This small tree, whose native land is South America, immediately attracts attention with brightness. Green leaves combined with white flowers and red berries make the plant a bright spot in any interior. The room flower of nightshade is more correctly called a saline, but among the people it is also known as the Chinese, Jerusalem or room cherry because of the similarity of the fruits with the berries of this tree.
Nightshade room: care
Initially, it should be noted that the nightshade is poisonous, so in an apartment where there are children, it is better not to start a plant. Looking at the bright berries, you want to taste them, and children can not resist the temptation even after the explanations. If you really want to have nightshade at home, it's better to put it in a place where children can not reach it.
Nightshade is a houseplant, but in the warm months it feels great on the street, it is important for it to have a large amount of bright color and high humidity. In addition, this bush likes fresh air, so do not be afraid to place it on balconies or windowsills. In winter, the optimal temperature for nightshade is 14-16 ° C, if it is hotter around, then it is necessary to pay special attention to irrigation of the plant.
In view of the fact that nightshade constantly blooms and fructifies, it is necessary to feed it once a week with liquid fertilizer in the warm months, and for the winter to reduce the number of feeding to 1 per month or even 6 weeks. Watering the flower is necessary abundantly, it is very fond of water, spraying will also have a beneficial effect on the growth and beauty of the bush. Bush of nightshade requires the formation of the crown in order that it was thick and elegant. In addition, this plant is considered one-year, therefore it is better to combine the pruning with the transplant and carry out this event at the end of winter, then the nightshade "will be renewed" and will please you with its beauty for another year, until it is necessary to transplant the nightshade again. When the crown is formed, when the bush reaches a height of 30 cm, the main shoot is shortened by 5-7 cm, and then, as the growth grows, the side shoots are plucked to impart fluffiness and volume to the plant.
Types of nightshade
The most common are the pepper-shaped and hypocotyledged nightshade. It is worth noting that outwardly they are similar and their essential difference lies in the fact that the fruits of the hypocotyl bush are poisonous, and the pepper-colored bush is, on the contrary, useful. Folk name of pepper-like nightshade - anginic or anginal tree. If you collect the fruits of anginicas, dry them and grind them, then with an angina infusion they are useful for rinsing your throat. On a glass of boiling water take 1 tablespoon dried fruits and insist them for two hours, after which you can gargle 3-4 times a day.
So, for an apartment with small children, pepper-like nightshade does not pose a danger, even if children eat fruits from a bush, they will not harm it, although the beauty of the plant, of course,
Nightshade Room: Reproduction
For the propagation of the bush, cuttings or fresh seeds are used, and the process is carried out at the beginning of spring. March sowing is considered the most favorable and promising. The soil for young nightshade is better to choose water-intensive, and the bottom of pots to equip with good drainage to prevent stagnation of water, which can harm a young plant. The temperature for germination of seeds or rooting of cuttings should be 18-20 ° C, and the air in the room must be moistened. It is obligatory to pinch seedlings a couple of times for greater development of the crown and its correct formation.