How to care for sanseira

Sansevera is one of the most unpretentious and hardy indoor plants.

Easily propagates by rhizomes - they are divided into segments with kidneys, - or leaf cuttings. Variegated varieties of sanseveres for reproduction of color reproduction only by division of rhizomes. Do this in the spring before the active growth begins. In upright specimens, the rhizomes are divided into 2-3 parts, each of them should have at least 2-3 leaves and a few roots, plants with leafy rosettes divide so that each part has its own rosette.

For the propagation by cuttings, the mature leaf is cut into pieces 6-8 cm long( it is better to sprinkle the sections for disinfection with crushed charcoal) and incubate in moist pots with

moistened with sand 2 cm deep. Rooting usually takes a long time - within a month or one and a half. In this case, it is not necessary to create special conditions. The optimum air temperature is 20-22 ° C.Maintain only moderate humidity of air and sand( pour water into the pan).You can cover the cuttings with glass jars, which are lifted daily for ventilation. After rooting, young plants are planted in a low wide pots or vases. The soil mixture is prepared from 1 part of leaf land, 1 part of humus and 2 parts of sand.

The plant is cold-resistant, in the winter this resident of the tropics feels well at a temperature of 16-18 ° C, but it is worthwhile to ensure that the thermometer does not fall below the 14-16 ° C mark. Requirements for illumination: the plant is light-loving, but at the same time and shadow-tolerant. So you can grow it on windows that go not only to the south and south-east. In this spring and summer, you must protect the plant from direct sunlight - they can cause burns on the leaves.

Sansevera well tolerates the dryness of the soil, does not require intensive watering, in winter it is reduced to the required minimum - only to prevent drying of the rhizomes. When watering, we must ensure that water does not fall into the middle of the leaf outlet. Excessive watering can lead to the appearance of brown spots on the leaves or at all to their falling off. It is useful to periodically wash the leaves of the sansevery with a soft damp sponge,

moistened in warm water, and loosen the surface of the soil.

In order for plants to have a healthy appearance, it is advisable to give them top dressing with slurry and a complex mineral fertilizer. You can use fertilizer for cacti. Feeding is introduced from May and during the summer 2 times a month, the rest of the year - once a month. More often do not fertilize, otherwise the "pike tail" will lose its decorative appeal - the strips on the leaves turn pale, become almost invisible.

Adult plants are transplanted in March-April into a soil mixture of heavier composition than "young".It is made up of 2 parts of turf ground, and humus, leaf earth and sand are taken in one piece. When transplanting to the bottom of the vessel lay drainage from the broken brick. Young plants are transplanted annually, old ones are less often, if necessary.

Pests and diseases: Sansevera can be affected by a spider mite, worms and scab. If there are white spots on the leaves, it means that they have been attacked by mealy mildew, and if light-brown pustules appeared, it means that the leaves were hit by a brown scab. The pests are removed with a cloth dipped in pure alcohol, or sprayed with an insecticide of systemic action.

If too abundant watering, roots can rot: this is also signaled by brown spots on the leaf blade, and rottenness appears at the base of the leaves. It is necessary to remove the plant from the

pot, remove the decayed part of the rhizome and dry it for about a week. In addition, cut off all damaged leaves and treat the cut sites with a sulfurous antifungal agent. After this, the plant is planted again and observes the necessary watering regime - only when the soil has dried.