Davallia is an ornamental epiphyte plant. This perennial fern is found in nature in tropical regions of Asia, including China and Japan, as well as in the Canary Islands. It is well cultivated in greenhouses and living spaces, subject to constant heating. Named in honor of a botanist of English origin E. Davalla.
Description of davallia
Under natural conditions, the fern reaches 1.5 m in width and 1 m in height, and in indoor plants it stops growing with a stem length of 45 cm. Due to the rhizome, abundantly dotted with white villi, it received the popular name "hare foot". On the root, you can also see scales of brown or brown shade.
Crohn is spreading. The leaves are openwork, bright green, strongly dissected, in most species of a triangular shape, although there are also oval or diamond-shaped ones. The stem tends to the bottom, which is why davallia is preferred to grow as an ampelous flower. On the back of the leaf plate are brown sporangia (the organ in which spores form, opening during the breeding season).
Types of davallia
There are 60 subtypes of the plant. Decorative species that can be grown not only in the greenhouse, but also at room conditions, are presented below.
| View | Description |
| Dissected | Triangular leaf blades of a light green hue on yellow petioles. Shoots are low. |
| Maries | Short, up to 25 cm high. Withstands a significant decrease in temperature, but not minus indicators. The roots are covered with white bristles. |
| Dense | The foliage is long, up to 50 cm, divided into sterile round and linear, containing sporangia. Petioles are brown. |
| Five leaf | Solid plates with a glossy sheen. Chocolate rhizome, villi are short and soft. |
| Bubbly | Sporangia are located on the tops of slightly swollen leaves. Color light green, spiral rhizome. |
| Fijian | Height up to 90 cm, openwork shape, dark green color. Regularly updates the shoots. |
| Canary | The most popular subspecies. The base is covered with brown scales and villi. The stems are bare below, covered with fine oval foliage from above. |
Caring for davallia at home
| Parameter | The necessary conditions |
| Location / Lighting | Position on the west or east window, protecting from direct sunlight. To scatter light and prevent burns, you can use tulle. |
| Temperature | All year round to provide temperature + 18 ... +22 ° C. |
| Watering | Water as the topsoil dries. In summer, moisten the soil more often. Use warm, settled water and a watering can with a narrow nose, or immerse the pot in a container of water, and then drain the excess liquid. |
| Humidity | Observe the rate of 50-55%. Spray from the spray boiled water, and also regularly put in containers with moistened peat, preventing wai rot. |
| Top dressing | Fertilize the soil mixture from May to August once every 2 weeks. Use top dressing for tropical species, reducing the dose by 3-4 times compared with the recommended. |
Transplant, soil
The planting pot should be flat and wide. To create drainage from expanded clay at the bottom. Mix the earth mixture from the following components in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1: 2:
- peat;
- river sand;
- turf land;
- sphagnum moss
- deciduous humus.
A transplant should be done every 2 years or once a year if the roots quickly fill the pot. The procedure can be carried out from March to April.
Breeding
Fern has no seeds; for reproduction, spores or parts of the rhizome can be used. The first method is more complicated:
- Spores mature on the back of the leaf. A dark shade indicates readiness for germination. If the color is appropriate, the spores should be scraped off and dried in a dark place for 48 hours.
- Prepare a low container filled with wet peat. It is recommended to sterilize the soil with boiling water or calcination: this will increase the likelihood of germination.
- Moisten the soil, spread spores evenly on its surface. Close the drawer or pot with foil and leave the container on the illuminated windowsill, in a room with a temperature of at least +12 ° C. After germination (occurs within 1 month) spray peat from the spray gun.
- Keep the sprouts under the film, airing daily for 15 minutes. Continue to moisten the substrate from the spray gun.
- If the seedlings are too close, peek out (to plant more spacious, taking with tweezers).
- Gradually increase the airing time and one month after the emergence of sprouts, finally remove the film.
A more effective and easy technique is rhizome division. Execution algorithm:
- Pull the adult plant out of the pot. Remove the earth from the roots.
- With a sharp, sterilized blade, divide the rhizome into parts of at least 7 cm with at least one leaf in each. Process the wounds with crushed coal.
- Seed parts in separate containers. For 1-2 months, pay special attention to new ferns.
You can use part of the plant to root: a stem or leaf. The result in this case is not guaranteed, but if the section is kept in a home greenhouse, it is still possible.
Problems growing davallia
Failure to follow the rules of care at home provokes wilting or decay of the plant. These and other problems, as well as measures to combat them, are presented below.
| Problem | Cause | Decision |
| Slow growth | Lack of fertilizing and fluids, lack of ultraviolet radiation. | Transplant into a new soil and pot, change the window sill or buy artificial lighting. |
| Sluggish leaves | Sunburn. | Rearrange the fern to the western window or shade. |
| Leaf fall | Low air or water temperature. | Water only with warm liquid, rearrange the pot closer to the battery (but do not allow overdrying). Eliminate drafts or remove epiphyte from windows and doorways. |
| Darkening wai | Dry air. | Regularly spray the plant or arrange a warm shower, avoiding liquid getting on the rhizome. |
Diseases and Pests
| Disease / Pest | Remedial measures |
| Fungal spotting | Cut off diseased areas of the plant. Slices are processed using crushed coal. Spray fern Mikosan. |
| Root rot | Remove rotten roots, transplant the flower into a new soil. The first 2-3 days do not water, then make sure that hydration is not excessive. |
| Nematodes | It is impossible to cure the plant. It will have to be thrown out. So that the new fern does not get sick, you should calcine the substrate in the oven for half an hour. |
| Spider mite | Regularly spray the stems from the atomizer (the tick is afraid of moisture). If a simple technique did not help, process with Actara or Actellik. |
| Aphid | To process a plant with soapy water. If the pests reappeared, repeat the procedure up to 3 times with a break of 3-4 days. Make sure that the liquid does not fall on the sensitive rhizome. |
