Varieties and varieties
Breeders have bred varieties and varieties intended for home keeping. They differ from their wild counterparts in more compact size and decorative variegated foliage.
Indoor violet: reproduction and care at home
In total, there are five indoor types of scindapsus.
Golden Potos (Scindapsus aureus)
It is also called golden scindapsus - the most numerous and popular species, grown in the form of a creeping vine. I fell in love with flower growers for their unpretentiousness and beautiful foliage. Its stems can be up to two meters in length if the plant is not pruned. Leaves are leathery, smooth, heart-shaped with a sharp tip, 10 to 20 centimeters long. Larger foliage can be achieved with proper care.
The species got its name due to the golden color of the leaves. They will look especially bright, spectacular and colorful in good lighting. If the plant is kept in a dark place, it acquires a light green color.
Of all the varieties of the species, you can choose exactly the one that you like. They differ from each other in the color of the leaves:
- The Marble Queen is the result of the work of breeders from Singapore. The leaves are two-colored, on a green background, white strokes seem to be dispersed.
- Golden Queen - each leaf of this plant variety is unique, as their patterns are not repeated. Green foliage is decorated with white-yellow or lemon spots, streaks and strokes.
- N-joy - develops well in partial shade. It can be placed on shelves as a decorative element. It has an exotic color: on the dark green leaves you can see a chaotic pattern in white and silver tones.
- Neon has a single-color, light green, lemon-colored leaf plate. The leaves are graceful and delicate, pointed in shape.
Painted, spotted or pictus
Scindapsus pictus - differs in angular stems covered with small tubercles-warts. It has asymmetrical variegated leaves with a white border around the edges, the middle is decorated with specks of a silvery shade. The foliage is attached to the stems with short petioles.
Such a vine can grow up to a meter in length. On its stems, as it grows, green air roots are formed, then they darken to a brown tint. These roots allow the plant to cling to and hold onto supports.
All lovers of curly decorative flowers should take a closer look at painted scindapsus. It is beautiful and unpretentious, which means that it will not cause trouble for maintenance. A well-groomed and graceful liana will complement the interior of any home. Florists are especially fond of two varieties of spotted potos:
Exotic - bizarre leaves with sides of different lengths will surely draw attention to the plant. The central vein divides the leaf plate into separate segments
The foliage is green and covered with clear silvery blotches.
Argyraeus - this variety has small heart-shaped leaves with chaotic silvery specks all over the plate and a border of the same shade.
Marble (Scindapsus siamense)
This species is rarely seen in office buildings or apartments. It has large, asymmetrical dark green leaves covered with silvery or light green spots. Due to such decorations, the foliage seems much lighter than it actually is.
Hoya: description, rules for caring for a flower at home
Forest epipremnum
Wild counterparts of this indoor species grow in Indonesia and Sumatra, where they can be found in swampy areas and forests.
This graceful creeping plant grows up to 6 meters in length. It has shiny oval foliage with sharp tips 4-6 centimeters wide and 10-20 cm long. Short internodes give the plant additional decorative effect.
Feathery scindapsus
A plant with a long stem and rather large dissected leaves.Domestic specimens can grow up to 8 meters in length, while vines of this species reach 40 meters in natural conditions. The leaf plate can be oval or heart-shaped. The foliage is located on the stems absolutely randomly, which is why voids may appear in some parts of the trunk. The leaves of decorative lianas are usually finger-shaped.
Diseases and pests of scindapsus
The main signs of diseases:
- if the leaves of the scindapsus turn yellow, but retain their elasticity, you need to feed the plant;
- brown and twisted dry tips of the leaves, spots on them indicate too dry air in the room. The problem is eliminated by regular spraying, and an increase in humidity in the room (you can use a humidifier);
- if the plant withers with regular watering, then perhaps it is flooding. It is necessary to increase the temperature in the room, achieve drying out of the soil, carefully cut off rotten stems and roots;
- a pale leaf blade in brightly colored species indicates excessive lighting. It is recommended to move the plant further into the room. If the leaves are small and dark, then the plant, on the contrary, needs sunlight.
Scindapsus can suffer from fungal infections that appear from excess moisture, "overfeeding the plant" with fertilizers and drafts. The plant can be attacked by thrips and scale insects. Scale activity appears as dark brown spots, thrips appear as light dots on the leaf surface. In this case, the use of insecticidal preparations is required. Very rarely, the plant is affected by aphids and spider mites.
Transfer
A young plant needs an annual spring transplant with a replacement pot for a larger one. An adult plant can be transplanted every two to three years, but it must be provided with sufficient mineral support. In large plants, it is possible to replace the top layer of the soil, but no matter how large the liana grows every 3-5 years, it must be transplanted to replace the impoverished soil and replace the drainage layer.
Crown formation
Scindapsus grows at high speed, sometimes forming too elongated shoots. You can limit growth with spring pruning. But shortening does not lead to the formation of new shoots, as is often the case with other plants.
To form a lush bush, you need to plant several copies in one pot. Each root grows one, maximum two shoots, the further growth of which will continue in length.
Propagation plant
There are two ways to reproduce scene adaptus:
- Seeds.
- Cuttings.
The first method is rarely used because of its laboriousness. It is difficult to get your own seeds from a plant, since it blooms very rarely at home. Therefore, the seed is usually bought and sown in loose soil. In this case, the seeds need to create greenhouse conditions and regularly moisten the soil. The sprouts should appear in a few weeks. The grown seedlings dive into separate pots.
More often, the second method is used to reproduce the scene adaptus. After cutting off the tops of the bush, the resulting cuttings are placed for rooting in a container with water or planted in a substrate.
The roots appear quickly enough. Successful rooting will be ensured when the following conditions are met:
- each stalk should have 2 or 3 leaves;
- temperature - not lower than 22 ° C;
- good lighting.
When harvesting cuttings, the cut is made obliquely just below the leaf node. Then the cutting sites are treated with a solution of the root stimulator. For rooting, cuttings can be planted in a substrate consisting of sand and sphagnum. Cover the top of the planting with a bag or glass jar. Roots usually appear after 2-3 weeks.
Cuttings placed in water for rooting
Scindapsus care at home
How to care for scindapsus
The optimum temperature for a plant is 20-25 ºC, and in winter the lower limit is 12 ºC.Indoor scindapsus is shade-tolerant and even shade-loving, so it can be grown at a distance of two meters from a brightly lit window. However, it should be remembered that variegated forms of a plant need more light than species with green foliage, otherwise the variegation of leaves will disappear from a lack of lighting. If you push the scindapsus into a dark corner, it can arrange for you a real leaf fall.
Scindapsus care involves infrequent soil moistening - between two waterings, the substrate should dry out to a third of the depth. More frequent or too abundant watering can provoke rotting of the root system. But the air humidity of the home scindapsus prefers a little higher than usual - about 25%, and although the plant usually successfully adapts to the dry air of our homes, it will be grateful for spraying or wiping the leaves with a damp sponge. Sometimes it is a good idea to give him a warm shower in summer, and in winter it is better to keep the plant away from heating appliances.
The growth rate of shoots of scindapsus sometimes reaches 40 cm per year, so you have to deal with the formation of the plant. You can cut off the shoots, using subsequently trimming the stems as cuttings, or you can simply pinch them often, which will increase the branching of the scindapsus. But most often, supports are used to form a plant - arches or stairs for young scindapsus, and for adult large plants, a plastic tube with holes filled with constantly moistened sphagnum and wrapped with copra is suitable - the air roots of the scindapsus are directed into the holes so that they can receive additional nutrition and moisture ...
Fertilizing scindapsus
Scindapsus is fed once every 2-3 weeks with a liquid complex fertilizer in a half dose, and in winter it is enough to apply fertilizer once a month, or even twice.
Scindapsus transplant
It is advisable to replant young plants annually, adults - once every two to three years. This is best done in February or March - at the very beginning of active growth. The pot is suitable for a wide and shallow one, then it will be possible to plant rooted cuttings from time to time, creating a wide picturesque bush. The soil is best composed of sheet, peat, humus earth and sand in equal proportions with the addition of perlite or expanded clay. In addition, a decent drainage layer is simply necessary for the scindapsus.
Reproduction of scindapsus
The easiest way to propagate the Scindapsus is by cuttings. The apical cuttings of the scindapsus cut off during formation quickly root both in water and in the ground, the main thing is that each of them has 2-3 leaves, the temperature in the room does not fall below 22 ºC and rooting takes place in good lighting. Cut the cuttings under the knot, the cuttings are treated with a rooting stimulator, and after planting in the soil consisting of sand and moss, a glass jar is put on the cuttings or covered with a transparent plastic bag. The roots will grow back within 2-3 weeks.
Scindapsus is also propagated by dividing the shoot and layering.
Pests and diseases of scindapsus
Scindapsus is generally a very resistant plant, but sometimes it suffers from pests or problems associated with improper care. For example, if the leaves of a scindapsus turn yellow, this is usually a consequence of the fact that you have not applied fertilizer to the soil for a long time. And if the leaves of the plant dry from the tips, which happens very rarely, then this indicates that you have placed the flower pot too close to the working radiator and have not sprayed the scindapsus for a long time.
Falling leaves indicate a lack of light and nutrition, as well as the presence of drafts. Rotting stems occurs from chronic waterlogging of the soil at a low temperature in the room. If the green leaves discolor and spots appear on them, this means that the plant does not need so much light, and if the variegated leaves turn green and shrink, then, on the contrary, the scindapsus lacks light.Correct the errors in the content and the problems will go away.
It is difficult to treat viral and fungal diseases, but the scindapsus is easily restored and multiplies by cuttings, therefore, as a last resort, cut the cuttings from the stems and grow a new scindapsus, but taking into account the mistakes made.
Of insects, scindapsus can be annoyed by thrips, aphids, scale insects and spider mites. Purchase actellic, dilute 10 drops of the drug in half a liter of water and spray the plant with this composition. If it is not possible to defeat the pests the first time, repeat the treatment after a week - and so on up to four times.
general information
Scindapsus is a member of the aroid family. Its homeland is considered to be the rainforests of Southeast Asia, Malaysia, French Polynesia and the island of Java. In its natural environment, this plant can reach 15 meters in length. In addition to the underground fibrous root system, the vine has ground aerial roots. They help her to twine around tree trunks, crawl over large areas and climb rocky hills.
The inflorescence of the scindapsus has an oblong shape, consists of small flowers and is wrapped in a stipule. This makes it look very much like an ear of corn. Many flower growers are thinking about scindapsus: is it possible to keep it at home, whether it will grow throughout the apartment. In indoor conditions, this vine does not stretch more than 4 meters and very rarely blooms. Not all owners of such a green tenant manage to admire its flowers.
Speaking of this vine as an indoor plant, it is worth noting that in the process of photosynthesis, it forms and releases phytoncides. These substances have a negative effect on pathogenic bacteria in the air, destroying or slowing down their spread and development. Scindapsus also enriches the air in the house with a large amount of oxygen. Such properties make it possible to call it a medicinal decorative flower.
In common people, you can often hear another name for this plant - muzhegon. He was so christened because of one omen, supposedly the flower can drive all men out of the house where it is kept. Of course, these are just prejudices, and if the husband wants to leave the family, then such a desire will cause some serious problems, and not a scindapsus in a pot. In addition, in the East, they believe that he is able to absorb all negative energy, as well as relieve stress and improve the situation in the family.
Caring for such a tenant is very simple. The plant is completely unpretentious, it can grow in both light and dark rooms. And its temperature requirements are quite easy to satisfy. For novice gardeners and very busy people, such a plant will be an excellent choice.
Scindapsus - can I keep at home
Popular rumor classifies the scindapsus as one of the so-called "muzhegons" - plants that drive her husband out of the house. I don’t want to look cynical in the eyes of superstitious people, but what about families in which both the husband is at home and the scindapsus on the wall? Don't you have such acquaintances? Maybe it's not the scindapsus after all? If your personal life depended on what flowers you get yourself, what color of clothes you wear or what signs you believe in ... However, if your belief in prejudice is so strong, do not grow scindapsus - after all, there are many other plants.
But the oriental sages discovered exactly the opposite properties in scindapsus: this plant absorbs stagnant energy and laziness, inspires creativity, softens the tension of the atmosphere in the house and helps to get out of the psychological impasse.
Conditions of detention
Scindapsus is an unpretentious climbing plant with a lifespan of over 10 years. The vine has a fast growth rate. With proper care, the stem grows 30-50 centimeters per year.
Illumination
Liana can grow in the shade, however, it prefers bright, but diffused, light
Good lighting is essential for variegated species.In a dark place, the pattern on the leaves may disappear
It is undesirable to put the plant pot on the windowsill. In the summer, being in the sun for a long time, the leaves may turn yellow and fall off. The scindapsus can be placed in front of the window. The duration of daylight hours should be at least 10 hours a day. In the autumn-winter period, the plant needs artificial lighting in the evening.
Air humidity
This tropical vine is perfectly adapted to indoor conditions. The air humidity should be more than 60 percent. In summer, the leaves can be irrigated with water at room temperature every 2 days. From time to time, sheet plates can be wiped with a damp sponge and cleaned of dust. In winter, the vine must be placed away from heating appliances.
Temperature
This heat-loving plant in our latitudes feels good at a temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius. In winter, he can stand in a room where the thermometer does not drop below 15 degrees Celsius. At subzero temperatures, the plant dies. Scindapsus is also afraid of drafts.
Soil and capacity
Liana prefers to grow in a loose, nutritious substrate of slightly acidic or neutral acidity. It is better to buy ready-made store-bought soil for decorative deciduous crops. The soil mixture is prepared from peat, sand, turf, leaf, garden soil and compost. Plant the plant in a suitable sized pot. It must have a hole, be capacious, plastic or ceramic. At the bottom of the container, you need to pour drainage from expanded clay stones.
Watering
Scindapsus prefers regular but moderate watering. In summer, the plant needs to be watered every 2 days. In winter, the amount of watering is reduced. Liana in the winter season is watered only once a week. For irrigation, use soft, settled water.
In case of waterlogging, the root system will begin to rot. The liana is watered only if the topsoil has dried out a little. From time to time (once a month), the Scindapsus can have a warm shower in the bathroom. This procedure will refresh the plant and help get rid of insects that have settled in the foliage.
Top dressing
Liana is fed in spring, summer, early autumn. In the winter period, feeding is not carried out. For scindapsus, they buy a universal liquid fertilizer for decorative deciduous crops (with nitrogenous substances). In spring, summer and early autumn, the vine is fed every two weeks. The fertilizer is dissolved in water to the desired concentration. It is advisable to reduce the dose recommended in the instructions by half, so that the plant does not "burn out" after applying the fertilizer.
Dormant period
In late autumn and winter, the plant's metabolism slows down. True, the vine does not have a pronounced dormant period, it does not shed leaves, it remains green all year round.
Trimming and shaping
Liana grows very quickly. At the end of winter, the main stem can be shortened to stimulate lateral shoots. It is recommended to pinch strongly overgrown branches. The plant can be left hanging from the pot or forced to curl up the support. A rail or lattice is used as a support.
Seasonal care features
The plant needs to be looked after regularly throughout the year. It must be remembered that seasonal conditions affect the growth and well-being of a vine.
Spring
This is a period of active growth of scindapsus. The liana is watered every 3 days, once a week fed with nitrogenous fertilizers. In early spring, the stems are shortened.
Summer
In the heat, the plant is watered every 2 days, every other day the foliage is sprayed with water. The vines are given a warm shower once a month. Every two weeks, complex fertilizing is introduced into the soil.
Autumn
In early autumn, the vine is watered every 3 days, fertilized once every 2 weeks. Closer to winter, the number of watering is reduced, and feeding is completely stopped.
Winter
In winter, the air temperature in which the vine is located should not fall below 15 degrees Celsius. The plant is watered only once a week. Top dressing is not done in the winter season.
What is the difference between epipremnum and scindapsus?
Epipremnum and scindapsus belong to the Aroid family and are considered closely related. Many growers confuse them with each other, since there are very few differences. The main difference is the shape of the leaves. In the epipremnum, they are symmetrical, and in the scindapsus, they are curved, a bit like a comma. At the same time, the scindapsus has more spotty leaves. In terms of care, they are the same, but there are differences:
- Epipremnum tolerates waterlogging and drying out of the soil more easily.
- Scindapsus needs a more humid air level.
- Epipremnum is more resistant to too cold water and temperature extremes.
- Scindapsus is more likely to get sick and infect insects.
Both plants look very beautiful and can decorate any interior.
Main varieties
In natural conditions, the vine clings to the branches of a tree and rises up. It has underground and aerial roots. In the tropics, scindapsus obtains its nourishment and water from the land and the environment. There are several varieties of vines. All plants have smooth green leathery leaves, sometimes covered with spots, dots, strokes.
Golden
It is a liana with heart-shaped shiny leaves. The leaf plate is decorated with golden spots. The length of the leaf is 15-20 centimeters. The plant loves bright but diffused light. Leaves may fade in the shade.
Painted
This vine has leathery pointed leaves, strewn with silvery specks. The length of the leaf is 15-20 centimeters. The leaves sit on short stalks, it seems as if they are growing directly from the stem.
Pinnate
This variety has large, heart-shaped leaves, pointed at the end. On the surface of the leaf, on both sides of the central vein, oblong holes appear over time. The leaf is pinnately dissected.
Siamese
This is a liana with large heart-shaped leaves that have an interesting color: multiple, often merging with each other, light green (silvery) spots.
Variety characteristics, names and descriptions of species
Domestic varieties are characterized by rich green or variegated foliage. Leathery leaf plates are oval in shape and are formed alternately on the stem. The root system is represented not only by the underground part, but also by air roots, thanks to which the vine can rise up. Scindapsus bloom is rather inconspicuous. The flower resembles an ear of corn, wrapped in a bracts, like a blanket. Indoor species almost never bloom, but their advantage is considered to be beautiful foliage and unpretentious care.
You may be interested in:
Hoya - home care, types and names, cultivation The evergreen hoya liana comes from southern countries such as Australia, Polynesia, southeast Asia. It grows on ... Read more ...
As indoor plants, five species of this flower are most often grown, shown in the photo, their names are as follows:
Scindapsus Pictus (Painted) is distinguished by dark green leaves with a silver border. There are silvery spots on the leaf surface. A strong liana can reach 1 m in length, and in the wild its dimensions exceed 2.5 m. Large leaf plates grow on short petioles, which makes it seem that they grow directly from the shoot. A distinctive feature of the species is its high resistance to diseases and harmful insects.
Golden Scindapsus has unusual green leaves with golden spots on the surface. In good light, foliage casts green, yellow and gold hues. For such an unusual foliage, the plant is called the "golden lotus"
Unlike other species, this vine has a weaker immunity to disease, so it is important to take this feature into account when leaving. Scindapsus Neon has spectacular foliage of a light, almost light green color
The stems of the plant are painted in the same light green color. Small leaves form on elongated petioles.The variety grows quite quickly, so do not forget about regular pruning.
Scindapsus Joy is less common in home floriculture than the previous species. It is mainly grown in greenhouses. The plant is relatively compact, but in hanging baskets, this vine looks very decorative. The curly stem is covered with green leaves, the outside of which is covered with gray-silvery, almost white spots that often resemble edging.
Scindapsus Marble Queen (Marble Queen) is characterized by variegated leaves of green-silver tones. On closer inspection of the leaf pattern, you will notice that the entire surface is chaotically covered with light drops and strokes. This feature seems to create a "movement effect" that makes it easy to identify the species.
Room decor with scindapsus
Scindapsus can be grown in different ways (photo below), depending on the interior features and the imagination of the plant owner. Usually, this vine is allowed to curl around a vertical support, which can be a regular pole, a floor lamp leg, or even the trunk of a small indoor tree, which creates the feeling of a real rainforest.
Often, the scindapsus is attached to a decorative lattice dug into the ground or nailed to the wall, and is also suspended as an ampelous plant in a light plastic pot, basket or vase, allowing long shoots to hang freely down, or simply put in a pot on a windowsill, unpretentiously spreading bright green foliage over a white surface.
Scindapsus reproduction
The most common method of reproduction in this case is the rooting of cuttings (preferably apical, but this is not essential). Theoretically, scindapsus can also be propagated by layering or by dividing the stem, but since the cuttings root quickly and without problems, growers do not use other methods of propagation.
When harvesting cuttings, they must be cut immediately under the knot (the place where the leaf grows), there should be 2-4 leaves on the cuttings, the temperature in the room should not fall below +22 degrees, and it is also necessary to maintain high humidity and rather bright, but scattered lighting. You can root cuttings in water or in moist soil. If you prefer the first option, then you should add an activated charcoal tablet to the water, this will help the water stay cleaner for longer. As soon as the water becomes cloudy, it must be replaced immediately. The roots appear within two weeks, and once they have grown a little, the plant can be planted in a flower pot.
Or, you can initially root the cuttings in soil or in a mixture of sand and sphagnum, deepening them by 2-3 cm and covering them with a jar or a cut plastic bottle on top to create a greenhouse. It will take 2-3 weeks for the roots to appear, during which it is necessary to keep the soil moist and raise the shelter daily for ventilation. With the appearance of the first young leaf, it can be considered that rooting has taken place.
Rooting of cuttings can be carried out at any time of the year, but the best solution would be to combine this process with pruning and plant formation, so you will do two things at once.
