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Strelitzia at home, how to grow Strelitzia
The birthplace of Strelitzia is South Africa. Her genus has 5 species of plants of the same family. The name of the plant was in honor of the English Queen Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III. Literally Strelitzia translates as a bird of paradise. Indoor Strelitzia is an evergreen, perennial, rhizome plant. The shape of the flower is very original and visually resembles a paradise fairy bird.
Content:
- Varieties of Strelitzia video
- Strelitzia plant and its features
- Strelitzia - home care
- How do Strelitzia breed?
- Why does Strelitzia not bloom?
- Problems that arise most often when growing Strelitzia
Varieties of Strelitzia
We already mentioned that there are several types of plants, the most common of which is Strelitzia paradise birds, or royal.
The plant belongs to perennials, although it has a sufficient height - from 1 to 2 m, the tree trunk does not form. Strelitzia leaves are bright, with a slightly wavy edge and a leathery surface, they have an elongated, oval shape. Strelitzia flower looks very unusual and bright, quite large, it consists of orange and blue petals, the cover of the flower is green with reddish veins. Flowering of the plant lasts from February to August.
Unlike its relative, Strelitzia white has a tree-like stem. The leaves of white Strelitzia have an elongated elliptical shape, a glossy surface, they can reach a length of 1 m, the color is light green. The plant blooms from January to March, the bracts are lanceolate, the coverlet is a single purple color, the flower's petals are white.
You can meet Strelitzia Nicholas high in the mountains, she prefers to grow in tropical rainforests. The plant has impressive dimensions, the height of its woody trunk can reach from 3 to 5 m, and the leaf length can be one and a half meters with a half meter width, leaf petioles reach a length of one and a half meters. Flowering lasts from January to June, the flower is large, with four veils of green-red hues, white outer and blue inner petals.
Reed Strelitzia is resistant to low temperatures and droughts, in appearance of flowers it resembles royal, but its leaves are very narrow and resemble needles.
About what types of strelitzia can be found in the video:
Strelitzia plant and its features
Strelitzia grows without the formation of a trunk, reaching a height of about two meters. The foliage is large (about 40 cm in length), has an oblong-oval shape, leathery and lint-free, painted in dark green tones. Petioles about half a meter long extend from the root system, on which foliage is located. Visually, they look like banana leaves.
Strelitzia has an elongated peduncle on which scaly leaves are formed. Under the topmost leaf, a peduncle bends, which resembles the head and neck of an exotic breed bird.
The scaly leaf is slightly grayish in color. In its upper part there is a recess through which rather large flowers (about 15 cm) appear outward. The flowers are painted in orange-lilac colors and, due to their shape, visually resemble a bird crest.
Active flowering occurs over several weeks: flowers that have bloomed are replaced by new buds, then the cycle repeats. Blooming flowers can be cut. They fairly endure this procedure. The water in which they will be in the vase must be periodically changed.
Strelitzia - home care
Home Strelitzia plant is not very whimsical and does not require special care. It painlessly responds to shading. The only prerequisite for normal growth is sufficient space around the flower pot. This condition is associated with the dimensions of the plant.
temperature condition
Strelitzia inflorescences have an exceptional appearance and are famous for their beauty and sophistication. Strelitzia bloom, with proper care, can be observed throughout almost the entire year. The ideal temperature for keeping an adult plant is from +20 to +25 C; in autumn, the temperature is slightly reduced (to +14 +16 C). This mode will allow the plant to lay quality flower buds in late autumn and give abundant flowering from mid-winter. Non-compliance with the temperature regime leads to a stretching of the flowering period, the plant will bloom unevenly throughout the year. For Strelitzia to bloom in winter and spring in January, the temperature should be increased to +25 C. If the same temperature is +12 +14, it is maintained in the winter, then Strelitzia will bloom in the summer.
The number of buds appearing in a plant depends on the age, quality and proper care of it. In order to see the first buds of a young plant, the owners will need to be patient - bloom Strelitzia begins at 4-6 years of age.
optimal lighting
Strelitzia loves bright light, the plant can tolerate the effects of direct sunlight, but you should not position the plant so that the midday sun falls on it. The plant should not be located near the northern windows - it will suffer from a lack of light and will not give abundant flowering.
In summer, if possible, strelitzia can be put out into the air, but you will need to shade it from the midday sun.
how to water Strelitzia
The successful cultivation of Strelitzia largely depends on the correct irrigation. It should be carried out in case of drying of the topsoil in the pot. The water should be used soft, settled, the amount of water should be sufficient to soak the soil to the bottom. Wet soil condition is a prerequisite, but stagnant water in the pan can harm the roots of the plant.
With a decrease in temperature, watering should be reduced, but it is not recommended to dry the soil. It is also advisable to periodically spray the plant and clean the leaves from dust with a damp sponge.
top dressing
Fertilize the plant once every two weeks, using liquid top dressing for flowering indoor flowers. During the rest period, there is no need for additional plant nutrition.
how to transplant Strelitzia correctly
A young plant is transplanted annually, matured - one in three years. The best period for transplanting is spring. Pots should choose a small diameter, but high.
Do not forget to do quality drainage!
If the plant is large and grows in a tub, then you can get by with the annual replacement of the topsoil. If the roots are damaged during transplantation, each wound should be densely covered with crushed charcoal.
To plant Strelitzia, a humus nutrient soil with an acidity of pH 6.5 maximum of the following composition will be required:
- 1 part - humus,
- 1 part - turf land
- 1 part - sheet land,
- 0.5 - sand.
The bottom of the pot is lined with drainage material.
You can learn more about rust and caring for it by watching the video:
How do Strelitzia breed?
There are many ways to propagate a plant:
- planting seeds
- plant division
- seating of side layers.
how to grow strelitzia from seeds
In wildlife, pollination of Strelitzia occurs with the help of a nectaria, small birds (about 3 cm long). Sitting on one of the flower's petals, it helps to activate a certain mechanism, which is responsible for the emission of pollen. Pollen, in turn, settles on the legs and chest of the bird. Flying over to other flowers, nectaries spread pollen and thereby pollinate the flowers. Over time, fruits appear on the site of pollinated flowers, inside which are seeds.
Obtaining seeds at home is quite possible, but for this you will need several flowering plants at the same time. Freshly harvested seeds should be sown, they will allow you to get perfect germination. Seed germination decreases very quickly, after six months out of 10 seeds, at best, one plant can be obtained.
If the seeds are purchased in the store, you should carefully study the labeling of the bags, and after making the purchase - sow them immediately. Before sowing the seeds will need to be cleaned from the remnants of the fruit, of course, if any. To activate the process of seed germination from stand for 24 hours in water at a temperature of the order of + 35C + 40C. Growing Strelitzia from seeds can be started at any time of the year - it does not really matter.
While Strelitzia seeds are warming up, it will be necessary to prepare a container with soil for each seed, it can be an ordinary plastic cup, a hole with a diameter of 0.5 cm should be made in its bottom. The best soil mixture can be prepared independently by mixing equal parts of peat, compost soil and river sand. You can disinfect the mixture by pouring it with boiling water. After cooling, the soil is trampled in a cup, we fall asleep with a 2 cm layer of clean sand.
1 seed is sown in each cup, it should not be pressed deep into the sand - let a part of it remain visible. Glasses are covered with glass from above and left in a warm, bright place, but placed so that direct sunlight does not fall on them. Seed germination can last from one and a half months to six months.
Before the sprout appears on the surface, no action needs to be taken. After the appearance of the sprout, it is gradually tempered, removing daily glass for half an hour. During this period, a small plant will need watering. It is carried out if the topsoil has dried up. Water for irrigation should be boiled and warm.
The grown seedlings will need to be transplanted into a larger pot. All work should be done very carefully - the roots of Strelitzia are extremely fragile. If they are damaged - the plant can be severely damaged or even die.
Ideal conditions for growing seedlings:
- temperature +22 C,
- timely but moderate watering,
- bright enough light.
Watch a video on how to grow Strelitzia from seeds:
plant division
The best period for dividing the plant is at the end of flowering, around the month of May. Each detachable part must be at least with one shoot.
To plant the separated parts, pots of 20 cm diameter are prepared. Soil is prepared the same as for planting seedlings.
When planting a plant, its roots should be handled very carefully.
for reproduction we use side shoots
In the presence of rooted lateral shoots, you can begin to propagate the plant. The shoot is separated from the mother plant, very carefully so as not to damage the roots, transplanted in pots. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot, and it is covered with prepared soil mixture. Transplanted plants should be maintained at a temperature of +22 C, drying out of the soil in the hills should not be allowed.
Why does Strelitzia not bloom?
You should not expect flowering during the first years of a plant's life. If a five-year-old plant does not bloom, then this should already be alarming. The first, and most often sufficient, measure is to change the plant's content regime. Starting in November, reduce the temperature to +14 +15 C, reduce watering to 2 per month. You can return to the normal content of the plant with the onset of March - during the dormant period, Strelitzia managed to lay powerful flower buds.
Since it is difficult to maintain a temperature of about 14-16 degrees in a city apartment in winter, it is possible to shift the rest time to spring. A plant will tolerate a decrease in temperature to +10 calmly, but it is not recommended to leave pots outdoors if there is a threat of a further decrease in air temperature. Lower temperatures can cause irreparable damage to the plant.
If the same period of rest is easiest to create in the summer, then its flowering will please Strelitzia on New Year's Eve. A correctly calculated dormant period will allow to coincide with the flowering of the plant for your favorite family holiday.
Problems that arise most often when growing Strelitzia
Sometimes on the plant, a discoloration of the leaves may be observed. They do not turn yellow due to lack of light, most often the reason lies in the poor condition of the roots, namely in their decay as a result of excessive watering. To save the plants, it is recommended to use tools for the treatment of root rot. Sometimes the cause of the appearance of yellow leaves becomes too low a room temperature.
Dry leaves on Strelitzia can be observed with excess or lack of moisture. Excessive watering can be determined by the gloss of the soil in the pot - the amount of moisture that it is not able to absorb. Watering in this case should be reduced. Cracks on the surface of the soil in the pot will indicate insufficient watering.
