Zamioculcas Is A Dollar Tree. Home Care. Photo

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 07:13

They managed to love this plant for its unpretentiousness and unusual appearance. And they have even come up with a popular name - "Dollar Tree". Indeed, it is very similar to the "Money Tree". Although, in all its characteristics, it is much larger and more massive. And since in our country currency was previously valued more than rubles, it means that more valuable money should be attracted by a plant larger than Crassula. This is how the responsibilities of these two plants were divided with the appearance of this unpretentious exotic in our homes: Crassula, that is, "Money tree" - increases the family's income by attracting rubles; and Zamioculcas, that is, the "Dollar Tree" - helps to earn and accumulate dollars.

Content:

• Description of zamiokulkas
• Features of growing zamioculcas
• Zamioculcas care at home
• Reproduction of zamiokulkas
• Description of Zamioculcas zamielistny
• Diseases and pests of zamiokulkas

Description of zamiokulkas

Zamioculcas (Zamioculcas) is a monotypic genus of plants of the Aroid family (subfamily Aroideae, tribe Zamioculcadeae), represented by a single species - Zamioculcas zamiifolia, native to tropical Africa.

The homeland of zamiokulkas is the desert expanses of Africa, where it grows along with other succulents - plants capable of storing moisture in fleshy stems, leaves and roots, which these plants use during drought.

Zamioculcas has a large underground tuber, rather large leathery leaves, covered with a wax coating. Zamiokulkas leaves are pinnate, erect, located on thick, fleshy petioles. All parts of this plant are adapted to create water reserves in case of prolonged drought. In a dollar tree, flowering is a rather rare phenomenon, especially in indoor conditions.

The zamioculcas flower resembles an ear in which light, small, nondescript flowers are collected. The ear itself is formed in the lower part of the plant and is covered with a green veil, therefore it is hardly noticeable. Zamiokulkas grows slowly, but an adult plant grows up to one meter in height, therefore it is more suitable for large rooms, although as a single plant it will decorate any interior.

Features of growing zamioculcas

Temperature: Moderate, preferably 16-18 ° C in winter, but not lower than 12 ° C.

Lighting: Bright place with diffused light. In summer, he prefers outdoor accommodation - on the balcony, in the garden, etc. In winter, you will have to rearrange the zamiokulkas closer to the window.

Watering: Moderate from spring to autumn, but no water should remain on the pallet, watering is rare in winter, the soil should dry out well before the next watering. Zamioculcas tolerates some overdrying more easily than stagnant water in the soil - this can lead to root rot and the formation of stem rot.

Fertilizer: Usually, no fertilizing is needed.

Air humidity: Zamioculcas does not require spraying the leaves, but sometimes it is necessary to arrange washing so that the plant does not become dusty and does not lose its attractiveness. In summer, rain showers are sufficient outdoors.

Transfer: Annually in the spring. The soil should be fairly nutritious. For young plants - 1 part of sod land, 1 part of leafy land, 1 part of peat and 1 part of sand. You can add a little well-rotted humus earth. Transplanting old copies of zamiokulkas is carried out every two years in the spring. The pot for zamiokulkas should be commensurate with the root system. Good drainage is a must.

Reproduction: By dividing the bush, leaf, cuttings. It is better to dry the leaf a little before planting. It is desirable to root cuttings or a leaf with soil heating and using phytohormones for better root formation. Rooting can take up to 2 months.

Zamioculcas care at home

As a houseplant, zamioculcas has been cultivated in our country relatively recently. This plant is very suitable for our apartments, where central heating creates a dry air in apartments close to deserts. In addition, the zamioculcas houseplant is very unpretentious. You can forget to water it, it tolerates bright sun and light shading well, a fairly wide temperature range (from + 12 ° C degrees in winter, to +30 ° C and higher in summer). Zamioculcas does not need to be sprayed, although spraying does not bring any harm to zamioculcas.

The answer to the question: "How to care for zamiokulkas?" simple - zamioculcas loves warmth, bright light, very moderate watering. He does not like dampness, especially at low temperatures, therefore, it is necessary to water the zamioculcas in the summer as the earthen coma dries completely, and in the winter no more than 1-2 times a month.

The best place in an apartment for a zamiokulkas is the sill of the south window, but it will not wither on the north side either. True, with this arrangement, the leaves of the plant will be somewhat smaller, and in this case it should be watered much less often. In summer, it is good to take the zamioculcas flower to the balcony.

The dollar tree also has no special requirements for soil. The soil in the pot can be anything, just not clay (you can take a ready-made earthen mixture for cacti), but good drainage is required.

Zamioculcas grows slowly, so it is often not necessary to transplant it, but nevertheless, when the entire space of the pot is filled with roots, transplanting into a larger volume is very desirable for zamiokulkas. When transplanting, pay attention - the tubers do not need to be deeply deepened into the ground. They should be slightly visible on the surface.

It is necessary to feed zamiakulkas with fertilizers for cacti and succulents very carefully, only during the growing season once a month, and that is not necessary. Better not to feed at all than to overfeed. There is no need to feed at all during the dormant period in winter.

Reproduction of zamiokulkas

It is not possible to find the seeds of zamiokulkas in our latitudes, therefore, for zamiokulkas reproduction in our area is possible only in a vegetative way. All parts of the plant can be used to produce a new plant.

The easiest way is to divide an adult plant. In this case, the plant is removed from the pot, the rhizome is divided, dried, then each part is planted in a separate container.

The second way is the separation of a complex leaf-"branch" with a bud. The separated part is first dried, and then planted in a permanent pot, while the tuber-bud should be deepened into the ground only to the base of the leaf. Next is the usual care.

Finally, the longest way is reproduction by a single leaf blade. The leaf separated from the plant is dried for a couple of days, then planted in a small pot, in a light sandy soil, deepening by 1/3, watered and covered with a jar, regularly ventilated. The process of forming roots-tubers is very long and new leaves have to wait about six months.

Description of Zamioculcas zamielistny

Zamioculcas zamiifolia (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), synonym - Zamioculcas loddigesii.

The native land of the species is East Africa. From the tuberous rhizome, the plant develops leaves 40-60 cm long, which - which is very rare for representatives of the aroid family - are divided into 8-12 separate feathers. The leaf axis (rachis) is thick, juicy, and serves the plant to store moisture. The feathers are leathery, dense. The entire leaf resembles a leaf of plants from the genus Zamia, living on the American continent, which is reflected in the name of the plant.

In dry times, zamioculcas can shed the upper part of the leaf with feathery lobes, which prevents excessive evaporation, while the lower part of the petiole serves as a reservoir for water and remains on the plant. Zamiokulkas also stores water in a powerful underground root. Over time, the plant can stretch out and reach a height of 1 m.

Diseases and pests of zamiokulkas

Zamioculcas is sick and rarely affected by pests. This is a very hardy plant, but it can be "driven out" by inept care. The biggest mistake is over-watering. In this case, the roots begin to rot. If such a misfortune occurs, you need to remove the plant from the pot, separate the decayed parts of the plant, and sprinkle the rest with crushed coal, dry it and transplant it into new soil, then water the flower very sparingly.

If the leaves of a dollar tree turn yellow, this does not mean that the flower is sick. Zamioculcas, although slowly, grows, new leaves appear, and the old ones turn yellow and die off, while dark spots may appear on the stems.

If the leaves turn yellow, but new shoots are growing and the dark spots are dry, everything is in order, the plant is healthy. It is necessary to remove yellowing leaves only after they are completely dry.

If the zamioculcas turns yellow, and new shoots do not grow, then there are reasons for concern. Yellowing of leaves can cause sudden changes in temperature, drafts, insufficient watering and pest damage.

Zamioculcas can be affected by spider mites, scale insects, and aphids.

A spider mite is a very small red "spider". It appears on the underside of the leaves and envelops them with thin white cobwebs. It is destroyed by spraying and washing the leaves, especially from the underside, with water, weak tobacco infusion, pollination (in the fresh air, outside the rooms) with ground sulfur, or the plant is treated with ready-made systemic insecticides.

Shield, or shield aphid, got its name from the waxy shield that covers the body of an adult pest. At first, at a young age, the scale insect is hardly noticeable, but it multiplies quickly, covering the stems and leaves with dark spots. Adults are motionless and sit under shields, from under which the larvae crawl out and creep throughout the plant. At this time, they are destroyed by spraying with a soap-tobacco solution, to which you can add a little kerosene or denatured alcohol. Adult pests, along with shields, are removed with a damp swab, but you still need to treat the entire plant with insecticide or soapy water to remove the larvae.

Aphids are small insects that can be green, gray or black in color. It settles on the underside of the leaf and feeds on plant sap, which leads to drying and folding of the leaves. It multiplies quickly. It is destroyed by ready-made preparations that are sold in stores or by solutions of nicotine - sulfate in water and soap in a ratio of 1 g. nicotine - sulphate per 1 liter of soapy water.

After processing, the dollar tree must be washed well in a day, covering the soil with polyethylene. If necessary, the processing is repeated.

In any case, if the zamioculcas turns yellow and flower diseases are obvious, even if the entire aerial part of the plant has disappeared, do not rush to throw it away. Remove the zamioculcas from the pot, inspect the roots and tubers, if they have not lost their elasticity and look healthy, wash them with a weak manganese solution, dry them and plant them in new soil, start watering.

It is quite possible that zamiokulkas is like in its homeland, when during a drought the entire aerial part of the plant disappears, with the onset of favorable conditions, it will give new shoots from the remaining tubers. Zamioculcas is hardy and resistant, like a real man.

We are waiting for your comments!