Rules for caring for home sankhetsia

If you want to decorate the room, then flowers should be used for this task. And not necessarily those that attract attention with beautiful buds. Plants with leaves of unusual colors and shapes will also delight the eye. A wide variety of families and species allows you to create a variety of compositions. The favorite plant of the Akantov family is the sanchetia. It came from Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. But it was brought to Europe many years ago, so the current “generations” of flowers have adapted well to a more temperate climate. This affected the characteristics of growth and appearance of the sanchezia, but caring for it is quite simple.

Description

Sanchezia is named after a famous botanist. But due to the peculiarities of the reading and pronunciation of foreign names in Russian, it is called differently - sanchezia, sanchetia and sanchezia.

This plant is a shrub. In nature, its height can exceed a meter, and in houses it usually does not reach even ninety centimeters. A young plant adds about twenty centimeters per year. Its stems are quite thick and dense, have a pinkish color. But over time, they become harder, and the color darkens. The leaves are the main pride of the sanchezia, they cover the stems from the base to the tip, are located on both sides of it opposite each other. The leaf plates are oval in shape. Their edges are either smooth or jagged. The tip is sharp. They are given beauty by veins - one in the middle of the leaf and several diverging from the center to the edges. They are dark green, separated from each other by narrow light streaks. The leaves are different in size, the largest reaching twenty-five centimeters.

There are many types of sanchezia in nature. But in Europe and in our homes, only two of them have taken root.

• Noble. This is a larger variety - it can grow up to two meters, but at home such indicators are considered rare. The leaves are dark green, and the yellowish veins are wider on them. The leaves are also larger - up to thirty centimeters in length and ten in width. Although, again, their houses are more modest.
• Small covering. As the name implies, this variety is inferior in size to the one described above. The height of the plant is more modest, but it grows more to the sides. The leaves are also large, but differ in color - they have a pinkish tint.

These species are the easiest to grow. But if you have the desire and opportunity, then you can find more exotic varieties.

Care rules

There are a number of points in the care of a sanchezia that need to be paid attention to.

• Lighting. This plant is from hot countries and needs a lot of light. Do not place it in the southern part of the house - the direct rays of the sun can damage the leaves. Place the flower by either east or west windows. If this is not possible, you need to limit the light - for example, glue a special film on the glass or hang it with tulle.
• Temperature. Average temperatures are ideal for sanchezia: in the summer - from eighteen to twenty-five degrees. And the lowest temperature that it can withstand in winter is plus fifteen. It is important to protect the plant from any drafts.
• The irrigation regime is different, depending on the season. In summer, a lot of moisture is required, in winter a little less, while on cold days the water should be warmer. But too much liquid is dangerous - root rot is possible. To avoid this, make a drainage layer before planting. It is also important to moisturize the leaves - this is done both in summer and winter. Spraying is not enough - you need to wipe the leaves with a rag or periodically refresh the plant in the shower.
• For proper development, you need to select a specific soil composition. This should include peat, turf, leafy soil and sand. And don't forget about drainage.
• Another important point is fertilizers. It is necessary to use those in which there is a low nitrogen content. Also, do not add top dressing in winter - this is a dormant period for a plant.

Transplant and reproduction

As noted, the growth of the Sanchezia in the first years of life is intense - it stretches by about twenty centimeters. Therefore, gradually it needs to be moved to larger pots. First, they do it every year. Then the interval can be increased - once every two years. The most important thing is to carry out the procedure in the spring.

A pot of regular round shape is suitable for the plant. It should have holes at the bottom, and the pot itself should be placed on the stand or tray that comes with the kit. When replanting a sanchetia, do not forget to prepare a drainage layer for it in a new place.

Advice

After transplanting, you need to let the plant take root. To do this, place it in the shade for a few days and moisturize it well using a spray bottle.

It is also important to follow some rules when propagating a plant. If you want to use seeds, then you will face difficulties - you will not be able to get them from an existing plant. And it is too risky to acquire - often there are specimens that do not germinate.

So there is only one way out - reproduction using cuttings. And this method is much simpler, and you will get the result faster:

1. During the flowering period (that is, in summer), those stems on which no buds have appeared are useful. Choose a small one among them - about fifteen centimeters long - and carefully cut it off.
2. Remove the leaves at the base and shorten the rest.
3. Apply a special root-growth agent to the cut site.
4. Place the cutting in a pot with a mixture of peat and perlite, cover with foil and place in a warm place (about twenty-five degrees).
5. Every day, the planting needs to be moistened with a spray bottle.

Diseases and pests

Sanchezia is generally not susceptible to disease. But improper care can harm even such a resistant plant:

• Due to insufficient moisture, the tips of the leaves dry out. To solve the problem, you need to often wipe them with a rag and "bathe" them in the shower.
• But if the leaves begin to fall off, it is more difficult to cope with this. Because there may be several reasons. This is caused either by insufficient soil moisture (accordingly, you need to water it more often), or excess sunlight (move the pot to another place or cover the glass with film or tulle), or dry air (spray the plant with water more often).
• Also, direct sunlight can lead to damage to the leaves - brown spots.
• A large amount of moisture is also dangerous. Especially if it coincides with a decrease in temperature. Because of this, the roots of the plant begin to rot. The disease also manifests itself in stem rot.
• The correct composition of the soil is also important. Due to the lack of nutrients in it, the sanchetia will grow slowly, and the leaves that appear will be small. Transplanting and the use of dressings will help to correct the situation.

Pests that can pay attention to sanchetia are aphids, mealybugs, spider mites. To get rid of them, special products are sold.

Output

Sanchezia is a beautiful plant native to hot countries. But it was taken to Europe so long ago that it was able to adapt to a milder climate. Therefore, in our conditions it survives perfectly. The main thing is to provide it with a sufficient amount of moisture (especially large leaves need it), light (but it is important to protect the stems from direct sunlight) and fertilizers (without them, the leaves will not be so large and beautiful).

The plant is not susceptible to specific diseases, but mistakes in care may well cause damage.