Zamiokulkas zamiolistnyis an excellent houseplant for rooms that lack sun. It also does not need to be watered frequently and is undemanding. What should the cultivation andcare of the zamiokulkaslook like to make it grow beautifully and he althily? What determines if the zamiokulkas will bloom? How to do transplanting andreproduction zamiokulkasa ? Can any diseases attack this resistant plant? Here's all aboutgrowing zamiokulkasa !
Zamiokulkas zamiolistny - the pride of this plant are its dark green leaves
Zamiokulkas - cultivation
Zamioculcas zamiifolia (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is a perennial that looks a bit like potted ferns, palms or cycads.
Note!Often mistakenly sellers in flower shops offer zamiokulkas as a zamie belonging to the cyclist family. The zamiokulkasa has no relationship with these plants, however, because it belongs to the picture family (Araceae).
In naturezamiokulkas zamiolistnyoccurs in Tanzania and the island of Zanzibar, where there is a dry equatorial climate. In summer, humid equatorial air flows there (rainy season). In winter, tropical dry air flows in (the dry season lasts up to 10 months). The plant stores water in fleshy leaves growing from an underground tuber rhizome, which is also a storehouse of supplies.
Zamiokulkasgrows in mountain savannas and soils with very little nutrient content, often grows in the shade of taller plants, which largely explains its resistance to growing conditions at home.
In natural sites, the zamiokulkas can reach a height of about 1 m. Although I found information that in potted cultivation, it is usually half the size, the specimen that I have recently grown at home is already 63 cm long and grows quite quickly. adventitious buds from which leaves grow. The leaf petioles (which some of us may mistake for stems) are fleshy, strongly distended at the base, green in color with irregular brown-green spots and stripes. Small leaves alternate on the petioles. The leaves are ovoid-elliptical, pointed at the ends, about 4 cm wide and up to 9 cm long. They are dark green, thick and shiny. Inflorescences in the conditions of
zamiokulkasagrowing in an apartment are rather rare.
Zamiokulkas zamiolistny - there are irregular, brown-green spots on the petioles
Zamiokulkas zamiolistny , although widely known only recently (it appeared both on world flower markets and in domestic florists only a few years ago), it quickly becomes a plant often found in cultivation home.It owes its incredible popularity to its resistance to unfavorable growing conditions, which other plants do not accept. It can be successfully grown in warm, dry and not well-lit rooms, andzamiokulkas caredoes not cause major problems even for people who are just starting their adventure with growing plants. It is also rarely attacked by diseases and pests.
Zamiokulkas zamiolistnyFig. pixabay.com
Zamiokulkas - care
Substrate, soil
Zamiokulkasa is grownis grown in a pot filled with fertile, humus and well-drained substrate (it can be a mixture of peat substrate with sand or fine gravel) acidic or slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6, 5).Light, insolation
The stand forgrowing zamiokulkasshould be semi-shaded. Even a shaded position at the back of the room is acceptable.Low light requirements are the main advantage of this plant, thanks to whichthe cultivation of zamiokulkasis possible in underexposed apartments where other plants do not want to grow. When the light deficit is too strong, the zamiokulkasa leaves begin to stretch out and turn light green. However, in average housing conditions it seems impossible. In my apartment on the ground floor, the windows are covered by anti-burglary shutters almost all day when I am at work. The time during which the sun looks into the room is therefore very shortened, and yet the zamiokulkas is doing quite well. Under the influence of one-sided illumination, the zamiokulkasa leaves bend towards the light. In this case, regularly rotate the pot with the plant.
Note!Much more than the lack of light, this plant can be damaged by the harsh sun. In this case, brown spots will appear on the leaves.
WateringZamiokulkas, like cacti, is a succulent.This means that it has the ability to store water. This is evidenced by its thickened petioles and leaves, as well as tuberous rhizomes. For this reason, water the zamiokulkasa very sparingly, only when the substrate is slightly dry. Watering too often is the most common mistake made whencaring for the zamiokulkasFor watering, it is best to use stagnant water at room temperature. Avoid watering the leaves as this causes unsightly stains (s alt deposits).
For too long, the zamiokulkas not watered will begin to dry out. However, it is unlikely because this plant can survive without watering for more than two months.
Too frequent watering is dangerous for the zamiokulkas, which causes yellowing of the leaves and browning of the rhizome. Over time, it can even lead to rotting of the entire plant.
Temperature
The ideal temperature for the growth of zamiokulkas is 22 to 25 ° C - at this temperature , the care of the zamiokulkasis trouble-free. Zamiokulkas zamiolistnydoes well in the temperature range from 20 to even 30 ° C. In the winter, when the plants are dormant, it will not be affected by temperature drops to 16 ° C. Therefore, ensuring the right temperature for the zamiokulkas grown in the apartment should not be a problem. However, be careful not to expose the plants to drafts! In the winter, it may turn out to be deadly for the zamiokulkas.
Important!Do not buy zamiokulkas in winter. If you decide to do so, you need to provide the plant with the right conditions during transport to the apartment. A drop in temperature below 5 ° C will kill the zamiokulkas.
Fertilization
Caring for the zamiokulkasdoes not require as intensive fertilization as in the case of most other plants . Zamiokulkasa during the growing season is enough to feed every 2 or 3 weeks with half-diluted multi-component fertilizers or even only 1/4 of the dose recommended for most other potted plants. Too intensivefertilization of zamikulkas , as well as too intensive watering, will lead to rotting of the rhizome and leaves of the plant.
Transplanting zamiokulkas
In spring, preferably in March or April,zamiokulkasa replantingYoung specimens are transplanted every year, older ones - every two or three years. Another possible term fortransplanting zamiokulkasais the end of summer, when the plant's rhizomes grow strongly (when transplanting, be careful not to damage the delicate rhizome). The pot should be large enough, as the zamiokulkas rhizomes are relatively large. However, it should not be too deep, and there must be a layer of drainage of a few centimeters at the bottom. And, of course, the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. All this will prevent the rhizome from rotting.
Zamiokulkas - reproduction
"Grown in an apartment, zamiokulkas blooms very rarely and the chances of setting seeds are zero.The reproduction of the zamiokulkascan be easily carried out vegetatively by dividing the rhizome or leaf cuttings.Rhizomes divide in spring. Leaf cuttings, on the other hand, are harvested from April to June. You can try to root the entire leaf with a petiole. Before you put it in the ground, first dip the tip of the petiole into the rooting. Such a seedling will restore the entire plant in one year.
You can also obtain seedlings from single leaves, but with this methodof zamiokulkas propagationthe waiting time for a ready plant will be much longer. Selected leaves from the lower or middle part of the petiole cut off right at the base. Place the cut leaves slightly sloping in the ground so that the new leaves grow outwards and do not overgrow each other. Perlite or peat mixed with sand in a ratio of 1: 1 will be the most suitable for rooting leaf cuttings. Normal room temperature (around 22 ° C) is appropriate for the rooting of cuttings. Roots will appear within a month. "
Zamiokulkas - diseases and pests
"The appearance of diseases in zamiokulkas is mainly associated with too low temperature.indoors or with excessive watering.
Less commonzamiokulkasa diseasesmay be transmitted from the ground or other infested plants. Diseases of potted plants such as rot and phytophthora can occur most frequently. In the event of rot (the symptoms of the disease are accompanied by a fishy smell), the plant unfortunately has to be discarded. As long as the infection is minor, you can prevent the development of phytophthora by using Biosept 33 SL. "
Pests of houseplants attack Zamiokulkas very rarely. In fact, the only threat may be soil nematodes. These pests appear in the substrate and attack the plant's root system.
