If you like indoor plants and have managed to get a good collection of widely used plants, you will have the aspidistra. His care is not demanding at all and it has become one of the queen plants of all homes.
Although it can also be kept in patios, it is a very easy plant to maintain and recommended for beginners or those who don’t have time to plant. But how to take care of it?
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How is the aspidistra
Before telling you about the treatment of aspidistra, it is better that we tell you a little about what it is. scientific name Aspidristra elatiorthis plant is becoming fashionable: it has a season that is queen and that everyone adores, and another when it goes unnoticed and no one puts it in their house.
He is pet friendlythat is, it will not harm your pet and is non-toxic.
But the most characteristic and striking thing about the plant is that it can grow in low humidity and low light conditions. Even if you forget it, it will still be alive when you remember it. In fact, it is said to be able to live for over 100 years.
To have variegated and oval or lanceolate green leaves. What is striking about these is not their color, but their length (up to 70 cm). Dan flowers, dark red, and these are very beautiful to see but he has one problem and that is that unless you have him outside it is very difficult for him to thrive inside the home. Yet it can happen. And after the flowers come the fruits. They are like black berries where inside he keeps the seeds.
Their The origin is in Japan although other species of the genus are found in China. All of them arrived in Europe in the 19th century and since then they have always been present in the decoration of the house.
Aspidistra: care to provide
If you want to know the care of the aspidistra we will not make you wait and here we present them to you. It is a plant that, as we have already told you, is very easy to maintain and will last a long time. But it is always better not to overdo it and mistreat it.
Location
As we started this article, you will assume that this is a houseplant. However, in good conditions, you can have it outside the house, on a balcony, a patio, a terrace… In fact, the plant survives in both light and full shade. The only thing it does not tolerate is direct sun, as it can scorch its leaves.
Its ideal would be to be in an area with indirect lighting, because if you have it in the shade the leaves lose that particular shine.
Temperature
The ideal temperature to plan for aspidistra care they are around 10-13 degrees. That would be your ideal. However, even if he tolerates a little heat, it is not his forte. Neither does the cold. Beyond 5 degrees it starts to suffer. For this reason, it is recommended to protect it in winter, taking care not to place it in areas that are too close to the heating.
Substrate
If you want your aspidistra to grow well, the substrate is an important part of its maintenance. And it is because it is he who will make it develop properly.
Therefore, we recommend using a soil mixed with beech leaves, peat and sand. This will serve as both soil and drainage and will save you from problems in its growth.
Transplantation
In connection with the above, you must bear in mind that you must change the pot (and the substrate) every 2-3 years. This will tell you when you notice all the roots taking up space in the pot.
If this happens and they also come out from the bottom, it’s time to transplant it. It is always done from March to April; We do not recommend doing it before or after except in an emergency.
Irrigation
Among the most important care for aspidistra, irrigation is perhaps the main one. And one of the biggest mistakes made.
To start, you should know that if you put too much water on it, you will brown the leaves and risk rotting (in addition to the roots). It is therefore preferable to water it little but more times.
It’s better wait for the substrate to dry to water and humidify it in an ecological way than to overwater. How many then ? It can be once or twice in summer and once every 15-30 days in winter. This will depend on how long it takes for the soil to dry out, as this will be the signal that it needs water.
Pass
During the spring and summer months you can pay for the plant once a month. It is important to use a fertilizer that is very rich in nitrogen.
You can choose liquid or solid, but we recommend using a little less than the amount specified by the manufacturer, because the plant will thank you.
Cut
Aspidistra is normally not pruned. but it’s true that when the leaves dry and when giving birth to others, you will have to remove them from the pot to prevent them from generating diseases or pests.
Beyond that, there isn’t much else to do.
Plagues and diseases
In this respect, and taking into account that irrigation may be the main killer of this plantthe truth is that root rot is one of the most common diseases.
Parasites, you have to be careful with the Woodlouse. As a solution, in addition to removing them from the plant, it is to use water and soap to wash the plant and a pest control if it is mainly outdoors.
Another pest to contain will be the red spider that you can remove with moisture; or the aphids, which will disappear with a specific insecticide for plants.
Multiplication
From what we said previously, the aspidistra gives seeds (as long as it flowers) but the most used method to reproduce it is the division of the rhizomes.
This is done with the graft, by cutting the rhizomes. Each of them must have at least 2-3 leaves and good roots to be successful.
These cuttings, before replanting, must be treated with sulfur-rich fungal products.
Later, they are all planted and kept in the shade for a few days (the adult specimen) and until they shed a new leaf on the new rhizomes.
Do you dare to have an aspidistra and give it the care it needs?