My sister grows unusual plant. I asked what it was called, she answered: common ivy. It turns out that this culture has healing properties: it disinfects the air and saturates it with valuable substances.
Ivy, the photo of which you see, has long been used in folk medicine. In this article, we'll show you how to take care of medicinal plant at home.
A distinctive feature of ivy is a climbing stem covered with bristles. The leaves of this plant are dark green with light veins, the flowers are yellowish, collected in small inflorescences. I must say right away that ivy grown at home does not bloom. But it's still worth growing!
As we have already said, a miniature shrub has healing properties, it disinfects the air. The plant extract is added to medications and skin care products. Wood contains components that have an analgesic effect.
The plant eliminates spasms, relieves pain. It is added to medicines for the treatment of bronchitis. Leaves have antitumor and antibacterial effects. Thanks to its unique composition, ivy breaks down fats and improves skin turgor.
Cosmetics with an extract of this plant are always in demand. Using ivy in medicinal purposes, you need to be careful, as it is poisonous. It is worth remembering that the fruits are unsuitable for food.
How to care for ivy at home?
The advantage of a houseplant is that it does not impose high requirements on the conditions of detention. Ivy ordinary does not need to be highlighted, as it is shade-tolerant.
You can place it on a windowsill or even in a corner. However, if you are growing a variegated variety, create favorable lighting. If you place a variegated variety in the shade, the leaves will become monophonic, the plant will lose its zest.
I recommend adding water if needed. Do not overwater the roots, otherwise they will rot! I recommend spraying the plant. If it receives insufficient moisture, the leaves darken at the edges, after which they dry and fall off.
In the summer it is necessary to water the shrub more often. In order for it to grow well at home, the air temperature should be within + 23 degrees.
In winter, you can keep the plant on the veranda at a temperature of + 15 degrees. I do not advise placing shrubs near heating appliances, leafing can become faded, unattractive.
For watering and spraying, use soft settled water. In order for home ivy to endure the winter well, it is necessary to place the pot on a tray with wet expanded clay.
If the room is too stuffy, spray the plant with a spray bottle. I recommend fertilizing from early spring to late summer. Use complex formulations designed for house plants. However, don't overdo it!
An excess of nutrients is more harmful than a deficiency and can lead to the death of the plant. At the ivy that received a large number of fertilizer, the leaves increase.
Transplanting a mini shrub
Any indoor plant does not tolerate picking. I advise you to transplant ivy when a few roots break through the soil. Shrubs that have ceased to develop also require a pick. I repot ivy once every 14 months. When picking, change the soil mixture to a new one.
In order for the plant to take root at home, make a substrate from humus, peat, sand and sheet soil. I recommend transplanting ivy during the dormant period: in early March or late April.
The new container should be 3-4 cm larger than the previous one. Don't forget to put drainage on the bottom! Before transplanting ivy, moisten the substrate abundantly.
Pick carefully, try not to touch the roots. The plant should be transplanted with an earthen ball. After that, pour it over, add water from the spray bottle. Place your home culture where there are no drafts. It is shade tolerant, but does not tolerate direct sunlight.
Reproduction methods
you can use apical cuttings. Cut off the tips of branches 8 - 10 cm in size, prepare a soil mixture of sand and sheet soil, mixed in equal proportions. Place the cuttings in the substrate, cover in plastic wrap(you can use a jar instead). Cuttings favorably develop at air temperatures from + 16 to + 21 degrees.
The soil mixture should always be moist, but not wet. Cuttings with aerial roots take root well. It is recommended to plant them in boxes of several pieces. If you wish, place planting material in water. Ivy plant can be propagated by shoots.
This method allows you to grow several plants from one. It is necessary to cut off the shoot, which has 7-9 leaves, and then cut it along.
Planting material must be laid on the sand, the hole should be located at the bottom. Press the shoot down 2 cm. When it starts to sprout, moisten the soil substrate every day. After 2 weeks, the planting material will take root.
You will need to remove it, divide it into 3 parts and transplant it into a spacious pot.
Diseases, pests
Ivy is resistant to diseases, but they occur when improper care. Excess moisture leads to the fact that the roots begin to rot. If the variegated variety lacks sunlight, the leaves darken and lose their attractiveness. In some cases they dry out.
Culture can be attacked:
- scab;
- spider mite.
To ensure the prevention of pests, you need to spray not only the plant, but also the air around it. If indoor ivy is already sick, insecticides should be used. The most popular drug is Actellik.
“Where does this unusual culture come from?” - you ask. In the wild, it grows in the forests and forest-steppes of Russia. Home care is easy, the main thing is to moderately add water and fight pests that attack when increased dryness air.
One of the most popular among flower growers-lovers of plants is indoor ivy. This spectacular flower has a variety of shapes and types. He received the popular names "loach" and "serpentine" because of his ability to wrap around nearby supports. If the ropes are pulled indoors, then the plant can braid not only the wall, but also the ceiling. Breeders have bred more than a hundred types of home ivy
plant description
You can propagate the flower by layering. In this case, on long shoots, cuts are made from below and fastened to the ground with brackets. After rooting, young plants are separated and transplanted.
There is also a third way - propagation by shoots. Cut shoots with several leaves are laid out on the sand. Then the stem is pressed into it, leaving the foliage outside. After 10 days, underground roots appear on the stem. Shoots are taken out of the sand and divided into several cuttings. Each of them should have roots and 1 leaf.
How to properly care
Care indoor ivy at home is quite simple. It is only necessary to provide the flower with suitable conditions for it.
Factors affecting plant growth and health:
- watering;
- lighting;
- top dressing;
- humidity;
- topping;
- temperature regime.
In summer, ivy is watered abundantly 2 times a week, bathed under a warm shower and irrigated. clean water. It is not worth pouring the flower too much, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow from an excess of moisture. In winter, one watering per week is enough, especially if the room temperature is cool.
In no case should direct sunlight fall on the leaves so that they do not burn. Indoor ivy loves light, but can also thrive in light shade. The only thing he painfully endures is change. permanent place. It is better to initially determine where the flower will stand.
Top dressing is carried out every 2 weeks during the spring-autumn period. For this purpose, ordinary complex-mineral fertilizers for ornamental and deciduous plants are suitable. Sometimes flower growers feed ivy with mullein, but this often makes the leaves large, and ivy loses its decorative appeal.
In a room where ivy grows, there should always be moist air. You can additionally spray the plant from a spray bottle. In summer it is done more often than in winter time. If the room is hot in winter, then irrigation will not hurt. It is recommended to bathe the flower in the shower from time to time.
Gymnocalycium cactus propagation and care at home
Periodically, you need to pinch the tips of the ivy stems. This procedure promotes the growth of new side shoots. The cut tops serve as cuttings when propagating the flower. On variegated plants, green shoots must be cut off.
Comfortable summer temperature for ivy is + 22−25 °C. In the warm season, the flower can be placed on an open balcony or terrace. The western wall is more suitable for this, so that the place is a little shaded. In winter, the best temperature is in the range of 15-18°C. The plant loves fresh air and is not afraid of drafts, so the room can often be ventilated.
Ivy transplant
The primary transplant must be done after the purchase of the plant, but not immediately. You need to wait about a week for it to get used to the new conditions. The substrate is carefully removed from the pot so as not to damage the roots, and the flower is planted in a wide pot with a drainage cushion. Young plants are transplanted every year, and those who are 3 and 4 years old - once every 2 years.
Flowers older than five years are not transplanted. They just take off the top old layer soil and fall asleep new.
The scientific name of indoor ivy is chedera, and among the people it is simply called loach. Loach, a plant from the Araliaceae family, is a shrub with many leaves. It got its popular name due to the fact that its adventitious roots cling to and wrap around any supports that are nearby.
On one plant there are leaves of two types, depending on the branches on which they grow: flowering branches with light green and whole leaves that have an oblong shape, non-flowering branches with dark green leaves of an angular-lobed shape.
Ivy has flowers that are collected in brushes on the upper branches: the corolla consists of 5 petals, the stamens are also 5, the calyx consists of 5 teeth, the pistil has a short column with a fleshy disc at the base. The loach also bears fruits: yellow or black berries with seeds.
Hedera has many varieties. The most famous of them is ivy, his distinguishing feature- These are thick roots that cling to props. But there are other equally interesting varieties. Variety " Elsie Kessler»has light green leaves with light veins.
Grade "Glacier" distinguished by silvery spots on the leaves and such a border around the edges. Leaves of the variety Ivalace» darken over time and turn slightly upwards. Variety " Gold Child"has leaves with a yellowish border that turns white over time.
Should I grow it at home?
Of course, indoor ivy is worth growing at home, because it has many useful properties:
- Hedera has an anti-inflammatory effect, so it helps with various inflammatory infections.
- Fruits are used in order to reduce pressure and improve well-being.
- You can make infusions from the leaves that help treat coughs and joint pains.
- Infusions from the roots help with burns, the presence of boils and scabies.
- Hedera is one of the ingredients in a decoction for bladder stone problems.
- In addition, the loach purifies the air of harmful chemical constituents (benzene, xylene).
Ivy care at home
- Location. Indoor ivy is a shade-loving plant, but in metered amounts. It is better to put it in a place where there is no direct sunlight, but where it will still be sufficiently lit. It is worth remembering that the header does not tolerate location changes, so it is better to immediately select for it appropriate place and don't change it.
- Humidity should be high because the loach feels good in a more humid room. If the room is quite warm, then it should be sprayed from time to time and even if possible, washed under water.
- Temperature regime. Ivy loves cool temperatures, which can reach 16°C at night in summer and 12°C in winter. In summer, you can keep a hedera outdoors, placing it so that it feels the air from the street.
- Lighting. For the maintenance of the loach, it is important that it has enough natural and artificial light. Therefore, it is better that the room with it has diffused lighting or partial shade, then it will feel quite comfortable and will not grow slowly.
- Watering. Since ivy loves high humidity, it needs to be watered abundantly in summer to maintain sufficient moisture content in the soil. In winter, care must be taken to ensure that the soil does not dry out, but is not too damp, so at this time of the year the hedera is watered less.
- How to choose soil? When choosing a soil, first of all, it is necessary to take into account the acidity of the soil, because different plants need a different acidic environment. Indoor ivy grows best on slightly acidic soils, the pH of which is 5.5-6.5. The soil that will provide the chedere best growth, has the following composition: leafy earth, humus, sod, peat and sand - all these elements should be in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1: 1.
- Top dressing and fertilizer. Feed and fertilize ivy different times needed differently. In winter, top dressing should be done once a month. complex fertilizer for decorative and deciduous plants. In spring, summer and autumn, hedera should be fertilized every 2 weeks, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers.
- Diseases and pests. Indoor ivy is not so easy to bring to a diseased state, because it is quite resistant to negative influence. If you are a competent grower, then the hedera will be healthy throughout the entire growth period. If you are new to this business, then you should know and take into account how negative conditions for breeding a loach can affect its health:
- If your ivy is a variegated variety, then low lighting will negatively affect it: the decorative shade of the flowers begins to fade, and they soon die.
- If the hedera is kept in a room with low air humidity and not given enough moisture during watering, then the leaves begin to weaken and fall off.
- If you overdo it with watering or fertilizing with fertilizers, then the leaves turn yellow and also die over time.
Also, indoor ivy can also suffer from the appearance of pests if you do not periodically carry out a proper inspection. The following pests can attack the heder:
- Red spider mite bites into the stem and spreads rapidly, destroying ivy, thanks to active reproduction.
- Mealybug infects the leaves, releasing fluid that adheres to them and spreading a fungus that pollutes the plant. The worms also try with the juices of the shoots and leaves, thereby inhibiting the growth of the loach.
- greenhouse thrips activated in especially hot weather if the ivy does not receive the right amount of moisture. It harms the leaves, infecting them and causing rapid yellowing and dropping.
- Aphids, like mealybug feed on plant sap, infect leaves and shoots. Especially dangerous are winged aphids, which can fly from one ivy to another.
- Thyroid, and more specifically, their young larvae, stick to the loach, which is why such a white coating, in fact, these are densely attached thyroid glands. The harm of this insect lies in the fact that because of it the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
To treat ivy from harmful effects, the following is usually done:
- Use of preparations Aktellik, Karbofos and Aktara. Two milliliters of one of the drugs must be dissolved in a liter of water and watered and sprayed with this solution.
- Re-treatment should be carried out every three days until the prepared solution runs out.
- If the stage of the hedera disease is running, then a deeper treatment should be carried out. It consists in washing the part of the plant that is not in the ground with an insecticidal solution.
Transplantation should be carried out in order to improve the nutrient medium of the soil in which indoor ivy grows. Signs you need a transplant:
- Roots begin to grow through the holes in the drainage, which slows down growth.
- Loach leaves begin to wither, and no growth is observed.
Young ivy should be transplanted every year. If the plant is aged 3 to 5 years, then it only replaces the old soil with a new one.
Hedera transplantation takes place in several stages:
- Abundant watering of the whole plant to moisten and soften the earthy coma.
- Drainage is laid out in the prepared pot at the bottom for access of the roots to air and free leakage of moisture.
- Direct transplantation of ivy from one pot to another. Here it is important to ensure that the root neck is neither deep in the ground nor on the surface.
- Next, you need to press the ground with your fingers, leaving the edges for watering.
- Watering and spraying the plant.
Pruning. If there are bare shoots on the ivy, then they need to be cut off completely, leaving a couple of buds. After pruning, new shoots will grow in this place, and several pieces in one place of the cut. Also, do not forget about pruning those shoots that look weak and unhealthy, they need to be cut off without leaving buds.
reproduction
Reproduction of indoor ivy is carried out in several possible ways:
- Reproduction by layering. Part of the lashes-shoots are buried in the ground next to the main plant, making cuts from their underside, and fixed in an arched shape. After the roots appear at the layering, they are separated from the main plant and planted in another pot.
- Propagation by cuttings. In this way, ivy with aerial roots reproduces better. Cuttings are cut from the top of the hedera and planted in a pot of 3 pieces. Further, they are covered with a film to support desired level humidity. In this state, they must stay for some time, after which the film is removed.
- Reproduction by shoots. A shoot with 10 leaves should be placed on the sand and pressed in so that only the leaves remain on the surface. After 10 days, roots form on the stem near the buds, located below the ground level. Then the shoot must be removed and cut so that one leaf and the root system are preserved on it. After that, it is quite possible to land a loach on the street. Under such conditions, it will quickly take root on the soil. It is important to remember that the cuttings must be treated with powder, which will contain root hormones. With such a sequence of actions, the only possible drawback of the header will be the low speed of its rooting.
Answers to frequently asked questions
- How to water ivy? In the warm season, it is necessary to water it at intervals of 2-3 times a week. In no case should the soil be allowed to dry out too much, as this negatively affects the growth of the hedera.
- A couple of tricks that can help the grower when propagating ivy. If you transplanted it and after 7-10 days no new shoots appeared on it, it may not have enough minerals and fertilizers for productive growth. In this case, it makes sense to change the land, which will be more rich beneficial substances. The size of the segment of the plant, from which the new one will then appear, should vary from 10 to 20 cm. Thanks to this, the hedera root system will receive an acceptable amount of micronutrients, which will allow the buds to bloom and give the loach a new life.
In general, ivy is very unpretentious plant that do not require excessive maintenance. For its successful growth and development, it is necessary to provide an optimal level of top dressing, heat and humidity, with the help of which the chedera will grow. Vyun is quite suitable for use in order to decorate a particular room due to its appearance, making him related to the liana.
— bindweed. So he was christened for the ability to braid the walls with long tenacious shoots.
Ivy has more than 30 species. One of the most common is hedera helix(lat. Hedera heliks) or curly ivy.
If you decide to start indoor ivy, caring for it at home is not difficult. Hedera helix is enough unpretentious.
It multiplies rapidly, wrapping itself around walls and ceilings with a living green mass, clinging to any support due to microsuction cups (aerial roots) on the shoots.
This species has a large number of varieties, all of which differ in the shape and color of foliage: Hedera helix Harald - ivy with round leaves, Hedera helix sagittaefolia - the leaves of this species resemble stars in shape, Hedera helix Jubilee (anniversary) - with a variegated color of the leaves.
Post-Purchase Care
Ivy rarely goes on sale from domestic nurseries, it is mainly purchased in Holland, transported in a special substrate that does not absorb water. That is why after buying a flower needs a transplant.
It is necessary to give him some time to adapt to new conditions (7-10 days). Ivy does not tolerate drought very easily, so you should not delay transplanting. Transplant the heder carefully. The root system is completely cleaned of soil, trying not to damage individual roots.
The capacity for planting is chosen wide and shallow, since the root system of ivy is superficial (like violets). At the bottom of the pot must be placed expanded clay drainage.
Lighting
Plant Ivy indoor belongs to the category shade-loving plants. He will react quite calmly to a location in the back of the room away from the window.
The only thing do not accept hedera leaves - exposed to direct sunlight.
Variegated species, on the contrary, prefer the light of partial shade, in the shade their variegated color fades and becomes monotonous green, and the direct rays of the sun are also negatively treated.
Temperature
Hedera not warm-hearted. In summer comfortable temperature for it will be 18-23 degrees. In winter - 6-14 degrees. In the warm season, ivy can be placed in fresh air - a balcony, loggia or garden.
Watering
The soil in the pot where the indoor ivy flower grows should always be slightly damp. But this does not mean that the plant needs to be flooded from morning to evening - it may die due to stagnant moisture in the soil. Prolonged drought will also affect the health of the plant: its leaves will begin to darken at the edges and fall off.
How to water ivy? Irrigation is recommended 2 times per week in summer and once a week in winter (with warm wintering). At low air temperatures in winter, watering should be reduced to 1 time in 2 weeks. If in the summer the temperature in the room exceeds 20 degrees, the plant needs daily spraying well settled water.
It is also advisable not to allow excessive dustiness of the leaves (clean leaves purify the air in the apartment better) and from time to time arrange a heder warm shower. Ivy tolerates drafts and a sharp drop in temperature, and therefore it is often used for landscape gardening.
REFERENCE! If the chedera is constantly in a cool room, watering is required only to maintain soil moisture.
pruning
Hedera helix grows quickly and in a fairly short time can grow long and not very aesthetic-looking stems.
Therefore, to create a more lush crown, the plant should be trimmed and trimmed regularly. The stems remaining after pruning can be used for.
Experienced flower growers It is advised to carry out the pruning procedure during the most active growth ivy.
Transfer
Young plants need to be transplanted once a year. Adults are transplanted every 2-3 years. The transplant is carried out spring or early autumn transfer method.
To do this, the soil is abundantly watered to soften it, then the ivy is removed from the pot and, together with the old clod of earth, is immersed in a new container, the voids are filled with fresh substrate. After transplantation, watering and spraying is required.
With each subsequent transplant, a container (not deep) for a flower is selected more by 10-15%, since the root system must have a place for full development.
A thick layer of expanded clay drainage is placed at the bottom of the flowerpot so that water does not stagnate in the ground.
top dressing
Good growth, bright greenery will help to provide top dressing with mineral fertilizers. You should not be zealous, from an overabundance of top dressing, ivy turns yellow and loses foliage. The flower is fed all year round: in spring and summer 2 times a month, in winter - 1 time per month.
The soil
The substrate for hedera is a mixture of peat, sand, hardwood and sod land in equal parts.
Bloom
Ivy flowers are not very beautiful. These are small greenish umbrellas, which, when flowering, give black fruits.
Photo
You can admire the indoor ivy grown at home in the photo: 
Is it possible to keep indoor ivy in the house?
Exists myth, which is able to survive all other domestic flowers from the house and occupy all the space alone. In fact, the neighborhood with ivy does not bring any discomfort to other plants, on the contrary, many large flowers are decorated with chedera, planting it in pots with them.
The presence of ivy in the house brings considerable benefits to its owners, since actively cleans the air and oxygenates it.
A chedera is especially useful in a house where animals are kept, as it is capable of destroy specific fecal bacteria.
Known and medicinal properties this plant. Ivy has antifungal, expectorant, antibacterial properties, many medicines are produced on its basis.
Soothing gels from the leaves of hedera are used to treat skin diseases and in cosmetology. A decoction of the roots is used to treat ulcers, burns, and boils.
Thus, the answer to the question "Is it possible to keep ivy in an apartment?" - "Yes." But do not forget that ivy is a plant poisonous. Especially dangerous are its fruits, which children can easily mistake for edible berries, and leaves that attract cats with their juicy greenery.
IMPORTANT! Ivy leaves and berries are poisonous and can cause serious poisoning after consumption. Cats are poisoned may lead to death.
Useful video
How to care for ivy at home, look at the video:
Conclusion
Hedera helix is a beautiful liana that will decorate any room with its presence.
The main thing is to properly care for it and create comfortable conditions for its growth and development.
You can meet different representatives different variants leaf colors: dark green, yellow, cream, gray, silver or golden. In addition, the edges of the leaves may be marked with a yellow-cream or white-cream edging. There are aerial roots on the stem, with the help of which ivy clings to various surfaces, grows and easily braids them.
The flowering period usually occurs when the plant reaches the age of 10-12 years. Between August and November, yellow-green inflorescences appear, shaped like umbrellas, with bad smell. Later, poisonous blue-black berries grow in their place, reaching no more than 10 mm in diameter. The natural habitat of common ivy is the territory of Southern Europe, Asia and Africa with a subtropical climate.
You can also meet him in the Crimea, and in the Caucasus, and in the Baltic states. In nature, it grows mainly in deciduous and oak forests, as well as lowlands and foothills. It is believed that common ivy is one of the most ancient plants cultivated for decorative purposes.
Currently, it is often grown in parks for landscaping walls, arbors, arches and other vertical surfaces. Moreover, this great option groundcover to create spectacular green carpets. Common ivy, or any variety of it, can become very interesting element decor also for interior spaces.
It is enough to insert a support into the pot unusual shape and pruning in a timely manner to obtain beautiful plant. Ivy is no less attractive as an ampel option, if you just plant it in hanging pot. From some varieties, lush bushes can be formed if you pinch the tops of the plant in time.
Ivy. About some representatives
Thanks to the work of breeders, common ivy is represented by several varieties in home floriculture.
Varieties Hedera helix Annette and Hedera helix Green Ripple distinguished by smooth green leaves without any features.
For species Hedera helix Harald and Hedera helix Scutifolia the leaves are almost round in shape.
Varieties Hedera helix Chicago, Hedera helix Annette and Hedera helix Green Ripple distinguished by small five-lobed green leaves.
Hedera helix Sagittaefolia may be of interest to flower growers with leaves shaped like a star.
Leaves with spectacular corrugated edges are found in Hedera helix Cristata and Hedera helix Ivalace .
Varieties Hedera helix Eva and Hedera helix Mona Lisa have leaves almost yellow color. Known variety Hedera helix Glacier attracts attention with small leaves with a pattern of silver dots and white-cream edges.
Ivy. Care
Common ivy is valued not only for the decorative beauty of the leaves, but also for its ease of care. All that is required of the grower is to follow a few rules, thanks to which it is easy to create the ideal atmosphere for the full growth and development of the plant.
Lighting
Diffused light is ideal for varieties with pure green leaves. Variegated varieties of common ivy require bright lighting to maintain the decorative beauty of the leaves, but do not tolerate exposure to direct sunlight, a change in location and, accordingly, a lighting regime.
Ivy Photo
If the plant does not receive enough light, you should take care of its additional source.
Temperature
Common ivy grows well at 20-24ºС in the spring-summer season. In the cold season, it must be kept at a temperature of 12-15º C.
Watering
The soil in which common ivy grows requires regular moisture as it dries. In cool and cold periods, watering is reduced to 1 time in 2-3 days.
Humidity
Indoors, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient level of humidity, especially in conditions central heating. For example, you can put a plant pot in a tray of pebbles and constantly make sure that it is wet. Spraying has a positive effect on the whole plant, especially if the ivy is kept in a warm room. Periodically, the plant is also given a shower.
substrate
For planting a new or transplanting an adult plant, a mixture of clay-soddy soil with the addition of humus and coarse sand is suitable. A good option also - a mixture of turf and humus soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1. There must be a good drainage layer at the bottom of the pot to drain excess liquid.
Fertilizer
March-September is a period of active growth, so it is recommended to feed ivy 2-3 times a month mineral fertilizer according to instructions. In winter, once will be enough. Too frequent feeding will not bring any benefit to the plant.
Ivy Photo
On the contrary, most likely the leaves of common ivy will lose their decorative effect, becoming too large.
Transfer
If the plant is young, it is better to change the soil annually. Adult specimens are usually transplanted every 2-3 years, when the earthen lump is completely braided with ivy roots. March or April is suitable for transplanting a grown plant and updating the substrate. The transshipment method can be used all year round.
Ivy is transferred from a small pot to a larger one along with an earthy clod. It only remains to add required amount earth mixture. Main advantage similar way is that the root system does not receive absolutely no damage. Regardless of the transplant method, care should be taken to ensure a good drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. This will allow the plant to get rid of excess water, and the root system to get more oxygen.
reproduction
In home floriculture, common ivy reproduces well by cuttings, shoots or layering. It is best to do this in the spring and early summer. In the first case from mother plant cut off small cuttings 5-10 cm long, preferably with aerial roots. You can place part of the plant in a glass of water or prepare a mixture of peat and sand in advance for planting it.
Once the young plants are well established (this may take 4 to 6 weeks), they can be transplanted into pots with a more suitable substrate. When propagated by layering, one of the shoots of an adult plant must be placed in a pot with peat and sand and sprinkled with soil, fixing it well with special staples. After rooting, the shoot is carefully separated from the main flower, and the layer becomes an independent plant.
Ivy Photo
The method of plant propagation by shoots is very convenient if you need to get a lot of shoots.
So, the shoot, on which it is desirable to have about 10 leaves, is immersed in the sand, while the leaves remain above the surface. Roots appear in about 10 days. The shoot is removed from the sand and divided into small cuttings so that each must have 1 leaf and roots.
Ivy room. Diseases and pests
If the shape of the leaves is deformed, and their surface has become sticky, then the plant is probably affected by aphids. It is especially dangerous in spring and summer. You can get rid of this pest by washing the plant with soapy water (10 g per liter of water) or by treating it with an appropriate insecticide (for example, dilute 2 g of pyrethrum per 1 liter of water).
If small gray-brown spots appeared on the upper side of the leaves, and a thin cobweb appeared on the lower side, then the ivy was struck spider mites. It is necessary to increase the level of humidity in the room, and treat the plant itself with an insecticide and regularly spray the leaves. Spraying the leaves with a prepared infusion of onion peel also helps well.
If brown-brown spots are noticed on the underside of the leaves, and almost white on the front side, orange thrips have settled on the plant. The result of their work is yellow leaves which soon dry up and fall off. Ivy must be treated twice with an interval of 7-10 days with pyrethrum (2 g of the substance per 1 liter of water).
If the plant began to grow small leaves, it may not receive enough light. It is recommended to take care of a brighter place for good growth ivy in the summer or find an artificial source of additional lighting in the winter.
If the leaves suddenly turn yellow, it is most likely that you need to reduce abundant watering, especially if the room temperature is low. If the tips of the leaves turn brown and dry, then the air in the room is very dry or heat, and watering and air humidity do not meet the standards.
