Stromants are herbaceous plants, reaching 60-80 cm in height; perennials. Representatives of this genus have characteristic large leaves with cream, pink and green irregular bands located along the leaf. The leaf blade is always directed towards the sun.
Stromants need special conditions of maintenance, they do not tolerate cold drafts, do not tolerate a low temperature, for example, below 18 ° C, suffer in conditions of dry air. Most stromant are large plants, so they grow in large florariums and terrariums.
Care rules.
Lighting. Indoor plants of stromant like bright scattered light, in spring and summer they do not transfer direct sun rays. In winter, the plant also requires good lighting. Remember that the color and size of the foliage of the stromant depends on the protection of the plant from the sun. So, in very bright light, or with its lack, the leaves can lose their natural color, and the area of the leaf blade will decrease. Stramanta grows well on the eastern and western windows. In the case of growing it near the southern window, make sure to create a shade. These houseplants respond normally to artificial lighting. It is recommended to use fluorescent lamps for 16 hours a day.
Temperature regime. In spring and summer, the optimum daily temperature for the stromant plant is considered to be 22-27 ° C, the night should be a little cooler. In the cold season, the temperature is favorable from 18 to 20 ° C, not lower. Subcooling is detrimental to the roots, and hence the whole plant. Stromants do not tolerate drafts and temperature changes.
Watering. Water should be abundant, giving the top layer of the substrate dry. In winter and in autumn, watering should be reduced. Use warm, soft, well-kept water. Do not overdry, do not swamp the soil. Do not supercool the root system of the stromant.
Air humidity. Stromant - plants that prefer high humidity of air - 70-90%, so you should periodically sprinkle them with a small spray throughout the year. To do this, use well-kept or filtered water at room temperature. When placing a pot with a plant, choose a place for it where the humidity of the air is maximum. If the room is very dry air, the stromant needs to be sprayed 1-2 times per day. To increase the humidity near the plant, put the pot on a pallet filled with wet claydite, moss or pebbles so that the bottom of the pot does not touch the water. Sometimes a plastic bag is put on the plant for the night to keep the humidity high. Stromanty feel good in florariums, mini-greenhouses, terrariums.
Top dressing. Top dressing is carried out during the period from spring to autumn by a complex of mineral fertilizers diluted 2 times, since the stromant is very sensitive to their excess in the soil, including calcium. Periodicity of top dressing - 2 times a month.
Transfer. Young plants should be transplanted every year. For adults it is enough once in 2 years, but do not forget to pour fresh soil into the pot every year. The transplant procedure is carried out in summer or spring, removing the old dead leaves. The container for stromant should be chosen high, according to the size of the root system. The soil must be humic, friable, well permeable, with a slightly acidic reaction (pH below 6). A mixture consisting of leaf land, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 is suitable. In it, crushed charcoal is added. The substrate is also used from humus (1 part) and leaf earth (1 h), sand (0.5 h) and peat (1 h). From commercial mixtures, it is possible to use a substrate for manate or azaleas. Some growers recommend a ready mix for palm trees. Good drainage is required: 1/4 of the capacity.
Reproduction. The stromant breeds vegetatively by rooting the cuttings and dividing the bush. Division of the bush is carried out at the time of transplantation: large specimens are carefully divided into 2-3 new plants. Try not to damage the roots. Then planted in a peat substrate and abundantly watered with lukewarm water. The next watering is carried out after drying of the upper layer of the substrate. Pots are covered with a plastic bag, tying it loose, put in a warm place in order for the plant to strengthen and give new leaves.
Reproduction by apical cuttings is carried out in summer or late spring. Cuttings from young shoots of stromant are cut for this purpose. Each cutting should be 7-10 cm long and carry 2-3 leaves. The cut is done a little below the sheet. Then cut the cuttings put in a container of water. The capacity itself can be placed in a plastic bag or a small brush. Roots appear in about 5-6 weeks. Rooting is especially good in teplichkah with high humidity and temperature. Then rooted cuttings should be planted in a substrate based on peat.
Difficulties of care.
- If the stems become lethargic and begin to rot, then too low a temperature with high humidity.
- If the tips of leaves become brown and dry, and the growth of the plant slows down, it means that the room is too dry air. Another cause may be stromant damage by a spider mite.
- If the tips of leaflets acquire a yellow-brown hue, then the plant feels an excess or a lack of nutrients.
- If there are spots on the leaves, and they turn off, then watering is not enough. The soil should not be waterlogged, but only damp.
- If the leaves lose color and begin to dry out, then the sunlight is too intense for the stromant.
- If the leaves begin to fall off, it means that the room is either very dry air or redundant watering. The plant does not tolerate soil silt.
- Pests: scab, spider mite, whitefly, mealybug.