Meticulous home care for araucaria and culture reproduction
A wonderful indoor spruce is an elegant highlight of an office or residential interior. To grow it, you need to figure out what caring for araucaria at home is and follow the rules. In its natural environment, culture grows in the southern hemisphere. Norfolk Island, located between Australia and New Zealand, is considered its homeland. What does araucaria look like in nature? What is so special about a houseplant? We will go towards the South Pole to get acquainted with the exquisite coniferous exotic.
External features of araucaria
Here are just a few popular options:
- Chilean (in young plants, a wide pyramidal crown forms from the surface of the soil);
- Budvilla prickly (part of the trunk of an adult tree has no branches);
- Brazilian (the crown looks like an open umbrella);
- Wedge-shaped (characterized by short branches);
- Heterophylla (home grown).
The elegant indoor spruce araucaria grows up to a maximum of 2 m in height. The main reason is the lack of ideal conditions. However, the culture is very attractive. She has a spreading crown and fluffy branches, covered with bright green needles of a soft structure. Araucaria releases phytoncides into the space, which help purify the air.
From the side, the tree resembles a miniature Christmas tree with a straight trunk and branches that extend from it at right angles. They are covered with scaly resinous bark. The shape of the crown directly depends on the type of home culture. Most often there is a pyramidal or umbrella version.
In their natural environment, male and female trees grow, which produce cones of different weight.
Caring for araucaria at home
Coniferous crops have long attracted people's attention. Their greatness and unfading greenery are often associated with eternity. Some evergreens are being grown in pots. But this required much more effort. First of all, it was required to create a suitable microclimate in the room and decent care for araucaria at home. Let's consider each of them in stages.
Central heating causes dry air, depriving the plant of the necessary moisture.
"The sun is a source of heat and light"
So said the blind mole from the cartoon "Thumbelina". Of course he doesn't need it. However, for plants, the sun is the source of life. Likewise, a potted home tree (araucaria) without enough light will lose its decorative effect and may even stop growing. But balance is needed here, since the scorching rays of the sun can destroy the culture.
Araucaria is best to "settle" near windows that face east or west. If this option is not possible, diffused light is done using tulle or transparent curtains. In the warm season, the pot is taken out into the yard, where deciduous trees create a comfortable partial shade. Residents of apartment buildings can move the spruce to the balcony.
Once every 7-10 days, the plant is turned 90 ° so that light falls on it from different sides.
Comfort temperature mode
The successful development of indoor araucaria directly depends on the microclimate in which the spruce is located. High temperatures often lead, at best, to shedding the needles. If nothing is done, the plant may even die.
In spring, summer and early autumn, the optimum temperature in an office or living space should not exceed + 22 ° C. In winter, indoor spruce prefers a cool habitat. Usually it is transferred to an unheated light room, where the temperature is maintained from +2 to + 12C
In extreme cases, the microclimate can be maintained by frequent ventilation of the room where the tree is located.
Creating a tropical environment
To successfully grow araucaria at home, it is important to control moisture levels. To do this, it is regularly watered and sprayed with settled water at room temperature. It usually contains less calcium salts, which slow down the development of the culture.
Water the tree as the topsoil dries up. At the same time, water stagnation is not allowed, which leads to decay of the root system of araucaria. In the cold season, the plant is sprayed every day from a spray bottle. The procedure is necessary for plants that "live" in a room with central heating. The soil is watered as it dries.
Timely feeding
“A Christmas tree was born in the forest”, as it is sung in an old children's song, which indicates a fertile soil. However, this is not the case at home. Without proper feeding, the soil will turn into a "salt marsh". Fertilizers are applied every 3 weeks throughout the growing season. Suitable special minerals... However, the dosage is reduced by about 2 times.
In winter, the coniferous plant does not need feeding.
Formation of a stylish crown
Let's try to imagine a tree with a height of 50 m and a trunk girth of 1 m, which grows in an apartment or office space. This does not happen in a closed space. However, even an inexperienced gardener can create a majestic plant at home.
To get a "stylish" crown, the home tree is cut. For example, to control the height of the crop, the top is removed. As a result, it ceases to "ascend to heaven", and the branches rush in breadth. To strengthen the root system, the side shoots are carefully cut. The same technology is used when creating a tree. bonsai.
It is advisable to carry out sanitary pruning in the event of the appearance of dry branches and damage to the plant by pests.
Transplanting and breeding araucaria indoors
Growing room spruce brings a lot of positive emotions. After all, an evergreen plant wonderfully fits into any interior. It exudes a resinous scent and purifies the air in your home. To start several such crops, experts suggest 2 simple ways: sowing seeds and cuttings. Of course, the process of breeding araucaria at home requires special efforts. This is especially true for sowing seeds.
Most often, the method of growing araucaris from seeds is used by scientists who grow conifers in greenhouses.
Seed propagation
Planting material is purchased at specialized retail outlets and they try to get down to business immediately:
- the sand is thoroughly heated in an oven at a temperature of 220 ° C;
- small pots are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate;
- fill the containers with the cooled substrate;
- spread the seeds by lightly pressing them with your fingers.
From above, the crops are watered with settled water at room temperature. Cover the pots with transparent foil or glass. They are taken to a room where the temperature is maintained at least + 24 ° C. The cover is periodically removed to remove condensation. The top layer of sand is regularly moistened. After 5 weeks, seedlings will appear, which are watered with a sprayer. Otherwise, the weak root system of the seedlings can lock up and the plant will die.Araucaria grows very slowly, so gardeners are very patient while it grows into a stylish tree.
Accelerated version - cuttings
You can also grow araucaria at home using cuttings. Planting material is taken from an adult plant, cutting off the top of it. The lower part of the branch is treated with a rooting stimulator, after which it is planted in a small pot with calcined sand. Cover the top of the seedling with a jar or cut off plastic bottle. Then he is taken to a greenhouse or a room where the temperature is maintained at least + 25 ° C.
After 2-3 months, the culture will take root. Next, the pot is transferred to the house, and the araucaria is helped to acclimatize. For this, the jar is removed daily for 3-4 hours. Over time, new needles form on the handle. Now it's time to transplant the araucaria into a larger pot and a new soil composition.
It consists of components:
- leaf humus (1 hour);
- turf (1 hour);
- sand (2 hours)
Drainage is laid at the bottom of the container using pebbles, expanded clay or fine gravel. The plant is placed in a place where there is a lot of light. Water as the topsoil dries up. The branches are periodically sprayed. With such loving care, an indoor spruce will very soon appear in the house, originally from Norfolk Island, in the Pacific Ocean.
Having studied the rules for caring for araucaria at home, we can rush to the flower shop for the plant. The majestic tree will delight us with luscious greenery and aroma, if you water it in time and arrange it in a comfortable corner. Let's not forget to trim the crop in time to form a stylish crown. And if we want to breed araucaria, we will act on the advice of experts. May the evergreen beauty bring true peace to our homes.