Anthurium is native to the tropical region of South America. It belongs to the agave family. At the moment, there are more than 500 species of anthurium. These are mainly hybrid varieties. Which have acquired new colors of inflorescences. You can find a variety of anthurium colors. But still there are wild species. They can only be found in nature.
But skillful florists deftly find ways to purchase wild-growing anthuriums for their collection. In the rainforest of South America, where there is a lot of rain. In the wild, you can find anthurium crystallinum. In order to grow it at home, you will have to work hard to recreate the conditions close to growth. High temperatures and humidity. It is a perennial herb. At a young age, the anthurium leaf takes on a bronze-purple color and has the shape of a heart. The more mature the plant grows, the more noticeable the changes in leaf color occur. They become shiny, on the dark green of the leaf – silvery veins are well pronounced. At a young age, these veins at the base of the leaf are pink in color, and with age they become light green in color.
anthurium crystallinum care
Home care is also possible for anthurium crystallinum. However, as with any indoor plant, care is needed. One difference from all types of anthurium is that anthurium crystallinum is more demanding on air humidity and watering. Since this plant grows in the tropics and can be found exclusively in nature. Having placed it at home, you will have to intensify the care and pay special attention to this handsome man. Blooming anthurium crystallinum also attracts attention, it blooms no less impressively.
The flowers are quite small and inconspicuous. You can observe them on the plant from May to September. The unusual flowering is the cob twisted in a spiral, can reach up to 20 centimeters in length. Usually, the color of the inflorescences is bright, but anthurium crystallinum is grown mainly because of the decorative leaves. The width of which reaches 35 centimeters and the length is up to 40. The leaf is located on a long vertical petiole. The maximum plant height is approximately 45 centimeters.
Soil
The soil can be purchased special or ready-made for ornamental plants. you can also prepare the soil yourself. The basis includes nutrient soil, it can be leaf humus, peat, sand, you can also use soil for orchids. Be sure to add perlite or vermiculite to the soil.
The soil is mixed. Sphagnum is located on the surface of the planted plant. The main thing is to take care of the drainage. Place a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of the pot. About 3 centimeters. It is necessary that the expanded clay covers all the drainage holes in the pot. If there are not enough holes (holes), they are made with an awl additionally.
Landing
We plant anthurium in a not very deep pot. Better it will be a little wider than deep. Deep pots lead to stagnant moisture. Poor air permeability. This can cause your soil to be compressed and this can have a negative effect on the quality of the soil and the development of the plant itself. Before planting, it is necessary to inspect the plant. Remove all dried and broken roots and stems.
Treat with appropriate preparations if necessary. Next, we plant the anthurium in such a way that it is located in the pot as it grew before in the previous pot. It is not necessary to deepen it much. Gently and evenly apply the soil around the edges of the pot and tamp it with your hands. It is better with your hands, so you will feel the plant and the density of the pot filled with soil. After planting, water your anthurium abundantly.
Transplant
For adult plants, it is enough to transplant every five years. It is recommended to replant young plants annually. Usually, transplanting is associated with such moments as dividing the bush, or rejuvenating the main bush. When transplanting, you can divide or divide the bush. By transplanting young shoots. Also, when transplanting, the soil mixture is updated. If the root system has grown too much, then increase the width of the pot. We try not to injure the earthen lump with anthurium roots during transplantation, and if the lump is large, then we place it in a new pot. Having filled up with fresh soil. Ideally, this is a transplant once every two or three years. Or, provided that the anthurium has filled its entire pot with roots.
So, what needs to be done when transplanting anthurium. The new pot should be slightly wider than the previous one, this will allow the roots to develop further. Be sure to put a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of the pot. Can be medium or small. On top of the drainage, we place the soil, it can be a ready-made mixture. Or we prepare it ourselves from humus, sod land, with the addition of peat (neutral acidity), sphagnum (you can add soil for orchids). Take your plant and carefully remove it from the old pot. Inspect the plant for rotten roots, everything that is not needed should be removed and treated with ash, you can also add root-forming stimulants to the hole for planting. Next, add the soil to the level of the pot. You can cover the foot of the plant with sphagnum. Water abundantly.
Planting anthurium crystallinum
An ideal place for growing anthurium crystallinum is a heated greenhouse or a solar greenhouse. In such conditions, it is easier to give the plant year-round high humidity and air temperature. At home, you will have to find a similar place. Both in terms of humidity and temperature maintenance for comfortable growing. The owner of large leaves should be given maximum space.
It is important to remember: the flower does not tolerate drafts very well.
Lighting
anthurium crystallinum needs bright, but diffused lighting throughout the year. Try to meet this need. If in the summer, when daylight hours are great, this issue can be resolved in a natural way. Then in winter, try to make additional lighting. Special lamps and phytolamps will help with this.
Temperature
in the spring-summer months and early autumn – the optimal temperature for the full development of your plant is 25 degrees. But do not allow sudden changes in temperature. In winter, the temperature should not drop below 16 degrees. For a plant, both high and too low temperatures are equally destructive. Try to find a middle ground for growing anthurium.
Humidity
If the air in the room is dry enough. You will notice that the edges of the anthurium leaves are beginning to dry out. You can buy a humidifier or place the pot on a pallet of expanded clay or pebbles, which will be filled with water. This will increase the moisture around the plant. Of course, it will be difficult to achieve humidity of 90%, but here you can spray or make it “tropical rains”. When spraying, try not to get on the inflorescences, otherwise, they will begin to become stained and wither. With regards to “tropical rains” – it is enough to pour it from the top of the watering can with settled water. After such a shower, you need to wipe all the leaves dry. Alternatively, you can simply wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. This will remove dust, prevent pests, and give additional moisture to the plant.
watering anthurium crystallinum
anthurium crystallinum, like all anthuriums, does not tolerate hard water. Ideally, it should be rainwater, or it should be boiled and cooled to room temperature. We always remove excess moisture from the pallet.
Watering
We try to keep the soil in the pot always moist, but not wet. In summer, watering should be very intense and abundant. The soil should be moist at any depth in the pot. Moisture can be checked with special moisture meters. In winter, watering continues but is not as abundant. He should be moderate. Always maintain a moisture balance. Given the needs of anthurium, do not get too carried away with watering. It should be regular and abundant. It is very important not to allow the soil to dry out. And also its too moisture. To maintain soil moisture, it is recommended to lay sphagnum at the base of the plant and on the surface of the pot. But not too close to the plant itself.
Fetilizer
We definitely use organic mineral fertilizers. It is better to use complex, containing all the essential nutrients. In the summer, during the growing season, we make additional feeding monthly. In winter, we pause with feeding. Due to the fact that anthurium crystallinum belongs to decorative deciduous, nitrogen must be present in the dressing, and ideally, phosphorus and potassium. Try to get balanced compound fertilizers.
anthurium crystallinum Propagation
This is an ornamental deciduous plant that lends itself well to reproduction. The most optimal ways are dividing the bush, cuttings, and seeds.
Propagation. When dividing a bush, it is better to choose spring. And, perhaps, this is the simplest way of reproduction of this anthurium. There is nothing complicated here: we carefully remove the lump of the plant. And we divide it by the required number of processes. It is better to make a cut with a sharp knife, which must be disinfected beforehand. The main thing is that each divided process has its own developed root system. It is better to process the cut with ash. We plant these processes in separate pots and place them in a warm and humid place. To maintain humidity, cover with sphagnum. We monitor the humidity and control the process of watering the seedlings. As well as for adult plants, excessive watering is dangerous by decay.
by Cutting
When grafting is also a popular method of propagation of anthurium. The plant must be over two years old. This is a good age for grafting. It is worth choosing cuttings at least ten centimeters long. The cuttings should have three buds with developed leaves and aerial roots. The stalk can be placed in moistened perlite; in this case, the perlite is not allowed to dry out. Alternatively, you can plant it in prepared soil, with a greater proportion of peat. In order for the cuttings to take root well, the temperature must be at least 25 degrees. Within a month, the cuttings take root successfully.
by seeds
Seed propagation is a difficult process for domestic propagation. This process is complicated and will take longer for you. Seeds can be purchased or harvested from your inflorescence. In the second option, the seeds must ripen on the cob, after which they must be collected and dried. In both cases, before planting, we soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. About 4 hours. The prepared soil mixture should consist of peat and moss. Place the seeds superficially, without deeply deepening. Sprinkle on top with a thin layer of peat, but better with fine sand. Cover the containers with seeds with foil and put them in a warm and bright place. The ideal temperature for germinating seeds is at least 26 degrees. A month later – seedlings with well-developed two leaves, transplanted to a permanent place and in permanent pots.
Anthurium is also called “male happiness”, giving this flower to a man, or putting it in the house, the owner of the stronger sex, this plant gives courage, confidence.
anthurium crystallinum Pests and diseases
Any plant can be susceptible to diseases and pests. Anthurium is no exception. If the growing conditions are violated, the plant can be exposed to the disease or by weakening it, it can be affected by a number of pests.
Pests
among pests can be noted such as aphids, which damage the leaves. They turn yellow, may become stained and die off. If a sticky coating forms on the leaves, it is most likely a scale insect. Spider mite – damages leaves, stems and the whole plant in general. Mealybug – harms the leaves, when they are affected, they curl up in a tube.
Diseases
among the diseases are fungal and viral. The main problem is watering, if it is not observed, various kinds of rot can occur. Both the stem and the root system. Among the most common diseases is anthracnose – if this disease is noticed in time, the plant can be saved. But as for gray rot, it is more difficult. The plant needs treatment with special drugs. All problematic parts that have undergone the disease must be removed. Replace the soil in this pot, where the diseased plant grew, and detoxify the soil. In the prevention and treatment, we use insecticides, you can use folk remedies – a solution of soapy water, potassium permanganate. We process all parts of the plant, or shed the soil. Soil for anthurium when planting or transplanting can also be treated as a prophylaxis.
anthurium crystallinum Bloom
Crystal anthurium is an individual plant in your interior. It is grown not so much for colorful flowers as for luxurious huge leaves in the form of a heart. On which a pattern of light veins is formed. Of course, in a solo fit he has no equal. But it can be supplemented with other anthuriums ( Andre, Scherzer ). Composing a composition of small pots with anthuriums. But, I confess honestly that the anthurium crystallinum, decorative and beautiful in itself, without additional plants in the composition with it. Especially at a time when the anthurium begins to bloom. Good luck to you.
