The plant world is rich in unusual and very bright specimens. Some stand out with beautiful flowers, others with foliage with a special shape or color. There are plants among the flora that retain their picturesque qualities all year round. Afelander refers to them. Not without reason lovers of indoor plants want to breed this decorative miracle.
Homeland of the plant
The protruding Afelander is an evergreen shrub from the Acanthus family. There are about 170 species. Often found in the American tropics and less commonly in the subtropics. Under natural conditions, it reaches two-meter growth, at home - no more than 1.3 meters. This heat-loving plant in the wild received a lot of moisture, so it will not be easy to grow it at home.
Afelandra - ornamental tropical plant
Meaning of the name
The Greek name Aphelandra, formed from two roots "aphtlis" and "anduos", means "simple man" in translation. The plant received this name because of the structure of the male organ of the flower. Its anther is single-nested, that is, simple. This is where the name comes from.
Description of Afelandra
The plant retains a very elegant look all year round. Its leaves are large, elongated, with a glossy surface, painted in dark - and light green in color with white patterns repeating veins.
Flowers are small in size, the bract differs in a unique pyramidal shape (up to 10-15 cm) and bright yellow, red or orange.
History of appearance in Europe
After travelers brought the decorative Afelander flower to Europe, it acquired the status of a houseplant. She began to be bred in greenhouses due to harsh winters. In conditions close to the tropics, varieties of Afelander Roeslia, tetrahedral, Sinclair, the most beautiful and many others are grown. Cultivated several varieties of protruding aphelander (aphelandra squarossa): Louisae, Dania, Leopoldii.
Pink afelander bloomed
Use as a houseplant
Best of all, two species have mastered under the new conditions: protruding aphelander and orange aphelander.
Afelandra orange is rarely found on sale. It is more suitable for home, due to its small growth and long flowering, which under good conditions lasts one and a half weeks: from June to November.
Indoor plant Afelander Quarossa
Features of caring for afelandra at home
Aphelandra is a very capricious and demanding plant, it does not like drafts and drying out of the soil. Any violation of the requirements of this beauty leads to a slowdown in growth or disease. What are these needs? In order to avoid problems during the growing process, you need to know how to care for Afelandra at home.
Temperature mode
To create comfortable conditions for the squarrosa afelander plant at different times of the year, the necessary temperature must be maintained in the room. In summer, it should not be above 25 degrees, in spring and autumn - about 20. In winter, the thermometer should not fall below 16 degrees. When ventilating the room, temporarily remove the flower to a place that is not blown by a draft.
Lighting
Although Afelandra leaves and flowers love heat and light, they must be protected from direct sunlight. To do this, the pot with the plant should be removed to the windows facing east or west. The most suitable option is diffuse lighting. In winter, during the dormant period, the flower pot can be removed from the window in a bright place.
Watering
To ensure the normal functioning of the flower, it must be watered according to a certain schedule. If we divide the watering by stages of development, then this will happen as follows:
- Stage 1: growth - 2 times a week;
- Stage 2: flowering - 1 time in 2 weeks;
- Stage 3: restoration after flowering - 1 time per month;
- Stage 4: the beginning of growth - 2 times a week.
In summer, the soil requires abundant watering, in the autumn-winter period it is necessary to water it as necessary, but do not allow the drying of an earthen coma.
Afelandra care at home
Spraying
It is necessary to periodically spray leaves and flowers - this will create a certain microclimate of the place of its breeding. Such water procedures in the summer days are necessary for the plant (2 times a day), if the heat lasts a long time.
Humidity
In winter days, the care of an Afelander flower at home is complicated by the fact that it is necessary not only to maintain the desired temperature, but also not to dry the earthen lump in the pot. So that the leaves do not begin to dry, the flower should not be kept on the windowsill with high battery heating. With high dry air, you can use an artificial humidifier.
Important! Considering the fact that the Afelander flower is an ambassador of all decorative tropical plants of the Akantov family, it is very demanding on a sufficient amount of humidity in the apartment. Excess water in the soil can also lead to its death. It is necessary to maintain a balance of temperature and humidity.
Priming
An indoor afelander plant bulging for good growth and lush flowering requires light, breathable soil. The composition is considered the best: peat or humus (2 parts), coarse sand (1 part). Sometimes other soil components are used: sheet or clay-turf soil, charcoal or bone meal is added. But sand is required.
Interesting fact. Afelandra can be grown on hydropone, that is, water-mineral composition without soil. This method of growing plants was used in Ancient Babylon to create the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, as the legend says.
Top dressing
A necessary moment in the care of afelandra is the application of fertilizers. It must be fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium from March to November with a frequency of 2 times a month. During dormancy, nitrogen fertilizers can be applied to maintain good foliage. During growth, fertilizers are useful for ornamental deciduous plants, during active flowering - for ornamental flowering.
When and how it blooms
To know well how to care for afelandra at home, it is necessary to study all phases of its growth.
The beginning of the flowering of the Afelander protruding
Types and forms of flowers
The shape of the flowers of afelander depends on the variety. Most often, the flowers of the plant are small and inconspicuous, but the peduncles are simply luxurious. They grow in the form of an ear or pyramid of bright yellow, orange or red.
Flowering period
The most important time for which a plant is grown is the flowering time. The first Afelander flowers begin to bloom in June and delight everyone for 6 weeks. The amount of color depends on the age of the plant.
Important! After completing the color, it must be removed so that the fruit does not appear. Why? Because after its appearance, the plant can complete its life cycle. It is necessary to clean the peduncles with care, their juice is poisonous.
It is time for the lush flowering of the aphelandra squarossa plant
How is Afelander propagated?
At home, the propagation of the flower is possible by seeds and cuttings.
Seed germination
Sow well-ripened seeds in a container with a mixture of sheet soil and sand. The earth needs to be well moistened with warm water with a weak solution of manganese. Germination is carried out in a greenhouse or in a house at a temperature of +25 degrees. The soil must be regularly ventilated. When the sprouts grow, transplant them into flower pots.
Rooting cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is the most affordable. In spring, choose an annual shoot on the plant. Cut it so that it has 2-3 leaves, and treat it with a stimulator of root formation. Plant in a pot with peat-sandy soil or in a greenhouse. Cover with glass or cellophane to create a greenhouse effect. Ventilate daily for 10 minutes. Rooting occurs at 22 degrees Celsius 1.5-2 months. Then planted root cuttings in flower containers.
Plant transplant
Afelander is recommended to transplant. Young plants in the spring, and the grown bushes - once in 2-3 years. If you need to transplant a newly purchased specimen or to sprout germinated seeds, you need to perform several actions common to all cases:
Afelandra transplant is not easy
- Buy or prepare independently a substrate consisting of turf, peat and river sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.
- Be sure to disinfect it.
- Pour drainage of expanded clay or small pebbles onto ¼ of the pot to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour 4 cm thick soil on top to plant adult plants.
- Prepared bushes with peeled stems and washed roots are placed vertically in the ground, its remains are filled up and well rammed.
- For planting seedlings or acquired young plants, the soil in pots is prepared according to the same scheme, only it is laid out all at once.
- After that, plants are planted in it and watered well.
On a note. For transplanting afelandra, you need to choose dishes 5-7 cm higher than the previous one. If parts of the root have been removed, the plant must be watered with Kornevin's solution twice: after planting and after 14 days.
Possible problems in growing afelander
Quite often, after transplants, a number of problems arise. Globally, the causes of their appearance can be divided into 2 groups: violations in care or the presence of diseases or pests. To determine the actions, you need to identify the reason.
Leaves fall or fade with little watering, cold drafts, too bright sun or lack of mineral nutrition.
The leaves become smaller in a close pot or with a lack of fertilizer.
The brown edge of the foliage indicates a lack of moisture, brown spots - a lack of fresh air or burns from sunlight.
When afflicted with a thyroid gland, mealybug or brown rot, a plant can not only lose its leaves, but also die if it is not urgent to take special measures. Aphid also does great harm to the afelander, attacking it with entire colonies.
Every day grows the attention of gardeners to the cultivation of southern ornamental plants in their areas. Spring and summer in most regions are short and not warm enough. Residents of the tropics need a lot of sun, heat and plenty of moisture. Lovers of indoor plants want to have a small corner of a tropical paradise in their apartment. Best of all for the role of the queen of this paradise place is an Afelander.
