Aloe Cap-shaped - Scorpion Plant

Aloe cap-shaped (Aloe mitriformis) - growing in an apartment, reproduction and pests

The zodiac sign Scorpio (October 24 - November 22) according to the horoscope corresponds to plants: dracaena, common oleander, motley staplia, desert cacti (Sylvester's chamecerius, Gruson's echinocactus), tiger faucaria, snow-white dope, aloe cap-shaped.

The birthplace of the cap-shaped aloe (Aloe mitriformis) is considered to be Africa, the island of Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula. The vast genus Aloe (family Asphodelic Asphodelaceae) numbers about 330 species, of which almost 2/3 (including cap-shaped aloe) were introduced to Europe around 1700. All members of the genus are typical leaf succulents. They have perfectly adapted to life in a hot, waterless desert to an earth consisting of clay with a high iron content and sometimes hardening like brick. The leaves are covered with a waxy coating, which protects them from strong evaporation. If you water such a leaf, then the water rolls down without soaking it.

Rub a leaf of any kind of aloe with your finger - it turns from matte green to bright green, i.e. wax plaque is erased. An interesting observation was made by experts: leaves with a waxy bloom evaporate 3 g of water from 1 dm2 of the surface per day, and from those where it is removed, already 4 g. To reduce evaporation, nature has endowed the aloe leaf with a peculiar skin.

At the moment, aloe is grown in many countries of the world where there are conditions suitable for its natural habitat, and there it has become so wild that it has turned into an ordinary plant of the local landscape. Aloe cap-shaped is a plant with bluish-green leaves and immediately striking thorns, which are located along the edges and on the lower side (this type of aloe is considered one of the most prickly). In nature, it is a succulent shrub (up to 2-3 m high) with erect, branchy stems, and several stems can extend from the root, on which ring grooves are noticeable - traces of fallen leaves.

Leaves are sessile, juicy (almost fleshy). The flowers are located in a multi-flowered raceme inflorescence-panicle on an arrow-peduncle (up to 50-60 cm long). The yellow-tubular aloe flowers give off a scent that can cause headaches. True, at home, plants of this species rarely reach a height of 60-70 cm.

Caring for aloe kolchakovidny

As a houseplant, cap-shaped aloe does not require much maintenance. But it is very light-loving (it requires good illumination all year round), so you can put it on a windowsill under the rays of the direct sun. A constant supply of fresh air, periodic ventilation of the room are also desirable for him. For the summer period, aloe can be taken out into the open air (loggia, balcony) or rearranged in the garden in a sunny place.

Unlike most other types of aloe, which in this case get burned, turn red and dry out in direct sunlight, cap-shaped aloe is less susceptible to them and calmly withstands even prolonged sun exposure. In the summer, it is watered abundantly (twice a week), while avoiding excess water in the pan, but sometimes (once a month) the soil substrate is allowed to dry for 4-5 days. Top dressing with a weak aqueous solution of mineral fertilizers (low-nitrogen fertilizers are optimal, since it is important not to overfeed) is carried out every 3-4 weeks, after spilling the soil substrate with a small amount of water.

From October to February, the aloe plant is at rest: very moderate watering is desirable as the topsoil dries up at a temperature of 4 … 5 ° C. To determine its timeliness, flower growers immerse their finger to full depth: if it is dry, then water it. It is taken into account that the stems and, above all, the root system can rot from waterlogging of the soil.

Young outlets are transplanted annually, perennial ones - no more than 3-4 years later. The best soil substrate for the cultivation of cap-shaped aloe is a mixture of turf, leaf and humus soil with the addition of coarse river sand (in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1); it would be nice to add some brick chips and charcoal here. They also use a special soil substrate intended for the cultivation of cacti (it is purchased in the retail network). At the bottom of the tank, high-quality drainage from shards or pieces of brick is required.

Reproduction of aloe kolchakovidny

Aloe is best propagated in spring (March-April) or summer (July-August), mainly using the cuttings method. Shoots are cut into small pieces (10-12 cm long) and kept for 3-4 days in the dark so that they wither in the air, and the wound dries up and heals. You can sprinkle the fresh cut with finely ground charcoal. The cuttings are planted in bowls with slightly damp sand (to a depth of 1-2 cm) at a distance of 5-8 cm from each other (very rarely watered to prevent rotting of the lower part of the stem). With the formation of the first roots, watering is gradually increased.

The stalk with the formed root system is transplanted into a small container (its diameter is half the length of the stalk leaves). Sometimes babies form a pretty decent root system if the stems are placed one by one in water with their tips so that they touch it slightly.

Pests of aloe kolchakovidny

From insects on aloe cap-shaped, several types of mealybugs may appear - very dangerous pests, since they are rather difficult to eradicate. The problem is that worms are omnivorous (polyphages) - they live on many indoor plants, migrating from one to another. The presence of worms on aloe is evidenced by the unexpected appearance on the leaves and stems of white "cotton wool" - wax secretions of insects (but mainly pests are localized in the plant outlet). With severe infestation, they cover the leaves abundantly.

As a rule, worms are inactive, crawl lazily from place to place (more often motionless), their characteristic feature is tail filaments located along the edge of the body (sticking out in different directions) (from the side of the "tail" they are simply longer). On the other hand, the so-called "vagrants" (larvae of the first instar) hatching from the eggs of worms are characterized by high "agility" and are able to move in search of new host plants. In adult scale insects - an elongated-oval poorly dissected body (3-5 mm in size), covered with a waxy powder (it is still better to consider them with a magnifying glass). Also, the insects secrete a pad on the leaves, on which a sooty fungus settles. The plant is often cleaned from insects by hand, washed off with a cotton swab moistened with water, vodka or diluted alcohol. If it becomes necessary to use a chemical method of control, the plant is sprayed with a solution of the systemic drug actellic (1.5-2 ml / l of water), observing all precautions.

On this type of aloe, you can also find a root mealybug that lives in the soil (on the roots of the host plant). This pest causes inhibition of growth, and with a strong population density, the death of the plant. It is especially difficult to deal with this group of worms, since these pests lead a hidden way of life: "living" on the roots of the host plant or near them, they rarely climb the plant itself. It is possible to detect worms when a white loose accumulation similar to cotton wool appears on the soil surface. Also, pests are detected during plant transplantation: it seems that all the earth in the pot is, as it were, interlayered with this "cotton wool" - there are so many wax secretions on the roots. Upon closer examination (using a magnifying glass), one can see the female worms themselves - oblong-oval insects (1.8-2 mm long) of white or pinkish color. To combat this type of worm, the root system of the plant is immersed for 10-15 minutes. in a 1.5% solution of karbofos.

It is difficult for an unaware florist to find motionless, well-camouflaged scutes on the leaves and stems of plants, which he would rather mistake for adhering dirt or growths on these aloe organs. They have a predominantly oval shield (2-4 mm in size), yellowish or grayish-white in color. The presence of scale insects on plants is also evidenced by sweet secretions - excrement, on which a sooty fungus develops. The shields are removed by hand; you can wipe the plants with vodka or diluted alcohol. In the fight against the pest, a soap solution, an infusion of tobacco, a 2% solution of karbofos are used, but they do not always give a positive effect. A more effective drug is actellic, which is used no more than three times per season (with an interval of 5-7 days).