Shield family. Homeland - the tropics of Africa, Japan, China. There are about 15 species in nature. The closest relatives of the circomium are the pteris ferns and the polypodium.
- Cirthomium sickle-shaped Cyrtomium falkatum is a perennial herb native to East Asia. Its rhizome is short, covered with brown scales. Wai once pinnately dissected, dark green, about 40-50 cm long. The leaf segments are leathery and sickle-shaped. Depending on the variety, they have a serrate or even edge.
Circomium - care
Temperature: prefers moderate temperatures, does not like the heat of the sun, the optimal placement is coolness in diffused light, with very light shade. Winter is better experienced in coolness at 18-20 ° C, at least in the cold season + 8-10 ° C, with dry soil.
Lighting: Like most ferns, circomium grows perfectly under openwork light - in nature under the canopy of trees, at home the best option is the east or north-west windowsill, not too dark north window. If you have a south or sunny west side - a place for him near the window behind a tulle curtain. Do not put the pot on the floor - the light falls only on the top of the head.
Watering: plentiful in warm times, the soil should be slightly moist inside the pot all the time, but not too damp and have time to dry well in the upper third of the soil. Avoid waterlogging the soil, especially during cold periods (when the heating is turned off or has not yet been turned on, and it is cold outside). Increased soil moisture does not compensate for dry air. Try not to water the circomium with tap water unless it is soft enough. Use filtered or boiled water.
Top dressing: in the summer, feed with fertilizer for indoor deciduous plants every two to three weeks. Take a dose of fertilizers half the recommended by the manufacturer.
Humidity: Not as demanding on humidity as most other ferns, but requires periodic spraying of leaves. Optimal humidity is at least 45%.
Transplant: The sickle-shaped circomium is transplanted in the spring, as needed, when the roots fill the entire pot. Soil mixture -1 part of leaf earth (or peat), 1 part of humus earth and 1 part of coarse sand (2-4 mm). At the bottom of the pot are clay shards. Soil drainage is a prerequisite for the successful cultivation of this fern. In nature, it grows in crevices of coastal rocks, on rocky slopes near rivers, and other humid areas. If a white salt crust has formed on the surface of the earth, then without waiting for the next transplant, you can replace the topsoil.
Reproduction: by dividing the bush (with part of the rhizome) in the spring, very rarely spores.
