If you want to decorate your home without resorting to significant financial costs, then anthurium is your option. This plant looks quite strict, but at the same time elegant. It is able to decorate a house, apartment or even an office. The plant, despite the rather catchy appearance, has a flexible character. You just need to follow certain rules. In this review, we will consider what an anthurium flower is, how to care for it, the diseases to which it is susceptible, and other issues.
History of Appearance
The handsome anthurium is one of the most attractive and representative houseplants today. It may well become the pride of the home collection. But beginner flower growers are afraid to grow anthurium. Care at home, diseases and their treatment - all this seems to them terribly difficult. However, this does not prevent the plant from remaining on the list of the most popular exotic species, despite the fact that the cost of the flower is far from the lowest.
Anthurium originates from South and Central America. It is common in Argentina, Mexico and Paraguay. Anthurium grows in subtropical and tropical regions, as well as in mountainous areas. The flower is often found in lowland areas. You can find anthurium at an altitude of 3400 meters above sea level. The flower was first described in 1929. Since the anthurium had a rather capricious character, it was not widely used. It was grown only in greenhouses, where it was possible to create the conditions necessary for growth. With the advent of the first hybrids adapted to more familiar conditions for human life, anthurium began to gain popularity.
Name
Before we start talking about anthurium indoor flowers and their diseases, we should mention the nickname of this plant. It is also known as red tongue, flamingo flower, male happiness. If you translate the name "anthurium" literally from Latin, you get "tail flower", which very well describes the appearance of the plant. This unusual flower is often associated with a legend about a girl who chose death at the stake instead of marrying an unloved person. In the place where the beauty died, these flowers grew. The story itself is very sad. Anthurium is considered a symbol of love and fidelity. This plant can be a wonderful wedding gift for newlyweds.
Description and characteristics
Anthurium flower belongs to the Aroid family. In nature, there are herbaceous and climbing forms of this plant. Treelikeinstances are much rarer. As for the species, for the most part they are epiphytes and semi-epiphys. Lithophytes, or plants that can grow among rocks, are much rarer. The culture can reach a height of 40-80 cm. It has thickened stems with short internodes. The leaf plate, depending on the type of plant, may have a different shape. There are specimens with rounded, heart-shaped, spatulate and even arrow-shaped leaves. The apex may be pointed or blunt. The leaves themselves can have a different texture, as well as solid or complex shapes. Usually their structure is leathery and dense, but there are also quite fragile specimens resembling parchment paper. As for the surface of the sheet, it can be either glossy or semi-gloss. Sometimes there are types of anthurium with matte processes.
Flowers stand out especially brightly among the lush and rich greenery of anthurium. In their structure, they are leathery and hard, they can have a different color. Most often in nature there are green and white varieties. Varieties grown for indoor breeding may have a more saturated color. So, for example, on sale today you can find bright red and orange options. There are also hybrids with multicolor coloring. The inflorescence may be spiral, globular or club-shaped.
Anthurium has a wide variety of colors and shades. The root system is aerial. It is covered with dead hygroscopic tissue, which is also called velamen. It is thanks to this element that anthuriums are able to easily tolerate alternating dry periods and high humidity.
Varieties
There are over 500 types of anthuriums. Modern scientists even claim that they know about 900 names.
Let's consider the most common and popular varieties in indoor floriculture:
- Anthurium Andre: perennial herbaceous plant. Leaves in the shape of an elongated heart are on long petioles. Their plate is quite dense, green in color with a semi-gloss surface. It can have a different color - from white to bright red. The inflorescence is shaped like a yellow cob. The plant has excellent decorative characteristics and is widely used among flower growers.
- Anthurium Andre Champion: medium sized culture with amazing coloration. The leaves are dark green, leathery. Inflorescences are small. Champion is famous for their number. Depending on the variety, the color of the plant may be yellowish or pink.
- Anthurium Scherzer: an aboveground flower with a short stem. The petioles on which the leaves are located can be from 4 to 20 cm long. The leaves are elliptical or lanceolate in shape. They have a dense structure and a matte surface. The flower for this variety is the main distinguishing feature. It has a bright orange color. Its surface is glossy, the inflorescence is shaped like an ear, twisted in a spiral. This variety is widely used among flower growers.
- Anthurium Crystal: the leaves of the flower are quite large, in lengthcan be up to 40 cm. In shape, they resemble elongated ovals with a pointed top. This variety is highly valued for its rather unusual coloration. The vein areas stand out in contrast against a dark green background. The inflorescence itself resembles a yellow cob tapering in shape.
- Baker's Anthurium: the stems of the plant can be up to 10 cm long. The leaves have an elliptical-lanceolate shape. Their length is from 20 to 55 cm. The plate is painted dark green and has a matte surface. The flowers are quite modest. They are located below the level of foliage. The inflorescence itself is a cream-colored cob, up to 11 cm long.
- Anthurium mix: a hybrid variety obtained by crossing Scherzer and Andre species. It grows well indoors and does not require special attention. The plants are compact in size and come in a variety of colors.
Caring for anthurium at home
So what do you need to know about this? Growing anthurium at home is not too easy. However, nothing is impossible. It is enough to study a number of simple recommendations, and you can grow this exotic handsome man at home. This beautiful flower will easily decorate any environment. In return, he needs only a little time.
Water and humidity
Many novice flower growers are interested in what diseases of the home flower anthurium are most common. When creating the right conditions of detention, problems may not arise at all. The flower should be watered abundantly. The soil in the pot before the next moistening should dry out about a third in depth. To check the degree of humidity, simply bury a small wooden stick in a container with anthurium. If its surface remains clean, then the plant can be watered. But only everything should be in moderation. If lumps of dirt remain on the surface, it means that there is still enough moisture in the pot and liquid is not required.
In spring and summer, you can moisten the anthurium every 3-4 days. In autumn, it is necessary to gradually reduce the number of waterings. In winter, moisture evaporates slowly, so the interval between moistening can be further extended. Be sure to drain the water from the pan after watering. Otherwise, root rot is possible.
How to water the anthurium? Leaf diseases are often caused by bad hard water. Experts recommend to defend the liquid for irrigation during the day. Consider also the temperature of the water. In winter, too cold can lead to the death of the plant.
The flower belongs to tropical crops, but despite this, he does not really like moisture. With constant bays, the plant will die. Anthurium also suffers from drought. However, soil that is too dry for a short time will not damage the roots too much.
Special attention should be paid to air humidity. It should be quite high - from 85 to 95%. It is important to monitor this in the warm season and when the heating is on. To create the required level of humidity, simply place the container with the flower on a pallet with moistened moss or expanded clay. Anthurium is also recommended regularlyspray. Dust from the leaves can be removed with a damp cloth. In the warm season, it is especially useful to bathe a flower. Wall-mounted florariums and showcases are best suited for growing anthuriums. The microclimate created inside is great for growing this plant.
What to fertilize?
How to properly care for an anthurium flower? Plant diseases can occur due to a lack of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, from time to time he needs mineral supplements. Since the root system is very sensitive, the finished concentrate must be diluted with water twice as much as indicated on the package. Top dressing with azofoska shows a good effect. You can also add potassium humate to the finished solution. In addition to root dressings, foliar dressings can also be used. However, they should be used with great care. It is better to remove the plant from the sunny side for a while to avoid burning the leaves. Top dressing is necessary in the warm season once every 2-3 weeks.
It is best to alternate mineral and organic fertilizers. Humus from the leaves is applied over the substrate in the form of mulch. This must be done in order for the anthurium to actively increase its green mass. Anthurium diseases at home are often caused by damage to the roots. To avoid this problem, it is enough to remember that liquid fertilizers are used only after watering.
Lighting
Let's take a closer look at this. Anthurium needs good lighting. Daylight hours should be at least 10 hours. One of the possible problems that occurs when exposed to direct sunlight on anthurium is leaf disease. It is best to place the plant on the west or east side. Diffused sunlight will help the plant sparkle with bright colors.
If the anthurium is located on the south side, then at noon it must be shaded. To do this, just enough to hide the plant behind a curtain or curtain. Windows on the north side are not the way to provide the flower with the required amount of light. This will negatively affect flowering and lush greenery. In order to prevent the disease of the anthurium flower, it is necessary to install additional lighting. Proper lighting will help make the color of the buds much brighter.
Temperature
Anthurium is a fairly thermophilic plant. It needs warmth throughout the year. The optimum temperatures are 20-28 degrees. Rise and fall below 18 degrees can lead to anthurium disease, and their treatment will require additional efforts. The plant does not tolerate drafts. For this reason, it is necessary to pay special attention to finding a place. It should be well ventilated, but at the same time far enough away from cold air currents.
How to get anthurium to bloom?
Beginner gardeners are often interested in the anthurium flower. Care, diseases that may occur, the right conditions for keeping - that's all you need to know. However, even if all requirements are met, the plant mayrefuse to bloom. In order for the anthurium to lay flower buds, it is necessary to hold it at 16 degrees in a bright room for a while. After that, the temperature in the room should be gradually increased to 25 degrees. Old inflorescences must be removed along with the pedicel. In this way, the plant will not waste energy on the formation of seeds, and you can prolong its flowering.
Disease and pest control
Anthurium is a rather unpretentious plant. If you treat it carefully, no difficulties will arise. However, a fairly common problem when growing an anthurium flower is diseases and pests. Often, novice flower growers make mistakes, so the condition of the plant worsens. But if the problem is found quickly, the flower can recover.
One of the most common problems during the growth of an anthurium flower is leaf diseases, the treatment of which does not go as quickly as desired. Yellowing of the plates can be caused by drafts or improper temperature conditions. The appearance of dark spots can be associated with improper soil or excessive watering. To improve the condition of the plant, it is worth trying to change the irrigation scheme, as well as move it to another place. If you think the problem is in the soil, transplant the flower into another soil.
The most common question asked by anthurium flower growers is: "How to treat leaf diseases?" The darkening of the tips of the plates may be due tolack of moisture or too high room temperature. In this case, regular spraying of the flower will help, as well as wiping with a damp cloth. But if dark spots appear in the middle of the leaf, then most likely the flower is affected by anthracnose. In this case, damaged leaves must be removed. After that, the plant is transplanted into fresh soil, after disinfecting the roots. Intact leaves should be sprayed with special preparations, such as Fundazol or Fitosporin.
Conclusion
Anthurium is a very beautiful and undemanding plant. It is enough to create the right conditions for him. Many today seek to grow a red anthurium flower on their windowsill. Diseases and pests do not often affect this plant. It is for this reason that it has become widespread among beginner growers.
