Columnae is a perennial epiphyte plant with bright colors. Homeland - tropics in the south of America. In an ordinary environment, a column grows on rotten tree trunks, in stone crevices, using them as a support, forming beautiful inflorescences. The stems are elastic, juicy, reaching 1-2 meters. The leaves are densely arranged, look like an oval or heart, sometimes oblong. Flowers come in different colors, resemble fish or butterflies.
In the house, it is effective in flower pots, hanging pots.
Kinds
In nature, this flower has approximately 200 species. Only a few of them are suitable for growing a house:
- Allen - has long thin shoots reaching seven meters. Scarlet flowers stand out in the lanceolate leaf.
- Banks is a small hanging vine with small light green leaves and yellow-orange six-centimeter flowers.
- Carnival - a vine covered with beautiful yellow buds with a red border, reminiscent of a carnival, and small dark green leaves. This variety bloom almost all year round.
- Krakatau - named as a volcano, as its flowers of a fiery hue erupt from dark green sharp leaves.
- Blood red - a semi-shrub variety with long thickened shoots and rough leaves of oblong shape. It differs by the presence of red spots on the back of the sheet. Blooms for a long time and abundantly in red buds.
- Sharp - a view for experienced gardeners, thick shoots lie or hang, leaves are small, sharp. The color is orange-red with yellow spots in the base.
- Nice - the stems are humbled by dark green oblong leaves and red-orange flowers.
- Shida or Sheydiana - a fleshy vine can reach 1.5 meters in length, on the stems and leaves a red pile characteristic of this variety. Across the dyne, in the axils of the leaves, there are numerous yellow flowers with reddish spots.
The photo shows some types of columnae.
Home Care
The homemade flower of the columnia is unpretentious, growing is not difficult, subject to several rules:
- Carefully choose a place, maintain a certain temperature, humidity and lighting, depending on the season;
- Correctly choose the composition of the soil, a pot;
- Fertilize;
- Observe the watering regime;
- Trim the bush in time.
Location in the house, lighting, temperature, humidity
Season | Location | Temperature | Lighting | Humidity |
Spring | A bright, warm place protected from direct sunlight. | + 18- + 22ºС. | Bright but scattered. | Daily spraying with warm water + 25- + 30ºС. |
Summer | Window oriented to the west or east. | + 20- + 27ºС. | On all sides, but not direct. | High humidity is required. It is good to place the plant near a home fountain or aquarium. Once a week, bathing in the shower. |
Fall (October-November) | Cool, no drafts. | During the day - + 16ºС, at night - + 8- + 12ºС | Bright, scattered. | Spraying once a week. |
Winter | South windows. | + 15ºС for a month or 50 days, then an increase in temperature. | Provide light for twelve hours by applying a plant lamp. | Spraying once a week. When flowering, try not to get on the flowers. |
Soil, planting capacity
Soil for the plant needs nutritious. Its composition:
- leaf humus - two parts;
- turf land - four parts;
- compost - one part (peat with vermiculite can be used for friability);
- small sawdust (charcoal), sphagnum moss - one part.
Ready-made substrates can also be used: ground for senpolia (epiphytes), soil for blooming.
The capacity is shallow, but wide, with good drainage. For example, a hanging basket or planter.
Fertilizer
Feeding is very important:
- In the spring-summer period - every two weeks with mineral fertilizer for flowering indoor plants, diluted with water;
- In autumn / winter - once a month is enough;
- At the end of winter - once a week.
Good to use: Kemira Suite, Bui Fertilizers, AVA, Fertika Suite.
Dilute the fertilizer by taking a half dose less than in the instructions.
Watering
The water you need to use filtered, as the content of lime in the flowing is destructive for colum. Temperature + 20- + 25ºС.
Watering is plentiful, but water must not be allowed to stand in the soil. To avoid this, you need to loosen the soil and let it dry.
Watering frequency: autumn / winter - careful; summer / spring - frequent.
Pruning
For rejuvenating plants, annual pruning is used, after a flowering period. Shoots are cut in half their length (you can slightly less). It is also necessary to constantly rid the plant of dried parts (flowers, leaves, shoots).
Transfer
Having bought a flower, two to three weeks after adaptation, it should be transplanted into nutrient soil. For this:
- Take the pot 2-3 cm more, put expanded clay or small stones for drainage at the bottom;
- The earth is poured stepping back from the edge one or two centimeters;
- The vines are cut to a length of about 15 centimeters, a little less (cut off shoots are used as propagating material);
- The flower is freed from the ground, the roots are washed with a stream of water at room temperature;
- The roots look, removing defective ones. Wounds smeared with green stuff;
- Holes are made at the edges of the container, stretching out the processes of vines through them, and they are covered with soil. In one pot it is good to plant two or three seedlings for the splendor of the bush;
- Watered.
Breeding
Indoor column can be propagated in two ways:
- cuttings;
- seeds.
Cuttings
Simple and convenient method. After pruning, the resulting shoots with two to three pairs of leaves are used as propagation material. The cuttings are rooted in water or nutritious peat. Seedlings are kept in a bright, room temperature place. Watered daily without waterlogging. To preserve moisture and heat, it is good to keep them under a glass cap. If new leaves appear, the plant is rooted, you can plant in a cache-pot.
Seed breeding
A difficult, rarely positive way. Used by experienced breeders. Seeds are planted in sandy-peaty soil, covered with a glass or plenichny shelter, put in a warm room with constant temperature and humidity, ventilated and watered. After a week or three, when shoots appear, the containers are placed in the light, but protected from direct sunlight. When several pairs of leaves grow, you need to transplant the seedlings into small pots.
Diseases, pests
With stagnant water on the root, shoots, gray rot may appear. It is urgent to remove the diseased areas, treat the sections with fungicide and transplant the plant. If the disease is started, healthy shoots are used as cuttings.
Pests of columnae can be aphids, scale insects, thrips, spider mites. To eliminate them, the flower is sprayed with insecticides.
Errors and their correction
Visible damage | Cause | Correction |
The appearance of yellow swirling leaves that fall off. | Dry air, insufficient moisture. | Maintain sufficient humidity at all times, place a humidifier nearby. |
Leaves turn yellow and fall. | Insufficient or too plentiful watering. | Water only with dry soil in a container. |
The formation of spots. | Cold water. | Moisten with water at least + 20ºС. |
Stripping stems. | Poor lighting. | Set in a bright place, illuminate with additional lamps in winter. |
The tops fade. | In the heat of dry soil. | Increase watering and hydration. |
Missing flowering. | During the formation of kidneys, the temperature is incorrect (+ 15ºС, not higher than + 18ºС). | At night, lower the temperature and limit watering. |
Flowers wither, crumble. | Contact with a large amount of moisture on the flowers. | Be careful. |