Mother-in-law's tongue flower: care at home. Caring for mother-in-law's tongue flower at home Mother-in-law's tongue does not grow

Sansevieria or mother-in-law's tongue propagated vegetatively (dividing the rhizome), seeds and rooting of cut leaves. This article discusses the method of propagation by leaf parts. Using the described method, you can propagate any type of this flower. But to preserve the properties of the mother plant (as for leaves with a border), you need to cut the leaf at an angle of thirty degrees and plant exactly this corner of the cut piece.

Sansevieria - indoor plant, a native of Africa. For planting and growing it, the usual conditions are required: light, warmth, uniform watering. Cold and excessive watering are especially harmful to the flower. You can use fertilizers for cacti. Fertilizing is carried out in spring, summer and autumn. This is the best time to reproduce.

Step by step about propagating mother-in-law's tongue with leaves

Step 1

It is necessary to prepare small pots for one or more seedlings. In the future, the regrown parts of the leaf should be planted in a small, even cramped, but quite stable pot, since this flower has strong and long leaves. Good drainage, turf, sheet soil with sand or soil for indoor flowers(cacti), crowding will be provided necessary development and flowering.

Step 2

Place drainage at the bottom of the pot for planting.

Step 3

Fill the pots with soil, but not to the brim, and water.

Step 4

Carefully make longitudinal holes in the soil of the pots so that you can insert the cut leaf.

Step 5

Cut the leaf prepared for propagation into several pieces with scissors or sharp knife. Place the cut pieces in a row, as you cut, from the top of the sansevieria leaf, so that the side of the cut is at the bottom. Sprinkle the top part with dry soil.

Step 6

Carefully plant all the cut pieces into the soil of the pots.

Step 7

Place the plantings in a bright place, but not under the scorching rays of the sun.

Water according to recommendations for adult plants, do not fertilize. In a few months, shoots will appear, developing from the root system formed in the ground. When the shoots reach 2-3 cm, they can be transplanted into permanent flower pots. Do not remove pieces of the leaf; they will serve to feed the shoots. Sansevieria is a voluminous, beautiful flower with many types. It gives its owners a lot fresh air, cleaning the existing one. Sansevieria fits well into the surrounding environment, creating coziness and giving a special character to the room. Often there are several of these plants in one house. Therefore, being able to properly propagate sansevieria is necessary for people using its compositions in the interior of premises.

According to most gardeners, caring for sansevieria ( official name plants) are pure pleasure. The only thing is that you need to clearly know how to transplant your mother-in-law’s tongue at home so that it continues to delight you with its bright leaves. The manipulation itself is not so complicated, but it does imply the presence of certain features.

It only needs to be done when the roots of the plant have filled the entire pot. Despite its unpretentious appearance, not a single flower can tolerate cramped conditions and forced restrictions. To carry out the manipulation, you do not need to have any special skills, you just need to strictly adhere to the basic technical recommendations.

Frequency of manipulations and soil preparation rules

How often to repot a plant depends on its age. And here the standard rule applies - the older the specimen, the less often it can be disturbed. It is recommended to update the soil of a young flower at least once every 1-2 years. An adult mother-in-law's tongue needs a similar procedure once every 3-4 years. It is best to carry out the manipulation in the spring, then the pet will have time to recover.

Tip: In cases where the plant is already mature and has reached an impressive size, the replanting procedure can be replaced with a simpler approach. Needs to be removed from existing pot upper layer soil and replace it with fresh one. True, this approach is allowed only when using a wide container for the plant, sufficient to accommodate all its roots.

To properly transplant Sansivieria, you need Special attention pay attention to the composition of the soil. According to most experts, it should be like this: 1 part humus and sand to 2 parts turf soil. Sometimes turf is replaced with leaf soil and peat, taken in equal proportions.

Technical features of the process

Choosing new pot, you need to take into account the fact that the mother-in-law’s tongue spreads out in breadth and not in depth. For this reason, we can only consider containers that have low sides but a very wide bottom.

The process of replanting a plant is as follows:

First, the mother-in-law's tongue needs to be thoroughly watered. If this is not done, you can cause damage to the root system, and it is quite difficult to remove the specimen from dry soil.
Place drainage and a layer of new soil into the prepared container.
Carefully remove the flower from the old pot. If necessary, you can slightly dig it up with something narrow, for example, a pencil.
Before planting the plant in another pot, you need to carefully separate the old soil from the root system with your hands. If rotten roots are found, they can be cut off and the sections can be disinfected. At home, it is recommended to use special means or crushed activated carbon.

In a new container, we place the mother-in-law’s tongue strictly in the center, after which we sprinkle the rhizome with soil. All roots must be hidden.
It is recommended to lightly trample and compact the soil, but there is no need to press hard.
After the flower transplantation process is completed, it is recommended to place it in partial shade and avoid watering for several days. If the manipulation was carried out correctly, the mother-in-law’s tongue will not react to it in any way.

The period of plant replanting is the most the right time for its propagation by dividing the rhizome. It is this approach that is the most effective of the amateur ones; you just need to act carefully so as not to damage the parts of the root used.

Mother-in-law's tongue flower, which is easy to care for at home, feels comfortable in any apartment or office space.

It attracts attention with decorative bright green leaves that look like a pike tail. Hence the second name of the houseplant. This unpretentious succulent can have different colors and shapes depending on the species. Let's look at how to care for a flower and what signs and superstitions are associated with it/

The scientific name of mother-in-law's tongue is Sansevieria. However, people call it differently:

pike tail;
Snake skin;
devil's tongue
leopard lily;
dragon tongue;
Hindu sword;
Sansevieria.

The houseplant mother-in-law's tongue is a succulent with a powerful root system ending in hard basal leaves. Its homeland is the subtropics; it grows naturally on the coasts of Asia, America, and Africa. In total, about 55 varieties of Sansevieria are known, and about 10 species are bred at home. Depending on the type of crown with sharp leaves its elongated shape can reach up to a meter in height.

Some types of sansevieria have a waxy coating on the leaves, while others have foliage with a variety of spotted colors. The houseplant pike tail blooms with greenish-white stamens collected in small inflorescences on a long peduncle.

When flowering, you can smell a noticeable vanilla aroma. Fruiting at home is rare. In the photo below you can see how mother-in-law's tongue blooms.

Popular varieties

The mother-in-law's tongue flower is loved by many for the decorative colors of its large leaves. Depending on the variety, the foliage can be yellow-green, spotted, with white, brownish or light green shades. Also the leaves different types may be long, flat, thick, round, sword-shaped or wide. Sometimes the foliage does not grow upward, but blossoms into different sides or creeps along the ground.

Most popular in indoor floriculture The following varieties of Sansevieria are considered.

Three-lane. It is distinguished by medium-width dark green leaves, along the sides of which there are yellowish stripes.
Liberian. Dense and wide dark green leaves (usually six in number) are slightly curled at the base and have light green streaks on the sides.
Pick. The rosette consists of thin leaves dark green, covered with white specks and a brown frame.
Graceful. Dense greenish-gray leaves grow from a dry stem and have light streaks.
Duneri. About 20 thin, pointed leaves grow from the rosette, reaching a height of up to 40 cm.

It is important to know. Regardless of the species, all sansevieria do not like it if the tip of their leaf is broken off. After this, the growth of the leaf plate slows down, it may dry out or turn yellow.

Selection of location and conditions of detention

A succulent accustomed to harsh conditions natural conditions, feels at ease in any apartment or office. The only thing you should remember is the love of mother-in-law’s tongue for warmth, light and moderate watering.

Lighting and location. The flower is considered light-loving, but also feels comfortable in partial shade. It is better to place pots on east or west windows. On southern windowsills you will have to shade the flower from direct sun rays. With a lack of lighting, the decorative effect of variegated specimens decreases.
Temperature. The plant can be kept at a room temperature of 16-25°C. The pike tail tolerates heat well and can withstand cold temperatures down to 5-7°C indoors.
Air humidity. Sansevieria feels best in an atmosphere of dry air. IN summer heat It is advisable to spray the flower with water from a spray bottle, wipe the leaves damp cloth. Also in summer you can take the flower out onto the balcony, into the garden, and keep it outside until September.
Suitable soil. Suitable for growing are either purchased universal soil for succulents, cacti or decorative foliage plants, or prepared independently. For planting, you can mix 2 parts of turf with 1 part peat and 1 part sand in a container. Drainage made of expanded clay, pebbles or clay shards should be poured into the bottom of the pot.
Potty requirements. The powerful roots of the mother-in-law's tongue spread out to the sides, so the pot must be stable, heavy, wide and shallow. Ceramic or clay, plastic with thick walls will do. When replanting, take a container 2-3 cm wider than the previous one, deepening the leaves as shown in the photo below.

Home care

Caring for the undemanding indoor flower consists of regular watering, loosening the soil, replanting as it grows and applying fertilizers. The smaller the flower, the easier it is to care for it, however, large specimens grow well on windowsills even for inexperienced gardeners.

Watering. The succulent does not need frequent watering; overwatering and stagnation of moisture in the pan cause rotting and the appearance of fungal diseases. In summer, it is enough to water the soil once a week as it dries; in winter, one watering per month is enough. The water should be at room temperature. Do not allow moisture to enter the leaf rosette.
Feeding. The flower grows well even without fertilization. Fertilizing allows you to enhance leaf growth and improve decorative appearance plants. From May to September, once every 2 weeks you can fertilize it with liquid mineral additives containing phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen.
Loosening. The plant prefers to grow in loose, well-permeable soil for cacti or succulents. You can’t loosen it too much; you can damage the numerous roots near the surface. Mother-in-law's tongue also does not require mulching to retain moisture.
Trimming. The flower does not need formative pruning; it is also better not to pluck or trim leaves that have dried out for various reasons.
Transfer. There is no need to replant the pike tail often; on average, it is enough to carry out the procedure once every 3 years. However, sometimes replanting is necessary if there is rapid thickening with new shoots or the container is completely filled with roots, and they crawl to the surface, in drainage holes pot. The plant is replanted in the spring, from March to April, completely replacing the soil in the container and separating the daughter shoots.

It is important to know. In winter, the plant should not be allowed to touch the cold window glass with its leaves - this will lead to frostbite and death.

Reproduction methods

There are several ways to propagate mother-in-law's tongue. Moreover, monochromatic varieties are propagated by cuttings, shoots or dividing the rhizome, while variegated varieties are propagated only by dividing the root into parts.

Leaf cuttings. The leaf is cut into pieces, the pieces are inserted into moist soil, and rooted. The procedure is carried out in the spring.
Rhizome division. The plant is removed, the root system is cleared of soil, and the root is divided into 2-3 parts. Make sure that each one has a growth point. The sections are sprinkled with crushed coal. The cuttings are planted in the soil and moistened.
Reproduction by shoots (shoots). The children are separated from the mother plant with a sharp knife, making sure that part of the root remains, and are planted in pots.

Landing rules

Planting with seeds is practically not used, but if they exist, you can sow them, cover them with film, and place them in a warm place. Shoots will appear in 2-4 weeks. After germination, the seedlings are plucked, and when they become stronger, they are planted in separate pots.

Planting purchased or perennial plant produced by transplantation.

The pot is selected according to size.
Buy or prepare the soil yourself.
Pour drainage onto the bottom of the container and a layer of soil.
Place the plant, sprinkle the sides with earth, lightly tamp with your fingers.
Water and place the pot in its permanent place.

Diseases and pests

Sansevieria are resistant to pests and diseases, but heat and dry air reduce resistance to thrips, spider mite, mealy worms. Insects are fought with soap or tobacco solution, spraying with Fitoverm, Actellik, Decis.

It is important to know. The plant can become sick if it is not taken care of in a timely manner or due to frequent watering. The signal will be yellowing or dropping leaves, the appearance of spots due to sunburn or overwatering.

Signs and superstitions associated with the flower

There are many signs associated with the mother-in-law's tongue flower. Basically, they are associated with the medicinal properties of the plant. Sansevieria is known for:

absorbs negative energy;
purifies the air in the room;
destroys harmful bacteria and microbes;
absorbs dust particles;
helps normalize metabolism;
helps treat colds, headaches, and combat pressure changes.

Basic negative signs associated with the saber-shaped leaves. Some believe that the flower can bring scandals and conflicts into the family. There is also a superstition that sansevieria blooming in winter means trouble.

Most of the signs are interpreted positively:

the pike tail absorbs the negative energy of the home, emitting positive and calming energy;
summer flowering symbolizes good luck in business and new beginnings;
the appearance of a flower in the apartment helps to improve relationships in the family;
if a person is sick, he needs to touch the leaves of sansevieria - this will help drive away the disease and feel an influx of strength;
mother-in-law's tongue helps get rid of loneliness, you must have it to find your soul mate;
By buying (or better yet, stealing) a flower, you can increase career, improve memory and gain a sense of self-confidence.

In offices, apartments and even in spacious store rooms you can often find a well-known indoor plant - “mother-in-law’s tongue”. This flower is unpretentious, effective and therefore is popular not only with flower growers, but also with designers. The plant has more than 60 species, all of which may differ slightly in leaf shape, rosette or color. This is a fairly strong plant, does not require care, grows quickly and easily attracts sympathy. Sansevieria, which is the name of the familiar “mother-in-law’s tongue”, is a flower that received its name in honor of the Italian prince, patron of botany San Seviero.

Originally from the tropics

The flower belongs to the agave family. Its homeland is Asia and Africa, countries with tropical and subtropical climates. Local residents use this plant in many ways - it serves as a living fence, is used in folk medicine and is used as raw material for making ropes and fabrics. Here and in others European countries sansevieria - home plant, which serves only for aesthetic beauty. It is popular everywhere, and each country has its own simple “home” name. In the USA, sansevieria is called “snake skin”, in England - “leopard lily” or “devil’s tongue”, and in Germany they will tell you that it is “African hemp”. In our country, for its long leaves it was called “mother-in-law’s tongue”; the flower is sometimes also called “pike tail”.

This plant is accustomed to living in harsh conditions, so it does not require special attention. The only thing you should not forget is that Sansevieria is African, so it needs warmth, a lot of light and moderate watering.

The flower has a very well developed root system. The roots are long, thick and very strong. The upper part is no less developed - the leaves can reach a meter in length, they are dense, heavy, and there are many of them. Therefore, you should choose a pot for the plant that is heavy and durable, but not necessarily spacious.

The plant should be watered no more than once a week in summer, and in winter 1-2 waterings per month are sufficient. “Mother-in-law’s tongue” flowers do not require special care and are very tenacious, but are afraid of cold and excessive moisture. Because in winter period the temperature should not be lower than 5 degrees Celsius. When watering plants, you need to make sure that there is no stagnation of water in the pot, so be sure to take care of drainage. You should not water the flower if the top layer of soil is not dry. It is better to allow the soil to dry out than to allow it to become too wet.

Bloom

Many owners mistakenly believe that this plant does not bloom and is propagated only by cuttings, but this is not so. The “mother-in-law’s tongue” flower begins to bloom at the moment when the conditions for its maintenance are most optimal. The plant throws out a tall arrow with a panicle, on which small and discreet buds are located. The flowers themselves are very delicate and exude the same delicate aroma; they will delight the owner for at least a week. You can see the blossoming “mother-in-law’s tongue” (flower), a photo of it in our article. At the end of flowering, berries with seeds are formed, which may well produce new life. We will tell you a little later how you can get a plant this way.

Plant replanting, soil

The indoor flower “mother-in-law’s tongue” grows especially quickly during the first 5 years of its life. Therefore, it is recommended to replant it every spring. A small but stable pot will do. The soil should consist of a mixture of sand, turf and leaf soil in a ratio of 1:2:2. Remember to have reasonably good drainage. Replanting an adult plant in subsequent times should not be done often - once every 2-3 years.

Top dressing

Mother-in-law's tongue flowers require minimal care and also do not require frequent feeding. It is better to choose a fertilizer for cacti, or any other complex mineral fertilizer, but at the same time reduce the dose by half. You need to fertilize the soil no more than once a month in spring and summer, but in winter you don’t need to feed it at all. Sansevieria is a plant in Africa, and the soil there is not rich in nutrients, so it is important not to overdo it with fertilizer. Excess nutrition can adversely affect the color of the leaves, and the flower will lose its attractiveness. Everything is good, but in moderation.

Reproduction

The plant reproduces quite simply, but you also need to take into account what species your “mother-in-law’s tongue” belongs to. A flower (you can see photos of its various types in this article) that has a yellow edging on its leaves will require some knowledge about proper reproduction. Otherwise, the new plant will not have yellow stripes.

The plant is usually propagated by cuttings, dividing roots or leaves. Everything is simple with a cutting - you should separate it from the mother plant, lightly dry the cut and plant it in prepared soil. Root system Fully grows in 2-3 months.

Propagation by dividing the roots is also simple: divide the rhizome into parts, leaving a green rosette on each, and replant it in a new pot with prepared soil.

You should act a little differently if your mother flowers “mother-in-law’s tongue” have a yellow edging on their leaves. Reproduction in this case should only be by leaf. Separate a healthy and strong leaf from the mother plant and make an oblique cut from the bottom, at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. Such a cutting should be placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, but so that only the yellow corner of the leaf is in the water. It is on this that the root should develop. The leaf should also be planted with its yellow corner in the ground so that a root will grow from it. As soon as new shoots emerge from the ground and develop sufficiently, the leaf can be cut off. This method is suitable for most species.

Propagation by seeds

Your “mother-in-law’s tongue” has bloomed, the flower has produced seeds, and are you planning to get new plants? Great. Prepare the soil as described above, sow the seeds, cover with film and place in a bright and warm place. After approximately 14 days, shoots will appear. As soon as they become strong enough, they should be planted in separate pots of 1-2 sprouts and cared for as for an ordinary plant, observing all the conditions.

Problem solving

Sansevieria is a strong plant, but no one is immune from trouble. The most common problems you may encounter are pests and rot from improper watering.

If you find dark brown or light silvery spots on the leaves, then most likely your plant has been attacked by thrips. Carefully inspect the lower parts of the leaves; you will probably find tiny insects. It is imperative to get rid of them; they feed on the sap of the plant and can cause quite severe damage. If this happens, spray your mother-in-law's tongue with Karbofos. If the damage is minor and there are few insects, then it is quite possible to use the “home” method. Prepare the emulsion: add a little to the water laundry soap and chopped garlic clove. Stir well and wipe the leaves with this mixture.

You can often see that the leaves of the plant have turned yellow, began to fade, and often the cutting itself begins to rot. This is most likely the result of overwatering. If the damage is minor, remove the yellowed leaves and replant the plant in a new pot. When a cutting is affected, there is only one way out - cut it off, root it and replant it. You can also use the leaves of the plant for planting if the cutting is very damaged.

Nature in your home

There is never too much greenery, and an excellent option for most rooms or homes would be a “mother-in-law’s tongue” - a flower. You already know how to care for it. It is also a very useful plant for humans. Sansevieria perfectly purifies and heals the air, and is believed to carry positive energy and evoke positive emotions. That’s why “mother-in-law’s tongue” is often located in places where there are large crowds of people: clinics, theaters or schools. This flower has medicinal properties. Tinctures and decoctions are prepared from its roots to boost immunity, freshly squeezed juice is instilled to treat otitis, and a paste from the leaves is applied to burns and treated wounds. And the “pike tail” is an excellent decoration that will bring a piece of Have a good mood to any corner of your home.

The flower world is so rich and diverse that it’s tempting to buy some representative of the flora for your apartment. People with everyday experience say that it is extremely undesirable to grow sansevieria (pike tail flower) at home. Allegedly, it provokes family troubles, quarrels and swearing. Just like a real classic mother-in-law! All this is fiction. Feel free to get a pike tail! It has been proven that in homes with this flower there is no negative, tense atmosphere; fresh air, because sansevieria is a champion in absorbing pathogenic microbes. It is credited with magical properties to stimulate the functioning of brain cells. And for flower growers, “mother-in-law’s tongue” is a real find that does not require exhausting care.

Home care tricks

Sansevieria prefers eastern and western warm rooms.
The light falling on the plant should be bright or moderate. However, in bright light, variegated species may fade.
In summer room temperature perfect for a flower, in winter 16-18 degrees will be enough.
“Pike tail” grows in an earth mixture of leaf and turf soil with sand. A ratio of 4:2:1 is considered the most optimal. It's good to add peat or chopped moss.
Watering is carried out regularly throughout the year once every 3-4 days in the summer, and in winter it is reduced to 1-2 times a month. The flower does not require spraying. This view is wonderful for a long time lives without water. If overwatered, the base of the leaf begins to rot.
Since Sansevieria tolerates cramped conditions well, frequent replanting is not required. If you decide to replant the plant, you need to, taking into account the massiveness, length and weight of the leaves, select the right pot. It may be tight, but it must be heavy. A young flower in the active growth stage is replanted every spring, and then the interval is reduced to once every 3 years.
Feeding is carried out if a stop in the growth of sansevieria is noticed. It is optimal to use fertilizer for cacti and succulents.

If you follow these basic rules of care, you will soon be able to see the “pike tail” blooming.

How does “mother-in-law’s tongue” reproduce?

If you are lucky and the flower blooms, wait for the berries to appear and collect them. This is one way to grow another “cuckoo’s tail”, but it is very doubtful from the point of view of success.

To properly propagate a flower, you need to know what species it belongs to.

Traditionally, Sansevieria is propagated by cuttings, leaves or roots.

Cutting We separate it from the main plant, dry the cut a little and plant it in the prepared soil.
We share rhizomes for a few individual elements each with a green rosette and planted in a new pot.
Healthy powerful sheet Wash thoroughly, cut into several pieces of 3-5 cm each with clean scissors or a knife and immediately place in a container.

Sansevieria with a yellow rim on the leaves requires a slightly different approach. With conventional cuttings, these individuals do not retain varietal characteristics. For successful propagation we use the leaf method.

Sansevieria - beautiful unpretentious plant. Use it to decorate your home while enjoying the rich green tones of mother-in-law's tongue.