With its colourful, bird-like flowers, the bird of paradise flower is a real eye-catcher in the home. In summer it can even stand in the garden.
The extraordinary Strelitzia (Strelitzia reginae) is a rarely cultivated container plant that shows its graceful flowers in early spring and presents decorative, large foliage the rest of the year. You can find out how appropriate Strelitzia care looks like here.
Caring for Strelitzia: watering
Although it looks extravagant: the Strelitzia is not very demanding when it comes to care. It should be ensured that there is no waterlogging and that the bird of paradise flower gets enough sunlight.
Bird of Paradise flowers need regular watering. Especially due to the bright location and the large leaves, the water requirement is quite high. Adjust the amount of water according to the size of the plants and pots and avoid waterlogging in any case. Excess water must be removed soon after watering to prevent rot on the fleshy roots. It is best to use rainwater to water the Strelitzia or leave the tap water for a few days. The surface of the soil should always dry slightly between watering. When the bird-of-paradise flower curls its leaves, it's high time to water it.
You're doing the Strelitzia a favor by spraying it with lime-free water from time to time to increase the humidity.
Below we describe how intensively the Strelitzia is watered during the winter period.
The right fertilizer for Strelitzia
In the summer months, the Strelitzia is in the growth phase. During this time, it needs a corresponding amount of nutrients. For this you should provide the Strelitzia with a fertilizer for flowering plants, such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer. Our long-term fertilizer is ideal for the Strelitzia because it provides the plant with all the important nutrients over a long period of time. Since theIf the bird of paradise flower is only rarely repotted because of its sensitive roots, a complete fertilizer in granular form is preferable to a liquid fertilizer. The long-term fertilizer is scattered on top of the earth in spring, worked in lightly and poured on. The soil should then be covered with a layer of mulch. Among other things, this ensures that the soil does not dry out so quickly.
Cutting bird of paradise flowers
To keep the Strelitzia he althy and beautiful, brown and dead parts of the plant are regularly removed. Brown leaf pieces can be cut off, withered flowers plucked out. If the Bird of Paradise flower gets too big for you, you can prune it more generously by removing several outer leaves at the base.
Repotting Strelitzia
Spring, around March or April, is the best time to repot the bird of paradise flower. Due to the sensitivity of the roots, this should only be done when they have already started to grow out of the bottom of the pot. If you repot a Strelitzia, choose a slightly larger planter. It should not be too big, because more root space also leads to more leaf formation in the Strelitzia, but proportionately fewer flowers. Carefully lift the Strelitzia out of the container and remove the old soil. If necessary, rinse the roots with lukewarm water. The new pot should be filled with a layer of drainage and a layer of substrate. Place the plant on top of it and fill it all up with soil. Finally, press the substrate firmly and water generously. So that water and nutrients are stored well and released to the plant, we recommend a high-quality, structurally stable soil, such as our Plantura organic potting soil. For even more stability and water storage capacity, powdered clay and expanded clay balls can also be added.
Warning: Repotting may prevent the next flowering, as the roots of the Strelitzia are very sensitive. Nevertheless, one should not do without regular repotting.
Strelitzia has brown leaves: what to do?
If the Strelitzia gets brown leaves, there can be many reasons. Here we show some possible causes and suitable measures. Above all, make sure you care for the bird of paradise flower properly and look for a suitable location for it.
- Waterlogging: The most common care mistake is probably excessive watering. This can easily lead to waterlogging and, as a result, to root rot. The roots can then no longer absorb water and the leaves turn brown. Now it's time to repot and water less in the future. A drainage layer and permeable substrate are essential to avoid waterlogging. It is also important to remove excess water from the saucer.
- Drought: If the Strelitzia has curled leaves that turn brown, this is probably due to drought. To be on the safe side, it should also be potted in fresh substrate and watered more frequently. Use good quality soil that retains water well.
- Draft: Likewise, drafts can cause the leaves of the Bird of Paradise flower to discolour. You should look for a sheltered place for the Strelitzia, especially if it is outside in summer.
- Sun: The Strelitzia likes direct sunlight, but should be slowly acclimated to the light before it is placed outside in summer. Too much unfamiliar sunlight can cause burns on the leaves and brown spots due to an insufficiently efficient photosynthesis apparatus. Gradually acclimate the Strelitzia to the new environment and shade the plant at the beginning. Little by little there may be more and more light.
Tip: To keep the bird of paradise flower he althy, it should be sprayed with water regularly. Especially in winter, the higher humidity helps to prevent pest infestation.
Common pests and diseases
The robust bird of paradise flower rarely suffers from diseases and pests. If it does get attacked, this usually happens in winter and is favored by dry heating air.
- Spider mites: Spider mites make themselves felt on plants through fine webs. Sucking out the leaves creates bright spots.
- Scale insects: The small pests usually hide in the leaf axils and suck out the plant sap. Scale insects should be washed off the plant quickly.
- Septoria-fungi: An infestation of this genus of fungi manifests itself on the bird of paradise flower as brown spots with a red edge. Affected leaves should be removed immediately.
Flowering Strelitzia
You take care of your plant, but the Strelitzia doesn't bloom? There are various reasons for this. We give a few tips on how to get your Strelitzia to bloom.
- Incorrectly overwintered: The most common cause of a lack of flowering is incorrect overwintering. Bird of paradise flowers need a bright, cool dormant period in winter to stimulate flowering. The next section will tell you what to look out for during the winter.
- Root damaged: If the sensitive roots were damaged during repotting, this can also lead to a lack of flowering. Now it's time to wait and take good care of the bird of paradise flower until it has recovered.
- Pot size: The thick roots need a lot of space and a lot of nutrients are needed for flowering. If the pot is too small, the roots are constricted and only little nutrient-rich substrate is available. Then, in spring, carefully repot the plant into a larger container, but not too large so as not to impair flowering. If there is a lot of space for the roots, more leaves will be formed, but no flowers.
- Insufficient light: Birds of paradise like it bright and sunny. If the plant is too dark, it may not flower. Place the bird of paradise flower in a light spot with about 6 hours of sun per day.
- Nutrient oversupply: If the bird of paradise flower is fertilized too much, especially with nitrogen and phosphorus, this can also inhibit flowering.
Tip: Strelitzia likes to be outside in summer. Being outdoors usually also helps flowers to form because the Bird of Paradise flower stays he althy and fit.
Overwintering Strelitzia
The Strelitzia is not hardy here and must be overwintered indoors. Temperatures below 10 °C are already problematic for the beautiful plant and weaken it. Nevertheless, the Strelitzia should be cooler in winter than in summer, since flowering is stimulated during the resting phase. Overwinter the Strelitzia in a bright spot at temperatures between 10 and 15 °C. During this time, there is no fertilization and watering is seldom, just enough so that the soil is not completedrying out.
Tip: The Strelitzia can also be overwintered warm, as long as it is in a very bright place, for example in the conservatory. In this case, it should continue to be watered a little more and supplied with slow-release fertilizer again in the fall. However, the flowering intensity of the plant can be reduced due to the warm hibernation.
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