Crossandra (39 photos): caring for an indoor flower at home. Why do the leaves of the crossandra turn red? Methods for its reproduction

How to care for crossandra at home

Crossandra care and cultivation at home photo

Breeding work on the development of new varieties allows you to care for the crossandra flower at home without much difficulty. only sometimes problems can arise that can be easily eliminated with the right approach.

Crossandra transplant after purchase

In flower shops, the plant is treated with a special solution to provide an attractive look. This promotes intense flowering and a healthy appearance, but strong stimulation of the flower leads to depletion and after a while after purchase, it may look worse. If the crossandra does not bloom after purchase, immediately transplant it into a new flowerpot, or do it at the end of flowering.

Transplanting a flower is not difficult:

Choose a container slightly larger than the existing container, lay a drainage layer of fine pebbles or expanded clay on the bottom.
Water the flower and let stand until the earthy coma is completely moistened (4-6 hours).
Free the plant from the pot by gently lifting the pot from the roots.
Plant the flower in a new pot, taking care not to disturb the roots, fill the voids with nutritious soil and press lightly with your fingers.
Water sparingly and drain any excess water from the sump.

Photo of crossandra

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Crossandra care at home

How to care for crossandra

The crossandra flower prefers to grow in a well-lit place, and window sills of east-facing and west-facing windows are optimal in this regard. You can also grow crossandra on the southern windowsill, having previously arranged for it to be shaded from direct sunlight in the afternoon. Northern windows are not suitable for keeping crossandra: due to lack of light, it will be weak and may never bloom.

In the photo: How the crossandra blooms

During the period of active growth, the crossandra is suitable for the usual room temperature, but without sudden changes, otherwise it may lose leaves. In winter, the temperature in the room where the crossandra is kept should not fall below 18 ˚C.

Watering crossandra

It is necessary to moisten the soil in a pot with a flower abundantly during the period of active growth, as soon as the topsoil dries out to a shallow depth. In winter, watering is reduced, however, preventing the earthen coma from drying out. Water for irrigation of the crossandra needs soft and not cold, that is, tap water at room temperature or filtered through a filter for at least a day or a couple of degrees warmer.

Crossandra does not tolerate dry air well, so it will have to be sprayed often: where the plant comes from, after heavy tropical rains, moisture slowly evaporates from the ground, saturating the air.

It is not the plant itself that needs to be sprayed from a fine spray, but the air around it, trying to prevent drops from falling on the flowers and leaves of the crossandra. And do not be too zealous, otherwise excess moisture can provoke putrefactive processes.

Fertilization of crossandra

Cultivation of crossandra requires the mandatory introduction of fertilizers into the soil: a lack of nutrients necessary for growth and development can negatively affect the appearance of the plant. In the period from spring to autumn, a solution of a balanced mineral fertilizer is applied to the soil twice a month. In winter, it is not necessary to feed the crossandra, but if you add fertilizer to the substrate once a month or two, there will be no harm to the plant either. Blooming crossandra is fed even in winter. Fertilize the plant on a pre-moistened soil.

Crossandra transplant

Caring for a crossandra at home involves its regular transplant. Young plants are replanted annually. Well-developed, well-formed crossandres can be transplanted less often - once every 2-3 years. A loose and nutritious soil mixture is used for the plant, for example, of the following composition: humus, peat, sand, sod and leafy soil in equal proportions. It is imperative to lay a layer of drainage material at the bottom of the pot so that excess water does not stagnate in the roots of the crossandra

Then the flower is carefully transferred from the old pot to a new one and gradually the remaining space is filled with an earthen mixture. After transplanting, water the plant and, if necessary, add more substrate: there should be no voids around the roots

Flowering crossandra

After the crossandra has bloomed, or before the start of the growing season, cut off its shoots by a third of the length, and then, when it grows, do not forget to pinch the ends of the shoots from time to time to form a strong and lush bush. Pruning the crossandra stimulates abundant, longer and more regular flowering, but it is worth knowing that after four years the flowering of the crossandra gradually diminishes.

In the photo: Bright flowering of crossandra at home

Crossandra flower indoor care

Crossandra belongs to the Acanthus family. These are compact shrubs with impressive inflorescences of bright yellow, red or orange hues, which are happily grown by flower growers when they care at home.

The plant is widespread in the warm tropics of Africa and India. Under natural conditions, the plant can exceed a meter in height, and at home it is much lower. The foliage of the plant is of a dark olive shade. The shape is an oblong oval. The surface is glossy, rarely hairy. The plant pleases with long and abundant flowering.

Varieties and types

Crossandra Fortuna plant height can reach about 30 cm. The foliage is green. Inflorescences are orange in color and up to 15 cm in height. This species always pleases with flowering longer. Orange crossandra supports buds for a long time.

Crossandra blue its second name is blue ice. The inflorescences of this variety are blue. The leaves are dark green in color.

The variegated crossandra is more demanding on lighting than other varieties. Orange-colored inflorescences. The foliage is bright green with light stripes along the leaves.

Crossandra is red, it is a bush that reaches a height of 60 cm. The leaf is dark rich green with a smooth surface and an oblong length. The inflorescences are pink or dark scarlet.

Crossandra "Green Ice" is a rare specimen. This species has interesting inflorescences of a turquoise hue. The foliage is glossy, green.

Crossandra home care

The lighting for the plant is preferably bright, but diffuse. Placed indoors should be on the west or east side of the room. If the plant is likely to be exposed to direct sunlight, then it is better to create shading. With a lack of light rays, the plant blooms worse.

The air temperature in the room during the warm period should correspond to about 25 degrees, and in the winter not lower than 18 degrees.

The flower prefers a good spray from a spray bottle.In this case, it is impossible for moisture to get on the inflorescences, sprinkle only on the leaves. In hot weather, spray several times every day.

Watering the plant should be done as needed, after the top layer of the earth has dried. Water for irrigation must be settled. The water temperature should be at room temperature.

Crossandra transplant

A transplant for young individuals is performed every year, and adult plants, every three years. The transplant should be done in early spring.

Seed crossandra

Reproduction of crossandra from seeds is a rare breeding method, due to non-annual fruiting. The seeds are sown into the soil from peat soil and coarse sand. It is necessary to maintain a temperature of 23 degrees and periodically spray the soil.

Seedlings appear a few weeks after sowing. After the appearance of several pairs of leaves, the seedlings need to be planted in small disposable glasses. After that, the plant must be pinched. For seedlings to release additional shoots. After this procedure, the seedlings need to be transplanted in a container several centimeters larger than the previous one.

Crossandra propagation by cuttings in water

To do this, take a ten centimeter stalk, separate the lower leaves from it and place it in a container with water.

After that, we wait for the roots to appear and plant them in the ground. And we give the plant the opportunity to adapt. We provide care as for an adult plant.

Diseases and pests

Why do the leaves of the crossandra turn red - the reason for this is the direct hit of sunlight on the leaves. This accelerates the aging process of the leaves and their further dropping. Therefore, it is better to save the plant from direct sun exposure.
The leaves of the crossandra turn black - the reason is the cold content. The plant does not tolerate a drop in temperature below 18 degrees. It is also necessary to avoid drafts and moisture stagnation.
Why crossandra dropped the leaves - most likely the reason was the drying out of the soil.

The leaves of the crossandra dry out - a lack of spraying of the plant and dry air in the room. It is necessary to provide the plant with good moisture and spraying.
Why crossandra does not bloom - there may be little lighting, or incorrect pruning of the plant after flowering and therefore new cobs for buds are poorly formed. Also, the lack of flowering may be due to the age of the plant. If the plant is already more than 4 years old, then the abundance of flowering comes to a decrease.

Also, the plant can be affected by aphids and mealy worms. To remove it, the plant should be treated with an appropriate insecticide.

Indoor flower crossandra how to care

The name of the plant is derived from two Greek words krossos - fringe and andr - masculine. Crossandra has early and long flowering (spring-autumn), which is ideal for indoor cultivation. To date, there are about 50 species of flowers that are found in natural conditions in the tropics of Africa, Arabia, the island of Madagascar.

Indoor flower crossandra belongs to the Acanthus family. It is a deciduous shrub about a meter high. India is considered to be its homeland. Almost all Indian women grow this flower. Go to the temple, they are sure to decorate their hair with crossandra and jasmine flowers.

Crossandra grows very quickly. She has erect, branched shoots, green or brown-purple in color. Frequent pinching promotes branching. Leaves are glossy, bright green in color, reaching a length of 3-9 cm. Red, yellow, orange, apricot flowers gather in spike-shaped inflorescences with edges. The peduncle reaches a length of 15 cm.

How to care for crossandra at home

Crossandra care and cultivation at home photo

Crossandra transplant after purchase

In flower shops, the plant is treated with a special solution to provide an attractive look.

This promotes intense flowering and a healthy appearance, but strong stimulation of the flower leads to depletion and after a while after purchase, it may look worse.

If the crossandra does not bloom after purchase, immediately transplant it into a new flowerpot, or do it at the end of flowering.

Transplanting a flower is not difficult:

Choose a container slightly larger than the existing container, lay a drainage layer of fine pebbles or expanded clay on the bottom.
Water the flower and let stand until the earthy coma is completely moistened (4-6 hours).
Free the plant from the pot by gently lifting the pot from the roots.
Plant the flower in a new pot, taking care not to disturb the roots, fill the voids with nutritious soil and press lightly with your fingers.
Water sparingly and drain any excess water from the sump.

Soil and fertilizing for crossandra

You need loose soil. It can be a mixture of their peat, leaf and sod land in equal proportions with the addition of about 10% sand, you can add a little clay to have a positive effect on the root system. Be sure to lay a good drainage layer.

During the flowering period, it is recommended to apply organic mineral fertilizers every week. During the absence of flowering, it is not necessary to feed, this can promote active growth of leaves and slow down the onset of flowering.

Watering

Never fill a flower if you don't want it to die! Crossandra is sensitive to watering and lighting. Growth and flowering directly depend on them.

In summer, water as soon as the topsoil dries up. Maintains balance: do not overfill or dry out. Use settled water at room temperature. Water sparingly in winter.

When there are no flowers, watering is reduced too. Water about once every two weeks.

A resident of the tropics will also need regular humidification. Any methods are suitable: spraying, special devices, neighborhood with an aquarium, placing on pallets with expanded clay, moss. The hotter it is, the more often you need to spray the leaves, avoiding water getting on the opened flowers.

Lighting

For abundant long-term flowering, bright diffused lighting is necessary. Direct sunlight is a dangerous burn for delicate buds and leaves. Insufficient lighting can halt flowering. In winter, expose the flower to the southern windowsills. You can also use artificial lighting.

Temperature

The temperature regime should be close to the tropical one. In winter, the air temperature in the premises should be about 18 ° C, a temporary decrease to a maximum of 16 ° C is allowed. It tolerates summer heat well, the maximum permissible temperatures are 27-28 ° C, the optimal one is 21 ° C.

Cropping the crossandra

The plant can and should be pruned, forming a crown to your liking. Remember, pruning is best done after flowering to avoid weakening the plant or cutting off the flower buds.

The faded crossandra can be cut even drastically if you want to rejuvenate the bush: the trunk will release new young twigs. In general, they cut out all the excess, thickening branches or growing unevenly, shorten them to the desired length.

But it is advisable not to get carried away, leaving about two-thirds of the length of the shoots.

Crossandra flower

The island of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean gave rise to the history of an amazingly beautiful flower - crossandra. Lush bushes with bright flowers can be found in Madagascar, Africa, Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula. In India, women insert crossandra flowers into their hairstyles, weave them into wreaths that are carried to temples.

Funnel-shaped crossandra.

Crossandra is accustomed to mild climatic conditions, and her journey to our latitudes and home collections was long and difficult. Almost all parameters in the content were regulated: light, watering, humidity, temperature.Breeders diligently bred less capricious varieties and species suitable for development not only in special greenhouses, but also in houses.

Now the tropical flowers of pink, yellow, red, apricot or orange crossandra on long spike-shaped inflorescences up to 15 cm long delight the eyes of the owners. A bright accent from hot countries will decorate any interior. Crossandra blooms profusely from spring to autumn every year for 4 years.

The name of the flower comes from the Greek concepts of "fringe" and "masculine". Crossandra is a member of the Acanthus family. The flower loves a dense neighborhood on the windowsill.

Crossandra is a perennial deciduous bush that grows up to 1 meter in its 6 years of existence. At home, they prefer undersized, dwarf hybrids, up to 50 cm in height. It grows relatively quickly. The shoots of the crossandra are erect, increase bushiness by regular pinching.

Bright green or dark green shiny leaf blades up to 9 cm in length themselves look decorative. The flower diameter is usually up to 2.5 cm.

In leaving, two strategies are used: with and without a period of winter dormancy. In the first option, the regimes of temperature, watering and light are regulated, which increases the volume of flowering. With the second version of the content, all modes are maintained throughout the year, flowering is moderate.

Views

For breeding hybrids, the funnel-shaped crossandra was taken as a basis. Currently, there are up to 50 species that have become popular in home collections:

prickly
nile or nilotic,
guinean.

Variety of colors of the crossandra.

Lighting and temperatures

Tropical plants require a lot of bright and diffused light, without direct sunlight.

The temperature limits are optimal for the normal development of the crossandra from 18 to 26 degrees. Frequent airing leads to falling foliage.

Stability of conditions is the main requirement of the crossandra.

Blue crossandra.

Watering and humidity

Exotic tropical beauty Crossandra requires careful attention to watering and humidity. Difficult task: to find the "golden mean".

Possible irrigation scheme around the perimeter of the pot:

summer - watering once every 7 days;
winter - poly once every 14 days.

Watering is carried out only with soft water, preferably boiled, and at room temperature.

Krossandre maintains a high humidity of at least 60%. It is sprayed several times a day, the leaves are wiped with a damp sponge, pallets with water are placed next to it.

Soil and transplants

If necessary, in March, before flowering, the crossandra can be transplanted, preferably by transshipment. As a rule, the need arises once every two years, and given that she lives no more than 6 years, then this procedure is needed two or three times.

At the same time, the soil should be light, fertile and slightly acidic.

From the prepared soils, mixtures for azaleas are obtained. They independently combine into the mixture: sand, gravel, sod land, loam and peat. A good drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pot.

After acquiring a crossandra with color, they wait until the end of flowering and only then transplanted into a new container.

Top dressing and pruning

While the crossandra is blooming, it is maintained weekly with any complex flower fertilizer or solution of organic elements.

At the same time, and in the fall after flowering, they are engaged in the formation of a crossandra bush, removing excess or dried branches and inflorescences.

Reproduction

Crossandra is propagated by seeds and cuttings.

Reproduction by cuttings is faster and easier. It is ideal to start working with cuttings up to 15 cm long in the spring, you can also in the summer. They are placed in a glass of water, roots appear after 30 days. Cuttings with roots are planted in separate pots with nutritious light soil. You can plant three cuttings together.

Seeds are used much less frequently. In the fruit-pods of the crossandra, up to 4 seeds are formed. Before sowing, they are soaked in water for a couple of hours.The container with the inoculation is covered with foil. The first shoots can appear in a month while maintaining the temperature and high humidity.

Reproduction of the crossandra

The shrub is propagated in two ways: cuttings and seeds. Propagation by cuttings is used more often. The optimal time for rooting is spring, but if certain conditions are created, you can cuttings in summer. Seeds are used less often. The fruit of the crossandra contains up to four seeds.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings 10-15 cm long are planted for rooting in a soil mixture of turf, foliage, peat soil and humus in equal shares. Sand is added to improve drainage. Cuttings take root for about 3-4 weeks. It is necessary to maintain a constant temperature regime at + 20 - 22 degrees. The plant can take root faster if you organize greenhouse conditions for it - cover it with a film and warm the soil. Once the cuttings are rooted, they can be transplanted into a large pot with a suitable substrate. Drainage must be mandatory.

Features of reproduction from seeds

If you cover the soil with polyethylene, krosandra will rise faster

To increase germination and accelerate germination, the seeds of the crossandra are soaked in water for several hours. At this time, you can prepare a substrate consisting of the same parts of peat and coarse sand. Sow seeds and maintain a constant temperature of + 22-24 degrees. The humidity should be high.

Seed crossandra will sprout faster if you cover the soil with plastic. The first shoots appear in 2-3 weeks. It is necessary to ensure that the watering is not very abundant, otherwise the young stems may rot. A month after germination, the seedlings are transplanted into pots. A month later, they are pinched and transferred into larger pots. The transshipment allows the root system to strengthen faster and the crossandre to bloom.

Description

The very beautiful name of the crossandra is made up of the Greek phrase meaning "man's fringe". Thanks to the hard work of breeders, the plant has managed to be ideally cultivated for growing at home. Novice growers will not be able to cope with this flower right away, only experienced owners of mini-gardens will be able to find a common language with it.

In a botanical environment, crossandra belongs to the acanthus family. In appearance it resembles a shrub with a lot of leaves. In the wild, the flower grows up to one meter in height; domestic specimens, unfortunately, do not differ in such sizes.

A distinctive feature of the crossandra is its rapid growth - its branchy shoots increase in length at the maximum speed allowed for the plant. The main thing is to pinch the sprouts in a timely manner so that they are filled with strength.

The deciduous part of the represented flower is distinguished by a bright green glossy surface. The length of the leaf plate ranges from 3-9 cm. During the flowering period, flowers of yellow, red and orange shades bloom on the bush, gathering in large inflorescences that fit very harmoniously into any interior.

If all the rules of care are followed by the owner, the plant will delight with its exquisite flowering from early spring to autumn. A distinctive feature of the bush is a special love for a humid environment and a desire to grow in a large company of indoor plants.

Care features

Crossandra require careful attention to the conditions of their detention.

In the process of growing a plant, the florist must remember its tropical roots, which speaks of the love of the crossandra for a warm habitat.

In general, the temperature in the room where the crossandra is grown should not fall below +18 degrees Celsius. If necessary, it can be moved to another, slightly cool room, but for a short time.

In the summer season, the crossandra feels comfortable on the sunny side of the window, under diffused light.Direct sunlight inflicts severe burns on the flower, which are clearly visible on the leaf plates of the bush and on the petals of the buds.

If there is a shortage of lighting, the leaves of the crossandra will begin to fold, and the flowering process will stop. Quite often, a similar problem occurs in winter.

When purchasing a crossandra in a store, a florist should think about transplanting a plant from a transport soil into natural soil for its subsequent cultivation. The time between purchase and transplanting should be approximately two weeks for the plant to adapt. After the crossandra gets used to the new conditions, it can be transplanted.

Florists should know that young crossandra is transplanted once a year. Its adults are representatives every 2 years. The transplant is carried out in the spring. Pruning of the plant is done with the arrival of heat and before winter rest.

The dormant period of the crossandra is winter. At this very time, there is no need to feed her with useful substances. Otherwise, instead of buds, she will begin to dissolve a huge number of leaves. With proper care, the enrichment of the plant with vitamins and nutrients should begin with the arrival of spring. Top dressing is done once a week. Fertilizers can be organic and mineral, although mineral fertilizing is much more convenient and profitable.

Krossandra is extremely scrupulous about watering procedures. The better the plant is moisturized, the longer and more luxuriant the flowering process will be. Watering itself depends entirely on the season. In summer, it is necessary to moisten the soil more often, since the soil dries out very quickly. With the onset of cold weather, watering should be moderate, in winter the plant's need for moisture is reduced several times. It is optimal to water once every two weeks, but do not forget to check the soil. Do not allow the overflow of the flower and dryness of the soil.