Garden evergreen ivy (Hedera) is considered to be one of the most beautiful ornamental plants. It can be grown both in the garden and in indoor conditions. This plant is quite unpretentious. However, you must follow some rules when growing it.
general description
Ivy belongs to the family of fawn. It is a very beautiful curly vine. Sometimes ivy evergreen is also called a heder. One of the features of this plant is that its lashes are not limited in growth. Indoors, they can reach a length of 6 meters, and in gardens - sometimes even 30 meters.
Most often, as an ornamental plant in Russia, garden ivy evergreen (H. helix) is grown. The flowers in this main form are small and collected in racemose inflorescences. The leaves of ordinary ivy are leathery, shiny, five- and three-lobed. In nature, this plant climbs along the surface of walls or trees using aerial roots.
The ivy leaf, depending on the shape, can have a variety of shades. Varieties of this decorative culture, both dark and light green, are grown in gardens and indoors. Varieties of ivy with variegated leaves are also considered very beautiful.
What are the forms of the plant?
In addition to ordinary, other types of garden ivy are grown at home and in gardens. Particularly beautiful forms among lovers of decorative cultures are:
Both of these varieties are appreciated by gardeners primarily for beautiful large leaves. Like ordinary ivy, Canarian and wax very quickly grow. They also do not require too complicated personal care.
Wax Ivy: Description
In gardens, the usual form of this decorative culture is most often grown. In indoor conditions, the most common is hoya (wax ivy). Is it possible to keep this plant at home - this is the question many flower growers ask. The fact is that this beautiful form of ivy is often called a husbandman. It is believed that this flower, among other things, is able to bring financial prosperity to the family. However, at the same time, as some superstitious people believe, he also expels men from the house.
But be that as it may, this plant is actually very beautiful - hoya (wax ivy). Is it possible to keep this form at home? For every housewife, of course, she must answer for herself. In Asian countries, wax ivy, in contrast to Russia, for example, is not considered any husbands. There, this decorative form is grown everywhere. Moreover, in Asia, many people believe that wax ivy, on the contrary, brings family happiness.
Canary ivy
It is also a very beautiful and popular plant among gardeners and indoor flower lovers . Liana at the Canary ivy on the street can reach a length of 20 cm. The main distinguishing feature of this form is the unusual color of the leaves. The plate itself is green with a silver tint. At the same time, a white stripe goes along the edge of each leaflet. The sizes of the three-bladed leaves of Canary ivy are large and look really very impressive.
How to grow indoors: preparing a pot
Ivy is a plant with long lashes, but at the same time not too well developed root system. Therefore, a very large pot for this decorative culture in room conditions does not need to be used. For ivy, a medium-sized container is quite suitable. In order for the plant to develop well, its pot should be filled with a soil mixture of the following composition:
- humus;
- sand;
- sheet earth;
- soddy soil.
All these components must be taken in equal quantities and mixed thoroughly. Water stagnation ivy garden evergreen, like most other indoor plants, does not like. Therefore, at the bottom of the pot, be sure to put broken shards or expanded clay.
Garden ivy: indoor planting and care
Ivy is considered a plant unstable. But you need to place it nevertheless closer to the window (south or east). In this case, direct sunlight should not fall on his whip. Ivy, although it is a southern plant, does not like heat. In summer, the optimum temperature for it is 17-23 C, in winter - 13 C. This plant is not at all afraid of Skvoznyakov.
The choice of a place for ivy should immediately be approached with maximum responsibility. The fact is that this plant really does not like movements. Transferring the pot with this vine in the future will be possible only in the most extreme case.
Ivy is a plant that requires regular but moderate watering. Water should not stand in a pot with it. However, drying of the soil should not be allowed. The soil in the pot under the ivy should always remain a little damp. In summer, this plant is usually watered twice a week, in winter - one.
In the warm season, ivy, among other things, is also desirable to spray. It is worthwhile to carry out such procedures when the air temperature in the room rises above 20 C.
Ivy can be fertilized with the usual universal dry mixture for indoor plants. Such dressings should be made at the frequency indicated by the manufacturer on the package.
Ivy Care in the Garden
The birthplace of garden ivy is Northern Europe. And so the plant is quite hardy. However, the climate in Russia, unfortunately, is still more severe than in Europe. Therefore, growing ivy in our country on the street is possible only in the southern regions. Only a few varieties of ivy are suitable for the middle band. Moreover, they can be used in this case mainly only as ground cover.
The place for this plant in the garden is chosen depending on the color of the leaves. Particular shade is quite suitable for dark green ivy. Variegated leaves need bright lighting. This decorative garden is watered according to the same technology as in indoor conditions. The ivy leaf of almost any variety is actually very beautiful and represents the main decorative value of this plant. Therefore, it is better to water the vines in the mornings or evenings by sprinkling. Thus, it will be possible not only to moisten the soil under the ivy, but also to wash off the dust from its lashes.
This decorative culture can be fed with ordinary rotted manure. This plant responds very well to ash. Ivy of any variety, of course, is primarily an ornamental plant. This Liana is hardy and unpretentious. But sometimes it happens that ivy lashes slow down growth, and his leaves turn pale. In this case, the plants should be fed with urea (matchbox per bucket of water 10 liters).
Ivy breeding
To breed this decorative culture on the site or at room conditions is completely simple. Ivy is propagated most often by cuttings. Cutting planting material in the spring or summer. The length of the selected cuttings should be approximately 10 cm. The cut branches should simply be thrust into moist soil. Ivy cuttings take root very quickly and easily. It is completely optional to keep them in the water before planting. It is not required to process them with any means that stimulate root formation.
New long lashes grow from cuttings very quickly. In a year, on the site, you can see magnificent independent plants.
If desired, evergreen garden ivy can be tried to propagate not by cuttings, but by shoots. It is also a very simple and quick way. Shoots for ivy propagation are not too long - with 8-10 leaves. Such planting material must be pressed into wet sand. In this case, only leaves should remain on the surface. After about two weeks, the shoot will take root. All this time the sand should be kept moist.
In the future, a branch that has taken root must be dug from the ground and cut into several parts so that each of them has a leaf and a spine. Further planting is carried out in the usual way - in pre-prepared beds or pots.