Surely you know the ribbon plant, also called love bow or malamadre, right? However, you may not know that this is a home air purifying plant, according to a NASA study. This fact, together with its beauty, makes it essential at home.
If you want to know more details about the care of the love ribbon or ribbon plant, a plant that purifies the air in the home, be sure to read this article in which you will see a complete gardening guide on this famous plant.
Characteristics of the plant love bow or ribbon
Commonly called love bow plant, malamadre plant, ribbon plant or ribbon plant and scientifically named Chlorophytum comosum , this perennial plant belongs to the liliaceae family. Its origin is in the tropical forests of southern Africa and there are currently more than two hundred different species. The best thing about this plant is, without a doubt, that it renews environments affected by carbon monoxide and formaldehyde present in varnishes, aerosols and cosmetics.
Its leaves, which arise from a basal rosette, are elongated, pendulous, sharp and green with a white band . Its white flowers are small and new rosettes are formed from them that are like perfectly formed miniature plants and that, when transplanted properly, transform into adult plants.
Having these plants inside the home will purify the air, but also the ribbons or love bows are very decorative plants, whether they are kept in a pot on the ground or if they are placed as hanging plants .
Its ability to purify the air , together with its undemanding care, make it a very popular plant for interior decoration, helping to improve the environment and beautify a room in exchange for very little.
Climate for the love bond plant
The Chlorophytum comosum are quite permissive in most of their care, but can not stand frost or cold climates reason than usual cultivation as houseplants . Below 7 ºC the plant will be affected very negatively, and may even die.
As far as heat is concerned, it develops perfectly up to temperatures of 27 ºC , and may require additional care from there, such as more frequent watering or spraying its leaves.
Location and light for the tape plant
This plant grows particularly well in semi-shady conditions and in mild temperatures . Indoors, it will be in optimal conditions in a well-lit room but without direct exposure to the sun’s rays, with a constant temperature and a not too dry environment. It is not a good idea to place it in rooms with air conditioning devices, such as air conditioners or heaters, since sudden changes in the environment affect it negatively and these devices also tend to drain the humidity from the room.
Outdoors, it will be enough to find a place where it does not receive prolonged exposures to intense sun, semi-shady areas being ideal, covered from the light of the highest incidence hours.
Watering the plants ribbons
When we talk about when to water the tapes , the most important thing is to maintain a constant and adequate humidity level for the plant. Of course, this should not be confused with drowning or having it flooded, something that is always detrimental to most species.
Normally, 2 abundant waterings a week in the warm months will be enough, but always without flooding, since it has tuberous roots that have the capacity to store water very well. In cold months, 1 watering a week or every ten days will suffice.
Substrate and compost for the bond of love
In this respect the tape is not at all demanding. It will be enough to offer it a substrate with good drainage to avoid puddles when watering, although if we prepare a mixture with coconut fiber , peat and vermiculite it will be in the best conditions.
As for the fertilizer for the tape , it is not totally necessary every year, but if we want our plant to be as healthy as possible, adding worm humus to the substrate and doing it again every 15 days in the warm months will help it a lot.
Reproduction of plants ribbons
The simplest and fastest reproduction of these plants is through their suckers . To know how the love bond reproduces asexually , we will simply plant the suckers of the white stems on which they are produced with care. These suckers, in fact, must be cut if we do not intend to reproduce the plant, since they involve a great expenditure of energy.
Bury the sucker, without cutting it, in a small pot next to the mother plant, and cut the stem that joins it only once it has rooted.
