Ptyres are perennial herbaceous ferns. Ground species reach 2.5 m in height, have a short rhizome, overthrow covered with hairs or scales. The leaves of the ferns are lapartic or pinnately divided, can be with hairs or glabrous, leathery, elastic. Sporangia are on the reverse side of the leaves and are located along the edge.
Breeding pteris engaged in industrial gardening, as well as support in the collections of the botanical garden. They are used in phytodesign of interiors and winter gardens, grown in room conditions.
Broth ptersa has medicinal properties. With its help stop bleeding, treat pain in the chest, apply for hepatitis, dysentery, urinary tract infection and even poisoning with chemicals. Widely used broth ptersa in China, where they are treated with furuncles and hemorrhoids. Leaf juice is used for worms.
Care rules.
Lighting. Indoor flowers pteris love diffuse light, but are afraid of direct sunlight. The optimal place for their placement are the western and eastern windows. In case of growing pteris on the southern window, you should move it away from the window or muffle the light with translucent paper or gauze.
In summer it is recommended to take the plant on a balcony or garden, but remember that it must be protected from sunlight, drafts and precipitation. If it is not possible to place pteris in the open air, the room should be ventilated continuously.
In winter it is important to give the plant good lighting. For additional lighting, use fluorescent lights, installing them above the plant no closer than 50-60 cm, a duration of 7-8 hours a day. In autumn and winter, you also need to ventilate the room, but beware of drafts.
Temperature regime. The optimal temperature for good growth of pterytas in the warm season is 20 ° C. If the room temperature is above 24 ° C, then it is necessary to ensure high humidity. In the cold period of the year, the optimum temperature range is 14-17 ° C. Grades with green leaves should not be kept below 12 ° C, and variegated species below 15 ° C. All ferns are afraid of drafts. Very warm air also harms the fern, so do not place it next to the heating batteries.
Watering. In spring and summer it is necessary to water the flowers of the pteris abundantly as the upper layer of the substrate dries. In winter, watering is moderate. After the top layer of the substrate dries, pause in watering for 1-2 days. To water it is necessary by soft steady water, without lime. Do not overmoisten and do not overdry the substrate, the soil should always be moist.
Air humidity. Pteris are flowers that love high humidity. It is recommended to spray them throughout the year. To do this, use standing or even filtered water. If the room is dry air, then you need to spray the fern at least 1-2 times a day. To increase the humidity, you can put the pot on a pallet with wet claydite, moss or pebbles. Pay attention that the bottom of the pot should not reach the water.
Periodically, you should wash the plant with a shower to clean it of dust, moisten the wai. However, during "showering" you need to close the pot with a pack to avoid getting water into the substrate.
It is not recommended to use any formulations for the appearance of gloss on the leaves of the fern.
Top dressing. As a top dressing liquid fertilizer is used for ornamental-deciduous plants. You can make it every two weeks from May to the end of August. However, you should reduce the dose 2 times compared with the recommended manufacturer. In autumn and winter, do not advise to feed.
Transfer. Transplant should be in case of need, when the roots of pterytis fill the entire pot. Soil should be selected with a neutral or slightly acid reaction. A suitable substrate is a mixture in equal proportions of turf, leaf, peat, humus and sand. Select the pot on a shallow, but wide, on its bottom, make sure there is good drainage. The dried and broken leaves of the fern are best cut off when transplanting.
Sometimes after a transplant, these indoor flowers begin to dry. In this case, it is recommended to cut off all the shoots, immerse the pot in the water at room temperature for the whole day. And with regular irrigation of the roots, a few days later, young leaves will appear.
Reproduction. The ptyris reproduces vegetatively (by dividing the bush) and spores.
Pteris often reproduces itself, sowing spores from sporangia in March. They germinate at 13 ° C.
New fern specimens can be separated during transplantation of a large plant. However, it is not recommended to divide it very often. Remember that the growth points of pteris are underground, so you should carefully divide it so as not to be mistaken. Otherwise, you will drop a part of the rhizome without a growth point, but with the wigs.
Difficulties of cultivation.
If the leaves turn yellow and brownish spots appear on them, then the room temperature is too high for pterisa. When the temperature rises, the humidity of the room should also be increased. A similar picture is observed with irregular and insufficient irrigation. Brown spots are a sign of sunburn.
If the leaves turn yellow, and the growth of the plant is slowed, then the possible cause is very low humidity in the room or you placed the fern next to the central heating system.
If the leaves of the fern have faded, become translucent and sluggish, this speaks in favor of too intense illumination for him.
If the leaves have turned yellow, brownish tinged, twisted and began to fall off, it means that the room is very low temperature, carried out watering with cold water or ferns are worried by a draft. Another reason can be watering with chlorinated water, the so-called chlorosis.
Pests of ptersis are thrips and scutes.