Sanchezia

Sanchezia (Sanchezia) is an unpretentious perennial shrub plant from the Acanthus family, widespread in the humid tropical climate of the equatorial belt. Hot Ecuador with abundant and prolonged rainfall and high temperatures throughout the year is considered the birthplace of the exotic. The culture quickly adapted in European countries, but the humid tropical forest remains a favorable place in the natural environment. In the wild, there are several dozen different species and varieties, but the noble sanchetia is usually grown as a houseplant.

The main distinguishing features of an exotic indoor flower are large, brightly colored leathery dark green leaves about thirty in length and a little more than ten centimeters wide with a smooth surface and light cream or white veins. At home, the height of the culture reaches 1-1.2 m.With good maintenance and compliance with all the rules of care, the sanchetia can give its owner an incredibly beautiful flowering, consisting of golden yellow or orange flowers in spike-shaped inflorescences. In nature, the flowers, after pollination, turn into a fruit-box with a huge number of seeds. A feature of the plant is the loss of decorativeness after the flowering period. Shoots age quickly, and most of the leaves fall off.

Decorative indoor crops create a cozy atmosphere in the room and fit perfectly into the interior with the help of their unusual shapes and colors of leaves or a varied floral palette. Sanchezia is one of the exotic indoor plants that will look harmonious against the background of painted walls, and against the background of wallpapers of different patterns and colors. Among flower lovers, this specimen is still rare and is not very popular in flower shops and office premises, although it is endowed with high decorative qualities.

Sanchezia care at home

Location and lighting

The tropical and light-loving sanchezia requires a lot of light throughout the year. Bright sunlight or artificial light has a direct effect on its appearance, and specifically on the compactness of the shrub and the color of the leaf mass. Good lighting is one of the conditions for maintaining and maintaining high decorativeness for all twelve months. With a lack of light or its brightness, the shoots will begin to stretch, the dark green leaves will lighten, and the veins on their surface will become almost invisible. It is recommended to use phytolamps in the autumn-winter period and fluorescent lamps for additional lighting.

From spring to late autumn, a container with a flower can be placed on the windowsill or near it from the south or east side of the house. In winter, it is recommended to rearrange the indoor shrub to the warmest place in the room.

Temperature

Sanchezia loves warmth very much. It is recommended to grow the plant at a room temperature of 15 to 24 degrees. In winter, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature does not drop below 12 degrees.

Watering

In the warm season, watering the sanchezia is carried out regularly and abundantly, spraying - daily, using a spray bottle. The irrigation regime changes after pruning and with the arrival of cold autumn and winter days. The frequency of watering and their volumes are significantly reduced, but spraying must be continued. Water should be used only soft and with a temperature of at least 22-25 degrees.

Air humidity

The plant is very fond of moisture and prefers high humidity. In order to provide it, it is necessary to pour a little pebbles or expanded clay into the pallet and add water, and the sanchetia needs daily spraying.

The soil

The soil mixture for growing sanchezia should consist of two parts of garden or vegetable land, one part of peat and one part of coarse river sand. The plant needs a loose substrate with good air permeability and without stagnant water.

Top dressing and fertilizers

Additional feeding of the sanchezia is needed in spring and summer, and especially during the period of active growth. They can be applied at the root along with irrigation water or as a leaf spraying. At the beginning of the warm season, it is recommended to apply nitrogen-containing mineral or organic fertilizers at intervals of ten days. For spraying, it is advisable to use a complex diet with a high content of trace elements and nutrients (early in the morning and in the evening). In autumn and winter, top dressing is not used.

Transfer

Sanchezia must be replanted once a year at the beginning of spring. For this they use heather soil mixed with part of the peat. A flower transplant is also carried out after the purchase of the plant, if it is an adult.

Pruning

Pinching shoots and low pruning in spring are necessary to preserve the decorative qualities and form the aesthetic appearance of the Sanchezia, since it is characterized by very rapid growth and active development. From a small cutting, under favorable room conditions, after 3 years an impressive shrub with a height of 1 meter or more can form.

Dormant period

In winter, the flower rests, and the short daylight hours and low humidity levels contribute to the shedding of foliage.

Breeding sanchezia

The easiest and most effective way to propagate sankhetia is by cuttings. Cuttings about 10 cm long are cut from lateral or apical shoots. For rooting, they are buried in wet sand and covered with a transparent plastic bag. In a warm room, the roots are formed after 15-20 days, after which the seedlings are transplanted into individual small flower pots.

Diseases and pests

The main pest of sanchezia is the mealybug. A cotton-like deposit will be noticeable on the surface of the leaves. To combat pests, you need to rinse the leaves with a damp sponge and soapy water. Then spray the plant with actellik and after a while repeat the treatment.

Sanchezia - how to grow a plant in an apartment (video)