Pachystachys - care at home and flower propagation

Flowers

Pachystachys is a genus of evergreen plants belonging to the Acanthaceae family and comprising approximately 12 species. However, only two members of the genus are suitable for indoor cultivation. Pachystachys lutea, a shrub with brightly colored, spike-shaped bracts that are mistaken for flowers, is deservedly considered a beautiful flowering pot plant.

Pachystachys is a delicate and demanding ornamental plant that is quite difficult to grow indoors. Due to its capricious nature, this tropical plant is not popular among domestic gardeners. However, by following all the basic recommendations, you can grow a healthy and beautiful shrub that will delight you with its blooms for a long time.

Description of Yellow Pachystachys

The evergreen shrub Yellow Pachystachys has branched stems up to 100 cm tall. The upright shoots of the shrub begin to woody as they grow. The bush branches extensively, giving it a spherical shape. Large, rich green leaves are arranged oppositely across the entire surface of the shoots. The leaf blades resemble a slightly elongated oval with a pointed tip, and their length can reach 12 cm. The leaf veins are clearly visible.

The plant's unusual appearance is due to its yellow, spike-shaped bracts. The bracts, up to 10-13 cm long, are located directly at the top of the shoots. Because of their vibrant appearance, many people mistake the bush's bracts for flowers. The plant's actual flowers, consisting of two white lips, only slightly peek out from the bracts, providing no ornamental value.

A single flower lasts only two days, but the bracts can remain attractive for several months. With proper care, the shrub can bloom from late spring to mid-fall. You can see what the flower looks like during flowering in the photo.

Caring for Pachystachys at home

Before growing the capricious pachystachys, it's recommended to familiarize yourself with care tips. This demanding plant doesn't tolerate poor care and can lose its decorative appeal if kept in unsuitable conditions.

Lighting

The plant needs plenty of bright, indirect light; otherwise, its leaves will fade and its flowering period will be significantly reduced. However, the bush does need protection from direct sunlight, which can cause sunburn.

To shade the bush from the midday sun, you can use a thin curtain or gauze. An east- or west-facing window is an excellent location for the shrub. As cold weather approaches and daylight hours become significantly shorter, it is recommended to provide the plant with supplemental lighting using phytolamps.

Temperature and humidity

The bush reacts equally poorly to both heat and cold. In summer, the flower is best kept at temperatures between 20 and 25°C. In hotter conditions, the plant may lose its foliage and stop flowering. In winter, the bush will thrive at temperatures between 14 and 18°C.

Please note!

Although pachystachys can withstand temperatures as low as -10°C, it should not be kept in such a cold room. Overwintering in such a cold environment can lead to the bush being completely bare. Drafts are also harmful to the plant.

Pachystachys requires high humidity, which can be achieved by regularly and frequently misting its foliage with a spray bottle. Spray the leaves only with soft, well-settled water at room temperature.

Watering and fertilizing

The bush needs frequent and abundant watering with soft water. The water temperature should be approximately the same as the room temperature where the plant is kept. During hot and dry seasons, the plant requires daily watering.

Advice!

Florists recommend watering the plant only after the top layer of soil has dried out.

However, despite the plant's high moisture requirements, it's important to avoid allowing water to stagnate in the tray. During the cold season, 1-2 waterings per week will be sufficient. The key is to always keep the soil moist and never allow it to dry out deeper than 1-2 cm from the surface.

From spring until fall, the plant requires additional feeding once every two weeks. It's best to use a complete fertilizer for flowering plants. Overfeeding the plant should be avoided, as this can have the opposite effect, causing it to stop growing or even die.

Care during the flowering period

Like any flowering plant, this plant requires more careful care during flowering. Blooming pachystachys requires regular and abundant watering and good lighting. Insufficient moisture and light can cause the bracts to wilt quickly.

Spraying — When spraying the leaves, avoid getting water on its bracts, as this can also cause them to wilt quickly.

Throughout the flowering period, a complete fertilizer for flowering ornamental plants should be added to the soil. Applying fertilizer more frequently than once every 14 days is not recommended, as this can lead to over-fertilization and the death of the shrub.

Pruning and pinching

A young pachystachys has only one shoot, which eventually begins to bare at the base. This bush is not particularly decorative and produces only a single spike during flowering. Only regular pruning and pinching can ensure its fullness and the appearance of new spikes. In the first year, the bush requires 3-4 pinchings of the shoot tips. From the second year onward, pinching twice a year is recommended—after flowering and after pruning.

Pruning should be carried out in early spring, before the active growing season begins. The initial pruning should leave a small stump 10-15 cm long. After young lateral shoots emerge, the third pair of leaves is pinched off. The same procedure is performed on all subsequent shoots. Thus, with just a few pinches, you can obtain a bush with eight or more tips.

Preparing for winter

Although the plant doesn't have a pronounced dormant period, it needs to be prepared for winter. To do this, starting in mid-autumn, gradually reduce the frequency and amount of watering, and completely stop fertilizing. After flowering, the shrub doesn't require additional feeding.

Important!

With the onset of cold weather, the flower must be protected from drafts and heating devices - both can cause its death.

At this time of year, it's also recommended to provide the plant with additional lighting, as natural light may be insufficient. Keeping the pachystachys in a slightly cool room from mid-autumn until early spring, with the temperature not dropping below 14°C, will positively impact its subsequent flowering.

Diseases and pests of indoor flowers

The capricious pachystachys reacts painfully to certain mistakes made by the gardener during the process of caring for it:

Insufficient soil moisture can cause yellowing and subsequent leaf drop. Establishing a proper watering system and frequent misting can solve the problem. However, it's important to keep in mind that once the leaves are completely bare, the bush takes a long time to recover.
Dry leaf edges indicate the plant is being kept indoors in a dry environment. A nearby container of water and regular misting will restore the plant's beauty.
Dried leaf tips
Keeping the plant in a cold room during its dormant period causes it to shed its leaves. Raising the room temperature to 20°C is enough to stop the leaf shedding process.
Curled leaves are a consequence of insufficient light. Artificial lighting or moving the ornamental plant to a brighter location will stop the process.
Slow growth and lack of flowering indicate that the pachystachys is lacking nutrients. Regular fertilization during the active growing season will ensure adequate nutrient levels in the soil.
Overwatering and sudden temperature changes can cause the plant's root system to rot. The only way to save the plant is to remove the rotted roots and repot it in new soil.
Root removal
Pachystachys can also be attacked by various harmful insects, including aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects, and whiteflies. These parasites suck the plant's sap and disrupt its life cycle. Delayed treatment or lack of action can cause the plant to die. Treating the bush with systemic insecticides will eliminate aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, and whiteflies. An acaricide or insectoacaricide is effective against spider mites.

Propagation and transplantation of indoor pachystachys

The bush is propagated using apical cuttings with 2-4 nodes. Only freshly cut cuttings 10 to 15 cm long can be used. Prepared cuttings should be immersed in a container of clean water and covered with a jar or bottle to create greenhouse conditions.

The container with the cutting should be kept in a warm room. Additionally, the cutting needs to be misted with warm water daily and aired for 30 minutes. Within three weeks of placing the cutting in water, it will begin to develop its first roots, after which the plant can be replanted in small pots.

Reproduction — Once the young plant has developed two pairs of leaves, it can be transplanted into permanent pots. If desired, you can plant several cuttings in a single container.

The plant's root system grows quite quickly, so young pachystachys require annual repotting. Mature specimens over three years old can be repotted every two to three years. The optimal time for repotting is spring, immediately after pruning.

During the transplant process, it is recommended to adhere to the following algorithm:

Place a drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles, or broken pottery fragments at the bottom of the new container. The drainage layer should be at least 2 cm wide.
Drainage
Place a layer of soil on top of the drainage layer. You can use a special soil for ornamental flowering plants as a base for planting the bush.
Remove the plant from the old pot and place it in the new one, after inspecting its root system for damage or rot. If necessary, remove any rotted or broken roots and sprinkle the cut areas with charcoal.
Fill the voids of the pot with soil and lightly compact it around the bush.
Water the plant.

Please note!

When replanting a plant, it is important to remember that each subsequent pot should be at least 2 cm larger than the previous one.

For pachystachys, it's best to choose wide, shallow pots. If you don't want to use store-bought potting soil, you can prepare your own mixture using equal parts of:

peat;
turf;
sand;
humus;
leaf soil.

Frequently asked questions about growing

What is the correct way to plant 2-3 plants in one pot?

When planting multiple plants in a single pot, it's best to use young, rooted cuttings that are ready to be transplanted into their permanent container. There are no specific rules for planting multiple plants in a single container. Standard planting guidelines should be followed, with the exception of pot selection. When planting multiple cuttings, choose a larger pot.

The flower began to shed leaves intensively during the dormant period. What is the reason?

Leaf drop during the dormant period indicates the shrub is too cold. To restore foliage, move the shrub to a warmer room with a constant temperature.

The leaves are drying out at the edges, how to treat it?

Dry air indoors is the cause of leaf edge drying. Misting the plant several times a day and placing a container of water next to the potted plant will help alleviate the problem.

What can be used for drainage besides expanded clay?

In addition to expanded clay, you can use small pebbles, crushed stone or broken shards as drainage material.

The tropical beauty of the pachystachys will delight only the most attentive gardener with its long-lasting blooms. This ornamental plant does not tolerate neglect, and responds to the necessary humidity and temperature conditions with a healthy appearance and sunny blooms.