Care for flowers in the apartment

The most important feature has already been mentioned above: the further the real conditions from the natural to the plant, the more effort it takes to make it feel normal. And not just efforts - flowers require also an understanding of their needs and thoughtful care of them. And we need their beauty, and sometimes we have to do something to make the gift of nature more vivid and distinctive, in order to get the maximum decorative effect from the plant. To do this, sometimes you have to influence the natural development and growth of flowers. There may be doubt whether our goals and plant requirements are not included in the contradiction. Strangely enough, no. Many known ways to improve the appearance of plants are either useful, or harmless to him.

Now let's return to the specific features of plant care in rooms and "typically room procedures."

Let's start "from below": the flowers need to grow in something. If in natural conditions the only limit is the thickness of the fertile soil layer( the root system can always develop in breadth), then a house plant depends on the volume of the pot or tub.

They are too big - bad. The soil, which is not used by the roots of the plant, can become sour, in it the pathogenic fungi will proliferate.

They will be too small - too bad. The roots do not have enough space, they can not pull nutrients from the soil in full force, with moisture, too, there will be problems: from excessive cramping, the roots will intertwine the soil so that its mechanical composition will change, the earth root will be too dense( it is no accident that the reinforced concrete is much stronger andsimple concrete, and taken separately its iron reinforcement - in the soil, penetrated by the roots, the same principle operates), and the water will bend around it, not wetting the middle, and breathe the roots too, and the air in the excessively compacted soil is free postpat can not. In such conditions, flowers will begin to lag behind in growth and to die.

One strengthened diet is indispensable here. We will have to turn to the most specific operations for the green inhabitants of the rooms: transplantation or transshipment.

Transplant. Transplant, as a rule, is already adult plants( for young people it is more desirable to transship) if the capacity in which they grow is too small, as well as all flowers that have problems with the soil: whether it was found that the earth mixture does not meet their requirements(for example, you bought a plant in a pot filled with pure peat), or the earth rotted.

Transplantation is very convenient for multiplying plants by division. Then the rhizome is cut into pieces with individual shoots with garden scissors or a sharp knife, which are planted in an appropriate number of smaller pots or other containers. First of all, the plant that will be transplanted should be very well poured, so that the earth softens. Then, holding the plant by the stem, the container is turned over, lightly hit on its bottom by hand( for large pots one can hit their side walls against the edge of the table), take out an earth clod and gently crush or wash the earth. If a solid "coat" of small roots has formed at the walls, it must also be removed, after cutting it in several places. After that, the roots are inspected: it is better to cut the rotten ones at once( on them the pathogenic bacteria or the fungus could already accumulate).Sliced ​​it is desirable to pour the pounded coal.

At the bottom of the container, where the plant will be transplanted, a drainage layer of pebbles, ceramic debris and similar suitable materials is poured in advance, which are covered from above with a small layer of soil. Then the roots, carefully spreading, placed in the middle of the container and fill it zemlemesesio. Near the edges of the pot, the soil can be squeezed by fingers, between the roots - to direct it flowing from above stream peg. You can not let the roots curl up. When the earth mix is ​​completely covered( from the surface of the soil to the upper edge of the pot, the distance from 1 to 4 cm should remain, depending on the size of the container), it must be sealed, strongly enough, but carefully, so as not to damage the plant. Take care not to cover the root collar.

Now it is good to water the plant - this ends the transplant.

Do not worry if the flower suddenly lost one or two of the bottom leaves. For newly transplanted plants, this is natural.

Handling. In contrast to the transplant, the earth clod is not destroyed during transshipment: the plant taken from the former "house" simply falls into a pot with a drainage, larger by about a couple of centimeters in diameter( a larger increase in volume is permissible only for very fast growing species)The space is filled with earth mixture, and the flower is watered. The most common are young plants( growing seedlings or ingrained cuttings, but not all species tolerate transplantation well), and if the need for transplantation is not in the condition of the soil, they should also be moved by this method.

Some fast-growing species are resettled twice: in the spring they are transplanted and fall in autumn. Pots and other containers. Flowers can grow in very different capacities: in ceramic and plastic pots, wooden tubs and boxes, cans, cropped plastic bottles and even in old saucepans. The main thing for the plant( in addition to the desired size) is to have a drainage hole at the bottom, without which the moisture will stagnate, the earth will turn sour, etc.

But if for the flower the appearance of the dwelling does not mean anything, then for the person the choice of capacity is an opportunity to demonstrateyour taste. Pots, like the flowers themselves, can be an excellent decoration of the room. They can be painted in the tone of furniture or walls, you can, on the contrary, turn into special color spots( the main thing is that they still harmonize with the rest of the interior);they can also be zadekorirovat.

There are also a variety of pots, some of them look very impressive. For some reason, from early childhood I remember well the cone with a plastic ladybug hanging on a wall, stylized under a birch bark, white with black dashes, with a green Tradescantia growing in it. About tastes, of course, do not argue, and not to any interior fit such decoration. But you can do something like this with your own hands: for this, a real birch bark is taken, it is cleaned with a brush and covered with a transparent varnish - you can simply wrap the pot with it.

Tying. Although this procedure is typically room-called can only be a stretch, in a residential environment, it has its own characteristics.

Plants with grassy stems and large inflorescences or flowers require additional support: they are tied to pegs or rods, sometimes in several places. To increase the stability of the support pegs( or rods) must be driven into the pot at the very bottom. If they are too contrasted with the plant, they can be dyed to the tone of the stem with non-toxic paint.

Creeping plants can be tied to a thick branch or a piece of bark.

The tying of lianate plants will be the most troublesome thing: you need to constantly check that their top is pointing upwards. Gartering is mandatory for them.

Cleaning. In spring, during transplanting or transplanting of plants, and also as necessary during the active vegetation period, it is desirable to subject them to cleaning. This is a hygienic procedure, both useful for the plant and improving its appearance. When cleaning, the weak, dry and growing shoots are cut out inside the crown. Removing diseased leaves is also a cleaning option.

Crown formation. This action is close to cleansing, but its main goal is to improve the decorative qualities of shrub and some semi-shrub plants. Pruning shoots stimulates their more magnificent growth.

The crown shape of the plant can be artificially changed to spherical, pyramidal and any other.

.In order for flowers of some species of ornamental plants to grow larger, from the moment of tying buds, the extra ones are plucked as they appear. For some species, pinching is mandatory.

Pinch shoots. Removing the apical bud of the shoot for many plants is a good stimulator for the formation of new young shoots, on which flowers are formed. Spend a pin in the spring.

"Bath day".In addition to spraying, the purpose of which is to provide moisture to the plant and create the necessary microclimate, you should occasionally arrange bathing for the flowers. Plants grow poorly if their leaves are covered with a layer of dust: it clogs the stomata, and, for purely hygienic reasons, is undesirable.

To wash the plant, the water is slightly warmed up( its temperature should be five to ten degrees above room temperature).Plants with hard leathery leaves and cacti are preliminarily cleaned from dust with a brush or toothbrush. If the flower needs to be cleaned, the "bath day" is quite convenient for that.

Plant the plant in an empty bowl or a similar container and pour with warm water, carefully( to not damage the thin skin) by wiping each leaf with a soft cloth or a soft sponge. Especially polluted leaves( if they are sufficiently tough) are washed with soapy water: for this purpose the usual soap is used, without additives. In this case, the plant should be tilted and monitored so that the soap solution does not enter the soil. Then the plant is rinsed from the watering can( lower leaves can also be sprinkled from the spray).