Spathiphyllum, because of the unfolded, white flag-like veil, is often called the Lily of Peace, the White Sail. He first appeared in Europe in 1824 after it was discovered by Gustav Wallis in the jungle of Columbia, in memory of this one of the species bears his name.
This is one of the most popular indoor plants. Spathiphyllum is grown mainly for the sake of white, sticking up on thin stems of bedspreads, which contrast beautifully with large green leaves. They are very simple in content, grow well at home and in offices. Spathiphyllum can even be used to teach children how to care for indoor flowers. And if everyone knew about the beneficial properties, about the ability to filter out very harmful substances from the air, such as benzene, formaldehydes, trichlorethylene, xylene and ammonia, then, probably, spathiphyllums would become the most beloved plants.
Spathiphyllums are tropical rainforest plants where they have to deal with some hardships. Dwelling in the shade of large trees, these plants do not require a lot of light. Experiencing possible periods of drought, they can tolerate a slight neglect of watering at home, but they absolutely do not tolerate the cold, do not tolerate even a short-term exposure to negative temperatures.
But even the most unpretentious plants require compliance with some rules in caring for them.
Illumination. There is a strong belief that spathiphyllums love shade. This is not entirely true; they prefer bright, diffused light without direct sunlight. They can put up with poor lighting, when they practically stop growing, stop blooming, but remain alive. Spathiphyllums are comfortable on any window sills. On south-facing windows, place a pot with a plant behind a light tulle or a little in the back of the room, you can on the side of the window, it is only important to avoid direct exposure to the leaves of summer sunlight, which can cause burns. Spathiphyllums grow and bloom well under bright artificial light. In winter, it is useful to provide them with illumination, then growth and flowering will continue.
Temperature. Originally from the tropics, spathiphyllums are thermophilic. They cannot stand even a second stay in the frosty air, the leaves turn black and die off after a few hours, so after buying in winter, take care of careful warm packaging. At home, spathiphyllums are comfortable, like a person, at normal room temperature. In winter, they do not need coolness, keep the temperature at least + 16 ° C. Avoid drafts, especially cold ones. Plants do not like a strong flow of even warm air. If the plant stands on the windowsill in winter, then for control, be sure to put a thermometer next to the bottom of the pot, sometimes the temperature near the window is 10-15 degrees lower than in the room itself.
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Watering. Spathiphyllums can be considered moisture-loving plants, provided that the soil is very porous, where no stagnant water occurs. The roots need to have access to moisture and air at the same time. If, with abundant watering, the pores of the soil are occupied with water for a long time, the access of air stops, the roots rot. Water abundantly, before the water comes out into the pan, remove the excess after 15-30 minutes. Let the topsoil dry between waterings.
Spathiphyllums are adapted to overcome short periods of drought in nature, so it is better to water a little later, at the first signs of leaf drooping, than to regularly flood the soil. The best way to avoid waterlogging with frequent abundant watering is to add a sufficient amount of perlite to the soil and not greatly increase the pot when replanting.
Sometimes you can give the plant a warm shower, combining it with watering time. This will remove dust and mites from large leaves and restore their shine.
Read more in the article Watering rules for indoor plants.
Air humidity it is desirable to keep it high.In winter, with the heating devices on, spray the leaves with warm boiled water several times a day. Or install a humidifier, but not near the plant, cold steam will cause frostbite.
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Soil and transplants. For spathiphyllum, a high-moor peat-based soil is well suited. In such a substrate, the plants are marketed, so there is no need to try to replace it during the first transplant. All transplants are carried out only by careful handling, damage to the roots can lead to their rapid decay. At least, after replacing the soil, the leaves lose their turgor, and the plant is sick for a long time. If there was a tough transplant, place the spathiphyllum in a greenhouse or under a transparent hood to reduce the loss of moisture from the leaves with poorly functioning roots. To add a coma to the bottom and sides, a ready-made universal soil is suitable (for aroid, ornamental-deciduous plants). For better drainage, add about ¼ volume of perlite to it. Spathiphyllum tolerates accurate transshipment very well.
It is believed that a plant in a cramped pot blooms better, so do not increase the volume too much, the new pot should be only 2-3 cm larger than the previous one, and transfer it only when the clod is tightly braided by roots.
- Soils and soil mixtures for indoor plants
- Transplanting indoor plants
Top dressing. Spathiphyllum does not need increased nutrition, the introduction of large doses will cause the appearance of brown spots on the leaves and bedspreads. But the lack will stunt growth. Feed the plant during growth periods (without lighting - from spring to autumn, with additional lighting in winter - all year round) ¼ dose of complex universal fertilizers for indoor plants with microelements.
Read more in the article Top dressing of indoor plants.
Bloom. When purchased, the plant has many white blankets, which remain with proper care for several more months. But in the future, such abundant flowering no longer occurs, usually only 1-3 bedspreads are opened on the plant at a time. And the question arises, what is wrong with leaving? If the plant looks healthy, then the care is correct. Such an abundant flowering in the store is the result of a special cultivation in nurseries, using gibberellic acid. It is a kind of hormone that stimulates spathiphyllum to bloom. Such a state is abnormal for a plant, and trying to start this mechanism at home can greatly deplete and lead to its death. Therefore, we will enjoy, albeit not so abundant, but the natural flowering of our favorite plant. Favorable conditions, sufficient bright lighting and a small pot will contribute to it.
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Caution in handling. The cell juice of spathiphyllum contains calcium oxalate. In the quantities that can get inside the plant, this substance will not cause poisoning. The irritant effect, however, can be quite severe, especially on sensitive skin, especially in young children and pets. It is not recommended to place the plant in the room if it is accessible to children under 5 years old who can chew the leaves. If the skin of the hands is prone to irritation, carry out all work with the plant with gloves.
Pruning. Spathiphyllums have a shortened stem, and the leaves are collected in dense basal rosettes; the plants do not need pruning that limits the size. Over time, the lower leaves turn yellow and die off from old age, it is enough to carefully cut them with pruners close to the stem, the remaining part will soon dry out and it will be easy to remove it. Old plants, in which the lower part of the stem has grown strongly and is bare, can be rejuvenated by cutting off the top with leaves and rooting it in water, perlite or sphagnum.
Read more in the article Methods for the formation of indoor plants.
Reproduction at home it is carried out in a vegetative way, separation of daughter plants. Some varieties abundantly give such growth at the base of the stem, others form it only occasionally.A young plant can be separated already with roots and planted in the ground, or earlier, carefully cut off from the mother stem with a clean blade, and then rooted in water, in a greenhouse in sphagnum or perlite.
When transplanting, it is possible to neatly divide a heavily overgrown specimen into several parts. But you should not plant each plant separately, this leads to a loss of decorativeness and severe damage to the roots.
Pests... Spathiphyllum in dry air can be affected by a tick - regularly arrange a warm shower to wash off a large amount of the parasite, improve the conditions of detention, treat with acaricide if necessary. The plant is also affected by mealybugs, scale insects, aphids - treat with a systemic insecticide (Aktara, Confidor).
Read more in the article Houseplant pests and control measures.
Possible problems when growing spathiphyllum
- Droplets on the tips of the leaves - this is guttation, the normal process of getting rid of excess moisture, characteristic of members of the aroid family. Often seen in wet weather after heavy watering.
- The bedspread turned green - this happens naturally after flowering ends. It's time to remove the peduncle.
- Leaves droop... In most cases, this is caused by overdrying. Do not allow the soil to dry out strongly, observe the irrigation regime. Prolonged water shortages will lead to leaf damage. Check the condition of the soil (with your hand the top layer or by the weight of the pot, with a dry substrate it will become light), and if it is dry, water the plant abundantly and spray the leaves with warm water. If the soil is damp, then the loss of turgor can be caused, on the contrary, by overmoistening, when water fills all the pores, the roots cannot absorb it without air access. In this case, carefully remove the lump from the pot, wrap it several times in paper towels or newspaper to remove excess moisture, let it dry to a slightly damp state, and return to the pot. Other reasons may be cooling of the roots (move the plant from a cold windowsill to a warm place and spill it with lukewarm water), excessive application of salts with fertilizers (rinse the soil from above with plenty of water).
- Loss of turgor after transplantation occurs due to damage to the roots when replacing the soil. Carry out the transplant correctly, only with careful transshipment, without breaking the coma. The plant after a hard transplant needs resuscitation, place it in a greenhouse with high air humidity or under a transparent hood, water and spray once a week (or less often) with a solution of Zircon, 4 drops per liter of water.
- Black spots on the leaves - the reason may be over-watering for a long time. If only the tips are dry, it is caused by dry air. Spots around the edges of leaves are often caused by excessive fertilization. Dry brown spots appear as a result of sunburn.
- Yellow leaves... A yellowing single lowest leaf is the norm for spathiphyllum, this is the natural dying off of the old leaf. If a lot of leaves turn yellow at the same time, then the plant is burning in direct sun or constant waterlogging occurs - move it to a less illuminated place and adjust watering. Yellow leaves with dry crunchy zones indicate prolonged overdrying.
