Birch - houseplant, home flower
Content:
Birch is a houseplant that does not require increased attention or increased care. At the same time, the flower grows very quickly, suitable for decorative pruning. You can often find such a specimen in large living rooms, public institutions. The homeland of the plant is tropical forests, so the plant loves high humidity, light and good watering.
Birch is a houseplant that looks like a birch
In many offices, schools and simply huge public spaces, you can find a kind of flower that winds along the wall or, thanks to the stand, resembles a tree. In the people, such an instance is called a birch.
The appearance of a room birch
Birch is a house plant that fits perfectly into any interior and helps to harmonize the space and make it more alive. Thanks to trimming, any shape and size can be formed.
Without treatments, the length of the lunar trunk can reach 1.5-2 m in length. A flower similar to a birch tree is loved by many growers precisely for its simplicity in care and growth rate.
What is the correct name for a birch-like houseplant? Birch is an indoor flower, it is grown for the sake of beauty and many do not think about the scientific name of the plant. However, the home flower has an exact name, which is not known by many, and even less used in everyday life. Depending on the specific species, it is cissus or roicissus.
The appearance of a room birch
There are several varieties of the plant. The most popular is the rhombic rocissus, which has a complex leaf structure and is most adapted for growing at home.
What does a birch tree look like
Home flower birch belongs to plants of the grape family. This classification is determined by external features:
- the trunk is twisted or is a vine;
- the crown turns green all year round;
- shoots can grow from 60 cm to several meters;
- the leaf can have any color - from dark green to light salad.
Plant in interior design
Features of caring for a birch at home
Experienced breeders say that there will be no problems with growing Roicissus. Some people compare the plant to a domestic “pet” that loves to “eat” and “bathe”.
A birch is a home plant, care for it is carried out according to the simplest scheme of watering, soil treatment, lighting and setting the temperature regime.
Temperature
It is important to correctly set the temperature regime for normal growth and development. You can keep a copy in a room where the temperature is:
- in summer it will be +20, +25 degrees;
- in winter - +15 degrees, +20 degrees.
The plant can normally survive sharp drops in temperature up to +5, but this can lead to the manifestation of a variety of diseases.
Lighting
The plant loves light, but it is better to install the flowerpot on the windowsills from the west or east. The north side is fine too, but the flower will grow very slowly. Direct sunlight can damage foliage - the light should be slightly diffused.
The ideal sill for a roicissus
Watering
Roicissus is very fond of moisture, but at the same time you need to make sure that the water in the pot does not stagnate. It is difficult to establish an exact schedule for the implementation of the irrigation procedure - much depends on air humidity, season and temperature.
It is necessary to keep the earthen ball constantly moist. The water should be at room temperature and preferably previously settled.
Spraying
Roicissus loves it very much when the leaves are sprayed. You can even arrange for a weekly swim.
Transfer the plant to the bathroom and rinse each leaf with room temperature water.
Humidity
An important condition for the normal growth of Roicissus is high humidity. You can leave a container of water near the flowerpot to increase humidity.
After bathing, it is advisable to leave the flower in the bathroom for a few hours so that the crown and soil will absorb more moisture.
Priming
The soil should be light and breathable. Therefore, after watering, it is advisable to ruffle the topsoil. It is enough to pick the ground with a stick. To avoid problems with moisture stagnation and blooming of the top layer, you need to choose the right composition, mixing in equal proportions:
- sod land;
- leafy ground;
- humus;
- coarse sand.
Substrate preparation
To avoid additional problems with the soil, it is worth choosing a ceramic pot for growing.
Top dressing
It is advisable to regularly do top dressing by introducing complex fertilizers.
It is useful to carry out extra-soil top dressing - during this procedure, the leaves are sprayed with a solution of fertilizers and water.
Fertilizers can be applied once every 3 weeks during the spring-summer period. In winter, the roicissus should be transferred to the resting stage. No fertilizing and spraying should be carried out.
It is not enough to know how to care for a flower, a birch houseplant, according to professionals, needs regular pruning.
Pruning
Home birch in a pot is an ideal plant for those who like to experiment and create. Thanks to pruning, you can shape the crown.
Branches that are partially exposed, dropping foliage, as well as ugly growing parts of the shoots are subject to removal. You can remove those parts of the crown that do not fit into the shape of the plant. It is not advisable to remove many parts at the same time.
Cissus crown formation
The procedure is carried out as follows:
- Prepare tools: sharp pruning shears, activated carbon powder.
- Identify the items to be removed.
- Cut off the appendages with pruning shears, making 1 precise cut.
- Treat the affected areas with activated carbon powder or plant preservative.
How the birch reproduces
Roicissus can reproduce in two ways - by cuttings and shoots. The methods are almost identical and differ only in the way of rooting. For the procedure, twigs are used that were cut in the spring.
Propagation by cuttings
Rooting cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is the most popular plant breeding option. Branches with 2-3 well-developed leaves are used as a basis. Next, the following procedure is carried out for good rooting:
- Pour some drainage compound and suitable substrate into a small plastic pot.
- Place the prepared copy in a pot.
- The twig should be covered with soil by 3-4 cm.
- Spray the top of the substrate.
In order for the stalk to take root, you need to place the "blank" in a room with a temperature not lower than +20 degrees. There should be partial shade in the room. The soil should be sprayed every day to maintain normal moisture.
Birch transplant
Indoor birch flowers do not often require transplanting, but after 3 years the procedure will have to be carried out due to soil depletion and a decrease in the space of the flowerpot for the root system.
Transplanting a room birch
Algorithm of the procedure:
- Prepare the substrate and the pot 2-3 cm larger in diameter from the previous one.
- Lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the container, which will be 1-2 cm.
- Then a few centimeter layer of soil is laid.
- Examine the processes of the root system. Cut off damaged parts. Treat the sections with crushed activated carbon powder.
- Place the sprout in the center of the container.
- Place the roots evenly around the pot.
- Sprinkle the roots with earth without tamping. The layer height should not be more than 3 cm.
Moisten the soil by spraying the substrate with water from a spray bottle. Remove the transplanted specimen in the shade for 5-6 days. During this time, the root system will get stronger and the aerial part will grow.
Possible problems in growing birch trees
It is easy to determine why certain metamorphoses occur with Rocissus, since the plant reacts to changes in the microclimate of the room.
What diseases and parasites can infect a flower:
- Lack of moisture often leads to the appearance of fungal diseases that can affect the aboveground and underground parts of the specimen.
- Poorly disinfected soil can become the basis for the appearance of a scale insect, a dust mite.
- If the leaves begin to dry, then infection with root rot is possible. This problem occurs if the substrate does not allow air to pass through, there is no drainage and excess water stagnates in the pot.
- Powdery mildew is a frequent "guest". But the disease can only affect plants weakened after a sharp temperature drop.
Diseases of a room birch
Crohn's can be treated with soapy water for any type of parasites and infections, but if the form of the disease is not neglected. If this does not help, then special means should be used to combat the disease.
The decorative rocissus is ideal for cultivation by inexperienced growers who want to decorate their homes with a floral arrangement. The ideal option for such a plant would be a house with "tropical" climate conditions. The plant does not require special care, it reproduces by an elementary method.
