Luxurious flower for your planter and not only - columney, home care
In just a year, it will grow long graceful twigs, densely covered, almost like scales, with oval leaves, and in early spring it will delight you with unusual flowers. This is a tropical beauty of the columbus, caring for it at home has some features, but in general it is simple and uncomplicated.
Under natural conditions, evergreen perennial bushes grow in the humid forest tropics of America. Their fleshy stems cling to trees, on which, in fact, the root system itself is often located. Prone to an epiphytic lifestyle, in indoor conditions this plant feels good in pots with loose soil. Its twigs first grow upward, but already at the end of the season they hang from the flowerpot, turning it into a green hat with delicate curls. The flowering of the columnea is no less decorative. A rare flower can boast such original yellow-orange flowers, reminiscent of dolphins dancing over the sea surface. To see them, simply create suitable conditions for the plant, taking into account the small nuances of what it loves.
Where to put the columnea: lighting, temperature and humidity for a tropicana
Given the natural habitat, it is easy to guess that the columnea loves high humidity. Of course, it is difficult to maintain it constantly at the level of at least 80% throughout the house, but this is not necessary. It is enough if you put the flowerpot on a pallet of damp pebbles and often spray the bush.
It is also necessary to provide a lot of light, because in its homeland the flower has plenty of it. Hang the pot on the east or west window for enough sun. If you only have free space on the southern windowsill, make sure that no direct sunlight falls on the bush at midday.
But it is highly discouraged to place the columnea on the north side. You want to see how it blooms? The lack of light will not particularly affect the appearance, but the plant will not give buds.
It is equally important for flowering and observing the temperature regime. The tropicana does not like heat, so try to keep the temperature in the room where it is located in summer, not exceeding 25 ° C. But with the onset of autumn, be sure to give the plant the opportunity to rest in the cool, otherwise it will not lay flower buds. The dormant period in an evergreen perennial is not pronounced. However, its growth in winter slows down, and the temperature does not exceed + 15 ° C stimulates the formation of future buds.
Columney - home care for ampelous beauty
Having chosen a cozy place for the tropicana and creating a favorable microclimate for her, you will only have to follow the flower and support its development. This is done by carrying out procedures familiar to all indoor plants, but taking into account the peculiarities of the columnea.
So, what do you need to know about caring for an ampelous perennial.
Watering
Find a middle ground, because you can neither fill nor dry out the soil. In the first case, the flower will immediately sag the shoots, and in the second there is a risk of root rot.Water the bush with lukewarm water 3 times a week in summer and 1 time in winter when it is in a cool room. You can cover the soil with moss so that it does not dry out quickly.
Add a little acid to the water once a month, as for orchids.
Top dressing
Like all flowering plants, the kolumnea needs minerals to plant buds. She especially needs phosphorus and potassium. During the growing season, from mid-spring to mid-autumn, give her mineral complexes twice a month.
Transfer
The plant does not really like this procedure, because its delicate roots and fragile twigs are easy to damage. But if the bush has already outgrown its pot, transfer it into a large bowl, preferably a wide one. Soil mixture for columnea is suitable for universal, from the store.
Or you can mix in equal parts:
- garden land;
- sand;
- humus.
Pruning
Since the bush grows very quickly, you cannot do without a haircut. After flowering ends, or in spring during transplanting, cut the branches in half to rejuvenate the plant. And in old specimens, remove 1/3 of the roots when transplanting.
Columeya propagates by apical cuttings remaining after pruning. Or by seeds, but since they sprout hard, this method is rarely used at home. These are all the secrets of the successful cultivation of a perennial and its annual flowering. And if he likes everything, then the bush can bloom almost all year round.