Table of contents:
- The modern star of indoor ground covers
- Lighting for fittonia
- Comfortable temperature
- Watering and air humidity
- Fittonia feed
- Pruning Fittonia
- Transplant and substrate
- Diseases and pests of fittonia
- Reproduction of fittonia
Video: Mesh Shy Fittonia. Types, Care, Photos
2024 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 00:23
Fine contrasting mesh-like veins have made Fittonia one of the most promising miniature plants. This baby is called both modern and daring, although the epithet "funny" is most suitable for Fitton. A modest in every sense, a houseplant with a perky character, despite its low height and not so unusual greenery, won the hearts of flower growers all over the world. It is easy to care for Fittonia, it is attractive all year round and is truly a win-win choice for even the most inexperienced owners.
The modern star of indoor ground covers
The species in the genus Fittonia are graceful and compact ground covers with attractive foliage. Despite the fact that all Fittonias are more than modest in size, this does not prevent them from looking festive. Elegant, modest, but thanks to beautiful veins always looking unusual, the leaves give the bushes a neat and well-groomed look. And it is precisely in the neatness, emphasized freshness of Fittonia that the secret of its popularity lies: in any location and in any company, it seems to be a well-groomed, healthy and radiant plant.
Fittonia are ground covers with evergreen pubescent foliage and creeping, flexible and densely branching shoots. The branching nature and flexibility of the branches are especially good in the ampelous form, but the fittonia is also good in the usual pots. In pots, it forms pillow bushes, loose, lush and dense. It will not exceed 10-15 cm in height, it usually grows in breadth and begins to stretch only in extremely uncomfortable conditions. Her leaves slightly resemble mint - oval-heart-shaped, rounded, not very large, they are densely covered with a network of thin veins, forming almost symmetrical patterns on the plates. The variegation of leaves cannot be called anything other than filigree: contrasting beautifully with the dark, coldish base color, the veins turn Fittonia into a noble interior decoration. The reverse side of the leaves is lighter and brighter,successfully emphasizes the emerald shades of the top of the plate.
Particularly popular today is the white-veined fittonia (fittonia albivenis), in which the network of veins along the leaves is painted in a white or pearl tone, really seems to be shining and almost silver. This plant also has separate varieties with more unusual colors, bright or metallic tints:
- a variety of fittonia Perseus (fttonia pearcei) with bright reddish-purple veins, which give the plant a special textile velvety;
- a variety of fittonia silvery- veined (fittonia argyroneura) with white and greenish-light green veins resembling a contrasting mesh or cobweb.
Rarer, but also an attractive appearance - Fitton giant (fittonia gigantea). Unlike the creeping "sister", her shoots are not creeping, but erect. And the bushes reach a height of about half a meter. Her crown is no less thick and spectacular, but the feeling of perfect neatness in this fittonia is somewhat lost. She has beautiful not only leaves, but also peduncles up to 10 cm in length and very massive.
Lighting for fittonia
One of the main advantages of this culture is shade tolerance. Fittonia received its status as a star of modern interiors primarily due to the ability to use the plant not only on window sills. Fittonias feel great only in secluded lighting, partial shade and shade. And such love opens up great prospects for use in the setting of rooms, where there is little light for most indoor cultures. But there is one thing: beautiful patterns on the leaves are directly dependent on lighting. And the poorer it is, the less bright the mesh on the leaves of the Fittonia will be. The pattern, completely characteristic of the plant, contrasting and catchy, remains only in soft diffused lighting and light partial shade. With a lot of shading, it can disappear completely. Choose the balance between the variegated texture of the leaves and the desire to decorate the room with fittonia yourself:you have to sacrifice something. But even in the shade of Fittonia, despite the absence of bright veins, it will look beautiful and elegant. In pursuit of the most beautiful patterns as possible, do not forget: this plant cannot stand direct sunlight.
Comfortable temperature
Fittonia are among the most thermophilic indoor plants. They cannot stand the temperature drop even up to 15 degrees. The minimum allowable values for this ground cover are from 16 to 18 degrees. But it is better to provide the Fittonia with the usual "living" conditions - the air temperature is from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, the usual room conditions or a slightly warmer atmosphere.
It is better to protect Fittonia from drafts and sudden changes in conditions, although in general it is quite persistent.
Watering and air humidity
Watering fittonia is carried out according to the standard scheme, which does not allow waterlogging of the soil, but maintains an average humidity. Between procedures, the soil should dry out only in the upper layer, and it is better to drain the water from the pallets immediately after watering. Even during the dormant stage, the potted substrate should not be allowed to dry out completely. Of course, in accordance with the reduction in lighting and the cessation of growth, watering needs to be adjusted, made more rare.
For fittonia, you can only use water for a long time. Pay special attention to the temperature: it should correspond to the room temperature near the water.
It will not work to achieve good results in growing fittonia and admire the beautiful mini-format bushes all year round, without maintaining a comfortable air humidity for the plant. Fittonia likes very high rates, at least 70-75%. The maximum possible humidity must be maintained throughout the year, even in winter. That is why Fittonias are recommended to be grown in flower showcases or winter gardens. But even in the living room, it is easy to create suitable conditions for her. The air humidity can be increased:
- constant spraying;
- installing the pot on a pallet with wet pebbles, expanded clay, moss, decorative stones (of course, place the plant so that the bottom of the pot does not touch the water);
- installation of humidifier devices;
- placing the plant in rooms with high humidity (bathroom, kitchen) or next to indoor fountains.
Fittonia feed
For fittonia, it is better to use fertilizers intended for decorative deciduous crops. Complex mixtures are applied every 2-3 weeks, from March to October. The plant can be fed by alternating mineral and organic fertilizers. During the rest period, when watering is reduced, and the plant stops growing, it is better not to stop feeding completely. But for Fittonia, provide very rare and weak in terms of concentration procedures - once a month with a halved dose of fertilizers. If you do not want to "play" with watering from November to February, then they can not be carried out at all, but in this case, be prepared for a greater deformation of the shoots.
Pruning Fittonia
Fittonia is prone to creeping, loss of compactness and shape. If the shoots are too stretched, the attractiveness of the curtains is disturbed, the plant can be cut off. The procedure is carried out both in the form of pinching the ends of the branches, and in the form of shortening the shoots up to 2/3 in length. Formation is carried out before transplantation.
Every 2-3 years, to rejuvenate fittonia, it is better to carry out not ordinary, but cardinal pruning. If you plan to cut the plant almost to soil level, then prune after transplanting. If after pruning the plant recovers poorly, it still cannot please with the density and attractiveness of the crown, then replace the old specimens with new fittonia from cuttings.
Transplant and substrate
If you buy Fittonias, be prepared for the fact that the first time you transplant, you will find several plants in one container. Fittonias, like all ground covers, are more often planted in groups in order to get thicker and more beautiful bushes. When transplanting, extra bushes can be separated, planted separately, or, conversely, group fittonias yourself. The transplant is carried out at the end of the dormant period, before the start of March growth. It is best to perform the procedure annually.
The substrate for Fittonia should be loose, medium-nutritious and neutral in acidity. For this plant, ready-made substrates for decorative deciduous crops, universal soil mixtures or self-created soil are suitable, consisting of sod, leaf and peat soil taken in equal measures and ½ measure of sand. Please note that in any soil mixture there must be an addition of chopped moss.
Diseases and pests of fittonia
Usually, with normal care and comfortable air humidity, Fittonia does not get sick. And even pests settle on it only in dry air. If you deviate from the recommendations on Fittonia, you can find signs of whiteflies and spider mites, which are better dealt with with complex measures.
Reproduction of fittonia
Fittonia reproduces very easily due to the simplicity of the rooting process of the apical cuttings. This plant allows you to collect planting material at any warm season, in spring and summer, but traditionally, the apical cuttings remaining after pruning are used for this purpose. Rooting can be carried out in water, in sand, and in a substrate. In order for young fittonias to branch thicker after rooting and acquire a beautiful shape, they need to be tied to a support at the initial stage: so the bushes will release more shoots, become thicker. And of course, we must not forget about pinching the tops of the shoots.
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