Description of Cordilina Fruicose kiwi, reproduction, planting and care at home
A tropical plant, Cordilina Fruicose kiwi is unpretentious in content. When favorable conditions are created, it grows for many years. It has many types for indoor cultivation. Retains its unusual color throughout the year. Rarely sick, tolerates drought well. Brings a tropical touch to the interior of the apartment.
General description and characteristics of the plant Cordilina kiwi
Cordilina kiwi belongs to the Agave genus. The tree is native to Australia, Hawaiian Islands, Southeast Asia. In its natural environment, kiwi reaches a height of 2-3 meters. Indoors it grows up to 1.5 meters.
Leaves
It has elongated narrow rounded edges, dense, juicy leaves, which gradually die off with the growth of the tree. It looks like a palm tree. On the sides, it gives new shoots, which are used for reproduction. The color is dark green, along the edges there is a rim of yellow or pink hue.
Flowers
The flowers are elongated tubular, white or pink in color, collected in clusters, forming large inflorescences. The flowers bloom gradually, one by one. Each flower remains open for 6-8 days. Then seeds begin to form, which mature for 5 months. The seeds are similar to berries, three nests are formed, each containing 5-16 seeds.
Roots
Cordilina kiwi has a strong root system, many shoots with shoots, they are easily separated from the mother plant and develop as independent ones. Bumps form on the roots.
Advantages and disadvantages of Cordilina kiwi
The tree has its advantages and disadvantages, let's take a closer look.
Advantages
Cordilina kiwi is unpretentious in care, even when grown at home. It tolerates high and low air humidity well, does not require frequent watering. The tree fills the home with tropical beauty. Keeps color all year round.
disadvantages
Kiwi has practically no drawbacks. The tree grows quickly and requires frequent replanting, feeding is also necessary. Practically does not get sick, however, pest treatment should be carried out as a preventive measure. It is hard to endure low temperatures and drafts, it can die because of this.
Varieties
Cordilina Frutikoza develops rapidly in nature, grows and takes the form of a palm tree.At home, it practically does not bloom. It is valued as a small indoor non-flowering plant.
In a pot, a tree grows more slowly, in such conditions the leaves are located until immersion in the soil. Cordilina kiwi is a heat-loving plant, for which it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of at least 20 ° C.
Kiwi has many varietal and garden species. The most famous of them differ in leaf color:
- Tricolor. The sheets are painted with stripes of different colors yellow, dark red, pink.
- Red Age. It has narrow green leaves, light beige in the middle, pink stripes along the edges.
- August. The dark green leaves are covered with bright red stripes.
- Kiwi. The leaves are green, along the edges there is a pink border, yellow stripes are located throughout the leaf.
- Snow. Dark green, large leaves with white spots.
- Lord Roberts. The leaves are green, elongated, along the edges there is a pink rim, along the entire leaf there are white stripes.
- Purple copy of the copy. The plant is small in size, with a dense cap at the top of the trunk, purple leaves.
- Ginga. Long, elongated, reddish-brown leaves.
- Casanova. A large plant with long leaves of brown-purple color, leaves with wavy edges.
- Shrub cordilina. A low tree, up to half a meter high. The leaves are green, has varieties with yellow and pink stripes on the leaves.
Growing features
Cordilina kiwi does not require increased attention to itself, is unpretentious in care, easily tolerates low air humidity. They will retain their color throughout the year.
How to choose a healthy plant
To choose a healthy kiwi cordilina, it is best to buy a young plant. The leaves should be dense, juicy, elongated, straight. If a plant comes across during the flowering period, then it is better to choose it. Their color should be characteristically bright, this indicates the good health of the tree.
Soil preparation
As soil, you can use ready-made soil for palm trees, which is sold in specialized stores. You can also cook it yourself. For this you will need:
- turf - 3 parts;
- sand - 1 part;
- peat - 1 part;
- moss - for improved drainage.
Planting process
For Cordilina kiwi, choose a pot made of ceramics or plastic so that all the roots of the plant can fit in it and there is little space left. There should be holes at the bottom to drain excess water. A pallet is purchased for the pot. Expanded clay, river sand or pebbles are placed on the bottom of the pot, then part of the soil mixture is poured. It is watered with lukewarm water. The plant is transferred to the ground, sprinkled with the remains of the soil mixture and watered.
The intricacies of kiwi care
Cordilina kiwi, like other plants, requires the creation of optimal conditions for existence. The plant is unpretentious, however, you need to take into account the illumination of the room, temperature, air humidity, watering regime, transplantation, fertilizers.
Lighting
The plant prefers long-term illumination of at least 6-8 hours a day. At home, the tree is placed on a windowsill or stand next to a window on the south side. The more light a kiwi receives, the brighter the color. With a lack of light, Cordilina stretches.
Temperature
It is a heat-loving plant. The optimum temperature is kept in the range of 18-23 ° C. In late spring and early summer, the houseplant can be taken out on the balcony or veranda, but only for the day.
At the slightest drop in temperature, the tree will die. It is difficult to tolerate low temperatures and drafts. When airing the room, it is recommended to rearrange Cordilin from the window or move it to another room.
About air humidity
At high humidity, the plant develops well. Dry air is also easily tolerated, but it is required to spray the tree with water.It is not recommended to place kiwi near the battery during the heating season.
Watering rules
At high temperatures, prolonged heat, Cordilina is watered with plain water, preferably prepared in advance. During this period, it is watered every day or every other day. Check the level of dryness of the soil, if the soil dries quickly, then there is not enough water. At the optimum temperature, watering is reduced to 2-3 times a week.
Important! It is necessary to monitor the overflow of Cordilina, when overflowing, the roots begin to rot, the immunity of the plant decreases, there is a risk of developing diseases.
Top dressing
Kiwi is fertilized all year round, using special top dressing for palm trees. They are sold in any shop for gardeners and gardeners. Each package contains detailed instructions for use. It is preferable to use liquid fertilizers. They are better absorbed by the root system. Top dressing is carried out every week in summer and spring, in the cold season, 2 times a month.
When to transplant
Cordilina grows quite quickly, so young trees require replanting every year. Older individuals are transplanted every 4 years. If roots are visible above the pot, this is a signal that it's time to pick up a larger container.
Protection against diseases and pests
Cordilina kiwi is affected by several diseases and pests. The most common are: scale insects, thrips, aphids.
Shields
Brown spots appear on the leaves. They lose juice, become soft, sink, lose color, fall off. To combat them, the tree is treated with soapy water. Then spraying with Actellik solution is carried out. The instructions for the drug are indicated on the package.
Thrips
At high temperatures and dry air, thrips develops. Colonies form on the upper side of the leaf, covering it with a gray-brown film that creates shine. To combat the pest, they are sprayed with insecticidal preparations: fitover, Actellik, Inta-vir.
Aphid
Aphids are small gnawing insects that feed on the leaves of Cordilina. They affect its lower part, as a result of which the leaves begin to dry, lose color, curl, turn yellow, fall off, dry. To combat aphids, use: Decis, Inta-vir, Aktellik.
Reproduction methods
Reproduction of Cordilina kiwi is carried out in three ways: cuttings, seeds, rhizome areas. Each of the methods has its own characteristics.
By cuttings
For cuttings, shoots are used that are located on the trunk of the mother tree. Apical and middle shoots are suitable. They are transplanted when the base of the appendix begins to acquire its own bark. Before planting, the cuttings on kiwi are moistened and sprayed, when the roots protrude, they are ready to be transferred to the soil, consisting of: peat, sand, humus. This process takes about a month.
Seeds
Seeds are sown in the springtime in the soil for palm plants, bought in the store or prepared on their own. Seedlings appear after a month and continue to appear for another 2 months.
Important! This propagation method is suitable for the original tree forms; varietal species propagate only vegetatively.
Division of the root system
Areas of the overgrown rhizome are separated from the mother plant. Transferred to soil consisting of: peat, humus, sand. Later transplanted into a mixture of conventional composition. The procedure is carried out in the spring.
Care errors
When caring for Cordilina kiwi, mistakes are often encountered, which manifest themselves as follows:
- the tips of the leaves turn brown - too low humidity, exposure to drafts, little water;
- dark brown spots - insufficient watering;
- parts of the tree curl, become soft, the rim turns brown - the plant freezes;
- yellow leaves - lack of trace elements in the soil;
- yellowing of the lower leaves is a normal process of tree maturation;
- light spots, dry - sunburn.
