The wreath loop or Stephanotis floribunda brings exoticism to the window sill at home. In order for it to impress with its snow-white flowers, however, it must be given the right care. And this is not always easy.
Table of Contents
location
The choice of location already determines the success or failure of Stephanotis floribunda.
As a houseplant, it needs a bright but not too sunny place that is warm but where no heat accumulates. Window sills facing east or west are ideal as long as they get enough sun. A south-facing window can also be suitable if enough shade is provided during the blazing midday sun. The space must be airy for this, but cold drafts must be kept away. An overall well-ventilated room with tightly insulated windows is ideal.
Substrate
If the wreath loop is not that easy to maintain overall, choosing the right substrate is it. Commercially available potting soil is perfectly adequate. But it should be fresh and of high quality. Cheap earth has a tendency to compaction, infestation of diseases and washes out quickly.
maintenance
The basic measures of care are the gifts of water and fertilizer as well as an occasional waste. If the culture is successful, repotting may be indicated. Just as important as the care steps themselves is the way in which they are carried out.
pour
Stephanotis floribunda needs water with little lime and should always be kept moderately moist. Regular watering, which does not lead to waterlogging, is therefore essential.
- Use water with a low calcium content, such as rainwater, stale or filtered tap water
- Only use water at room temperature for pouring
- It is better to water with small amounts often than infrequently with large amounts
- Slightly increase the watering rate during the flowering period and reduce it in winter
fertilization
From March to August and sometimes even beyond, bright white flowers appear on the loop of the wreath. During this phase, the plants require large amounts of nutrients.
Regular fertilization is therefore important, about every two weeks. A liquid for flowering houseplants is ideal. Again, it is true that small amounts in small intervals are better than large amounts every few weeks. If you have to fertilize anyway, you should add liquid funds every week. Then of course dilute these accordingly.
As an alternative, a dry long-term fertilizer in stick form can also be used.
To cut
Because the Stephanotis floribunda can develop meter-long shoots, corrections may be necessary every now and then.
Basically, a blending is not necessary but definitely possible. If possible, this should be done in spring, between February and the beginning of April. An early cut of the wreath loop is better in any case. If it happens too late, the flower buds are also removed.
Increase in the wreath loop
The augmentation of the wreath loop can be done in two ways. On the one hand, through cuttings, which are incurred anyway when they are cut. This variant is quite simple and requires patience, but not nearly as much as the second type of propagation.
These are seeds that can be obtained from past flowers. If these have dried up, the seeds can be removed from the fruiting bodies and kept at room temperature and in a dry place until next spring. When the time has come for repotting and clippings, the seeds must also be sown. The sowing can be done directly in commercially available potting soil or in special potting soil. They should only be covered thinly with substrate and kept at room temperature. Germination can take some time, and even then, success is not guaranteed. The young plants need to be kept moist, but they should have good drainage.
Foil as a cover is only recommended as protection against evaporation if it is lifted daily and the plants below are ventilated. Otherwise it only favors diseases.
Propagation by cuttings
The fastest propagation of the wreath loop takes place via cuttings. And these are obtained directly from the spring blending.
You need shoots that have at least two pairs of leaves.
- After the clean cutting, in which the interfaces are not pressed, the lower ends are to be dipped in root powder.
- The Stephanotis floribunda cuttings are individually placed in potting soil or potting soil.
- A climbing aid is advisable for long shoots.
- A bright and warm place must be selected as the location, at 20 ° C to 25 ° C.
- Initially, watering should be carried out as long as the nursery pots have a good drainage point. The substrate should never dry out.
- The first roots can be expected after about two months with regular watering.
Repot
With good care and a suitable location, the wreath loop grows very quickly and luxuriantly. The longer the shoots, the more secure the location and nutrients the Stephanotis floribunda needs.
Therefore repotting is necessary every now and then. Particular care must be taken here with the roots. If these are only slightly injured, the entire plant can be seriously damaged or even die.
It is better to cut up the pot than to shorten the ends of the roots. The old substrate must be removed gently, for example by deviating. However, the roots do not have to be completely free of it. Then choose a pot that is one or two sizes larger than the current pot. High-quality potting soil is sufficient. After repotting, the wreath loop should be poured on well.
The ideal time to change pots, as well as cutting Stephanotis floribunda, is in early spring.
Overwinter
Basically, the wreath sling can remain in the same location all year round. However, if the conditions are not optimal during winter, there will be no flowering in the following year.
Stephanotis floribunda becomes more susceptible to disease and tends to have weak, thin shoots that break quickly.
It is better here to give the wreath sling a rest period and take the following points into account.
- The change to winter quarters is to be carried out in October
- The winter location should have a temperature between 12 ° C and 15 ° C – a slow reduction in heat is optimal
- Stuffy, excessively humid air should be avoided
- Continue watering during the winter, but reduced
- The winter quarters must be bright
A winter garden or a window sill in a cool room or the stairwell is ideal.
Typical diseases and pests
Problems with the wreath loop usually arise when there are deficiencies in cultivation.
If the water is too calcareous, all the leaves will quickly turn yellow. Young shoots also suffer from it. The so-called chlorosis is used as a botanical name. The only thing that can help here is changing the substrate and pouring it with soft, i.e. lime-free water.
If the wreath loop is turned unintentionally or if the lighting conditions change abruptly for another reason, for example because the window is shaded from the outside or a shade-giving plant falls outside, the leaves also change color. Or fall straight off. If the lighting conditions are still sufficient, patience is the method of choice. To avoid unintentional rotation in the future, a mark should be made on or in the pot. If it always points in the same direction, the plant is safe.
If the loop of wreath blooms barely or not at all, several causes can be responsible for this. Too hard, too much or too little water, changes in the incidence of light and unsuitable temperatures are possible. Often the problem can also be found in winter. If the wreath loop is not overwintered in a cool place, if it is too dark or if it suffers from a lack of water during the cold months, it has little strength to sprout buds.
On the pest side, mealybugs and scale insects are the culprits. Both attack the Stephanotis floribunda especially if they are kept at too high temperatures during the dormant phase in winter.
Both types of pests are persistent and difficult to remove. Before using aggressive chemical agents, the leaves should first be moistened with a solution of water and soft soap or wiped off. After an exposure time of about half an hour, the leaves are cleaned with clear water. Lice that can still be found on the top and bottom of the leaves should be removed manually. A knife blade, with which the pests are scraped off piece by piece, has proven itself for this.
But be careful, if the knife is too sharp, it can scratch off layers of the leaf in addition to the lice or cause cuts. If you don’t feel comfortable using it or would prefer to proceed more safely, you can also use a plastic card, the back of a knife or something similarly blunt.
Scent
The wonderful white flowers of the wreath loop give off an extremely pleasant scent. However, this can sometimes be so strong that it becomes too intense in the room. It is not uncommon for headaches or even nausea to occur when staying in small rooms.
If you want to enjoy one or more wreath loops, you should therefore ensure sufficient ventilation every day. In addition, the plants from Madagascar are completely out of place in bedrooms and children’s rooms during the flowering period.
Is the wreath loop poisonous?
The wreath loop is decorative, has a bewitching scent during the flowering period and even without white splendor it is still a beautiful eye-catcher. Unfortunately, it is as poisonous as it is beautiful.
This applies to flowers, buds, leaves and all other parts of the plant. Even the sap can irritate the skin, which is why gloves should be worn when cutting waste or changing pots. And otherwise it is important to keep parts of plants away from animals and children in particular. The wreath loop should at least be out of reach. In addition, it is important to remove fallen leaves from the ground immediately – or better yet – to place the plant in such a way that its parts cannot land on the ground.
If cats tamper with it, they should either remove the wreath loop entirely or provide it with a frill made of sturdy film. Even if there are no signs of poisoning, such as vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, profuse salivation or apathy, the cat should be brought to a veterinarian immediately. The name of the plant will help initiate the right treatment.
Conclusion
The wreath loop is an exotic houseplant that impresses with its lush green leaves and bright white flowers. Not to mention the bewitching scent. However, it is not the easiest-to-care-for greening and it takes a lot of tact to cultivate it successfully over the long term. In addition, due to the poison, it should be consumed with caution.
