Crassula mix - how to care for a flower

Crassula mix is ​​a plant that everyone used to call a money tree. It is often found in apartments, it is believed that it attracts money into the house. In order for a flower to grow and delight, you need to know how to properly care for it.

Botanical description

More than 300 species of the Crassula plant are known, which in Latin means "fat woman". Belongs to the genus Succulents, that is, there are special fabrics for water supplies. Plants of this type are adapted for indoor life - they tolerate dry air well, do not require frequent watering and can grow in pots. In the wild, they are mainly found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Adult money tree

Most species are perennials with shoots that die off after fruiting. The main growth occurs in the first 4 years. The root system is branched, represented by many processes. Grows in width. The height of the plants is different - from a few cm to 4 m. The leaves are closely spaced and grow opposite each other. The leaf plates are simple, with a solid edge.

The money tree rarely blooms at home. Usually white, yellowish, sometimes light blue or red flowers, which are most often collected in inflorescences, sometimes solitary.

Crassula during flowering

The most common type of plant that can often be found on the windowsill at home is Crassula Mix. The flower has a powerful trunk and a lush crown - many branches and oval leaves. The foliage is green with red edging. It blooms most often with white flowers.

The most famous varieties

Five varieties of Crassula mix that are most often grown at home:

• Tricolor. The main difference is that the leaves with red edging have white stripes. In winter, the reddish border disappears.
• Hummel's Sunset. A hybrid with a pronounced red border and white or yellow stripes on the leaves. The beautiful coloration is retained only in good lighting conditions.
• Ovata Minor. A compact plant with a fleshy trunk and small ovoid, dark green leaves with a waxy coating, which may have a red border. It grows to a maximum of 1 m.
• Lycopodioides. Plow-shaped crassula, the leaves of which turn red in good light. A small plant with flexible shoots and small tetrahedral leaves, tightly attached to the stem.
• Picturata. Dotted crassula with strongly branching shoots and leaves that seem to grow on top of each other. Reddish or purple dots can be seen on the leaf plates.

Another interesting variety is Gollum (Hobbit in other catalogs). Differs in the unusual shape of the leaves, which are rolled into tubes and grown together from the base to the middle. In the bright sun, the leaves turn yellow and a red border appears.

Variety of Crassula species

How to care for the money tree

Crassula mix is ​​an unpretentious plant, but, like any other, it requires compliance with some rules. What are the main nuances of caring for Crassula mix at home to help grow a beautiful and healthy tree is written below.

Light and temperature

You need to grow a flower in a well-lit place, but it needs protection from direct sunlight. The most favorable place is the southeast side of the house.After winter, when the sun appears more and more often, Crassula needs a gradual addiction - put the pot on the window in the morning, and put it in the shade in the afternoon.

The optimum temperature for growing is 20-25 degrees. In the summer, the plant should be placed on a loggia or veranda so that it grows better.

In winter, the flower hibernates - it does not start up shoots and new leaves. But for this you need to create the right conditions. The room temperature should be 8-10 degrees. If the plant does not rest, it can lose all its leaves and will not release new stems in the spring.

Irrigation rates

High humidity and excessive watering of the Crassula mix are not needed, it is not afraid of drought. The procedure is carried out when the top layer of soil in the pot dries up, approximately once a week. It is best to water the flower in the evening with settled water at room temperature.

Sometimes it is allowed to bathe Crassula in the shower - this is necessary to get rid of dust from the leaves.

During the dormant period in winter, watering is carried out once a month. An excess of water at this time is very dangerous for the plant due to the risk of developing fungal diseases and rotting of the root system.

Planting and fertilization rules

You don't need a large pot to plant seedlings. A container of 10 cm in diameter is sufficient. Then, when the flower begins to develop, a new home is selected for it.

The money tree needs a wide and stable pot.

What soil composition is needed for succulents? Experts identify the following criteria:

• The soil should be loose, light, and good drainage is important.
• The acidity level should be neutral.
• To improve aeration, it is recommended to add sand, fine expanded clay to the soil.

If you buy a ready-made mixture, Seliger-Agro, Biagro, Bereginya will do. If you prepare the soil yourself, you need to take soil, sand, coal, small bricks.

As fertilizers, universal mixtures or feeding for succulents are used. From spring to September, top dressing is applied twice a month. During the rest period, you need to reduce the concentration and fertilize the soil every 30-40 days.

How to transplant a fat woman

To transplant an adult plant, you need to choose the right container. With a powerful trunk and a lush crown, Crassula has a small root system. Therefore, the pot needs a heavy, wide one so that the flower does not overturn.

The transplant is carried out in the spring. A young fat woman must be moved to another container with a change of soil every year. An adult plant requires a transplant every 3 years. If the money tree is already very old, in order not to damage it, you just need to periodically replace the topsoil.

When an urgent transplant is required:

• the root system has grown;
• the pot broke;
• the flower is sick.

Reproduction methods

If you have a desire to grow Crassula mix, you can do this in several ways:

• Sowing seeds. The material is sown in prepared soil. Sprinkle a little earth on top, water and cover the box with seedlings with glass. When 2 pairs of leaves are formed on the seedlings, the root of the seedling is pinched and planted in a pot. They take care of new plants as well as adults.

Roots formed on the crassula handle

• Propagation by cuttings. Take the stem of an adult fat woman and place it in water. When the roots appear, the cutting is planted in a permanent place.
• Germination of leaves. The leaf of the plant is dried and kept in earth or water until roots are formed. Good lighting and warmth are needed during this period. This is the most risky breeding method.
• Division of the bush. During transplantation of an adult plant, one bush is taken and divided into several parts.The shoots quickly take root, because they already have a formed root system.

Growing problems

If you follow the recommendations for growing a money tree, difficulties arise extremely rarely. In case of gross non-compliance with the requirements for care, the following problems may arise:

• if you water the fat woman with cold water or put it in a draft, its leaves will begin to fall off;
• red, yellow or brown spots appeared on the leaves - these are sunburn;
• if the crown of the plant has become pale, you need to reduce the frequency of watering;
• if the trunk is bent, then the tree does not have enough light.

Diseases of the flower are rarely affected, most often due to an excess of moisture in combination with a violation of the temperature regime.

Rot

Crassula mix can get sick with gray or root rot. In the first case, a dirty or yellowish bloom, similar to mold, will appear on the leaves. To prevent the plant from decaying completely, you need to remove the affected parts and treat the flower with an antifungal drug.

If the money tree is sick with root rot, the root system and the stem at the base suffer - they begin to blacken and rot. To prevent the plant from completely dying, it must be transplanted into a new pot with a complete replacement of the soil. In this case, it is imperative to cut off rotten roots in the process.

Late blight

First, the fungus infects the aerial part of the plant. The leaves lose color, brown and brown spots with fluff appear on them, similar to mold. The flower looks unhealthy as a whole. Treatment with antifungal drugs is necessary. Otherwise, the fat woman may die.

Infection with late blight

Pests

From insects, a spider mite can attack a flower. If a cobweb is seen, you need to treat it with insecticides or soapy water.

Another pest is mealybug. White bugs, which can be seen with the naked eye, drink the sap of the plant. They live on stems and leaves. To fight insects, wipe the leaves with a cotton pad dipped in an aqueous solution of alcohol.

Crassula mix is ​​an unpretentious flower that pleases the owner with a beautiful crown. It can be easily grown at home. It is believed that the money tree attracts money, cleans the apartment of negative energy and has antibacterial properties. The fat woman is often given to relatives and friends as a talisman that brings good luck.