Pellionia (Pellionia) is an unpretentious perennial flowering herb from the Nettle family, native to the countries of East Asia with a tropical climate. Among more than fifty species of this culture, only two of them are grown at home - these are Pellionia "Davo" and Pellionia "Beautiful".
Distinctive features of Pellionia "Davo" are thick creeping shoots of a light brown hue, smooth broad-lanceolate multi-colored leaves about six centimeters long with a wide light stripe in the middle and an almost black border along the edge. It blooms with small greenish-white flowers. Pellionia "Fine" leaves have a silvery-gray shade with green stripes above and pink-gray below, their average length is 3-4 cm. Umbrella inflorescences are located on small peduncles, which are removed from indoor plants.
Pellionia care at home
Location and lighting
Lack of lighting and sunshine of Pellionia is not terrible. A phytolamp can be a light source. This attitude towards lighting allows you to grow this houseplant even in the back of the room. But the direct rays of the sun have a detrimental effect on the flower and the culture must be protected from them.
Temperature
Although in nature, Pellionia is a thermophilic plant and is common in tropical regions, it does not tolerate high indoor temperatures. In the summer and spring months, the favorable temperature is in the range of 20-24 degrees, and in the winter and autumn - from 16 to 18 degrees. Short airing is necessary for the flower, but cold drafts are categorically contraindicated.
Watering
Regular moderate watering of Pellionia is carried out throughout the year. The soil in the flower pot should not dry out, but an excess of moisture should not be allowed, since the root system of the plant will begin to rot. For irrigation, it is recommended to use only settled water with a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Air humidity
The humidity level of the air where Pellionium is contained must be high. Daily spraying of the plant (morning and evening) and placing an indoor flower in a pot on a special tray filled with moistened expanded clay will help maintain high humidity.
The soil
When purchasing a ready-made universal soil mixture, it is recommended to add perlite, vermiculite or brick chips to it for lightness and looseness.
You can also make a nutritious soil mix at home. To do this, you will need the following components: coarse-grained river sand, peat and humus soil (one part each) and leaf land (two parts).
When choosing a flower container, it is important to consider the close location of the plant roots to the soil surface. The flowerpot should be wide but shallow in depth. When planting Pellionia, it is imperative to pour a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot.
Top dressing and fertilizers
In the winter period, fertilizers do not need to be applied, and in the rest of the months it must be done regularly once a month. When using a complex feeding, it is recommended to halve the concentration of the drug recommended on the package.
Pruning and replanting
The decorative qualities of Pellionia persist only for one or two years, after which the plant must be re-grown. In this regard, pruning, pinching and transplanting is not necessary.
Reproduction of Pellionia
You can grow indoor Pellionia from freshly harvested or purchased seeds, but most often experienced florists use the method of propagation by cuttings. To do this, you need the tip of the shoot with three internodes, which is placed in a container with water or soil until roots are formed. The rooting process takes about 5-7 days.
Diseases and pests
The main pests are whitefly and aphids. With regular prophylactic spraying of a houseplant with warm water, no chemicals are required.
Growing difficulties
The causes of most diseases of indoor plants lie in the violation of conditions of maintenance and rules of care. For instance:
- Dry leaf tips - from dry air and low humidity;
- Rotting roots and root collar - from an excess of irrigation water;
- Pale leaves - from excessively bright lighting;
- Elongated stems - from lack of light.
Application of Pellionia
Pellionia is an ornamental plant that looks great in combination with other crops in group plantings and compositions located in terrariums and florariums and can act as a ground cover representative of the flora. Floral designers use Pellionia to decorate a bottle garden, and also recommend it as an ampelous plant. Indoor flowers with an unusual color of leaves, planted in hanging pots, will make the room cozy and pleasant to spend time with.
