Hedera Helix: a family destroyer, natural medicine or creative material for gardeners

Ivy is very popular among gardeners. It is grown in hanging flower pots or formed using supports. It is characterized by rapid growth, cleans the air of harmful substances.

Botanical Description

Indoor ivy flower - a representative of the Aralian family. According to various sources, the genus includes from six to 15 species. All of them grow mainly in mountainous areas - they use trees as supports, spread along the rocks.

Typical representatives of the genus are lignified evergreen vines. On the supports are fixed with the help of special aerial roots working like suckers. As they grow, the stems thicken, become covered with bark, and turn into massive uneven trunks.

The leaves are whole or three-five-lobed, depending on the variety. On the stem are located next. Only adult plants older than ten years bloom. The flowers are small, yellow, with a greenish tint, gather in inflorescences-umbrellas. At home, flowering is not possible. The most common variety is Hedera Helix (common ivy).

Popular Indoor Views

In room culture, not all types of headers are common. Among flower growers, mainly three varieties are popular.

1. Ordinary. The most common type of ivy. The stems curl on a support or spread on the soil. Aerial roots form in large numbers. The leaves are three-five-lobed, leathery, the surface is glossy. Veins slightly lighter than the main shade, stand out distinctly. There are hybrid varieties that differ in the shape and color of the leaves.
2. Canary. The species grows the longest vines. The leaves are large, triangular, saturated green. Variegate varieties with variegated leaf color are artificially bred.
3. Colchis. The shoots are powerful, long, easily braid the supports. The leaves are large, up to 25 cm long, whole shape. It features a beautiful emerald color and musky smell of leaves.

Helix heder care and creating a favorable microclimate

Ivy grows quickly, freely adapts to the conditions of the apartment, is considered an unpretentious plant. The main difficulty lies in the need for its formation and the inconvenience of transplanting large adult specimens. How to organize room ivy care at home to achieve its high decorativeness? When growing vines in an apartment, they try to adhere to the following rules.

• Lighting. Ivy easily tolerates shading, does not like heat and sun. It grows fully on the northern windows, the pot can be placed on the eastern and western sides. Variegated varieties are more demanding of light - in the shade the characteristic pattern of the variety is lost. In winter, extra lighting is available.
• Temperature. It adapts normally to average room temperature. Temperature above 25 ° C leads to lethargy, yellowing of leaves. Optimum conditions of detention - 20-23 ° C. Small specimens are taken out in the open air in summer - ivy is not afraid of drafts and temperature extremes. During the heating season, the header is placed at a distance from the batteries.
• Watering. It belongs to hygrophilous plants, therefore it is necessary to water the header plentifully, especially in the warm season. In winter, reduce the amount of water by one irrigation and the frequency of procedures - water only after drying the soil surface by 2-3 cm. Use soft, settled water at room temperature. Stagnation of moisture is not allowed - the root system can suffer from this.
• Humidity. Large ivy leaves actively vaporize the liquid. To fill its lack heder needs frequent spraying. When grown in conditions of high humidity, the color of the leaves becomes saturated, veins appear more distinctly, branching and growth of green mass increase. Header is sprayed only with soft water. Periodically, the leaves are wiped with a damp cloth, air humidifiers are installed, and plates with water are placed in the heat. Small specimens can be bathed in the shower.
• Top dressing. The rapid growth of creepers requires systematic fertilization. Use ready-made mineral complexes for decorative leaf plants. In the warm season, fertilizers are applied at intervals of one and a half to two weeks. In winter, it is enough to feed once a month.
• The soil. Hedera is able to grow in almost any soil. The optimal soil for indoor ivy is a mixture of hardwood, peat, turf and river sand. The use of ready-made universal mixtures is allowed.
• Transfer. Young specimens are transplanted often - annually. As they grow, the intervals between transplants increase. Each time, the volume of the pot is slightly increased. In large, adult specimens, instead of transplanting, the topsoil is replaced annually. Roots are superficial - the pot is used wide and shallow. The bottom is covered with a layer of drainage material. When transplanting, they prefer the method of transshipment.

Trimming and Shaping

To form a beautiful shape of the bush, the header should be cut periodically. The best time for pruning is mid-spring. All bare, lost decorative shoots are removed. Too long lashes shorten by a third or half. The length of all shoots after trimming should be approximately the same.

The bush is formed as an ampel plant or as a climbing vine. In the first case, the heder is planted in hanging planters, the length of the lashes is trimmed. In the second case, they pull the ropes, use special supports or decorative lattices. When grown in the form of a climbing vine, they immediately find the optimal, permanent place - it will not be possible to remove the plant from its supports without damage.

Breeding methods

Indoor ivy can be propagated vegetatively and by seed. Seed propagation is complicated by the inability to obtain planting material from your plant, the slow growth of seedlings. Therefore, three methods of vegetative propagation are more often used.

Shoots

An effective method of propagation that allows you to get several seedlings from one shoot. Landing is carried out in the following sequence of actions.

• Choosing and preparing an escape. Choose a healthy ten-leaf shoot.On one side of the stem, along the entire length, make a longitudinal incision. To accelerate growth, they process it with a root formation stimulator.
• Landing. The shoot is laid horizontally, cut down, on moistened sand. On top, sand is covered with a layer of about 2 cm.
• Care. They are kept in a moderately warm place, moisten the sand from time to time, maintaining constant humidity. After a couple of weeks, young sprouts appear.
• Transfer. The shoot is taken out of the sand, divided into several parts. On each segment, a part of the root system and at least one leaf are left. The resulting seedlings can be planted in separate pots or planted three or four pieces in one container.

Cuttings

Apical and stem cuttings about 10 cm long are cut. Under suitable conditions, the cuttings quickly give roots. There are two ways to root them.

1. In the ground. The base of the cuttings is dipped in a rooting agent solution, immersed in soil consisting of sand and forest land. Top with a jar or make a greenhouse of polyethylene. Maintain moderate soil moisture, temperature at the level of 16-22 ° С. After the appearance of signs of growth, the shelter is removed, the cuttings are transplanted to a permanent place.
2. In water. Boiled water is poured into a glass, a tablet of activated carbon, a little of any root-forming agent is added. Germinate in a warm place, with moderate lighting. After the appearance of the roots, they are planted in the ground.

Scions

Propagation by processes is similar to rooting of the shoot. Choose a healthy shoot, make a longitudinal incision. The branch is not cut from the mother plant, drip in the same or another pot. Within two weeks, roots form on the stem, processes appear. They are carefully separated, precipitated.

Growing difficulties

Uneven irrigation, low humidity and improperly selected feeding regimen lead to a decrease in ivy decorativeness. It is possible to determine what conditions of detention are violated by the appearance of the plant. The main difficulties of cultivation are collected in the table.

Table - Problems in growing headers

Diseases and Pests

Most diseases of indoor plants are not dangerous for ivy. Occasionally one has to deal with gray rot. The development of the disease provokes excessive dampness, stagnation of air. At the initial stage, a fluffy coating of gray appears on the leaves and stems. Immediately cut off all affected tissues, carry out treatment with fungicidal agents. With a strong infection, the plant dies.

Pests cause more trouble. Especially often you have to deal with spider mites, shieldsthrips. Recognize pests in the initial stages can be a number of signs. They are described in detail in the table.

Table - Header Pests

Caring for a heder flower is not difficult at all. Ivy is used for landscaping apartments and offices. Valued for its unpretentiousness and rapid growth. Due to the abundance of large leaves, it is considered a good air purifier.