Crops of this plant are of different colors, ranging from pale yellow to bright red. The bract has its shape from white to red. In retail trade, you can often find anthurium flowers with red bracts. This plant bribes with its elegance, and the efforts spent on its cultivation are fully justified by observing the unmatched colors.
Varieties (types)
In nature, there is a large number of various varieties of anthurium, but for breeding at home only certain species are suitable, which will be discussed below.
Anterium Scherzer is considered the most suitable for domestic breeding. The height of this plant variety can be up to 30 cm. The leaves of Scherzer are elongated, with thick skin, green in color, up to 20 cm long. The bract of this anthurium variety has a length of 5 cm. The cob is similar to a curl.
Another kind of anthurium is Anturium Andre. It is less suitable for home breeding, so it is much less common. This sort of anthurium is much larger and reaches one meter in height. The leaves have a heart shape and a length of up to 20 cm. Andre's bract is as large as Scherzer and reaches 10 cm in length. Cob, unlike the previous species, is mostly found without bends and curls.
The next kind of anthurium - anthurium crystal - is distinguished by luxurious leaves. Its leaves are smaller in size than in previous species, they have a velvety coating and eventually acquire a different color. At the beginning of life the plant has a red color, and growing up, it becomes dark green. Symmetrically located silver veins on the leaves are clearly visible, which makes anthurium crystal an ornamental plant.
Care
This houseplant should be watered regularly. Water is usually used at room temperature and pre-settled. Leaves should also be sprayed or wiped with a damp cloth. Moreover, the second option is better, as when spraying it is necessary to watch that the water does not fall on the flowers, otherwise they can become covered with dark spots.
Anthurium is a thermophilic flower, so growing it in room conditions is not at all problematic. It is better to place it in a sufficiently lit place, but in such a way that direct rays of the sun do not fall. Also, the plant must be protected from drafts, otherwise its leaves may curl up into horns.
Reproduction
There are flowering and stubble species of anthurium. Reproduction in them occurs in different ways. In flowering species, the bush is separated from the lateral shoots of the original plant together with the roots. Often during this procedure, the plant is immediately transplanted. Rooted blooming anthuriums are best in the greenhouse.
In stem species for propagation, cuttings from the top of the stems are taken. They are best rooted in moss or wet sand at a temperature of 24-25 degrees. It is necessary to regularly spray the cuttings and ensure that the soil remains moist.
Diseases
With proper care, the anthurium pleases the surrounding with radiant flowers and leaves. He can blossom throughout the summer. But if you do not comply with the optimal regime for the maintenance of this plant, as discussed above, the anthurium can turn yellow and wither.
Anthurium is a plant that loves warmth, so it should be grown at a temperature of not less than 18 degrees. When the temperature changes below this limit, the leaves of the anthurium are covered with dark spots. If there is no way to move the plant to a warmer place, you can try to reduce the amount of water during irrigation or reduce their frequency.
It happens that in winter the leaves of the anthurium begin to turn yellow. This means that the flower is not enough light. In this case, the plant needs to be moved closer to the window.
We have already spoken about the content of anthurium. Here are the main conclusions: one should not allow drafts and low temperatures, the plant must also be protected from direct sunlight and avoid shading, the soil must be moist and the water not stagnant. At observance of all these simple measures anthurium will blossom and please with the beauty.
Pests
There are two main types of insects that can infect stems and leaves of anthurium. This is a scab and aphid. At an early age, the scutellum is almost invisible. But this insect reproduces rapidly, causing stems and leaves to become stained. Adult plaques sit without movements and spread larvae throughout the plant. To kill these insects, dilute the soap-tobacco solution with the addition of kerosene and spray the plant with it. Adult individuals are removed with a damp cloth, but to remove the larvae the plant still needs to be treated with a special solution.
Aphids are of different colors. There are green, gray and black individuals. These insects are usually located on the lower part of the leaves of the plant and suck the juice out of them, which causes the leaves to dry and fold into tubules. Breeding aphids very quickly, so you need to destroy them in time. For this purpose, ready-made preparations are sold in stores. You can also use a solution of nicotine - sulfate in soapy water. The following proportions are taken: one gram of nicotine sulfate is diluted in one liter of soapy water.
After carrying out this procedure, the anthurium must be washed without allowing excessive water ingress into the soil. To do this, you can cover it with cellophane.
To prevent the appearance of pests, it is sufficient to spray or wash anthurium leaves with water in a timely manner.