Walking through the coniferous forest for most people is soothing, relaxing and inspiring. I always want to take a piece of it with me to enjoy the unique aroma of needles with notes of resin in a home environment.
One of the options for recreating the unique feeling of presence in the coniferous forest is home cypress. How to care for this plant correctly?
Description
Home cypress is the guarantor of clean air in the room and improve its microclimate. A room copy is a beautiful miniature evergreen tree with a regular pyramidal crown, small leaves (scaly or needle-shaped), tightly adjacent to the stems. The color of the leaves is dark green, with a bluish tint. The height of the tree is about 2 meters, while specimens growing in natural conditions can reach 25 meters.
The needles of cypress smell delicious and release phytoncides - biologically active substances that inhibit the development of bacteria and microscopic fungi. Large-fruited cypress is most suitable for indoor cultivation. This species is characterized by an erect trunk, numerous branches horizontally extending from the trunk, light or dark green leaves covered with small scales. The lower branches of large-fruited cypress are darker than the upper ones, the diameter of the cones is 3.8 cm.
Accommodation
How to care for homemade cypress in a pot? In care, this tree is demanding and capricious, so it is important to recreate conditions that are close to natural. Since this is a southern plant, it needs good lighting. The most acceptable for him is bright diffused light, in the afternoon with shading. The best place for cypress is the northern or eastern window sills. In summer, a pot with a plant is recommended to be carried out into the air, placing it in the shade. With a lack of light, cypress stretches and loses its shape. Excess light provokes yellowing and shedding of leaves of such plants as home cypress.
How to care for a tree so that it pleases with its appearance and unique smell of needles for a long time? Let's consider further.
Temperature mode
Caring for indoor cypress at home requires observing signs of seasonality: it should be cool in winter and warm in summer. For cold-resistant cypress in the summer, the temperature is +20 degrees; moreover, at this time of the year it is desirable to ensure the location of the tree in the fresh air. The place must be protected from drafts. If this is not possible, then it is better to place the plant in a well-ventilated room, because stagnation of air and mustiness are fatal to it. In the hot season, the indoor tree should be sprayed several times a day and from time to time take a shower.
Care instructions: indoor cypress
How to care for a plant at home? In winter, the most comfortable for cypress is a temperature of no higher than 15 degrees, the optimal indicator is 8-10 degrees. It is especially dangerous to keep the plant near central heating batteries. In this case, there is a huge risk of dropping needles. It is better to find a place on the loggia or insulated balcony. To prevent the roots from freezing, it is recommended to overlay the cypress container with foam or wrap it with rags.
Cypress should be watered abundantly, in winter - in moderation. Waterlogging of the soil, as well as its dryness, is dangerous for the plant. Therefore, in care, you should act according to the following scheme: the warmer the room, the more often you need to water home cypress. How to care for a coniferous plant so that it pleases with its appearance for a long time? In winter, it is advisable to water the cypress about once a week, in the summer it is regular and not too plentiful. Also, the coniferous tree needs to be constantly sprayed to avoid drying of the needles.
Trimming the crown in order to give the desired shape should be done as it grows. The most optimal period for this is early spring, before the start of the growing season.
Cypress Plant: Home Care
An adult plant is transplanted once every two years, young specimens are transplanted annually, in April-May, by transshipment with partial replacement of the surface soil layer. That is, only that land is replaced, which itself is shaken off from the roots. The following composition is recommended: 2 parts of leaf, 1 part of peat, turf land and sand. You can use ready-made soil designed for growing conifers. Be sure to provide good drainage with a layer of a few centimeters. Cypress feels comfortable in loose soil. Care should be taken to ensure that the root neck is not submerged in the ground, otherwise the plant may die.
Cypress is fed with liquid mineral fertilizer from late May to August. The concentration of the agent is preferably halved in relation to that indicated on the package. In winter, the plant should be fertilized once every one and a half to two months.
How to propagate cypress
Propagation of cypress is made by apical cuttings, previously rooted in a greenhouse with high humidity. Also, a coniferous tree can be grown from seeds, which should be stratified before planting: hold in the refrigerator for 3-4 months. Before sowing, planting material should be soaked for 12 hours in warm water or Kornevin’s solution, then planted in boxes with soil for conifers, under which a two-centimeter layer of wood bark should be laid as drainage. The crop box should be kept warm while maintaining a slightly moist state of the ground. The percentage of seed germination is small, at best only half will germinate. When the seedlings reach a height of 5-6 centimeters, the bushes should be planted in separate containers and provide quality care. During the year, young trees will grow to 20-25 cm.
Cypress, like any plant, is susceptible to attack by pests. Most often, the tree is affected by scabies, eating leaf juice, and spider mites that appear in the room due to excessive air dryness. Actellik's solution is effective against these pests (1-2 ml of the drug per liter of water). After a week, you can re-process homemade cypress. How to care for the plant, you now know. The main thing is to provide conditions as close to natural as possible.