Image - Wikimedia / Alberto Salguero
La Medinilla magnifica it is one of the most difficult tropical plants to care for in a region where the climate is temperate, and even more so when humidity is low. In fact, that is one of the reasons why it is not always found in nurseries: its maintenance is expensive, something that makes its sale price increase. But that does not mean that it is impossible to enjoy it at home.
We will have to be more aware of it than we would be of any other plant, but of course you can have one indoors. In fact, next we will tell you what are the care Medinilla magnifica so you know how to get it.
Our protagonist has long leaves, about 12-15cm in length, of a beautiful grass green color. Its pink flowers appear in clusters and are undoubtedly its main attraction. This is a demanding plant when it comes to cultivation, but its demands can be easily accommodated as we will see.
Where do you put it?
Image - Wikimedia / Jerzy Opioła
La medinilla is a plant that needs a lot of light, but not direct. For this reason, you can have it in a room with windows, although it will be placed far from these so that the sun does not burn it, something that would occur as a result of the so-called magnifying glass effect.
In addition, it must also be kept away from air currents, both those generated by electronic devices and those that can enter if we keep the windows open.
Can it be grown outside?
If we live in an area where the climate is warm throughout the year, and there are never frosts, it is possible to keep it outside always. But yes, it will have to be in the shade, since if it gets direct sun, its leaves will burn.
Alternatively take it out only for a few months, in spring and/or summer, and then put it back in when temperatures start to drop.
What pot and soil should you have?
There are different pots on the market: clay, ceramic, and plastic. Any plant will do as long as it has drainage holes and is big enough to grow for a while.. That is, if for example right now it is in one of about 13 centimeters in diameter, the next one should measure about 6 or 7 centimeters more in width and height.
In this way, not only can it continue to develop normally, but we can forget about re-transplanting it for a few years (3 or 4, depending on how fast it grows).
Y As for the soil or substrate, being a delicate plant, I strongly recommend getting a quality one, one that is light and that allows rapid water drainage. we can put coconut fiber alone, or opt for the universal substrate of companies such as Flower, fertiberia o BioBizz. By clicking on the links you can buy the one that interests you.
When and how to water the medinilla?
Image - Wikimedia / Mokkie
It is a plant that has to be watered from time to time, since it does not resist drought. So, it is very important that you hydrate when we see and notice that the earth is drying, although to be sure it is best to weigh the pot once watered and again after a few days. And since when it is dry it weighs much less than when it is wet, this difference in weight is an excellent guide to know when to water.
The time has come, we will fill a small watering can of 2 liters with water without lime, and we will pour it into the earth until it comes out through the drainage holes of the pot. In case we have a plate under it or we have put it inside a container without holes, we will have to drain it after each watering, otherwise the roots will rot.
Do you have to spray its leaves?
It is often thought that all plants should be sprayed, but this is not always true. In fact, It will depend a lot on the humidity in the place where you have it. And it is that, supposing that it is high, 50% or higher, and you spray water on the plants, what will happen is that they will fill with fungi.
Therefore, before spraying your medinilla -or any plant you have- you should look at what degree of humidity there is. This can be easily known with a domestic weather station, which can cost between 10 and 15 euros, like this one for example:
In case it is low, then yes, you will have to spray its leaves daily with water without lime, or put containers with water around the pot.
When to pay the medinilla?
Our beloved plant grows when it is hot, that is, when temperatures remain between 18 and 35ºC. For this reason, it is convenient to pay it while the good weather lasts, with a universal liquid fertilizer that you can buy here or for flowering plants you have it here.
Yes, you must follow the instructions for use that are indicated on the package, since that is the only way to achieve good results without putting the life of the medinilla at risk.
I hope now it is easier for you to take care of your plant.
Exactly a week ago I bought the medinilla and I just noticed that the leaves are turning black on the edges, I checked if I needed water but it's okay. I do not know what is happening can you help me. I have it inside my house.
Hello Ruth.
It must be in an area where drafts cannot reach it. Likewise, it is important to place it in an area that is not passing through, since people, when passing in front of it, creates an air current, which although it is soft, if it is very constant, it can damage its leaves, especially if they rub against each other. .
By the way, do you have a plate underneath? If so, the excess water should be removed 30 minutes after watering, as the roots could rot. And continuing with the irrigation, we must avoid waterlogging, so the frequency will be 2-3 times a week in summer, and 1-2 / week the rest of the year.
a greeting
Hello, when the leaves turn black and fall off? I have it sheltered, I thought it would be a mushroom
Hi Susan.
This is because it is either cold or has excess water.
My advice is that you put it indoors, in a bright room without drafts (neither cold nor warm), and that you water it little: once or twice a week.
Good luck.
Hello Monica. I have the same problem as Ruth, thanks to your advice I have moved her, I will wait for her to assimilate and I will tell you, since it is a sentimental gift. Kind regards Jose
Let's see how he responds 🙂
Hello Monica. My Medinilla leaves are falling and some are wrinkled and black with a woody stem that is drying. Please, what do I do?
Hello Josefa.
How often do you water it? The fall of leaves is usually due to excess watering. For this reason and to prevent it from going overboard, I recommend you check the humidity of the substrate before adding water, for example inserting a thin wooden stick to the bottom. If you see that it comes out with a lot of soil attached, it is because it is very wet.
Another option is to weigh the pot as soon as you water it and after a few days and write down both weights on a sheet. In this way, you can get a more or less clear idea of when it is necessary to give him a drink de.
By the way, is there a fan or air conditioner nearby, or is it in a busy hallway? If so, it is convenient to move it since the air currents affect it a lot.
A greeting.
Hi Monica, today I bought a medinilla plant, I am worried because I do not know where to put it, outside I have a mini nursery but the weather is boiling here in Texas, and inside the air conditioning I do not know if it would suit you, could I advise you please
Hi Flory.
Can you put it in a room as far away from the air conditioning as possible? There it will grow well. If not, outside in the shade.
Greetings 🙂.
Thanks for your answer! Susana chol
Thanks to you, greetings 🙂.
Hello Monica!
Your comments are very accurate.
My wife and I bought a medinilla in May here in Mexico and at first we experienced frustration due to the fact that we took great care of it and even so the leaves grew black, fell off and was on the verge of drying out due to a fungus that came out due to the excess water and a pest to have it inside the house.
The only thing we did was give him normal water with rainwater or jug water on Sundays and Wednesdays and take it out daily to the patio from 8 in the morning to 7 at night where there is a lot of light without direct sunlight and put it in the house at night. A light-colored shade mesh helps a lot since it protects it from the sun's rays but does not prevent it from light.
Today it already has new leaves.
Don't forget to give him special fertilizer for orchids.
Thank you very much for your input, Victor. It is very useful.
And congratulations on your plant 🙂.
A greeting.
Hello Monica, I have a little monidilla that they gave me, it no longer has flowers that I am now changing the flowerpot, because the one that she has is still from a store
Hello Bozena.
You can change the pot in spring, when the temperature starts to rise. A transplant in the fall or winter can backfire.
Greetings 🙂.
Good morning, we have medinilla and I have the leaves that have some yellow spots and then it turns brown, where we can I can send you some photos so you can tell me what it might be
Hello Maria.
It can be for several reasons: Red spider, aphid: lack of nutrients. The most common cause is the first, which is treated with an acaricide, but if it is not fertilized it may be that the plant lacks nutrients, which is solved by fertilizing with guano or with a universal fertilizer.
A greeting.
Good morning Monica, I bought seeds of Medinilla magnifica and I would like you to give me advice on how to make them germinate, if you ever did, thank you.
Hello Luis Miguel.
The truth is that I have never tried to plant Medinilla. Where I live (Mallorca, Spain) there is a climate that in winter is too cold for her.
However, I can tell you that vermiculite is an ideal substrate for seedlings, since it maintains the right degree of humidity.
A greeting.
Hello, I have a meeting since last year, I brought two flowers, they are already finished, I water it once a week and I sprayed its leaves 2 times a week, I have it close, not much from a window, a button has already been born And it is growing, but it is greener, it has some pink tones, but not like the ones it brought, what will it take?
I put medinilla, but the concealer failed me
Hello Luz Maria.
I think what happens to that button is that it is simply young 🙂. As it develops, it will acquire its color.
Anyway, you can upload an image to tinypic and copy the link here to see it.
A greeting.
Hello, I leave the link of the green medinilla button
[IMG] http://i63.tinypic.com/11mguap.jpg [/ IMG
Hello Luz Maria.
All your comments came hehe 🙂 I have deleted them for being repeated.
The plant looks good, healthy. The flower buds are still young.
A greeting.
Rebeca, my question, they gave me this very battered Mellego medinilla plant that has dried many leaves that I can make so that it recovers, I would like to thank you for your advice.
Hi Rebecca.
Protect it from direct sunlight and keep it indoors if frosts occur in your area.
Water it little: twice a week in autumn-winter and a little more often the rest of the year.
And patience. Unfortunately no more can be done.
Good luck 🙂
They gave me one in May, the flowers fell and now they are coming out 4. I'm delighted
Cool. Enjoy.
Hey.
I bought a medinilla a month ago and it has 3 clusters of flowers but has not managed to open any of the buttons that compose it. Now these buttons are starting to fall. What could be happening to him? None of them open like the ones in the first image on this page.
Greetings.
Hello Borja.
Surely it is due to the change of location (nursery, home). You can fertilize it with a liquid fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium to give it strength, to see if it manages to open a flower.
A greeting.
Hi Monica, I just discovered you and I am delighted. My question is this. I have a medinilla from last year. My husband gave it to me and it was full of flowers. Over time they dried up and fell off. The fact is that it has not returned to flowers, only leaves, one after another and I don't know if it's my fault. I have it on a piece of furniture, next to a window, with which it receives a lot of light, never direct sunlight, and the window panel that is next to it is always closed so that it does not catch current. I live in Seville and the window is facing west. Could you recommend me what to do so that I have flowers again? Thank you.
Hello Luisa María.
Thank you for your words. 🙂
If you have not changed the pot, I recommend you move it to a slightly larger one. And then fertilize with a liquid fertilizer for flower plants, following the instructions specified on the package.
Thus, it will surely flourish again.
A greeting.
Hi Monica, I gave a medilla plant to my mother and put it near the window with other plants, now two leaves are drying, it has produced new leaves but these are from the bases, the leaves look as if it were one It burns and begins to wrinkle, what can my mother do since she is worried?
Hello Hugo.
It is normal for the older leaves (the bottom ones) to dry out and die. If you don't get direct sunlight or light (or through a window), and the weather is warm, no problem.
A greeting.
I broke a flower branch at the height of the leaves, that is to say, that is why the brown hairs round in a circle from where the flower begins to come out, what would happen ago?
Hello Jose.
If it has broken but is still attached to the plant, it is better to cut. And nothing else, wait for me to take another 🙂
Greetings.
Hello, good afternoon, I have a medinilla and the leaves are like a white powder, and some fall, what could it be? and ask if you can clean its leaves with hydrogen peroxide and natural water to remove that white powder that I really don't know what it is
Hello Vero.
Yes, you can clean them with natural water, but which leaves are the ones that fall off? I ask you because if they are the bottom ones, it is normal, but if they are the youngest… it is because there is some error in the way of taking care of them.
If you want, send us some photos to our Facebook, so we can help you better.
Greetings.