If you adhere to proper nutrition, then avocados are probably in ...
In indoor floriculture, there are not so many plants with black flowers, one of them is Tacca. These flowers cannot boast of a completely black color either, but very dark, deep shades of purple or dark brown against the background of shiny green leaves look even more spectacular. The shape of the flowers, or rather the inflorescences located at the top of a long peduncle, is also very unusual.
In nature, takkas tend to grow in a wide variety of environmental conditions. They settle in open and heavily shaded areas, in savannas, in thickets of bushes and in rain forests. Takku can be found on the sea coasts and in mountain rainforests, sometimes at an altitude of up to 2100 m above sea level (takka Chantrier - T. chantrieri). Takka grows on a variety of soils: on sandy and stony substrates, on gravel, loam, clay soils, on limestone and volcanic rocks.
Many people unknowingly call takka an orchid, but it has nothing to do with the orchid family. tropical plant takka belongs to the takka family. Takkovye - perennial herbs with creeping or tuberous rhizomes, equipped with vessels of a primitive type. Young parts of the tacca, as a rule, are pubescent with tiny hairs that disappear as the organ matures. Takka tends to have not a large number of leaves and inflorescences on each plant. Her leaves are all basal, large, on more or less long ribbed fleshy petioles, entire or strongly dissected. Tacca flowers are bisexual on short pedicels collected in an umbellate apical inflorescence surrounded by a veil of 4 bracts, in most cases located in 2 circles. Some types of takka in inflorescences have long (up to 25 cm) filiform drooping bracts, the so-called "whiskers", which give the flower an external resemblance to the muzzle of an animal.
Perianth of 6 free segments arranged in 2 circles (segments of the inner circle are darker colored), or fused into a short tube, somewhat corolla. Stamens 6, arranged in 2 circles and attached to the perianth by short helmet-like filaments. Some species have nectaries or nectary glands. The fruit is a berry, and only in one species - takka plantain (T. plantaginea) - a loculicidal box. The resulting seeds in takka are quite numerous, up to 5 mm long, light or dark brown.
Since ancient times, people have used as a valuable food product mealy tubers of tacca leontopetal, containing a very large amount (up to 25%) of starch. Takka tubers are peeled, rubbed and thoroughly washed several times with hot and cold water to remove the bitter and poisonous substance takkalin contained in them. The starch obtained from the taki tuber is usually used for baking bread, making marshmallows, halva, and puddings. Sometimes taki starch is mixed with other ingredients, such as the juice of young coconut, and used to make healing drink. In African countries, the pulp of takki berries is also eaten. True, these berries are mainly eaten by children; in Polynesia, hats and fishing nets are made from the fibers of the stems of the leontopetal tacca. soft leaves and inflorescences of the tacqui Chantrier are eaten, and medicine is prepared from the rhizomes. In Malaysia, the tuberous rhizomes of takka are used as a remedy for snake bites.
Plantain takka, growing in mixed forests along the banks of rivers in South China and Thailand, is used in Chinese traditional medicine. Some types of tacca are bred and as ornamental plants: violet and brown-purple tones of inflorescences are perfectly combined with bright greens of large leaves. If you decide to buy a takka, then you should work hard to find it. Even in the largest flower shops of the capital, it is rightfully considered a rare exotic and is just beginning to win hearts and recognition among flower growers, in other cities it is almost impossible to buy tacca, but you can try to find it in some private greenhouses. Desperate to find this overseas "scarlet flower", some amateur flower growers are trying to grow tacca from seeds, fortunately, they can be purchased from online stores.
Takka is a very beautiful ornamental flowering plant, but so far quite rare. Exotic connoisseurs decorate takka own houses in such a way that it is guaranteed to attract attention. Thus, all "Ohs" and "Ahs" go to her.
Takka care at home
For a native of tropical rainforests, you will have to create a warm, humid climate and homes. Lighting should be bright, but diffused. Watering should be plentiful and regular. Special attention when caring for takka at home, it is necessary to pay attention to the size of the pot, it should not be excessively large, since with abundant watering the water will stagnate, which can lead to rotting of the roots. In order not to spray the plant twice a day, it is better to put the pot on a tray of wet gravel or use a household humidifier.
The temperature even in winter should not fall below +18 °C. Top dressing is done monthly with special fertilizers for orchids. Takku is transplanted in early spring every 2-3 years, using a soil mixture with the obligatory addition of semi-decayed leaves, peat and foam balls. Plants are propagated by division of the rhizome.
Takku is called the "white bat" for the spectacular leaves of the "bedspread" of white color, similar to outstretched wings.
Features of caring for takka
substrate Choosing the right soil mix for takki is very important. The substrate for planting takka is taken loose, with good aeration and a slightly acidic reaction. The soil mixture for takka is made up of the following components: 60% high-moor peat, 30% perlite and 10% vermiculite.
Fertilizer for takki can be used both soluble and "long-playing". Too dense substrates are not suitable for a tropical beauty. At the bottom of the pot, takka provide good drainage.
Air humidity Spray takka at least twice a day. To increase humidity, you can put the takka on a pallet with wet expanded clay or use humidifiers. It is permissible to arrange from time to time a takke steam “bath” - put at night in a steam-filled bathroom. To do this, turn on hot water and fill the bathroom with steam, place your takka there, leave the light on at night - you will see how the takka perks up, as it loves moisture and warmth very much.
Watering Choice optimal mode Watering is very important for the correct and harmonious development of the plant. Takka needs high humidity, but moderate watering! To check the moisture level, press 2 fingers not very deep into the soil, if soil crumbs stick to your fingers, then the plant has enough moisture, if your fingers are dry and free from crumbs, then your plant needs watering.
In summer - abundant watering with soft settled water, perfect option if the water is boiled, because, as experience has shown, 3-5-day settling of water does not bring the expected result - both chlorine and salts remain in the water and can harm your takka. From autumn, watering is reduced, in winter it is watered carefully, allowing the substrate to dry by 1/3 of the volume, preventing overdrying and waterlogging of the earthen coma. It is very important not to flood the takka, otherwise you will not notice how the tuber starts to rot and it is unlikely that it will be possible to save the plant. Plants are fertilized from spring to mid-autumn. Takka is fed once every two weeks with flower fertilizer, the concentration is halved from the recommended one. Some flower growers recommend feeding tacca with orchid fertilizers. In winter, the plant is not fed.
Transfer Takka does not like to be confused and neglected. Therefore, when transplanting, excess leaves and roots, as well as children, are removed from it. Takku is transplanted as needed in the spring, about once every two to three years, when the roots completely fill the pot, into a container slightly larger than the previous one. Planting tacca in too large pots can lead to overflow and, as a result, acidification of the substrate. It is allowed to cut the rhizome of the tacca with planting in the same pot.
Tacca breeding
Takka is propagated by seeds and division of rhizomes. You can buy takka seeds in an online store specializing in the sale of seeds of exotic plants. The fresher the seeds, the better the germination. To grow takka from seeds, soak the takka seeds for 24 hours in warm water (water temperature is about 50°C, so that you can comfortably keep your hand in it). You can use a thermos to keep the water at a constant temperature while soaking. Sow in trays, pots, etc., using quality seeds and placing them in a greenhouse or a warm spot with an optimum temperature of 25-28 degrees. It is important that the soil temperature is constant and high enough.
For sowing takka seeds, use flat trays and clear plastic caps. Put pots with crops on subsoil heating. Sow quality seeds to a depth of 2 mm, cover with a plastic bag or a transparent plastic dome on top to maintain moisture. Do not use ordinary planting soil for crops - it is too heavy and prevents normal breathing and water access to the seeds. Heavy soil can kill tacca seeds. Place some sphagnum moss on top and spray it daily, maintaining Greenhouse effect for better seed germination. The soil must also be shed with water to better development root structure, but not too abundantly so as not to "flood" them. Germination of takka seeds can take anywhere from 1 to 9 months, so be patient. Don't throw away your seed trays thinking they won't germinate.
When dividing the rhizomes of takki, the aerial part is preliminarily cut off - a short stem with leaves. With a sharp knife, the takki rhizome is divided into several parts, the cuts are sprinkled with charcoal powder, and after drying for a day, they are planted in small pots. New shoots grow from dormant buds on the takka rhizome. As soon as the seedlings hatch, do not rush to remove the protective film, wait for the second tier of leaves and continue to maintain a high temperature. And when the takka seedlings grow up, they should be transplanted into small pots with well-drained soil.
Special Requirements Dust should be regularly removed from takka leaves with a damp soft cloth or sponge.
Pests and diseases At proper care takka is rarely affected by pests and diseases. With excessive dryness of the air, to which the takka is very sensitive, a red spider mite may appear on it. Excessive watering provokes the development of rot on the taka.
Takka is one of the most unusual exotic plants due to its unique flowers, which are actually inflorescences.
Their strange and unique beauty is perfectly conveyed by such names as: “flower bat”, “white dove”, “devil flower”.
Originally exotic from areas of Southeast Asia, India, Malaysia and the tropics South America where it grows in a wide variety of natural conditions.
And although Takka looks like orchids, it has nothing to do with this culture - perennial belongs to the Takkov family.
Only 3 related species belonging to the genus Tacca are known in culture, which differ primarily in the color of the upper pair of bracts.
In Tacca nivea (photo 1), the upper bracts are snow-white, in Tacca integrifolia they are creamy green, and in the main character of this article Tacca Chantrieri(photo 2) all bracts are burgundy-black.
The flowers of the plant face upwards, and their petals are folded in such a way that they look like a white dove or bat wings in flight.
In the center are drooping filiform bracts resembling a mustache and reaching a length of 25 - 30 cm.
They give the inflorescence an unusual resemblance to the muzzle of an animal. Flowers have a delicate pleasant aroma, and their flowering lasts about 6 weeks.
A few shiny large green leaves, located on fleshy long roots, are quite decorative. The listed species can reach from 40 cm to 1 m in height and up to 60 cm in width.
Growing a flower "bat" at home
Due to the lack of frost resistance, the plant in our climate is grown only at home or in greenhouses. Despite the fact that the amazing perennial is a rare and unknown guest in indoor gardening, caring for it is not so difficult and not only experienced gardeners can do it.
Lighting and temperature
Ideal conditions are bright diffused light and the complete absence of drafts. Most of all, western and eastern exposure is suitable for growing Takka.
Heat-loving exotic feels comfortable at 25-28 ° C in summer period and a temperature of about 20 ° C in winter. And although the plant is afraid of drafts, it needs to provide good air circulation.
Watering
In addition to lighting, great importance It also has the right soil and air moisture. The substrate in the pot should be well permeable and moist, but not wet, to prevent root rot. It is better to put the pot on a stand with fine wet.
Watering should be plentiful, but not frequent in summer and moderate in winter, but the air humidity is very high and constant. To do this, periodically spray the plant with warm water, and once every few days arrange a “bath day” by filling the bathroom with steam.
The need to moisten the substrate can be checked with a finger, deepening it into the soil by 2-3 cm. With sufficient moisture, the soil will remain on the finger. Water for irrigation should be rainwater or well-settled. Chlorine and others chemical compounds can cause irreparable harm to your pet.
Fertilizer
Fertilize once every two weeks during the growing season with a dilute liquid orchid fertilizer.
reproduction
The bat flower reproduces vegetatively or with the help of seeds, however, be patient - germination can take from 2 to 3 months, but there are cases when the seeds germinated only after half a year.
Sown in flower light soil with the addition of sand or perlite. Seeds are placed at a depth of 3-4 mm. While waiting for germination, keep the substrate moist and the air and soil temperature between 25 - 28 °C.
It is possible to lay out pieces of moss on the surface, which, after spraying, will maintain constant air humidity, while not forgetting to regularly water the substrate. Flowering occurs in young plants only for 2-3 years of life.
Reproduction by division of the rhizome is the most easy way. Flowering comes the next year. Before starting the procedure, be sure to cut upper part Takki. Parts of the rhizomes on sections are treated with charcoal powder and dried for 2-3 days.
Rhizomes are placed in pots and covered with a film or cut plastic bottle to maintain greenhouse temperature. As soon as sprouts sprout from sleeping buds and several leaves appear, the cover is removed.
Every 2-3 years, when the roots completely fill the pot, the bat flower is transplanted. The procedure is carried out in the spring, after flowering, in a slightly wider, but shallow pot, since root system expands to the sides, not in depth. You can cut the rhizomes and use the old container for transplanting.
Prepare the soil mixture from components that provide good water and air permeability. The ideal composition would be: 60% peat, 30% perlite and 10% tree bark or vermiculite. During transplantation, remove old dead rhizomes, you can cut off excess leaves.
Tacca chantrieri (Tacca chantrieri) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Tacca family. It is a tropical species that naturally grows in South-East Asia and West Africa. In its natural environment, takka is found on the banks of water bodies and in moist forests covering mountain slopes, mainly in areas with loose, fertile and breathable soil.
Due to its exotic appearance, takka has received many colorful names: "black lily", "black butterfly", "bat", "devil's flower". Indeed, this is one of the most unusual and bizarre plants presented to the world by the fantasy of the tropics.
Tacca flowers are framed by maroon, almost black, bracts that look like butterfly or bat wings with long tendril filaments. In indoor floriculture, this exotic plant while it is a rare guest, but it attracts more and more attention of landscapers. In order for a tropical beauty to grow healthy and delight with its amazing flowering, you need to know the main features of caring for her.
The most important condition for the normal well-being of takka is high humidity. Growing this plant in an ordinary apartment, it will have to be sprayed daily with soft and warm water. You can place the flowerpot in wet peat, expanded clay or sand. It is useful to periodically leave the plant in the bathroom after taking a bath or shower in it. Warm vapors will benefit the black lily, which grows in approximately the same conditions in its native tropical latitudes. Watering should be moderate and regular, using only soft warm water. It is impossible to allow both drying of an earthen coma and its waterlogging.
The plant does well in bright light with protection from direct sunlight. sun rays. However, it also tolerates shading well, developing normally even in the back of the room. In the apartment, the most suitable place for takka are the windows of the east and western direction. The room in which it is located should be well ventilated, while the plant itself must be protected from drafts. Black lily is thermophilic, during the growing season optimum temperature its content is about 25 °C. In winter it can be a little cooler, but not less than 18 °C.
Transplant Tacca Chantrier suffers painfully, so it should be done as rarely as possible (once every 2 to 3 years), preferably no later than the beginning of June. When composing the soil mixture, you need to remember the natural habitat of the takki. You can use ready-made soil for bromeliads or orchids, or prepare the substrate yourself. It should be loose and light, with good aeration and a slightly acid reaction of the medium. A soil mixture of the following composition is suitable: leafy soil, peat, perlite and crushed pine bark in the ratio 3:5:2:1. You can also add chopped moss, which will make the soil even lighter and more airy. Good drainage is essential, as stagnant water at the roots is detrimental to taka.
Tacca Chantrier is propagated vegetatively and by seeds. The vegetative method consists in dividing the rhizome. After removing the stem with leaves, cut the rhizome into pieces with a sharp knife. Places of cuts are sprinkled with fungicide powder or crushed charcoal. After drying the delenki during the day, they are planted in small pots. Over time, young shoots grow from dormant buds located on the rhizome.
The seed method of reproduction requires patience and some effort. In wet natural environment the fruits quickly rot, releasing the seeds, which are taken away by insects. In culture, the seeds are taken out from freshly harvested fruits, washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dried and sown in a light mixture consisting of leafy soil mixed with sand (proportion 1: 1). The sowing depth is about 1 cm. It is advisable to use the bottom heating, since the temperature for successful germination of takka seeds should be about 30 ° C. This process takes quite long time- up to six months or more. When the seedlings get stronger, they dive into separate pots.
Orchid Tacca, or as it is also called Tassa, belongs to the Dioscorea family. However, several decades ago, biologists began to attribute it to the family of such. The culture has about ten varieties growing in the tropical climate of India, Malaysia and South America. The people call the plant "white dove" because of the color of some flower combs, "bat" and "black lily".
General information
In its appearance, the culture is somewhat reminiscent of an orchid, although it does not belong to this family. It is a herbaceous perennial with a height of 40 centimeters to several meters. The inflorescences of the plant have a very unusual appearance and color. They can be white, black, purple, purple.
To grow an orchid at home, she should create a warm and humid microclimate, as in her native tropics, then there will be no problems with caring for the flower.
Species and varieties
- In the people, the orchid is called the "white bat." The plant has two bedspreads, reaching a length of up to 20 centimeters and having a white tint with purple strokes. The inflorescences themselves in this variety of orchids can be purple, black and purple. They are located under the cover. Bracts are long, resembling thin tentacles. The fruits ripen after flowering and look like berries.
- this orchid is also called tacca pinnatifida . Its homeland is Asia, Africa and Australia. The leaf plates of the culture are pinnately dissected, dark green, reaching a length of up to three meters. The inflorescences of the plant are large, with two petals-bedspreads of a light green hue with a pinkish edge. The flowers under the coverlet are green in color and small in size. Bracts thin and long dark purple. At the end of flowering, fruits in the form of berries begin to form.
- in the people culture is called the "flower of the devil." Its homeland is considered to be the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. The orchid is a herbaceous perennial, reaching a height of up to 120 centimeters. The leaves of the culture are dark green, large, wide, located on long petioles. The petals of the bedspread have a purple-burgundy hue, hiding under them small flowers framed by long, black bracts. This orchid variety is rare and endangered.
It is a herbaceous perennial with large pinnately dissected leaf plates of dark green color on long petioles. The inflorescences are greenish-purple of the umbrella type, located on a peduncle up to 80 centimeters long. Bracts of medium length, lilac-green hue. The fruits are round, bright red with pyramidal seeds inside. Flowering time is from November to July.
- is a perennial herbaceous plant with large leaf plates. The leaves grow from the rosette and have a palmately dissected shape. They are located on long petioles and have a dark green tint. The inflorescences are umbellate, placed on a long peduncle. Bracts ovate. The fruits are small, oblong with oval seeds. Orchid bloom time is from December to July.
- is a stemless herbaceous perennial. Leaf plates have long petioles and an oblong-lanceolate shape. The inflorescences are small, purple, collected in an umbrella, located on a peduncle up to 45 centimeters long. Perianths six lobed, fused into a tube. The fruits are round, ovoid with 18 seeds inside. Orchid bloom time is from January to June.
Orchid Tacca home care
In order for the orchid to please with its decorative effect and in the process of its cultivation there would be no problems, it needs to create special conditions that will resemble those in which it grows in the wild.
The orchid needs bright, diffused light. It is best to place it on the western or eastern windowsill. If it grows on a south window, it should be shaded with tulle. It is not recommended to place it in the northern part of the room, as the culture will suffer from a lack of lighting. It will slow down in growth and stop blooming.
Since Takka comes from the tropics, it needs a certain temperature to develop. AT summer time year, temperature indicators should vary from 18 to 30 degrees. With the onset of autumn, the temperature should be reduced to 20 degrees and maintained at this level until the onset of spring. In the room where the plant is located, it should be no colder than 18 degrees.
In addition to a suitable temperature regime, the culture has a beneficial effect Fresh air, so the room should be ventilated, while avoiding drafts.
For normal development, the plant requires high humidity, it will react extremely negatively to dry air. Install a humidifier in the orchid room and spray Takka regularly with a fine-dispenser sprayer.
A pot with a plant should be placed in a wide pan, pre-filled with moistened sphagnum. At night, from time to time it is recommended to arrange steam baths for the plant, placing it in a room filled with steam until the morning.
Watering Tacca
Watering the orchid should be plentiful, but at the same time it is necessary to ensure that the soil does not become swampy and does not dry out. This method of watering is only suitable for the time period from spring to mid-autumn.
In winter, the culture should be watered less often and only after the earth in the pot has dried by a third. Water for irrigation must be taken either distilled or well-settled.
Temperature indicators of water should not be below 20 degrees. If desired, the grower can use rain or melt water.
The dendrobium orchid is also grown in home care. If you follow the rules of agricultural technology, the plant pleases with a very beautiful flowering. You can find all the necessary tips for growing this orchid in this article.
Ground for Takka
The soil for orchids should be loose and at the same time have good breathability. For planting a plant, you can use the earth mixture purchased in flower shop, which is intended for orchids.
The soil can be made independently by mixing leaf and sod substrate, peat and sand in a ratio of 1:2:2:1.
Takka's transplant
The procedure should be carried out every few years, as the root system of the plant braids the soil in the pot. Transplantation is carried out by the method of transshipment. When carrying out the procedure, it must be taken into account that too much soil mixture can lead to waterlogging and rotting of the root system.
After acquiring a plant in a flower shop, it can be transplanted no earlier than a year later. For this purpose, the culture should be carefully removed from the pot along with the earth in a lump and transferred to a container that is a couple of centimeters different in diameter from the previous one, after laying a thin drainage layer of perlite on the bottom. Then you need to fill the voids in the pot with the prepared soil mixture, and also replace the top layer of the old soil with a new one.
It is better not to completely change the substrate, as this can damage the root system and kill the orchid. When the roots grow, during the next transplant, they can be divided into parts, using the resulting parts of the plant for propagation.
Pot for Tacca
The capacity for the plant at each transplant should be chosen a few centimeters larger in diameter than the previous one.
The pot is better to take a plastic one with drainage holes. There are no more capacity requirements for the orchid.
Fertilizer for Tacca
Feed the plant should be from spring to mid-autumn. Fertilize the orchid soil twice a month. In winter, when the plant has a dormant period, it is not fertilized.
Blooming Takka
Orchid inflorescences are bell-shaped or cup-shaped. They have a bright color and have an umbrella shape. They are surrounded by a veil consisting of four bracts arranged in two circles.
Some types of orchids also have long, thin bracts hanging down like tentacles.
The flowering time of the plant is also different and depends on the variety. But most often this period lasts from November to July.
Pruning Takka
The plant does not need targeted pruning.
The peduncle must be removed only after it has dried, and to maintain the decorativeness of the plant, withered leaf plates and faded inflorescences should be removed, but only if the goal is not to collect the seeds.
Caring for a takka orchid during dormancy
The dormant period of the culture begins at the end of autumn and lasts until the end of winter. To give the plant a full rest, watering should be reduced to a minimum, adding liquid only when the soil is one-third dry.
Temperature indicators also need to be reduced to 20 degrees, making sure that they do not decrease, as lowering them will lead to the death of the culture.
Spray the orchid once a week, and the humidity level must be maintained the same as during the growing season. Top dressing during the rest can not be made.
With the onset of spring, orchid care should be strengthened, returning to its previous course.
Propagation of Tacca by dividing the rhizome
The orchid is propagated by two methods: by seeds and by dividing the rhizome. In order to get delenki, the breeding process should be carried out during transplantation.
For this purpose, it is necessary to carefully remove the plant from the pot, shake off the soil and divide it into several parts with leaf plates and growth points.
Cuts should be treated activated carbon or fungicide. Then the resulting delenki must be planted in a permanent place of growth and provide them with careful care for the time of adaptation.
Takka growing from seeds at home
You can also get new, young orchids in a replaceable way. Before disembarkation seed material you should soak it for a day in warm water. So that the temperature of the liquid does not decrease, soaking must be carried out in a thermos.
Each seed should be sown in separate peat cups or in a common container with a light, loose soil mixture, retreating the distance between the seeds by 4 centimeters. It is not necessary to deeply bury the seeds in the ground. You can simply press them with your palm and sprinkle a little on top of the earth with a mixture. After that, the soil must be moistened by spraying it with a spray bottle and mulched with a layer of sphagnum, which then will need to be sprayed daily.
In order for the crops to be in greenhouse conditions, they must be covered with a film or glass. The air temperature should be at least 25 degrees, if desired, you can organize the bottom heating. It can take from one to nine months to wait for seedlings, so be patient.
If young plants are lethargic and weak, it is necessary to pour planting soil under the stems with a small amount of fertilizer. Shelter does not need to be removed until they are strong. Watering at this stage must be replaced by spraying.
After the young growth gets stronger, it should be planted in separate pots, in which there will be light, fertile, drained soil with 10% coarse-grained sand in it. Before adding sand to the soil, it should be washed and calcined.
Young orchids need to be cared for in the same way as adults, and with the onset of spring, they will need to be transplanted into large containers.
Diseases and pests
The culture is quite resistant to both diseases and pests. However, if you do not follow the rules for caring for a plant, this can affect its health.
- Orchids can develop root rot if watered incorrectly. caused by excess soil moisture. To save the culture, you need to get it out of their pot, shake off the earth from the roots, remove the rotted areas, sprinkling the cuts with crushed coal. Then you need to take new pot, lay a drainage layer on the bottom and transplant the plant into the prepared soil.
- Due to dry air, an orchid can be affected by a spider mite , which feeds on the juice of leaf plates and leads to their death. To destroy the pest, the flower should be treated with the Actellik insecticide according to the instructions on the package.
Conclusion
With proper care of the orchid and creating the necessary microclimate for it, the above problems will not be observed.
Takka or "Devil's Flower"
Tacca CHANTRIERI or Tacca Chantrier, Black Bat, Devil Flower - undoubtedly one of the most unusual flowering plants, originally from India and Malaysia, belongs to the Taccaceae family.
Takka is a rare curiosity, yet little known to flower growers. In tropical countries, tacca is called "black lily", "bat" for its exotic dark color and bizarre structure of inflorescences; use this plant in cooking and for performing magical rituals. Takka blooms and bears fruit almost all year round.
Tacca (Tassa) belongs to the tacca family (Tassaseae), which has 10 natural species from Southeast Asia and Africa are perennial herbaceous plants with tuberous or creeping rhizomes and large leaves on long ribbed petioles, collected on a short stem in a basal rosette. Takki stand out among other plants with the originality of the structure and color of flowers that are rare in nature: dark brown, purple, violet-black or greenish-violet. The dark color of the takka inflorescences, shading the brilliance of the cells in the depths of the flower, together with the smell (subtle, almost imperceptible to humans), attracts pollinating flies to the plant. But there are takki with more brightly colored flowers.
It was first described in early XIX century. An impressive rosette of Takka consists of wide glossy leaves (up to 35 cm wide, up to 75 cm long). Many peoples in Africa and Southeast Asia eat takka rhizomes (after special preparation) and its fruits.
The sight of the falling Takka flower is absolutely unlike any other you know! Perhaps the purpose of the Takka flower is to amaze and surprise. Just imagine something outlandish, opening its "wings" at the top of a thin meter stem!
The Takka flower consists of two "spreads", the flowers themselves are greenish-white, then darkening to red and purple-black, each of which is up to 20 cm wide. From under these "spreads" real Takka flowers look like thick purple buttons. And such an unusual spectacle is completed by long (almost 60 cm) threads of cord-like bracts hanging down like huge purple sideburns. Grandiose?! - not that word!
Among the beautiful shiny light green leaves of tacca (whole or pinnately dissected), high peduncles appear, on the top of which are umbellate inflorescences surrounded by large bracts of 5-10 unusual flowers with long thread-like drooping appendages. Seeds in takka are enclosed in a fruit - a berry-shaped box (purple, yellow or orange).
Takki various kinds grow on sea coasts and in mountainous tropical forests, some in savannahs (their aerial part dies off in the dry season and then quickly grows back with the onset of rains). The most common species are whole-leaved tacca (T. integrifolia), Chantrier tacca (T. chantrieri), finger-cut tacca (T. palmatifida). The height of plants ranges from 40 cm to a meter, with the exception of leontopetaloides (T. leontopetaloides), which in nature reaches 3 meters. For the most part, takki do not need a dormant period and grow and bloom well in rooms with good care, but still develop better in greenhouses and winter gardens.
Takka loves heat and humidity, she needs protection from cold and drafts. For this, plants allocate a bright place in the house, but protected from direct sunlight; it is undesirable that the temperature of the content in winter falls below 18 degrees (takka can die already at a temperature of 10 degrees).
Little tricks in caring for Takka:
First, pay attention to the size of the pot where you are going to place your outlandish beauty. The capacity of the pot should match the size of the root system of the tacca. Otherwise, waterlogging of a large-volume substrate can provoke the appearance of various rots in taka that can affect both its underground and above-ground parts.
Most often, tacca leaves are first affected: they haveblackening begins at the edges. In such cases, fungicides will have to be applied.
Recommended pot sizes for planting Takka: starting from 75 mm, then 140, 200, 250 and up to 300 mm. The use of larger containers for growing Takka is considered inappropriate. It is better to remove the overgrown plant from the pot, cut off the excess parts of the rhizome, separate the children, place the remaining rhizome back into the pot and add fresh substrate to it. Takka does not like the annual transplant; it is recommended to do this after two to three years.
Secondly, in temperate and subtropical latitudes, Takka absolutely needs a period of rest in winter, but you need to have time to prepare for it. Therefore, never undertake to transplant takka if there are no two or three warm months ahead for it. successful rooting. Untimely transplantation of Takka can lead to the death of its rhizome in winter.
A few more tips:
- For planting Takka, a loose, air- and moisture-permeable substrate is needed; the reaction of the mixture should be slightly acidic. The following mixture has proven itself well for growing Tacca: 60% peat, 30% perlite, 10% vermiculite (the amount of perlite in the volume of the substrate can be increased to 50%).
- For good Takki growth, it is important to keep the substrate moist, but not flood or overdry it. AT winter period water Takka gently: let the soil dry out a little between waterings. In summer, more plentiful watering of Takka is carried out. Takka's watering regimen is similar to watering orchids (phalaenopsis) or hoyas.
-Takka loves to soak up the heat (within 30ºС), but she is afraid of the open sun and prefers a shaded place without drafts. One of the most suitable places to place Takka may be where the rays of the setting sun fall. But even in this case, it is better to place Tacca behind a fabric that absorbs up to 70% of the light. Takka is suitable for growing in the garden only if you live in the tropics. All other flower growers are advised to keep Takka in a pot culture. In summer, weather permitting, Takka can be used as a container plant. In winter, it is not recommended to keep Takki below 18ºС.
- Even though Takka is afraid of drafts, she needs good circulation humid air. Therefore, it is recommended regular creation"mist" around the plant (use a humidifier or hand sprayer). Often the reasons for Takka's unwillingness to bloom and the appearance of pests (spider mites) are the failure to fulfill these conditions.
- Pay attention to fertilization if you want to get full blooms of Takka. Fertilizers require an increased content of the phosphorus component.
- You can propagate Tacca not only vegetatively, but also by seeds. Young plants obtained after vegetative propagation, begin to bloom at the age of two years, and takka seedlings bloom after the age of three.
Tacca. Sowing seeds:
Takki seeds are soaked for 12-24 hours in a fairly hot water(40-50°C) Sown on the surface of the earth, consisting of peat and perlite (vermiculite, sand). The seeds are pressed into the soil, sprayed with warm water, covered with a bag (film) and placed in a warm, bright place.
With proper sowing germinates within 8-12 weeks. However, germination can take up to 10 months.
When the first true leaf appears, the seedlings dive into individual containers. At this stage of cultivation, plants are very sensitive to chlorosis.
In summer, takka is regularly watered with soft settled water, preferably spraying twice a day and maintaining air humidity near the plant. Experienced flower growers periodically arrange a takka "bath", leaving the plant overnight with the lights on in a bathroom filled with steam. In winter, watering is reduced and takku is watered only as the surface of the soil in the pot dries up, otherwise rot develops.
During the period of active growth in spring, summer and autumn, takka is fed twice a month. It is recommended to feed takka with special fertilizers for orchids, but in their absence, conventional mineral fertilizers can also be used.
Every two years, takka is transplanted in early spring into a mixture of equal parts of peat chips and leaf humus; a more complex substrate is also recommended: a mixture of soddy, leafy soil, peat, sand (0.5: 1: 1: 0.5). A drainage device in a pot is a must. Tacca is propagated by dividing the overgrown rhizomes and seeds (seedlings bloom in three years).
With proper care, takka is rarely affected by pests and diseases. With excessive dryness of the air, to which the takka is very sensitive, a red spider mite may appear on it. Excessive watering provokes the development of rot on the taka.
