Distinctive features and recommendations for keeping zamia at home, advice on breeding, disease and pest control, interesting facts, types. Zamia (Zamia) belongs to the genus Cycad or as it is also called Cycas or Sago palm, which combine gymnosperms of the flora, the number of which is close to 90 species. Zamia is also assigned to the type family of the same name Zamiaceae, and about 58 species are also included there. Their native area of growth falls on the territory of the American continent, namely in its southern, central and northern regions. You can easily find these plants in the tropical or subtropical climates of these areas.
This example of the green world of the planet owes its name to the translation from Latin of the word “zamia”, which meant “loss” or “loss”. The hollow cones of conifers had the same name, and the outlines of its reproductive organs, which are called strobilus, were associated with them. They are very similar in their contours to the dummy cones of coniferous trees.
Representatives of the Zamiev family have a small height, which directly depends on the type of plant - both 2-3 cm and three-meter sizes. The surface of the trunk is smooth and most often it is located under the soil. The massive trunk has barrel-shaped or elongated tuberous outlines and a leaf rosette crowns its apex, consisting of loose-pinnate leaf plates. Often, the trunk is covered with scars from fallen leaves.
The arrangement of leaves in the zamia is another, which characterizes this particular genus. The formation of leaves does not occur simultaneously, but one after the other. The leaf plates of the zamia are distinguished by a glossy and leathery surface, their shape is oval, they are whole-edged or there is a jaggedness along the edge. At the base, there is a division into two lobes, different in width. On the reverse side of the leaf there are sharply defined veins running parallel to the edge and to each other. From the very beginning, the color of the foliage is light green, but over time it changes to an olive color. The petiole is often distinguished by a smooth surface, but occasionally it is covered with a few spines.
Since the plant is dioecious, when the zamie reaches adulthood, the so-called megastrobils begin to form in female specimens. They consist of corymbose stropophylls, with a whorled arrangement. Each of these formations bears a pair of hanging ovules on the underside of the scutellum. The male specimens have microstrobilis. The plant has a very low growth rate and, when kept indoors, it is almost impossible to wait for flowering.
Agrotechnics when growing zamia
- Lighting and location selection. The plant shows wonderful growth rates in bright, but diffused light, when the sun's rays hit the foliage only in the morning or evening hours. They will not be able to bring zamie troubles in the form of sunburn, therefore, to grow this palm, the pot is installed on the window sills of windows with an eastern or western location. If the plant is in a room with a southern orientation, then you can put a pot with a drop one meter deep in the room or glue tracing paper on the glass, which will scatter direct sunlight. Translucent curtains are also hung or curtains made of gauze are made.
- Content temperature. Zamia feels most comfortable when the thermometer readings fluctuate in the range of 25-28 units. With the arrival of autumn, it is desirable to lower the temperature to 14-17 degrees. It is important to remember that this palm tree absolutely does not tolerate air stagnation in the room where it is grown, so you will need to carry out daily airing. But the main thing is that the plant does not fall under the influence of drafts and cold air currents. The plant is not recommended to be placed next to heating devices in winter, and many flower growers are puzzled over where to place the place at this time. The best option would be a greenhouse or a winter garden, but if this is not available, then an insulated balcony or loggia will come to the rescue. With the arrival of summer heat, you can take the pot with a palm tree out into the open air, but first take care of shading at noon and protection from drafts and wind.
- Air humidity. The plant calmly tolerates dry indoor air, but will gladly respond to spraying with soft and warm water in the spring and summer. With the arrival of autumn, they are not carried out, especially if the thermometer readings are lowered. You can wipe the sheet plates with a soft, slightly damp cloth. In the summer, when the thermometer readings are too high for zamiya, you can arrange a warm shower by rinsing its leafy cap with jets of water. It is necessary with this plastic wrap to cover the soil in the pot.
- Watering. In the spring-summer period, it will be necessary to moisten the soil in a pot with a lot of water in order to prevent drying on the surface of the substrate. With the arrival of autumn days and throughout the winter, the palm tree is watered less often, but they make sure that neither complete drying nor waterlogging of the soil in the flowerpot occurs. This is especially important when the plant is kept in cool conditions. Water is used only soft and at room temperature.
- Fertilizers for zamia, they are brought in from the beginning of spring activity until the end of summer days. Regular feeding every 3-4 weeks. Complex fertilizers are used for decorative deciduous indoor plants. With the arrival of autumn, they stop fertilizing the palm tree.
- Transplant and selection of suitable soil. Since zamia grows very slowly, the change of the pot and the soil in it is carried out as needed, in the spring or summer time - only once every 3-4 years. It is important to perform this operation until the moment when the active growth of the palm tree begins. Small holes are made in the bottom of the new container so that excess moisture leaves the pot, but these holes should be of such a size that drainage material does not spill out through them. The drainage is laid on the bottom of the pot 2–3 cm. It can be medium-sized expanded clay or pebbles, as well as broken ceramic or clay shards. The substrate is selected nutritious, well-structured, the density should be medium. You can use a ready-made soil mixture for palm plants or prepare the substrate yourself by mixing equal parts of sod soil, leaf and humus soil, peat soil and river sand. Also add a little finely crushed and sifted granite chips.
- Pruning palm trees are not carried out due to the fact that its leaves grow unevenly, but follow each other. Each sheet can be waited for a long time, so the zamia is practically not touched. However, unlike other plants, in which pruning contributes to bushiness, then by shortening the leaves by 10–20 cm from the substrate, there is a possibility of ruining the plant.
Recommendations for self-propagation of zamia
You can get a new palm by sowing seed or cuttings.
During vegetative propagation, a young shoot is selected and carefully separated from the zamia and planted in a small pot with a diameter of about 7–9 cm, filled with a peat-sand mixture. Then the cuttings are covered with plastic wrap or placed under a cut bottle. The cuttings are ventilated daily for 10-15 minutes, and the soil in the pot is kept moist, preventing it from drying out too much. When the cuttings show signs of rooting, it is necessary to transplant them into large pots, on the bottom of which drainage material is laid, and then a suitable soil is poured.
Seeds, which are very similar to small cones, are sown on the surface of a light substrate (you can also peat-sandy), poured into a planting container. Then the seeds are sprinkled with a little the same soil (the depth of planting the seed should be equal to half of its diameter) and cover the container with a lid or a piece of glass, you can wrap it in plastic wrap. It is necessary not to forget to carry out daily airing of the seedlings and if it is necessary to moisten the soil from a finely dispersed spray bottle. As soon as the sprouts hatch, and a pair of real leaves are formed on them, they will need to be planted in separate small pots with more suitable soil and drainage at the bottom.
Pest and disease control
Of the problems that arise when keeping a lock in a room, the following can be noted:
- with a long stay in direct sunlight, the plant's foliage turns pale;
- if not a native new shoot appears in a year, do not worry, since the growth rate is very low and this is a natural process;
- when the soil is constantly in a waterlogged state, this will inevitably lead to decay of the root system of the zamia;
- if dry brown spots appear on the leaf plates, this indicates insufficient soil moisture or a lack of minerals;
- when in winter the zamia began to fade, and the base of the stem rotted, then the reason for this was waterlogging with low thermometer readings;
- the possibility of watering with cold water or not enough water can cause a sudden drop of foliage.
It is important to remember that at the break, the leaves of the plant secrete a toxic substance, therefore, after carrying out the operations for caring for the knee, you need to wash your hands in order to prevent this substance from getting on the mucous membrane. This is especially true for small children or pets who like to try everything on the "tooth". From the symptoms of poisoning with this toxin, vomiting, intestinal upset and drowsiness can be distinguished, and this is not the whole list. Therefore, when installing a pot with this palm tree, it is necessary to provide for this aspect.
Of the pests that annoy the zamia, one can single out the scale insect, aphids and spider mites. At the same time, brown dots appear on the back of the leaf lobes, and soon all the leaves and petioles, as well as the stem (if it looks out on the surface of the soil), will begin to cover a sticky sugary bloom (waste products of the pest). You can see green or black bugs or punctures in foliage and a thin cobweb. Over time, young leaves grow deformed, and old ones turn yellow and crumble. If at least one of the listed symptoms is found, then you will need to carefully remove harmful insects with a toothpick, and then wipe all the leaves and petioles with a cotton pad with soap, oil or alcohol solution. If the infection is very strong, then an insecticidal treatment should be carried out.
Interesting facts about zamiya
Plants of the zamia genus were used by the American Indians to make clothes from the leaves, also do not forget that this small palm tree has toxic properties and should not be installed in places where small children or pets can have access.
Types of zamiya
- Zamia pseudoparasitica (Zamia pseudoparasitica) is an evergreen plant that can grow up to 3 m in height. If you measure the leaves of an adult specimen, they are close to 2 meters in length, there is a petiole covered with rare thorns. The leaf plate is pinnate and the leaf lobes have linear shapes, ranging in length from 30 to 40 cm with a width of up to 2.5 to 3.5 cm. On the reverse side of the leaf fragments, longitudinal veins are sharply distinguished, the edge of the leaf is jagged. Most often found in tropical rainforests, it can grow as a terrestrial representative of the flora or climb the trunks of other trees, as an epiphyte. The native habitat extends to the lands of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. It has a very low growth rate.
- Powdered zamia (Zamia furfuracea) can be found under the name of Zamia scaly or Zamia scaly. It is also an evergreen representative of the flora, the outlines of the trunk are turnip and it is almost completely invisible from under the soil. It is crowned with a leaf rosette, composed of leaves ranging in length from 50–150 cm. The color of the foliage is gray-bluish. When the zamia is very old, then its trunk may bare a little and becomes visible above the surface of the substrate, while its height reaches only 20 cm. The shape of the leaf is feathery, very reminiscent of bird feathers. Leaf lobes with oblong or ovate-oblong outlines, rather dense with a leathery surface, on the underside there are several well-defined veins running parallel to the edge. Their number on a leaf reaches 12-13 pairs. The leaves are covered with thick whitish scales, for which the second name of the plant went. Well, the first name has to do with the appearance of this scaly coating, from a distance the leaves, as if powdered with a whitish substance. When the foliage is young, these scaly formations are present on the upper side, but over time they remain only on the bottom. The native area of distribution falls on the lands of Mexico and Verocruz. The plant is so popular among gardeners and florists that it is grown as a pot culture not only in the countries of the American mainland, but this variety can also be found on the other side of the planet - in the southeast and east Asian regions, which include Thailand, Japan and Singapore.
- Broad-leaved zamia (Zamia latifolia) is a stunted plant that never sheds its deciduous mass. The trunk in this variety can also be underground or slightly rise above it, has thick tuberous outlines. Its height is equal to 10 cm. There are one or two pairs of leaves crowning the top. Their length varies from half a meter to meter indicators. The leaf lobes have oblong-oval outlines, and they vary in length by 15–20 cm with a width of up to 5 cm.
- Dwarf zamia (Zamia pygmamaea). It is a miniature plant with evergreen foliage. The stem is small in size, most often located below the soil surface and reaches 25 cm in length with a thickness of only 2-3 cm. Leaves vary in length within 10-50 cm. There are also strobilas (modified stems or their parts on which sporangia are located), reaching a length of 2 cm, if they are male. Female strobila, in turn, approach 5 cm. The seeds are very small - 5–7 mm.
- Siliceous zamia (Zamia silicea) for some reason, she is sometimes called the dwarf Zamia. It is endemic to the Cuban regions - in Isla de Pinos. Its stem is completely buried in the soil. Leaves are spread over the surface of the ground, and their number varies within 3-5 units. This species has adapted to feed on substances coming from the tuberous underground stem.
- Florida Zamia (Zamia floridiana) has an elongated and elongated root process. A male strobilus is placed above the surface of the substrate, while the female is growing in a supine position. The leaves of this variety are smooth and leathery. The trunk can reach average lengths.
What the zamia looks like, see this video:
[media =
