Aglaonema: home care, types and varieties, signs

Photo of aglaonema Aglaonema (Aglaonema) – an ornamental evergreen plant from the Araceae family. Southeast Asia is considered its homeland. It is found naturally in the Philippines, New Guinea, and India. The height of the bush ranges from 25 to 75 cm. The trunk is not noticeable. The flower attracts attention with its leathery green leaves, which have an oblong shape and pointed ends. They clearly show a central light stripe and small patterns in the form of spots and stripes.

Aglaonema grows slowly; the foliage is replenished with 5–6 leaves per year. It blooms rarely, producing an inflorescence - an ear, wrapped in a pale blanket. At home it lives up to 3 years, then it loses its decorative properties and needs updating.

Growth up to 6 leaves per year.

It blooms very rarely. In autumn.

The plant is easy to grow.

Perennial. But after 3-4 years the leaves are no longer so variegated. It is better to grow a new plant every 3-4 years.

Description of Aglaonema

The home flower Aglaonema is an evergreen herbaceous plant. The short and straight stem is quite fleshy. There are species in which the trunk begins to branch at the base.

Aglaonema nitidum

The stem is present only in mature plants, and its formation occurs due to the flight of the lower leaf plates. The color of the foliage directly depends on the type and variety of the plant. The shape of the dense, leathery leaf plates to the touch is ovoid or lanceolate. They are attached to the trunk by petioles, which can be long or short.

The edge of the leaves is solid, while the plate is patterned, and on its front surface there is a depressed midrib, while on the reverse side it is convex. At the top of the plant, from the axils of the leaves grow from 1 to 3 ears with a greenish-white cover; they are the inflorescences of aglaonema.

Depending on the type of plant, the cobs are divided into 2 types:

thick club-shaped - reach 10 mm in diameter and their length is 40 mm;
thin cylindrical - their length is about 60 mm, and their diameter reaches 5 mm.

The fruit is a juicy berry, inside of which there is 1 seed, which has a rich orange or white color. The berries ripen after 6–8 months.

Aglaonema Blooming

Lighting, choice of location

In its natural environment, aglaonema grows in the shade of large plants, so it is better to place the pot in partial shade in the house. The flower is light-loving, but direct rays are destructive to delicate leaves and can leave burns on them.

Note! Purchased specimens cannot be immediately placed on the windowsill. They need adaptation to natural light within 1–2 weeks.

The ideal place for the pot would be an eastern or western window sill. On the south window you will have to shade it with tulle, larger plants or place it at a short distance from the light source.

Variegated varieties turn pale from lack of light and lose color, becoming monochromatic.

How does aglaonema bloom?

Aglaonema flower

Aglaonema blooms luxuriantly, but the flowers are inconspicuous, collected in an inflorescence - a spadix, from which small fruits may appear - berries of orange, red or even white color.

Each ear can remain open and attractive for up to 2 weeks.

To prevent plants from wasting energy on flowering, the buds are often pinched as soon as they appear. The fruits are poisonous!

In its homeland, in Southeast Asia, aglaonema blooms in the summer - from June to August. However, in our latitudes, the flowering period can be greatly shifted towards winter and occur from approximately November to February. When kept indoors, some types of aglaonema bloom quite rarely. And if all the advice on its maintenance is not followed, if it does not die, it may stop blooming altogether.

Beneficial features

It humidifies the air in the room. Reduces the level of toxic substances released by new furniture and gas stoves. Some species disinfect the air, clearing it of anaerobic bacteria. During a period of intensive growth, a flower releases air ions that cause a charge of vigor and increase resistance to stress.

Aglaonema: home care

This tropical plant grows in places with limited access to light. For this reason, it does not tolerate direct sunlight.

At home, caring for aglaonema consists of observing the conditions of temperature, lighting and watering conditions. If the leaves of Aglaonema turn yellow and become spotted, then you need to pay attention to the quality of the water. What to do if the leaves turn yellow? Check the chlorine content in the water.

Watering

Since this plant is accustomed to tropical climates, the soil must be regularly moistened. The regularity depends on how shaded the plant is: the darker it is, the less water is required. Boiled water at room temperature is ideal for irrigation.

Watering and spraying anglaonema

Spraying

The tropics are characterized by high air humidity. To make indoor aglaonema feel comfortable, you need to spray the plant twice every 14 days in the summer, take a warm shower, or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth more often. Just don’t allow moisture to accumulate in the rosette of leaves: this can lead to the death of the plant.

In winter, spraying is carried out less frequently, but the flower is placed in a tray with moistened expanded clay or pebbles. During the heating season, the flower is kept away from radiators, air humidifiers are used, or an open container of water is placed nearby.

Premises requirements

The best temperature for the growth of this exotic plant is +20…+25 C. Sudden temperature changes should be avoided. The humidity in the room determines how bright and large the leaves will be, which curl and wrinkle in dry air. The plant should also be protected from drafts, but the room should be well ventilated.

Lighting

Avoid exposing the leaves to direct sunlight as this can cause burns. The plant loves partial shade. For species with leaf patterns, diffused sunlight is required, otherwise the pattern may disappear.

Air humidity

For aglaonema, home care also includes maintaining air humidity. To prevent the leaves from turning yellow, the humidity should be more than moderate. Don't forget to spray the plant regularly. To increase humidity, you can place the pot on a tray with moistened peat or pebbles.

Temperature

As mentioned above, a comfortable temperature for keeping a plant is from +20 to +25 C, and in winter not lower than -16...-18 C. The plant does not tolerate sudden temperature changes.

The soil

For successful flower growth, the soil must be well permeable to moisture and air. The soil may consist of a mixture of leaves, humus, sand, peat and charcoal.

The flower grows well in acidic, loose soil. These characteristics correspond to the ready-made soil mixture for bulbous plants. You can make the soil yourself by taking garden soil, peat, perlite (1: 2: 1), and put 2 times more leafy soil for young bushes.

You can add charcoal to the mixture. For mature plants, the amount of turf soil can be increased.

Fertilizer and feeding

Feeding and fertilizing with mineral and organic substances is an important component of flower care. Aglaonema is fertilized once every 2 weeks with liquid formulations for decorative foliage plants, containing not only the main elements, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, but also microelements that prevent alkalization of the soil.

To preserve the decorative appearance of the foliage, foliar feeding is carried out: the leaves are sprayed with diluted liquid fertilizer. It is best to do this after watering in cloudy weather, so as not to accidentally burn the plant. All feeding is carried out from the beginning of March to the beginning of October.

You cannot fertilize in winter, because the plant is resting at this time.

Aglaonema transplant

Aglaonema is transplanted for the first time a week after purchase. When it adapts a little to home conditions, it is transferred from a temporary pot to a permanent container.

Young bushes are replanted once a year, adults - once every 4 years. Replanting aglaonema is necessary when the roots completely entwine the earthen ball. It is always produced in the spring. A new pot is chosen 20 - 30 mm larger than the previous one.

It must have drainage holes and a place to pour a thick layer of drainage, which is necessary so that the water in the pot does not stagnate. The soil is carefully selected, taking into account that it loves acidic and loose soil. The soil mixture should include turf soil (an adult bush can put more of it), peat, leaf soil, charcoal and perlite (sand).

Trimming

When aglaonema grows, its trunk becomes exposed. This suggests that the flower needs pruning, with the help of which its rejuvenation is carried out. Cut off the top of the plant with a sharp knife, and dust the cut areas with charcoal powder. The stump is left in the pot.

They continue to take care of it and wait for renewal buds to appear. And the top is rooted in water in which activated carbon is pre-dissolved to avoid souring. Sometimes the top is immediately planted in moist soil. Cover with polyethylene and keep at a temperature of +25°C until rooting.

Homemade aglaonema does not require special care; if properly maintained, it will grow healthy and become a real decoration of the interior.

Rest period

Like most plants, the dormant period of aglaonema falls in the winter. At this time, they reduce the amount of watering and stop stimulating growth with fertilizers and fertilizing.

Possible difficulties

At home, violation of the care of aglaonema is visible to the naked eye by the condition of the leaves. The reason for wrinkled leaves lies in too dry air and soil, and if they curl, then you need to pay attention to drafts and air temperature. A lack of light is immediately noted by the leaves turning yellow, and white-yellow spots indicate sunburn. Gray plaque is a signal of gray mold disease.

Temperature

As already mentioned, the Crete variety takes root well and grows in a wide variety of conditions. The rest are heat-loving creatures, and they react painfully to any temperature changes. The plant also does not like the presence of drafts; they can destroy aglaonema. Caring for this beauty at home involves constant monitoring of the ambient temperature.

In summer, the plant feels great at 20-26 degrees above zero.
In winter, try not to allow the room to cool below +15 degrees.

Maintaining this temperature at home is quite easy. If you have heating problems, be sure to install a heater in the room.

Types of aglaonema

Aglaonema nitidum

This species is native to damp forests located on the plains of Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Kalimantan. The trunk height is about 100 cm. The length of the rich green or dark green leaf plates is about 45 centimeters, and the width is 20 centimeters. Their shape is oblong, and the front surface is shiny. Inflorescences consist of 2–5 flowers. The length of the cob is 60 mm, it is covered by a blanket of almost the same length. The berries are white.

Aglaonema commutatum, or aglaonema changeable

Aglaonema commutatum

The plant is native to the Philippines and Sulawesi. The length of the straight stem can vary from 0.2 to 1.5 m. Long-petioled leaf plates reach 30 centimeters in length and 10 centimeters in width. Inflorescences consist of 3–6 flowers. The length of the thin cob is 60 mm, it is covered by a longer greenish blanket. When red fruits form, the bush looks more impressive. Varieties:

warburgii - white stripes run along the lateral veins on the leaf blade;
elegans - on the elongated oval greenish leaf blades there is a pattern of light green color;
maculatum - on the surface of the dark green elongated oval leaf blades there are white strokes.

Aglaonema oblong-leaved (Aglaonema marantifolium)

The plant comes from the tropical rainforests of Singapore and the Philippines, as well as the islands of Borneo and Penang. The length of large dark green leaf plates is about 0.3 m. They have petioles reaching 0.2 m in length. Some varieties have a gray-silver pattern on the surface of the foliage.

Aglaonema pictum

The species is native to rainforests located on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The height of the branching trunk is about 0.6 m. The shape of the dark green large leaf plates is elongated and elliptical. Gray spots are unevenly distributed on their surface. In some varieties, these spots are silvery-white. The berries are red.

Aglaonema costatum

Native to rainforests located in the tropical part of South-West Malaysia. This herbaceous plant has a trunk that branches at the base. The length of the leaf plates is about 20 centimeters and the width is 10 centimeters. On the surface of the dense green foliage there are specks and streaks of white color.

Aglaonema modestum, or moderate aglaonema

Aglaonema modestum

The species is native to humid forests located on the mountain slopes of the tropical part of Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. The height of the branching trunk is about 50 cm. The oval green leaves have a blunt base and a sharp apex, they reach 20 centimeters in length and 9 centimeters in width. On each side of the central vein there are several pieces of convex side veins. The red berries are similar to dogwood fruits.

What are the consequences of low air humidity for plants?

Some people are skeptical about little things like air humidity. For people, low humidity is fraught with a runny nose, sore throat, and dry skin. Plants suffer from this no less!

Aglaonema came to us from humid forests, and it will not be able to grow here normally if the conditions do not at least approximately resemble natural ones. If the humidity is low, then don’t expect your beautiful aglaonema to grow. Caring for this crop at home involves artificial air humidification. If the norm is not reached, the plant will begin to suffer, and you will notice it. Signs:

Modified leaves - they will begin to deform.
Growth will become slow and the plant will begin to shrink.
The edges of the foliage soon begin to dry out and curl.
The leaves will begin to fade and then fall off.
The decorative appearance of aglaonema will be completely ruined and the plant will die.

Reproduction

The plant reproduces well in almost all popular ways: cuttings, seeds, root division.

Propagation by Agloanema cuttings

Propagation by cuttings

Reproduction in this way is best done in the spring. The apical cutting cut off during pruning can be used for propagation. To do this, divide it into several parts 10-15 cm in length, so that each part has leaves.

Treat the cut areas with crushed charcoal. Leave the cuttings in the fresh air for a day to dry. Then place the planting material in a container with a damp substrate (consisting of peat and sand), deepening it to 5 cm.

It is recommended to cover the cuttings with a transparent bag or glass lid to create greenhouse conditions. Place the container in a warm place with a temperature of 22-25 degrees. Do not forget to ventilate the greenhouse and, if necessary, moisten the substrate.

In about a month, the cuttings will give roots. When this happens, transplant them into separate pots filled with soil for adult plants, and care for them according to all the rules for caring for aglaonema.

Growing from seeds

Aglaonema from seeds

This method does not guarantee the preservation of the varietal characteristics of the parent specimen. Aglaonema seeds can either be bought in a store or obtained independently, because it happens that the plant self-pollinates.

In this case, after inconspicuous flowering, fruits in the form of berries are formed on your flower. Their color can be any shade from yellow to red, depending on the variety.

Do not pick the berries until they are ripe. The pulp of the fruit contains seeds. Once ripe, remove them and rinse well with water.

Just don't wash them over the sink, otherwise you risk losing the planting material, which can easily slip through your fingers.

We recommend sowing the seeds immediately, as they quickly lose their viability. Fill the container with a mixture of peat and sand in proportions 1:1, water it, and sow the seeds into it. Place the container in a warm place and wait for the shoots to appear. They will appear relatively quickly.

As soon as the first true leaves appear on them, pick the seedlings into separate cups. When they grow up, they can be transplanted into separate pots with substrate for adult specimens.

They will become full-fledged fluffy bushes after 3-4 years.

Reproduction by root division

Reproduction of aglaonema by root division

Adult, strongly grown specimens with a healthy and well-developed root system are suitable for this method of propagation. It is convenient to propagate aglaonema by dividing the root during transplantation.

After removing the bush from the pot, shake off the earthen lump, rinse the roots with water and carefully inspect them. Remove damaged areas, if any.
Using a sharp knife or scissors, divide the rhizome into the required number of parts so that each of them has healthy shoots and at least 3 leaves.
Sprinkle the cut areas with crushed activated charcoal or charcoal.
Plant each of the resulting specimens in pre-prepared pots according to the rules specified in the “Transplanting” paragraph, water well.
Place in a warm place, water and spray.
Evidence that the plant has taken root normally and is not diseased will be the appearance of young leaves. Then you can put the pot in a permanent place.

Transfer

Aglaonema grows slowly. For full growth and splendor of the bush, tightness is extremely necessary, which is as close as possible to natural conditions. Taking this into account, adult specimens are replanted no more than once every four or even five years. Young plants are replanted every year.

When drawing up the timing of the procedure, they are guided not only by the age of the flower

You should also pay attention to the condition of the earthen coma. The stronger it is entwined with roots, the faster the time for transplantation will come.

Optimal seasons are spring or summer.

The root system of the plant is fibrous and superficial. This means that a deep pot cannot be used. It is better to choose a wide and shallow option. In general, when determining the volume, it is taken into account that a quarter of it is allocated for drainage.

Important to remember! Newly acquired Aglaonema should not be replanted earlier than after two or three weeks.

Interesting! It is practiced to grow Aglaonema without any soil at all. A special nutrient solution is sufficient.

Diseases and pests

Spider mite on aglaonema

Aglaonema can be attacked by:

Spider mite. It affects leaves and stems on which cobwebs appear. Treatment consists of spraying with Actellik or Akarin.
Mealybug. White fluffy pests on stems and leaves. As a result of their invasion, the leaves dry out, curl and fall off. Insecticides such as Actellik, Fitoverm, Fazol will help in the fight against them. Use them strictly following the instructions on the packages.
Aphid. It affects the leaves, they become sticky and deformed. Treatment consists of spraying with Decis or Aktara.
Whitefly. Small flying insects are white. They live on the underside of leaves. Use Confidor, Mospilan (1 treatment) or Actellik (up to 4 treatments every 5-6 days). Common means of repelling flying insects - a fumigator and adhesive tape - can also help.
Shield. It can be seen with the naked eye. These are brown tubercles located on the leaves and stems of the plant. Scale insects should be removed manually, removing each specimen using a damp cloth soaked in a soapy solution. The procedure must be repeated several times with an interval of 3-4 days, since after the first time larvae may remain.
Thrips. These are very small insects located on the back of the leaf. Thrips larvae are found in the soil, so the first step is to remove and discard the top layer of soil from the aglaonema pot. Then wipe the leaves and stems with a sponge and soapy water, and after 4 hours, spray with Fitoverm solution.

Aglaonema is not susceptible to disease, but improper care can cause some difficulties in growing.

The leaves begin to wrinkle and the edges turn brown. This is due to dry air. The plant must be moved to a more humid room or sprayed with a spray bottle.
The leaves curl. The reason may be the appearance of drafts in the room. In this case, the plant must be moved to another room, or drafts must be eliminated.
The appearance of yellow spots. This is a consequence of sunburn. Most likely, the plant is standing in a sunny window, which is harmful to its health. It is advisable to change the place of residence of the aglaonema or shade it.
Plant growth stops and brown tips appear on the leaves. This may be due to cold or hard water. Water the plant only with settled water at room temperature. If watering is carried out correctly, then the reason is the hardness of the water; to lower the level, you can add citric acid to the water (dilute 1-2 g in 1 liter of water).

What problems might arise?

If the leaves begin to curl and dry marks appear on their edges, then most likely your plant is in a draft. Or the temperature in the room is too low for him. Remove the aglaonema to another, warmer place where there is no draft.
The edges of the leaves dry out, and the plates themselves curl at low air humidity.
White-yellow spots on the plant appear due to exposure to sunlight - these are burns. Place the plant in a dark place; after about an hour, you will need to treat the foliage with water at room temperature.
The bush began to grow slowly, the foliage takes on a brown tint - hard and cold water when watering. The water needs to stand for at least a day, and it can be softened with citric or oxalic acid.

Signs associated with flowers

Aglaonema is believed to bring good luck to its owner. This is connected with the story of a large cash prize: a man looked at the numbers on the leaves of aglaonema in the garden, indicated them when buying a lottery ticket and won.

In addition, aglaonema is believed to increase performance and concentration. Scientists say that its leaves purify the air and can destroy streptococci.

Sources and literature

Botany. Encyclopedia “All the Plants of the World”: Trans. from English / Ed. Grigorieva D. et al. - Könemann, 2006 (Russian edition). — P. 68-69.
D. Hessayon. All about indoor plants. - M.: Kladez-Books, 2001
Grudzinskaya I. A. The arum family (Araceae) // Plant Life. In 6 t / Under. ed. Takhtadzhyan A.L. - M.: Education, 1982. - T. 6. Flowering plants. — P. 471.
Houseplants / T. M. Klevenskaya // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. — 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978
Saakov S.G. Greenhouse and indoor plants and their care / Under. ed. Kamelina R.V. - L.: Nauka, 1983. - P. 132-134. — 621 p.

Exercise caution

When working with the indoor plant Aglaonema Variable, Mix or Red, as well as with other species, you must follow safety rules. When replanting, loosening and other activities carried out with the flower, you need to wear gloves on your hands. The fact is that the sap of the plant is very caustic and, if it gets on the skin, can leave a burn. Never rub your eyes after working with aglonema without washing your hands. Wash your hands up to the elbows well with soap as soon as you finish working with the plant.

This is an amazing and beautiful flower - aglaonema! Caring for it at home will only bring you joy if you follow the prescribed rules, because thanks to this the plant will be healthy and beautiful!

Formation of a spreading crown

Some new gardeners complain that their “favorite” does not branch or grow. There may be several reasons, but there are tricks that will help make the crown more luxuriant.

Recommendations:

the pot should be tight and exceed the volume of the earthen ball by only 2–3 cm;
pinching the upper buds stimulates the growth of lateral shoots;
overgrown, but not very branched shoots are cut at a distance of 6–7 cm from the ground, rooted and planted next to the mother bush.

Rest period

The dormant period of Aglaonema is weak; if the temperature in winter remains within +18-+23 °C, the plant will not “fall asleep”. In this case, there is no need to reduce watering and lighting. But it is better to postpone fertilizing until spring.

The winter dormancy period begins around October. It is necessary to gradually reduce the temperature to +14 °C, reduce watering to once a week, but at the same time regularly spray the bushes with warm water. In this condition, the pot can stand until the end of February.

It is necessary to monitor the condition of the flower and prevent the soil from drying out. If the plant begins to wither and wither, then you need to “awaken” it ahead of schedule.

Anti-aging pruning

As the trunk grows, it gradually becomes bare and the aglaonema loses its decorative effect. Therefore, flower growers recommend anti-aging pruning. Typically, the procedure is required for specimens older than five years.

The upper part is cut off so that all the leaves and part of the bare stem remain on it. The cut areas are dried a little, and then sprinkled with charcoal or covered with paraffin.

The hemp in the pot is covered with a bag and put in a warm, bright place until the buds appear. The bag is regularly removed and condensation is removed.

The top is rooted in soil mixture or water with stimulants. Thus, it will be possible not only to renew the old bush, but also to grow a new aglaonema.

Actually, this is how the flower reproduces. Therefore, this section will not be included, since it is simple and even a beginner can handle it. You just have to want it and you will succeed.