Strelitzia

The Strelitzia genus of the Strelitziaceae family comprises 5 species of perennial evergreen plants. The most common of these, Strelitzia reginae, native to South Africa, is also known as the "bird of paradise". Due to the beauty of the lush, strikingly bird-like inflorescences, and also because of the ability to bloom for a long time in a pot, it is very popular as a flower for cutting. Leaves are also highly valued, and they are often used as green decorative elements in compositions. The height of strelitzia royal reaches 1-1.4 m. Inflorescences 15-20 cm long resemble the heads of bizarre birds, they consist of a green -bracts with an orange tint, from where a "comb" of narrow twisted orange outer and dark blue inner petals looks out. Large oval-elliptical or lanceolate leaves of a bluish color are arranged in a fan like a banana palm. The petiole length sometimes exceeds 50 cm.

The Strelitzia genus of the Strelitziaceae family comprises 5 species of perennial evergreen plants. The most common of these, Strelitzia reginae, native to South Africa, is also known as the "bird of paradise". Due to the beauty of the lush, strikingly bird-like inflorescences, and also because of the ability to bloom for a long time in a pot, it is very popular as a flower for cutting. Leaves are also highly valued, and they are often used as green decorative elements in compositions. The height of strelitzia royal reaches 1-1.4 m. Inflorescences 15-20 cm long resemble the heads of bizarre birds, they consist of a green -bracts with an orange tint, from where a "comb" of narrow twisted orange outer and dark blue inner petals looks out. Large oval-elliptical or lanceolate leaves of a bluish color are arranged in a fan like a banana palm. The petiole length sometimes exceeds 50 cm.

Cultivation

Growing Strelitzia is not easy. This large tub plant can also be placed outdoors, but only in mild climates, where the temperature almost does not fall below 10 °C. Strelitzia seedlings in the open ground are planted in April-May in well-drained fertile land rich in organic matter. If you decide to grow these plants indoors, you should use fairly large containers: with a diameter of 20-30 cm or more. To increase the likelihood of flowering, which, however, is difficult to achieve, in the spring they should be exposed to the open air, and in the fall they should be placed in a protected place. and a well-lit room. A liquid complex fertilizer should be added periodically to the water for irrigation at the rate of 10-20 g per bucket.

Location

Strelitzia royal needs very good lighting, but does not tolerate open sun. When growing in the open ground, plants should be placed in a place that is reliably protected from the wind and partially shaded.

Temperature

The optimal air temperature is 24 °C during the day and 16 °C at night. In winter, the plant does not tolerate temperatures below 10 °C. If this happens, it is recommended to reduce the level of soil moisture by reducing watering.

Watering

In the spring-summer period, they are watered abundantly, in the autumn the irrigation rate is gradually reduced, and in winter - both in the garden and in the container-they are watered only when the soil is almost completely dry.

Transplant

Plants are transplanted a year later-in early spring or after the flowering period-into a fertile, organic-rich soil, which is filled with a slightly larger container than the previous one.

Care

If the flowers are not used for cutting, they should be removed as soon as they bloom, otherwise they may rot.

Reproduction

The simplest and most common method is vegetative, with lateral offspring that are separated when the plant is transplanted into a new container. The offspring must have intact roots; they are planted in a pot with the same soil that is used for transplanting. Another method is using seeds. It is carried out in March-April at a soil temperature not lower than 18-20 °C. After the seedlings grow so much that they can be picked up, they are dived singly into 8-10-centimeter pots, then gradually transplanted into larger containers. Flowering in plants from seedlings occurs 2-3 years after sowing.

Diseases

When over-watered, Strelitzias are susceptible to rot caused, as a rule, by fungi of the genus Fusarium. Tub plants are susceptible to damage by worms, which are removed with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol, after which the plants are treated with an anti-coccidal drug.

Acquisition

Strelitzia seedlings are not on sale too often, unlike its cut flowers. You can only find specimens for cultivation in gardening centers with a wide range. Choose a bushy plant with still closed flowers, without spots on the leaves.