Kalatei- beautiful flowers, beloved for unusual leaves, as if covered with various patterns of stripes of all shades of green and sometimes brown. A perennial plant, native to the tropical belt of Africa and South America, exists in more than 150 species. Among domestic species, the medallion is especially loved by the florists. The flower is distinguished by wide oval leaves: on the saturated green color of the upper part, the pink lines diverge from the middle vein. The lower part is dark pink. The most surprising is that the leaves of the kalatei medallion are very photosensitive - in the morning they go downwards, showing a green-pink pattern, and in the evening, rising to the top, they reveal the lower part. It is this ornamentality of this kind that attracts many florists. But since this is a very demanding flower, you should familiarize yourself with how to look after kalatei before buying it.
How to care for a flower kalatejah medallion?
Kalatea medallion prefers penumbra, so we recommend placing the pot with the plant two meters from the window sill or in the corner. Bright lighting leads to the fact that the leaves of the flower wither, and their color is weakened. But the dense half-shadow is fraught with loss of decorativeness - the leaves acquire the same green color. In addition, from the direct sunlight on the leaves of the kalatei, brown spots appear - burns. Optimal to place the plant near the western or eastern window. Besides this, in the care of the medallion's kalatejas it is important to know that the flower is not well tolerated by a sharp temperature drop and drafts. The optimum air temperature in the room for the kalatei medallion is + 23 + 30 ° C in the summer and not below +18 ° C (up to + 25 ° C) in winter.
As for watering, the plant prefers abundant moisturizing with warm, standing water. True, watering is necessary as the upper layer of the earth dries up. Overmoistening threatens the kalatee medallion by decay and death. Does not like the flower and hard water, so pre-pass it through a filter or treat it with a special composition that is sold in flower shops. Need kalateya and in frequent spraying with warm water, especially in hot summer.
A full-fledged care for the flower kalatei medallion should include the addition of fertilizing during the period of active growth - from April to September every 2 weeks. It is recommended to apply fertilizer for ornamental-deciduous plants, diluting this proportion by a factor of two.
Transplantation and reproduction of kalatei medallion
The medallion is made in the late spring, in extreme cases, in the summer. Young plants need an annual change of soil, and adults - every two years. You can use a ready-made substrate for arrowroot or azaleas, or you can prepare light and loose soil yourself from 2 pieces of leaf, 1 piece of coniferous soil and 1 part peat or peat tablets and sand. At the bottom of the shallow pot, place a good layer of drainage.
The medallion of the medallion multiplies by dividing the bush during transplantation. If the flower has seeds, they can be sown in a container, covered with a film and placed in a warm place before emergence. Peak seedlings are carried out as soon as two sheets appear.
Diseases and pests of kalatei medallion
Diseases of the flower are mainly associated with improper care. If the kalatei medallion leaves dry, then most likely the air in the room
Dry air in the room can lead to the appearance on the underside of the leaves of a spider mite flower. In this case, the plant needs to be isolated and treated with acaricide.