Reproduction of pyzonia
Pizonia can be propagated exclusively by vegetative methods. Getting cuttings is more difficult than propagating by cuttings.
For grafting in pyzonia, only semi-lignified cuttings are used. You can cut them during transplanting or immediately after it, in the spring. At the same time, stem cuttings are less effective, and apical cuttings are more capricious. For rooting, it is advisable to treat the cut shoots with a growth stimulant using a soil made from a mixture of peat and sand, moistened several hours before planting. The cuttings are deepened by 2 cm. Rooting is carried out only under a film or a hood. A prerequisite is a stable soil temperature at the level of 21-22 degrees Celsius, supported by bottom heating. On average, rooting takes about 3 to 4 weeks. Young pyzonia should be transplanted into individual containers as soon as possible with a nutritious loose substrate that is standard for pyzonia. Caring for plants from the moment of transplantation is no different from caring for adult pyzonias.
Cuttings are obtained using standard technology, but vertically incised Pizonia stems can only be wrapped with damp moss, and not with substrate. The incision is best done in the spring.
Reproduction methods
Clusions grown indoors can be propagated by cuttings and layering.
Cuttings
Prepare apical cuttings by cutting off the tops of the shoots; their length can vary from 15 to 20 centimeters. You can root them in clean water or by planting them in a mixture of sand and peat, do not forget to treat the sections with Kornevin or Heteroauxin before that. Cuttings root best at an air temperature of about 25 degrees, while on top they need to be covered with a cap, which should be transparent. The hood is needed so that the level of air humidity is always high. If done correctly, the cuttings will take root in about 30 days. After the length of the new roots is 10-15 mm, the cuttings are planted in pots, using the same soil mixture as for transplanting adult bushes (see above).
Layering
The filamentous air roots on the bush, which nourish the plant in the same way as ordinary roots, gradually grow and become very dense. Once this happens, the aerial stem can be cut from the parent shrub and planted in an individual container. For several days, the layers are shaded from the direct rays of the sun. Further, he is provided with the same care as an adult clusion.
Reproduction of the clusion from A to Z / Houseplants
Pizonia care at home
In order for pizonia to grow and develop normally, you need to know how to properly care for it.
Illumination
Needs bright, but diffused lighting. Requires shading from direct sunlight. The most suitable for placement is an east or west orientation.
Forms with variegated leaves especially need bright lighting, otherwise the pattern may fade.
Temperature regime
It does not tolerate heat in summer. The optimum temperature for this plant during this period is 18–20 degrees. In winter, he has a dormant period, and the temperature in the room should be slightly lowered (16-17 degrees). It reacts negatively to drafts, in this regard, one must be very careful when ventilating the room.
How to water
Water regularly and in moderation. Watering is carried out after the top layer of the substrate has dried. In no case should the soil be allowed to dry out.In winter, you can water a little less, but care must be taken to ensure that the foliage does not become lethargic.
For irrigation, they use exclusively settled water, which does not contain chlorine.
Humidity
This plant does not require high humidity. It feels quite comfortable in rooms with fairly dry air. However, do not forget to regularly remove accumulated dust from the foliage. To do this, you can use a sponge moistened with clean water or a warm shower (make sure that no water gets into the pot).
Pruning
Since it is a slow-growing plant that branches heavily in itself, you do not need to prune it. In very young plants, you can pinch the tips of the shoots for the density of the crown.
Earth mixture
Suitable soil should be loose, rich in nutrients, water and air permeable, slightly acidic or neutral. In a specialty store, you can buy a universal soil, but you will need to add any baking powder, for example, vermiculite or perlite, to it. You can also prepare the soil mixture with your own hands. To do this, it is necessary to combine sod, humus, leaf and peat soil, as well as coarse sand, taken in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 1: 1. Do not forget about a good drainage layer, for the creation of which pebbles, expanded clay or clay shards are suitable.
Fertilizer
Fertilize during the period of intensive growth 2 times a month. To do this, use a liquid complex fertilizer for indoor plants. Variegated forms need special fertilizers.
In winter, fertilizers cannot be applied to the soil.
Transplant features
Young plants need an annual transplant, while you need to take a pot slightly larger than the previous one. Adult specimens undergo this procedure when necessary, for example, if the root system does not fit into the pot. It should be remembered that the roots of pyzonia grow extremely quickly and strongly.
Reproduction methods
This plant can be propagated by stem semi-lignified cuttings. This procedure is carried out in the summer. To do this, cut off a stalk, on which 3 internodes must be present. They take root long and badly. To increase the chances, the cutting should be treated with a preparation that stimulates root growth before planting, and bottom heating is also required.
Diseases and pests
Spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects or thrips can settle. At the first signs of damage, the plant should be given a hot shower, but before that, such pests as worms and scale insects must be removed with a cotton pad dipped in a liquid containing alcohol. If it was not possible to get rid of the pests, then use special chemicals.
Pizonia can get sick with powdery mildew or gray rot. Powdery mildew must be dealt with with a solution of foundationol (or another agent of a similar action), and with gray mold, with a fungicide.
Planting and breeding pyzonia
For the prosperous life of a plant, a sufficiently fertile and well-humified soil is needed. As a result, a peat mixture with a composition of sand and leaf humus should be used.
It is recommended to put a good drain on the bottom of the pot. Also, the pyzonia needs to be fed with organic fertilizers every month.
The process of reproduction in such a tree occurs in the spring with a semi-lignified cuttings: some part of the shoot breaks off from it with an internode.
It is recommended to warm up the plant and use phytohormones, since pyzonia is quite difficult to root.
general description
Pizonia is an evergreen tree or shrub, usually reaching a height of 6 m in natural conditions. It has a powerful rhizome and grows very slowly. Strongly branching shoots are covered with dark brown bark, rough to the touch, almost completely covered with leaves.Short-petiolate or sessile leaves are oval or ovoid with a sinuous edge, up to 25 cm long, up to 10 wide, have distinct veins. They are bright green in color and may contain white streaks or spots.
Pizonia flowers open in June-July and are collected in loose panicles, consisting of small white tubular flowers. The fruits are small pods, with some species producing a sticky substance to which insects or small birds can adhere. For this reason, pyzonia is sometimes called a bird-catcher plant.
The pyzonia flower is an evergreen perennial. The plant has a strong rhizome and high ground growth. Shoots branch strongly from the base and quickly lignify, covered with dark brown, rough bark. The height of an adult indoor plant can reach 2 m, and the width - 1 m.In the natural environment, there are specimens up to 6 m in height.The annual growth is small, usually about 4-5 cm.
The leaves are located almost along the entire length of the stem. They have a very short petiole or do without it at all. The leaves are ovoid or oval in shape, narrowed towards the edge. The edges of the leaves are slightly wavy. The length of the leaf can reach 25 cm, and the width - 10 cm. On the surface of the foliage, relief veins are clearly visible. The vegetation is bright green; variegated varieties with white longitudinal stripes or spots are also found.
There are 50 registered species in the genus Pizonia. All of them are quite tall. To grow a bush indoors, you must use a floor tub and prune regularly.
Most often, umbrella pisonia is found in culture. It is a tree-like shrub up to 5 m high with large oblong leaves. Leaves are collected in few whorls on young shoots. The length of the leaf is 20-25 cm, and the width is 5-10 cm. The leaf has a smooth surface with embossed veins and slightly wavy edges.
Pizonia umbrella
Pizonia variegata
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Pizonia large is a spreading tree up to 20 m high. The trunk and branches are covered with a smooth chocolate-colored bark. Rosettes of broadly oval leaves are located on young shoots. Thin, paper-like leaf plates are 7-25 cm long. The inflorescences are quite dense, they consist of wide-open white-pink flowers. The length of the cylindrical pods is 1.5-2.5 cm.
big pyzonia
At first glance, it looks like a ficus, as it grows, it changes. Pizonia is characterized by increased branching, the surface of the leaves is glossy, regularly covered with a protruding sticky substance. By the way, thanks to this quality in English-speaking countries, it received the popular name "Birdcatcher".
Leaf blades reach 25 cm in length and 10 cm in width, can be monochromatic or variegated, with silvery, white and yellow spots, chaotically scattered along the edge of the leaf.
Pizonia (lat. Pisonia) belongs to the genus of evergreen plants from the Nyctaginaceae family (lat. Nyctaginaceae), the so-called family of dicotyledonous plants. The name comes from the surname of the naturalist scientist from the Netherlands Willem Piso. The homeland of this unique plant is New Zealand. Distributed in the tropics and subtropics of Australia, New Zealand, Central America, as well as in Hawaii and Mauritius.
Another name for this unique is "bird-catcher". Ripe fruits resembling spread fingers are pleasant to the taste and covered with sticky mucus. Birds, tempted by the taste of berries, cling to the sticky surface with their wings. Feathers stuck together make it impossible to free themselves and fly. The captives fall to the ground and die.
The flower "loves" to grow in places of large concentrations of birds. These are small limestone or coral islets generously covered with a layer of guano. Guano - bird droppings, which have an abundance of nitrogen salts and calcium phosphate necessary for plant growth.
Pizonia umbrella - care and reproduction
In a flower pot, the umbrella pyzonia reaches more than 1.8 meters in height. It is trimmed to give the desired shape.
Care features
After the end of flowering, seed pods appear on the plant. covered with a sticky substance that promotes the spread of seeds. Thanks to her, pyzonia seeds adhere to the feathers of birds and animal hair when they touch the plant. Leaves grow in pairs opposite each other and in nature reach 38 cm and 13 cm wide.
It is very important that the irrigation and plant spray water is warm. In winter, the plant must be protected from frost, and in summer from direct sunlight, since bright light leads to burns on the leaves.
Umbrella pisonia grows best on a western windowsill in a warm room or on a glassed-in veranda.
Umbrella python is a luxurious plant if you provide it with conditions suitable for normal growth. Pinch the growing tips of young plants regularly to encourage tillering and give them a beautiful shape. It is best to plant pyzonia umbrella in fertile potting soil. Transplant pyzonia only when it outgrows the pot.
Pisonia's umbrella
Pests
Spider mites
A thin cobweb on the underside of the leaves of pyzonia umbellate and on leaf stalks is a sign of plant damage by spider mites. If there are few pests, then try to wash them off with a strong jet of soapy water (if necessary, repeat this procedure several times). If severely infested, treat the plant with a suitable insecticide. Spray the plant with water regularly.
Thrips
These small black winged insects infect plants in the summer with a fungal disease, as a result of which black specks appear on the leaves and flowers of pyzonia umbellifera. Sometimes there are black spots on the leaves of affected plants. Use a suitable insecticide to control pests.
Read also: Viral diseases of indoor plants
Watering and feeding
In summer, provide pizonia umbrella with abundant watering and regular spraying,
to provide it with high humidity. In winter, when pyzonia is in the winter dormancy stage, it needs economical watering. Always water this plant with warm water only. During active growth, pyzonia is fed with complex fertilizers once a week.
Pizonia umbrella prefers places illuminated by diffused light. In summer, this plant does not do well in places exposed to bright sunlight. Umbrella Pisonia "Valiegata" needs warmth all year round. In the summer, provide her with a temperature of + 20-22C. In winter, pyzonia umbellate feels best at a temperature of + 15C (but not lower than + 13C).
Propagation by cuttings
The most beautiful specimens of pyzonia are obtained from apical cuttings, but such plants are sensitive to temperature changes. Cuttings from the middle of the stem root much better.
If you use green soft, non-lignified apical cuttings for grafting pyzonia umbrella cuttings, then the outcome may be unfavorable, such cuttings often rot, and become ill with fungal and bacterial diseases. However, if you use semi-lignified cuttings, they will take root in flower pots after three weeks.
- At the beginning or in the middle of summer, cut an umbellate stalk with 2-3 leaves from the pyzonia. Plant it in a flower pot filled with a mixture of wet peat and coarse sand and keep them at + 21-22. Heat the ground in the pot from below.
- Transplant well-rooted cuttings into flower pots filled with fertile soil for potted plants. From now on, take care of them as adults.
Pizonia: a tree that kills birds
In warm latitudes, pyzonia grows - a tree, upon meeting with which birds can die. Scientists have tried to understand why the plant has developed such an ability.
The genus of evergreens pyzonia includes more than 20 species that are found in the Indo-Pacific region from Hawaii to New Zealand. These seemingly harmless shrubs and trees are a death trap for birds.
The large seed pods of pyzonia are covered with dense mucus and small hooks. Insects get stuck in this sticky mass, but when the bird is about to taste an easy prey, it itself becomes a victim.
The sticky and sharp seeds of pyzonia cling tightly to the feathers of the bird, and it often cannot fly away. Often it falls to the ground or remains trapped on a branch - and dies either from hunger or from the claws of birds of prey or the claws of crabs.
Many plants spread their seeds with the help of animals and birds, and for this they do not need to kill them. Trying to understand why Pizonia evolved such a mechanism, scientists suggested that the decaying bodies of birds under the tree fertilize the soil, promoting growth.
Canadian researcher Alan Burger (Alan Burger) this question in more detail and for 10 months in 1999 and 2000 watched the trees of the big pisonia (lat.Pisonia grandis) - the largest representative of the genus. A tree with broad leaves, about 25 cm long, can grow up to 20 meters in height. By the way, in addition to reproduction by seeds, large pyzonia is perfectly able to reproduce itself vegetatively: its fallen branches germinate and develop into new trees.
After observations and a series of experiments with seeds, the scientist came to the conclusion that "Pizonia does not receive a noticeable benefit from dead birds." Those seeds that grow on "fertilized" soil do not differ from the seeds of other pyzonia. Moreover, around the trees, where the birds remain alive, a lot of droppings accumulate, and it serves as a fertilizer rather than corpses, which, moreover, can be quickly eaten by scavengers.
The biologist put forward a hypothesis that the carcasses of birds entering the sea will carry the seeds with the help of currents, but this was not confirmed: in salt water, the seeds became unviable after 5-12 days. Thus, the only possible explanation is chance: the bird really is not able to throw off the stuck seed and ideally can carry it a long distance, and the fact that it dies more often than spreads the plant turned out to be "collateral damage."
Guernia care at home
Such a plant is quite undemanding to care for and even inexperienced growers can easily grow it.
Illumination
This plant is light-requiring and therefore needs a place with good lighting. It is good if the direct rays of the sun will fall on the bush in the evening and in the morning. For placement, it is better to prefer western and eastern orientation windows. When placed on a south window, you will need shading from midday sunlight in the summer. If you place the guernia on a north-facing window, then, due to poor lighting, the bush will become elongated, and flowering may not occur at all.
With the onset of the autumn and winter periods, the flower needs additional lighting with special phytolamps.
It is worth remembering that Guernia has a habit of having a fixed angle of illumination. And this means that if a flowering plant is turned around its axis or moved to a place with a different intensity of illumination (lighter or darker), then it quickly sheds both buds and already blossoming flowers.
Temperature regime
In summer, such a flower grows normally and develops at a temperature of 22 to 27 degrees.From mid-spring to the last days of September, it is recommended to move it to the street (to the balcony, to the garden), choosing for it a place protected from precipitation in partial shade.
In winter, such a plant needs coolness. It is best if its temperature is kept at a level of 5 to 10 degrees.
How to water
In the spring and summer, water should be moderate. Guernia does not need very long dry periods. To do this, it is necessary to systematically dry the substrate by about ½ part. In no case should the stagnation of water in the soil and its waterlogging be allowed. The fact is that this can cause the development of rot on the root system and stems, while the flower itself, in this case, dies after about two days.
In winter, you need to water very sparsely.
Often, after the end of the dormant period for a given succulent, flower growers may face such a problem as not absorbing moisture from the dried soil. In this case, experienced florists recommend resorting to one little trick. Pour water into a deep and wide enough container and immerse the pot in it. After 20-30 minutes (when air bubbles stop coming out) it should be removed from the water. Drain off any excess liquid thoroughly. Then the flower is put in place and watered in the usual summer mode.
Humidity
This succulent quite easily tolerates not very high air humidity, so you do not need to moisten it additionally.
Earth mixture
A suitable substrate should be water and air permeable, loose, slightly alkaline and have an acidity of pH 7.5–8.5. For planting, you can use a commercial soil mixture for succulents, but it is recommended to add a small amount of fine gravel (diameter from 3 to 4 millimeters) to it. This mixture can be made by hand. To do this, it is necessary to combine sheet and clay-turf soil, small gravel and coarse river sand.
For planting, it is recommended to use a low, but wide pot, since the roots of the plant are underdeveloped, but it itself grows relatively strongly. Do not forget to make a good drainage layer using pebbles or expanded clay for this.
Top dressing
The plant is fed from the beginning of intensive growth to the end of the summer period once every 4 weeks. To do this, use specialized fertilizers for succulents and cacti. During the dormant period, it is not necessary to feed the plant.
Reproduction methods
Can be propagated quite simply by stem cuttings
To do this, they must be carefully separated from the mother plant and left in the open air for 2 days to dry. Then it is planted in a ready-made soil mixture.
As a rule, the stalk blooms in the same year.
In March, you can sow seeds in a mixture of peat and sand. Before germination, the container with seeds must be placed in a light mini-greenhouse.
Transplant features
Annual transplantation in spring is recommended. In this case, they take a container with a slightly larger diameter than the previous one. Experienced growers recommend removing the old, overgrown shoot and renewing the guernia from the cuttings.
Pests and diseases
Often a mealybug settles on such a flower, preferring a loose substrate. It is recommended to fight such a pest with special insecticides (for example, Aktara or Intavir).
The most common disease is stem and root rot. When it appears, the guernia, as a rule, dies. In this regard, the plant must be watered very carefully and do not forget to arrange dry periods.
Home care
Pizonia care: at home. The maintenance of the plant is not difficult, but for the best development and preservation of the brightness of the pattern on the leaves, some rules must be followed.
Care after purchase
When choosing a plant in a store, you need to carefully examine it and make sure that there are no pests
Particular attention should be paid to the back of the leaves.
There should be no white or gray bloom in the lower part of the trunk, and the substrate itself should not emit an unpleasant putrefactive odor.
If the purchase takes place in winter, then you definitely need to take care of protecting the pyzonia from cold air. For this, paper or newspapers are suitable, in which the entire pot is wrapped, or a thermal bag.
After arriving home, the plant is best left alone for a week, after which it is transplanted into a new pot. It is better to do this not by transshipment, but carefully completely clean off the transporting substrate from the roots.
Watering
In spring and summer, it is produced in moderation - it is very important to ensure that before the next stage, the soil in the pot is dry in the upper part by a third. In winter, watering is reduced, especially if the plant is kept in a cool room, and is carried out once every 8-12 days
In winter, watering is reduced, especially if the plant is kept in a cool room, and is carried out once every 8-12 days.
If the leaves become lethargic, then the period between procedures is slightly reduced. In the event of an overflow, the soil begins to acidify, which is why the root system quickly decays. For irrigation, you need to use well-settled water without chlorine.
Bloom
It can bloom in small inflorescences of white, yellow or pink, tubular flowers with a sweet smell.
In the conditions of the room, it practically does not bloom, but in greenhouses the process occurs with old plants. Long sticky pod-shaped fruits sometimes appear.
Crown formation
Pizonia grows very slowly and therefore does not need formative pruning.
However, to speed up branching, you can pinch the tops of the plant and branches.
Soil, soil
For pyzonia, a general purpose soil is suitable - fertile, air-permeable and permeable. You can prepare the substrate yourself; for this, mix 1 part of peat, coarse sand and leafy earth.
Experienced growers recommend adding a handful of chopped pine bark to the mixture. The optimal acidity level is slightly acidic (5.0-6.0) or neutral (6.0-7.0).
A thick layer of drainage filler (at least 3 centimeters) made of expanded clay or broken brick must be placed in the lower part of the pot.
Planting and transplanting
The root system of a young plant develops very actively, and therefore it is best to replant it every year, in early spring. The new pot should be 2-3 centimeters larger in diameter than the current one. The longest roots can be shortened by a third or even half.
As soon as the plant reaches 4-5 years of age, the frequency of transplanting is reduced to once every 2-3 years.
Reproduction
The main method of reproduction in pyzonia is the rooting of cut semi-lignified cuttings, which are harvested in the spring, during the next plant transplant.
To obtain beautiful flowers, apical cuttings are used, but they are demanding on favorable conditions for growth. Cuttings from the middle of the trunk are less susceptible to temperature changes and root better.
The shoots are stuck in a soil mixed of wet peat and sand. For rooting, the containers are best covered with a plastic bag, and the soil temperature should be at least 21-22 degrees.
Under the right conditions, the roots appear after 3 weeks, after which the young plants are transplanted into pots filled with standard soil. From this point on, caring is no different from caring for an adult plant.
Seed propagation at home is not applicable.
Temperature
Pizonia is a thermophilic plant and thrives best at room temperature + 20-22 degrees. It is advisable not to keep the flower in a higher temperature environment, but if this happens, it is necessary to ensure regular spraying and high humidity.
In winter, you need to ensure that the room temperature does not drop below +18 degrees.
The plant is afraid of drafts - the flower should not be allowed to fall into the streams of cold air.
