Fittonia is a very common plant among amateur flower growers, as it stands comparatively inexpensively compared to other noble house colors, such as azalea, vriessia , and senpolia , but it pleases even the most demanding aesthetes with its unusual variegated leaves of reddish or green shades. Beginners in the flower business also like fitotniyu, because it's easy to take care of it - it is unpretentious and at elementary care can quickly grow into a nice clearing.
Those who first encountered this plant, are interested in whether fittonium blooms? The answer to this question is affirmative, however, the flowers of fittonia are small, yellowish, collected in a spicate inflorescence, quite plain, and therefore, unlike leaves, do not represent a special decorative value.
The birthplace of this wonderful plant is the swampy forests of Peru, so the first attempts to cultivate fittony ended badly, she died, unable to adapt to the unusual conditions of urban apartments. But the breeders managed to bring out two species of this plant that are well adapted to temperature and low humidity changes - the Vershafelt (small-leaved fittonium) and the giant, which is not bred very often for obvious reasons.
Fittonia: home care
The main condition for keeping this tropical plant is to provide it with sufficient light. Light should be a lot, but you should avoid getting into fittonia direct sunlight. She will feel great on the window sills facing east and west, and if you settle it on the south side, then in the warm season it will be necessary to pritenit. It is possible to grow fittonia on the north side, but in this case it will need to create additional lighting, especially in winter, when the light day is short.
As for the temperature regime, the optimal temperature for fittnii in spring and summer is 22-25 ° C, but it normally transfers and decreases to 18 ° C. At the same time, sudden changes in temperature and drafts should be avoided, so it is strongly recommended not to take the plant out on the street or balcony.
Fittonia actively evaporates water by means of leaves, therefore it needs abundant watering. It is important not to overdo it, because excessive dampness can lead to rotting of the roots. In autumn, watering should be made a little more rare, but in no case can it be brought to the drying of an earthy coma, otherwise falling leaves may fall. Leaves need regular spraying with purified or unstable water, especially in summer heat and in winter, when the humidity in the room decreases due to heating.
In the period from April to August, the plant needs mineral supplementation with a regularity of every two weeks, but it should be done carefully - reducing the standard dose by half. In winter, this procedure is carried out less often.
Fittonia: Reproduction
For the flower growers who want to create whole compositions from this indoor flower, the question is how to multiply fittness. This is quite simple - it reproduces well by cuttings of apical shoots, which easily start roots in a sandy substrate. This procedure is best done in the early spring.
Fittonia: transfer
Fittonia grows intensively, so the newly emerged plant growers often wonder how to transplant fitton. A young plant needs a transplant every year, an adult plant - about once every 2-3 years. For a flower, great pots with
Possible problems
This plant is unpretentious, so the appearance of problems indicates serious violations in care. So, if the fittonia dries leaves, then the air in the room is too dry. If they turn pale, then the flower has little light.
Fittonia is practically not susceptible to pests, but sometimes it is attacked by aphids .