Abutilon is a plant that belongs to the family of Malvaceae. The flower differs in the original form of leaves that resemble maple. In Russia, you can find several varieties of flower: hybrid, Amazonian, striped and Mesopotamian. How to grow indoor abutilone, what care at home to provide - issues that concern many flower growers in Russia.
Abutilon (indoor maple): home care
Having bought a home maple, how to care for it is worth sorting out right away. Abutilon is a photophilous plant that prefers diffuse lighting. The flower is best placed on a windowsill that faces west, east or southeast.
What does it look like
Humidity
Too dry atmosphere in the room can cause the flowering to stop and the leaves to fall. A similar situation may occur during the start of the heating season. Do not place the flower next to the heaters.
For your information! To prevent leaf falling, you can put a water tray next to the pot.
Lighting requirements
The lack of lighting leads to blanching of the leaves and stretching of the stem. In summer, a pot with a plant is recommended to be placed on the outdoor terrace. You can not spray a flower that is in direct sunlight. This can cause burns.
Air temperature
Indoor abutilone at home needs special care. A threat to indoor maple is drafts. The optimum air temperature in the house in the summer should be about 16-25 ° C. In hot weather, the cessation of buds occurs. In this case, it is necessary to spray the plants.
It is important to prevent the soil from drying out, as abutilon will begin to drop buds. A lack of moisture is manifested in the form of yellowing of the leaves. During the growing season you need to feed the plant with mineral and organic fertilizers 1 time in 14 days.
Maple is a home flower, the care of which differs, for example, from geranium. In winter, there is a decrease in plant growth. The flower does not need additional bait. The optimum indoor temperature in winter should be around 18-22 ° C.
Note! Thanks to regular watering, drying out of the soil can be avoided. To prevent overcooling of the root system, you can install the pot on a piece of foam.
How to breed
There are several ways to breed indoor maple.
Cuttings
To perform the procedure, you need to take the apical shoots. They are placed in a mixture of sand, peat and substrate. To create a hothouse environment, the cuttings are covered with a cap of cellophane film. The plant must be periodically ventilated.
First shoots
Important! The advantage of the vegetative method of propagation of abutilon include the preservation of leaf coloring of flowers.
To prepare the planting material, you must follow the step by step instructions:
- First you need to cut the cuttings from healthy shoots. Their length should be about 10-14 cm.
- A cut of the handle must be sprinkled with charcoal to prevent the propagation of pathogenic microorganisms.
- It is necessary to remove leaves and buds from the bottom of the plant.
- After this, the cuttings are placed in the prepared soil. Accelerate the process of root formation using a solution of zircon.
Note! The cuttings method is beneficial in that it accelerates the process of growing indoor maple.
Seeds
To grow abutilon from seeds, you need to process the planting material. Instead of potassium permanganate solution, gardeners began to use more effective means for disinfecting seeds (phytosporin, trichodermin).
Each seed should be soaked in water at a temperature of 15 ° C. Sprouts should appear within 21 days.
When growing abutilone, you can use the Juliet hybrid. The height of the plant can reach 1.5 m. Abutilon hybrid mixture Bellevue is considered an unpretentious flower. Growing from seeds requires the flower grower to prepare the material.
Graft
There is the possibility of forming different varieties of plants on one trunk of abutilon.
Pruning
To trim abutilone, you need to consider the time of year. Shoots are best shortened in spring. Without pruning, abutilon not only loses its shape, but practically ceases to bloom. In addition, it is needed to form a beautiful crown up to 1.5 m high.
After pruning, the greens are fully restored within a few weeks. Shoots must be pinched to 1/3 of the original length. After the procedure, the plant must be transferred to a warm room.
How is abutilone trimmed
Note! The height of the plant when pruning should be about 30 cm. Gradually, you can grow a standard bush.
Suitable soil
The optimal soil for abutilone should have sufficient moisture capacity and breathability. To avoid chlorosis, the pH should be between 6-7.
Ready soil for a flower that you can buy in the store
To grow abutilon, you can prepare the soil yourself. As a basis, horse peat and humus are used. Mineral fertilizers are added to the finished mixture. In what proportion to mix:
- 2 parts of the earth;
- 1 part humus;
- 1.5 parts of coarse sand.
Pest and Disease Control
Dangers for abutilon are insects: whitefly, spider mite, mealybug, scutellum. Parasites feed on juice and can lead to the death of the plant.
To identify harmful insects, you need to regularly inspect the leaves and stems for external damage. To eliminate ticks and whiteflies, fungicides are used that can destroy pests.
The appearance of a flower affected by a whitefly
When affected by powdery mildew, a white coating appears on the upper side of the leaves. You can cope with pests through the use of foundationazole. Massive whitefly damage leads to yellowing and falling of leaves. To save abutilone, you should treat the flower with a suspension of pyrethrum or a solution of decis.
The defeat by the mealybug manifests itself in the form of a characteristic plaque, which complicates the access of air and light. In this case, the leaves of the flower begin to curl. The disease has a negative effect on the root system of the flower. You can get rid of mealybug by treating with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
Important! Affected areas need to be treated with karbofos.
What to do if the leaves turn yellow
Why do abutilon leaves turn yellow? There are several factors that lead to this:
- abutilone lacks light or nutrients;
- irregular watering;
- the plant is affected by pests.
Yellowing leaves due to lack of nitrogen
With a lack of trace elements, the leaves of abutilon begin to fall off. Florists note a slowdown in plant growth. As a top dressing, you can use complex mineral fertilizers "Ferrovit". Yellow leaves may appear dormant when flower development stops for natural reasons.
Why do abutilon curl leaves
Abutilon's leaves turn yellow and fall due to inappropriate environmental conditions. In summer, the optimum temperature should be in the range from 16 ° C to 25 ° C. In addition, the plant reacts to the abundance of sunlight.
What to do if abutilon leaves fall
Withering indicates insufficient watering. Trace deficiency manifests itself in the form of falling greenery. Abutilone discards leaves if root rot has occurred due to increased humidity.
The reason for this may be improper watering, too high a temperature or lack of light. It is also worth inspecting the plant for signs of pest damage. Leaf discharge may be associated with reduced daylight hours. This process indicates the preparation of abutilon for the winter season.
Abutilon is a photophilous plant, loved by many gardeners. Do not put a flower pot next to heating appliances. The optimum air temperature in summer should be between 16-25 ° C. And then it will bloom all summer and delight with its buds of home.
