Asparagus family. Homeland - South China, East India, Vietnam and Japan. About 100 species grow in nature.
Aspidistra elatior, a perennial herb native to Japan, is grown in culture. It has an underground creeping rhizome, glossy leaves on long petioles of wide oval or lanceolate shape, about 50 cm long and 15 cm wide. At the base of the leaf, 1 or 2 reduced leaves can be seen grasping the petiole. The flowers are small, purple in color, appear under the leaves on short legs. The height of the bush is about 60 cm. There are several varieties.
Aspidistra Care
Temperature: Develops well in moderate conditions, dislikes summer heat above 28C. In winter it requires coolness, preferably not higher than 15 ° C, the optimal temperature is 10-12 ° C, the winter minimum is 5 ° C. When kept in winter at temperatures above 20 ° C, regular spraying is required. High aspidistra can be grown in open ground, in areas with a warm climate, it can withstand short-term frosts up to -5 ° C. But in a pot culture, plants should be kept only at positive temperatures.
Lighting: In summer, shading from direct sunlight, light partial shade. In winter, aspidistra needs good lighting. In nature, aspidistra grow in the shade, under trees and shrubs, so at home they grow quite well on the northern windowsill, the east window is well suited. Variegated aspidistra is more photophilous - you can put it on the southeast or west window.
Watering: Plentiful from spring to autumn, but the soil should have time to dry in the top layer of the pot. In winter, moderate to rare, depending on temperature. If cool, below 18 ° C, wait with watering for 4-5 days, after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried.
Fertilizer: From April to September, every two weeks they are fed with fertilizer for deciduous plants. Suitable fertilizer for palm trees or ficuses (for example, "Merry flower girl") or fertilizer "Uniflor-growth," "Uniflor-micro." If you transplanted the plant into fresh soil, refrain from feeding for a month and a half.
Humidity: Aspidistra tolerates dry air only if it is not too hot. However, regular spraying and washing of leaves with warm water only has a beneficial effect on the plant, especially in winter, if the aspidistra is in a heated room. If you rinse the plant in the shower, the soil must be covered with a bag to avoid waterlogging.
Transplantation: Young plants annually, and old plants are transplanted after 2-3 years, in spring, but the upper layer of the soil needs to be changed annually. Soil is a mixture of 2 parts of turf, 1 parts of sheet (peat), 1 parts of humus, and 1 parts of sand. It is imperative to make drainage to the bottom of the pot. When transplanting, try not to damage the roots, otherwise the plant then stops growing for a long time. For transplantation, you can also use purchased soil for ficus or palm trees, but it is desirable to add to it 1/4-1/5 part of vermiculite and compost.
Reproduction: In spring, by dividing the bush during transplantation. At the same time, they carefully loosen the old lump of land, trying not to damage and preserve all the roots, even the smallest ones. Then the leaves are separated with a sharp knife so that they have roots. It will be better for the plant if, when dividing, it is divided into parts with at least 5-6 sheets. If the bush has only 6-7 sheets, then it is better not to divide it at all. After dividing and transplanting, it is better to keep the aspidistra warm for several days, better than a room greenhouse.
Aspidistra can also be propagated by leaf, using a special technology. It consists in the fact that a healthy leaf without a petiole is cut off in aspidistra, so that a thick fleshy influx is preserved at the base of the leaf (formed by reduced leaves in the likeness of a vagina). The leaf section is then dried and placed in a water bottle (a wide-necked bottle like kefir). The bottle is closed with a lid and covered with plasticine so that air does not get there. Place the bottle in a warm and light place. When roots appear on the leaf cut, it is taken out and planted in loose (preferably leaf) soil and covered with a jar or placed in a room greenhouse. If the roots have not appeared, and the end of the leaf has begun to deteriorate and rot, then you can cut it to healthy tissue (only at the place where the leaf thickens), and in clean water it is again placed in a bottle.
