Aglaonema aglaonema - species, care, cultivation problems, pests

Aroid family. Aglaonema is of Indo-Malay origin - native to Asia, regions with tropical and subtropical climates. In nature, according to modern data, there are 22 species.

Aglaonema is a relative of diffenbachia and therefore somewhat similar to it, differs in narrower leaves and sizes (aglaonema is much smaller than diffenbachia, and the plant itself has the shape of a bush, a week of a tree). In addition, aglaonems bloom for quite a long time and form fruits. It is one of the most suitable plants for hydroponic culture.

The classification and taxonomy of aglaonemes has undergone major changes in recent years. In fact, experts shuffled the genus Aglaonema as a deck of cards, the latest data in the databases of famous botanical gardens are dated 2012, for many of the species, variations and forms there are still disputes.

Aglaonem species

Aglaonema modestum, the humble aglaonema, is an erect-stemmed perennial evergreen native to the rainforests of Bangladesh, China, and Taiwan. Internodes are very short - they sit very tightly in a young bush, which gives the impression that they form a rosette. Over time, the stem stretches up, the petioles of the leaves lengthen, especially large specimens require a garter so that the stem does not fall over. The leaves are oblong-elliptic, leathery, pointed at the apex, 15-25 cm long, 7-9 cm wide, with pronounced venation. The cover is oblong-lanceolate 5-7 cm long, finely pointed at the apex, the ear is 3-4.5 cm long. Synonyms: Aglaonema acutispathum, Aglaonema costatum var. viride, Aglaonema laoticum.
Aglaonema commutatum is a powerful bushy plant with erect stems, reaching 1-1.5 m in height and the same width. It is native to Indonesia and the Philippines. Leaves on long petioles are oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, about 20-30 cm long and 5-10 cm wide. When blooming, aglaonema is changeable and forms up to 6 peduncles up to 20 cm long. Inflorescence ear with light green cover, 5-6 cm long. Synonyms: Aglaonema commutatum var. commutatum, Aglaonema commutatum var. robustum, Aglaonema maculatum, Aglaonema marantifolium var. commutatum, Aglaonema robustum. The species has three variations: Aglaonema commutatum var. elegans, Aglaonema commutatum var. maculatum, Aglaonema commutatum var. warburgii.
Aglaonema costatum is a low plant with a recumbent underground stem. It has wider leaves on short petioles, with a pronounced central vein and light spots and strokes. Some forms have silvery stripes on the surface of the leaf on a medium-green background, almost parallel, even, and the pattern is somewhat reminiscent of the pattern on the leaves of calathea. Peduncle one up to 15 cm long, ear about 3 cm long. Synonyms: previously distinguished into separate forms - f. costatum, f. foxii and variations - var. maculatum и var. foxii - now included in Aglaonema costatum, only two forms remain isolated: Aglaonema costatum f. immaculatum и Aglaonema costatum f. virescens.
Aglaonema crispum is a strongly branching large bush with leaves up to 30 cm long, elliptical in shape. A leaf with a rounded base, pointed at the apex, slightly wavy along the edge. The surface of the leaf is grayish-silver, different varieties have different patterns. Cob about 3 cm long. Синонимы: Aglaonema roebelinii, Schismatoglottis crispa, Schismatoglottis roebelinii.

In general, aglaonema has many varieties, suppliers of exotic plants do not indicate their species affiliation, at best they write a variety. Most of them are interspecific hybrids, and sometimes appear as a variety of a certain species. But care and conditions for aglaonem are no different in different varieties, so it is enough to know that this is really aglaonem.

Aglaonema care

Temperature

Aglaonema prefers year-round warm maintenance. In summer, the temperature is normal, which depends on weather conditions, optimal 22-26 ° C. In winter depends on lighting. If the plant will stand on a bright sunny window, then the temperature is ordinary, room. If in winter the illumination is greatly reduced, a cooler temperature of about 18-20 ° C is desirable, otherwise the plant will stretch greatly and lose its decorative appearance. Aglaonemes do not like cold drafts.

Lighting

Bright scattered light, variegated varieties with some direct sun in the morning or evening. In spring and summer, aglaoneme needs shading from direct sunlight is required from 11 to 16 hours. In winter, good lighting is also required, pots can be placed even on the south window.

Watering

Agloneme from spring to autumn needs abundant watering, moderate in winter. For irrigation, only soft, well-settled water at room temperature or warm is used. Aglaonema, despite its origin from tropical rainforests, suffers from overdrying of an earthen coma, even completely dry land for several days will not lead to the loss of leaves. Therefore, the optimal irrigation regime is after drying the earthen coma, the next day or every other day.

Fertilizer

From March to September, every two weeks, aglaonem is fed with special fertilizer for deciduous plants (Uniflor-rost, Uniflor-micro, Pocon, Kristalon, Agricola, Bona Forte).

Air humidity

Optimum humidity is 50-60%. But in general, aglaonema is quite tolerant of lower humidity. Many growers grow without spraying and do not suffer. It can only be harmed by the directed flow of hot air from batteries in winter. To protect the plant, the pot can be placed on a wide tray of water, or the battery can be covered with a screen that directs the flow of hot air in the other direction. Washing aglaonema leaves from dust under a warm shower is also useful.

Flight connections

Young plants are transplanted annually, large specimens in 2-3 years. Transplantation is carried out in the spring. They plant aglaonema in wide, but not too high pots. Soil - 2 parts of sod, 1 part of leaf, 1 part of peat and 1 part of sand. It would be good to add some charcoal and brick crumbs to the soil. It grows well and even more so blooms aglaonema only in a cramped pot.

Reproduction

Aglaonema is propagated in spring and summer with apical and stem cuttings, and processes with several leaves and roots are separated during transplantation. There is nothing difficult in propagating aglaonema with cuttings, it easily takes root in a jar of water (if it is light, even in winter), or in a pot of earth, if it is placed in a transparent plastic bag and ventilated twice a day, and the soil is always kept slightly wet. Aglaonema tolerates the division of a bush well if it is carried out by carefully cutting the roots with a knife, and not tearing the lump apart. Quite quickly goes into growth after rooting.

Some species and hybrids of aglaonema stretch up quite strongly, after 3-4 years the compact bush builds up a vertical stem and a garter to the support is required. Large large specimens of aglaonema do not fit on a windowsill or shelf, pots can be placed on the floor, but keep in mind that then the leaves of the plant, especially at the bottom of the stem, will be below the line of light. Despite the fact that aglaonema is a rather shade-tolerant plant, from a lack of light it begins to lose the lower leaves, as well as diffenbachia. In addition, near the floor, the temperature is usually 2-3 degrees lower, which should be taken into account when airing. It would be more correct to put a pot with aglaonema not on the floor, but on a bedside table, a table by the window or a special rack for flowers.

Thrips on aglaonema leaves leave brown spots

This aglaonema is in the corner, by a hot battery, and you can see how it is poor to bend to the light

Aglaonema easily forms root offspring that can be separated during transplantation

Aglaonema growing problems

The brown edges of the leaves, the leaves are sluggish - too rare watering, too dry or cold air, or vice versa - excessive watering, long drying of the ground. To understand the reason, dig deeper into the ground and determine if it dries up enough for the next watering.

Yellowing of aglaonema leaves - when watered with hard chlorinated water, lack of light.

Dry, brown leaf tips - due to insufficient moist air, after all, aglaonema is a plant of moist tropical forests. It is necessary to increase the humidity near the plant. Also, the cause may be a lack of nutrients in the soil or their excess. Remember when you transplanted the plant, and in what land.

The loss of color is too bright light, burns may appear from the midday sun: first the leaves turn pale, then gray or brown oblong spots appear. If there are spots, it does not interfere with checking if the pest has started.

Aglaonema pests

Spider mite: many years have passed since I wrote this article in the first edition, I have been living with aglaonema for 15 years, during this time there were all sorts of pests, but the tick, oddly enough, appeared on it only once, from close contact with fuchsia. It was not immediately discovered, after the appearance of a pair of yellow leaves. My aglaonema is compact (I plant every two years by dividing the bush), so I got rid of the tick very quickly: turning the pot down, I water the leaves on them with a hot (45 ° C) shower for 1-2 minutes. Then I turn over and water for another 1-2 minutes from above. Usually two such showers with an interval of 5 days are enough to do without acaricides - anti-tick drugs.

Thrips are much more dangerous for aglaonema - these pests are inconspicuous on variegated leaves, but eat it as a favorite delicacy. Symptoms: gray or brown spots appear on the leaves, irregular in shape, along the edges, in the center. Some of the leaves turn yellow. Black drops or crumbs, about 1 mm in size, are visible on the surface of the leaf. In this case, you need to wash the plant with a soap sponge, on both sides of the leaf, then rinse with clean water. And add insecticide when watering: pour a solution of actara or confidor. Trips are a flying pest, so look for signs of infection on other plants in the house.

Mealy worms: can also affect aglaonema, they powerfully suck juice, depleting the plant. The leaves curve, dry and fall, the plant ultimately dies. Signs are white shaggy, as if cotton lumps at the base of the trunk and axils of the leaves. You need to fight them with the same insecticides - watering with actara solution (1 g per 1-1.5 liters of water). You can spray with actellic or carbofos (not in the apartment), but first you need to remove the pests with a cotton swab or cotton swab soaked in alcohol.

Growing aglaonema in a vase of water (video)

Aglaonema

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