Cordilina kiwi is a popular plant belonging to the agave family. Outwardly, it looks like a miniature palm tree. Kiwi cordilina in its natural habitat grows in Northern Australia, but other varieties can be found in countries of Southeast Asia, as well as in Hawaii.
Plants among themselves differ in the overall size, shape, color, and also the size of the leaf plates. Cordilina kiwi is a very unpretentious plant in the care, so it can be successfully grown indoors. We will talk about the features of care and maintenance in this article.
Description of kiwi cordilina
In a natural habitat, this culture can grow up to three meters in height. However, under indoor conditions, this cannot be achieved. As a rule, trees that live in pots grow in height no more than one and a half meters.
The main advantage of cordilina, the photo of which is presented in the article, lies in the spectacular narrow leaves that crown the ends of thin trunks. As they develop, the lower leaves begin to die, and the tree becomes more and more similar to a palm tree. New processes constantly appear on the side of the main trunks, which are suitable for plant propagation.
In the photo of cordilina you can see that the plant has juicy, hard leaves that have rounded edges. The color of the leaf plates combines yellow, dark green, as well as pink shades.
Care Features
Cordilina is a very unpretentious indoor plant. Culture will feel great in an ordinary city apartment. In this case, the tree will not suffer from too dry air, as well as high temperature in the room. In winter, a dormant period is not required, so plants are able to maintain their decorativeness throughout the year.
Lighting
What will the care of cordilin require? A container with a plant is best placed on window sills that face the southwest, southeast, or south side. The largest copies are located near the window on the table or on a special stand. In the event of a lack of lighting, the kiwi cordilina houseplant will lose all its spectacular multi-color color, the trunk will begin to stretch, and the leaves will become lifeless and lethargic.
Culture must be shaded from direct sunlight. At lunchtime, it will be enough just to draw the curtains, and it is not necessary to move the pot to another place. An ideal option would be a constant diffused bright light.
In late autumn and winter, you can organize additional lighting, as a result of which the flower will look much better externally.
Air temperature
If the ends of the leaves of the kiwi cordilina dry, then most likely the plant is standing in a room with the wrong air temperature. This culture prefers moderate heat. It is best to keep the flower in a room where the air temperature is between 18 and 23 degrees. This green pet does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, as well as strong drafts.
In summer and late spring, it is recommended to take out the pot on the loggia or balcony, but at night it must be brought into the room. The slightest frost will destroy the plant.
In the case of placing cordilina on the windowsill, it must be protected from cold air during ventilation. If you open a window or window, it is best for this time to remove the culture from the windowsill.
Air humidity
From the description of kiwi cordilina, you realized that this plant in its natural habitat grows in tropical conditions. When growing in a room, the indoor air may be dry, however, to ensure good life, leaves should be regularly sprayed with water. In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that the water should be at room temperature. Spraying is carried out using a spray gun. In no case should you place a green pet near hot batteries. If necessary, cover the battery with a thick cloth.
Watering Rules
We continue to consider the features of growing kiwi cordilina. In the spring-summer period, when there is heat on the street, and the plant is in the stage of active growth, it needs regular and plentiful watering. To do this, soft boiled, rain or settled tap water is used. When the air temperature drops, watering is slightly reduced.
The secret to the successful cultivation of cordilina is the absence of stagnation of moisture in the soil without the complete drying of the earthen coma.
Flowering features
You should immediately pay attention to the fact that the plant, which is contained in a city apartment, will not bloom. However, in greenhouses you can achieve successful flowering of kiwi cordilina. The inflorescences of the culture are panicled, plentifully strewn with small white or purple buds.
Feeding
In order for your cordilina to successfully develop, it must be regularly fed. For this, the flower is fertilized throughout the year. Apply for this purpose universal fertilizers, which are bred according to the instructions attached to dressing.
Liquid formulations are preferred over granular formulations. In the summer and spring, the flower is fertilized once a week, and with the advent of winter and autumn, fertilizing is applied no more than twice a month.
Transfer
Cordilina kiwi is developing very actively. Young plants need a transplant every year, and adults need to be transplanted every three years. An overgrown root system, which is already visible on the surface of the soil, is a sign that the flower needs the most spacious pot.
During transplantation, it is necessary to take a new deep container made of ceramic or plastic. There must be drainage holes at the bottom. In addition, the container should be supplemented with a pallet. Expanded clay, pebbles, well-washed river sand are laid in the first layer.
As the main soil, a ready-made mixture is used for growing indoor palm trees and dracaena. However, you can prepare the soil mixture yourself, for which they take 3 parts of turf, 1 part of sand, 1 part of peat. To make this soil the easiest, you can add moss or perlite to it.
Adult specimens are removed from the old container along with an earthen lump, after which they are moved to a new pot, sprinkled with prepared soil. In conclusion, the cordiline should be well watered and placed in a place where there is diffused bright light.
Breeding
This green pet can be propagated using shoots or tops. As a rule, the former are formed near an adult plant. To root shoots, it is necessary to use those that have already formed leaves. The shoot is cut with a sharp knife, and then planted in a pot with a well-moistened substrate for dracaena or palm trees.
The cuttings can also be rooted in a mixture of moss and well-washed river sand. A young shoot can be placed in a greenhouse or covered with a plastic bag. For the fastest engraftment, the cuttings will need bright lighting, but at the same time they should not be exposed to direct sunlight. It should also be controlled so that the soil does not dry out.
Conclusion
If you have just started breeding indoor plants, then you can safely choose kiwi cordilina for these purposes, since it is quite unpretentious in the care and cultivation. If you master all the simple rules for caring for this small palm tree, you can include it in your green collection. And if you manage to grow lilac, white or cream varieties of cordilina, then together they can form a real greenhouse, bringing the atmosphere of tropical exotic into the house. If you adhere to all the above rules for growing this exotic plant, you can easily grow this incredibly beautiful indoor flower on your windowsill.