Nerter belongs to the Marenov family. Mexico and South America are considered her homeland. This is a low creeping plant, with small rounded leaves and white flowers, which then turn into berries. It is also called coral moss.
Main types
Currently, there are about 12 species of nerter. In Russia, nerter is a plant of one year. To grow a plant for a longer period, it is necessary to create favorable conditions.
Coral moss
There are several varieties that are particularly popular. They are loved for a beautiful cluster of bright berries.
Nertera granadensis
Nerter Granada, or Nerter Granadensis, from Mexico. This is a short perennial with green stems and small leaves. The sheet is elongated, semicircular, with a length of 3 to 7 mm.
Flowering begins in May. The flowers are small, yellow-green. When the plant fades, small berries form. They do not crumble for a long time, creating a beautiful composition. This is due to the high popularity of Granter Nerter.
Providing Nerter Granadensis mix home care in accordance with all the recommendations, you can get a beautiful decorative flower, sprinkled with bright berries.
Nertera astrid
Nerter Astrid has the second name Nerter Orange. It is due to the close arrangement of orange berries, while the leaves are very small.
Nertera Granodenzis
During the period of berries, the flower looks like a bright orange ball.
Nertera depressa
Nerter pinned brought from South America. It is a low, ground cover plant. After flowering, it is sprinkled with small orange berries. If you plant a flower in a container, it will completely cover it, forming a green-orange composition.
Nertera balfouriana
Nertera Balfura is a stunted plant. It differs from other species in long stems with green rounded leaves. This species has white flowers, small, similar to asterisks. When ripe, the berries are orange, in the form of a droplet.
Droplet-shaped berry
In the nature of Nerter the flower has been growing for several years. In culture - cultivated as an annual plant.
Cultivation and care
Although the plant is small, it is very demanding on the growing conditions. He needs warmth, but direct sunlight is fatal. In addition to the temperature regime, it is necessary to create a certain humidity. And for wintering you need a special mode. Only under certain conditions does nerter grow. Home care, in compliance with all recommendations, will allow you to cultivate it as a perennial.
Watering
During the growth period, watering is carried out 2 times a week, they monitor the soil moisture. In winter, the soil is kept slightly moist, watered with caution and rarely. In the spring, when leaflets appear, watering begins as usual.
Temperature
For good growth, nerter heat is not needed. In the active period (spring, summer), the favorable temperature regime is + 20-22 degrees. In autumn, the temperature begins to gradually decrease, by the end of autumn, maintaining in the region of + 10-12 degrees. The plant hibernates at +10 degrees in good light. When wintering, the room is ventilated. With the beginning of spring, when the temperature is set at not lower than +5 degrees, the flower is taken out into the street. Choose a place where there are no drafts. Nerter is brought into the room after the appearance of berries.
Humidity
During the growth period for nerter, they maintain a certain humidity. To do this, spray it. They take boiled water. As soon as the first flowers bloom, the procedure is stopped and water is not allowed on the berries. To ensure the desired level of humidity, a container with a flower is placed in a tray with wet peat.
Important! The water pot itself should not be in contact.
Also, to create a favorable microclimate, an air humidifier is used.
Illumination
The flower is placed in partial shade, as it does not tolerate direct sunlight. In winter, the room where the seal is standing should be well lit. Additionally use artificial light. At the same time, its source should be at a distance of about 0.5 m from the flower, otherwise the stems will stretch out and the plants will become unattractive.
Soil and fertilizing
For good growth, choose loose soil that retains moisture well. You can cook it yourself, for this they mix in equal parts:
- humus;
- peat;
- sheet earth;
- turf land;
- sand.
During growth, fertilizing with complex fertilizer is carried out monthly.
Breeding methods
There are 2 ways to breed nerter:
- Division of rhizomes;
- The seeds.
Each of the landing methods is used in a certain period.
Rhizome division
The beginning of summer, when the berries are showered, is the time for propagation by cuttings. Separate part of the rhizome and drip into the prepared soil. There should be drainage at the bottom of the pot. For its manufacture, expanded clay or clay shards are used.
Seeds
Midsummer - time for sowing nettse seeds. First, a soil mixture is prepared: sand, leaf soil and peat are taken in equal proportions. Drainage is mandatory at the bottom of the tank. Seeds are sown on a moistened surface, making sure that they do not touch each other. They are sprinkled with a small layer of soil, which is moistened with a spray bottle. Put the container in heat. As soon as the shoots appear, the container is placed on the windowsill, shaded so that direct sunlight does not damage the thin stems. Watered when the soil dries.
Interesting. Seeds have different germination. 30 days after sowing, the first sprouts hatch. The last shoots can rise by the end of the third month.
Features of Nerter fruit
After flowering, which lasts several weeks, the fruits appear - small spherical berries. They look like beads. There are so many of them that green is almost invisible.
As they mature, they change color. At first they are pale green. Then they turn pale, turn white, then cream, gradually acquiring different shades of orange (depending on the variety).
Color berry mix
The berries ripen unevenly, so the plant is sprinkled with colorful fruits for a long period. Ripe berries shine beautifully in artificial light.
Poison content
Since the decorativeness of a plant is caused by a large amount of poison, it is a danger. In homes where there are young children, you should be especially careful when growing poisonous nerter.
It is recommended to be careful when transplanting seeds. It is advised to take berries in hands with gloves.
Interesting. Studies have shown that the toxicity of berries is exaggerated. During the experiment it was found that a child can eat up to 20 berries without harm to health.
When growing seals, one can encounter a number of difficulties: shrinking the fruit, changing the color of the leaves or drying them, rotting the stems. All difficulties can be overcome. If you follow all the recommendations for the care of salsa, you can get a beautiful coral berry. It will become a real decoration at home. Particularly attractive, the flower looks like a table decoration, creating a competition for living bouquets.
