Of the more than 600 species of tree-like plants that enter the pandanus genus, only a few are suitable for growing and nursing at home. The reason lies in the monumental size of palms - some species reach 10 and even 20 meters in height, because they do not need any special conditions - they are not whimsical.
Pandanus effectively looks like a solitary plant in the interior, ideal for offices, and some manage to place a tub with a screw palm, even on the windowsill. By this name, the "helical palm", the plant is obliged to a special, spiral arrangement of leaves around the trunk. The leaves themselves also deserve attention - around the edges they have small notches, which on large leaves are transformed into real spikes. A distinctive feature of the pandanus from other species of domestic palms ( nolines , cicada , chadodei ) is the presence of air, stilted roots, which support the stem with massive heavy leaves. Due to such a peculiarity of the root system in the natural environment of growth - the tropics, the palm trees create an entirely mystical impression, it seems that they are able to walk and are about to sneak up behind.
The house plant of the pandanus can be of two kinds: Pandanus Sandera, whose leaves adorn the yellow longitudinal stripes and Pandanus Veicha, the bands on the leaves of which have a white color.
How to care for pandanus?
Growing pandanus is easy even for beginners in the matter of floriculture. The plant needs good lighting, ideally if the tub is located at a window facing east or west. If the window looks to the south, in the summer time during hours of high solar activity (from about 11 to 17), the pandanus should create a shadow. Watering in the summer should be abundant, but only after the top layer of the earth dries. In winter, watering should be limited, optimally - watered 2-3 days after the top layer of the earth substrate becomes dry. But excessive drying of the land should not be allowed. With regard to lighting, if there is a lack of sunlight in winter, you can use additional fluorescent lights, placing them at a distance of 60-70 cm from the plant for at least 8 hours.
Pandanus normally withstands the temperature difference in the room in summer and winter, but the optimum temperature of its content should fluctuate between 19-25 ° C and not fall below 15 ° C. If the pandanus turns yellow, this indicates that the temperature in the room is too high. At low temperatures, the pandanus dry and fall leaves.
Humidity must be moderate. Sprinkle and wash the leaves is not recommended - water can get into the sinuses and lead to decay of the root system. If necessary, you can wipe the dust from the leaves with a slightly damp cloth, towards the top of the leaves, so as not to get injured on the spikes and not to damage them. In the period from March to August, the plant needs regular supplementation with a flower blend every two weeks. In the winter months, this procedure should be performed no more than once a month.
Pandanus - reproduction
Propagate the pandanus mainly with the help of daughter shoots, which are regularly formed on the trunk. When their size reaches 10-12 cm, the child sockets are separated and placed in water for rooting. This process is not easy, so it's better to use
Some species are propagated with seeds, which should be sown immediately after harvesting.
How to transplant the pandanus?
Pandanus needs a transplant when the roots are completely braided by an earthen lump. In young plants, this occurs annually, in adults - on average every 2-3 years. Since the roots of the plant are large enough, it is recommended that the transplant be carried out together with the earthen lump in a bigger tub filled with a mixture of sand, leaf land and humus.