Blehnum is a very attractive perennial plant, it forms sprawling bushes, and sometimes resembles a small palm tree. Gardeners love it for its bright color and considerable size. An adult plant can decorate a window sill, a winter garden and even a flower bed. Of course, you will have to come to terms with the difficult nature of the fleckham, but this will more than be filled up with wild growth.
Botanical characteristics
The numerous genus of blehnum belongs to the Debryannikov family. Gardeners often call the plant itself "wild wood." This fern has spread in subtropical and tropical climates from western Europe to eastern Asia, as well as in North America.
A short, dense stem, covered with dense foliage, usually rises above the ground. It is a modified root. Gradually, the stem becomes stiff and acquires a light brown color. The height of the stem of an adult plant barely reaches 50 cm. It passes into the superficial root system. It spreads rapidly over the entire surface of the soil and is involved in the formation of a peat layer.
Lechblum leaves are long, palm-shaped. Each petiole with cirrus-dissected foliage in the natural environment reaches a length of 1-1.5 meters. By structure, the leaf rosette resembles a palm tree. The color of the leaves is plain, light green. Fern Blechnum has two types of leaves: sterile and fertile. On the underside of the vaya (fertile leaf), gray-brown veins are visible, in which there are spores. Wii themselves are thinner and more often directed upwards. Sterile foliage has a soft base and has a falling, arched shape.
Types of Blehnum
Before you buy blehnum, you should decide on the most attractive variety. The following types are most suitable for indoor cultivation:
- Blechnum humpback or Blehnum gibbum. One of the most popular varieties, about half a meter high. The leaves are painted in a bright green hue and, with almost no petioles, sit tightly on a short stem. Fractions of leaves elongated, belt-shaped. At the base, the leaves are wider, they are sharpened to the edge. The length of the waya is 50-60 cm.
Blechnum humpback or Blechnum gibbum - Brazilian Blechnum. It features wider leaves with an olive shade of overgrowth. The plant forms a sprawling, but low bush. Young leaves are first painted in pink-orange colors and form a small rosette in the center of the plant. This makes it very attractive.
Brazilian Blechnum - Blehnum Moore. The homeland of the variety is Australia. It is a compact bush up to 30 cm in height. Ground shoots are dark green in color, and the petioles are almost black in color. The upper side of the leaf lobes is glossy, and the edges are slightly wavy.
Blehnum Moore - Blechnum river. The plant forms a spherical bush up to 30 cm high, up to 40 cm wide. Leafy lobes are wide, often oval.
Blechnum river - Western Blechnum. It has dense leaves up to 50 cm long, with wide lanceolate lobes and dark green color. The width of the waya reaches 13 cm. This variety is used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the genitourinary system.
Western Blechnum - Blechnum Silver Lady. The plant is interesting silver leaf color. Shares are lanceolate, narrowed. Fern forms sprawling bushes with a diameter of up to 50 cm.
Blechnum Silver Lady - Cirrus marigold. Forms a dense, compact bush. Vayi erect, up to 15 cm high. Able to sprawl strongly on the surface of the soil and requires periodic division. Sterile leaves appear constantly, and fertile vaya grow very rarely.
Cirrus Blechnum
Breeding methods
The most convenient way to reproduce blehnum is the division of rhizomes. The procedure is carried out with an adult plant in the spring. Carefully dig up the fern and cut the root in half. The cut site is dipped in crushed charcoal and immediately instilled into the soil. For several weeks, the blehnum takes root and does not move in growth, then new shoots will begin to appear.
Experienced flower growers can easily reproduce blehnum by spores. The adult sheet is cut off and the spores are carefully scraped from it with a spoon on a sheet of paper. In early March, the resulting material is sown in a prepared nursery (flat pallet with soil). The soil mixture is preheated and disinfected. A small container with soil should be placed on a heated surface. It is important to regularly moisten the soil. To prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly, cover the container with film or glass. Daily shelter is removed for 15-30 minutes.
During germination (1-3 months) it is better to keep the nursery in a dark place. When the first seedlings appear, seedlings need to be thinned out so that there is a distance of 2.5 cm between them. After another 1-1.5 months, young plants are transplanted to a permanent place in pots with peat mixture.
Care Rules
Caring for blehnum at home requires some skill, but for the sake of such a beautiful plant, you can make a little effort. Debryanka loves long daylight hours, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. A shaded area with moist soil should be selected. You need to water the fern regularly, avoiding the complete drying of the earthen coma. In winter, watering is reduced, but not completely stopped.
It is important to ensure increased humidity, so in winter pots with plants will have to be removed from heating radiators. The necessary level of humidity can be ensured by using water trays or by hanging a damp cloth. Spraying the leaves can lead to spoilage.
A transplant is carried out as necessary, for example, if the roots completely cover the entire surface of the pot. The procedure is planned for early or mid-spring. The soil is selected light, with neutral or weak acidity. The optimal combination of components:
- 40% sheet soil;
- 20% peat;
- 20% humus;
- 20% of river sand.
From May to mid-October, it is advisable to feed the blehnum with mineral fertilizer for non-flowering plants. Feeding is carried out every two weeks. If the fern looks healthy, it is worth adding only half a portion of the fertilizer, otherwise the plant will begin to hurt.
The optimum temperature for blehnum is + 18 ... + 22 ° C. In a hotter environment, the plant begins to dry and stops growing. It is important to find a quiet place for the fern without drafts.
Blechnum rarely suffers from diseases or parasite attacks. All difficulties in care may be associated with improper plant maintenance. If brown spots appear on the leaves, it is in a too hot room.
The air temperature should not be raised above + 25 ° C. If the leaves turn yellow and the fern grows very slowly, then the air in the room is too dry. Yellowing of the leaves may also occur due to lack of fertilizer.
Blehnum looks great as an independent plant or as part of floral arrangements. Ferns planted in large pots can be planted for the summer around an artificial pond, and in winter they can be planted in a room or in a greenhouse. With proper care, the blehnum in the photo and in reality will become a worthy decoration.
