Afelandra protruding(Aphelandra squarrosa), also referred to as the quadrangular afelandra, is a pot plant with interesting, dark green leaves with clearly visible bright veins and attractive yellow inflorescences appearing on the tops shoots. Although it feels great at room temperature, it often has brown spots, its leaves fall off or refuse to bloom. Find out more about therequirements of protruding afelandra , the rules of its care and ways to deal with diseases that plague this plant.
A protruding afelandra, a square afelandra - Aphelandra squarrosa
Fig. depositphotos.com
What does a protruding afelandra look like?
Afelandra protruding , sometimes also referred to as quadrilateral afelandra or apical afelandra, is a tropical perennial, belonging to the Acanthaceae family. Under natural conditions, it grows up to 100 cm in height and 80 cm in width, however, in pot growing, the growth of afelandra is corrected by annual pruning. Thanks to this, the plants in our houses maintain a compact habit, reaching about 30 cm in height and 20 cm in width.
Afelandra is decorated withoval or elliptical, glossy, dark green leaves with clear bright veins . They can be up to 20 cm in length. Depending on the variety of afelandra, the leaf innervation can be yellow cream or silvery white.
Uafelandra cultivars 'Dania'the leaves are dark green with clearly separated, almost white veins.Afelandra variety 'White Wash'has leaves with bright veins that spread out between the lateral veins.Thanks to this, a very interesting pattern is created on the leaves. This variety, however, has a disadvantage, because it is very reluctant to bloom.
Ridge yellow afelandra flowers , gathered in a spiky inflorescence, appear on the tops of the shoots in summer. However, we will get flowers only when we meet the requirements of this plant and provide it with a sufficiently high air humidity.
Stems of quadrilateral afelandra are stiff and fleshyIn plants pruned annually to maintain a compact habit , do not require supports.
Afelandra protruding - requirements and care
A protruding Afelandra requires a bright growing siteHowever, it should be protected against direct sunlight, because then its leaves are easily burned, their edges turn brown or are covered with brown spots. It is best that the afelandra should not stand next to the window, and the light reaching it should be filtered, for example, by a curtain.
Afelandra protruding during the growth period(from spring to autumn) grows well at average room temperature (20-24 ° C).In winter, the plant should enter a period of dormancy and then the temperature should be lowered to 15-18 ° C.
A protruding afelandra, a square afelandra - Aphelandra squarrosa
Fig. depositphotos.com
In natureafelandras grow in tropical forests of Brazil , where there is very high humidity. Therefore, the plants should be watered regularly, keeping the soil in the pot constantly moist. It is also beneficial tosprinkle the afelandra leaveswith soft, standing water or place flat trays of water next to the plant to evaporate and moisten the air. Watering is limited during the winter dormancy.
Fertilizing afelandrais performed from March to August with the use of mineral fertilizers for potted plants. If you use liquid fertilizer, it is worth adding it to the watering water every 2 weeks.
Good to know!
Afelandras do not like drafts but are resistant to fumes from gas cookers. Therefore, they are great potted flowers for the kitchen.
Afelandra protruding - trimming and transplanting
A very important procedure in the care of protruding afelandra is trimming itUncut plants grow too tall, lose their compact habit, and their stems may require supports. Afelandra blooms in summer
, and its permanent flowers last until autumn. The faded inflorescences are cut out in the fall and the plant is brought to a state of dormancy by gradually reducing watering and lowering the temperature to about 17 ° C.In February, afelandras are trimmed to a height of 15 cm
, leaving 3 to 5 strong shoots on the plant. After pruning, the plants can be transplanted into larger pots (if the old pot is too small) and fresh soil. Universal soil for potted flowers will be suitable. Remember to put a thin layer of drainage made of small pebbles or expanded clay on the bottom of the pot.
Lack of pruning causes afelandra shoots to stretch out and strip the leaves from below
Fig. katy222, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Afelandra protruding - reproduction
Reproduction of the protruding afelandracan be performed in April by collecting cuttings from young, emerging shoots. In order to obtain cuttings, cut some of the new shoots, leaving the strongest ones on the plant. Afelandra cuttings obtained in this way are rooting in water or a constantly moist, sandy substrate heated to a temperature of 20 ° C. A specialized electronic soil meter will be helpful in measuring the temperature.
Afelandra protruding - diseases and pests
Curl of afelandra leaves and drying of their edgesindicates too dry air or excessive airing. Afelandra hates drafts and leaves fall in extreme cases.Therefore, let's avoid placing pots with the plant in dry and airy places, let's take care of proper air humidity or sprinkle the leaves of the plant, and during the heating period, keep the afelandra as far away from the radiators as possible.
Drying and brown spots on afelandra leavesmay be a sign of leaf burns caused by too much sunlight. In such cases, we remove the damaged leaves and move the plant further away from the window. To stimulate growth and quick regeneration, you can spray it with the natural preparation Biosept Active.
Clusters of small bugs may appear on the buds and young leaves of afelandra , giving off sticky goo. These are aphids that are combated by spraying with water with potassium soap (dissolve 10-20 g of soap in 1 liter of water) or one of the ready-made preparations for potted plants: Emulpar Spray 750 ml or Substral Multi-Insekt.These are oil preparations that are safe to use at home or on the balcony.
You can also try proven home remedies for aphids, such as:
- spraying with vinegar (100 ml of vinegar per liter of water),
- spraying with water with the addition of baking soda (dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in 2 liters of water)
- spraying with garlic extract (20 g cloves of garlic, grind, grind and pour 1 liter of water, leave for 24 hours, strain before spraying and pour through a fine mesh strainer or gauze).
Oval, yellow or brown, convexdiscs appearing on the leaves along the veins and on the petiolesis a symptom of attack of scales. On the other hand, sticky, white clumps resembling fluff of cotton or wool, located most often on the underside and in the axils of afelandra leaves, are a symptom of an attack of mealybugs.
Remove both types of afelandra pestswiping the plant with a cotton ball or sticks soaked in denatured alcohol or spirit. Then spray the entire plant with the above-mentioned Emulpar Spray 750 ml or Substral Substral Multi-Insekt preparations.
Ifscale or mealybugs are found in large numbers on the afelander , it may be necessary to use a stronger insecticide such as Polysect Hobby 750 ml. It is a ready-to-use insecticide packaged with a sprayer. Remember, however, to place the plant outside, in a shaded and sheltered place from the wind, while spraying. Spraying with insecticides should not be carried out in living quarters.
Yellowing and falling leaves of afelandramay be caused by the feeding of spider mites. These pests are very small and we can only see them under a magnifying glass. Look for them on the underside of the leaves. A good test is to put a white sheet of paper and shake the plant vigorously. If the sheet shows tiny spots that have fallen from the plant and they move, we can be sure that it is a spider mite.
After findingspider mites, spray afelandra with natural preparationsEmulpar Spray 750 ml or Substral Multi-Insekt. If this does not help, you can use a stronger acaricide, such as Karate Spray.
All the above-mentioned preparations against afelandra diseases and pests can be ordered in the shop of our guide. We guarantee efficient service, attractive prices and fast delivery. To view the offer, press the button below.
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