Reo is a plant from the Commeline family. Homeland - African and American tropics. A number of nerds include it in the genus "Tradescantia". Common people call "the rook of Moses."
Description
Reo is a perennial plant with long foliage (about 30 centimeters), which has a different color. The top of the leaves is green, the color below is from green to purple. Given the variety, leaf plates can have longitudinal stripes of different colors, from purple to burgundy.
The stem is dense and erect, the root system is well developed.
The flowers are small, the color is white. A feature of reo is that the flowers begin to bloom at the base of the leaves, take shelter in two or three bracts.
Types for indoor breeding
Indoor types of reo include:
- Stripe in Pink (simply pink in Russian) is a decorative flower with light pink stripes on the foliage. The severity of the bands depends on the quality of lighting.
- Spathacea Vittata - the outside of the foliage is sandy, the inside is pinkish.
- Vittata is a flower with compact dimensions, the lower part of the foliage is purple, on the upper part there are saturated yellow stripes on a green background.
- Hawaiian Dwarf - has multi-colored leaves (three colors are combined: green, white or pink).
- Compacta - violet-green foliage, a high level of bushiness.
- Rheo vesicle (mottled) - boat-shaped foliage, there are lilac stripes.
Home Care
Home care for reo depends on the season:
| Parameter | Spring Summer | Autumn winter |
| Location and lighting | It is preferable to place in a bright room, but hiding from direct sunlight. A suitable place is considered to be windows facing east and west. | |
| Temperature | + 22- + 24 degrees. | + 14- + 17 degrees. |
| Humidity | Moderate humidity is suitable. The plant should be sprayed. During the flowering period, the procedure should be abandoned. Humidity is moderate. Spraying is not carried out. | |
| Watering | Intensive watering is required (once every two to three days), while moisture retention in the soil should not be allowed. Watering is done with soft water, which is infused for several days before use. | Watering is done every 7 days. |
| Top dressing | Fertilized twice a month. Any complex action mineral fertilizer that is intended for plants grown indoors is used. | Feeding is not performed. |
Transplant: pot, soil, step-by-step description
The plant is not demanding on the soil, as a rule, they use universal soil for decorative and deciduous plants. If desired, you can independently make a substrate by combining sod, leaf, humus soil, fine sand and peat in different proportions.
Reo transplantation is performed annually in the spring. The pot you need to buy a larger diameter, wide and deep. It is recommended to transfer the plant from the old to the new capacity by the transshipment method, being careful not to damage the earthen lump near the root system.
Adult plants need to be transplanted 2-3 times a year.
For proper transplantation, it is recommended to follow the step-by-step instructions:
- A 2-3 cm thick drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the new flowerpot, expanded clay, crushed red brick and river pebbles are used. A small amount of soil mixture is poured on top.
- The shrub is carefully removed from the old pot and transferred to the center of the new. To prevent shedding of earth from the roots, a few hours before transplanting, it is recommended to water the plant.
- The voids between the walls of the pot and the earthen lump are filled with fresh earth, a little rammed by hand. It is not necessary to strongly crush the soil, since its moisture and air permeability can be impaired.
Breeding
When growing reo in artificial conditions, it can be propagated in the following ways:
- Cuttings. The cuttings are cut from the main bush, and then placed in a moist substrate of fine sand and peat. After the appendix has a root system, it is transplanted into ordinary soil. You can also germinate the stalk in an aquatic environment, then only foliage remains on it, which does not come into contact with water.
- Division. An adult plant is taken, taken out of the pot, gently brushed off and divided into several parts. All parts should be approximately the same size, and the root system should be sufficiently developed.
- Seeds Fresh seeds are taken and placed in a mixture of sand and peat, often watered. After the appearance of seedlings are placed in ordinary soil.
Mistakes in care and their elimination
| Symptom | Cause | Elimination |
| The lower foliage dries and falls. | For adult plants, this is normal, since the lower part of the shoots is exposed with age. | No action required. |
| Young leaves fall. | Excessive soil moisture. | The frequency of watering is reduced. In advanced cases, the soil in the pot is replaced. |
| The tips of the foliage dry and turn brown. | Insufficient humidity and dry air in the room. | The frequency of irrigation is adjusted. Occasionally, a plant needs to be sprayed. |
| Blanching. | Watering with a liquid containing a large amount of calcium and chlorine. Bad light. | For irrigation, boiled or purified water should be used. The plant moves to a brighter place. |
Diseases, pests
Of the pests, the most dangerous for reo are scale insects. When these insects are detected on the leaves, the flower is treated with a soap solution. Previously manually removed adult insects. With severe infection, damaged foliage is removed, and the bush is sprayed with insecticides such as Fitoverm and Aktara.
With frequent watering, the plant may suffer from root or stem rot. In this case, the bush is removed from the pot, the root system is examined, all diseased areas are removed.
Mr. Summer resident recommends: Reo - a home healer
According to folk signs and superstitions, a reo-healing plant. It is recommended to be used for such pathologies:
- rheumatism (in the form of compresses);
- wounds on the skin (the sheet is crushed, placed on an injured place and bandaged);
- bowel disease (drink in the form of a decoction, which is prepared for 20 minutes).
Among the mystical properties of a flower, its ability to give people creative energy and protect the hearth is highlighted.
