Mosaic plants are also known as nerve plants. Their stunning foliage makes them quite popular among garden lovers and they like to raise them in their gardens or homes. The scientific name of this plant is Fittonia albivenis. The best thing about these plants is that they are easy to grow and easy to take care of. You don’t need to put tremendous effort into cultivating the mosaic plants. Continue reading the article to learn more about the mosaic plants.
Origin of the mosaic plants and their characteristics
The varieties of mosaic plants (nerve plants) get changed with the changed environment. If you plant them inside your home, you will see that the flowers are not blooming on them. On the contrary, if you raise them in the garden, you will find that yellow-white colored flowers are blooming on mosaic plants. This difference comes because of the different environments. Generally, it has two species named Fitonia albivenis and Fitonia gigantea. According to the species of nerve plants, their height grows up, it has been observed that their height grows up from 3 to 6 inches with a trailing spread of about 12 to 18 inches. Furthermore, the soil of the plant should be well drained otherwise the problem of water-logging will persist in the soil. This will damage the growth of the plant. Though it is a slow-growing plant, it looks very attractive and impressive at each glance. If you have still not bought nerve plants for your home, you should raise them in your garden. They will certainly add value to your home and garden. Also, you should know about the best creeper plants for indoor and outdoor of our homes.
Types of mosaic plants
There are different types of mosaic plants. Read the following pointers:
- Argyroneura: dark-colored green foliage with silver-white veins
- Frankie: light pink veins and green color leaves
- Fortissimo: red and pink color veins with green foliage
- Red star: cherry pink red colored veins
How to take care of mosaic plants?
Read the following pointers to know how to take care of mosaic plants:
- You should keep watering the plant regularly to prevent it from drying out. If the dryness in the soil persists long, it will impact the growth of the plant negatively.
- When you are watering mosaic plants, you should take care of one thing: water should not be given in excessive quantities. Too much watering can lead to the problem of water logging in the plants. This can be the cause of the root rot. Hence, the soil should be well-drained, and watering the plant should be done in limited quantities.
- The mosaic plants love to grow in high humidity. Therefore, it will be better if you spray them with water frequently.
- You should not place the pot of nerve plant in direct sunlight as direct exposure to sunlight can give birth to the problem of leaf burn. Subsequently, your plant will dry out soon. Hence, you can grow the plant under fluorescent light or diffused light that is coming from the window.
- The soil that you choose is not highly acidic. It should be slightly acidic soil.
- If you discover that the leaves of the plant are dropping, then, you should water the plant to restore the growth.
- Mosaic plants grow happily in the environment of rainforests. Therefore, it is essential to fertilize the soil from time to time. Subsequently, the plant will not suffer from nutritional deficiency.
- If you find that the plant has become very bushy, then, you can do its pruning by pinching off the tips of the stems. This will be helpful in the growth of the plant. Moreover, its yellow and white colored flowers are less liked than its stunning foliage. So, you can pinch off its buds to enhance the growth of the foliage.
Some challenges to the growth of the mosaic plants are given below:
- Many times it happens that leaves start to turn yellow. The root cause of this problem is excessive watering of the plant. Therefore, there should be drainage holes in the pot to prevent the problem of water logging in the soil. Too much soggy soil eats away the growth of the plant.
- Another problem that can harm its growth is the leaf drop. You should give the environment of tropical plants. Hence, it is essential to sprinkle water from time to time. Otherwise, the plant will dry out in no time. You will lose the prominent growth of foliage early.
- Some complain that they are slow-growing plants. Though they grow slowly, they look beautiful.
How can you do potting and repotting of the mosaic plants?
For the potting of the mosaic plant, you should use conventional and well-drained soil. There should be drainage holes in the pot. In this way, the problem of water logging will not impact the growth badly. Furthermore, you should report the plant annually. It will be better if you do repot it in the spring or summer season. Whenever you do it, you should choose fresh soil.
How to keep the problem of pests away?
You should keep the problem of pests in the mosaic plants at arm’s length. You just need to take care of some essential things. Commonly, the diseases of one plant affect another plant. In the case of indoor planting, the chances of infection are raised. Some common insect problems include fungus gnats, aphids, and mealy bugs. Hence, you should use insecticidal oil to prevent the growth of pests in outdoor as well as indoor planting. You can use neem oil. Furthermore, you should keep affected plants in seclusion, otherwise, its bugs will infect the other plants as well.
Final words
Hope that you have liked the article on the Mosaic Plants. These plants are a very good example of those plants that can decorate homes only with the help of their stunning dark foliage. Every time it is not necessary that only the plants which bloom ornamental flowers will decorate the homes. Also, have detailed information on the best garden swings for adults and kids to decorate our garden. By following some necessary tips, you can enhance the longevity of the mosaic plants.
