Ivy

 
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Araliaceae family. Homeland South Crimea, Southern Europe, Caucasus, North Africa.

Ivy is one of the most common plants among indoor flower lovers. It is so rich in a variety of shapes and varieties that it can satisfy the taste of even a very picky florist. Since ivy is easily propagated and quite common, if desired, it would be possible to collect a whole collection of up to 30 or more different species of this wonderful plant, which, by the way, is sometimes popularly called a loach, probably for its curly and clinging branches. Such specimens can grow, which with their lashes cover not only the wall, but also the ceiling of the room. Ivy seeks support and attaches to it with aerial roots. Therefore, he needs support: either vertical in the form of a stick or tube with moss or stretched cords. Ivy flowers are small in heads, appear in old specimens on branches with whole leaves.

For cultivation in culture, first of all, small and variegated forms are suitable, differing in color, shape and size of leaves. The most common species is the common ivy "Hedera helix," this species has very many varieties:

  • varieties with almost oval and rounded leaves (Hedera helix Harald, Hedera helix scutifolia)
  • varieties with star leaves (Hedera helix sagittaefolia)
  • corrugated-edged cultivars (Hedera helix cristata, Hedera helix Ivalace)
  • varieties with even edges, with pure green coloring (Hedera helix Annette, Hedera helix Green Ripple)
  • varieties with almost yellow leaves (Hedera helix Eva, Hedera helix Mona Lisa)
  • spotted leaf cultivars (Hedera helix Jubilee, Hedera helix Glacier, Hedera helix Glorie de Marengo)
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Ivy care

Ivy (Hedera) is a wonderful and unpretentious plant, very tenacious at home: it grows in shaded places, tolerates warm wintering well, and is perfect for both the bedroom and the kitchen. This does not mean that it does not need to be looked after - the density of the crown and the abundance of shoots depend on the conditions of care. The more comfortable the plant in your house, the more magnificent it looks - it can grow into a real green carpet. Periodically, once every 3-5 years, the header may require the rejuvenation of the bush - pruning of all shoots, which, after re-establishment, are planted in one pot. In spring, the ends of the shoots need to be trimmed to encourage better branching.

Temperature

Ordinary ivy grows perfectly in a wide range of temperatures, optimally for it 20-26 ° С day and night no more than 16 ° С - this is the temperature at which the hedera feels most comfortable. But at temperatures above 30 ° C, it is desirable that there is an influx of air, i.e. the room or kitchen is ventilated. At temperatures below 15 ° C - very careful watering, since the main problem of swimming is the bay, and it occurs automatically if the plants remain watered on a cold night .

In winter, it is advisable to grow ivy in cooler conditions, at 15-16 ° C, at least 12 ° C. But if this is not possible, the plant will not be very offended by you, especially if you protect it from the hot air of the batteries and there will be enough light from the window or from lamps.

Lighting

Ivy loves bright diffused light in spring and summer (east and north sides), and in autumn and winter in central Russia it is not afraid of the southern window with direct sunlight - the sun is too low and the days are mostly cloudy. It is not so much the direct sun that is poorly tolerated as the heat, greenhouse conditions depress it. Ivy green varieties can be attributed to shade-tolerant, but still do not put them in a dark corner! Variegated ivy is more photophilous, in a shaded place they can lose color.

Watering and humidity

Ivy can be classified as very drought-tolerant plants, it requires watering not like, for example, Monstera or Philodendron, Maranta or ferns, but rather as succulents - such as fat, Kalankhoe or forest cacti - Slumberger. This means that it is necessary to water it more moderately than abundantly - after the upper part of the soil is dry to a depth of about 5-7 cm (for an average pot).

The most dangerous time for the plant is in spring and autumn, when the heating has already been turned off or has not yet been turned on. During these periods, very high humidity and soil dries for a long time. So that care is not harmful, it is important not to pour ivy, periodically loosen the soil in the pot, do not water at night, especially if the pots are on the balcony.

In winter, watering depends on the temperature in the room. If in an ordinary heated apartment, then water as well as in summer. If it stands on an insulated balcony or veranda - watering is moderate, the earth should dry out completely.

Important: ivy is easier to tolerate overdrying than waterlogging, especially variegated varieties! If you notice that the leaves and shoots have become some kind of sluggish, some leaves do not turn yellow and droop without shrinking - these are the symptoms of the bay. Urgently get the plant out of the pot and dry. If the plant is heavily flooded, when the leaves turn black, hang like rags, even cuttings from such shoots usually do not take root - they die.

Ivy grows well with an air humidity of at least 35-40%. I.e. you need to spray it in winter in frosty weather, when at home even the curtains are electrified or in summer in dry hot weather. At any other time, spraying is not necessary, but plants need basic hygiene - a lot of dust settles on the leaves, it will be nice if you rinse them once a week or two under a warm shower.

Flight connections

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Ivy is transplanted annually if it is under three years old, and after a year or two old plants, but they need to replace the top layer of soil every year - remove the salted useless soil and add fresh soil. The soil is composed of a mixture of the 1 part of the sod earth, the 1 part of the humus, the 1 part of the sheet earth and the 1 part of the sand. You can use store soil for flowers, universal, proven manufacturers such as Terra Vita .

What needs to be done is to make large holes for water runoff at the bottom of the pot. The more, the better, as in pots with store plants. To prevent the earth from falling out, put a circle of mosquito net on the bottom. The drainage is 1.5-2 cm pieces of foam plastic.

How and when to feed ivy

Feeding is necessary only during active growth, from March to August, every 2 weeks, but not earlier than 1.5 months after transplantation. The header is fed with complex fertilizer for ornamental and deciduous plants. You can use fertilizers "4 barrels," "Pocon," "Agricola," "Bona Forte" and others, which indicate that they are intended for deciduous plants (including palm trees, ficus trees), closer in composition to fertilizers for maranta, but they are quite rare in the market.

Ivy reproduction

Ivy is propagated by cuttings, and often plants already have aerial roots if they have grown in high humidity for the last 2-3 months. But even if there are no aerial roots, cuttings still take root in water or moist vermiculite. To prevent the water in the jar with cuttings from spoiling, change it every den to fresh, preferably boiled.

  • If you want to root in vermiculite, for this take the 1 part of vermiculite and universal peat soil, pour into a small pot, moisten. Then place the pot of soil in the microwave and warm for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Let the ground cool and stick in the cuttings. Then place the jar together with the cuttings in a plastic bag and tie. Once a day, open to ventilate.
  • When the roots grow back, they will be noticeable through the glass of the jar, untie the bag, but do not remove, let the cuttings gradually get used to the lower humidity. After the cuttings begin to grow shoots, 3-4 new leaves will grow, they can be transplanted into a larger pot, into the ground, as described above.

Ivy growing problems

плющ болеетThe photo shows the leaves of ivy (Hedera helix scutiolia), which came into contact with the window glass, on the southern windowsill.

These are traces of burns that will not disappear. A similar picture will result from the contact of leaves with frosty window glass in winter.

It should be noted that ivy is not afraid of ventilation, even in the cold season, if the wind does not directly blow on it from an open window. But if you have cold windowsills, you should be careful with watering so that there is no hypothermia of the root system.

плющ болеетBrown spot caused by damage to the fungus Phylosticta (leaf spot).

If the affected leaves are few, they must be pruned.

плющ заболелIf the ivy is badly damaged, there are many such spots and the black mushroom of the mushroom is already noticeable, then it is better to destroy the plant.

This disease appears with excessive watering, high air humidity and poor ventilation of the room.

Ivy leaves dry, brown and crumble - at too high a temperature indoors, above 30 ° C, if, for example, a pot with a hedera stands high on a shelf in the kitchen (the higher the hotter).

Leaves dry and with a sharp lack of light, for example, you bought variegated ivy, all spring and summer it stood in a bright place, and in autumn, during the rains and cloudy weather, the illumination and length of daylight hours sharply decreased. In this case, the plant does not die, but the leaves begin to dry out and fall off one after another.

If a similar leaf fall has begun, first of all, check the soil in the pot - loosen and touch at a depth, if dry, then before watering, do not rush to blame the drying, perhaps the ivy simply lacks light - try to move to a lighter place or turn on the lamp next to it.

Signs of ivy overdrying are the loss of one, two leaves and drooping shoots with completely dry soil.

In summer or warm winter, a sign of lack of light in ivy is small leaves; leaves are rarely located on branches, and shoots literally stretch towards the light source - to the window or to the lamp; loss of variegation in cultivars.

It is more important for ivy that there is more humid and fresh air (daily ventilation) than frequent watering.

Ivy pests

Any pest can attack ivy - worms, shields, whiteflies - but this is usually due to violations of safety rules: planted in unsterilized soil, acquired an infected plant.

But for reasons beyond our control, ticks of different species can attack this plant. They can cause serious harm. The main signs are drying of the leaves, the color from green becomes silver gray, when affected by a wide tick or cyclamen, the tops of the shoots suffer - twisted or shrunken leaves.

Read more in the section "pests"

If a tick is found on the ivy, you will have to be patient. The crown of the header is thick, there are a lot of leaves, you need to rinse each leaf. You can fight the tick with a hot shower (ivy endures jets of water at a temperature of 50-55 ° C) - water from all sides, or by rinsing it in an acaricide solution.

Simple spraying does not help well, as it fails to thoroughly wet the entire surface. Therefore, dilute the insecticide in a bucket of warm water, add 1 teaspoon of soap solution (green soap, liquid soap) for better adhesiveness, and lower the ivy into the water up with a pot, down with a crown.

Hold for 30 seconds, rocking slightly. Remove from solution, leave in the bathroom. Wait a few minutes and rinse again. Flush with clean water! Part of the land will inevitably spill out, add fresh.