Scindapsus

The Aroid family includes more than twenty different species of lianas, which can be found naturally in the tropics of Southeast Asia. For a long time, confusion has formed and some growers perceive the epipremnum plant as a type of scindapsus, and since the care of these plants is practically no different, we will call both of these plants "scindapsus" in the article.

Scindapsus is a genus of unpretentious plants that are very popular among flower growers due to their decorative qualities. Scindapsus is mainly grown as an ampelous plant, because with good care it can grow up to five meters in length. When growing a liana at home, flowering can be observed extremely rarely (almost never), so it is an ornamental deciduous plant.

Scindapsus: description of the indoor flower and characteristics

Scindapsus: photo of an indoor flower

If, under indoor growing conditions, scindapsus is an ornamental deciduous ampelous plant, then under natural conditions it is a rather powerful semi-epiphytic liana, which can reach much larger sizes and twine around tree trunks to a height of more than fifteen meters. Like one of the most famous "relatives" of the monstera scindapsus, it has not only underground roots of the fibrous type, but also airy ones, thanks to which the plant quickly spreads throughout the territory and takes root easily. In some countries, scindapsus has spread so much that they are fighting with this plant, exterminating it as a parasite that disrupts the ecological balance in this region.

With indoor growing of scindapsus, the seizure of the territory is not to be feared. Depending on the location of the flower pot, the vine will either hang down or rise up along the support. The leaves of the plant are oval in shape, their size, as a rule, does not exceed 10 cm, the surface is glossy, the color may vary depending on the type of plant. If you are lucky enough to observe flowering of scindapsus, which is extremely rare, then you will see a very small inflorescence, resembling an ear, wrapped in a stipule. Flowering is not striking in its decorative effect, therefore, flower growers are quite satisfied with the beautiful appearance of the leaves, combined with the ease of caring for the plant.

Sometimes you can come across superstitions regarding certain plants, for example, scindapsus is popularly called "muzhegon". That is, some flower growers sincerely believe that with the appearance of this vine in the apartment, the husband will leave after a while ... On what this sign is based and how much it corresponds to reality is up to you. But keep in mind that there is always exactly the opposite view of any subject: the eastern sages say that the scindapsus in the house can increase your efficiency by absorbing laziness, improve the atmosphere and contribute to psychological relief, and also help to find inspiration. And, in my opinion, in this case, believing the Eastern sages is much more pleasant than constantly waiting for trouble, according to popular superstitions.

Scindapsus: home care and cultivation

Scindapsus: home care video

Air temperature. The most comfortable scindapsus feels at a temperature of + 22 degrees (allowed from +20 to +25). There are no clear recommendations for a cool wintering, but if possible, the temperature is lowered by several degrees (but not lower than +14).

Lighting. Scindapsus is considered shade-loving, but this does not mean at all that it can be placed in the least lit place (in this case, the scindapsus can shed most of the foliage). If you grow a variegated variety, then it must be placed closer to the light source, species with monochromatic leaves can be located at a distance of two meters from the window. If you put a flowerpot on a windowsill or next to a window, remember that the light must be diffused, direct sunlight will do more harm than good to the plant.

Humidity of the environment... Liana scindapsus will feel more comfortable with high humidity, but there will be no problems with normal air humidity. There is no need to install a household air humidifier, it is enough to periodically spray the plant from a spray bottle and once a week wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust from their surface. In the summertime, you can sometimes arrange a warm shower for the scindapsus by placing the plant in the bathtub. And in winter, you should move it away from heating devices, which greatly dry the air.

Watering mode. Regardless of the time of year, it is not necessary to water the scindapsus very often and not very abundantly. Check the soil: if the soil is about a third of the pot dry, then it's time to water the plant. Abuse of watering always leads to negative results, and in the case of scindapsus, when waterlogged, the roots of the plant are guaranteed to begin to rot.

Fertilizers. In order to feed the scindapsus, a liquid fertilizer for decorative deciduous plants is suitable, but it is recommended to use only half of the recommended dosage. Starting from spring to mid-autumn, feeding is recommended every three to four weeks, but from November to February, it will be enough to carry out 2-3 feeding.

Pruning a plant. As a rule, the scindapsus grows annually by about 40 cm, so from time to time the plant needs formative pruning so that the appearance does not lose its decorative effect. The cut parts of the plant can be rooted using cuttings. In addition to pruning, you can use the pinching technique, thanks to which the bush will be more branched.

In addition to radical measures for the formation of a scindapsus bush, you can use various supports and supports along which it will rise or fall.

Scindapsus: indoor flower propagation

Scindapsus: video on how to propagate an indoor flower

The most common way to propagate scindapsus in this case is rooting cuttings (preferably apical, but this is not essential). Theoretically, scindapsus can also be propagated by layering or by dividing the stem, but since the cuttings root quickly and without problems, growers do not use other methods of propagation.

When harvesting cuttings, they must be cut immediately under the knot (the place where the leaf grows), there should be 2-4 leaves on the cutting, the temperature in the room should not fall below +22 degrees, and it is also necessary to maintain high humidity and rather bright, but scattered lighting. You can root cuttings in water or in moist soil. If you prefer the first option, then you should add an activated charcoal tablet to the water, this will help the water stay cleaner for longer. As soon as the water becomes cloudy, it must be replaced immediately. The roots appear within two weeks, and once they have grown a little, the plant can be planted in a flower pot.

Or, you can initially root the cuttings in soil or in a mixture of sand and sphagnum, deepening them by 2-3 cm and covering them with a jar or a cut plastic bottle on top to create a greenhouse. It will take 2-3 weeks for the roots to appear, during which it is necessary to keep the soil moist and raise the shelter daily for ventilation.With the appearance of the first young leaf, it can be considered that rooting has taken place.

Rooting cuttings of scindapsus can be carried out at any time of the year, but the best solution would be to combine this process with pruning and plant formation, so you will do two things at once.

Scindapsus: transplant

Scindapsus: photo of an indoor flower

For the first three to four years, Scindapsus should be replanted every spring (or at the end of February), increasing the size of the flowerpot as the plant grows. Then it will be enough to replant it every three years, renewing the soil and increasing the flower pot as necessary.

When choosing a container for a plant, it is recommended to give preference to low but wide flower pots. By "adding" rooted cuttings to the main plant, you can give the scindapsus a more effective appearance.

When transplanting scindapsus, it is important not to forget that there must be a drainage hole in the bottom of the flower pot, and it is imperative to place a layer of expanded clay or small pebbles in the pot. Also, a small amount of fine or specially crushed expanded clay can be added to the soil mixture to give it the best looseness and moisture permeability. The composition of the soil should include coarse sand, peat, leafy soil and humus in equal proportions

Diseases and pests

Indoor plant scindapsus: photo

We talked a lot about the fact that this vine is unpretentious and undemanding to care for, another advantage of this plant is that it has high immunity and is extremely rarely affected by harmful insects. However, if there is an infected plant in the room, then after a while you will be able to find a spider mite, or aphids, or thrips and scale insects on the scindapsus. It is clear that moving a two-meter vine to another quarantine room will be more difficult than a small violet, but this will need to be done immediately. Then you should pick up an insecticide (for example, "Actellik") and carry out 3-4 treatments with a difference per week. You can return the plant to its original place only after you are completely confident in the destruction of parasites.

If you find a fungal infection or a viral disease on the scindapsus, then there are two options for the development of events.

• You can try to cure scindapsus by choosing a suitable fungicide, treating the plant and replanting it not only in fresh soil, but also in a new flower pot.
• You can cut off the cuttings with unaffected plant parts, root them and plant them in a new flower pot. The previous container can only be used after high-quality disinfection.

The rest of the problems and negative changes in the appearance of the scindapsus are due to the fact that you take care of it incorrectly or irregularly.

• Variegated plant varieties sometimes lose their decorative effect, their leaves become monochromatic and small. This is due to the fact that the scindapsus does not have enough light. If the size of the leaves does not change, and the color becomes lighter and spots appear, then the reason, on the contrary, is an excess of light and direct sunlight, which leave burns on the surface of the leaf plates.
• Leaves turn yellow and lose their elasticity when there is a lack of nutrition. Remember how long ago you fertilized the plant? Perhaps it's time to feed.
• The tips of the leaves begin to dry when the air humidity is too low. This is an infrequent phenomenon, usually drying out of leaves occurs in winter, if the plant is located next to a radiator, which makes the air too dry and hot.
• Leaf shedding can occur for several reasons: lack of nutrients, lack of light, and severe draft.
• The appearance of rot on a plant is always associated with excessive watering and low air temperatures. In this case, transplantation and treatment with a fungicide will be required, and then it is necessary to take care of the scindapsus so as not to face such a problem again.

Varieties

The most popular species can be considered scipapsus aureus (or "golden"), which is very fond of flower growers. The branches of the plant crawling along the wall or on the support can reach two meters, the leaves, thanks to the "splashes" of yellow on the bright green surface, look more impressive. Among the most common are three plant varieties:

• Marble queen with its almost white leaves.

• Golden queen with yellow leaves and green spots.

• Tricolor with streaks of creamy color, light green and deep dark green.

Slightly less popular, but no less decorative, is the scindapsus pictus (or "painted"). On the green surface of the foliage, depending on the variety, you can observe silvery spots, streaks or brush strokes. In some plants, these are small spots of regular shape, while in others, like in Exotic, they are long strokes and large spots with uneven edges.

In addition to these varieties, in the collections of florists you can find "Siamese", "Forest" and "Feathery" scindapsus, which are also unpretentious and no less beautiful.