Ivy

Ivy description

This interesting houseplant is very fond of flower growers. It is also called hedera or indoor ivy. Designers often use this flower to decorate rooms. It has very beautiful hanging shoots, interesting loops are formed on the stems, the leaves have a decorative dark green appearance. That is why ivy is often used to decorate a room. This plant goes well with other decorative indoor flowers. However, even alone, this culture looks more than attractive. Ivy is considered unpretentious, so not only a professional, but also an amateur can grow it. Florists have great respect for this "flower", because it is very often included in decorative compositions.

Ivy growing and care

As we noted earlier, this plant is considered unpretentious, ivy is a fairly shade-tolerant shrub. That is why it is quite possible to put it not only on the window, but also, for example, on a desk, away from the light. This graceful plant can also be placed in the back of the room. However, this does not mean that ivy does not need light at all, because after all, the plant needs to photosynthesize, therefore, it is not recommended to place this flower in deep, pitch darkness. There he will be uncomfortable. You can place the pot with this houseplant on the windowsill, in a different lit place. However, make sure that foliage and shoots are not exposed to direct sunlight. Ivy is somewhat conservative, so you should not rearrange it around the room either. It is best to choose the right place for him once, where the plant will grow and develop, since this flower does not tolerate travel. If we talk about the temperature regime, then this culture here also adapts well to the surrounding conditions. However, there should be no heat in the room. Dry air is also contraindicated for this plant. If we talk about the optimal temperature, then this culture for growth and development needs about + 20-25 degrees. This plant is not bad in the summer and develops on the street. However, indoor ivy does not like drafts. Therefore, pay close attention to this condition. If you have a choice, then it is best to place this plant on the western windowsill, a gazebo or balcony is also suitable for this. But in winter, the air temperature in the room should be lower. It is believed that during this period ivy feels fine if the room is about + 12 - 14 degrees, unfortunately, a person will freeze at this air temperature. Therefore, in order to make both the plant and you comfortable in winter, spray this culture with water more often, and also do not forget to change the trays with broken bricks and pebbles filled with water in advance. Moisture evaporation favorably affects the development of culture, humid air helps the bushes to overwinter. As you understand, ivy loves water quite a lot. In the summer, the soil will need to be moistened quite often, but in winter it is advisable to adjust the irrigation regime. If the culture will winter in a cool room, then you should water it even less often. It is recommended to moisten the soil when the top layer of the earth dries up. But the water itself for irrigation must necessarily remain warm; it is not recommended to use hard water to moisten the soil. It is advisable to defend the water before moistening the soil, bathing and spraying are also very popular with this culture. If we talk about dressing, then it is best to use complex mineral fertilizers. You can buy them in any garden center, agricultural store.Choose fertilizers designed for ornamental foliage crops. It is recommended to apply top dressing to the soil no more than twice every 6-7 days. However, it is recommended to fertilize the soil from spring to late autumn. But do not overdo it, if you abuse the application of fertilizers, then the leaves of this culture will be very large, which means that the decorative effect of the plant will be lost, because ivy is valued precisely for its graceful small foliage, it is recommended to transplant mature bushes once every 2 years. If we talk about young seedlings, then you can do this more often. It is best to replant plants, of course, in the spring.

Ivy breeding

Houseplants propagate, as a rule, by cuttings. And this is very easy to do. You can separate the cuttings from the mother bush at any time of the year, for example, in summer or spring. In order to grow a new bush, you will need to separate the stalk from the plant. Make sure that there are several leaves on each branch. The cuttings are then placed in a container with moistened soil. The soil can be versatile. In order for ivy to grow most actively, you can plant several shoots in one pot at once. Thus, this plant will be more lush and bushy. If you want to grow special trees, then you can graft an ivy shoot to another culture, but you will need to follow the rules of agricultural technology, because not all plants can be grafted with this cutting.

Pests

It is believed that ivy has a fairly high immunity. However, pests often settle on this beautiful foliage. On your indoor flowers, you can see scale insects, red spider mites. If you find these insects on your "handsome", then immediately treat the plants with insecticides, which can be bought at any garden center or agricultural store. If you do not do this, then the foliage may deform, turn yellow, and in the future the plants may even die. Therefore, do not let everything take its course, conduct inspections and preventive treatments on time.

Conclusion

In order to grow lush and beautiful indoor ivy, you will need to follow the rules of agricultural technology. However, many growers face some difficulties while growing these flowers. For example, very often the leaves of these plants turn yellow. If you are faced with this unfavorable phenomenon, then you may need to adjust the watering regime, most likely, you simply flooded the plant, and yellow foliage often signals an excess of fertilizers in the soil. If, on the contrary, the foliage has become too green, then this indicates a lack of light or an overabundance of it. If you notice brown dots on the tips of the foliage, then this most often tells us that the air in the room is too dry, and perhaps your ivy does not have enough moisture. At high air temperatures in the room, foliage also often begins to turn yellow. Keep a close eye on your indoor plants. They usually tell us what exactly they are missing. Follow our recommendations and grow lush and luxurious indoor flowers.