"Sanatorium" for plants
There are many different plant diseases caused by both nutritional deficiencies, and violations of the water regime, and pests, and infection. But one of the diseases deserves a separate conversation, and it is logical to recall it in the context of a conversation about placing plants in rooms.
It's good, if you were able to pick up plants suitable for the conditions of your apartment in advance. And if not? What if the light-loving pets already live in dark rooms? Do not get rid of them! And what should you do if you really want to see flowers next to you, especially demanding to the light?
Just so take and place them on the first available space in the room can not be - from lack of light, plants can develop a special disease called etiolation. They will have all the signs of chlorosis, shoots and petioles will turn pale and unnaturally stretch, the leaf blades will begin to melt.
It's a pity a flower? !Of course, I'm sorry. But it does not follow from this that he can not be helped. Methods of treatment of etiolation were invented quite a long time, only recently in the literature mention of them is extremely rare. As they say, everything new is a well-forgotten old.
The lack of solar lighting can be compensated by electrical. In greenhouses, it is no accident that powerful lamps with reflectors are used. But in an apartment with the help of the most ordinary lamps in 100 - 200 watts, you can cure the plant!
The easiest way is to hang a flower with a wire to a chandelier or a shade. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for everyone and is really good only for ampel plants( most of which are not demanding for light, or for plants that are small in size.)
The rest will be helped. .. by a sunny sanatorium
"Sanatorium" is made from plywood(cardboard is not very suitable, because it can deform because of the increased humidity, but it can make a lid if a fluorescent lamp is used, and not an incandescent lamp that can ignite it.) This is a large box about a meter long( according to the design of HM. Verzilina -110 cm), slightly more than half a meter in width( 60 cm) and a little more than a meter in height, with raised floor, holes, a door with a window and a window in the ceiling( ventilation is necessary because the lamps overheat and overdry the air.) The box is painted with a solutionpotassium permanganate and cover with varnish, but you can do with the usual oil paint. To keep the moisture on the bottom put the container with water or substitute under the bottom of a bowl with wet moss. Enough lamps for 150 - 200 watts to put there sick plants in less than a month restored a healthy appearance. For preventive purposes, you need even less: light-loving plants can be placed there for a day, two, generally several hours later in the evening, but regularly( this will help save energy).How much time should be in the "sanatorium" healthy, but light-loving plant from a dark room, you can determine, knowing, to short or long days it refers.
It is best if the lamp is used fluorescent( "daylight") - it does not overheat the air."Ready for use", it can be found in pet stores in the departments for aquarists.
The therapeutic effect with a relatively small supply of light occurs because all the light energy does not disappear from the box anywhere and gets to the plant. Therefore, a simplified version - the placement of plants in an aquarium with a lamp - the necessary help to an already diseased plant can not be given: such a construction is rather a greenhouse that increases the concentration of moisture, rather than a solar sanatorium.
In the end, and the simple placement on the windowsill of a luminescent tube or frame of such tubes will protect from the threat of etiolation for as yet not fallen flowers. The "sanatorium" becomes really necessary precisely when the symptoms become noticeable.
By the way, in the "sanatorium" cuttings are quickly rooted, shade-tolerant plants can bloom on your order, and seeds germinate regardless of the season.
The same sanatorium can serve as a more perfect technical device - phytotron.