Decorative room cordillin, home care after which resembles the care of the dracaena , and also looks very similar to the dracaena, because of what these two plants are often confused. They distinguish the cordillin from its root processes, swollen and fleshy, like knots. By the way, just this comparison formed the basis of the name, because from the Greek language the word kordylle is translated as a knot.
Cordilina - description
Kordilina is referred to different families in different sources - it was previously thought that she was from the family of agave, but in recent years she was ranked Dratsen. It is more accurate to determine that before you - dracenas or cordillins, the cut of the root will help: at the cordynyles it is white, at the dracene - yellow-orange. Cordillina as a flower in the wild is common in the southeast of Asia, in Australia and Africa. In the wild form it is a shrub or tree, stretched up a few meters. In the house pot, its height does not exceed 1.5 meters.
Depending on this or that species, the cordillinum has xipiform or slightly rounded leaves, which grow from one bush. The length of the leaves reaches 30-50 cm, width - up to 16 cm. As the growth grows, the lower leaves disappear, exposing the trunk, because of which the plant begins to resemble a palm tree, although in fact it has nothing to do with palm trees. The color of the crown varies from glossy-green to red-violet. Sometimes you can see a combination of different shades of purple, white and yellow.
Flower cordillin - home care
Grow flowers at home have become because of the beautiful leaves. The greenhouse or the garden becomes more colorful and higher due to the long cluster leaves of the plant, which create the illusion of the tropics, especially if it is planted near the water. Despite all its beauty and exoticism, the cordillin flower in matters of how to take care of it practically does not cause difficulties.
Ground for cords
Cordilina is a rather whimsical plant, and care of it at home begins with good and proper soil. The soil should be slightly acidic, consisting of 3 parts of garden soil with the addition of 1 part peat and large sand. In addition, you can add a bit of horny shavings and bone meal to the ground. At the bottom of the pot must necessarily lie drainage . The way the cordillina feels and the soil under it are very interrelated.
Pot of Cordillins
Cordilin, home care, planting and transplantation require certain conditions regarding the pot. The choice depends on the size of the roots and the plant itself. If the flower is small, then the container for it must also fit in dimensions, and it is desirable that its length and width are approximately the same. Cordilin and care for her involves a periodic transplant. With each subsequent transplant, the size of the pot should proportionately increase, the preferred material for the pot is plastic.
Watering the cordillins
The earth under the cordillera should always be slightly moist. It can not be allowed to dry out. To get over this, you can use this trick: put a layer of gravel in the pot tray and pour water into it. Then the plant as a last resort will be able to feed from below. In spring and summer, the cordillan plant needs a particularly plentiful watering, but without an overabundance of water in the pot. In winter, it is necessary to keep the soil slightly moistened.
Cordilin and care at home for her, in addition to watering involves spraying. In the summer, you need to do this 1-2 times a week. High air humidity is very important for a plant. To maintain the desired level will help the air conditioner or humidifier. If you notice brown spots on the tips of the leaves and dryness, this means that the humidity is insufficient and the plant suffers from this.
Transplantation of cordillins
Once in two years, the "palm" cordillina needs a transplant. Do this in the spring, but if there is an urgent need (for example, the roots look out of the pot), you can make the procedure also at another time of the year. First you need to prepare a new place for the plant. For this, a pebble layer is poured into the pot, then coarse-grained sand and some lumpy charcoal.
This is necessary in order to ensure the normal circulation of oxygen and the evaporation of excess liquid. On top of the drainage fill the soil, filling the pot to the middle. Having established the plant, it is sprinkled with the rest of the earth. Do not need to tamp down - this is strictly prohibited. After the transplant, the plant is watered and carefully watched as it takes root in a new pot. In the future, cordillins will not give you trouble, and care for it at home is no different from other plants.
Cordilina - reproduction
Propagation of cordillin from seeds, apical stems with leaves and cuttings. Seed method involves planting seed from the end of summer to the beginning of winter. They sow them in raised beds in a greenhouse or in boxes and containers. Seeds are covered with a mixture of peat and sand, watching for its constant moisture until the moment when sprouts sprouts. When seedlings reach a certain level of development, they are transplanted into separate pots.
Cuttings propagation method begins with cutting of petioles 7-10 cm. From them, you need to remove the leaves and put them in the sand, preferably with the bottom heating. As soon as the first shoots with leaves appear on the processes, they are transplanted into separate pots and hidden from the sun until full rooting takes place. This prevents the development of necrosis of the roots and tips of the leaves. Growing cordillin care at home requires in accordance with its appearance.
Cordillina - Species
Dracaena cordillin, as it is sometimes called, has more than 20 species in its genus. Among them there are trees, semi-shrubs and shrubs with linear, lanceolate and xiphoid leaves, which form a thick lush crown. The color of the leaves varies in different species - it can be green, purple, red with stripes and spots. Inflorescence in all species is represented by a whisk, flowers can be red, white, purple.
Cordylina apex
One of the most favored by flower growers is cordillin apical, these houseplants refer to evergreen flowering plants. The lush crown is distinguished from the leaves of a saturated green and violet color, 20 cm long and 7 cm wide. In conditions of indoor growth, the plant reaches a maximum of 25 cm, while the growth of the flower is very slow. In the open ground, it can grow up to 4 meters in height.
The plant prefers shady corners, where it retains the green color of the leaves. When the sunlight comes in, purple strips appear. The old apical cortiline clearly shows a short, but sturdy stem-trunk. In young plants, the lining of the rhizome persists for a long time. This variety is popular due to the picturesque color of the leaves, attracting the attention of both amateur gardeners and professional landscape designers.
Cordilina Fruticosa
Cordilina fruticosa - a house plant, which is a pretty tree with a thin branching trunk. The leaves of the plant are green or purple-red, lanceolate, they are collected on the top of the trunk. The lower part of the tree trunk gradually becomes bare, and fruticose becomes like a palm tree. The plant is highly valued and highly decorative and unpretentious.
The cordilin of fruticose grows slowly, but it lives for a very long time. In the process of life and growth can face some diseases and become a victim of pests:
- thrips - appear on the flower, if the room is excessively dry air, their colonies settle on the underside of the leaves, and on their surface appear small light points, perish thrips after treatment with insecticides;
- scabies - brown plaques, sucking out the cell sap from the plant, combating them consists in treatment with soap solution and insecticides;
- yellowing of the leaves - this phenomenon indicates a lack of nutrients and dry air;
- brown spots on leaves - a signal about insufficient watering;
- twisted leaves - mean that the plant is standing in a draft or the air temperature is too low.
Cordylina kiwi
Flower cordillin of this variety is very popular among florists. Refers to the medium-small-leaved variety. On its green leaves a small reddish pattern is visible along the outer contour. Green color is also not homogeneous, it includes light and dark stripes. In general, the flower looks very elegant and picturesque. Growing in a pot, the cordillin kiwi grows to a maximum of 1-1.5 meters in height. In a wild environment, the height can reach 2-3 meters.
Cordylina Australian
The indoor flower cordillin australian (southern) is known as a cabbage tree. In nature, it grows up to 20 meters in height. His leaves are tall and resemble swords collected at the end of the rope. The length of the leaves sometimes reaches 1 meter. At home, the bush grows by a meter. Refers to one of the unpretentious varieties of cordillins that do not require complicated leaving and special knowledge in the field of floriculture.
Cordylin's compact
Home flower Cordillin compact grows in a pot up to 90 cm on its vertical stem are located branches with long lance-shaped leaves. In a well-lit place (but not under direct sunlight) the compacts develop a brighter and colorful color of the leaves. In the penumbra, the leaves are often green. Adult plants bloom with purple fragrant inflorescences.