- origin and use
- appearance and growth
- leaves
- flowers and flowering time
- fruit
- toxicity
- Which location is suitable?
- substrate
- plants and repotting
- casting cob thread
- Fertilize cob thread correctly
- Cut piston thread correctly
- Increase cob thread
- hibernate
- diseases and pests
- species and varieties
The Aglaonema (bot. Aglaonema) belongs to the plant genus of the same name from the plant family Araceae (bot. Araceae). The botanical name refers to the shiny stamens of the genus, but it is made up of the ancient Greek words for "magnificent" (agláos) and "thread" (néma). The Chinese dandelion is a popular houseplant, as it also thrives in shady locations and has beautifully drawn, large leaves.
Chinese dandelion is a popular houseplant
Table of Contents
Show all- origin and use
- appearance and growth
- leaves
- flowers and flowering time
- fruit
- toxicity
- Which location is suitable?
- substrate
- plants and repotting
- casting cob thread
- Fertilize cob thread correctly
- Cut piston thread correctly
- Increase cob thread
- hibernate
- diseases and pests
- species and varieties
- drainage hole at the bottom of the pot
- Cover the drain hole with potsherds or pebbles
- Mix the substrate with fillers such as clay granules or similar
- Empty the planter or saucer after watering
- 'Jubilee': large, bicolored silver-green leaves
- 'Silver': large, bicolored silvery-green leaves
- 'Silver Bay': strong, bushy growth, predominantly silver-colored leaves with delicate green markings
- 'Silver Queen': silver colored leaves with light green stripes
- 'Silver King': predominantly silvery leaves with delicate green markings
- 'Cutlass': particularly narrow, two-tone silvery-grass-green leaves
- 'Key Lime': predominantly dark green, large leaves with pretty lime-yellow markings
- 'White Lance': very narrow, predominantly silver-colored leaves with light green markings
- 'Crete': green leaves with striking purple-red markings
- 'Stripes': grass-green to dark green leaves with striking, silvery stripes
- 'Tricolor': pink stems, silver-green foliage
origin and use
The species Aglaonema commutatum, which is at home in the tropical forests of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and the Philippines, is mainly cultivated as a houseplant. In the tropical countries of Asia, the distinctive foliage plant is also often planted in parks and gardens, but in our country it can only be used as a houseplant due to the unsuitable weather.
appearance and growth
The evergreen mulberry grows bushy as a subshrub. It forms upright, striving stems that can reach a height of between 40 and 50 centimetres. Together with the leaf mass, the whole plant can reach heights of growth of up to one meter and growth widths of the same size over the years. Of course, such copies need a lot of space. As a houseplant, the Chinese dandelion flowers only rarely and almost never bears fruit.
leaves
The alternately arranged and broadly lanceolate leaves of the piston thread can be up to 30 centimeters long. Depending on the variety, they are also rather wide or narrow. However, the plant is particularly effective because of the particularly appealing grain of its leaves: the mostly silvery-white markings vary in intensity in the various cultivated forms: while some varieties only develop light lines on medium to dark green leaves, others are almost exclusively silver-colored with few green shares. The large leaves of the cob thread are also said to improve the indoor climate and have an air-purifying effect.
flowers and flowering time
The inflorescences of the cob thread appear in room culture only rarely and often only after many years. They are characteristic of the arum family, to which the genus botanically belongs, and are composed of a greenish bract - the so-called spathe - and the white spadix. Compared to the strikingly patterned leaves, however, the flowers are fairly inconspicuous. The typical flowering period is between June and September.
fruit
In the natural habitat, conspicuous red berries develop on the cob from the monoecious inflorescences of the same sex. In indoor culture, however, this happens only very rarely due to the lack of fertilization.
toxicity
Like all arum plants, the macewort is poisonous and should therefore only be cultivated out of the reach of children and pets. All parts of the plant contain saponins and small amounts of hydrocyanic acid, and escaping plant sap can also cause skin irritation.
Which location is suitable?
The popularity of the common mulberry as a houseplant results not only from the attractive leaf color, but also from the fact that the plant gets along very well with comparatively little light. For this reason, the species also adorns darker room corners, but it needs high humidity of more than 60 percent and a lot of warmth all year round. During the summer months, the ambient temperature for the bulb thread is at least 20 degrees Celsius, while in winter it must not be cooler than 18 degrees Celsius. For these reasons, a partially shaded to shaded location in the bathroom (but only those with a window!) or in a heated conservatory is perfect. Place the cob thread in a place with plenty of space - the plant appreciates a free stand. In addition, the plant should not be moved once a suitable location has been found.
substrate
Either hydroponically or soil culture, cultivate mulberry in any loose, well-drained, humus-rich potting soil. Make sure it doesn't contain any peat.
plants and repotting
When potting the ornamental leaf plant, make sure not to choose a plant pot that is too large. In any case, the cob thread only grows very slowly, so that it should only be transferred to a larger vessel every two to three years. Good pot drainage is also important to avoid waterlogging:
Repotting is best done in spring, removing as much old soil as possible. Be sure to leave a pouring rim free, this will make it easier for you to pour later and prevent water from spilling over. You can also transplant the common thread into fresh substrate every year, then you no longer need to fertilize the plant. A new pot is not always necessary.
As a typical flat-rooted plant, the mullet needs a wide rather than deep plant pot.
hydroponics
Alternatively, the cob thread can also be very well cared for in hydroponics, which further reduces the already low care effort. If possible, buy plants that have already been hydroponically grown for this purpose, since the older the plants are, the more difficult it is to convert from soil to hydroponics. Therefore, you should only get used to young specimens, removing all substrate completely. The best time for this is before the new spring shoots, i.e. in late winter between February and March.
casting cob thread
The soil of the cob thread should be kept evenly slightly moist, but never wet - this will inevitably lead to rot. Since the plant, like so many tropical plants, is very sensitive to lime, you should only use water that is low in lime and at room temperature for watering. Stale tap water or soft rainwater is ideal. Furthermore, regular spraying of the plant with lime-free water is part of optimal care. This measure can be omitted during the winter months, and you can also significantly reduce watering.
Fertilize cob thread correctly
Since the common thread does not really take a winter break, you should fertilize it all year round. Between April and October, feed the houseplant once a week with a commercially available, liquid container plant fertilizer. A variety for green or ornamental leaf plants is best suited for this. During the winter months, you only supply the plants every two to three weeks.
Cut piston thread correctly
Basically, pruning measures are not necessary, but you can stimulate the cob thread to branch out more by cutting back correctly. To do this, cut off individual leaf stalks to just below the lowest eye. Then dust the cuts with charcoal powder to prevent the entry of fungi and other pathogens. Be sure to wear gloves and long clothing when cutting the poisonous arum plant, because the plant sap can cause skin irritation and even eczema.
Increase cob thread
If you can't have enough of the pretty foliage plant, you should multiply it. There are three different methods for this, all of which are quite uncomplicated and quickly lead to plant offspring.
division
When repotting in spring, you can simply divide large specimens of the common mulberry into two or more individual pieces and plant them separately in pots. Each new plant should have at least one bud and three leaves. Subsequent care is the same as for the adult plant - a special culture in a greenhouse or similar is not necessary.
cuttings
In June you can cut off healthy, strong side shoots and use them as cuttings. These should be about ten to 15 centimeters long and each have at least three leaves. Remove all leaves except for the top one and place the shoots in small pots with nutrient-poor growing substrate. Now keep them constantly warm at at least 25 degrees Celsius and always slightly damp in a bright but not direct sunny place. High humidity is also an advantage for rapid rooting, which is why the little plants are best kept in a greenhouse or under another translucent cover. In this case, however, do not forget to air the room every day!
daughter plants
In older cob threads, so-called adventitious plants, which are small daughter plants, develop during the summer months. Leave them on the mother plant during the autumn and winter months and separate them together with the roots when repotting in the following spring. Then plant the young plants separately in pots with fresh, humus-rich substrate.
hibernate
Since the common mulberry should be cultivated warm all year round, special measures for overwintering do not make sense.
diseases and pests
As far as diseases and pests are concerned, the common thread - provided it is cared for correctly and according to its needs - is quite insensitive. Wilted leaves, for example, are a clear indication of a lack of water, which can be remedied by watering more often. Brown leaf spots and/or curled leaf edges, on the other hand, indicate a lack of humidity (especially if only the leaf tips are turning brown) or excessive solar radiation. When it comes to pests, spider mites, thrips or aphids in particular cause problems for the cob thread.
tips
Create a veritable jungle in the living room with a selection of attractive leaf ornamental plants that have similar needs to those of the common weed. For example, single-leaf, Dieffenbachia, Asplenium or Chamaedorea are suitable for a communal culture.
species and varieties
There are 23 different pigtail species, all of which are native to tropical Asia. The Aglaonema commutatum, which comes from the Philippines and north-east Sulawesi and is characterized by a great wealth of cultivars, is used as an easy-care houseplant. The various varieties of the species differ primarily in their leaf decoration, which can be silver, yellowish, reddish or even multicolored variegated. In addition to these, other species such as the smaller, bushy Aglaonema costatum or the particularly beautifully marked Aglaonema crispum are in cultivation.