How to properly care for Fittonia at home

Proper care of Fittonia at home ensures good growth and development of the plant. The main thing is to maintain a stable temperature and high humidity in the room. Sharp temperature fluctuations and insufficient humidity are literally detrimental to the flower. The plant is ideal for growing in a “bottle garden”, phytoterrarium or paludarium, which will become an original and attractive interior decoration.

Description

The genus Fittonia belongs to the Acanthaceae family and includes 4 species of plants: 3 of them have creeping shoots, 1 has erect ones. The homeland of Fittonia is the warm forests of Peru covered with swamps. The plant is not characterized by rapid growth and shade tolerance, it is demanding on growing conditions, and therefore is considered a problem flower.

Fittonia is characterized by very short and thin pubescent shoots. The flowers of the plant are inconspicuous in appearance, small, sulfur-yellow in color, sessile, forming spike-shaped inflorescences, solitary. The beautiful appearance of Fittonia is ensured by its leaves, the length of which varies from 2 to 16 centimeters, depending on the species.The leaf blades are ovoid in shape, located along the entire length of the stem, green, with streaks of bright colors. Fittonias are usually grown as hanging or ground cover plants.

Kinds

Not all known types of Fittonia have become widespread in indoor floriculture. Only 4 of them gained relative popularity:

• Fittonia Verschaffelta - a plant with pubescent leaves and stems, ground cover. Green leaves have pink veins.

• Fittonia silverstripe (silver-veined, white-veined) - an erect bush with oval green leaves, which have silver-white veins.

• Fittonia gigantea grows up to 60 cm in height. It is an upright bush with dark green leaves. The leaf blades have a pattern of carmine-red veins.

• Fittonia mix blooms in late June or early July with small yellow flowers. The main decoration of the species is red, green, lilac or white oval-shaped leaves with a matte surface. The veins are clearly visible and are dark green, white, pink or silver in color.

Lighting

Diffused bright light is ideal for growing Fittonia. The plant must be protected from direct sunlight, as it can destroy it. The flower will feel good on the windowsill of a window facing west or east. It is permissible to place the pot on the north window.

In a dark corner, the leaves of Fittonia will quickly lose their decorative effect, and the shoots will begin to stretch, the overall appearance will be sluggish and stunted. Therefore, in the winter months it is necessary to supplement the plant with phytolamps or ordinary fluorescent lamps.The poorer the illumination, the less bright the networks of veins on the leaves will be; strong shading is highly likely to provoke the complete disappearance of the pattern. The pattern will be as catchy and contrasting as possible only if the plant is grown in soft, diffused light.

To obtain the perfect color, the best option is a combination of natural and artificial light. In this case, the fluorescent lamp power should be 36 W. The rays of the setting sun will not harm the plant.

Temperature

Fittonia begins to hurt if the thermometer in the room drops below +18° C, regardless of the time of year. In the summer months, the optimal temperature will be from +22 to +25 ° C; in winter it should be a little colder.

It is strictly forbidden to take the flower out onto the balcony or open air, as drafts and sudden temperature changes will lead to leaf fall and, in some cases, to the death of the plant. The combination of high humidity and low temperature is also fatal to Fittonia.

Advice
In frosty weather, remove the plant from the windowsill.

Hypothermia of a flower most often occurs in autumn and spring, when the air temperature is quite low and the heating has not yet been turned on or has already been turned off. This is especially evident in plants located on the windowsill. A pot wrapped in heat-insulating material will save Fittonia from hypothermia.

Watering, spraying, humidity

Proper watering ensures healthy and excellent flower growth. The need for water depends on the air temperature in the room and the lighting: the warmer and lighter it is, the more abundantly you need to water. The main thing is not the amount of water, but the intervals between waterings.You should take into account the size of the flowerpot: the larger it is, the better the moisture is retained and, accordingly, you need to water less often.

Advice
Observe Fittonia from the first days of care and how quickly the soil in the pot dries out. On average, water the plant once a week until excess moisture seeps into the tray. After half an hour, remove excess water.

From spring to autumn, watering should be plentiful; the earthen clod should not be allowed to dry out - it should be drained by 1-1.5 cm. Watering should be done with well-settled soft water. Fittonia evaporates moisture from its leaves, which ensures rapid drying of the substrate. Roots are extremely sensitive to excess and lack of moisture. Even if the root system dries out only once, the leaves may fall off. The soil should be slightly moist all the time and only dry out a little between waterings.

In autumn, the amount and frequency of watering must be reduced, moistening the soil every 2-3 days, not more often. During the winter months, the plant does not experience a pronounced state of dormancy, but its growth slows down. If the room temperature is low, watering should be further reduced.

Advice
The magazine purity-en.htgetrid.com recommends not spraying, as after spraying there will be streaks and spots on the leaves that spoil the appearance of the plant. To maintain optimal air humidity, place the pot on a tray containing wet sand or expanded clay.

Flooding of the plant is possible when watering “for future use”. Also, you cannot water Fittonia through a tray.

Optimal air humidity is a guarantee of good flower development; it should be within 70-75%, regardless of the time of year.In this case, periodic ventilation and good air exchange are necessary; there should be no stagnation of air, as well as drafts.

Feeding

Every 2 weeks from March to October it is necessary to fertilize the plant with organic or complex mineral fertilizers. The dose should be half that recommended for other plants. This is explained by the fact that Fittonia is extremely sensitive to excess nutrients in the soil.

In winter, you should not stop feeding; you should do it no more than once a month. In this case, the concentration of the solution should be further reduced. The basic rule for fertilizing Fittonia: rather than fertilize it in excess, it is better to underfeed it.

Advice
Once every 1-1.5 months, spray the plant with a solution of the growth regulator Epin-Extra, which has a wide spectrum of action. The concentration of the solution should be very weak: take 1-2 drops of the product per 1 liter of water.

It is allowed to feed the plant alternately with organic and mineral fertilizers. You cannot fertilize Fittonia if the earthen lump is dry. First, moisten the soil and only water it with a fertilizer solution the next day. Otherwise, there is a danger of burning the roots. You should not feed the plant immediately after planting.

Relocation

Fittonia needs an annual transplant, which must be done in the spring in March or April. The root system of the plant is located close to the soil surface, so the best option for replanting would be a wide but shallow pot.

Relocation is carried out by transshipment, since the plant stems are fragile and the root system is easy to damage.A ready-made substrate is suitable, for example, “Violet”, “Azalea”, “Geranium”, which is widely available in flower shops. To prepare the soil for Fittonia yourself, take equal quantities of deciduous and coniferous soil, peat soil and sand. Another soil option:

• 2 parts turf soil;
• 2 parts of coniferous land;
• 1 part peat;
• 1 part sand.

Seating

Fittonia is propagated in several ways:

1. Dividing the bush. During the annual replanting, you need to divide the bush into parts, being careful not to damage the root system, and plant it in separate pots.
2. Cuttings. Cut tops of shoots (cuttings), having 3-5 leaves, take root well in damp sand or water. A cutting, the length of which does not exceed 8 cm, takes root without problems. You will need to create a greenhouse by covering the container with glass or film. The temperature should be from +25 to +28° C. Rooting occurs within 30 days.
3. By layering. After a short time, roots appear on parts of the Fittonia stem (if they are sprinkled with moist soil), which must subsequently be separated and planted in another flowerpot. In some cases, when the container is wide, creeping stems take root on their own.

Advice
Plant several cuttings in one flowerpot; this will ensure the bush’s lushness and visual appeal in the future.

Pests and diseases

In the summer heat, you need to carefully monitor the plant: if it weakens, it will become very, very attractive to ticks and thrips. These pests love to live in warm and dry conditions.

Fittonia rarely gets sick, but spider mites and scale insects are especially dangerous for it. The appearance of brown plaques on the leaves indicates damage to the latter.Insects suck out the cell sap, which causes the plant to dry out and die. Wiping the leaves with a weak soap solution and treating them with the Actellik insecticide will help destroy scale insects.

The invasion of spider mites is manifested by the appearance of cobwebs on the back of the leaves. Insecticides “Fitoverm” and “Derris” will get rid of parasites.

Thrips most often appear on young plants; they suck out the juice, resulting in small yellow spots appearing on the leaves, which increase in size over time. Spraying the flower with Actellik will help destroy insects.

Useful tips

1. Fittonia leaves fade in bright light and in low light. It is better to place the plant in a bright place, but the light should be artificial.
2. Withering of the leaves provokes excessive watering and drying out of the earthen coma. The lack of moisture can be corrected by gradually increasing the number of waterings, but rotting of the root system as a result of overwatering cannot be stopped. A plant with rotten roots can only be saved by rooting the top or cuttings.
3. Fittonia is best grown in a pot no more than 7 cm high. If the pot is tall, simply fill it with more drainage.
4. This layer is required and must occupy at least 1/3 of the height or more.
5. Expanded clay is perfect for drainage.
6. By placing the flowerpot on a foam stand, you will protect the plant from hypothermia in winter.
7. In the cold season, you should remove the flower away from heating appliances, which greatly dry out the air in the room, which is unacceptable for Fittonia.
8. Small, ugly, underdeveloped leaves that quickly wither indicate very dry air in the room.The same maintenance error is detected by the dried ends of the leaf blades.
9. The plant turns yellow due to abundant and frequent watering.
10. If the stems of Fittonia have become bare, then the plant needs rejuvenation. After this, it will again acquire splendor and an attractive appearance.
11. Shriveled leaves indicate too much light combined with very dry air.
12. Fittonia will not bloom if there is a lack of phosphorus or potassium in the soil.
13. It must be remembered that flowers never appear on hybrid forms of the plant.

Advice
In order to rejuvenate the flower, cut off the tops of the stems (later root them in the same flowerpot or plant them in another pot). Remove old shoots by pruning.

Signs associated with fittonia

The Peruvian beauty is believed to have special energetic properties. If you believe the signs, fittonia has a positive effect on the human information field. The Silvervein and Verschaffelta species are perfect for growing indoors for people born under the sign of Aquarius.