Presentation of the Spathiphyllum
Fact sheet : | |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Spathiphyllum wallisii |
| Family | Araceae |
| Other name | Moon flower, Faux arum, White veil |
| Ethymology | The name comes from the Greek spatha “spathe”, and phyllon, “leaf”, the inflorescence spathe resembling a leaf. |
| Origin | South America, Colombia |
| Dimensions | S. wallisii reaches 30 cm in height but can be up to 1m wide. The leaves and flowers of S. Mauna Loa ‘are larger and the plant can reach 1 m in height. |
| Flower color (s) | White |
| Leaf color (s) | Dark green |
| Appearance of flowers | The flowers bloom one after the other throughout the summer. It happens that it blooms in winter, if the humidity is very high. Their spathe and central spadix make them look like an anthurium. |
| Appearance of leaves | The leaves, lanceolate, oblong or acuminate, of a brilliant green, carried by a long petiole, are born in tuft at the foot of the plant. They have a very marked midrib, green, shiny and leathery. |
| Type of plant | Flowering plant |
| Vegetation | Perennial |
| Foliage in winter | Persistent |
| Flowering |
Culture sheet: | |
|---|---|
| Planting |
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
Jul.
August
Seven.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec. |
| Growth | Double in size in one growing season. |
| Exposure | Bright light, No direct sunlight |
| Ground | Drained, Good soil, Mixture of peat and sand |
| Humidity | Moderate |
| use | Pot, Planter, Tray |
| Multiplication | Division |
| Disease (s) and pest (s) | Red spider |
What light and ideal exposure for the Spathiphyllum?
Expose the spathiphyllums to a medium light. She must be diffuse, in excluding direct sun, but intense during flowering; at other times, it may be more moderate.
Spathiphyllums ” Mauna Loa “Requires more light than Spathiphyllums” wallisii “.
What is the ideal temperature for the Spathiphyllum?
Spathiphyllums need the normal room temperature. Do not expose them to less than 13 ° C (and for a short period).
They are drought sensitive : always leave the pots on a tray of damp chippings. Above 18 ° C, growth is uninterrupted, but it slows down a bit in winter.
shelter the spathiphyllum from fresh air currents, which cause the tips of the leaves to turn brown and dry out, causing vegetative arrest.
Watering the Spathiphyllum
Watering should be moderate : wet the mixture well, but let it dry on 1 cm between waterings. Water it 2 to 3 times a week in summer and only once in winter. Lends itself well to hydroculture.
If the temperature drops below 16 ° C, reduce watering, but never allow the mixture to dry out completely.
Ideal atmospheric humidity
She should be very strong, which constitutes the major obstacle to a culture accompanied by a beautiful flowering in apartment.
What soil and what type of fertilizer for your Spathiphyllum?
Pleases in a rich fresh soil. Composed in equal parts of leaf and peat potting soil with a little sand and charcoal debris to prevent rotting caused by humidity.
Regarding fertilization, give regular liquid fertilizer every two weeks from early spring to late fall. Maintain year-round fertilizer applications for plants grown in peat.
Planting and repotting the Spathiphyllum
Repot every spring (as soon as the clump takes up all the space in the pot) until the plant is housed in a 15 to 20 cm pot. Then, be content to renew the surface layer of the mixture annually.
Use a peat-based mixture or a substrate made up of an equal volume of potting soil mix, leaf potting soil and coarse sand or perlite to ensure good drainage.
How to multiply the Spathiphyllum?
It is practiced at the end of winter by dividing large tufts of leaves. However, it is difficult to obtain good results outside the greenhouse as both high humidity and good background heat.
To do this :
- Gently separate the rhizomes. Each segment should have at least 2 or 3 leaves.
- Plant them individually in 8 cm pots filled with one of the two recommended mixtures. Bury them at the same depth as the rhizome from which they come.
- Do not fertilize for three months, but give them all other care specified for adults.
Spider mites infest spathiphyllums if humidity is insufficient. Basin the foliage once a week, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves.
How to prune it?
No need to prune your spathiphyllum. However, you can remove dead leaves and flowers as they appear.
Plant cleaning
Clean the leaves with a damp cloth to allow them to retain their shine. Banish green plant polish.
Species and varieties of spathiphyllum: there are 36 species
The species S. wallisii, native to Colombia, is the most commonly cultivated one and measures 30 cm to 40 cm. It blooms twice in spring and autumn.
From this species come many hybrids that are often more floriferous (all year round), more resistant and with more decorative spathes. The most common is the ” Mauna Loa »Whose spadix is green, and larger (up to 80 cm) and white spathes only bloom in spring but its flowers are fragrant.
- ‘Mauna Loa’, vigorous, with large flowers and broad foliage.
- ‘Stephanie’, with very broad leaves.
- ‘Small’, a pretty miniature.
- ‘Vivaldi’, with very large husks.
- ‘Ceres’, very compact, dark foliage, long-stalked flowers.
- ‘Chopin’, opulent, clear, elongated, pointed foliage, very large spathes.
- ‘Cupid’, very bushy, glossy foliage, rounded spathes.
- ‘Mozart’, slightly disheveled, leaves long stalked, long oval spathes.
- ‘Quattro’, narrow, with leaves arranged in gradation.
The 7 tips to remember about the spathiphyllum
- The plant loves heat so much that it will flower normally only if the temperature, in winter, does not drop below 13 ° C and remains, if possible, much higher.
- Spathiphyllums also like humidity (drought fades the edges of the leaves and attracts red spiders).
- Basin the foliage, wash it often with a wet sponge.
- In summer, during growth, water abundantly and give fertilizer from time to time.
- Repot every year in the spring in peaty compost but don’t change the diameter of the pot each time: the plant likes to be a bit cramped.
- The multiplication is carried out by division of the tufts at any time except during flowering, the most favorable season being summer.
- Purchase, choose a plant that has either a flower or a flower bud and the leaves are a beautiful shiny green.
Spathiphyllums are related to anthuriums but are more easily cultivated. As with the latter, you can cut their flowers to decorate the house. If you have a humid greenhouse, you can grow them under shelves where they will flower well.