This unusual perennial plant is popular with many flower lovers. It can be found in a city apartment and in a private house, because the Indian onion grows both indoors and outdoors. People who are not indifferent to floriculture know this plant under a different name - tailed poultry farm. Traditional medicine has long appreciated this perennial for its healing and beneficial properties.
The poultry garden is an unpretentious and very hardy plant. This is confirmed by the fact that it can be found in the countries of South Africa, where the climate is very hot. This is a hardy bulbous plant very similar to gladiolus in the way it is grown. Its deciduous part is distinguished by active growth with minimal maintenance, and a bright and very attractive flowering lasts for a long time.
It is not for nothing that the tailed bird poultry got such an interesting name. Its thin and long leaves grow quickly and form unusual shapes. The root is a tuber, the top of which is on the surface of the soil. This makes it possible to observe how during the season a small tuber turns into a large ball. At first, the plant surprises with the unique composition of its leaves, but very soon a flower arrow appears among this green bouquet. Its rapid growth amazes not only with its almost meter height, but also fascinates with its beautiful flowering.
Novice gardeners and inexperienced growers can confuse Indian onions with a flower. sidecarnea... They do have similarities in external data, but there are also significant differences.
Growing and care
The tailed bird is a plant of the bulbous family that does not require complex care. It feels great outdoors in any free area and can also be called a houseplant. All he needs is to moisturize and feed on time and correctly. At the end of flowering, old bulbs and young bulbs must be carefully dug up and stored in a cool room or refrigerator in winter.
The soil. An indoor poultry house will grow well in a small flower pot. Before planting, you need to take care of the soil. It should be a mixture of one part of leaf and one part of sod land, as well as two parts of river sand. At the bottom of the pot, you need to pour a small layer of drainage, and then the prepared mixture. Only the bottom of the bulb should remain in the ground.
Watering. The plant does not like waterlogging, with strong moisture it can even die. Therefore, it is better to water Indian onions when the topsoil is completely dry. This bulbous plant is very fond of water procedures in the form of spraying. This method of humidifying the air near the plant helps to resist dangerous diseases. With insufficient air humidity, the leaves of the plant will turn yellow and curl.
Lighting. The normal growth and development of the poultry farm depends on proper lighting. A lack of sunlight will reflect on the outwardly unhealthy appearance of the plant. Flower pots should be on the south or east side.If it is not possible to constantly keep the plant under such lighting, then you can rearrange it for about a week in a favorable place at least once a month. Solar treatments will make up for the lack of light.
Top dressing. Under indoor conditions, the poultry farm requires feeding with complex fertilizers with various minerals or liquid organic fertilizers (for example, a weak manganese solution). It will be enough once a month.
Transfer. When transplanting, it should be borne in mind that a new container for a plant will need a little more than the previous one. After transplanting, the Indian onion quickly takes root in a new place and gains new strength and beauty. It is imperative to transplant it.
Temperature. The tailed bird poultry is a heat-loving plant. Room temperature is great for him. But in winter, it must be protected from hypothermia. At temperatures below twelve degrees Celsius, the plant can get sick and die.
Reproduction. This bulbous plant reproduces in three ways:
- Bulbs - babies
- Seeds
- By dividing the bulb
Reproduction by bulbous babies is considered one of the simplest and most common methods. At the end of the flowering season, a large number of such small bulbs grow on the tuber. They must be carefully separated and can be planted immediately, without roots, in moist soil. Only two weeks will pass and each young bulb will take root and will be able to grow and develop independently.
Useful properties and contraindications
The tailed bird poultry has long been known and popular in folk medicine. It is believed that this plant can provide first aid for many diseases. Its main property is pain relief. Healing juice is used in the form of rubbing and compresses for various types of pain - headache, joint pain, after bruises and sprains. The juice of this plant accelerates wound healing and fights viruses.
For treatment, only freshly squeezed juice from old leaves is used. They rub it over the sore spot and wrap it with a woolen cloth for ten to fifteen minutes. In such a short time, acute pain disappears. To fight viruses and the first signs of a cold, they rub the bridge of the nose and temples, lymph nodes and the back of the head with juice.
Indian onions can be placed on a par with indoor medicinal plants such as aloe, agave, Kalanchoe. They should be in every home as a home first aid kit. This plant will always come to the aid of all family members.
But this perennial plant also has contraindications. It is a strong allergen and can cause allergic manifestations. One has to be very careful with Indian onion juice. It is very dangerous to get the juice on the mucous membranes. If the body does not perceive this plant, then rashes, burning and itching, even redness and swelling will appear on the skin.
Do not self-medicate. Consult a specialist before using tailed hen juice. Each medicinal plant can not only cure, but also harm. It is imperative to take into account the individual characteristics of each specific organism.
With numerous beneficial healing properties, one should not forget about its unusual decorative qualities. This perennial bulbous plant not only attracts with its beauty, but also arouses great interest among true connoisseurs of flower art. Many flower growers consider the tailed poultry to be their pride.
