Strelitzia is a plant with flowers of an unusual shape. Its popular name is "bird of paradise", the reason is a strange flower stalk that really looks like the head of an unusual bird with a colorful crest. In the wild, it is found only in southern Africa and Madagascar - there this shrub reaches a height of 10 meters and is often confused with a banana tree.
Types of Strelitzia
Only five varieties of this flowering exot are known.
The most common types:
- Indoor Strelitzia will be quite low compared to wild sisters. The leaves reach a height of up to a meter, over time, their rosette becomes stiff, creating a stem. The lower part of the inflorescence is purple, the upper flowers are white.
- Royal or Strelitzia reginae, also not small for indoor breeding. Its bush can reach up to 2 meters in length. Flowers of unusual bright colors, combine fiery orange and blue flowers. The most popular way to acquire royal strelitzia is to grow from seeds.
With this unusual flower you can easily add a twist to the decor of any room
Strelitzia - home care
The flower is very unpretentious in care. The main thing for its full growth and flowering is enough free space around.
Basic care for Strelitzia:
- Temperature.
Strelitzia is not too thermophilic - the summer range is 23-25 ° C, in the winter 15-17 ° C. In other conditions it will not feel comfortable, it is unlikely to show the best properties.
It's important to know! The plant tolerates temperature extremes remarkably. For flowering, daily temperature differences are very important.
- There are no special requirements for humidity.
On too hot days, spraying is useful, in the summer period - periodic rubbing of leaves or showers.
This type of room beauty has the name Augustus or just a white strelitzia.
If the tips of the leaves begin to turn yellow - this is a clear sign that the plant lacks moisture.
- Watering is moderate but frequent.
In summer, the soil should always be moist, but without stagnation of water in the roots and in the sump.
In winter, watering is reduced, you need to dry the first centimeters of soil between waterings.
- Top dressing
From the beginning of spring to autumn, it is necessary to nourish with organic and mineral fertilizing once every 1.5-2 weeks.
When and how it blooms
Most of the domesticated specimens blooms in early spring, but with proper care, inflorescences can appear twice a year - in March and October.
It's important to know! Only an adult plant that has reached its fifth birthday can bloom.
Lack of flowering can be for several reasons:
- Not enough space. Such a sprawling bush needs a lot of space, Strelitzia in the house should have its own plot. If the plant is limited in space, it does not consider it necessary to multiply.
- Not enough light. Another factor affecting the full growth of the flower. With insufficient light, the flower and fruit will not be able to ripen, so the plant will not initially release it.
- There is no rest period during withdrawal. Strelitzia flowers only after a period of sleep. If the plant is in the active phase year-round, it will only grow the root system and greenery.
Rest period
To shake the beauty, she is placed in conditions with a temperature of 12-14 degrees for three weeks and reduce watering as much as possible. This artificial dream will be a great impetus for the flower to eject inflorescences, which, after two months, will delight you with beautiful flowering.
It's important to know! Temperatures below 12 degrees are destructive for Strelitzia, so the rest period must be carefully organized.
Experienced flower growers arrange a dormancy period for their phyto-friend twice a year - in winter and summer, respectively, and they receive flowering twice a year - in spring and autumn.
Unusual and beautiful flower will delight the hosts, surprise guests
Plant transplant
A young plant requires annual transplantation into a larger pot. An adult is transplanted once every 2-3 years.
The pot needs more deep than wide - the roots grow in length. Since the root system is very fragile, the transplant looks like transshipment. But it is important to inspect the roots for rot and remove damaged areas.
The soil needs a very nutritious of equal parts of leaf, sod land and humus. For looseness add half as much sand or peat. A good layer of drainage will protect the roots from stagnation of water and the formation of rot and fungus.
It's important to know! Adult plants are planted in large tubs and flowerpots.
Breeding methods
To grow a young plant, you should be patient, since you can only collect seeds or divide rhizomes from an adult five-year-old flower.
Seeds
At home, Strelitzia seeds rarely appear from seeds - the plant is difficult to pollinate. Seeds lose their viability over time, so when buying, it is important to pay attention to the date of packing of the seed.
Before planting, you need to soak the seed for a day in water with a temperature of 30-35 ° C, which must be maintained all the time. After the seeds, they are cleaned of the remnants of the fetus, the black protective shell is removed and planted in cups or in a box (at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other).
The mixture for planting should consist of peat, sand and compost in equal parts. Sunflower seeds must be pressed into the ground without dripping, covered with glass from above and not opened until the first leaves appear.
When growing it is important:
- maintaining a temperature of 22-25 degrees;
- plentiful lighting, but not direct sunlight;
- moderate soil moisture.
It's important to know!The first seedlings can be seen after 1.5 months. Sometimes this process is delayed up to 6 months.
When the first two leaves appear, the seedling is ready to root in a large pot and nutrient soil.
Parts of the bush
The root layers are easiest to divide. This process does not take as much time as with the seed method.
When transplanting, you need to separate the sockets along with the root system, if it is damaged, treat it with charcoal.
It's important to know! When dividing the bush, the delenki should have growth points - stalks or sockets.
In warm countries, as an ornament of flower beds and flower arrangements on the open ground
Side shoots
Rarely can a plant acquire side shoots; it is important to wait until roots form on such shoots.
In this case, the baby is ready for a full independent existence. Such shoots are planted immediately in a nutrient substrate and looked after as an adult flower.
Strelitzia is a flower worthy of the attention of any person who loves exotic flowers. In the conditions of decorative breeding, this beauty can be increasingly found among indoor flowers.
