Nertera Astrid (Nertera) has up to 12 species. This plant grows in the subtropical and tropical tropics.
Nerther refers to ground cover plants. Its name comes from the Greek word "nerteros", ie. "" Low, "" small. " This plant is creeping, perennial. The leaf is oval in diameter up to 0.5 cm. Flowers are single, 4-5 petal, tubular with a greenish aureole. Somewhere in late spring, white flowers appear, and after a while - red berries 1 cm in size. For this reason, the nerter was called "coral moss".
Nerther is an ornamental pot plant, that is, a plant for one season. Usually a plant is bought when the fruiting begins, and after its completion is thrown out. If you create the right conditions, the plant can live more than one year.
Some bioenergetics argue that the flower of the nerd in the house can increase the activity of people living in it. The effect of the plant will increase if you put several specimens together or surround them with a juicy green foliage.
How to care for a neretra?
Nertera prefers good, bright, diffused lighting without direct sunlight. The flower will grow well in a semi-shadowed place. In summer it is better to take the nerd to fresh air, but at the same time protect it from drafts, direct sunlight and precipitation. In the spring-summer period, the plant is recommended to be kept in the open ground or on the balcony. In the autumn-winter period, the nerter will need additional lighting. With a lack of light, the flower will stretch out and lose its decorativeness.
Watering
Room flowers of the nerter during the growth period are watered sparingly, a day or two after the top layer of the soil dries. During the rest period of the plant (in winter), at an optimum temperature of + 10 ° C, the substrate is kept moist, it is watered gently with a small amount of water. When the first leaves appear in the spring, the nerter can be watered moderately and regularly.
Air humidity
A plant of a nerter during a period of active growth likes high humidity of air, for this it is constantly sprayed with soft water of room temperature. The flower is sprayed until the inflorescence and berries appear, since the water should not fall on them. To increase the humidity of the air, a pot with wet peat or expanded clay is put in a pot, while its bottom should not touch the water. Monthly in the period of growth, complex mineral fertilizers are introduced.
Transfer
After the plant successfully overwintered, before the flowering, it is transplanted. If the plant has a good winter, then the transplant is carried out in the spring before the flowering begins. The pocket for the nerds is shallow, but wide. The earth is taken loose, light and moisture-consuming. The composition is selected from sand, peat, turf, humus and deciduous earth (1: 1: 1: 1: 1). At the bottom of the drainage is laid, the ground during the transplant is not compacted and compacted.
The plant multiplies by seeds, as well as the division of rhizomes.
Caution! Berries of plants are inedible and poisonous for pets!
Difficulties in growing nets are due to the fact that in winter the proper temperature for a given plant is not maintained (20-26 ° C), and the plant does not enter a period of rest. This leads to the fact that the nerther continues its growth, begins to stretch, expose shoots and grows.
Pests of the Neter: whitefly, scutellum, spider mite and mealybug.