maidenhair

Walking one day at the flower shop , I saw a little miracle - maidenhair fern . If we consider that the window was early spring, which did not please the warm and sunny weather , it would not just to touch this flower , and dissolve in his mysterious pale green leaves. At the time it seemed to me that he even has a special smell - the smell of the forest after a summer rain . Of course, I could not resist and bought this beauty.Having settled in his house maidenhair , I wanted to know everything about him.
Among other colors , he seemed a mysterious and a little fabulous , because ferns - this is a very ancient plants . In today's world there are about 300 genera and more than 10,000 of their species . Ferns inhabit all continents except Antarctica. Places where you can find varieties of ferns , very different - from the surface of the water of the rivers of tropical heat to the seared bare rocks . Even the ferns differ dramatically - some of them have a length of only a few millimeters , others grow up to 25 meters in height and have a diameter of up to half barrel .
Ferns once used for food , making bread from their roots and adding a fern in the food raw. Residents of Albion made ​​from fern rooftops. Ash leaves of bracken - a source of potassium.Perhaps the mystery of these plants is also associated with the legends that envelop them even from the distant past , when our ancestors were much closer to nature and considered ferns growing in the woods , mysterious plants. That only is the legend of the Sorcerer , mysterious fern flower that blooms only in the night of Ivan Kupala and fulfills the desires of those who found him , or traditions , which stipulate that among the ferns fairies live .
World ferns diverse, but we are generally familiar only with those of their species that can grow in our apartments ( they are residents of tropical rain forests , where at least a little survived the climatic conditions of the past) , as well as with the ferns , which can be found in our forests .
As representatives of the maidenhair fern - one of the most beautiful and the most common ornamental plants. The genus name comes from the Greek "adiant" (" a" - " no ", "diant" - " wet " ) . The surface of the leaf maidenhair has hydrophobic properties: the water droplets run off the leaves, without wetting them . More maidenhair called " lady's ( girl's ) hair" because of the black thin stems, which laced soft green blanket spread out small leaves, called fronds . On the underside of the leaf can be seen maidenhair sori (brown spots) - this is the spore-bearing zone. Fern has a horizontally creeping rhizome brownish -black .
In the decorative floriculture common :- Adiantum capillus-veneris - one of the best known species, the classic " hair lady " , and his light-green foliage is available on the black flexible petioles up to 30 cm- Adiantum polifilum - it is the largest species with large roots and stems, about a meter long , and its stalks are covered with black hard contiguous leaves.- Adiantum raddiantum has blackish stems with numerous light - green leaves , there are many varieties of fern.
location
Maidenhair do not like bright sunlight , it is best to place them on the western or eastern windows . They need to be protected from direct sunlight , prefer partial shade. These ferns do not tolerate drafts and sudden cold air. Feel bad maidenhair in dusty , smoke- soaked areas.
temperature
The optimum temperature for the maidenhair - 15-20 degrees (in the period of growth of assets - 20 degrees in the dormant period - 15 degrees). At higher temperature, the content of maidenhair leaves become pale , yellow, dry and break .
Watering and humidity
Watering is an important component in the development of the plant. Water for irrigation maidenhair should be soft, lime. You can use rainwater for irrigation . The roots of maidenhair should never dry out , but the excess water is fatal to these plants. In winter, water maidenhair be less frequent, but avoid drying earthen coma . In addition, the plant should be placed away from radiators, cookers - dry air is harmful to maidenhair . Therefore the humidity around the flower should be increased , especially in the summer. Spray maidenhair to two times a day - it will increase the humidity of the air , and help contain fern clean.
care
In the summer of maidenhair should be fed with liquid fertilizer every two weeks.
transplantation
Ferns are transplanted in the spring, when the pot becomes too cramped, because they grow well in pots cramped . Soil mixture is composed of two parts peat and part of leaf , added to the looseness of the sand . Can be added to the substrate slightly crushed charcoal and fertilizers containing calcium. The soil at the roots of maidenhair should be loose .
reproduction
In the spring of old plants can sit down , neatly dividing the hands overgrown roots maidenhair , and with them the aerial parts . Before the division should be given to whom earthen well to dry up, so as not to harm the roots. Root collar maidenhair can not bury that can lead to rotting of young wai . There is another method of reproduction fern - disputes, but this process is very time consuming .
Hazards and control measures
Maidenhair - very delicate plants , so the adverse conditions ( lack of moisture, dry air, moist or damp , poor ventilation , low or high temperature content) can cause their death.Drying of the tips of the leaves of maidenhair comes from the exposure draft , the flow of warm, dry air in the vicinity of heating appliances .If maidenhair is in direct sunlight , then the leaves are dry , pale , brittle, so the plant should be pritenyat . The same characteristics are observed in low feeding fern.Leaf yellowing occurs in maidenhair with little watering and stagnant air , if the room is not ventilated.
When too abundant irrigation maidenhair leaves become dull and listless , as if still cold , these conditions can lead to rotting of the roots of ferns.If some of the leaves wither maidenhair or damaged a bush , do not rush to throw it away : Cut the dry leaves , water the substrate - after a while the plants will have new leaves .The leaves of ferns are different from other plants special chemical composition , so the pests they are rare. Sometimes on Maidenhair fern aphid attacks , it settles on the bottom of the wai . As a result, the leaves first turn yellow, then turn brown and fall off. To control aphids use a soap solution , in severe cases treated aktellikom . Brown beetle is also sometimes pollutes the lower surface of the leaves ; can remove it with a brush moistened with alcohol . Just do not confuse the scale insects with spores that are always arranged in regular rows.
To prevent pests from time to time you can spray maidenhair tobacco water.