Strelitizia Nicolai Care Guide

SASHA THE STRELITZIA NICOLAI

Also known as the giant white bird of paradise. The bird of paradise is native Southern countries of Africa. 

LIGHTING 

Sasha needs a lot of bright direct sunlight. She would prefer any south facing window or bright sunny conservatory. The more sunlight, the better but at least 6 hours of sun is ideal. Don’t worry about any direct sunlight hitting her leaves, this will not burn them. Lighting-wise Sasha pairs perfectly with the citrus tree, Alex and Roger

WATERING 

In the summer Sasha will need a lot of water, the more sun she gets the more water she will need. Keep her soil consistently moist by watering her twice a week in the summer and much less frequently in the winter months. Always check the first two inches of her soil to make sure it is dry before you water again. Grab our stylish silver and white watering can to help keep her hydrated.

HUMIDITY 

Sasha doesn’t require a lot of humidity but a regular misting but a regular spray of perfecting houseplant care mist will keep her foliage healthy. 

TEMPERATURE 

Sasha can tolerate temperatures between 15-29°C. As long as the indoor temperature doesn't dip lower than 15°C Sasha will be happy.

FERTILISER 

Sasha is fast growing and will put out a lot of new foliage in the growth season. We highly recommend you use our vegan organic fertiliser or our fortifying houseplant fertiliser every two weeks in the months from March-September. 

REPOTTING 

While Sasha is a fast grower, it's good to keep her rootbound as disturbing her root system can affect her health. After 2-3 years when you do come to repot her make sure there are lots of drainage materials mixed in with the soil such as perlite or bark. Check out our incredible peat free potting mix.

 

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR GIANT WHITE BIRD OF PARADISE

 Yellow spots -  Yellow spots can be a sign of two things

  1. Sasha has been over fertilised 
  2. Water has been left on the foliage throughout the day and the sun has burnt the leaves. Try to mist her foliage early in the morning before the sun is too strong to warm the water and burn the leaves.

 

 Leaves drooping or leaning - Sasha will naturally lean towards any light source. It’s good practise to rotate her pot weekly to help promote more even growth.

 

 Browning edges - The browning edges is a sign that she is under watered. Always check to make sure the first two inches of soil is moist but not soggy.

 

OUR TOP 3 CARE TIPS 

Top tip 1: To encourage blooming flowers give her as much bright sunlight as possible. She will only bloom once she is older than three years old. 

Top tip 2: Thoroughly soak her soil with a hose or kitchen tap a couple of times a year to wash out any bacteria, extra fertiliser or any soil lacking in nutrients.

Top tip 3:  To keep your new plant happy, use our complete houseplant care system

 

strelitzia reggie barry fortifying-houseplant-fertiliser peat-free-soil