Grevillea BanksFamily of proteas. Homeland - Australia, New Zealand, islands of Malaysia. There are about 260 species in nature.
- Grevillea Banks Grevillea banksii is a tree-like shrub several meters tall. Young shoots are covered with small dense pubescence. Leaves are twice pinnately dissected, about 20 cm long. Each segment is narrow-lanceolate, green above, covered with small reddish pubescence below. Bright red flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. Pedicels and perianths are also covered with small, dense and fluffy hairs. The ovary is covered with pubescence.
- Grevillea is a powerful Grevillea robusta - a tree that reaches in natural conditions up to 20 m in height. Leaves twice - or three times pinnately dissected, about 25 cm long. Each segment is narrowly lanceolate, often with a serrated margin. The leaf is green above, covered with small reddish pubescence below. Orange or red-brown flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. Ovary of the flower without pubescence.
In fairness, it should be noted that grevillea is not the best plant for home cultivation. Firstly, it is a plant that requires cool wintering and moist air. If these conditions are not provided, the plant has yellow leaves, it is quickly affected by pests.
Secondly, due to the inability to provide ideal conditions, the plant practically does not bloom in indoor conditions. But it grows quite quickly and requires periodic pruning, otherwise the plant will reach the ceiling in a few years. But for spacious bright and cool halls, winter gardens and greenhouses, this is a very good plant.
Grevillea - Care and Cultivation
Temperature: grevillea is a greenhouse plant, prefers moderate temperatures, optimally in summer about 20-22 ° C, does not like heat in a stuffy, unventilated room (on the sunny side of the house). In winter, about 12 ° C, at least 8 ° C. In an ordinary apartment, she will suffer during the heating season.
Lighting: bright diffused light, mandatory shading from direct sunlight in summer. It grows well near the east or northwest window.
Watering: plentiful during the growth period - the soil should be slightly wet all the time, but dry out at the top of the pot for the next watering. In winter, watering is rare, its frequency depends on the temperature, in cool conditions they water after a thorough drying of the ground. Grevillea does not tolerate waterlogging of the substrate.
Top dressing: from March to August with fertilizer for indoor plants every two weeks.
Air humidity: Loves very moist air, so the leaves are regularly sprayed, place the plant on a wide pallet with moist gravel.
Transplant: Annually in the spring. The pot shouldn't be too deep. The soil is only slightly acidic. Soil - a mixture of the 1 part of the sheet earth, the 2 parts of the coniferous, the 1 part of the peat and the 1/2 part of the sand. Good drainage is mandatory.
Reproduction
Grevillea is propagated by semi-lignified cuttings and seeds. Cuttings for rooting are cut in August. It is necessary to cut off semi-lignified shoots with a heel. Sprinkle the end of the handle with phytohormone powder and place it with the pot under the bag. For rooting, a temperature of 18-20 ° C is needed.
Grevillea from seeds
Grevillea take only fresh seeds for breeding, as they quickly lose germination. Before sowing, soak the seeds in a solution of "zircon," "epina," but better than the drug "narcissus," according to the instructions. Seeds must be sown in a mixture of light nutritious earth. To do this, mix 1 part of the leaf humus, 1 part of the universal peat soil and 1 part of the vermiculite. Sprinkle the seeds with earth in a layer of about 7-10 mm, pour over and cover with glass or a bag. Put in a warm place at a temperature of 22-25 ° С.
Two to three times a day, it is necessary to ventilate the crops by shaking off the condensate. Maintain the soil strictly in a moderately wet state, no dampness or drying! To prevent the seeds from rot, pour a single seed with a solution of phytosporin or phytolavin.
Germination begins after 2 weeks. Shoots are rarely friendly, and germination is usually 50-70%. When sprouts appear, you need to put a plate with crops in a very bright place. Grevillea grows slowly enough, loves light and good humidity.
You can transplant grevillea seedlings into separate pots when a pair of real leaves opens. Take small pots, about 8 cm in diameter, the soil for planting is the same - light, slightly acidic reaction. In hot weather in summer, make pots on a wide pallet with wet sphagnum moss. For the first year, plants can winter in normal indoor conditions (warm) on a sunny windowsill and with moisture during the heating season. In the second year, a cool wintering is needed.
