The pilea plant (Pilea) is a tropical beauty belonging to the Nettle family. This genus includes over 400 different species, including both annuals and perennials that take the form of grasses or dwarf shrubs. You can meet the sawmill in tropical forests around the planet, not counting the Australian continent. The name of the saw can be translated as "cap". This form is inherent in the perianths of many species of this plant.
Pilea is distinguished by its endurance and relative unpretentiousness. It can be grown both in greenhouses and at home. Some species, such as the Kadier saw, have very fast growth rates. This allows them to be used in herbal compositions. Various types of pylaea can be grown as a regular or ampelous plant with a cascade of shoots.
Description of the saw
Pilea is a relatively short plant, reaching 40 cm in size. It is distinguished by elegant foliage, most often having a rounded shape. At the same time, various types of saws can differ significantly in external characteristics. Foliage can be of different sizes, glossy or pubescent surfaces, and also be monochromatic or variegated.
The pylaea bloom is unremarkable. At this time, small flowers are formed on it, usually they are collected in tassels growing from the leaf sinuses. After flowering, fruits are formed. They hang over the overgrown sterile stamens of the plant. When a ripe fruit loses contact with the flower, the stamens straighten, catapulting the pilea seeds to an impressive distance, sometimes up to 100 m.
Brief rules for growing pilea
The table shows brief rules for caring for a saw at home.
| Lighting level | A lot of bright, non-direct light is required. |
| Content temperature | Pilea can grow well at 25 degrees all year round and does not like when the temperature drops below 15 degrees, although some species, on the contrary, require cooler (about 10 degrees) wintering. |
| Watering mode | From spring to the end of August, the soil in the container should be constantly slightly damp, but not damp. In winter, you should wait until the earth dries out by about a quarter. |
| Air humidity | The flower loves high humidity, it can be placed on a pallet with wet pebbles or a container with water can be placed next to it. But the leaves of the plant are usually not sprayed. |
| The soil | Humus substrates are considered the optimal soil; they can be slightly acidic or neutral. You can use a mixture of sand with peat, turf and humus. |
| Top dressing | During growth, a complex composition is used weekly for species with spectacular foliage.In winter, the plant continues to be fertilized, doing it several times less. |
| Transfer | Transplants are carried out at the beginning of the growing season, annually or a little less often. |
| Pruning | Annual pruning and pinching is done. |
| Bloom | Flowering can last from June to mid-autumn, but the flowers are considered inconspicuous, and the plant is valued only for its spectacular foliage. |
| Dormant period | The dormant period lasts from November to March. |
| Reproduction | Seed, cuttings. |
| Pests | Spider mites, as well as thrips, scale insects and mealybugs. |
| Diseases | Pylaea foliage loses its appearance in the absence of proper care or in the wrong location. |
Caring for the saw at home
Pilea is a houseplant that does not require special attention to itself; a florist can cope with it, even with minimal experience.
Lighting
Pilea prefers bright, but not direct lighting. Scorching rays should not fall on her bush. Typically, the flower is grown east or west. On the south side, you should not put it on the windowsill, otherwise the plant will have to be shaded. The most dependent on lighting are hybrid saw shapes.
Pileya can spend summer outdoors: on the balcony or in the garden. For the pot, you should choose a corner that is closed from the direct sun. For the summer, you can even plant the bushes in flowerpots or containers. It is only necessary to take into account all the rules that apply to the content of indoor flowers in the open air.
In winter, the light level should remain the same. So that the reduction in daylight hours does not affect the appearance of the flower, it can be transferred to a brighter place. The lack of light, as well as its large excess, will lead to a change in the color of the leaf plates and can affect the overall decorative effect of the bush.
Temperature
The pylaea will be satisfied with a constant temperature of about 25 degrees. It can remain at this level even in winter: a cold snap below 15 degrees can adversely affect the health of the plant. The saw should be protected from drafts, especially in autumn and winter.
The most resistant to coolness are considered to be Cadier's pileae and peperomium. The first is capable of hibernating at 15 degrees, and the second at 10 degrees. Small-leaved saws can also successfully overwinter if the room keeps around 16-18 degrees. The most thermophilic is the wrapped saw. Otherwise, the rules for caring for different species are practically the same.
Watering
In spring and summer, the soil in the container is watered as its top layer dries out, using only settled and soft water. In winter, after drying, they wait a couple more days. The bush will tolerate overdrying the soil better than overflow. The soil in the container may remain only slightly moist, but water stagnation in the soil should not be allowed. That is why more frequent watering in small volumes should be preferred to abundant moisture.
Excessive soil moisture will lead to fading of the color of the leaves and their wilting, and can also provoke the development of putrefactive processes. It is especially important to observe the watering regime in winter. Excess water from the sump must be drained.
Humidity level
Pilea requires a high level of moisture for healthy growth. At the same time, you should not moisten its foliage from the sprayer - it may lose its elegant appearance. This applies to both species with pubescent and glossy leaves.
To compensate for the lack of moisture in the air, open containers of water are placed next to the pot. You can also place the pot on a tray filled with damp pebbles so that the bottom does not get wet. The hotter it is in the room, the higher the humidity level should rise. During a cool wintering, such procedures can be omitted.
The soil
Slightly acidic or neutral humus soil is suitable for growing pylaea. You can use a mixture of sand with peat, turf and humus, or a universal soil for decorative deciduous species.
Top dressing
In summer and spring, the plant can be fed weekly or once a decade, and in winter - monthly.Mineral compositions intended for species with decorative foliage are suitable for the saw. They are used at the indicated dosage.
Without timely feeding, the foliage of the plant can become smaller. Due to the fact that in winter the pilea rests only partially, without the proper amount of nutrients, its shoots will begin to stretch excessively, and the bush will lose its compactness.
Transfer
The room saw requires regular replanting. It is held every spring. The pylaea has small superficial roots, so wider, but shallow pots about 10 cm high are chosen for its cultivation. At the bottom, it is necessary to place a drainage layer up to a third of the volume of the pot.
Pylaea can grow hydroponically. Will arrange a flower and automatic watering.
Pruning
A sawe growing in a pot quickly loses its external decorative effect. The bushes gradually stretch out, exposing the bottom of the stems, falling apart and entangled. To prevent old plants from losing their attractive appearance so quickly, they are pruned every year. The stems remaining from the cut are used for reproduction. Correct pinching will help to form a beautiful bush. With its help, you can avoid exposing the main stems.
As a rule, pruning and pinching of the ends of the shoots is carried out before transplanting.
Dormant period
The dormant period for the pilea begins in winter - from November and lasts until the end of February or the beginning of March. The indoor plant slows down at this time. Moreover, the flower does not require special conditions of detention.
Pylaea breeding methods
For propagation of the bush, seeds and cuttings of the pilea are usually used. Although in nature many species are successful in self-seeding, at home, seed propagation is only suitable for some plant species, for example, for the wrapped saw. Most often, the seeds of potted plants are not able to fully ripen, but sometimes they are sold in flower shops. Seeds are sown in moist soil at a shallow depth, and then kept warm under glass or a bag. It is important to protect sprouts from dry air and overflow.
Cutting is carried out at any convenient time, including winter. Usually apical cuttings about 10 cm long are used for it. They must have at least a few pairs of leaves. The separated parts of the shoots are placed in water or planted in wet sand or perlite. When they are rooted, they are moved to a small pot filled with a mixture of sand with leafy and greenhouse soil. To get a more lush bush, you can plant several cuttings in one container.
Diseases and pests
The main problems with sawing are caused by a violation of the main rules for caring for the plant.
- Drying of the leaf plates and their falling off is associated with an uncomfortable temperature for the plant. Where the saw is, it may be too hot (above +27) or too cold. Another possible reason is overdrying of the soil.
- Foliage withering is a sign of frequent stagnation of water in the soil and the processes of decay caused by it. Such leaves then begin to blacken and fall off, and the stems become soft.
- Leaf flying may be due to their natural aging. In this case, only the lower saw blades fall off. If desired, such a plant can be rejuvenated by rooting a stalk taken from it.
- Leaf pallor - usually caused by too bright light. In direct light, the pilea leaves can turn pale and acquire a slightly transparent color. On the edge of the plate may dry out. Drying can also be caused by a lack of light, because of it, the foliage loses its color, and also noticeably becomes smaller. At the same time, the shoots are stretched.
- Brownish spots on foliage are usually a manifestation of sunburn.
If insect pests (spider mites, scale insects, thrips, etc.) have settled on the saw, they are fought with the help of insecticides. Due to the bumpy surface and pubescence of the leaf blades of many types of saws, it can be difficult to notice pests on such leaves in a timely manner. Often this can be done only in the later stages of infection. It is easier to prevent the appearance of such insects, observing all the conditions for growing the saw.To do this, you should not leave the plant in heat with low humidity levels.
Types and varieties of pilea with photos and names
Pilea has many varieties. And, interestingly, none of the species are similar to each other. If you have no idea about the variety of pilea, then you may not even suspect about its presence at home. Of all the species, the Kadier (cadieri) and the hybrid form of the Norfolk variety shine with special beauty. But for some reason, the small-leaved and peperomium-shaped saws are much more popular, although they are inferior in beauty to certain species.
Pilea cadierei
This species is native to the Asian tropics. The plant reaches 40 cm in height. Its young stalks remain upright, but lodge with age. The stems of this species are bare and can branch significantly. The foliage is petiolate, oval-elongated. It has a sharp point at the end. Each plate has three longitudinal veins. The foliage of each plate is up to 20 cm, and the width is up to 5 cm. Such a saw is also called "aluminum" or "silver". These names are associated with the color of the foliage of the flower. The main background of the leaf is dark green or slightly bluish, and the spaces between the veins are colored silver. During the flowering period, such a pilea forms clusters of inflorescences in the leaf axils.
Due to the branching of shoots, this species can be used as an ampelous one. The formation of the crown is facilitated by periodic pinching. There are also more miniature subspecies of such a saw. So the variety "Minima" is a mini-version of it.
Small-leaved saw (Pilea microphylla)
Miniature species, reaching 15 cm in height. Forms twisting and branched shoots, covered with small foliage. Upon contact with the soil, its stems begin to take root. The leaf blades are bare, and their size reaches only 0.5 cm. They have a round or oval shape and are colored in a light green tone. In their sinuses, inflorescences-shields of tiny flowers are formed. The species also has variegated forms, their foliage is colored not only green, but also white-pink.
Among the names of such a saw - "artillery" or "gunner". When its flowers open their anthers, a cloud of pollen forms above them. It can be seen by touching a plant flower in the summer.
Monofilament saw (Рilea nummulariifolia)
The species is distinguished by creeping shoots, the length of which reaches 40 cm. The foliage is round, bright green. An overgrown bush can play the role of a ground cover, forming a continuous carpet or a cascade of shoots. The species reproduces well by cuttings.
Wrapped saw (Pilea involucrata)
A low-growing bush no more than 30 cm in height. Has erect stems. Its foliage is opposite and has an oval shape with a taper at the end. The length of each leaf reaches 7 cm. The species is notable for the color of the leaves. The area along the veins of the green leaf is colored brown. The bumpy surface makes such leaf blades even more elegant.
This sawing often becomes the basis for creating hybrid forms.
Pilea peperomioides (Pilea peperomioides)
The bush has a low, stiff stem. The foliage is large, round, with a solid bright green color and a glossy surface. It is located on long petioles. At home, the species almost does not bloom.
Creeping saw (Pilea repens)
A bush with creeping stems up to 25 cm in size. It has smooth, rounded foliage. Its dimensions reach 2.5 cm. The edge of each leaf is wavy, and the color combines several colors. On the outside, the plates are painted in a deep green color, and the villi on them are slightly cast copper. The seamy side is purple in color.
Pilea spruce (Pilea spruceana)
Peruvian species also found in Venezuela. It has ovoid, rounded leaves located on short petioles. Their apex can be blunt or slightly pointed. The leaves are opposite and have a wrinkled matte surface and a variegated color.It can combine different tones of bronze, green and silver.
Pilea "Bronze"
Hybrid form. Forms erect stems up to 30 cm high. It has oval leaf blades, pointed at the end. Their length reaches 7 cm. The wrinkled surface of the leaf has a dark green color, complemented by a wide silver or bronze stripe. It is usually located along the main vein of the leaf.
Pilea "Norfolk"
Young shoots of this form of pilea retain their vertical shape, but then gradually begin to lie down. It has velvety green foliage decorated with reddish-brown veins. The inside is painted in shades of purple. The surface of the sheet is covered with wrinkles.
Pilea "Silver Tree"
Another hybrid form. It is considered a climbing plant. Its oval leaf blades have a serrated edge and slight pubescence. Hair can be white or reddish. The plate itself is colored dark green, and there is a silvery stripe in its center. In addition, silvery specks may be present on the leaf.
