Anthurium belongs to the plant familyarum, or, in other words, araceae. Perhaps this is the most numerous genus of this family, because some species of anthurium today have nine hundred different subspecies. They differ in the shape of flowers and their color, the leaves of each species also have their own special shape and color. If you translate the name of the genus from Latin, anthurium means "tail" or "flower". Sometimes the plant is called a flamingo flower. Anthurium has a fairly dense glossy cover of leathery texture. Flowers, as a rule, have the shape of a heart, and their color varies from delicate pink to deep red. At first glance at the flowers of anthurium, you might think that they are made of plastic - this feature distinguishes it from other plants. Anthurium itself is native to the Central and South American subtropics. Many species of the plant are terrestrial erect herbs, and those that live in the tropics have evolved over time into creeping plants - peculiar vines with aerial roots and so-called epiphytes. Today, decorative leafy aroid plants are known and popular. As a rule, these are their beautifully flowering species, which have received mainly commercial distribution. Every day, more and more different forms and varieties of anthurium, obtained from hybrids of the plant, are cultivated. Anthurium is used as a house and garden plant, as well as a plant intended for cutting. Let's consider how to properly care for such a flower, and figure out why anthuriums sometimes dry out and how to deal with this.

Common problems in the cultivation of anthurium

The first and perhaps the main difficulty inin the process of growing anthurium - this is a problem with the leaves and flowers. Very often they dry out and curl up. There can be many reasons for this. First of all, it is dry air, as well as a draft. This is the first thing that can cause damage to the leaves, roots and flowers. You may also notice that the leaves begin to turn yellow in the summer. Why does this happen? This is a sign of sunburn. You can avoid this by shading the plant, thereby protecting it from constant exposure to direct sunlight. If the foliage turns yellow in winter, then this is, on the contrary, a sign of insufficient lighting. In this case, it is enough to simply place the pot with the plant a little closer to the light. Often, dark spots appear on the leaves of the flower, usually black. This can be facilitated by excessively low temperatures. It is very important to provide it with maximum heat during the process of growing anthurium, but within acceptable limits. If you see large yellow spots, this indicates problems with feeding the plant. Fertilize anthurium with special products - the feeding should be balanced. Sometimes the leaves of anthurium turn black. This is the first signal of an excess of calcium salts in the soil mass. Again, this may occur due to improper feeding of the flower. Your task is to prepare suitable soil for the plant, a high-quality substrate, which will prevent this problem. If the leaves of the anthurium slow down their growth and begin to dry out strongly, then the problem may be hidden in the root system. The first thing to do is to wash off the old layer of soil with warm water and examine the roots. Remove all rotten roots, then dry them for some time (an hour is enough). Now you can replant the plant. Take a new pot and loosen the soil beforehand. After all the work you have done, the plant will come to life. And only then, when the leaves begin to grow actively, new flowers will begin to appear. If you want to stimulate the growth and flowering of anthurium, use special preparations, such as Ovary and Bud. You can buy them in any specialized store. The most destructive diseases for anthurium are rot. They can be both stem and root. The reason for its appearance is, as a rule, over-moistening of the substrate and sudden temperature changes. Rot can also provoke anthracnose, when leaf blades gradually dry out from the edges, and if the damage is severe, they die off completely. It is important to treat anthurium with a fungicide as soon as you notice that rot has affected the plant.

Features of care for anthurium

Initially, it is important to know that anthurium is nottolerates exposure to direct sunlight. For this plant, the most optimal temperature in the summer will be 20-23 degrees. In winter, the temperature should not be below 18 degrees. Anthurium needs high humidity. Please note that in the spring and summer, anthurium needs to be watered abundantly, while providing high humidity. Do not forget to spray the leaves of the plant twice a day, using water at room temperature.

• Watering and moisturizing

Do not allow water to stagnate under any circumstances.otherwise the plant may die. As such, over-watering promotes root rot, so add a drainage layer to the pot with anthurium. You do not need to choose a pot that is too deep, but it should be wide. Anthurium is a plant with a superficial root system. Due to its aerial roots, anthurium can replenish moisture reserves directly from the air. That is why you need to wrap its roots with special sphagnum moss, which needs to be sprayed periodically.

• Temperature conditions

It has already been said before what to contain anthuriumneed a fairly warm room with an average temperature of 18-20 degrees. At the same time, isolate the plant from the heating system as much as possible. Remember that the permissible minimum indicator in winter should not fall below 15 degrees. Otherwise, the leaves of the plant will curl and dry out.

• Lighting for anthurium

In general, anthurium grows quite quicklyadapts to room conditions. The only thing to note is the plant's need for plenty of light. If this need is met, anthurium flowers will become even brighter and more saturated. However, direct rays should be avoided.

• Anthurium fertilizer

It cannot be said that anthurium is very demanding.to feeding and constantly needs additional nutrients. It is only important to periodically fertilize the plant from March to August. It is better to fertilize approximately once every two weeks. This plant is sensitive to mineral salts, in particular, to their excess. Do not forget to dilute the fertilizers before feeding the plant with them. For example, you can use azophoska as a complex nutrient. Its concentration should be about 1 g per liter. Do not forget to add humate here, about 300 mg per liter. However, foliar mineral weekly fertilizing, which is especially needed by anthurium leaves, is most effective. Organic fertilizing is no less effective, but it is not always available. It should be applied directly to the surface of the substrate itself, for example, leaf humus or manure in the form of mulch. In addition, once a month, water the plant with an infusion based on chicken manure - this will prevent rotting of leaves and flowers.

• Correct humidity

As with any plant, it is very important for anthuriumIt is important to maintain the necessary humidity. Anthurium needs very humid air. For this purpose, again, you need to constantly spray the plant. For anthurium, the optimal humidity is 90%. Try to provide such conditions for the plant. You can put the anthurium on a tray with gravel or expanded clay, and pour water into this tray. This will help maintain the correct humidity for the plant.

• Transplant and Reproduction

Anthuriums are usually transplanted into a substrate,developed for bromeliads and orchids. It is a mixture consisting of one part of coniferous, leaf and peat soil, with the addition of 0.5 parts of ordinary sand. It is better to use flat, fairly wide pots. Drainage should be good. It will not be superfluous to add a little charcoal to the soil, but after the transplant itself, the plant needs to be sprayed even more often and carefully watered. During this period, anthurium is especially sensitive to lack of moisture. As for reproduction, anthurium is propagated by cuttings. Apical long-stemmed cuttings with aerial roots are used. Anthuriums with short stems are propagated by seeds and division. Here it is important to take into account all the features of the flower.

• The soil layer

To grow a plant in a pot, you needuse fairly loose soil with coarse fibers. Air-impermeable substrates with a pH of 5 to 6 are well suited. The substrate should contain components with large particles. Its purpose is to tightly hold the plant and preserve all minerals, substances and, of course, moisture. The substrate should dry easily. It is important that it does not decompose or cake. But at the bottom of the pot itself, it is better to put drainage based on cuttings and sand. And do not forget the main thing. Anthurium, despite all its beauty, is a poisonous plant. In particular, its young leaves are poisonous. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful when working with it. Make sure that the plant is inaccessible to small children and animals.

Pests of anthurium

Of course, the diseases that flowers suffer from areroots and leaves of the plant, are often caused by pests. Despite the fact that anthuriums do not get sick very often, and are generally weakly affected by various pests, it is important to know how to deal with them if they still damage the plant. Most often, anthurium is exposed to the effects of scale insects and aphids, as well as mealybugs. The scale insect leaves behind brown plaques on the plant, usually on the stems. Leaves can also suffer, becoming sticky and gradually losing their rich color. If the infestation is severe, the leaves dry out and fall off. It is quite easy to deal with scale insects. Using a simple sponge soaked in a soap solution, wipe the leaves of the plant. Spraying with an actellic solution (15%) will not be superfluous. Observe the proportion of 1 ml per 1 liter of water. Aphids are known as the most common plant pest. In anthurium, it damages the top of the shoots, as well as the bottom of the leaves, flowers and buds. How can you tell if the plant is infected? Infection manifests itself in the discoloration of the leaves and their sudden curling. After this, the leaves turn yellow and quickly fall off. In addition, sooty fungus forms on the secretions of the aphids. You can fight aphids by spraying with inta-vir and decis, as well as actellic. Mealybugs, as a rule, affect shoots, flowers and leaves. For example, spots form on the leaves, after which the foliage dries up and falls off. As a result, the anthurium may die. The flowers become dull and weak. You can fight the mealybug by wiping the surface of the plant with a soapy sponge and washing it under a warm shower. If the infection is very severe, spray the anthurium with a solution of actellic or karbofos. Please note that some folk remedies are also good for combating the pests listed above. For example, onion infusions and tobacco solution. A mixture based on grated soap with the addition of garlic and water in the following proportions will also help: five large spoons of garlic and soap per glass of water. That's probably all you need to know about proper care of anthurium. These rules are easy to follow, and the plant is not particularly demanding or picky. By spending a little of your time and taking care of the anthurium, you can grow an exotic, bright plant that impresses with its beauty.

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