Pellonia is perennial. Loves shade, systematic watering. Excellent response to fertilizer.
It can grow in greenhouses, flower greenhouses and botanical gardens.
Description
Refers to a subspecies nettle. But unlike nettle, it is harmless. Palpation does not burn. It is a perennial.
It grows in the form of shrubs or herbaceous ornamental plants. Stems creeping.
Leaves of different shapes and sizes. Along the edges can be serrated with a small serration or fully single cut.
Flowers are very thick. Assembled in capitate or umbrella-shaped. There are about 50 different subspecies in total.
Initially, this plant grew in Asia on the Pacific coast. The plant is used as a ground cover, in the form of a small lawn or as ampelous.
A photo
Photos of domesticated Pellionia:
Home care
After buying the plant washed under the tap of water. Then transplanted into other, more free capacity. A flower can grow like cover plant or ampelous. The coverslip set on coffee tables, window sills.
Ampelnaya - can grow in pots, cabinets, bookshelves. It is allowed to grow in hydroponics. Very often this plant can be found in florariums, gardens, flower greenhouses. The plant looks great solitary or surrounded by other flowers.
Pruning
Sometimes you can trim top part. Thanks to this procedure, the home dweller will not go up, but in the sides. A wide spreading shrub is formed.
Pruned stems can be used for breeding. Therefore, pruning is carried out in the spring after the awakening of the plant from the rest period.
Watering
Watering should be systematic and regular. Do not allow the earthen clod to dry out. With a lack of moisture, the flower may die.
The best option for irrigation is a slight drying of the upper part of the ground.
Sometimes the flower is sprayed water from the sprayer.
Landing
Since the plant root system is small, it is necessary to use shallow and wide containers. Then Pellionia can be a groundcover. In this case, appears magnificent "carpet". If the root system is the largest and cannot be used for topcoat - the pet is planted in deep containers. You can use pots, vases or wooden pallets.
Amplous cultivation allows the plant to grow in pots. In this case, the flower is placed just below the eye of the beholder. Then it will be visible not the seamy side of the leaves, but the front one. Half of the tank must be filled with a drainage system. Suitable pebbles or expanded clay.
Small holes are made at the bottom of the tank. Fall asleep ground. Pet set in the center. Sprinkle with soil. Abundantly watered.
Transfer
This representative of the flora grows well in nutrient fortified soil. You can use the purchase of land for home flowers or to prepare the substrate themselves. This will require compost earth mixed with greenhouse soil. Humus and fine-grained sea sand is added.
It is imperative to add peat to the ground, since Pellionia loves a sour environment.
If the peat is in small quantities or not added at all - the ornamental shrub will be very bad to grow. There is a possibility of death. Transplant the plant as the filling capacity of the root system. For transplant use large capacity.
Top dressing
The plant needs systematic infrequent feeding. You can feed a flower once a month. In winter, feeding is stopped. Well-purchased products for decorative flowers.
The concentration is diluted 2-3 times lower than indicated on the label. Otherwise, the plant can be burned. Due to the acidic environment in which the ornamental shrub grows, an undesirable chemical reaction can occur.
Do not allow direct contact with the plant roots.
Temperature
Flower does not like excessive heat. The optimum temperature in winter can vary between 17-19 ° C. The pet does not like strong drops.
You can not keep this representative of the flora near hot batteries. With dry hot air, the plant quickly loses its decorative effect. The leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off.
Lighting
The ornamental bush grows well in depth lit room. It can be located on cabinets, tables, bookshelves. But when placing you need to know about shade
It is forbidden to put a flower on the window sills with the windows open. It reacts negatively to direct sunlight.
The sun burns the plant, after which brown spots appear and the plant ceases to grow. In winter, due to lack of light, the flower can be moved closer to the window. Additional artificial lighting is not required.
Breeding
Cuttings
For grafting use top of the stem. It is important that planting material has at least three internodes. Cuttings immersed in water or a wet substrate until the root system. Then planted in the soil. Cover with cellophane or glass jar. Periodically air out. After full rooting - transplanted in large containers.
Seeds
After flowering, you can collect seeds. They are useful for planting new plants. Seeds maintained in a growth promoter. After this procedure, their germination increases. Prepare wide shallow containers.
Such planting material can be used for planting in a coating method. Then the soil is sprayed from a sprayer and covered with a cut plastic bottle. Periodically future seedlings are airing. After sprouts appear at least 3-4 leaves - they can be transplanted.
Beneficial features
Pellonia is great cleans the air, saturates it with phytoncides. Kills pathogenic microbes and microorganisms. Heals the atmosphere in the room.
Sometimes the ornamental shrub is used in cooking. Cook soups, add to borsch, salads.
But the plant should not be used by people with intestinal diseases, gastritis and an ulcer.
Diseases and pests
May be affected by aphids and whiteflies.
For the prevention of an ornamental shrub sprayed under running warm water. Beforehand it is necessary to close the roots with a plastic bag. Whiteflies look like powdery pollen. At the first symptoms of a lesion, chemical control methods are used. Well suited drugs "Pegasus", "Aktara", "Konfidor", "Fitoverm", "Arrivo".
If aphids are infected, the infected areas are removed. The plant is treated with oil. You can use poisonous drugs. After processing, the plant should be covered with a small film.
If the plant ceases to bloom or grow, then the growing conditions are violated.
Due to the fact that the plant is shade-loving, the main reason may be too bright light. It is also necessary to reduce or increase watering, remove the flower from the heaters or transplant fortified acidic soil into a bole.
Conclusion
Pellonia is a houseplant. Leaves of a bush of the different form and the sizes. Cultivated from seeds and seedlings. Does not like frequent transfers. It grows well in the shade. Prefers good dressing, calm rooms and frequent spraying from the sprayer.
