PACHISTACHIS HOME CARE, PHOTO, REPRODUCTION, WATERING. HOW TO CARE

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Pachistachis (Pachystachys) - perennial evergreen shrub South American descent: its homeland is the tropical forests of Mexico and Peru. In nature, a plant can reach truly gigantic sizes, stretching up to several meters in height and forming a powerful spreading crown.

With room content, pachistachis develops rather slowly, adding about 8-13 cm in growth per year. At home, without forming pruning, he is able to grow to about 120 cm in height.

Distinctive features of the shrub: thin strongly branched shoots, long broad-oval leaves of a saturated green hue and spectacular inflorescences - "ears" of golden yellow or bright red color.

	Slowly growing. For one season, the plant adds 10-13 cm in height.
	It blooms in summer. Inflorescences that have faded need to be removed.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	Perennial.

Useful properties of pachistachis

Since pachistachis is poisonous, the value of this plant for gardeners lies solely in its aesthetic qualities. The lush bush of pachistachis, crowned with unusual inflorescences, can decorate with itself not only an apartment or a house, but also will look organically in classrooms, offices, libraries and other public places.

Home Care for Pachistachis (Briefly)

Temperature	In the summer months - 21-24 ° C, with the onset of winter, the temperature must be reduced to 15-18 ° C.
Air humidity	50% and above. The plant is responsive to regular year-round spraying with soft water.
Lighting	Bright, scattered. The most suitable place for a flower is the window sill of the eastern window, when growing on southern windows, shading is required.
Watering	Regular, moderate, without overflow and overdrying of an earthen coma. In the summer, plants are watered every 3 days, in the winter - every 10-14 days.
Priming	Lightweight, breathable. For the plant, you can purchase a substrate adapted to his needs or prepare the soil mixture yourself, taking 1 part of sod land, sand and perlite and mixing them with 2 parts of peat or leaf soil. For good root air exchange, a thick layer of drainage must be poured into the bottom of the pot.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	Only in the period of active growth (in summer), not more than 1 time in 3-4 weeks.
Transfer	Annual, in the middle of spring. Regardless of the time of year, plants purchased at the store need a transplant.
Breeding	Cuttings. Usually rooted parts of the stems remaining after pruning. To do this, they are placed in containers with a moist loose substrate and covered with glass or polyethylene for 3 weeks, providing them with timely watering and an air temperature of about 24 ° C.
Growing Features	Shoots are very susceptible to stretching, so when growing pachistachis at home, you need to pay attention to the forming pruning of the plant, otherwise it will quickly lose its decorative properties. Pachistachis do not like drafts, reacting to them by dropping leaves massively, so flowers should be placed away from open windows. In summer, plants can be taken outside, providing them with a shade from direct sunlight

Care for pachistachis at home (in detail)

Landing

The initial planting of pachistachis plays a crucial role in its further development, although it is not particularly difficult. The plant is planted in a special soil, previously fertilized with any organic preparation. Pachistachis suitable mixes for decorative or flowering crops.

After planting, the bush is abundantly watered so that the roots straighten in the soil. After a few days, the plant gradually begins to accustom to sunlight and regular watering.

Bloom

In nature, pachistachis blooms year-round, in indoor conditions, its flowering usually lasts from mid-winter to mid-autumn. The inflorescences of the plant resemble hard ears in shape, their bright yellow plates, which are often mistaken for flower petals, are actually just bracts, from which real flowers bloom - nondescript spongy milky white.

The flowers do not last long on the plant and crumble within 3-4 days after dissolution, while the bracts retain their beauty and freshness for several weeks.

Temperature mode

Pachistachis, being a tropical plant, is very thermophilic, therefore the most comfortable temperature regime for it is: during the active growing season about 23 ° C (but not higher than 25 ° C - heat inhibits flowering), in winter - about 16 ° C (but not lower than 14 ° C, otherwise the plant may die from hypothermia.

Home pachistachis should also be protected from drafts and kept away from the "artificial" heat of heating appliances.

Spraying

The natural habitat of pachistachis is characterized by a high level of air humidity, which is difficult to maintain under indoor conditions. To make the plant feel good at home or in the office, it must be regularly sprayed with warm soft water.

This procedure should be carried out year-round with a frequency of once every 2-3 days.

Spraying plants during flowering, moisture should be avoided from inflorescences.

Lighting

Having acquired pachistachis, home care for him begins with the choice of the right place of "residence" of the flower. A tropical guest is very fond of natural sunlight, but from direct rays can get burns of foliage, so you should place the flower on the east or northeast windows. When growing pachistachis on the southern windowsill, the plant must be shaded from too bright a sun.

Watering

Pachistachis leaves quickly evaporate moisture, therefore the plant regular regular watering is required: in summer - every 3-4 days, in winter - at least 1 time in 10-14 days. If there is not enough moisture, the flower itself will inform the host: as the liquid evaporates from the soil, the pachistachis crown begins to lose turgor, the leaves become sluggish and fall down.

It is not worth experimenting with plant endurance, because even after very good watering, a dried flower is not able to quickly restore its former healthy appearance, and foliage that has already wilted is likely to fall off soon.

Pachistachis Soil

Properly selected soil is the main condition for the normal growth and harmonious development of pachistachis. The soil for it should be loose and slightly acidic. You can prepare the substrate at home by mixing turf, peat, humus, leafy soil and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 1.

Normal air exchange at the roots is ensured by using expanded clay drainage poured into the bottom of the pot with a thick layer.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Growing pachistachis at home, you need to take care of the proper nutrition of the plant at all stages of development. The most suitable time for feeding is a period of active growth, beginning in the spring and lasting until the beginning of autumn.

Fertilize the flower with complex preparations every 3-4 weeks until the onset of dormancy. Before fertilizing, the soil in the pot is abundantly watered so that the roots better absorb nutrients.

Pachistachis transplant

Experienced growers are advised to transplant young pachistachis every year., and plants that have reached the age of 4 years - once every 2-3 years or even less, focusing on the general condition of the bushes. If the pachistachis becomes crowded in the pot, its leaves will wither, and in advanced cases, the crown may become very thin due to dried and crumbling foliage.

In such situations, the plant urgently needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. A layer of expanded clay or coal is poured into a new container about 3 cm thick, then the pot is filled with a nutrient substrate and the plant is moved into it, transplantation is completed by abundant watering.

Pruning

In order for the pachistachis flower to have a healthy and well-groomed appearance at home, its elongated shoots must be regularly cut and pinched. The first pruning is carried out at a distance of about 15 cm from the ground. The shoots of the new tier of the plant are nipped again at the level of the third pair of leaves above the sleeping buds. A similar procedure can be carried out on subsequent tiers of the crown.

Just a few scraps a year is enough to form a lush bush of pachistachis with a crown of unusual density and shape.

Propagation of pachistachis by cuttings

In conditions of indoor cultivation, pachistachis is propagated by cuttings. Planting material is harvested during spring pruning of the plant. For rooting, cuttings with two internodes (that is, having two pairs of leaflets) are selected. Root growth is most likely to occur in ordinary water, but cuttings can also be rooted in any moist, loose substrate.

For effective rooting, cuttings create special greenhouse conditions, covering the container with planting material with film or glass. Such a "greenhouse" must be regularly watered and aired. If the rooted plant suddenly begins to drop leaves - do not worry, this is normal. You can prevent foliage falling by cutting off half of it from cuttings in advance, but there is no special need for this event.

Full-fledged roots usually appear on plants after 2-3 weeks. After this time, young seedlings can be planted in suitable flower pots. It is recommended to place 3-4 cuttings in each pot - so the plants will look more magnificent and spectacular.

Diseases and Pests

Pachistachis is an unpretentious and fairly hardy plant, but sometimes it still affects some health problems:

wither lower leaves pachistachis- the flower does not have enough moisture, it is necessary to adjust the watering mode;
lower pachistachis leaves fall - this is the usual stage of development and aging of the plant, it is possible to deal with falling leaves only with regular anti-aging pruning of the bush. Pachistachis can also abruptly drop leaves under the influence of cold or draft;
pachistachis does not bloom - the flowers bloom only on young shoots, so that the plant again pleased with the lush flowering, it must be rejuvenated by pruning and pinching. In addition, the plant may not have enough sun, in which case it is rearranged in a brighter place;
pachistachis flowers rot and fall - a rather rare phenomenon that occurs due to improper watering and drafts;
pale leaves in pachistachis - A sign of lack of light and moisture. Return the crown rich color will help good lighting and regular watering;
the tips of the leaves dry and turn yellow - in the room where the pachistachis is located, dry air and too hot. The problem can be solved by frequent spraying of the plant with soft water.

Florists can also encounter unnatural stretching of plant shoots, chopping its leaves and flowers - these are signs of insufficient lighting to correct the situation, pachistachis must be moved to a more sunny place. And if the plant has slowed down in growth or even ceased to develop, food reserves have been depleted in the soil, which means that pachistachis needs urgent feeding.

Many and often sick flowers planted in heavy soil or subjected to too abundant watering. Only a transplant into a new loose substrate and strict adherence to the irrigation regime can save a plant that has already suffered from improper care.

Among the pests showing interest in pachistachis, the following insects pose the greatest danger to the plant:

spider mite;
mealybug;
scale insects and whiteflies;
thrips.

Types of homemade pachistachis with photos and names

The genus of pachistachis cannot be called numerous: it has only 12 varieties that differ in color, shape of inflorescences, as well as the size of the bush. The most popular species is yellow pachistachis (Pachystachys lutea).

Pachistachis yellow (Pachystachys lutea)

Pachistachis yellow is a shrub about 1 m high with a dense crown formed by erect, partially lignified shoots. Leaves of a dark green shade, broadly oval with narrowed tips and clear ribbed veins. Inflorescences are spike-shaped with bright yellow bracts and long spongy flowers, painted in a milky white hue.

Rarer varieties of pachistachis that are practically not cultivated at home are red pachistachis (P. coccinea) and spike pachistachis (Pachystachys spicata).