Abutilon is a fairly well-known flowering plant grown indoors. A large number of flower growers successfully grow and love this wonderful plant, lovingly calling it home indoor maple. Abutilon received its second name as a reward for its foliage, which resembles maple leaves in shape. People’s love for abutilon can be explained by its absolute unpretentiousness, ease of care, abundant flowering. Flowers come in a variety of colors, from snowy white to dark red. And the shape of the flower in different varieties is bell-shaped, double, simple.
Abutilon ‘Biltmore Ballgown’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com peacetreefarmstand
Various varieties have maple-like leaves with an unusual “marble” pattern, a wide white border, but most often the leaves are just green. It is not at all difficult to grow this wonderful flowering plant at home, special knowledge, skills and means are not required for this, so even a novice florist can take care of abutilon.
Abutilone (Abutilon), or Kanatnik, is a genus of evergreen plants of the Malvaceae family, consisting of more than 200 species.
Home care for abutilon
Indoor maple is very light-requiring. For successful growth and abundant flowering, he needs good lighting. However, it is better to avoid direct sun, the burning rays of the sun can cause burns to the delicate leaves of abutilone. In partial shade, the flowering of abutilon weakens, the shoots become elongated, weak, thin. If abutilone grows for a long time in partial shade, the decorative qualities of the plant are completely lost.
Abutilon ‘Rio-Rita’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Alina Chitova
Watering abutilones is necessary as the earthen coma dries. This plant does not tolerate complete drying of the soil, it immediately reacts to this, the leaves become lethargic and sag. In the summer you need to water every day, in the winter it is much less frequent. For irrigation, it is better to use warm, settled water. Water-soluble fertilizers should be added once every 10 days when watering. In winter, feeding should be reduced by halving the dose of fertilizer.
Since abutilone grows rather quickly, it needs a transplant once or twice a year with the addition of fresh soil. The most suitable soil composition for abutilon is a mixture of sifted leaf earth, peat, perlite or other baking powder. The ratio of the components is approximately 5: 3: 2. After transplanting, the plant should be thoroughly watered, drain excess water from the pallet, and put in a place protected from direct sunlight for several days.
To give the plant a more compact form, at the end of winter, it is recommended to prune the branches by 2/3 of their height. Pruning the abutilone will increase branching, therefore, the flowering of the plant will be abundant. The branches that were cut off can be rooted in two ways. They take root easily in a glass of boiled water, with the addition of an activated carbon tablet. The second method of rooting in a glass with a loose substrate, a glass with a planted cuttings needs to be covered with a bag, this will create more favorable conditions for rooting.
Abutilon ‘Souvenir de Bonn’, variegated form. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Serres Fortier
Growing abutilone from seeds
In favorable conditions, abutilone is able to bloom almost all year round. The most enthusiastic growers successfully pollinate different varieties of abutilones and get quite viable seeds. Indoor maple reproduces well by seeds, which can be successfully sown all year round. For sowing, use light, loose soil. Before sowing, the seeds of abutilon are soaked for 2 hours in a solution of a growth stimulator. The seed dish should be covered with a bag or foil, placed in a warm place. The first shoots will appear in 7 days. After that, the film must be removed and the container with the seedlings moved to a lighter place.
Sometimes abutilone is attacked by such pests as whitefly, aphids, scale insects, mealybugs. To combat these harmful insects, systemic drugs are used.
