Chlorophytum Crested - An Excellent Indoor Air Purifier, How To Grow It In An Apartment

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

According to the horoscope, the zodiac sign Gemini (May 22 - June 21) corresponds to the following plants: asparagus, ferns, feathery palms, callisia graceful, purple reticulum, cyanotis of Kyu, ivy, tradescantia (zebrina) and crested chlorophytum.

Chlorophytum comosum Bak. Belongs to the Liliaceae family and is one of the most common indoor plants. It has been cultivated for over 200 years. The name of the genus Chlorophytum comes from the Greek. "chloros" - "green" and "phyton" - "plant". It contains more than 215 species, distributed in subtropical and tropical regions of America, South Africa, South Asia and Australia. The humid subtropics of South Africa are considered the birthplace of chlorophytum crested. Under natural conditions, it grows like an epiphyte, on the bark of trees. There, during dry periods, when there is little moisture in the air and in the bark of the host tree, the plant lives off the moisture reserves in the succulent roots, having accumulated it in advance.

Chlorophytum crested is a perennial herbaceous rosette (stemless) plant with tuberous thickened roots, with narrow lanceolate or linear (almost xiphoid) light green, bare leaves (20-30 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide), gradually tapering towards the base and to the apex, with a not sharp keel on the underside. In the spring, the plant comes out of dormancy, begins to actively vegetate, and by summer long (up to 1 m) light green (slightly drooping) peduncles emerge from the leaf axils, branch and can carry several racemose inflorescences of 2-6 greenish-white along the entire length small nondescript flowers - stars. Later, numerous rosettes (bunches of leaves) are formed on the peduncles, often with aerial roots. Strong plants have numerous hanging stems with rosettes of leaves.

In indoor culture, variegated forms are also known: with whitish or yellowish stripes on the leaves; with a white border around the edge of the sheet. Indoor conditions also include Cape Chlorophytum (Ch. Capense Voss.), Which is very close in morphology to Crested Chlorophytum, only its leaves are longer (up to 40-50 cm). The care conditions for both species are the same.

Chlorophytum crested is usually ranked among the flowering plants, famous for their unpretentiousness when grown indoors. Of course, it is undemanding to the conditions of maintenance, but the grower still needs to take care of a certain minimum of them so that the plant does not get sick and does not lose its decorative effect. Chlorophytum is considered a fairly shade-tolerant plant that develops quite normally in shaded corners and under artificial lighting. But for optimal development, it is still better for him to provide bright diffused light, therefore, windows of an east or west orientation, even a north one, can serve as a good location (on the south side it is shaded). But it should be borne in mind that in a too dark place, the color of the leaves is paler, and the plant reduces its decorative attractiveness. For this reason, professional florists even advise placing it as close to the light as possible, hanging it or placing it on shelves, mounted on brackets, near the windows (in summer you can take it out into the fresh air). But when the light is too bright, spots (burns) appear on the leaves.

The presence of a warm room is important for the successful cultivation of chlorophytum; it is protected from drafts and is not kept near an insulated window during frosty periods. This flower is quite tolerant to temperature changes (12 … 25 ° C). The optimum temperature for summer is 16 … 22 ° С, and for winter - 12 … 14 ° С (but should not fall below 8 ° С). When located next to a heating system battery, the plant will more easily transfer the heat and dry air of the room if its foliage is periodically sprayed with water, since chlorophytum is quite picky about high air humidity. From spring to autumn, the plant is given abundant watering; the soil should be constantly moist, but water stagnation in the pan is not allowed. Chlorophytum responds with active growth, if its foliage is regularly sprayed with water, a warm shower is arranged monthly. The leaves are washed very carefullyas they are very brittle.

It must be remembered that when overdrying or excessively moistening the soil coma, chlorophytum acquires a depressed, sluggish appearance. Top dressing is done from March to August with a solution of a complex fertilizer recommended for decorative deciduous plants (every 2 weeks). In winter, watered moderately. Chlorophytum is very easy to propagate. You can simply dig a strong "rosette" of leaves (5-7 cm long) into a nearby pot with the ground, and press the stem connecting it to the main plant without cutting it to the ground with a hairpin. After this process is rooted, the stem must be cut. It is not difficult to tear off the "baby", put it in a glass of water and wait until the roots grow 2-2.5 centimeters long and are ready for planting (the shoot is arranged in a separate pot with sandy loamy sod soil for better rooting).

Chlorophytum crested is easily propagated by division (especially for old bushes) from February to March, when plants are usually transplanted (while too overgrown roots can be cut by a third, which does not affect its general condition). The optimal transplant time is, of course, spring. But if the plant is too overgrown with peduncles, and the roots have completely filled the entire pot and there is almost no earth left, it is transplanted at any time of the year. Since chlorophytum has large and thick roots, it grows strongly, it is better to transplant it annually (in February-March), using wide (spacious enough) dishes with good drainage. Very large plants are transplanted after two years, but fed annually. The soil substrate is prepared from a mixture of sod, humus, leafy earth and sand (in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1).

For twenty years of keeping chlorophytum, I did not have to observe pests on it, although aphids and spider mites can settle on a weakened plant, less often a scale insect and mealybug. Against aphids, the plant is treated with soapy water, and with a high number of pests, actellic is used (1 ml / l of water). A sign of the colonization of chlorophytum with a spider mite is a thin web between the leaves and the stem (the insect itself often hides on the underside of the leaf). Yellowish spots appear on the leaves, they become lethargic, fall off. It is possible to reduce the number of the pest under a warm shower, the leaves are wiped with hot (45-50 ° C) soapy water, regularly sprayed with lukewarm water, since the appearance of a tick usually provokes warm dry air in the room. If there are a lot of ticks, they resort to treating the plant with actellik (2-3 treatments with an interval of 5-10 days). Mealybug can be the cause of wilting and discarding of leaves, if you do not fight in a timely manner and allow its reproduction. The fight against it is by a chemical method (karbofos or actellic). Settling on the stems, leaves and petioles of a plant, the scale insect feeds on plant sap, which causes depression, loss of decorativeness (yellowing and leaf fall) and then the death of the plant. With a large number of scale insects on the leaves, sticky areas are even found, as if the plant was sprayed with sweet water, which is associated with the secretions of these parasites. At a low number, the shields together with insects are removed with a cloth moistened with alcohol, and at a high number, the plant is treated with a solution of karbofos or actellik. The fight against it is by a chemical method (karbofos or actellic). Settling on the stems, leaves and petioles of a plant, the scale insect feeds on plant sap, which causes depression, loss of decorativeness (yellowing and leaf fall) and then the death of the plant. With a large number of scale insects on the leaves, sticky areas are even found, as if the plant was sprayed with sweet water, which is associated with the secretions of these parasites. At a low number, the shields, together with insects, are removed with a cloth moistened with alcohol, and at a high number, the plant is treated with a solution of karbofos or actellik. The fight against it is by a chemical method (karbofos or actellic). Settling on the stems, leaves and petioles of a plant, the scale insect feeds on plant sap, which causes depression, loss of decorativeness (yellowing and leaf fall) and then the death of the plant. With a large number of scale insects on the leaves, sticky areas are even found, as if the plant was sprayed with sweet water, which is associated with the secretions of these parasites. At a low number, the shields, together with insects, are removed with a cloth moistened with alcohol, and at a high number, the plant is treated with a solution of karbofos or actellik.as if the plant was sprayed with sweet water, which is associated with the secretions of these parasites. At a low number, the shields, together with insects, are removed with a cloth moistened with alcohol, and at a high number, the plant is treated with a solution of karbofos or actellik.as if the plant was sprayed with sweet water, which is associated with the secretions of these parasites. At a low number, the shields together with insects are removed with a cloth moistened with alcohol, and at a high number, the plant is treated with a solution of karbofos or actellik.

In chlorophytum, one can observe the manifestation of physiological (nonparasitic) diseases associated with improper plant care. With a lack of nutrition or too high air temperature, the tips of the leaves turn brown. They can be trimmed so as not to spoil the decorative effect. The appearance of brown spots and edges on shriveled leaves in winter is evidence of over-watering at low temperatures. The reason that the leaves of chlorophytum in winter become pale, soft, turn yellow and fall off may be too warm and lack of light.

The absence of flowering may be in young plants, but the absence of peduncles in adult plants is usually associated with the tightness of the pot (in the latter case, a transplant is necessary). Chlorophytum crested owes its high popularity to the fact that it is considered one of the most powerful and best air purifiers from formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and other harmful substances in the room. It is recommended to place it in the kitchen, where the gas stove is located, and to place it in service rooms. This beautiful ampelous plant will look especially advantageous if you hang it in front of a light window. For this purpose, use a basket or flowerpot, woven using the macrame technique. When it grows lushly, its linear, arcuate curved leaves hang freely and spread out in different directions. Chlorophytum can be placed on high stands (to allow all young plants to develop freely on peduncles) or on a closet, this will successfully increase the decorativeness of the interior of the room: the rosettes hanging on the mother plant look very impressive.