Indoor maple (abutilon) can often be seen in photographs with exquisite interiors. The reason for its popularity is simple: the flower is undemanding, while it looks very decorative, has a long flowering period.
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Botanical characteristics of abutilon
Abutilon is an evergreen annual or perennial from the Malvaceous family. There are more than 200 species of flower that can be found in nature in tropical and subtropical regions of different corners of the globe. Decorative abutilon (home maple) is universally grown as a houseplant. It is valued for its beautiful appearance and long flowering. Another flower name is the funicular. The plant received it, since in some countries abutilon fibers are used to make ropes and burlap.
At home, in a favorable situation, the plant eventually turns into a lush and branched tree up to two meters high. Rope shoots are purplish brown. The lobed leaves are similar to maple, with a length of 10 to 20 cm. More often they are green, but there are variegated, with a border or spots varieties of plants. From May to October, abutilon delights with flowers about 4-8 cm long. They are very bright and resemble Chinese lanterns in shape.
Varieties and varieties
In home floriculture, a variety of varieties and hybrids of indoor maple are grown. Abutilon has white, pink, red or yellow flowers of various intensities.Most hybrid forms have a longer flowering period.
- Thin shoots of megapotamian (Amazonian) abutilone hang down, so it is often used as an ampel plant. Leaves are about 8 cm long. Usually they are green, but variegated species are found. Single flowers have a cup of saturated red color and a light yellow corolla. This is the most common type, which, if supported, can grow horizontally.
- Striped abutilon (painted) with orange-red buds. The leaves are dark green in color up to 10 cm. They are decorated with yellow spots or an uneven white border around the edge of the leaf blade. The shoots are thin and soft.
- Abutilon Bella is a branchy species with green leaves. Flowers can be red, pink or yellow.
- The grape-leaved abutilon reaches a height of one and a half meters, and its leaves are up to 15 cm long. The first lavender-blue petals bloom in May. Flowers are collected in small inflorescences of 3-4 pieces.
- Large leaves of abutilon Darwin reach a length of 20 cm, and its flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm attract with its bright orange color. Shrub grows to a meter and blooms in April-September.
Among a large number of varieties of home maple, it is not difficult to find a plant for every taste.
Optimal conditions for growing indoor maple
Growing abutilone is an interesting and not difficult task. The cable car will feel good and regularly delight with flowers, if you create a favorable atmosphere for him.
Shine
Abutilon prefers a place with bright diffused light or partial shade. He will like it on the east, west windowsill or at a distance of about a meter from the south window. With enough sunlight, the leaves will be a beautiful, saturated color. We can hope for regular and prolonged flowering if the plant is in direct sunlight for several hours a day. On hot summer days, a flower is placed behind a light curtain to prevent sunburn.
Temperature
During active growth, the room should be warm - from +21 to +25 degrees. In winter, during the period of rest, the optimum temperature indicators are from +12 to +15 degrees. Abutilon can withstand temperatures in winter to +5 degrees. The transition to this mode is carried out gradually and significantly reduces the number of irrigations.
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Home Care for a Mallow Plant
The flower will appreciate the correct and timely care.
Watering
During active growth, they are watered every 3-4 days, preventing the soil from drying out. Water is used at room temperature, it is advisable to first defend it. In winter, hydration is carried out approximately once every 10 days. If in winter the temperature in a room with a cable car is above + 12-15 degrees, then watering is carried out more often. It is useful to regularly spray the plant, especially on hot days.
Top dressing
During the flowering period, indoor maple is fed with a complex fertilizer for flowering plants about once every 10 days.
Pruning
Young shoots are regularly shortened. Depending on the state of the crown, from 1/3 to 2/3 are removed in early spring. Without regret, cut off the branches that have faded. This increases the number of flowers, rejuvenates the plant. At any time of the year, sanitary pruning is performed: poorly located, dry, damaged or diseased branches are removed. "Extra" healthy shoots can be used to reproduce abutilon.
To grow a beautiful and healthy flower at home is not difficult. The main thing is to provide him with a sufficient amount of sunlight and properly organize watering, depending on the season and air temperature.
Reproduction and transplantation of abutilon
A new plant can be obtained in many ways.
From seed
Usually used for varieties with green leaves and red flowers. In March or April, small containers are prepared.They are filled with soil based on sand and peat. Seeds are deepened into the ground by about half a centimeter. Landings are covered with plastic wrap and kept at a temperature of +16 to +20 degrees. Regularly air the crops. Water, not allowing the soil to completely dry out. The first shoots appear after about three weeks. At the age of about a month they dive, if necessary, re-seated a couple more times until the fall. Sentsi can bloom in the year of sowing.
From cuttings
For rare and valuable varieties of abutilon, it is best to use this method. Only such reproduction guarantees the preservation of all the valuable properties of the mother liquor. Work is carried out from July to September. For rooting, apical shoots are cut about 10 cm long, on which there are 3 internodes. On branches, leaves and peduncles are removed. The blanks are placed in light sandy peat soil or in warm water. The cuttings are kept at a temperature of about +20 degrees, it is desirable to cover them with a plastic wrap on top. When rooting in the ground, the sprouts are watered, they do not allow the soil to dry out. If the shoot is in water, then the fluid is regularly changed. Be sure to remove the film from time to time for ventilation.
The frequency of indoor maple transplants depends on its age and size. A small plant changes the pot annually in the spring. Adult specimens are transplanted every 3-4 years, taking into account the strength of the growth of the cable car. The pot is changed when the flower becomes crowded: there will not be abundant flowering in a too spacious flowerpot. For large adult cable carriages, transplantation is used during transplantation.
A drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles or small pieces of clay shards is placed at the bottom of the pot. As the soil using a mixture of garden soil, sand and fertilizer based on manure.
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Protection against diseases and pests
Abutilon flower can be affected by invasion of aphids, whiteflies, red spider mites or scale insects. Parasites are removed with a soapy solution, gently removing them with a sponge. If in this way it did not work out the pests, an insecticide is sprayed according to the instructions. To prevent attacks of spider mites, the flower is regularly sprayed in hot weather.
Ropelessness rarely has health problems. Diseases are manifested in violations during the growing process. Excess moisture, especially in combination with cold air in the room, leads to rotting of the roots. With chlorosis, the leaves turn yellow and fall prematurely. The cause of the disease is pests-carriers of infection or errors in the content.
Possible growing problems
Errors in caring for the cable car can lead to unpleasant consequences.
- Dry air, sudden changes in temperature, draft, inappropriate place, heat, lack or excess of moisture in the soil can cause falling and yellowing of leaves and dropping buds.
- If the plant does not have enough water, too much sun or high air temperature, then the tips of the leaf blades dry up or curl, and young apical shoots wilt.
- With a lack of sunlight, the shoots are stretched, the leaves become pale.
- Sometimes the leaves die off massively and turn yellow if they lack nutrients or the home maple is damaged by pests.
When changing the appearance of abutilone, they find out why this happened. The flower is provided with the necessary assistance. If his condition has not changed or continues to worsen, you should get the cable car out of the pot and examine its underground part. Perhaps due to excess moisture or other causes, the root system has decayed. Damaged parts of the roots are removed, the places of the slices sprinkled with chopped charcoal and dried. Then the flower is transplanted into a new substrate.
Abutilon is an unpretentious plant of the Malvaceae family, the cultivation of which will be handled even by an inexperienced lover of indoor flowers. The cable car will decorate the home and, with minimal care, will please with beautiful inflorescences.
