single Lithops among them. This is how Lithops turbiniformis was discovered.

Two fleshy, fused leaves are separated by a cleft. The colors of these small succulents are also varied. The upper side of the leaves is spotted, from light brown to orange or purple. Spots on the surface of the leaves are peculiar windows through which a plant covered with sand absorbs light. During drought, a couple of old leaves dry out, but after rain a new one grows.

Lithops bloom at the age of three. Daisy-like flowers, usually yellow or white, appear from a crevice between the leaves. Lithops bloom from August to October, each flower lasts 5-10 days and opens in the middle of the day, since in nature lithops grows in open areas, it tolerates heat, temperature changes and direct sunlight.

Features of growing and caring for lithops

Usually lithops form entire thickets and grow poorly and hardly bloom when planted in a separate pot, so it is advisable to keep plants of the same age in a common bowl. Living Rocks can be planted in combination with other desert succulents. It is necessary to plant lithops in a heap, covering the neck with soil. You need to choose a low, about 7 cm wide pot. Provide good drainage at the bottom - 1.5 - 2 cm.

Prepare the soil from standard soil for indoor plants and coarse sand, taken in equal quantities. Cover the substrate with pebbles or pebbles on top. Replant lithops only during spring growth, when the skin bursts and new leaves appear. When replanting, remove the side part of the roots; they will quickly recover.

Excessive moisture is detrimental to lithops, but general air humidity is beneficial. Spray the plants so that the drops do not settle on the leaves. As soon as the buds appear, it is necessary to stop watering until the flowers appear. During flowering, water rarely, with completely dry soil between waterings. After flowering, from November, a dormant period begins, which lasts until signs of growth appear in the spring. Overwintering lithops should be absolutely dry, with low air humidity.

Indoor floriculture

Lithops - living stones

Lithops is a genus of succulent plants of the Aizaceae family, growing in the sandy and rocky deserts of South and South-West Africa. Lithops imitate the color and texture of the rocks they grow among. It is this property that is reflected in the name of the plant, translated from Greek “Lithos” - stone, “opsis” - similar.

Lithops Aukamp

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Lithops - living stones

Lithops are very unusual plants shaped like stones. Translated from ancient Greek, Lithos means “stone”, opsis means “similar”). People call them living stones. Lithops grow in African deserts, rocky and sandy, they grow among stones, and camouflage themselves under them (in color, shape, and texture) so as not to be eaten. There is little moisture in the desert, so lithops have long roots, they go deep into the depths in order to find at least a little water there. And when drought begins in the desert, lithops bury themselves in the ground so that the moisture from their leaves does not evaporate at all. Lithops roots have a structure that can pull the entire plant into the ground.

Lithops: description

Each lithops consists of one pair of fused, voluminous, fleshy, highly succulent leaves measuring two to three centimeters. The fused leaves are separated from each other by a hollow. During the flowering period, large flowers grow from this hollow, most often white or yellow, similar to daisies. Lithops blooms from July to October and at cross pollination forms fruits containing seeds. Leaves may be different colors– gray, green, brown, light brown, orange, purple. There are spots, stains, and patterns on the leaves. These spots are a kind of “windows” through which lithops covered with sand absorbs sunlight. Periodically, a pair of old leaves wrinkles, dries out like an old peel, and a new pair grows under it.

Caring for a plant at home

In nature, lithops form thickets, they like close quarters, and if they are planted in separate pots, they grow poorly and stop blooming. Therefore, it is better to plant plants in a common area, close to each other. The neck of each plant must be covered with soil. The bowl should be low, no more than seven centimeters in height and very wide. At the bottom of the bowl you need to make good drainage two centimeters deep. The soil used is standard soil and coarse sand in equal proportions. The top of the soil should be covered with pebbles or stones.

Lithops love the sun very much and feel best in a south-facing window. Optimal temperature air for lithops in summer is 22-25 degrees, in winter, during the dormant period (from January to March) 12-15 degrees. The temperature should not fall below +5 degrees Celsius, otherwise the plant will die.

Desert plants do not tolerate water well, so you need to water them very carefully. They die from excess water. During the growth period (from April to September), lithops are watered very carefully, little by little, once every two weeks. Then watering is further reduced, and during the dormant period (from January to March) watering cannot be done at all. During flowering, when the buds have formed, watering must be stopped until the flowers bloom. After the flowers have bloomed, you can start watering again, little by little, and make sure that the soil dries out completely between waterings. Lithops need to be fed from June to September once a month with half the dose of cactus fertilizer.

Lithops reproduce by seeds. Before planting, the seeds need to be soaked for several hours, then sown in the ground and covered with glass. Plantings must be ventilated and sprayed every day. Shoots should appear in a week. Adult lithops can be replanted only in spring, during the growth period, when old leather lithops bursts and new leaves begin to grow. The lateral part of the roots is removed during transplantation. Adult lithops are transplanted if they grow too much and become crowded.

In winter, lithops can be affected by scale insects. You can fight it with garlic paste, soap and water. The leaves are rubbed with this paste.

Yarrow infusion also helps against these pests (steam 100 grams of dried flowers, leaves and roots with boiling water, wait a few minutes and add boiling water to a liter volume. Then close the container with a lid and leave for two days. Then strain the infusion and spray the plant with it).

Good luck to you in growing lithops, and let the guests who come to your house say in admiration: “Even the stones bloom in this house”!

Living stones - lithops.

Living rocks are members of the mesembryanthemaceae, a family of unusual succulent plants from South Africa with fleshy, often hairy leaves. The plants of this exotic family grown indoors are very diverse.

"Living Stones" - clear example mimicry: the shape of the plant exactly copies pebbles and small stones, among which these succulents grow in natural conditions. The “ability to imitate” these plants is so great that even the animals for which they are food do not always find them.

All “living roots” have a powerful tap root that goes deep into the ground and is capable of extracting moisture from the deep layers of the soil, among crevices, stones and rocks. However, during periods of drought, even this does not help, and the above-ground part of the plant dies. But once the rains pass, they quickly recover.

All “living stones” look like two very thick modified sheets, more or less fused. Under natural conditions, “living stones” grow in such a way that only the flattened upper surfaces of the leaves, sprinkled with sand, are visible, on which, during the rainy season, bright inflorescences resembling the inflorescence of daisies or daisies suddenly bloom. In indoor plant growing from “living stones” you can find lithops, hybeums, and conophytums. It is possible to accurately recognize different types of “living stones” only during flowering. In Lithops, the cleft between the leaves is clearly pronounced. The pattern on the flattened surface of the leaves different types different. “Pebbles” of these species can be 3-4 cm in diameter. In conophytums, the cut between looks like a small dent from which a peduncle emerges.

Mesembryanthemums have annual development cycles that hardly change from year to year. During the dormant period, mesembryanthemums look depressed, lose some of their leaves and acquire an unnatural color. For example, after going through a sweltering greenish phase, most globular mesembryanthemums wrap themselves in a deathly pale outfit. Others have short period redness that lasts for several weeks. For most leaf mez. The dormant period is clear - the plants stop growing. At the beginning of the growing season (autumn), plants renew their green color and do so intensively. When a new pair of leaves emerges from the stem, it usually grows very quickly and is followed by a cross-shaped pair of second and third pairs. The next pair forms a branch or its semblance and, ultimately, flowers and fruits appear.

Senescence in compact mesembryanthemums occurs through stems and roots, rather than through leaf pairs or “bodies,” which are renewed at least once a year. Most leaves do not last more than two years, after which they shrivel, gradually turning into a brown skin, or peel off. Stems, on the contrary, are almost always hardy, gradually increasing in length and thickness, although they lose their strength. Eventually they become too thick and woody, sensitive to sunlight and mechanical damage. But this state also serves as a source of youth: at this time, feel free to divide the stem into several segments and root them.

Earth mixtures. Standard soil mixture consisting of 2 parts clay soil, 1 part coarse sand and one part pumice. There are few options for changing it and they include: adding granite chips or perlite; different proportions pumice, sand and clay; size of pumice particles (than smaller plant, the smaller the particles); adding humus for seedlings.

Transfer. All mesembryanthemums eventually outgrow their pots. It is most optimal to replant every three to four years or at the first signs of growth inhibition. When replanting plants with signs of salinity (from the use of fertilizers, unsuitable water or long-term keeping in unfavorable conditions), it is very useful to give them a bath in acidified water for several hours; this will clean and refresh the roots without damaging them. After planting, place the plants in a dark place for several days. New roots will begin to form in about a week, but they full recovery requires several weeks, and the plant itself - special attention throughout the season. Although replanting can be done at any time, the best period for it is the beginning of the growing season. It is not recommended to disturb plants that are preparing for a dormant period by replanting - this can lead to unwanted outbreaks of activity. Live rocks are grown in very deep pots.

Lighting. In the room, these plants need a sunny but ventilated place on the south, east or west window, favorable a large number of direct sunlight. Partial shade, shadow, low light is destructive for the plant even during the dormant period. Tolerates heat calmly, in winter it requires a temperature of about 10-15 C and, if possible, additional lighting.

Watering and fertilizing. Watering depends greatly on the time of year. They should be watered much less frequently than most indoor plants: during the active period, once every 2-4 weeks, preferably from a tray. At the same time, lithops are kept on a more meager water ration than conophytums. Like cacti, these store water dwarf plants from the end of November to the beginning of March they need a period of dry rest (without watering at all) with a temperature of 10-15 ° C. In a warm room they are sometimes only sprayed. In Lithops, the resting period begins later: they do not receive water from the end of January to the beginning of May. And don’t be confused by the fact that their leaves begin to wrinkle in winter. Neither lithops nor conophytums need to be watered. This is a natural process, and not an indicator of a lack of moisture that urgently needs to be replenished. During the growth period, plants are fed with cactus fertilizer once every 3-4 weeks. Cactus soil, which is sold in stores, is also suitable for them, just add 20% coarse quartz sand to it.

Reproduction. Living stones are easily propagated by seeds. Equipment: cuvettes, sterile and silica-rich soil for sowing and coarse quartz sand. Fill a flat cuvette with soil and scatter the seeds evenly. Press them down lightly and cover with coarse quartz sand to prevent them from drying out. Moisten gently and do not allow to dry out until sprouts emerge. Film coating in the first 2-3 weeks creates ideal conditions for seed germination. Best time for sowing from March to June. The seeds are extremely small, so they should be scattered only on the surface and only slightly covered with sand on top. Sprouts often appear within a few days. Keep the seedlings in ditches for as long as possible, but begin to acclimate them to the sun quite early so that they grow strong. It will take three years before they bloom for the first time.

Pests. Damaged by spider mites and scale insects.

IN ASTROLOGY it is considered a plant of Capricorn.

Hello, dear readers!

Today I want to tell you about unusual indoor flowers. The name of these original plants is as unusual as their appearance - living stones, lithops, or pleiospila. I suggest you read the basic and simple rules for caring for this desert inhabitant.

My first and unsuccessful acquaintance with them took place last winter. I bought these stones as a curiosity that I didn’t have before. She brought them home and began to care for them like ordinary flowers. This is what destroyed them. There was no computer in the house, and I couldn’t find rules for caring for them in magazines.

Opening

This plant was first discovered in 1811 by the English botanist Burchell while traveling through the desert region of Greater Carro. One day he decided to rest and sat down next to a pile of pebbles. And after looking closely, he discovered plants among these stones, whose pattern and shape almost completely merged with the pebbles. This is how they discovered Tops Turbiniformis.

The word "lithops" comes from two Greek words"lithos" - stone and "opsis" - to look or "stone" and "appearance", that is, outwardly resembling a stone. Currently, 37 species have been studied in nature. This plant grows in the rocky and sandy deserts of South Africa, Botswana and South Africa, Namibia.

Appearance

The ground part is two fused thick leaves, which are separated by a shallow gap, from which new leaves and peduncles appear. The plant grows up to 5 cm in height and width.

The flowers are yellow, white (rarely orange), 2.5 - 3 cm in diameter, and can sometimes be fragrant. Lithops blooms in August, rarely in November.

Care and transplant rules

Domestic specimens of living stone are grown in Holland and sold together with pots where the plants sit in compressed soil. They cannot live in this soil for a long time, so after purchasing they must be replanted immediately.

Before transplant, like any succulents, they do not need to be watered. During this period, they need a dry regime, so the wounds on the roots heal faster. The pot must have drainage holes and mandatory drainage (a layer of expanded clay or broken brick). The bottom of the pot should be with wide surface and not very small. It is better if the pot is made of ceramic, which allows excess moisture to evaporate through the pores.

Best substrate: clay-turf soil, sheet soil, coarse sand and broken brick (1:1:2:1).

• Lithops must be freed from the ground with extreme care so as not to damage the root collar and long root stem.
• You cannot wet the roots when replanting, so you need to carefully free them from the soil - carefully pierce the earthen lump with a toothpick so that it becomes loose, then the peat will fall off from the roots on its own.
• The root neck of living stones is not buried in the ground, but covered with small pebbles to prevent it from suppuration.
• All types of this plant are friendly and do not like loneliness, so they should be planted in one bowl, placing stones of different sizes between them.

We water only during the period of growth and flowering. Water through the pan, draining the remaining water in it after a couple of hours. For watering, it is best to use filtered tap water or rainwater.

During the dormant period, water strictly!!! contraindicated. Even one drop greatly harms the plant. Don’t be alarmed: dried and wrinkled leaves are the norm, not a pathology.

Lithops love hard water, but will not tolerate it getting on their leaves.

During the winter dormancy period, these pebbles need a cool air temperature, in the range of 15–17°C, and some even lower - 5–7°C. Living stones should not be placed near glass, as in summer the roots are afraid of overheating .

These are the simple rules for caring for living stones, more like Spartan living conditions. As a gift for my readers, I found a video with amazing miracle. I won’t get ahead of myself, look for yourself. I think this deserves attention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s6EslBw0QGI

Every home has indoor flowers, which not only decorate it, but also delight with their presence. By choosing the right flowers, you can create a blooming island on your windowsill on all year round . Long-flowering unpretentious plants give joy, good mood and are beneficial by purifying the air.

When growing flowers at home, of course I want their care to be minimal and their flowering to last as long as possible. There are many such plants and you can choose to purchase Clivia, Decembrist, Indoor gerbera or, Saintpaulia, etc.

Decembrist

When selecting a plant, you need to pay attention to the requirements for growing conditions, because the duration of flowering and the appearance of the flower will depend on this.

Top 10 flowering indoor plants

Abutilon (Indoor maple)

It blooms from spring to autumn, and as daylight hours shorten, the number of flower stalks decreases and the plant enters a dormant phase. But if you provide additional illumination with lamps daylight, provide fertilizing and watering, flowering does not stop. The leaves are similar to maple leaves, hence the second name. Abutilon flowers look like lanterns of different colors.

Easy to care for, he needs a lot bright light, regular watering, temperature limit 18-25 ºС. The plant grows quickly, its height reaches 1.5 m. In spring, abutilon shoots need to be cut to 1/3 of their length. To stimulate flowering, fertilizing should include potassium nitrate and superphosphate.

Anthurium is a plant with large glossy leaves and heart-shaped flowers.

Needs constantly moist soil, can grow even in the shade, but blooms better and develops on southern and western window sills. For abundant flowering winter temperature should not be lower than +15°C, summer temperature +25°C.

Loves spraying, but only with standing water for at least two days, or better yet, with purified water.

Feeding is advisable organic fertilizers(Gumat, “Ideal”, “Darina”), because. the plant is sensitive to an excess of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and mineral salts.

Impatiens blooms almost all year round. It is photophilous, but it must be excluded from direct sunlight. In autumn and winter, when there is a lack of sunlight, it continues to bloom beautifully under artificial light. It loves moisture, both in the soil and sprayed on the leaves, especially on hot days. Growing temperature +15÷ +25°C. does not like crowded conditions, so neighbors should be at a distance from it, otherwise it will shed leaves.

Excellent propagation by apical cuttings. At 3-4 years of age it requires replanting and rejuvenation; old plants bloom worse.

Begonia

- a heat-loving flower that loves moisture, but not spraying on the foliage. To maintain air humidity, you need to place containers of water between flower pots. At air temperatures below +16°C, begonia will not bloom. It loves bright, diffused light; in the bright sun, the leaves fade, the flowers fade, and begonia loses its decorative effect. Feeding to stimulate flowering should be given to begonias every 2 weeks, alternating organomineral with mineral fertilizers for flowering plants.

To create a full begonia bush and create more side shoots, you need to periodically cut off the tops of the shoots, using them for propagation.

Begonias great variety: there are bush ones, they are also ever-flowering, tuberous, double, hanging.

A classic window sill from the time of our grandmothers. Unpretentious, light-loving plant, loving abundant but infrequent watering. Temperature growing +8÷+25°C. Geranium loves a lot of air, so in summer it should be placed on balconies or in the garden. Pots for growing should not be large; to obtain a lush flower bush, you need to plant three seedlings in one pot.

Pelargonium royal

It differs from geranium in having larger flowers and a smaller, almost absent smell of leaves. Care is the same as for geraniums.

For more abundant flowering and to make the bush compact in spring, pelargonium needs to be pruned, leaving 3-4 internodes.

Hibiscus (Chinese rose)

Hibiscus – evergreen flowering shrub. The lifespan of one flower is a day, for hybrid, double forms up to 3 days.

Demanding of sunlight, abundant watering and fertilizing. In summer you need to spray daily. With insufficient watering, it drops buds and flowers. Hibiscus should be replanted annually; in adult plants, remove upper layer soil and add new one.

Depending on the pruning method, hibiscus can be grown in tree or bush form. Flower height can reach 1.5-2 m.

Hibiscus responds very well to regular feeding once every 2-3 weeks.

Koleriya

An unpretentious plant that prefers light partial shade and moderate watering. Loves high air humidity, but absolutely cannot tolerate spraying the leaves. Pots with Koleria should be placed on trays with expanded clay filled with water.

The temperature during flowering should be +23÷+26°C. In winter at the level +16°C. Once a month it is necessary to feed Koleria liquid fertilizers for orchids.

Pachistachis is a plant without any special pretensions. The main thing is abundant watering, high air humidity, regular pruning. Optimal temperature +20÷+26°C. When the temperature rises, it stretches out and exposes the shoots; when it drops, it sheds its leaves.

Needs diffused light, loves it Fresh air, but not drafts. Loves leaf spraying.

Pachistachis needs to be cut off and the tops pinched as the shoots grow so that it bushes and does not stretch out.

An evergreen shrub that blooms all year round. The lifespan of a flower is one day.

Prefers bright, diffused light; direct sunlight needs to be shaded. Winter temperature growing +20 °C, summer + 24°C. Water abundantly as the soil dries. needs to high humidity air, so flower pots are placed in trays with wet expanded clay or sphagnum moss.

Ruellia is very sensitive to drafts and dry air, which can cause leaves to fall off.

The plant can be formed as a bush or vine.

Choosing flowering plants To landscape your home or office, you need to understand that, although it will be short, they will have a break between waves of flowering. During this period, the flower rests and gains strength. Give even unpretentious flowers a little attention and in return they will give you lush and long-lasting flowering.

These plants do not grow in meadows. They are not found in forest thickets either. And only among piles of stones and rocks, where there is almost no soil and no other herbs grow, does a whole army of plants from the family Saxifraga. They do not tolerate the proximity of other plants, and at the same time love dampness and moisture.

On steep mountain slopes, where after forest fires, avalanches or mudflows the remains of the soil are washed away by rain, it would seem that greenery will never appear again, but ten to fifteen years pass, and thick oval shiny leaves of the largest representative in Siberia appear among the bare stones. Saxifraga - bergenia thick-leaved.

Year after year, its thick stem breaks through the stones. The top of the bergenia first grows upward, but the roots that form on the stem constantly press it against the stones. Long creeping lashes of stems five to six meters long are constantly renewed. Old sections of the stem die off, turning into dust, new ones grow, and the bergenia “crawls” between the stones like a snake. Last year's leaves also die, which first turn red, and then turn black and crumble, thereby creating future soil.

There are many various types saxifrage living in rocky tundras or high in the mountains on gravelly screes near snowfields. Most species live in the Northern Hemisphere, but some are also found in the South American Andes.

Variety of saxifrages

No one has yet been able to prove that saxifrages actually break rocks, or at least contribute to their destruction. But plants of a different kind - capers, living mainly in hot and dry climates, are indeed capable of destroying stones and buildings.

Dark green "mats" of capers with their thick, glossy leaves grow in the driest places without experiencing any inconvenience. Even the sweltering summer heat of the deserts is not a hindrance to them. They often grow where their presence is completely unnecessary: ​​on the roofs and domes of ancient palaces, on the minarets of mosques and adobe walls ancient fortresses.

Capers are able to live not only on the eaves of buildings, but also on vertical surface walls Their amazing ability to climb vertical wall explained simply. The lashes of this plant have modified stipules that resemble hook-shaped cat claws. To obtain moisture, capers extend their roots many meters. On the roof of the main mosque of the Ulugbek madrasah in Samarkand, a caper grows, the roots of which, 17 meters long, descend into the hall of the mosque and go 20 meters underground. There, the roots of the destroyer of monuments obtain water for themselves.

Capers grow both on dry alabaster plaster and on adobe bricks, even though they heat up to 80 degrees in the summer. The roots are gradually destroying the monuments, and no tricks help get rid of the “aggressor”. You can destroy the above-ground part of the caper, but the roots are preserved and the bush is gradually restored.

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How to grow indoor plants?

Growing indoor plants is an activity worthy of a true lady. The fascinating process will require ingenuity, perseverance and attentiveness, but will fully reward you with beautiful, healthy flowers. They perfectly decorate the house, creating an atmosphere of comfort and warmth, and also purify the air and help relieve stress.

Indoor plants will create an atmosphere of comfort, warmth and lift your spirits.

Growing flowers at home requires compliance with a number of rules. For the prosperous existence and development of plants, it is necessary to create the maximum comfortable conditions . Consistent adherence to the rules of caring for them will help you achieve a luxurious appearance for living decorations at home.

Soil and drainage selection

Ground in flower pot must provide sufficient quantity nutrition and fluids. Its choice should be approached responsibly. It must be loose and allow water to pass through in the amount necessary for normal height and development. Excess moisture promotes root rot. Experienced flower growers They prefer to prepare the soil themselves, mixing the soil with several components. For this purpose use:

It will take time to prepare compost, because the components included in it must rot.

1. Humus. Formed by the decomposition of manure, leaves and plants.
2. Compost. It is made by long-term rotting in heaps of tree branches, leaves, kitchen waste, and grass.
3. Peat. Formed as a result of rotting plants and animals. IN pure form unsuitable for growing flowers, but perfectly dilutes the soil and gives it looseness.
4. Sand. Typically used to add to a substrate, but some succulent species can grow in sand as their own soil.
5. Fragments natural materials(tree bark, slag, stones). Used to impart looseness and drainage.

It is more convenient for a novice gardener to use ready-made mixtures, bought in a store. To make selection easier, the latter are divided by type of color. Each mixture contains a specific set of fertilizers and minerals that meets the requirements for of this type plants.

In addition to soil, materials are placed at the bottom of the pot to ensure drainage. It could be:

Expanded clay is made from clay and easily absorbs liquid.

1. Expanded clay. Construction material in the form of balls made of clay, capable of absorbing liquid. It is poured onto the bottom of the pot, 1/5 of the total volume, and the top is covered with soil on which the plant is planted.
2. Ceramics. Broken pottery shards are used as drainage materials. It is laid on the bottom with the convex side up and covered with sand. The soil mixture is added on top.
3. Styrofoam. Placed in small pieces on the bottom and sprinkled with sand. Does not absorb water, so you need to add hydrogel.

When replanting plants, the drainage is replaced with a new one; over time, it is converted into soil and can contribute to soil acidification.

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Optimal watering of plants for the home

For good growth you need to monitor water quality. It should not be hard, with a high content of metals and impurities. Perfect option– rain, melted snow or water from a nearby stream. When using tap water, it must be left to stand for several days before watering.

The amount of water is determined depending on the type of plant. According to general requirements, the soil in the pot should not dry out. Once this happens, watering is required. If the soil is wet, then you should wait, as oversaturation with moisture leads to rotting of the plant roots.

There are several ways to provide flowers with liquid:

A flower watering can will help provide the plant with liquid.

1. Watering can. The most common and safe way. Soft, weak streams of water do not wash away the soil, exposing the roots, and are safe for fragile green leaves. The wide nozzle allows you to evenly moisten the soil.
2. Pallet. The method is called bottom watering and consists in pouring water directly into the pan, from where it is absorbed by the soil through the holes in the flowerpot. The method is suitable for plants that love stagnation: monstera, cyperus, philodendron.
3. Spray. Not used alone, but only in combination with one of the above. Spray with warm water aboveground part plants. Used in low humidity areas.

The water temperature should be room temperature, fluctuations of no more than 5°C in both directions are allowed. Spraying is not beneficial for all plants; before irrigation, you should make sure, using reference literature, that there is no harm from the process.

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Quality lighting for growing

Light is the main condition for the process of photosynthesis, which is vital for indoor plants. Right organized lighting helps them grow and develop. If there is a lack of it, the flowers become stunted and look unattractive in appearance.

Based on the type of plant and its location, you should decide what kind of artificial lighting will be: full or partial. If the plant is located near windows or on a balcony, then it will be enough to periodically illuminate it in the morning and evening, prolonging the daylight hours. If the flower pot is in a dark place at home or does not receive sunlight at all, you will need to select lamps that will fully satisfy the conditions.

The lamp should be mounted so that it can be lifted as the flowers grow. There is no need to place it too high: the degree of illumination decreases with increasing height. The angle of incidence should not be acute, ideal solution the light will be directed perpendicularly to the plants.

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Feeding and fertilizing

In nature, flowers receive fertilizers through natural processes; growing plants at home requires human feeding. All fertilizers can be divided into the following groups:

Mineral fertilizers can contain one or more elements in their composition; they can be potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

1. Organic. Serve to improve the quality and structure of the soil, fill it nutrients and microorganisms important for life. Provide oxygen access throughout the entire volume of the pot. Such fertilizers include humus, sawdust, manure, and compost.
2. Mineral. They vary depending on the number of components. Simple ones are those containing 1 element. In complex ones there are two or more components. According to their content, they are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Minerals nourish plants and ensure their rapid growth, but it is impossible to oversaturate the soil with them: this will negatively affect the soil and the plant.
3. Bacterial. They increase soil fertility and ensure high seed germination. They help absorb nitrogen and convert it into a form convenient for plants.
4. Microfertilizers and microelements. The preparations contain components that flowers lack (manganese, bromine, iron, zinc and others). They are added in small quantities and only according to indications for use.

Fertilizers are applied to the soil separately and in different days. The dosage is determined by species and appearance flower.