Spectacular anthurium: its meaning and content. What kind of care does it require, what to do when it has faded?

• January 9, 2019
• Flowers
• Efimova Anastasia

The anthurium plant is considered one of the most unusual and exotic to keep at home. This representative of the plant world came to us from the tropical zone of South America, which means that creating a suitable microclimate for it in an apartment is not so easy.

But flower growers are not afraid of difficulties, because this plant literally attracts the eye with its bright shiny foliage and extraordinary “waxy” flowers. It is for the shape of the bud that the anthurium got its name - from Greek it is translated as “flower-tail”. The inflorescence looks like a spadix, around which a bright cloak of red, white, green or deep burgundy is spread.

Anthurium picks up color well even at home: in cold periods there can be 3-4 flowers on a bush, in warm periods - up to 8-12. The fruits are juicy, fleshy berries. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Novice gardeners often ask why anthurium blooms with small flowers. As a rule, this phenomenon is observed several years after purchase, and every year smaller and smaller inflorescences appear on the plant. So why do anthurium have small flowers? In order to answer this question, you must first find out how to properly care for the plant and in what conditions to keep it.

Popular types

There are several types of anthurium that are especially popular among home plant lovers, namely:

1. Andre is an epiphytic (naturally grows on the bark of trees) plant with a short stem, bright heart-shaped foliage (white, all shades of green, burgundy or speckled). The most popular species for home breeding.
2. Anthurium Scherzer. An epiphytic plant with dense green leaves up to 20 cm long of different shapes (depending on the specific variety). The peduncle grows from 15 cm to half a meter, the ear is spiral. The berries are orange-red.
3. Baker's Anthurium. A low epiphyte with a short stem and belt-shaped narrow leaves up to half a meter long. The leaves are green on the front side, covered with reddish specks on the back. The inflorescence cover is leathery, light green, and small in size. Cob – up to 10 cm long. The berries are small, scarlet in color.
4. Anthurium Hooker. An epiphytic plant with large green leaves with black speckles, growing in a rosette. The bedspread is narrow and green. Peduncle – 45-90 cm.
5. Climbing. Epiphyte up to 90 cm tall with bright leathery oval leaves. There are black spots on the inside of the leaf. The peduncle is small, up to 6 cm, green or red. The blanket is green, up to 15 cm long. The color of the fruit depends on the variety.
6. Multi-dissected. This is a vine with palmately dissected leaves with wavy edges. The peduncle often reaches 25 cm in length. The berries are red.
7. Crystal. A plant with large, broad, heart-shaped leaves, velvety and with a white vein on the front side. The peduncle is up to half a meter, the cob is usually half that size.

Now, to answer the question why anthurium has small flowers, you need to find out how to properly maintain it.

Characteristics and description of the flower

Anthurium is a tropical plant that can be found in nature in South or Central America. Information about the flower first appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, but the plant did not gain popularity due to the fact that it required maximum attention and compliance with the rules of care.

Anthurium was grown only in special greenhouses, where temperature, humidity and lighting standards were observed. Later, with the advent of new, more adapted hybrid varieties, the popularity of the flower began to increase. Now it is impossible to imagine an amateur gardener who would not be familiar with anthurium.

The evergreen perennial plant belongs to the Araceae family. Refers to herbaceous or shrubby representatives of the flora. It has aerial roots, the tips of which are on the surface of the soil.

The height of anthurium ranges from 50 to 80 cm. In the collection of the family you can find about 800 species of anthurium, so the appearance of individual varieties may differ.

Watering

Watering needs to be balanced, without waterlogging or drying out the soil. The first is much more dangerous, since the roots will rot. Therefore, it is important to always drain the water remaining in the pan.

In summer you need to water the flower every three days; in winter it is recommended to moisten the soil once a week. But this may not be enough, since in winter apartments are often hot and dry, and the soil dries out quickly.

Optimal air humidity is 70%. Therefore, you need to spray the flower regularly, and also wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.

Anthurium does not like lime water - it can react to it by yellowing the leaves. Therefore, for irrigation it is necessary to use clean melted or filtered lukewarm water.

Leaf diseases

Why do Anthurium leaves turn yellow? What to do?

May occur during natural aging. In this case, the color of one or two lower leaves changes. These gradually dry out and fall off. To improve its appearance, it is recommended to rejuvenate the anthurium.

If the plant is young and the leaves are already turning straw-colored, it is quite possible that the flower is receiving too much light. To fix the problem, just move the pot to a less lit place.

The color becomes pale with a yellowish tint even with a lack of sun, if the flamingo stands far from the window. You can equip the place with additional lighting or simply move the flower to the windowsill of the western or eastern window.

Drying

The flamingo stands in a draft, is kept in constant coolness, and lacks moisture in the soil or external environment.

Appearance of spots

• Large spilled brown spots indicate frostbite.
• Beige dry specks are evidence of the activity of the sun's rays, which caused burns. Shading or changing the location will save the plant from further damage.
• Spots of different diameters covering any part of the leaf surface may indicate a pest invasion, especially when growth stops at the same time. If the new leaves become excessively large in size, and any marks form on the more mature ones, then we are talking about an excess of fertilizers in the soil.

Why do the tips of Anthurium leaves dry out?

The most obvious reason is that the air in the room is always dry, which causes the plant to suffer. You can increase the humidity by regular spraying and installing a tray filled with wet stones such as pebbles or expanded clay. Have you followed all the recommendations, but the edges are still drying out? This means that the roots of the delicate epiphyte do not receive oxygen. You should change the soil by adding loosening components such as pieces of brick, charcoal, pine and fir cones, and perlite.

Read also: Is it possible to prune a climbing rose in the fall?

The flower is drying

Usually this is a sign of physiological aging of the inflorescence; it dries up and forms a fruit. Also, the cause may be excessive dryness of the soil and air, excess light and sunburn.

The leaves of the flower turn black. Male happiness

This problem occurs when the calcium content in the soil is high. The soil must be changed to fresh, high-quality soil and the application of fertilizers must be reduced in the future.

Flowers turn black

Anthurium really doesn’t like this! Pick off any damaged flowers and remember the lesson so you don't repeat the same mistake again.

The leaves are curling

In this way, the tropical resident is protected from unfavorable environmental conditions, namely:

• drafts
• lack of light
• direct rays of the sun
• arid air.

Wilting foliage

Loss of turgor occurs due to rotting of the root system.

Urgent resuscitation of a sick flower is required. It is removed from the soil, the roots are washed in warm water to completely remove dirt and carefully inspected. All affected parts are cut off, and the remaining parts are dried in air for at least 30 minutes. During this time, the soil is completely replaced with fresh one, and the pot is disinfected in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

Soils and fertilizers

Why do anthurium have small flowers? Care plays an important role, and here the correct choice of substrate for planting and regular feeding should not be underestimated. The soil for the plant must be loose and with good drainage. Soil mixtures intended for orchids are well suited for anthurium. You can also use soil made from deciduous soil, peat and sand with pieces of pine bark.

Fertilizing is applied only during periods of intensive growth, that is, in winter and summer. Frequency – once every two weeks. You can use both mineral complexes (in the form of solutions) and organic fertilizers, such as chicken manure.

Transfer

Inexperienced flower growers can come up with their own answer to the question of why anthurium has small flowers. Some of them think that this is due to incorrect or untimely transplantation. In fact, this is rarely true. Due to mistakes during replanting, the plant may turn yellow, fail to gain color, and even die. Whereas anthurium often has small leaves and flowers for other reasons.

The plant still needs to be replanted: after purchase - after 10 days, young specimens - annually, mature plants - once every three years.

Pest damage

The succulent stems and leaves of anthurium are hearty food for many sap-sucking parasitic insects. The plant can be affected by aphids, thrips, scale insects, and spider mites.

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Aphid

A “classic” parasite of garden and indoor plants. Yellowed, wilted or curled leaves of anthurium are the main signs of aphid infestation.

There are a huge number of chemicals on sale to combat aphids; they can be purchased at any specialty store. The most famous of them are Aktellik, Fitoverm, Akarin, Aktara. You can also use a traditional remedy for aphids - treat the plants with a solution of warm soapy water or tobacco infusion.

Young aphids reproduce very quickly on succulent leaves and stems of indoor plants

Spider mite

This microscopic arthropod cannot be seen with the naked eye. Its size is only 0.5–1 mm. Nevertheless, such a baby can cause a lot of trouble. Spider mites feed on the sap of host plants. When infected by a pest, anthurium stops developing normally, the affected leaves turn yellow, which subsequently leads to the death of the plant.

Diagnosing spider mite infestation is simple. These small parasites secrete a secretion that resembles a spider's web in appearance. When cobwebs appear on the leaves, it is necessary to urgently take control measures. First of all, it is necessary to get rid of the culprits of the disease. The best way to do this is to rinse the plant under running water. Then it is necessary to treat the leaves with one of the insecticides (Vertimek, Fitoverm, Akarin, Molniya ) . The best way to do this is to cover the plant with a plastic bag and then leave it under cover for 2-3 hours.

Unfortunately, after 3-4 days the young growth will hatch from the soil, and the treatment will have to be repeated according to the same scheme. Anthurium will need to be treated 2-3 more times at weekly intervals.

Spider mites are clearly visible only under a microscope

Shchitovka

These harmful sap-sucking insects are a real disaster for indoor plants. Scale insects are reliably protected from external influences by a special “shell”, so they are not easy to get rid of. Scale insects are visible to the naked eye. They cause the appearance of black spots on the leaves, wilting and subsequent death of the plant.

If you notice signs of anthurium being damaged by scale insects, place the plant in “quarantine” so that it does not infect its healthy counterparts.

To get rid of scale insects, they are cleaned by hand from the leaves and stems with a soft cloth. After this, it is necessary to treat the plant with special chemicals (Actellic or Fosbecid), following the instructions. Be careful - these drugs are toxic! It is better not to carry out processing indoors.

An anthurium stem affected by scale insects is cleaned with a soft cloth.

Thrips

Small, no more than 1 mm in size, sap-sucking parasites. Signs of anthurium infestation by thrips are in many ways similar to aphid infestation. These are withering, yellowing leaves, in addition, small black dots can be seen on the underside of the leaf.

The main method of combating thrips is treating the plant with specialized chemicals. Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to remove all parts of the plant affected by parasites. It is also advisable to get rid of the top layer of soil, as it may contain thrips eggs. Treatment must be carried out several times: 3-4 treatments every 7-10 days.

For greater efficiency, it is recommended to spray the plant in a plastic bag; you can leave it like that for 2–3 hours. This will allow for the best possible treatment of thrips.

Gallery: different stages of thrips development and signs of plant damage

Plants suffer not only from adult thrips, but also from their larvae and nymphs

Under optimal conditions, thrips can double their population in 4–6 days

The main symptoms of anthurium being damaged by thrips: rapid wilting, yellowing and dying of foliage

Reproduction

The easiest way to propagate anthurium is by apical cuttings - they are rooted in damp sand and covered with film to create a greenhouse effect. Such plants need to be ventilated daily.

It is more difficult to propagate a flower by dividing a bush, as the roots can easily be damaged. However, this is many times easier than trying to grow anthurium from seeds.

To do this, cross-pollination is carried out during the flowering period, and the resulting fruit, after ripening, is removed with tweezers. Then it ripens for another 6-8 months, after which the seeds can be sown in loose soil and wait for sprouts.

So why do anthurium have small flowers? There are actually not many reasons, so you can find the source of the problem quite quickly.

Malnutrition

There is another reason why anthurium has small flowers and leaves. The plant may gradually weaken due to a simple lack of nutrients. This happens due to a lack of fertilizing or due to soil depletion. What to do in such a situation?

The solution is obvious: you need to transplant the flower into a pot with fresh substrate. If this happens during the flowering period, or it is not yet time for the plant to move to a new apartment (according to the time intervals indicated above), then the anthurium must be replanted using the transshipment method. That is, choose a slightly larger container and move the plant into it without shaking the earthen ball. And pour fresh substrate on the sides and top. After a couple of weeks, the plant can be fertilized with mineral or organic fertilizers.

Anthurium - why small flowers. It looks like an adult flower, I’ve had it for 2 years, and the cieta on it are getting smaller

The main thing is that your anthurium is alive! Plants do not grow or do not bloom or bloom poorly or do not bear fruit only because the conditions of their maintenance do not correspond to those necessary for their development... Usually this is one or more of the following indicators: Illumination (low - too high), illumination time (light too long or short day), insufficient or excessive watering, too large a pot (the plant grows bark mass, not greenery) or not enough soil (the plant has outgrown the pot - only roots), not enough organic, mineral substances in the soil. Some plants do not like drafts, and some cannot tolerate the presence of, for example, gas combustion products in the atmosphere (i.e. they cannot be placed in the kitchen with a gas stove...).

So, after all, it’s not a matter of hormones, especially since your anthurium is already 2 years old. It just definitely lacks 1) light (flowers usually shrink when there is insufficient lighting) and 2) since the plant is a potted plant, it is imperative to give the plant, especially a flowering one, fertilizer 2 times a month in the summer and 1 time a month in the winter!

If you bought Dutch, then this is natural and applies not only to anthurium. Grown on hormones

Flowers can become smaller for the following reasons: - lack of light - lack of nitrogen fertilizer - small pot ANTHURIUM NEEDS A LOT OF LIGHT (daylight hours are at least 10 hours)

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Natural aging

There is another option why anthurium has small flowers. The reason is the natural aging and gradual degeneration of an adult plant. Interestingly, mature specimens look different from different gardeners. For some it will be a lush and green bush with crushed inflorescences, for others the number of flowers will be reduced to 1-2.

But overall the picture will not be very happy. Anthurium will lose its exotic appearance, turn pale, and its stem will become bare. In the future it will simply stop blooming.

In this case, the plant needs to be healed and rejuvenated. The operation consists of removing the ground part so that a pair of aerial roots remain on the cutting. At the same time, the plant is replanted and a little growth stimulator is added for good rooting.

The young shoot must be kept at a temperature of +20-22⁰ and regularly sprayed with warm water.

Why is this happening?

One of the common causes of this problem is the natural aging of anthurium . During this period, the plant trunk becomes bare, and the flowers become small and pale. If you want to keep the plant looking beautiful, you need to carry out a rejuvenation procedure.

1. Using pruning shears, cut off the top part of the anthurium with 2 or 3 aerial roots.
2. Next, plant it in a separate pot with soil.
3. The young plant needs to be sprayed, watered in a timely manner, and the average room temperature maintained at +200C.

The following is a detailed list of other reasons why anthurium flowers may be small and pale.

Fungus

This plant is extremely rarely affected by pests due to its toxicity. But the fungus often attacks anthurium. A problem arises due to non-compliance with care requirements. There are several of the most popular types of fungus that appear on anthurium.

• Fusarium. The flowers become pale and the foliage turns yellow. If no action is taken, the anthurium will die. The disease can also be detected by sideways curvature of the trunk and noticeable darkening at the base.
• Anthracnose. Appears at high humidity and temperature. The buds do not fit, the flowers lose their brightness. Gray spots with a yellow border appear on the leaves.
• Rust. One of the signs is small and pale inflorescences. The problem can also be diagnosed by light yellow marks on the top of the leaves and brown spots on the inside of the leaves.

Important! If you find a fungus, be sure to treat the entire bush with any of the available fungicides (Maxim, Topaz, Previkur, Trichodermin).

After treating the bush with a fungicide, the following measures should be taken:

1. Remove all affected parts, and spray the green parts with a solution containing a growth stimulator (Epin, Zircon).
2. Remove the anthurium from the pot and inspect the roots, removing all diseased parts.
3. Sprinkle the sections with crushed activated carbon.
4. If the size of the root system has decreased, transplant the anthurium into a smaller pot.

Pests

Pests rarely attack anthurium , but if the plant is damaged, it will be:

• scale insect;
• thrips;
• scale insects;
• aphid.

Aphids accumulate on young inflorescences and shoots. Thrips are dangerous because they multiply quickly. Scale insects are sucking insects. Larvae and adult females suck young shoots, leaves, and buds. One of the results of pest infestation is shredding and paleness of the inflorescences.

It is best to combat parasites with the help of special chemicals. These are Fitoverm, Actellik, Akarin, Karate, Iskra.

You can learn more about diseases and pests that can affect anthurium from special material.

Drafts

If the anthurium leaves curl and the flowers decrease in size, this is a sign that the plant is exposed to drafts. The pot needs to be moved to another place, but at the same time it is necessary to provide a constant flow of fresh air (so that the anthurium “breathes”).

Soil depletion

Anthurium flowers begin to shrink and fade when the soil is depleted.

To keep the plant healthy and pleasing to the eye with beautiful flowers, it is recommended to use a loose, moisture-proof substrate to create high-quality soil . Combine in it:

• peat;
• moss;
• turf land;
• or create a substrate from pine bark and sphagnum.

Improper watering

The appearance of small flowers can also be caused by improper watering. An excessive amount of moisture causes water to stagnate in the pot, the root rots, and this affects the condition of the entire plant. Dry soil causes the anthurium to wither and inflorescences not to form.

Lack of fertilizers

Anthurium requires fertilizer constantly, especially in the first years of life. In order for this plant to develop well, it is necessary to apply fertilizer regularly, preferably once every 3-4 weeks.

If there is a lack of fertilizer, the plant will not fully develop, which means the flowers will become small.

Excess fertilizer is also dangerous for anthurium. For example, the abundance of nitrogen in the soil causes excessive branching and lack of flowering.

Priming

To plant a plant, the soil must be slightly acidic, loose and saturated with useful substances . The roots will be provided with oxygen, and the anthurium will thank you with lush, bright flowers.

Reference! Peat is not suitable for a perennial plant, as it will stop the plant from blooming.

Hypothermia

Anthurium is sensitive to temperature changes. If there is a sharp drop or the plant gets hypothermia, it may be affected by rot or fungus. Therefore, it is necessary to control the temperature in the room where the anthurium grows; it must be at least +16 degrees.

Incorrect lighting

It is necessary to avoid direct sunlight on the plant , but there must be diffused lighting. If you place an anthurium in the sun, it may not bloom at all. In addition, burns will appear on the leaves and the flowers will be pale.

Other articles on the site will help you grow a beautiful and healthy plant, from which you can learn about the reasons why anthurium does not grow well, what to do if the flowers begin to turn green, as well as possible diseases of the leaves and what to do if they turn black or dry out.