Foxtail

The homeland of Foxtail is East Asia and Australia. Foxtail belongs to the Euphorbia family, it has a lot of varieties. Foxtail is a beautiful shrub that belongs to evergreens.

Types and description of fox tail

Foxtail plant: photo

Foxtail is divided into two groups:

• The first group is quite popular, such plants are distinguished by their ovoid shape and bright green leaves. They can reach a length of up to 60 centimeters; during the flowering period, fluffy inflorescences of a red hue appear on the bushes.
• The second group is distinguished by its color, as it is unusually beautiful. They are turquoise in color with crimson spots. Such plants, as in the first group, have elongated leaves, ovoid.

The most famous species are:

1. Akalifa oak-leaved

Leaves are light green, heart-shaped, can reach up to 5 centimeters in length, with denticles along the edges of the leaves. Inflorescences are red, can reach up to 9 centimeters, spike-shaped.

2. Akalifa Godsef

The leaves are very bright green, this plant is a hybrid. In the sun, the flower takes on a crimson hue.

3. Hairy Akalifa

The homeland of this species is Polynesia, its peculiarity is that its height can reach up to 3.5 meters. Inflorescences reach up to 60 centimeters in length, they are spike-shaped and drooping. The color is either white or red.

4. Akalifa Vilkeza

Reaches up to 170 centimeters in height, Vilkeza is an evergreen shrub, the leaves of which are wide, elongated and have an interesting copper-turquoise tint with red spots.

Ornamental plant Foxtail: planting

Foxtail plant: photo

Planting Foxtail can be done in two ways, either by seeds or cuttings.

1. First way

This planting takes place in late March or early April. The cultivation technology is very simple, for this, a sowing mixture is used, mixed with sand in a ratio of 1: 1. When germinating seeds, the temperature should be at least 20 degrees. Germination is faster in the greenhouse due to the favorable temperature.

2. Second way

Planting by cuttings is carried out in mid-March, apical cuttings are used for such reproduction, they must be planted in a mixture that consists of peat and sand in a 1: 1 ratio. The best temperature is +25 degrees. In the greenhouse, the cuttings will develop better, but remember to ventilate and spray the plants.

What soil does foxtail grow in

The soil for the foxtail should be light and conduct water and air well, for this you can additionally loosen the ground.

Foxtail Care

Foxtail is a light-loving plant, therefore the planting site should be well lit, but the plant should be slightly shaded from the straight rays. Otherwise, the plant will lose its bright color. In the period from spring to autumn, akalifa needs abundant watering. In winter, the soil moisture should be maintained depending on the weather, so that the soil is not too dry. Spraying is one of the most important steps as the plant prefers high humidity.

Foxtail prefers warmth, but at a temperature of +20, the plant feels as good as possible.

We must not forget about feeding, for this, organic and mineral fertilizers are used. Top dressing is done from March to autumn; in winter, the plant is not fed.

Pinch the plant for a fuller akalifa, as they grow very quickly. In this process, some buds are removed from the upper shoots.

Foxtail pruning is needed to renew the plant and is carried out every year, preferably in February or March, before the growing season begins. In akalifa, all shoots are removed and only small stumps are left, about 45 centimeters, after pruning, the plant is sprayed and put on a plastic bag. Whenever working with foxtail, you must be extremely careful, since the juice of this plant is poisonous.

The Foxtail transplant, which is carried out every year, allows the plant to rejuvenate.

Problems in growing fox tail and their solution

1. Loss of leaf brightness, leaf pallor.

Foxtail leaves begin to fade in low light. To solve this problem, it is necessary to provide the plant with access to light. If initially the foxtail was planted in a dark place and grew there for a long time, then light training should be gradual.

2. Leaves become lethargic

Withering leaves appear either with excessive moisture or insufficient moisture. To solve this problem, you just need to edit the watering.

3. The appearance of wet spots on the leaves

Such spots appear only on certain plant varieties that have spots. These are just the characteristics of the varieties.

4. Dryness of the edges of the leaves and the appearance of a brown tint

This is due to the low humidity of the air, for this it is necessary to increase the frequency of spraying the plant.

5. The appearance of dark spots on the leaves

Dark spots appear in windy weather, draft.

Foxtail: photo of an ornamental plant