Fittonia is a delicate herbaceous plant with flexible shoots and an unusual contrasting pattern along the veins. It belongs to the Acanthus family and lives in Peru and other countries of South America. Although Fittonia can bloom, in culture it is prized precisely for its beauty and exquisite pattern on soft leaves. Compact vegetation is suitable for small rooms. It will completely hide the soil in the pot and can be used in company with houseplants. The nature of the tropical guest is rather obstinate, so at home you will have to strictly follow the rules of care, otherwise the lush bush will not grow.
Plant description
Fittonia is a herbaceous perennial. It consists of flexible branched shoots that creep on the ground. The height of the shoot does not exceed 10 cm. The root system of Fittonia is superficial, fibrous. Soft fleecy stems, when in contact with the soil, also take root quickly.
Opposite petiole oval leaves grow on shoots close to each other. They have a blunt edge and a smooth surface. On the back there is a rare short pile. The leaf length is 6-10 cm. Shining thin strips are located along the veins on the olive-green leaf plate. On young leaves, they are painted in silver, yellow or pink, and with age become greenish.
In spring or summer, a long bare peduncle grows from the sinuses of the leaves. It carries many small buds collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Flowers bloom in turn from the bottom up. They do not represent aesthetic value. Small yellow corollas of the correct form are located close to each other and sit tight on the shoot. From the bottom they are hidden by a single large bract. The diameter of the flower with bract does not exceed 1 cm.
Indoor varieties of Fittonia
The genus Fittonia is small. It has only 10 plant species. Of these, only a few are used as indoor flowers.
Fittonia Vershaffelt. This species has received the greatest distribution. On its basis, several spectacular decorative varieties were bred. The plant consists of flexible branched stems covered with a silvery short pile. Oval or ovoid leaves are large in size. Their length is 5-10 cm, and their width is 4-5 cm. The base of the sheet plate is rounded and takes a weakly expressed heart-shaped shape. The surface of the leaf is olive or dark green. On it are silver or carmine-red veins. Varieties:
- silver fittonia - smaller leaves are covered with a gray-white mesh;
- Fittonia red - the mesh along the veins is colored red, pink or purple with a more saturated center or, on the contrary, the edge;
- josan - leaves with wavy edges and a lighter center are covered with a pink mesh and edged with a dark green stripe;
- White Anna - dark green leaves with a lighter center are covered with a silvery very thin mesh.
Giant Fittonia (large). The only view with upright branched shoots. Its height reaches 60 cm. Red-violet stems are covered with soft nap. Large oval leaves on short petioles grow on them. The size of the sheet plate is 10-16 cm in length and 4-10 cm in width. The surface of the sheet is shiny. A small red pattern is visible on a dark green leaf.
Breeding methods
Indoor flower Fittonia reproduces well in vegetative ways. The best time for procedures is spring or summer, when daylight hours are large enough.
To get a new plant from the cuttings, cut off the top of the shoot from 8 cm long. It should have 3-5 healthy leaves. Rooting is carried out in wet sand or in water at a temperature of + 26 ... + 28 ° C. It is necessary to cover the plant with a plastic bag. Several times a week, the cap is removed and condensate removed. The process takes 1.5-2 months. With the advent of roots, cuttings can be planted in the ground for adult plants.
A highly overgrown bush should be divided into several parts during transplantation. To do this, remove the flower from the pot and with great care release it from the earthen coma. It is important to inflict minimum rhizome damage. With a sharp blade, the plant is divided into parts and immediately planted separately.
Since the processes of Fittonia independently root upon contact with the soil, reproduction by layering is the most painless and fast. It is enough to bend the shoot to the soil in the same pot or in another container and slightly press down. The top should remain free. Only after root formation is the sprout cut off from the mother plant.
Home Care
Fittonia is a demanding plant that needs a few minutes of attention daily. To go on a long vacation and leave the flower unattended will not work.
Lighting. A flower pot is placed in place with bright diffused light. It can be an east or west window. On the southern windowsill, on a summer afternoon, leaves are shaded so that there are no burns. In winter or on the north window, use the backlight. With insufficient lighting, the stems stretch and the distance between the nodes increases, the contrast of the pattern on the leaves also decreases.
Temperature. Heat-loving fittonia is necessary to ensure a warm content throughout the year. The optimum temperature is + 22 ... + 25 ° C. In winter, it can be slightly reduced (to 18 ° C). If it’s too hot in summer, you need to ventilate the room more often. Putting a flower outside is not recommended. In our climate, night cooling will be too harsh for him. Drafts are also detrimental to the plant.
Humidity. Fittonia needs high humidity. It is sprayed daily or placed near ponds, pallets with moss and wet expanded clay. Thanks to its miniature size, it is convenient to grow a flower in an aquarium or a large bulb, where its microclimate is maintained.
Watering. In the warm season, Fittonia is often and abundantly watered. The soil should dry only on the surface. However, stagnation of water should not be allowed. All excess immediately after watering is removed from the pan. At lower temperatures, irrigation and spraying are reduced so that fungus does not develop.
Fertilizers In April-October, twice a month, Fittonia is fed with a mineral complex. Better use half a serving at a time. The composition is diluted in water for irrigation and applied to the soil.
Pruning. Over time, the shoots may become too long and bare at the bottom. To prevent this, you need to regularly pinch the tips and cut the flower. In the spring carry out pruning. The stems are shortened by half. Too radical a haircut can slow down growth and reduce decorativeness, so it is better to carry it out a little in several stages.
Transfer. A plant with a superficial rhizome is placed in flat and wide pots. The mix of fittonia looks very beautiful in a rectangular or round wide pot, where interesting compositions are composed of several miniature plants, like a carpet woven by a skilled craftsman. A thick drainage layer is necessarily laid out at the bottom. The space between the roots is filled with a soil mixture of equal parts:
- sand;
- coniferous land;
- sheet land;
- peat.
Transplantation is preferably carried out annually. Fittonia quickly grows, so after 2-3 years it is completely rejuvenated.
Difficulty in care
The most common diseases of Fittonia are fungal infections (root rot, powdery mildew, leaf mosaic). They occur when using a poor-quality substrate, contact with another infected plant, as well as improper watering and low room temperatures.
Among the pests, scab, spider mite and mealybug are distinguished. Parasites are collected by hand or treated with an insecticide ("Aktara", "Aktellik").
With improper care, the appearance of Fittonia significantly deteriorates, but the situation can be corrected if agricultural machinery is corrected. Here are the main issues:
- leaves dry and curl from the edge - low humidity;
- faded brownish leaves - lack of fertilizer;
- leaves wither and curl - watering is necessary;
- rotting stems and petioles - exposure to drafts and low temperatures;
- the sheet plate becomes thinner and faded — too bright a light.
