Washingtonia

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Video: Washingtonia

Video: Washingtonia
Video: Пальма Вашингтония (Washingtonia) 2024, March
Washingtonia
Washingtonia
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Washingtonia (Latin Washingtonia) - woody plant of the Palm family. In nature, Washingtonia is found in Western Arizona, Southern California and Western Mexico. The plant got its name in honor of US President George Washington.

Characteristics of culture

Washingtonia is a fast growing palm tree. Under natural conditions, the plant reaches a height of 25-30 m. The trunk is straight, rough, in the upper part it is covered with drooping leaves, which remain on the trunk for a long time and cover it with a dense “blanket”. The lower part of the trunk is smooth, with transverse ribs. The leaves are very large, linearly dissected, form a dense crown, divided into segments, between which a large number of curling filaments are formed.

The petioles are short, glabrous, gray-green or brownish, with back-curved and strong spines at the edges. The flowers are bisexual, collected in cob inflorescences, which are wrapped in drooping bracts. Fruits are spherical, fleshy, located on the axis of the inflorescence. Indoors, Washingtonia blooms extremely rarely, usually 12-15 years after planting.

Conditions of detention

Washingtonia is a light-loving plant, especially at a young age. Needs maximum illumination, with diffused shading from direct sunlight. It is advisable to locate Washington on the west and east windows. From time to time, the plant needs to be expanded, since it stretches towards the light, in this case the crown will develop evenly. If there is a lack of sunlight, it is recommended to use artificial lighting.

In the summer, Washington should be taken out into the fresh air, but protected from strong winds and precipitation. The culture does not tolerate stagnant air. The optimum temperature for keeping is 20-25C in summer and 10-12C in winter. At elevated temperatures and dry air during the dormant period, the plants begin to shed their leaves. In rooms with low humidity, plants require regular spraying with water or wiping with a damp soft cloth.

Care

Washingtonia needs systematic and abundant watering. Adult plants are able to tolerate a short drought. For irrigation, use warm water settled for 12 hours. In winter, watering is reduced. You should not overmoisten Washingtonia, excessive watering and stagnant water lead to rotting of the roots, as a result of which the plant may die. The culture is positively related to fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers are applied once every two weeks from March to October. It is not recommended to feed the plants in winter.

Reproduction and transplantation

Washingtonia does not give side shoots, therefore, the culture is propagated only by seeds. Sowing seeds is carried out in containers filled with a mixture of steamed sawdust, sand and moss in a ratio (1: 1: 1). Charcoal is often added to the substrate. Before sowing, the seeds are treated with sandpaper and soaked in warm water for 24 hours. The seeding depth is 1 cm. The crops are watered and covered with plastic wrap or glass. The optimum temperature for seed germination is 28C. Fresh crop seeds sprout in about 14-20 days.

Seedlings dive after the appearance of the first true leaf. Seedlings are transplanted into pots filled with a substrate, which is made up of light leafy and soddy soil, humus and sand (2: 1: 1, 2). In no case should the seeds be cut off from seedlings, since they supply young plants with nutrients. Washingtonian one-year-olds, as a rule, form 4-5 true leaves. The dissection of the leaf blade begins from the eighth leaf.

The Washington transplant is carried out in March-April. The transplant is performed as needed after 2-3 years. Plants 7-14 years old every 4 years, over 15 years old - every 5 years. The culture has a negative attitude towards transplantation, it is sick for a long time and slowly recovers. Therefore, a transplant should be carried out in the event that the soil has become unusable or the roots of washingtonia have taken up all the free space in the pot.

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