Neomarika: care at home, photo

Neomarika belongs to the family of sheathes from iris. The plant grew originally in the subtropics of Latin America, now it is one of 15 representatives of its kind, which can be found on the windowsill.

Variety of plant names

True, they say that the new is a well-forgotten old! A rare Brazilian plant of a marika, home care for which causes a lot of problems for owners today, was a very common flower in the second half of the last century, and it could be seen in almost any institution. Canteen, school classes, hospital corridors - these are the places where neomarika grew quite successfully.
And the name underwent a change: known as moray, then - marika, and nowadays it is called neomarika. Obviously, "neo" as a supplement explains the origin of the plant, pointing to the "New World", that is, America. But in the people this plant is known under other names:
• "Apostolic plant". According to legend, it begins to bloom when it releases 12 (according to the number of apostles) leaves, which gently frame a pale lilac flower.
• Walking or crawling iris. Children, located at the ends of the leaves under their weight, descend to the ground and take root. Because of the movement in this way, the neomaric - walking iris - got its name.
• The Devil's Paw. Sprawling greenery in the form of fans with pointed leaves up to 80 cm long with daughter brushes on each gives the impression of a shaggy paw.

Description of the plant

In home collections more common neomarika slender. The flower is characterized by xiphid leaves, the length of which reaches 1 m with a width of 6 cm. The flower-bearing arrow up to 1.5 m long makes flowers, in an open form resembling traditional irises, which bloom only for one day and give the people a striking aroma. On each peduncle, up to 10-12 flowers up to 10 cm in size are blossomed one after another. Each of them is given one day so that others can enjoy their sight.

On the dried up formation there is a daughter shoot which then takes roots in the soil, allowing "to move" to the plant. It is this feature that is noted in one of the variants of the name of the flower. Walking neo-marika (photo of which is presented in the article) will decorate the interior of any room.

Planting, soil characteristics

To please the neo-man's eye, care at home should be appropriate. Knowing the original principle of the reproduction of the flower, it is necessary to take care of planting. Small roots allow you to choose a shallow, but voluminous, wide vase suitable for the creeping root system of the plant, preferably from ceramics.
In order to grow well neomarika, care of special complexity is not required, but watering should be abundant, so a good drainage layer is needed. The bottom is covered with crushed brick, clay skulls, granules of expanded clay, pieces of foam plastic - everything that is at hand. The soil composition for planting is selected in equal proportions of peat, sand and hothouse earth. This composition provides a loose soil, ideally suitable for nutritional composition for the plant. From above, coniferous mulch is poured, so that the ground mixture does not dry out.

Favorable conditions

In the care much depends on what the owner expects from the plant: luxurious greens or lush flowering? After all, not only the original flowering attracts the neo-romantic florists. Care at home, organized in the right way, allows you to grow a green fan, which will become an irreplaceable background for decorating space. Therefore, we should clearly know what we want to receive from the flower of the apostles, and based on this, the proper conditions created for the plant will be corrected.

Features of watering

Named in honor of the river nymph Marika plant is not for nothing. Neomarika (photo for review are provided in the article) - a flower unpretentious, but loves moisture. In the summer iris requires abundant watering, which in the autumn-winter period is reduced, drying out an earthen cloud under the plant. For irrigation is used permanent soft water, perfect for rain. Twice a month, several drops of lemon juice or citric acid crystals are added during watering to avoid alkalizing the land. After flowering, the plant needs a two-week rest, irrigation stops during this period.

Humidity is maintained at an average level in the heat of spraying, and the heating season is a periodic shower for the plant.

Lighting and temperature

The windows are selected to the west and east - it is on them that the neomaric will feel good. Care at home, providing the plant with soft light, will favorably affect the appearance of the flower. Overheating, he does not suffer, so it is necessary to protect the pot from the scorching sun rays, but the room should be light. In winter (October-February), he simply needs coolness. The vase can be pushed to the glass on a window sill or transferred to a bright room with an ideal temperature of 10 C, for which the plant will respond with a thankful bloom in the spring.

Fertilizers and transplantation

Growing in the wild on poor soils in the mountains of Brazil, unfavorable environmental conditions are well tolerated by neo-marika. Care at home (photos of beautiful flowers and beckon to get yourself the same miracle) allows for fertilizing. Fertilizer is introduced in the period from May to July, during the flowering period. The plant loves fertilizing, it is brought twice a month, which stimulates the growth of abundant greens in the flowerpot. This option is ideal to grow in a short time a luxurious "peacock tail" or "devil's paw". For this, a fertilizer for orchids is suitable .

If the care is wrong, the apostolic flower can be affected by a spider mite.
If the apostolic flower is "planted on a diet," cutting the dressing and watering, you can get a neat ampel plant without lush greens. A young plant should be transplanted every year in the spring, and adult specimens 2-3 years depending on the growth of the iris.

A flower that can decorate the interior itself as well as become a lush green background for other plants is unpretentious, but will be able to repay with the beauty and fragrance of the original buds that will please the eye and heart with its flowering. Get a walking iris in your house - you will not regret!