Fatsia

 
фатсия японская

Araliaceae family. Homeland Japan and about. Taiwan. Ornamental, fast-growing plant. It is appreciated because of its beautiful crown with palmate shiny leaves, the flowers are whitish, nondescript. The most common is Fatsia japonica. Fatsia grows very quickly and with good care in a couple of years grows to 1-1.5 m with leaves reaching 35 cm across. The leaves are lobed in shape, have 5-9 lobes, heart-shaped in shape, glossy. Based on Japanese Fatsia, there is a Fatsheder hybrid - this houseplant is distinguished by tougher, leathery leaves.

Caring for Fatsia

The main methods of care: loosening the soil after heavy watering, periodic wiping of leaves, protection from direct sunlight in early spring with the appearance of an active sun.

Temperature: Fatsia grows better in cool rooms. In warm rooms, where it is more than 19-20 ° C and low light, fatsia sheds the lower leaves and loses its decorative attractiveness. The room should be regularly ventilated, but avoid cold drafts. Ideal wintering conditions are around 15-16 ° C on the southeast side.

Lighting: bright diffused light in spring and summer, sun in the morning or in the evening (after 16 hours). Protection from direct sunlight at noon in the summer, and from September to January in central Russia, the shade of fatsia is not required. Fatsia only tolerates partial shade in summer, but requires good lighting in winter. Fluorescent lamps or LED lamps can be used as additional lighting.

Watering: even, without drying and excess dampness. Abundant watering in warm weather in spring and summer, but after drying out the upper part of the soil by about half the height of the pot. In winter, watering is moderate and cautious, depending on the temperature in the room, something like this:

  • if the temperature is about 24 ° C, after the top layer of the earth dries, wait another 2-3 days, and only then water
    • ;
  • if the temperature is about 20-24 ° C, after drying the soil in the upper part of the pot, wait about 5-6 days before watering;
  • if about 16-18 ° C - at least 1.5 weeks
    • ;
  • when the temperature is about 12-14 ° C watering once a month is very meager,
  • below 12 ° C - about once every 2 months, also very, very little water.
фатсия японская

Top dressing: from May to August fatsia weekly full fertilizer for ornamental and deciduous plants, once every two weeks. In autumn and winter they do not feed.

Air humidity: at least 60%, usually frequent spraying is required. Since it is problematic to place fatsia under the shower due to its large size, periodically wipe the leaves with a damp sponge from dust.

Transplant: annually in the spring, but it is better to transplant fatsia when the roots are covered with an earthen lump. The soil is light sod (3 parts) mixed with peat (2 parts), coarse sand (1 part), vermiculite (1/2 parts). The soil should have normal or slightly acidic acidity (pH 6-6.5). It is advisable to add additional loosening components to the soil - if the soil is prone to an acidic environment, add the 1 part of coconut chips (coconut briquettes), if the soil is more likely to be neutral, add the 1 part of chopped pine bark.

Reproduction: seeds that can be obtained from plants growing in natural conditions (in Russia - in Batumi, there fatsia grows in open ground) or seeds from Gavrish (Fatsia Imperia) are on sale. They are also propagated by branches and cuttings during soil heating.

Fatsia from seeds

Important: Fatsia seeds quickly lose their germination, pay attention to the date of packaging on the package.

Seeds can be sown at any time of the year if you are ready to light seedlings. If not ready - sow in February-March. Soak the seeds first for 24-48 hours at room temperature (or for 12 hours on a battery at 40 ° C), epine or zircon can be added.

In the area you need to pour the universal soil Terra Vita (living earth) in half with sand (pre-sterilize). It is necessary to sprinkle the seeds of fatsia, but not more than 5 mm. Moisten from the sprayer, cover with a film.

Seeds germinate for 3-4 weeks at a temperature of 22-24 ° C. At a lower temperature, germination is possible, but not everyone succeeds - it is very difficult to control the soil humidity and not rot the seeds. Therefore, germinate at normal temperatures, and as soon as shoots appear so that they get stronger and tempered, rearrange them in a cooler place at 15-18 ° C. The film needs to be removed.

You can plant in pots with a diameter of 8 cm when the seedlings grow two pairs of real leaves. The soil is as described above for adult plants.

Growing problems

The tips of the leaves are brown, dry and brittle, pale spotted leaves - insufficient watering at high temperature in the room.

Shrunken leaves are too dry air or sunburn.

The leaves turn yellow and fall: if the leaves are dry and brittle, the air is too dry; if soft and sluggish - waterlogging of the soil.

An important sign of waterlogging - the roots of the plant begin to rot, they cease to absorb food and water, as a result, the plant begins to deplete - yellowness appears from the base of the leaf along the central vein (vein chlorosis), then the leaf turns yellow whole.

Tick on Fatsia

Spider mite - appears on indoor flowers at any time of the year, brought in with the wind or other plants. Initially, small discolored spots appear on the leaves, if you look at the lumen of the leaf, point punctures are visible. Gradually, the leaves turn yellow and dry out. With severe damage in the internodes and from the back of the leaves, a web is visible.

Control measures: rinse the plant in soapy water - beat the foam with a sponge and wipe off each leaf, or dilute the soapy solution and rinse the entire crown (covering the ground with a bag). You can leave the soap for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse the foliage with hot water, the temperature is 40-45 degrees, according to the sensations of the hand it is hot. It is better to use green potassium soap, it is sold in flower departments.

Repeat the hot shower in 5-7 days twice more.

You can use drugs such as Fitoverm, Actofit, Agravertin, Acarin - at the rate of 10 ml per 1 liter of water, or Vertimek (1 ml per 1 liter of water). Processing must be repeated in 3-5 days - if the weather is hot or warm (26-24 degrees) and after 7 days, if the air temperature is 20 degrees and below, since these drugs do not kill tick eggs.

Hot showers and acaricidal treatments can be alternated.

The drugs Sanmait or Taurus are very effective at the rate of 1 g per 1 liter of water - a single treatment with thorough wetting of the crown destroys adult pests and non-nutritious stages (eggs).

By the way

Fatsia does not reproduce with a leaf, rooted only with a cuttings - a leaf with a piece of stem. It is better to root in moist vermiculite at 22-26 ° C.