Lagenandra meeboldii red
Lagenandra meeboldii red grows in natural conditions in swamps located in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. In its natural habitat, the plant grows along the banks of marshy ponds. Floods are very common in these areas and lagenandra grows either in a moist airy environment or completely under water. The plant is small and has an attractive appearance. In general the plant is not difficult to keep, but has higher requirements for light.
Lagenandra meeboldii red has a creeping rhizome with alternately arranged oval leaves, on thick petioles about 10 cm long. The leaf plate is 6-12 cm long and 4-8 cm wide. Overall, the plant is quite broad. Colors range from olive green to light purple to red-purple. The new leaves are bright pink. The leaf plate is pointed at the end. The bush reaches a size of 20-30 cm in height. Under acceptable conditions, the plant can flower by releasing an overhead flower stalk.
Plant the plant preferably in the middle ground, where it will, thanks to its spectacular coloring, will harmonize beautifully with other green plants. The growth rate of Lagenandra meeboldii red is uniform, but slow. Among the leaves of the plant many species of small fish like to hide from predators.
Water parameters: temperature 20-30 ° C, hardness dH 1-18 °, pH 6,0-7,5. It should be noted that the development of the plant slows at lower water temperatures. Feeding with CO2, in a concentration of 10-30 mg/l, and mineral fertilizers is desirable, thanks to which faster growth of the bush is achieved. It should be noted that if you use fine-grained river sand as a substrate, there is no need to fertilize the plants, the nutrients contained in the silted soil will be enough.
River sand or its mixture with fine gravel can be used as a substrate. The soil should be filled with a layer of at least 3-5 cm.
The lighting should be bright, with an intensity of 0.6 W/litre. Duration of the daylight hours is about 12 hours a day. The plant responds very well to diffuse sunlight, but not direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause algae to grow on the leaves of the plant. If you notice algae on the plant, you should reduce the intensity and duration of the lighting. In no case can not be placed over Lagenandra meeboldii red bushes of floating plants, because in this case she will not have enough light, and the red coloring of the leaves the plant has only in bright light.
Reproduction
Lagenandra meeboldii red is propagated by pulling off daughter bushes that appear on the rhizome of the mother bush. When the daughter bush develops 3 leaves and a lobe of roots, it is carefully separated and planted in a new location.
