How to create comfortable conditions for a slipway flower at home?

Nature has a specific sense of humor: some of its creations are so monstrously beautiful that only a few flower growers decide to grow them. Such is the stock, although caring for it at home is simple and reduced to a minimum of procedures, these advantages do not add to the culture's popularity. The plant boasts incredibly spectacular blooms. The loose buds of the staples evoke associations with summer vacations on the coast and the ocean depths. They look like starfish, and the bushy plant itself is often referred to as a coral reef. But it is in them, or rather, in the disgusting smell that they emit, that lies the reason for the dislike of gardeners for the stocks.

Types of stocks

This succulent comes from hot Africa. Its wild species are found mainly in the southern and southwestern part of the continent on mountain slopes, along the banks of water bodies and under trees. The genus stapelia (scientific name - Stapelia) is part of the Lastovnev family. It is quite extensive, its representatives number about 100. The closest relatives of the culture - guernia, hoya, sarcostemma, orbea - look like it with a nondescript appearance, the simplicity of which no one will remember when unusual and attractive flowers bloom on the plants.

Non-cultivated types of stocks differ in height, but there are no giants among them. They rise 10-60 cm above the soil. The fleshy stems of the plant have the shape of a tetrahedron. Their edges are covered with large, but not sharp teeth, making the plant look like a cactus. The flower has many stems, they are leafless and strongly branch from the root. Their color can be pure green or with a bluish tint. Some types of slipway in bright light acquire a reddish-purple hue.

Buds usually appear at the base of the stems, less often at the crown. They are large (up to 30 cm in the open state), located on bent pedicels one by one or in pairs. The petals are pubescent. Depending on the type of plant, they are monochromatic or covered with a variegated pattern, and the flowers themselves emit a unique, but equally unpleasant aroma, to which hordes of flies flock.

The indoor slipway is distinguished by its compactness - at home its height rarely exceeds 20 cm.

The following types of stocks are appreciated by flower growers.

• Star-shaped. Its shoots are often green, but they can also have a reddish tint. Their blunt edges are covered with small teeth. The peduncle is long, growing from the base of the young shoot. Red-brown petals are covered with thick pink hairs, along which thin yellowish stripes run. The glittering stocks have monochromatic flowers.
• Giant. Possesses powerful and thick (up to 3 cm in diameter) erect shoots. The teeth are weakly expressed, they are rare. The flowers, in comparison with the plant, seem huge, their width reaches 35 cm.The petals are triangular, elongated, pointed at the tips, slightly bent. Painted in a light yellow shade. Almost the entire petal is covered with thick red hairs, bordered along the edges by longer white hairs. The advantage of the giant staple over other flower varieties is the less repulsive smell.
• Variegated. Also known as variable. Differs in short stature. The maximum height of its shoots is 10 cm. They are green or reddish. It can produce up to 5 colors at the same time. Their petals are yellow, covered with a spectacular pattern of stripes or spots of dark brown color. Outside, they are smooth, and from the inside - in small folds and wrinkles. Their shape is ovoid, the tips of the petals are sharp.
• Golden purple. During flowering, it releases 1-3 buds. They are located on the tops of young stems. The petals are yellow or greenish, in the form of a strongly elongated triangle. They are voluminous and appear to be molded from wax. Their inner part is covered with growths scattered around the petal in a chaotic manner. The middle of the flowers is white-pink, pubescent with villi. The golden purple variety of stapelia has a waxy aroma.

Lighting and temperature

The stapelia needs good lighting. From a lack of sunlight, its shoots will stretch and thin out, and flowering will not come. The plant's light requirements are not reduced even in winter. In January-February, it is especially important to take care of their satisfaction, otherwise the buds from the stockpile can not be expected. During this period, it is artificially illuminated.

Ideal for growing "coral reef" at home are east and west windowsills. You can place a flower pot on the south side, but in this case, in late spring and summer, you will have to take care of its light shading from the scorching sun. Protection against it can be provided by:

• tulle;
• gauze;
• roller blinds;
• tracing paper.

If this is not done, the fleshy stems of the stock will be covered with burns. They can withstand direct sunlight painlessly only in autumn and winter. A sharp change in illumination injures the plant. To avoid this, if it is necessary to rearrange the pot from a darker place, the flower is taught to change the conditions of detention gradually.

Due to its origin, the stapelia easily tolerates heat. In warm weather, it can be taken out to the balcony or veranda, protected from the bright sun and rain. The benefits of such a solution are obvious: the staples bloom in summer, and in the fresh air it will not disturb the owners with an unpleasant smell. At home, during active life, the plant will be comfortable at 22-27 ° C. He needs a cool winter. It is recommended to reduce the temperature in the room with the flower to 12-15 ° C, although such a task is difficult to accomplish in an apartment.

Advice

During the rest period, the pot with the slipway can be kept on the windowsill, but only if the battery does not pass under it.

Watering and feeding

Like all succulents, this plant does not tolerate waterlogging. In wet soil, it becomes vulnerable to fungal diseases and quickly decays. To maintain the health of the stocks, a drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the planting tank. It is best to use expanded clay or clay shards for this purpose.

From the beginning of spring to September, the flower is watered at most once a week. The time for the next procedure comes when the soil in the pot dries well. At the same time, it is important that it does not dry completely, otherwise the staples of the stock will become lethargic and soft. In autumn, the interval between humidification is adjusted to 1 month. But here you need to take into account at what temperature the flower is contained: the higher it is, the more water it needs. In winter (December-January), such care is not carried out at all. The dry air in the room will only benefit the plant, but spraying is contraindicated for it.

While the flower is actively growing, it is fed every 2 weeks. Mineral compositions intended for cacti and succulents are optimal for stocks. The nutrient solution can also be prepared from a conventional complex fertilizer, reducing the concentration recommended by the manufacturer by half or three times. If this is not done, the roots of the plant will get burned. When choosing a drug, you should give preference to the one that contains more potassium. This element strengthens the immunity of the stock. In winter, care in the form of flower dressings is not required.

Advice

In order to get a symmetrical neat plant with evenly developed shoots at home, the pot with it is slightly turned. Do this once a month. But, if the slipway is picking up buds and blooming, it needs peace and constancy.

Soil and transplant

The main requirement of culture for the soil is its lightness. It should allow air to pass freely and not retain moisture. Soil nutrition is not so important. Stapelia thrives equally well in organic and poor soil. Of the ready-made substrates, the soil for succulents is suitable for the flower, but charcoal must be mixed into it. Can be used for planting stocks and universal soil. It is facilitated by the addition of loosening components:

• sand;
• perlite;
• small expanded clay.

When preparing the substrate at home, mix sod soil and coarse sand in a 2: 1 ratio.

Before placing the plants in it, the soil is steamed or heated in the oven to destroy possible pathogens and pests.

The stapelia is characterized by rapid growth, and it is directed not upwards, but in breadth. Young flowers need an annual transplant. They spend it in the spring. For adults, the pot is changed less often - every 2-3 years. The transplant is combined with the rejuvenation of the bush, ridding the plant of old shoots that will no longer please with flowering. They are located in the center. Extra shoots are separated with a sharp knife, after having disinfected it. Fresh wounds are treated with crushed coal. If the stocks are many years old, you should not disturb it by replacing the pot, but the plant will be grateful for the renewal of the upper layer of the substrate. Rejuvenation will also benefit him.

The roots of the flower are weak, so it does not need a deep pot. The main criterion for choosing it is sufficient width. The drainage layer should occupy ⅓ of the tank height. The slipways are transplanted in the usual way for other flower crops. Leaving in the form of watering is resumed a week after replacing the pot.

Cuttings or seeds?

The slipway is propagated generatively, using its seeds, and vegetatively - by cuttings. The latter method is the most popular among flower growers. It is convenient to combine such reproduction with plant transplantation and rejuvenation. As cuttings, the same old shoots are suitable, from which you would still have to get rid of. Separating them from the flower and sprinkling the cut with crushed coal, they are placed in a warm and dark place, where they are kept from 2-3 hours to 2 days.

The dried cuttings are rooted in a wet mixture of peat with coarse sand. Perlite can be used instead of the latter. Cuttings take root quickly, they do not need special care for this. The rooted slipway, when it gets slightly stronger, is transplanted into a small (7 cm in diameter) pot filled with a suitable substrate for it.

Generative reproduction of a flower is also not difficult. Its disadvantages are the duration of the process and the lack of a guaranteed result: the seedlings do not inherit the varietal characteristics of the parent plant. Seeds can be harvested from a room stockpile. Fading away, it forms a pod fruit, in which they are contained. The difficulty lies in the long ripening time - it will take about a year. Therefore, most flower growers prefer to purchase plant seeds in specialized stores.

They are sown in March. The soil should be light. It can be clean sand or mixed with peat. Staple seeds germinate for a long time - about a month, but this deficiency is compensated for by good germination. Seedling care will seem familiar to those who grew cactus through seedlings. When young stocks get stronger, they are transplanted into individual pots. At this stage of development, they need a light and nutritious soil, always mixed with sand. After about a year, the plants are transferred to larger containers.

Possible difficulties

The main reason for difficulties with the slipway is improper care. Most often, at home, flower growers are mistaken with watering the plant, making it redundant.

Excess moisture in the soil provokes:

• the development of fungal diseases;
• decay of plant roots.

If signs of unfavorable stocks are detected early, it can be saved by urgent transplantation and treatment of the infected areas with a fungicide. In advanced cases, the flower will die. It's important to hurry up here. Staples start to rot from the bottom. If you cut and root their upper, still healthy part, over time, the cutting will grow, again forming a lush bush.

Violation of other requirements of the flower has almost no effect on its health and decorativeness. The only exception is prolonged exposure to direct sun. Under it, the shoots of the stocks begin to "burn", becoming covered with ugly spots - burns.

A weakened plant can suffer from pests:

• spider mite;
• aphids;
• mealybug.

They destroy insects by spraying the flower with special preparations with insecticidal action. The dangerous enemy of the stockpile is the root worm. Breathable soil and low moisture levels create ideal conditions for it. It is difficult to detect this pest, but it can quickly destroy the plant. The root worm feeds on the sap of the flower, but much more damage to the stocks is caused by its waste products, which slow down its development. A plant with damaged roots weakens and becomes vulnerable to infections and fungal diseases.

It is worth starting to sound the alarm if:

• the growth of the flower has stopped, although its care is carried out according to all the rules;
• the shoots of the staple turned pale and faded, became lethargic, yellowness appeared on them;
• the roots of the plant are damaged.

To combat the pest at home, use systemic insecticides (Actellik, Decis). Their solution is used to treat the soil in a pot. The procedure will have to be repeated 3 times. 2 weeks should elapse between the first and second treatment. The latter is carried out on day 21.

Flowering problems

It is not necessary to achieve flowering of the stocks by special methods. In order for the plant to have buds every year, it is enough just to provide it with competent care. If the indoor beauty looks healthy, but does not want to please the owner with flowering, this is an occasion to reconsider the conditions of her detention. So the staple can react to the absence of a rest period.

The plant lays flower buds in its natural environment at low temperature and humidity. Watering is resumed when the day begins to increase. In the homeland of the plant, the combination of these two factors marks the arrival of spring. The indoor slipway responds to it in the same way as its wild sisters - they release buds.

With proper wintering, a plant may refuse to bloom due to the following factors:

• lack of light;
• waterlogging;
• excess nutrients in the soil (especially nitrogen);
• heavy and dense soil.

Stapelia is an ideal crop for a home garden. Original beauty and spectacular flowering are combined in it with amazing unpretentiousness, making its cultivation a simple and exciting experience. But the slipway cannot be called completely harmless. It is necessary to work with the flower in rubber gloves: its milky juice, getting on the skin and mucous membranes, irritates them, causing redness and itching. For the same reason, the pot with the plant should not be placed in the nursery and in places where little fidgets and pets can easily reach it.