Maranta: caring for a “praying” plant at home
Large bright leaves with a fanciful pattern of spots and veins - by these signs you can recognize the tropical plant of arrowroot. A native of the tropical swamps of America, she easily adapted to home conditions. With proper care, the plant will always delight the eye of the grower.
Arrowroot refers to herbaceous perennials. The birthplace of this plant is the marshy tropics of America. The name is associated with the name of the scientist B. Maranta.
In the wild, arrowroot is a small plant, whose height is about 20 cm, with straight or creeping shoots. Leaves, depending on the species, are lanceolate, rounded or oblong. Against an even background (its color can be different - from very light to dark green), spots and veins stand out brightly.
On a smooth background of arrowroot leaves, spots and veins stand out brightly
The arrowroot is often confused with a relative of the calathea. However, these plants have obvious differences. Calathea is higher (from 60 cm to 1 m), with long tender leaves. They, unlike the arrowroot leaves, are located on the petioles in two rows. In addition, arrowroot flowers are inconspicuous, and calathea flowers are spectacular and vibrant.
The arrowroot leaves are so unusual and beautiful that they plant this plant precisely because of their decorative effect. The plant is unpretentious in care and adapts well in the home or office, in open and closed florariums.
The peculiarity of the arrowroot is that when the plant feels well, it arranges the leaves horizontally, but under adverse conditions (especially in insufficient lighting) the leaves fold and rise vertically. For this plant they nicknamed "praying grass."
Types of arrowroot
- Three-color (tricolor). This is a plant with dark green leaves bordered on the edge with a paler color. In the center are light green stains. The veins of dark red color towards the edge become darker. Three-colored arrowroot is the most unpretentious and widespread species of this plant.
- White-faced (Fascinator). The leaves are oval, reaching a length of 15 cm. Features: on the dark green leaves in the center runs a silver strip. Along with the three-color unpretentious.
- The arrowroot is two-tone. A rather rare species with dark green leaves, along which light specks are scattered.
- Reed arrowroot. This plant can reach a height of 1 m. The leaves are oval, elongated, have a gray tint.
Varieties in the photo
- Whitewashed has another name - Fascinator
- Tricolor arrowroot - the most common type for home growing
- Reed arrowroot can grow up to 1 m
- Two-tone arrowroot is found infrequently
Table: conditions for arrowroot in different seasons
|Spring Summer||Scattered light. It develops well in partial shade, on the eastern and western windowsills. In summer and spring it is necessary to protect from direct sunlight. Excessive sunlight changes the color of the leaves.||Air temperature - 22–25 ° С, soil temperature –18 ° С.||Daily spraying using settled water. Once a week - a shower (cover the ground with a bag in a pot and place the plant under a spraying stream of water). Place on a tray with raw pebbles.|
|Autumn winter||17-19 ° C (should not fall below 10 ° C). It is necessary to protect from sudden changes in temperature and drafts.||Moderate humidity.|
Video: how to care for the arrowroot
Plant care consists in competent watering, timely top dressing, proper bush formation and the fight against diseases and pests.
Florists note the great need of the plant for water. However, it is important to comply with the measure. In summer warm weather, it will be necessary to water the arrowroot once every 2 days, making sure that the earth in the pot is moist all the time (but not excessively damp!). Water must be taken at room temperature, soft, settled.
During the dormant period, watering is reduced to 1 time per week - in cool conditions, the soil should be allowed to dry by 1-2 cm.
For top dressing, special compositions are used for decorative and deciduous indoor flowers (for example, Pokon, Agricola). During growth - in summer and spring - it is necessary to fertilize the arrowroot 2 times a month. Fertilizers are prepared in low concentration - 2 times less than indicated in the instructions.
To feed the arrowroot, you can use special compositions for decorative and deciduous indoor flowers
If in the winter the arrowroot is placed in a dormant period (the room temperature is reduced and watering is reduced), then top dressing can be stopped. Otherwise, the plant should be fertilized once a month.
Under favorable conditions, the arrowroot produces a delicate peduncle, on which a small white, light pink or light yellow flower blooms. Since flowers do not play a special decorative role and, moreover, weaken the plant, some gardeners prefer to cut flower stalks before blooming. If the arrowroot is still allowed to bloom, after wilting, it loses its leaves and goes to rest, which lasts several months.
Arrowhead flowers are not as decorative as leaves
Flowering can begin in early spring and last several months.
Rest time lasts from October to February. During this period, the plant is provided with a not very high temperature (17 ° C), a rare watering regime (1 time per week or less). Lighting should remain natural - you don’t need to hide the arrowroot in the dark.Recent entries In April, I process roses so that no pests encroach on my beauties
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Shaping: Trimming by the Rules
In early spring, when the plant leaves the dormant period, gardeners recommend pruning - remove all leaves completely. Within 1–1.5 months, the arrowroot is restored thanks to a strong root system. New leaves are brighter.
After pruning under the root of the arrowroot, it releases new, brighter leaves
If the arrowroot produces many long shoots, they can be cut in order to obtain cuttings for propagation. In addition, this will make the bush tidier.
Table: Diseases and Pests
|Diseases and Pests||How do they manifest||Preventive measures||Control measures|
|Spider mite||Looks like a little red spider. As a result of its activity, a thin web forms between the leaves of the plant. Elevated temperatures and a dry environment are excellent conditions for the appearance of a tick.|
|Mealybug||Favorite habitat and damage - petioles of leaves.|
|Chlorosis||Leaves turn yellow, fall, new ones grow small. The shoots dry out. The roots die off.|
How to find out the diseases and pests of arrowroots: tips on the photo
- A spider mite stretches a web between the leaves of a plant
- Chlorosis weakens the entire plant
- Favorite habitat and damage - petioles
An adult arrowroot is transplanted once every 2-3 years in the spring, for young plants (up to 3-4 years old) this procedure can be arranged annually.
After purchase, the arrowroot should be transplanted immediately. As a rule, plants are sold in soil, which provides their transportation, but this land is not suitable for the proper development of arrowroot.
Since the root system of the plant is small, then the pot will need a small one (its diameter is 2-3 cm larger than the previous one). It is better to opt for plastic or glazed clay. Mandatory drainage at the bottom of the pot - pebbles or expanded clay.
About 1/3 of the pot needs drainage
You can make up the earth yourself or purchase ready-made soil for arrowroot. The soil should pass air and water well, be loose, light. For the mixture you will need:
- sheet land - 3 parts;
- peat - 1.5 parts;
- coniferous land - 1 part;
- dry mullein - 1 part;
- sand - 1 part;
- ash - 0.3 parts.
If it is not planned to propagate the arrowroot by dividing the bush, then it is transplanted, handling an earthen clod with roots. Before planting a flower in a new container, you need to cut the shoots, leaving only 1 internode on them. As a result, the new plant will appear numerous shoots, forming a dense beautiful bush. In the first month after planting, the plant does not need to be fertilized. You can cover the pot with a bag to preserve moisture and quickly root.
Also popular with floriculturist ctenantas. You can learn about how to care for this plant from the material: rastenija / ktenanta-kak-uxazhivat-za-krasavicej-iz-brazilii-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html
The arrowroot is transplanted using an earthen coma
The main ways to propagate arrowroot are dividing a bush or cuttings.
- When transplanting, take out the plant and divide into 2 or 3 parts.
When transplanting, the bush is divided into 2 or 3 parts
- On each part there should be a growth point and roots.
- Sprinkle sliced places with powdered charcoal, allow to dry.
- Plant the earth in a mixture (as in transplantation) and pour warm water.
- Place the pot in a bag and tie to create a greenhouse effect (the temperature in such a mini-greenhouse should be at least 20 ° C). Ventilate and water periodically.
Periodically, the greenhouse needs to be opened for ventilation and watering
- When new stems with leaves appear, remove and care for the film, as usual.
- Cuttings can be cut from May to September. These are tops of shoots 10 cm long with 2-3 leaves and 2 internodes. The slice should extend 2 cm below the knot.
- Put in water.
- After 5-6 weeks, roots will appear.
Maranta gives roots after 5-6 weeks in water
- Cuttings with roots can be planted in the ground, as well as during propagation by division, creating a mini-greenhouse.
After the roots appear, the cuttings can be planted in the ground.
Table: possible problems and their solutions
|Maranta does not grow||Not enough moisture||Adjust watering and spraying mode|
|The flower dries, leaves are covered with brown spots||Lack of fertilizers, insufficient watering, low humidity, improper soil composition||Feed, adjust watering and spraying mode|
|Leaves fade||Too much light||Provide the plant partial shade|
|Leaves dry at the tips and turn yellow||Insufficient humidity, drafts||Spray more often, protect from drafts|
|Stems and leaves wilt and rot||Too plentiful watering at low temperatures||Move the plant to a warmer place|
|Twist, fall leaves||Air is too dry||Spray more often|
My arrowroot has been growing relatively recently, about 1.5 years, and I was convinced that this flower is very unusual. Especially when it raises leaves in the evening. She stands on my table in close proximity to spathiphyllum, chlorophytum and syngonium. All these flowers need to be sprayed, which I do, so a certain microclimate has been created and my flowers grow and blossom to my joy. And I forgot about the dry tips of the leaves of the arrowroot!Hope
For me, this is one of the few indoor plants suitable for me, because my windows are in the shade of the trees. I see white light only in winter when there is no foliage. Therefore, most of the plants that I buy die from a lack of light. Maranta does not need bright lighting, and even vice versa, when the light is too bright, the leaves lose their color saturation. And the arrowroot sucks water at a frantic speed. When the water is still wet in the rest of my plants after watering, then the arrowroot is already desert, i.e. the flower needs abundant and frequent watering. Arrowroot grows very quickly with its leaves and is easily propagated by division.Damiana
I have a Maranta relatively recently, but I have already discovered many advantages! It grows rapidly, multiplies well (if you break a twig and put it in water, then on the fifth day there will be a small root). Unpretentious, just imagine, it grows above my cutting table in the kitchen between the stove and the sink! And she had enough light, although she was two meters from the window and the fumes from the stove did not bother her. From the arrowroot, it becomes calmer in the apartment - it's true ... And I thought it was just a coincidence))) When I stand, cook and come up with some thoughts that I want to flush from, I immediately calm down and think about the situation.Ostrovskaya
This plant came to me in the most deplorable form. My daughter brought something dried from the street, said that she felt sorry for him - it was still alive. They started to reanimate. For starters, removed from the pot (it was a transport container). Without watering, they liberated the roots from the soil. Yes, indeed, among the clump of dry roots were little white live. Drainage was poured into a small bowl, then the soil that was in the house, planted what was left of the plant there, watered, covered the plant’s bowl with a plastic bag and put this micro-plate on the windowsill. After a while, the sprouts appeared, and a little later, the leaves began to unfold. Now it became clear that the saved plant is an arrowroot. She loves moist air and moist soil very much, does not tolerate drought, drafts and direct sunlight. In general, the plant is very hardy and grateful.Elzbieta
I think this houseplant is quite whimsical to care for. Maranta does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature. Somehow, just because of the sudden change in temperature, one of my arrowroots nearly died. In the summer I try to shade from too hot sun, does not tolerate overheating. My arrowroot lives in partial shade, in bright light the leaves lose their bright color, become pale. I water with water at room temperature, quite abundantly. I spray the leaves regularly. This is a very hygrophilous plant.kseniya2015
Maranta, which is valued not at all for flowers, but for decorative bright leaves, adapts well to home and office conditions. The plant is unpretentious in care, but still will not allow itself to be left to its own devices - it requires protection from drafts and competent watering.