Pelley (Pilea), in common - push button fern, belongs to the synopteris family. In its natural environment, pellets grow in tropical, subtropical and temperate zones on different continents, but are most often found in America.
Description of pellets and its types
It differs from other ferns in that it is well tolerated by moisture, and if it is properly maintained, then the leaves grow very long. Such characteristics allow you to grow this plant as ampelnoy. This flower lovers of indoor plants are rarely grown, because they consider the sawn very demanding and capricious in the care. However, florists say that this is not entirely correct: if you properly care for this fern, it can be a worthy decoration of any room.
In winter, a pellet is needed for coolness, and a hot room affects it extremely negatively. It is best to grow this flower in a cool winter garden, where it can realize its ground cover function. The small size of the pellet makes it almost invisible in its natural habitat. But in the ability to form a natural lace carpet under larger plants, this fern has no equal.
Did you know? In ancient times it was believed that if you cut the fern, you can cause rain. And if you uproot it, then even a storm.
In nature, pellet has about 80 species, but only 6 of them are grown as a houseplant:
- Kruglolistnaya (Pellaea rotundifolia). It has a creeping scaly rhizome and round or elliptical leaves of dark green color.
- Dark purple (Pellaea atropurpurea). Differs in purple petioles and reddish-brown leaves. It can be cultivated as a houseplant and as a garden plant.
- Green (Pellaea viridis). The largest type of pellets. It looks like a round leaf, but the leaves are slightly elongated.
- Egg-shaped (Pellaea ovata). It has elegant light green fronds with heart-shaped lobes. It is unpretentious in leaving and perfectly transfers a heat even in winter time.
- Spear-shaped (Pellaea hastata hort. Non Link, P. viridis Prantl). Differs triangular leaves, located asymmetrically.
- Naked (Pellaea glabella). Fern 35 cm tall with linear leaves and bare petioles. It is considered an ideal culture for the decoration of alpine slides.
As a houseplant most often grown round-leaved pellets. It is a small shrub with a creeping scaly root. In the wild, this fern is found in the rain forests of Australia and New Zealand. Almost round leathery leaves are arranged in a green tiled pattern along the fleecy shoot. Pelley does not grow too intensively, but it can produce up to ten young wai in a season. The height of this plant is often limited to 15 cm, although adult ferns can grow up to 40 cm.
Pelleya develops continuously, not stopping even in the cold season, although the growing season is traditionally in the spring-summer. When this occurs, the constant dying off of old leaves, which affects the decorative pellets. A distinctive feature of these ferns is the presence of narrow ribs, which, in fact, turn out to be two-color scales on the roots. Pelley as a indoor flower is a miniature charming woman who can deservedly be called a princess.
Did you know? This fern got its name due to the dark color of leaf stalks "pellos" (dark). We have pellets better known as push-button, and in Europe - as a button fern.
Pelleya: Choosing a Place for Home Fern
This fern is unusual - it loves constant humidity and cool winters. Excellent portability of dry air in rooms and simple care makes it the most promising type of houseplant. A luxurious sheen of leaves literally enlivens the interior, making the room look fresh all year round. Pelley can safely choose even a novice in the cultivation of indoor plants.
Air temperature and humidity for growing pellets
All types of pellets (except ovoid) give preference to average temperatures, they even like coolness more. Comfortable in spring and summer, they feel at a temperature of +20 ° C. Temperatures above +23 ° C adversely affect the leaves and require additional care in part of watering. Therefore, for pellets, it is preferable to choose the coolest rooms.
Important! During the vegetative period one should not allow the temperature to drop to + 17 ... 18 ° C.
During the rest period, pellets provide a temperature of + 14 ... 16 ° C. If the temperature is higher, it can lead to a complete or fragmentary dropping of leaves. In this case, in the care program should introduce spraying leaves. Lower temperatures can be disastrous for the plant. It is not by chance that among the indoor pellets there are many plants of garden ferns. They adore fresh air, are not afraid of drafts and need systematic airing of the room. Since pellet loves coolness even in summer, it is occasionally brought outside, with the exception of cool terraces, balconies or on cool days.
Important! When checking the temperature, it must be borne in mind that the substrate temperature is more important for pellets. Actually, it should not be below +14 ° C - overcooling of the root system is detrimental to the plant.
What kind of lighting does pellet like?
Despite the fact that pellets belong to ferns, they are light-requiring, therefore, require special placement. All types of pellets, except bare and dark purple, can not stand direct sunlight. Light should be bright but diffused. If the pellet is placed on the south windows, then they need to be shaded with translucent screens. Best of all, the fern pellet feels on the windowsills facing north. On the western and eastern side of the plant is better to arrange in the second to third row, or arrange a diffused light.
It is impossible to call shade-loving pellets, but it is possible to adapt to the necessary shade tolerance from a young age. In the shade, such a plant will grow more slowly, and the leaves will change color in places. In general, this plant does not lose its decorative effect either in the shade or in the penumbra. To accustom pellets to the shadow, you need to gradually, over a period of 1-2 weeks, change its location, moving the plant each time by 50 cm. It is possible to change 2-3 positions.
Important! Lighting for pellets is better adjusted at rest (October-February).
Pelley: preparation for landing
If you purchased a pellet in a flower shop, do not rush to immediately put it on the window - create comfortable conditions for the plant.
The choice of capacity for landing
Pots for transplantation must be clay or ceramic - plastic and tin are not suitable because of the use of slightly acidic soil. For pellets, due to the horizontal type of root growth, wide and shallow pots are suitable. At the same time small and young plants can not be planted in large containers. At the bottom of the tank it is necessary to lay a good drainage layer (expanded clay).
Did you know? Fertilizers and lotions of fern used to treat a variety of ailments, including wounds and snake bites, inflammation and coughing.
How to prepare the soil for planting pellets
Almost all the seedlings purchased in stores, planted in a substrate, enriched with a variety of growth promoters. This is done in order to give the flower a better presentation. However, in such a soil is easier to transport the plant. However, this soil needs to be replaced. Ferns love acidity of 4.5-5.5 pH. To create such a nutrient soil, humus, leaf (garden) soil and peat are taken in equal shares. You can add sand to the soil.
Pelley planting technology
Fern transplantation is carried out as needed. When a plant is transplanted, the root system neatly comes out of the container and, together with the earth lump, is transferred to a new housing. Free space is filled with prepared substrate. Tamper the top layer is not necessary - it should be sprinkled with earth, which remained in the old pot. After planting it is necessary to pour plenty of warm water.
Important! If you purchased pellets in a flower shop, the first few days it should be kept separate from the rest of the plants in order to avoid permissible infection.
Pelleas multiply by spores and dividing the bush.
Reproduction of pellets by dividing the bush
If the pellea has greatly grown, you can use this method of its reproduction, as the division of the bush. For this flower is dug out and disposed of most of the land. Cut the roots with a sharp, clean blade into several pieces.
Important! Each delenka should have at least two sheet sockets.
Seedlings need to be rooted immediately, so that the thin roots do not dry out, put in a shady place and limit watering. Saplings will be adapted within a month.
How to plant pellet spores
Spores pellets collected from the leaves and dried. Sow them, without deepening, in a greenhouse on a wet sandy-peat soil. To prevent drying, the soil is covered with a film. When growing from spores, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature of the soil does not fall below +21 ° C. Before the emergence of shoots, the box is kept in a dark place, daily airing and sprinkling the ground. After 30-90 days, the first shoots begin to appear. Shelter is removed, and the capacity is transferred to a bright place. Between sprouts, a distance of 2.5–3 cm should be maintained. After the seedlings grow, they can be transplanted into pots with soil for adult pells. It is recommended to plant in one pot 2-3 seedlings.
Did you know? In England, it was believed that with the help of fern spores a person can become invisible and gain magical power.
Features care pellets at home
Although pelleya and exotic plant, but care for it is simple, and novice flower lovers can get acquainted with the main points in the photo.
How to water a home fern
Ferns - moisture-loving plants that just need abundant watering at least 2 times a week. Water should be separated and warm (or room temperature). Lack of moisture can be detrimental to pellets. Leaving the water in the pan and pouring pellets also should not be - it is fraught with root decay. Between irrigation 3-4 cm of topsoil should dry out.
Important! Ferns are sensitive to changing the irrigation regime: if they are not watered for a long time and then filled with water, the plant is unlikely to recover.
For ferns with watering is better to use thawed, rain or defended water. Sometimes you can use boiled or purified (distilled) water for watering the pellets. In addition to regular watering, ferns need to be sprayed. The frequency of spraying depends on the level of humidity in the room. If the air in the room is dry, then you need to spray the plant daily.
If the moisture indicator is at an acceptable level (50% or higher) for pellets, then it is often not necessary to spray it - 2 times a week is enough. Although Pylae as a hybrid form does not cause much trouble in caring at home, it has special requirements for water: the leaves can only be sprayed with soft, settled water, a little warmer than room temperature. If dust has accumulated on the fern, and there is no need for spraying, it is better to remove the dirt with a soft brush - wet cleaning will not like pellei.
Important! When watering pellets need to be careful - you can not pour water on the leaves.
Fertilizer pellets
Like most deciduous cultivated plants, during the period of active growth (spring-autumn), pellets require additional feeding. You need to feed the plant at least once every 2-3 weeks. To do this, use complex fertilizing or special formulations for ornamental leafy plants.
Important! Pure nitrogen fertilizer cannot be used for pellets, because it needs a special balance of trace elements.
During the period of conditional dormancy (autumn-winter), despite the fact that the pellet does not stop growing, fertilizers are not applied even in case of loss of decorativeness.
How and when to transplant pellets
Ferns produce more than a dozen new leaves each season, and old ones dry up. Pelleys do not shed their own leaves and require outside help - old, dried and ugly leaves just prune. This plant does not need rejuvenation. It is necessary to replant the pellets as the roots grow in the soil, and update the top layer every three years (about half of the old ones are replaced by new ones). Also when transplanting, if the fern has grown, it should be carried out bush division.
Pot for transplanting pellets should be slightly larger than before (a couple of centimeters in height and width). You do not need to shake the roots off the ground - the plant should be placed in a new container with “personal” soil. After transplantation, the fern, like the Pilan Lebanese, needs special care at home: for the first 3-5 days, the flower should be kept in transitional conditions (in partial shade, at higher temperatures), maintaining the light moisture of the earth until it adapts and resumes growth.
Did you know? Ferns - the most mysterious representatives of the world of flora. Archaeologists and today are fossilized prints of this plant, who lived millions of years ago.
Difficulties in growing pellets at home, major diseases and fern pests
Pelley is practically not affected by parasites. Possible problems include:
- Yellowed leaves and softened shoots. This situation may occur due to excessive soil moisture. As with growing sawn wrapped, when caring for ferns at home, you need to make sure that the water in the pot does not stagnate.
- If the pellets have turned pale leaves and began to fall off, it means that the lighting for it is too bright, and you need to either change the location of the pot or arrange a diffused light for the plant.
- Shriveled and dried leaves suggest that temperature conditions are broken - the fern is too hot.
- The leaves turn pale and dry at the ends, the new leaves are smaller. This is the result of finding pellets in the shade.
- Yellow and brown spots on the leaves of fern talk about sunburn.
- The leaves turn yellow and curl - the plant does not have enough fresh air. It is necessary to air the room more often.
- Due to poor water quality (cold, with a lot of chlorine), a nematode can start in the soil. In this case, the pellet can be saved only by transplanting into fresh soil with simultaneous treatment with a special solution.
The greatest threats to pellets are:
- rot that occurs due to waterlogging;
- shield;
- thrips;
- aphid.
It should be noted that pellets do not suffer from the most active pests in dry conditions - spider mites. Washing the leaves to fight pests is not recommended - it is better to resort to insecticide. Gorgeous pellets not only add freshness to your floral collection, but also fill the house with unique harmony. The main thing is to provide comfortable conditions for the fern.
