Bow hemp – Sansevieria – care instructions

Sansiveria – evergreen and impressive

The bow hemp reaches a height of about 1.50 meters and forms fragrant panicles of flowers with age. The color spectrum of the leaves of the Sansevieria ranges from cool, dark green with variegated silver-gray stripes to deep green leaves bordered with light yellow stripes. The sansevieria trifasciata is the best known genus of the bow hemp and with its cultivated form “laurentii” has long become a classic among indoor plants. The less upright dwarf form “hahnii” is another popular type of bow hemp. The inflorescences of the sansiveria, which are pollinated by moths at night, develop red or orange berries, from which seeds of the sansiveria are obtained. Each shoot of the Sansevieria flowers only once, but a flower does not stop growing.

• up to 1.50 meters high, lanceolate and succulent leaves (sansivieria trifasciata)
• low-growing and rosette-shaped species (sansivieria Hahnii)
• medium to dark green variegated leaves, which are adorned with broad, yellow margins in some species
• fragrant panicles of flowers in spring (white, light yellow, light pink or greenish-white)
• special harmony through the height of the plant and the not too large plant pot
• beautiful effect as a solitary plant
• attractive eye-catcher in a group planting
• popular protective plant in Feng Shui
• evergreen and easy to care for.

Features of the bow hemp

The more than 67 species of the Sansevieria are widespread in the southern climes. The Sansevieria are native to Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and large parts of Asia and southern Europe. They like it warm and humid, but they can also tolerate drought and unfavorable lighting conditions. Easy to care for and decorative, the bow hemp is also an ideal houseplant. In summer it finds its place on the balcony, terrace and in the garden, in which it can also be planted. The bow hemp should only be used to the blazing sun slowly to avoid burning the leaves. Due to its origin, the desert-experienced bow hemp can also tolerate long periods of drought and an inadequate supply of nutrients. As a succulent plant, the slowly growing bow hemp stores water in its leaves and can therefore get by with very little moisture. With regard to its care, the bow hemp can be found in the area of ​​cacti.

Care – substrates for the bow hemp

Commercially available cactus soil offers the bow hemp the desired variety and provides the undemanding plant with the nutrients and minerals that are important for succulents. The Sansevieria feels at home in a mixture of compost and a third of sand, as well as in potting soil (if possible not pre-fertilized), loamy garden soil and hydroponics. Since the bow hemp is damaged in permanent wetness in the substrate, substrates that store little water themselves are particularly suitable. The substrate of hydroponics stores only little moisture and releases it quickly. Planting in hydroponics gives the fine roots of the Sansevieria sufficient air. Since the bow hemp with its short and delicate roots does not adhere well to the ground, the plant can quickly become top-heavy and tip over.

• Sow in the garden or in a plant pot
• A substrate made of compost and a third of sand is ideal
• Cactus soil and hydroponics are preferred, but garden soil and potting soil can also be used
• do not choose the pot too high; the Sansevieria hardly form roots
• do not use a plant pot that is too wide; Bow hemp thrives better in slightly cramped conditions
• tall plants become quite heavy, a heavy pot is recommended.
• easy division and reproduction of the plant
• occasionally inflorescences are formed, usually in spring, which smell at night
• thrives in hot, cool, sunny, and shady conditions.

Growth of the bow hemp

Many species form leaves that are meter-long and can reach up to 1.50 meters on the windowsill. The firm, leathery and variegated (variegated) leaves of the bow hemp are matt, glossy and varied in their patterns and colors. The clumps, which expand with growth, form strong rhizomes at the base, which can easily blow up a plant pot. A heavy, but not too large, plant pot prevents the plant, which is top-heavy with age, from tipping over. The bow hemp grows slowly and growth can be controlled with the choice of location and plant pot. Free-range husbandry is good for the Sansevieria, but as typical tropical plants they are sensitive to strong temperature fluctuations and temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius.

Propagation and repotting 

The seeds obtained from the berries can be germinated. However, it is easier to propagate the bow hemp by cuttings or by separation. To do this, a sheet is cut off with a sharp knife directly at the base. The leaf can in turn be divided into different pieces about 10 centimeters long. The leaf pieces are inserted about 4 to 5 centimeters deep into the moist substrate to ensure a good hold. Rooting can be accelerated by dipping the leaf pieces in a rooting hormone (powder). However, it takes a few weeks for the leaf pieces to take root and for growth to be indicated by the formation of the first rhizomes. Another way of propagation is to separate the rhizomes. If the eyrie of the bow hemp becomes too big and the rhizomes already grow beyond the edge of the pot, so the plant can be repotted or separated. After carefully removing the plant from the pot, cut the clump into pieces with a sharp, clean (if possible sterilized) knife. Individual side shoots (Kindel) can also be cut off from the mother plant directly in the pot. To do this, the rhizome is cut off with a sharp knife and carefully pulled out of the pot; the thin roots of the rhizome become detached from the plant. To do this, the rhizome is cut off with a sharp knife and carefully pulled out of the pot; the thin roots of the rhizome become detached from the plant. To do this, the rhizome is cut off with a sharp knife and carefully pulled out of the pot; the thin roots of the rhizome become detached from the plant.

• Propagation by leaf cuttings or division of the plant
• It is possible to sow the seeds (berries)
• Cut leaf cuttings from a severed leaf (each about 10 centimeters long)
• Insert leaf cuttings about 4 to 5 centimeters deep into the substrate
• immersing the cut surfaces in a rooting hormone accelerates root formation
• keep the substrate only slightly moist
• when separating the plant, loosen the rhizomes with a clean and sharp knife.

Location

• all year round in the room
• 21 to 24 degrees Celsius are ideal
• 13 to 16 degrees during the rest period (low light time, winter)
• at more than 12 degrees Celsius also outdoors
• protect from drafts
• shady to full sun location (on the windowsill or in the garden)
• slowly get the plant used to high levels of UV radiation
• Humidity can be high, but dry heating air is also tolerated
• if the plant is outdoors, the rosettes should be regularly cleared of rainwater
• Avoid strong temperature fluctuations.

Watering & fertilizing

Sansevieria get by with little water and prepare for dry periods with a supply of water and nutrients in the leaves. Bow hemp suffers damage if it is poured too much or fertilized too much or if the location is too cold (drafty).

• Little is watered during the main growth phase or flowering
• Let the substrate dry well a centimeter deep before watering again
• In the low-light rest period, water is only poured when the root ball is halfway dry
• Finger test to check the humidity of the substrate
• do not pour into the rosettes, waterlogging leads to rot
• In hydroponics, a short-term excessively high water level is tolerated
• Spraying with water is not necessary
• The bow hemp is fed with cactus fertilizer
• Fertilize sparingly, half the recommended amount, once a month is sufficient.

Diseases and pests

The bow hemp is very robust and is very rarely attacked by pests. The Sansevieria is damaged by rapid and extreme temperature changes, drafts, a substrate that is too wet or waterlogging in the rosettes. Yellowed and lifeless leaves are often caused by watering and over-fertilization, brown areas by excessive dryness.

Soft rot
If the Sansevieria is infected by the bacterium pectobacterium cartovorum (Erwinia Carotovora), for example through infected cutting tools or through contact contamination with other plants, the parts of the plant dissolve inside the plant. With light pressure, leaves collapse or burst, whereby the tissue emerges as a pulpy, greenish and strongly smelling substance. In the event of an infestation, cuttings can be obtained from the as yet unaffected tips of the plant. Too wet substrate, water in the rosettes and too much heat weaken the plant and favor its decay.

Mealybugs
The insects sucking on the soft parts of the plant produce rust-brown spots on the plant. Dry air encourages infestation with mealybugs. Soapy water mixed with alcohol is applied to the infected areas and takes the air out of the mealybugs. A systemic (ingested from the irrigation water) insecticide against mealybugs can also be used.

Leaf spot disease
Fusarium moniliforme, a mold, attacks the Sansevieria. What initially appears as a small, moist point on the plant, increases in the course of time until the area turns yellow and its edge turns orange-yellow. Here, too, a systemic remedy in the irrigation water helps.

Black mold
Infestation with the Aspergillus niger fungus can also be seen in damp spots on the leaves, which later turn black. A temperature of at least 40 degrees Celsius or below -22 degrees can kill the fungus, but it also harms the plant. Disinfect planters (microwave, heat, spray) and use new substrates. Strengthen the plant and, if necessary, use chemical agents.

Toxins in bow hemp

The bow hemp proves to be poisonous for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, dogs and cats. Its consumption is fatal to rats and mice. The toxins in bow hemp, saponins, are able to break down the blood. The signs of poisoning include nausea and vomiting, but also cramps and diarrhea.

Popular Sansevieria species

Sansevieria cylindrica

• tall growing
• upright, cylindrical leaves
• Blade length about 1 meter
• Leaf width 2 to 3 centimeters
• light green colored leaves
• dark green transverse bands in young plants
• leaves slightly furrowed when old.

Sansevieria trifasciata

• dark green colored, marbled (variegated) leaves
• spiral turning of the leaves
• Leaf length between 40 and 80 cm.
• Sansevieria trifasciata „Laurentii“
• one of the most famous varieties
• leaves up to 1.2 meters high
• golden yellow stripes on the leaf margins.
• Sansevieria trifasciata “Craigii” with very broad, creamy yellow leaf margins.

Sansevieria trifasciata „Hahnii“

• leaf rosette maximum 20 cm high
• many colors from golden yellow striped leaves to dark green with silvery variegation.