Asparagus (asparagus) family. Homeland South America (Mexico, Guatemala). There are 4 species in the genus. Until 2009, the taxonomy of the agave, needle and nolin families was different, and both nolins and bokarnei belonged to the same genus Nolina Nolina. Since 2009, these are two different genera belonging to the same family, but to different subfamilies (Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society Volume 161, Issue 2, pages 132-136, October 2009). The plant that we could previously buy under the name nolina is actually Beaucarnea recurvata and nothing else. And this species is often grown at home.
Bocarnea bent Beaucarnea recurvata is a perennial evergreen xerophyte plant, has a thick trunk, expanding and thickening even more towards the base. In nature, they reach an average height of 5-6 m with a trunk thickness of 30-40 cm in diameter. The stem at first, in a young plant, is short and spherical, like a bulb, and then stretches out, and becomes like a pot-bellied bottle. At the top of the stem, thin, delicate, green leaves are collected in rosettes, reminiscent of a palm.
Bocarnea - care and cultivation
Bokarnea is a wonderful plant for the house, grows slowly, does not need constant pinching, pruning or other methods of care, but cats are very fond of gnawing it. Although the plant is not poisonous, poisoning in a striped friend does not happen, the plant will be irreparably damaged, so place it so that the cat cannot get to the leaves.
Temperature: Cool conditions are optimal, in summer not higher than 22-24 ° C, temperatures above 26 ° C with good ventilation. In winter, the rest period at a temperature of about 10-12 ° C, but not lower than + 7 ° C. If there is enough light, then the bokarnya lives normally in winter and in a warm room.
Lighting: Bocarnea prefers full sunlight, in the summer in the hottest hours - light shade (domestic plants are less adapted to the bright sun, in contrast to brothers growing in nature).
Watering: Moderate in spring and summer, in winter watering is limited with cool content, but directly the frequency of watering depends on the specific temperature. Take into account that bokarnya is drought-resistant and does not tolerate overflow. I.e. after watering, you need to wait until the top layer of the earth dries and wait a few more days before watering again.
Fertilizer: From April to August, every 2 weeks, the bokarney is fed with liquid fertilizer for indoor plants at a dosage two times less than recommended or fertilizer for cacti and succulents.
Humidity: Bocarnea responds well to spraying, which can be done once a week.
Transplantation: Bocarnea at a young age (up to three years) are transplanted annually, adults after 2 years. The roots of the plant are quite fragile, so you need to try not to damage them during transplantation. After transplantation, the bokarney is not watered for two days. The soil is the 1 part of the sod land, the 1 part of the sheet and the 1 part of the sand. Good drainage is mandatory if a plastic pot, very large drainage holes can be drilled instead of drainage. In a clay pot, drainage is optional.
Reproduction: Mostly by seed. There is nothing difficult in growing bokarnea from seeds, but it is very important to sterilize the soil, etch the seeds in manganese. When sowing, sprinkle with soil (universal Terra Vita and sand in equal parts) for 2-3 mm. Keep the plate moderately wet with mandatory ventilation and warm (25-28 ° C). Seeds germinate for 3-4 weeks. As soon as seedlings appear, you need to provide enough light. You can dive when the first real leaves unfold. The pots are small - about 7-8 cm in diameter. Bokarnea does not grow quickly, the trunk thickens slowly.