Devil's ivy - see Epipremnum.

This herbaceous perennial belongs to the Aroid family. The genus Epipremnum includes eight to thirty varieties, as stated in various sources. Translation of the name "epipremnum" - "on the trunks". The culture is named so because it is in this way and grows... Growing wild, it is found in the forests of the tropics from Indian territory to the north of the Australian continent. In our time, the largest number of varieties can be found in the southeast Asian territory. But these varieties grow wild in places where they were not previously, for example, in Hawaii.

The most popular among gardeners is the "Golden" epipremnum, often referred to by the people as "scindapsus". However, Scindapsus and Epipremnum are two different cultures, although they come from the same family. But when cultivated in indoor conditions, these plant specimens must be looked after in almost the same way, and they must grow in identical conditions.

Briefly about plant cultivation.

This culture in indoor conditions is grown as an ornamental deciduous. The flowering of a cultivated plant is a rare occurrence.

Succulent cultivars require more bright light than green-leaved cultivars. Varieties with green leaves can grow both in the shade and in diffused bright light. But any forms need to make a shade from the direct sun.

Epipremnum feels comfortable at normal room temperature conditions. However, plant death can occur due to drafts.

Watering is carried out regularly immediately after the surface soil layer in the container has dried out, however, watering is required sparingly.

If there are heating devices in the room that work, then it is necessary to often spray the leaves.

Liana is fed from April to September days once every fourteen days, for this purpose, a liquid complex of minerals for lianas is used. During the dormant period, top dressing is also made, but in rare cases (once every four weeks).

The rest period is not particularly pronounced, usually falls on October-March days.

Plants are transplanted on April days. Transplantation of young specimens is carried out once a year, and adults - once every two to three years.

Reproduction methods. With the help of layering, division of the shoot, cuttings.

Diseases. Fungal infections.

Harmful insects. Thrips, scale insects, spider mites.

Characteristic.

It is a herbaceous evergreen perennial plant. Epipremnum can be a parasite on large trees or grow without a host. The root system is fibrous, through which the batteries are supplied to the liana. Also, the bush has numerous aerial roots, if necessary, they form another root system. There are two types of air roots. The former grow from the nodes and catch on to trees or other supports, the latter grow from internodes, they act as air feeding roots.Subsequently, lignification of all aerial roots occurs, the nourishing roots turn into woody ones, they are covered with a bark consisting of fibers in the form of ribbons, and the supporting roots become corky.

Shoots cling to almost any support, and their rooting can occur along the entire support. The leaves are simple, heart-shaped, dense or thin. In adult specimens, the leaves grow up to sixty cm in length, and up to forty cm in breadth. In young plants, the leaves are not so large. In the future, there is a change in the type of leaves from whole to pinnatipartite or pinnately dissected. In some situations, holes may appear in the leaves, for example, like a monstera.

When the bush blooms, unattractive flowers form on it. They form an inflorescence-ear, tapering towards the top. A coverlet that looks like a canoe wraps around it. Flowering can only be seen when the leaves mature, but at home this is a very rare case. The fruit is a berry, there are seeds inside it.

Agrotechnics for indoor cultivation.

Illumination level.

Varieties with green leaves are unpretentious to lighting, they feel comfortable in partial shade and in bright diffused light. On the other hand, succulent cultivars require a lot of bright illumination, otherwise the color of the leaves will become less decorative. When choosing a site for growing, keep in mind that the direct sun can harm every form of this plant. With a prolonged stay of the vine under the scorching sun, the leaves will fade, flabbiness, and softness. After some time, the leaves will fall off, and the shoots will also suffer (growth arrest). The best place for the cultivation of this culture is the eastern or western windowsill, it is there that the illumination is bright and diffused.

Temperature conditions.

At home, good development and growth of the bush is observed at room temperature conditions. However, the epipremnum should be protected from drafts that can kill the plant. Therefore, in spring and summer, the vine is not taken out to the garden plot or balcony, the replacement for this is to systematically ventilate the room.

Watering.

Moistening is carried out only after good drying of the surface soil layer in the pot. Do not forget that the systematic stagnation of water in the roots will cause more harm than a not very long dry period. Due to the regular excess of moisture, the plant can be affected by the disease. If the inner side of the leaves has water droplets, therefore, liquid has stagnated in the substrate. Then watering is required rarely and in a smaller volume.

In the winter season, with the active operation of heating devices, the humidity of the air decreases greatly, in this case, the bush must be sprayed regularly. It is also often to moisten the liana from the spray bottle in the summer season, namely, in the heat. Watering and spraying is carried out exclusively with soft water. It can be filtered, melted or well-settled liquid during the day.

Top dressing.

The bush is fed systematically once every fifteen days, for this purpose, a complex of minerals for vines in liquid form is used. Top dressing is carried out from April to September days. In autumn and winter, fertilizers are also applied, but less often (once a month).

Transplanting.

Plants are transplanted only if necessary, namely, after the roots begin to squeeze into the container. At a young age, the bush is transplanted annually, however, over the years, it is transplanted less and less - once every two to three years.

The transplant is carried out early in the spring, immediately after the beginning of the intensive growth of the plant. This is usually the beginning of the second spring month. When choosing a pot for a transplant, do not forget that it should not be too large. The new container should be only twenty mm larger than the old one.

The bush will feel most comfortable in a humus loose soil mixture with a neutral reaction. If you wish, you can buy ready-made soil for decorative deciduous vegetation in a special store. First, a thickened drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the new pot, after which the epipremnum is carefully rolled into the container. For easier pulling out of the bush from the old pot, abundant watering is carried out about a couple of hours before transplanting. It is required to install the plant in the central part of the container, then carefully fill all empty places with fresh substrate. Before transplanting, all overly elongated shoots are shortened.

Reproduction.

This culture at home usually propagates vegetatively. You can propagate it by cuttings, using layering, and the stem is also divided.

Reproduction by apical cuttings.

To carry out cuttings, the top of the stem is cut off; it should have two or three leaves. To root, the cutting is planted in a one-to-one ratio of sand and peat. The best rooting is observed under temperature conditions in the range of twenty-two to twenty-five degrees. During this period, the cuttings must be sprayed regularly. Usually, the appearance of roots occurs fifteen to twenty days after planting.

Reproduction by layering.

With this method of reproduction, a pot filled with a substrate is placed near the bush. A shoot must be laid on its surface layer, then pinned. Then sprinkle with soil mixture. The cutoff is cut off and planted in an individual container after its roots grow back.

Reproduction by division of the shoot.

This method is the most difficult one. The shoot is cut and cut into several fragments, each division should have at least one leaf. The separated parts are rooted in small pots filled with soil mixture. Then they are transferred to a dark place. Delenki are not sprayed or watered. For their accurate rooting, treatment with phytohormonal preparations can be carried out.

Diseases and harmful insects.

Diseases.

This culture has a rather poor immunity to fungal infections. Therefore, be careful about the regime and volume of watering, and you should not keep the plant in cold temperature conditions and overdo it with the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers into the soil mixture. Observing these rules, rot will not appear on the roots of the bush.

Harmful insects.

Epipremnum can be attacked by scale insects, spider mites and thrips. These are sucking harmful insects. They bite through the surface of the shoot or leaves and suck out the plant sap. When these enemies settle on a plant, it becomes lethargic, weak, the leaves turn yellow and wither. In addition, due to such harmful insects, the vine can be affected by a dangerous virus.

To destroy thrips and scale insects, the bush is treated with an insecticidal solution several times. When plants are attacked by spider mites, they get rid of them with acaricidal agents. The drugs can be purchased at specialty stores.

Varieties.

Epipremnum "Golden" (Epipremnum aureum), or epipremnum "Aureum".

This variety is the most popular among florists. This herbaceous perennial plant climbs a support with the help of adventitious roots. Shoots grow from one to two meters. They are decorated with leathery green leaves in the form of hearts. The leaves have a golden hue, which is most noticeable in bright light.

The best varieties.

Golden Potos... The leaves are cast in golden yellow colors.

"Marble Queen"... This variety is very popular cultivated, the surface of the leaves of a whitish-silver color is covered with green strokes.

"Ange". The leaves are corrugated, green in color, decorated with white strokes and strokes. This epipremnum strongly resembles the Pumila ficus.

"Pearls and Jade"... Such a compact plant was bred by breeders from America. The basis for obtaining it was the "Marble Queen". The leaves are colored with specks of green, white and greenish-gray color. Moreover, it is not so easy to find two leaves with the same color.

Epipremnum "Cirrus" (Epipremnum pinnatum).

This variety comes from the Chinese and Indian territories. This plant is included in the list of the largest in size: in the wild, it can grow up to fifteen meters. However, when cultivated at home, the stems of the bush are shortened. Leaves are shiny, long-petiolate, oblong, in the form of an oval or ellipse, whole or pinnate with equal lobes. They are painted in greenish-blue or dark green colors. The surface of the leaves of mature plants can often have holes in the form of an oval or circle. Therefore, for a long time this variety was attributed to the genus Monstera. Under indoor conditions, this epipremnum is grown in rare cases.

Epipremnum "Forest" (Epipremnum silvaticum).

This species grows wild in the swampy Indonesian forests and in the forests of Sumatra. This epipremnum grows to about six meters. The leaves are shiny, green in color, whole, lanceolate, oval-shaped, sharp at the top. The leaves are about six cm wide and up to twenty cm long. This variety can usually only be found in private collectors.