This green hat made of small oval or round leaves is called salinolemia. A beautiful bush can spread along the soil, forming a carpet, or hang a greenhouse with a waterfall along the entire diameter of the pot. The decorativeness of this plant allows it to be a frequent guest of compositions in aquariums and florariums. Salinity in the garden creates an unusual thick carpet up to 5 cm high. In apartment conditions, breeders plant this creeping handsome man in pots with large palm trees or tall plants to cover them with soil.
Plant description
The plant belongs to the Nettle family. In the wild, grows along the banks of rivers and ponds of the Mediterranean, perfectly huddles on rocky terrain. Salinity in domestication has left all the requirements of the content, as in the wild - plentiful light and humidity. Subject to these two factors, the bush will delight with its greenery all year round, very quickly growing and hanging its shoots.
Juicy greens of salinity
Common varieties
In nature, a subspecies of this plant, there is only one, which is called the soleolirol of Soleolirol.
- Gelksina salioli is a creeping groundcover whose stems are densely dotted with round leaves, in diameter not exceeding 0.5 cm. The stems can reach 20 cm in length, they are thin and very fragile. It grows greens very quickly, covering the entire surface of the pot. Gelksina flowers are inconspicuous and light.
- Soleirolia Green is a variety that differs in size from the previous variety, its bush reaches up to 20 cm in diameter. A miniature variety is demanding on light and moisture, with a lack of which it loses its decorativeness, stretching long stems, almost not covered with leaves.
Varieties
The remaining types of saltworks are the work of breeders who have tried to decorate this flower:
- the unusual Argentea variety boasts a silver color on its oval leaves;
- Variegata has green round leaflets with a white border;
- Aurea has dense oval leaves of light green color with a golden tint.
For your information! The people call the flower "baby tears" because of its small leaves.
The name of the flower was in honor of its discoverer - navigator and botanist J. Soileroy. Introduced to Europe in the 19th century, and gained its popularity already at the end of the 20th century, when small mixes of herbs and flowers came into fashion.
Soleoli: home care
Many flower growers believe that the plant is very picky and care for it will be too troublesome. Yes, salinolysis will not grow in ordinary apartment conditions, it needs special conditions. But it can not be called very complex or greenhouse.
Note! Decorative nettle has fragile roots and shoots, but, despite this, the plant is very resistant to sudden changes in temperature, it is not afraid of drafts. It can recover from a complete drought.
Conditions of detention:
- summer temperature should not exceed 25 ° C, optimally - 20 ° C. In winter, 15-20 ° C;
- lighting should be maximum, but scattered, as soft leaves can get burns;
- watering on hot days is plentiful, it is important to ensure that the soil is always moist. The roots are thin and easily rot if there is water in the pan or there is no good drainage in the pot. A signal that there is too much stagnant moisture in the soil - rotting and browning leaves at the base of the stems;
- Humidity should be tropical. On hot summer days, you need to spray the flower three times a day, then the juicy and dense greens will be grateful in response. In winter, spray once a week. If the humidity for the plant is low, its leaves will fall, and the tips of the stems will dry;
- feeding continues with the beginning of active growth until September. The usual complex composition is suitable no more than twice a month.
Important!Top dressing with annual soil renewal is optional.
Winter care
Since lighting and humidity drop sharply, the stems of the flower often stretch, the leaves do not grow densely and lose their color saturation. If you arrange the plant a dormant period, then it will perfectly retain its decorative appearance. With a decrease in temperature, there is a transition to sleep mode, growth stops, and the flower does not require frequent watering, spraying and plentiful lighting.
Note! A sleeping plant can be placed in the shade and partial shade.
It is important during this period to reduce the temperature to 12-15 ° C and keep it without hesitation. Increasing to 20 ° C will wake the plant after hibernation, and it will begin to grow, and this requires light and humidity. Lowering the temperature to 8 ° C will completely destroy the flower without the possibility of recovery.
Soleirolia is an indoor plant that does not feel too comfortable in winter
If the temperature regime for hibernation is not possible to do, you need to take into account several nuances of wintering:
- for the growth of dense stems need additional artificial lighting;
- if the flower is near heating appliances, the air will be dry, which will have a detrimental effect on the appearance of the flower. To increase humidity, you need to put containers with water next to the pot of saline;
- if active growth is observed, it is possible to feed once a month with complex fertilizer.
The period of awakening for nettles is the end of February, the beginning of March. During this period, the plant is cut, transplanted, put in a sunny place and begin to make fertilizing. In early spring, with proper care, it can even bloom. Although its flowering does not constitute a colorful picture, this fact serves as a sign of the flower’s comfortable living conditions.
Pruning
The bush loses its decorativeness after 2-3 years of growth in the same pot, therefore it is often completely renewed. If saltiol is adjacent to a larger plant in a pot, its decorativeness after wintering can be saved by pruning.
For your information! By forming short shoots, removing long and bare after wintering, you can get a green ball. Pruning absolutely does not injure the plant and does not require additional processing of the slices.
During transplanting, it is also recommended to cut off too long shoots so as not to deplete them during adaptation to new soil
Breeding
It is easy to propagate the flower of salinity, there are several ways. On average, the first strong roots appear within 20 days.
Seeds
One of the painstaking methods, you need to take care of future sprouts every day. Seeds can only be purchased. Sow should be in a bowl with a mixture of peat and sand in equal quantities. The container must be tightened with a film or covered with glass, moistened by spraying and ventilated every day. It is important to put the pots in heat to 25 ° C and not lower the temperature until the shoots appear.
On average, after a month, seedlings can be planted in separate pots and continue to grow already in the open air
Cuttings
Small shoots need to be cut off or plucked off and sent to a glass of water, or immediately rooted in a mixture of peat and sand. When planting in one pot, it is better to root several shoots at once for the rapid growth of the bush, and also, if the shoot does not take root, or will take root for a long time on new soil.
Important! It is worthwhile to closely monitor the soil moisture, as the roots are prone to decay.
Due to the fragility of the roots, it is better to root immediately into the ground.
Rooting
One of the easiest ways to get a new healthy plant is to root the maternal shoots. In this case, the cuttings are not cut, but laid out on the ground in a new pot, which is placed next to the pot of the mother plant. Soon, new branches appear from parts of the shoots, and the plant is ready for independent life, the mother's shoots are cut off.
Dividing the bush
Another easy way to propagate salinity. During the transplant, the roots are separated together with an earthen lump, since they are very thin and fragile. It is important not to water the divided flower after dividing the bush, so that the damage to the roots can heal without the formation of rot.
Transfer
A transplant of salinolysis is needed two weeks after the acquisition, when it is used to a new place and conditions of detention. An adult plant needs to be transplanted as it grows and to change the soil.
It is advisable to transplant a flower once a year.
The pot needs a wide and low. The wider the pot, the more beautiful the carpet on it will be. If the pot is high, there is a chance of moisture retention in it, which can cause the appearance of rot and fungi. The bottom should have many large drainage holes so that the soil does not accumulate moisture.
Important! The sides of the pot should not be sharp so as not to cut the delicate shoots.
The plant is not picky about the soil, easily lives in the usual mixture for purchase of green plants, loves a mixture for palm trees, as it does not forget its roots. It grows well in a mixture of soddy soil with coarse sand or small pebbles. It is important that the soil breathes and does not sour. An important condition for healthy growth is the drainage layer - it should be at least 2 cm from expanded clay or vermiculite.
After transplanting, it is important to give the plant peace for several days:
- Do not water or spray;
- put in partial shade or shadow;
- average temperature is not higher than 20 ° С.
He transfers the transplant without complications if all the recommendations are followed. The first dressing can be made after two weeks.
Soleirolia is an excellent ornamental plant that can be used in the interior of a house on its own or become part of the composition. In the summer, the flower grows remarkably in the fresh air, decorating balconies and loggias. The demanding care of a houseplant with salinity is compensated by the beauty and unusualness of this delicate bush.
