Grevillea

Diseases and pests

Malopa has a fairly high resistance to both diseases and pests. But sometimes, nevertheless, gardeners may have problems with this culture, especially if an unsuitable site was chosen for planting it, or if the bushes were not provided with good enough care.

Pests

Various pests can settle on the bushes of malopa, while the most frequent "uninvited guests" are the following:

1. Spider mite. It feeds on plant sap, which it sucks out by making small holes in the foliage and in young shoots. Because of this, the foliage begins to actively turn yellow and deform. In order to protect the plant from possible negative consequences of the activity of spider mites, experts advise, as soon as possible, to start treating the bush with special pesticides. Most often, Actellik or Fitoverma solution is used for this.
2. Aphid. Aphids are also a sucking insect that feeds on plant sap. In the affected bush, weakening of leaves and shoots is observed. You can get rid of such a harmful insect by the same means that are used in the fight against spider mites.
3. Nematodes. Such small pests affect the underground part of the plant, or rather, its roots. You can get rid of them only with the help of powerful pesticides, for example: Karbofos, Nemagon or Zoolek Capisol.

Diseases

Also, the hole is susceptible to some diseases, for example:

1. Powdery mildew. Such a disease develops if moisture stagnation is observed in the soil. To cure a diseased plant, you can use folk remedies, for example, an infusion or decoction of onion husks. However, in advanced cases, it is better to immediately use a solution of a fungicide, for example, Topaz or Fundazol.
2. Rust. In a diseased plant, specks form on the surface of the foliage. To cure it, repeated treatment with a solution of copper oxychloride, Bordeaux mixture or Oxychoma is required. Do not forget to cut off all diseased parts of the bush before spraying.

View - Beautiful Brovallia

A relative of petunia, brovallia, called Browallia in Latin, belongs to the Solanaceae family. The homeland of Brovallia is Colombia, Central and South America.

In indoor conditions, only one species is grown - Brovallia is beautiful, in Latin it is called Browallia speciosa. In the lap of nature, this perennial species grows up to 1.5 meters in height. In indoor conditions, brovallia is a compact bush up to 35 cm high, which branches well and blooms profusely.

For the growth of new shoots, it is very important to pinch the plant in time, that is, to cut off the tops of the branches. Beautiful brovallia is very common and loved by flower growers as a pot culture, but it can also be used to decorate a summer balcony.

The main charm of brovallia lies in the beautiful flowers of white, blue, lilac or blue-violet, as well as all kinds of shades of purple. If you take proper care of the plant, the brovallia will simply be covered with bright and very delicate flowers.

Florists will also be pleased with the fact that brovallia blooms for an amazingly long time. It can bloom for up to 16 or 18 months in a row! Even winter does not prevent brovallia from blooming - unless, due to a lack of light, the flowering will not be so abundant.

When the plant has bloomed, we can assume that it is time for old age. As a rule, repeated flowering does not happen, because brovallia lives for only two years, and then dies off. But this is not scary - you can constantly update the plant, propagating it from a faded bush, which is not at all difficult.

It should be remembered that brovallia contains poisonous substances. Therefore, the plant should be located away from children and pets.

How to care for indoor conditions

Lighting

Indoor grevillea needs a lot of bright light, which must be diffused. It should be remembered that it needs good lighting throughout the year, while the optimal daylight hours are about 10 hours. On rainy summer days, as well as in autumn and winter, the bush requires additional additional lighting, for this phytolamps are used.

We recommend reading: protect yourself from the stuffiness and heat in the summer, universal film for windows ...

Optimum air temperature

Grevillea feels best when it is warm. V
in the spring and summer period, she should provide a temperature of 20-25 degrees. In winter
the bush must be moved to a cooler place: 6-12 degrees.

Watering rules

From the second half of spring to almost mid-autumn, watering
carried out regularly using large amounts of water. Make sure that in
During this period, the soil mixture in the container was slightly damp all the time. In the winter
months, the number and abundance of watering is reduced. But at the same time, in no case
complete drying of the earthen coma should not be allowed. You can moisten the soil mixture
only soft and well-settled water, the temperature of which is close to
room.

Air humidity level

Grevillea growing at home needs increased
humidity. To achieve this, it is necessary to systematically moisturize
foliage from a spray bottle. If possible, you can use a household
humidifier.

Please note that if the room is too
dry air, the leaves will turn yellow and begin to dry. Then
their active withering away and flying around will begin

Pruning

Such a large ornamental deciduous plant like grevillea
is characterized by rapid growth. To make the bush look well-groomed and have a lush crown,
it must be systematically trimmed and pinched off the upper parts of the shoots.
When growing Grevillea large, systematic pruning helps to contain
her exuberant growth.

Suitable soil mixture

In indoor conditions, such an evergreen shrub is good
grows in a fertile, loose and slightly acidic substrate. Optimal composition
earth mixtures: coarse-grained river sand, leafy, coniferous and peaty soil (1: 2: 4: 2).
It is recommended to add a small amount of brick chips to the finished substrate.
or charcoal. A good drainage layer at the bottom of the pot will prevent stagnation
moisture in the root system.

Top dressing

Fertilizers should be applied to the Grevillea pot from spring to the second half of autumn. This procedure is carried out every 15 days.

The mineral complex for indoor decorative deciduous crops is excellent for this. From mid-autumn to the end of winter, no feeding is carried out.

When to transplant

A young plant until it is 3 years old,
transplanted annually, then this procedure is carried out once every 2-3 years. Highly
large adult bushes are not transplanted. Instead, they are replaced annually.
top layer of soil mixture in a pot on a new substrate

Carry out this procedure
very careful

Reproduction - step by step instructions

The life form of the grevillea is an evergreen bush or tree with many fast-growing shoots and needs to be pruned periodically. The plant is viable and propagates easily with cuttings or seeds.

Cuttings

For the propagation of an ornamental bush, you need to choose strong, stiff tops of the shoots. The most suitable time for this procedure will be August. To get a healthy plant with exotic leaves, you need to properly divide the shoot into cuttings.

1. The most suitable for grafting is the part of the stem that has begun to be covered with a woody layer;
2. With a sharp knife, the selected shoot is cut off, the length of which is 15-20 cm;
3. You need to cut off the upper green part of the shoot;
4. Divide the remaining stalk into parts so that at least two nodes (dormant buds) remain on each.
5. It is better to remove the green part of the leaves, since a lot of moisture evaporates through the leaf blade.
6. The cutting gratefully responds to the treatment of the lower part with a root.
7. The shoot treated with a growth stimulator for rooting is planted in a container filled with a mixture of turf soil and river sand and covered with a transparent jar or bottle to create greenhouse conditions.

REFERENCE. The knot is the place on the handle from which the leaf grows, and the distance between the knots is called the internode.

Seeds

The seeds of this luxurious, lacy, spreading plant look like large brown grains. They quickly lose their germination, so you need to closely monitor the expiration dates and use only fresh material.

1. Grevillea seeds can be planted in mid-February in a shallow container.
2. The soil should consist of a mixture of turf and leafy soil with river sand. The seeds should be sown 1 cm deep.
3. To ensure better germination, water the sown grains with warm water.
4. To germinate Grevillea seeds, you need to choose the warmest place in the room, and place the bowls there.
5. After the emergence of sprouts, young seedlings should be transferred to a well-lit, warm place.
6. After the appearance of the second leaf, the sprouts can be dived into small pots with a diameter of 10 cm.

Types and varieties of trachycarpus

In indoor conditions, several types of trachycarpus are cultivated by flower growers. The most popular ones will be described below.

Trachycarpus fortunei

This is the most famous species of this genus, which in natural conditions can reach a height of about 12 meters. When growing a house, its height, as a rule, does not exceed 250 cm. The surface of the trunk is covered with a rough fur coat, which consists of the remains of petioles, dead leaf plates. The leaves are deeply divided into a large number of segments, their front surface is dark green, and on the back there is a silvery bloom. During flowering, racemose inflorescences appear, which include fragrant yellow flowers. But in indoor conditions, the palm does not bloom.

Trachikarpus two-segment

This type is most popular with flower growers. In height, the plant can reach up to 250 centimeters, and in diameter - from 20 to 25 centimeters. In the upper part of the trunk, the surface of which is covered with stalks of dead foliage, there are from 12 to 15 large fan-shaped leaf plates, which are dissected to the very base.

Trachycarpus Wagner (Trachycarpus fortunei Wagnerianus)

In Russia, this species is not very popular with flower growers, but in China, Japan and Korea it is grown quite often. Under natural conditions, such a plant can reach a height of about 7 meters, it is decorated with dark green dense leaf plates, located on rigid petioles. The palm tree is highly resistant to wind gusts and cold.

Trachycarpus martiana

In such a thermophilic palm, the trunk is practically bare. The dense foliage is dissected into many segments (60 to 70). In areas with a warm and mild climate, this species is cultivated in the garden.

Trachycarpus high (Trachycarpus excelsa)

This species differs from the rest in that it is the most resistant to frost. It is widely cultivated in many countries. The lower part of the wide trunk is covered with scales, and the tough foliage has a bluish bloom. In nature, the height of a palm tree can reach up to 16 meters, and when grown indoors - up to 3 meters.

Dwarf trachycarpus (Trachycarpus nanus)

This variety is quite interesting.Its root system is able to penetrate into the deep layers of the soil, but the height of the plant is only about half a meter. There is a bluish bloom on the surface of the fan-shaped round leaf plates.

Caring for Santolina in the garden

Growing santolina in your garden is easy enough. To do this, the bushes must be provided with timely moderate watering, loosening the surface of the earth near the plants, removing weeds, feeding, picking off wilted inflorescences, and also preparing the plants for winter in time.

How to water and feed

Watering should be systematic and moderate. Such a plant is highly resistant to drought. If it rains regularly in the summer, then the bushes can do without watering. However, during a prolonged dry period, they will need systematic watering. If the stems of this plant turn yellow in the middle of the summer period, then this is the fault of stagnant moisture in the root system. To fix this, you need to leave the flowers un-watering for a while. It should also be borne in mind that watering should be done only when the top layer of the earth dries out well.

Top dressing of santolina is carried out during intensive growth 1 time in 7 days. The application of a solution of mineral fertilizers with a small amount of nitrogen begins in spring after the intensive growth of the bushes begins. In August, you need to stop fertilizing the soil. The nutrient solution should be very low in concentration, since the presence of a large amount of nutrients in the soil has an extremely negative effect on flowering.

How to propagate and transplant

If you grow santolina in the same place without transplants, then its degeneration begins. In this regard, transplanting bushes is required every 5 or 6 years in the spring. During transplantation, the division of the bush should also be carried out.

The bushes should be removed from the ground and divided into parts, while taking into account that on each division there should be stems and part of the rhizome. Places of cuts should be sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Delenki are planted in planting holes, which should be prepared in advance. They are buried in the soil up to the point where the branching of the stem begins. In the autumn, it is recommended to spud the bushes high, due to this, by the time of transplantation, young branches are formed at the bush.

You can also propagate such a culture by cuttings. They are harvested in March, for this you need to cut off the shoots of this year from the bush. Places of cuts are dipped in a solution of an agent that stimulates the formation of roots, after which the cuttings are planted in sand, and covered with a film on top. After the growth of young leaf plates begins on the cuttings, they will need to be seated in individual containers. Until June, they should grow up and get stronger, after which they are planted in a permanent place.

Wintering

When the plant finishes blooming in August, the stems will need to be shortened by 2/3 of the length. Thanks to this, the shape of the bush will remain neat, and it will not fall apart. When growing this culture as an ornamental deciduous or spicy plant, its inflorescences must be cut off before they wither. Santolina has a low resistance to frost and can die when grown in mid-latitudes in frosty winters. To avoid this, the bushes must be covered. To do this, they must be covered with a large wooden box on top, which is covered with spunbond, roofing material, lutrasil or film. The covering material must be fixed with something heavy, for example, bricks, otherwise it can be carried away by the wind. However, before placing the box, the surface of the earth near the bush is covered with a layer of pine needles, spruce branches or sand mixed with wood ash. In spring, the shelter must be removed, and after the snow cover melts, the surface of the site is covered with compost mulch. Some gardeners remove santolin from the ground for the winter and plant it in a pot, which is placed in a cool room. In the spring, she is again planted in the garden.

Pruning Santolina

Diseases and pests

Santolina is distinguished by its very high resistance to diseases and pests. However, if stagnant water is observed in the soil, this will cause rot on the root system. In the case when the shoots turn yellow ahead of time, you can be sure that this is due to the stagnation of water in the soil. The bushes need to be shed with a solution of a fungicidal preparation, then they are not watered for a while. After a while, the plants will become beautiful and healthy again.

If the bushes grow in a shaded place, then this can also cause problems with them. Despite the fact that this crop is drought tolerant, it still needs to be systematically moistened, otherwise it may die in dry soil.

Follow-up care

The shoots are kept in the seedling container for at least 3 years. All this time, the plant needs proper care. Seedlings are not kept in the shade, otherwise their development will be slowed down. You can take the pots outside.

The grower is recommended to maintain a moderate soil moisture

It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil and remove small weeds. The seedlings will feel good on the glazed balcony, but it is important to maintain the temperature at least + 10 ... 12 degrees Celsius. It is believed that the culture is very fond of fresh air, therefore it is often necessary to ventilate the room where the seedlings are located.

The sprouts do not need special fertilizers.

If a plant from seeds is grown in the open field, then for the winter it needs to be insulated with peat, spruce paws or agrotex. Seedlings in containers for the winter are hidden in the basement or on the veranda at a temperature of at least -10 degrees. In the spring, the protection is gradually removed - it is impossible to delay with this process in order to avoid rotting from moisture and heat.

2 Grevillea - home care

2.1 Reproduction - growing from seeds

They can multiply by seeds, but this operation is quite complicated and can be done mainly by specialists. Half-ripe cuttings 5-10 cm long in summer. Plant them in loose, moist soil and keep them warm at a temperature of at least 18 ° C, preferably with bottom heating.

It grows faster if it gets enough warmth and moisture. The optimum temperature range is 18 - 21 ° C.

2.4 How to care

Prune the plant after flowering. In the warm season, the tree can be taken outside and placed in a place where it will be protected from the wind and direct sun. Grevillea prefers to flower in fairly tight pots. Sometimes during the dormant period, Grevillea sheds leaves.

2.5 Lighting

In summer, shade the plant from direct sunlight; in winter, place the plant in a brightly lit place where it will receive maximum light.

Summer. Not all types of Grevillea flourish in culture.

2.8 Air humidity

It is necessary to ensure good air movement around the plant. The humidity of the air depends on the temperature of the content and should increase when grown in a warm place.

Place the plant pot on a tray of damp pebbles or use a room humidifier.

2.9 Soil moisture

Water abundantly in summer, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. During the dormant period, reduce watering so that the earthen lump does not dry out. For irrigation use rain or softened water at room temperature.

2.10 Transfer

Transplant in early spring - March. Since the plant develops quickly enough, it needs to be provided with a larger pot. Do not transplant Grevillea in the fall or winter. In adult specimens with impressive dimensions, it is enough to change the topsoil to a fresh one.

2.11 Pests and diseases

The foliage turns yellow when there is a lack of moisture in the soil. Submerge the plant pot in water for a few minutes and then drain off any excess moisture. The plant develops more slowly when kept too cool and lack of light.

Among insect pests there are whiteflies, aphids, spider mites.

Insects are pests

• Whitefly

• Aphid

• Spider mite

2.12 Note

They can live in room conditions for a very long time with proper care. Adult plants sometimes lose their decorative appearance.