Bizarre flowers – they make up the face of a Strelitzia. With them, this perennial stays in your memory and its bright colors are reminiscent of a vacation in exotic climes. How to properly care for this plant, read below
How do I properly care for a Strelitzia?
To properly care for a Strelitzia, regular watering with low-lime water, sparing fertilization with complete fertilizer every 14 days, overwintering the plant in a cool and bright room during the winter and careful repotting every 3 years in spring are required. Do not cut back radically.
What should owners of this plant pay attention to when watering?
The large and often numerous leaves of the parrot flower evaporate a lot of water. Therefore the earth dries out quickly. It is therefore important to water regularly and ideally with stale or low-lime water - if possible with rainwater. The water should also be warm.
In the growth phase, which begins in May/June and lasts until September, increased watering is required. Water when you notice that the top layer of soil has dried out! The root ball must never dry out! At the same time, you should make sure that there is no accumulation of moisture! Excess water should be able to drain away unhindered. In winter you generally water this plant less.
Which fertilizers are suitable and at what intervals is fertilization done?
Fertilizing Strelitzia regularly is extremely important. However, it is important not to over-fertilize them, which can happen quickly. Over-fertilization leads to flower failure.
Keep the following aspects in mind when fertilizing this plant:
- every 14 days is enough
- fertilize sparingly
- do not fertilize at all in winter
- Use complete fertilizer
- Add liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water
- Fertilizer sticks can be used alternatively
How do you overwinter this plant?
In winter, the Strelitzia needs rest in order to gather strength for its flowers in spring. Therefore, place them in a bright but cool room from mid-September. For example, winter gardens and stairwells are suitable for overwintering. Room temperatures between 10 and 14 °C are optimal. A wintering quarter that is too warm can lead to flower failure.
Should the Strelitzia be cut?
You should never cut back the Strelitzia radically! If you are bothered by too many leaves, tear them out with a jerk so that no stump is left. You can also remove old flowers.
When do you repot a Strelitzia?
If the pot has roots, the soil has been used up, the roots are sticking out of the drainage holes at the bottom or out of the soil at the top, then it's time to repot. This is usually advisable every 3 years in the spring after overwintering. Be extremely careful when doing this! Otherwise you could injure the delicate roots of this plant.
Tip
Check the parrot flower regularly! It is occasionally attacked by scale insects, especially in winter. They are mostly located on the underside of the leaves.
