Living space, in which there are no indoor plants, looks very cold and uncomfortable. It is the flowers that fill the room with warmth and positive. Surprisingly, hardly anyone can say when the fashion for indoor plants appeared. It seems that they were always grown. Currently, flowers not only decorate the windows of houses and apartments. They are also in great demand in public institutions and offices.
There are types of home plants that are perfect even for beginner gardeners. They are not capricious, they can “forgive” mistakes. This is exactly how the flower refers to the fatty. Home care for him will not be very difficult. However, in order for him to please the household with a beautiful appearance, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with some of the secrets that professional flower growers possess. Only adhering to them, you can grow a large healthy tree at home.
Interesting flower information
Crassula is a plant that can accumulate moisture. Such species are called succulents. Money tree is not exotic, as it grows well in all conditions. You can meet this plant in offices, hotels, shops and even school classes. Not only experienced, but also beginner growers are well acquainted with the fat girl (money tree). Home care for her comes down to fairly simple actions, which will be discussed a little later.
Surprisingly, not everyone knows the main name of this flower. He is better known as a money tree. This "nickname" was given for a reason. The fact is that Crassula (another name for the fat girl) has leaves of a characteristic shape. They are rounded, due to which they resemble coins.
But these three names are not the only ones. People consider the plant a guardian of well-being. That is why the fat girl is also called the tree of happiness. Naturally, in order for the plant to correspond to such epithets, it must be beautiful, branched and, of course, healthy. And this can only be achieved through proper care of the fat girl.
At present, it is difficult to imagine that Crassula hails from fairly hot countries. Now this plant has become familiar to our latitudes. However, it is thanks to the historical homeland that the fat woman easily tolerates drought and high temperatures. You can save a tree even after heavy watering. Unfortunately, at home, Crassula blooms very rarely. But in nature, on the contrary, such a phenomenon is quite common. What conditions must be created in order to enjoy its inflorescences will be described a little later.
Optimal place
Experienced flower growers pay attention that it is very important to choose the right place for indoor plants. The fat girl, the care of which begins precisely with this, has special preferences. This plant does not tolerate temperature jumps and drafts. It grows well only when stable conditions are created. It is best to choose a room that is very well lit by natural light. However, the plant must be protected from direct sunlight. The optimum temperature regime is within +25 ° . If the room is hotter, you will need to adjust the watering and regularly spray the crown. Also, the tree does not like cold. At temperatures below +16 ° C, the rossula will slowly fade.
There are no special requirements for the humidity level. The main thing is that he be permanent. For example, in the kitchen a fat girl may not like it, because during cooking due to steam the humidity in the room will increase sharply, which will negatively affect the plant - it will react, for example, with yellowed sheets. Also, the tree does not tolerate constant rearrangements from one place to another. The results affect almost instantly.
For a fat woman, scattered light is ideal. It is better to install the pot not on the windowsill, but next to the window on the stand. If the flower lacks light, then this will be displayed on the trunk. It is very stretched, while the crown is formed ugly.
Money Tree Care: Key Actions
By and large, it is not difficult to provide a money tree (fat girl) with everything necessary for the proper development and good growth. Home care for such a pet consists of fairly simple manipulations. The only thing that causes certain difficulties for beginner gardeners is watering. The fact is that stagnation of moisture can completely destroy a tree. However, its lack will lead to the fact that the leaves will fade, lose elasticity. The quality of watering depends on the season. In the winter months, the plant needs some water. Therefore, it is transferred to watering once every two weeks. If the room is quite humid, then you can moisten the earth no more often than once a month.
But in the summer, Crassula needs frequent watering. It is recommended to carry it out every three days. But these dates are not accurate. The error in them appears depending on the climate of the room where the plant is located. It’s better to learn how to independently determine the time when you need to moisten the soil. It is not difficult to control the timing of watering, it is enough just to deepen your finger into the pot by about 2 cm. If the ground is dry, then it's time to moisten it.
It is important to prevent stagnation of water, otherwise it will lead to rotting of the roots of the flower in question (Crassula). Caring for a diseased plant is quite complicated and requires certain manipulations. If this still happened, rehabilitation measures should be taken immediately. In this case, the flower is dug up very carefully. After they clear the roots of soil residues. Dry them and inspect for damage. Plots with rot are pruned and planted in new soil.
Every grower wants a beautiful and healthy fat girl to grow. Care of this crop necessarily includes regular wiping of leaves from dust. This will not only keep the pet clean, but also give him the opportunity to “breathe”.
Even though the money tree is unpretentious, it does not exclude the appearance of unpleasant surprises. As a rule, they appear quite unexpectedly. For example, if the leaves have faded and wrinkled, this means that the flower is not enough moisture. Crassula also does not tolerate watering with cold water. This greatly depletes the plant, it can even destroy it.
Transfer
What should a fat woman care for at home? Transplantation is one of the important conditions. However, if the plant was bought in a store, you should not rush with this. It is necessary to let the flower acclimatize, get used to a new place. But delaying with a transplant is also not necessary. In a small pot, the root system cannot fully grow, so the tree does not strengthen. Accordingly, it grows poorly.
It is possible to transplant a flower only after the end of the adaptation period. It lasts approximately 14 days. The pot is chosen spacious, but not very large. On average, there should be a distance of five centimeters from the trunk to the sides for a young tree and up to 7 cm for an adult. Experienced flower growers voiced certain dates for transplantation. For example, for young growth - after 1.5 years, and for an adult - every 5 years.
Let's look at the intricacies of a plant transplant.
- Choose a pot.
- Make a drainage layer.
- Prepare the ground. Universal fits perfectly.
- Gently dig a tree from an old pot, being careful not to damage the roots.
- Put the plant in a prepared container without clearing the earth.
- Add soil on the sides and slightly compact.
- Water the flower only along the edge of the pot, trying not to fall on the trunk.
- Drain excess water from the drip tray.
- Set the fat girl in a permanent place.
Important! After transplanting, the next time you need to water the flower only after the earth is completely dry.
Crown formation
What needs to be done to make beautiful home-grown flowers? Caring for a fat woman also includes caring for the crown. It was said above that the leaves must be cleaned from dust. But that is not all. Since Crassula is a tree plant, it has a crown. It is not always in perfect shape. In the photographs the plants look very beautiful, but in many ways this is not their merit, but those who care for them. The correct forms are created artificially. What needs to be done to get such a result? Here are some simple manipulations:
- In order for the money tree not to turn into a bush over time, on the young shoot, which has reached 16 cm, side branches are removed. This method will free the trunk from greenery.
- The formation of the crown is carried out by pinching. If the plant began to stretch upwards, then the last bud on the branch is removed so that lateral shoots appear. With the help of the latter, it will be possible to give the pet a fluffy and luxurious look. It is important to note that this method is used only when there are at least four pairs of leaves on the branch.
- Cutting may be necessary to give a certain shape. It is the removal of excess branches to prevent premature clotting.
- The most beautiful and popular crown shaping technique is bonsai. The desired forms are achieved by cutting young shoots, which have reached a height of 9-11 cm. After processing, they must leave two pairs of leaves. Also in this technique, additional objects are used, for example, clamps, wire.
Winter Care
Providing proper care at home for a fat woman in winter is not difficult. Given that when you turn on the heating, the air in the room immediately becomes dry, which can harm the wood. Most gardeners recommend moving the plant to the loggia. However, it is important that it is glazed and heated accordingly. In winter, the fat woman needs a completely different care than in summer. During this period, the flower needs coolness, therefore, in no case should it be placed close to heating systems.
So, what does a fat woman need to take care of in winter?
- Temperature condition + 10 ... + 14 ° .
- Reduce watering up to once a month.
- Maintaining a constant level of humidity in the room.
- Atmosphere of peace.
Breeding
The plant is very easy to propagate. Caring for a young cuttings will not take much time and will not require special labor costs. As a rule, a flower quickly takes root, takes root in the soil without any problems. Even a randomly torn leaf can take root.
The most suitable period for breeding is the spring season. In order to grow a young plant, you need to cut a small part from the shoot. However, you should not rush to put it in water. Must first be put in the shade. In this way, the process is dried. Only after that a small part of the stem is immersed in water. When the roots appear, the shoot can be planted in the ground. The main thing is not to tighten the earth much, leaving it loose.
During this period, the flower needs abundant hydration. However, there should be no stagnation of water. Special drainage at the bottom of the pot will help to avoid this. At the time of adaptation and rooting, the young fat woman is cleaned in a shady place. Every day, it is sprayed with water.
For reproduction, not only shoots are used, but also the seeds of the Crassula. Care in this case will be somewhat different. Seeds are sown in a container with low sides and quite wide in diameter. Drainage holes are necessarily made at its bottom. For seeds use special sheet earth with the addition of river sand. To ensure 100 percent germination, you will need to create a greenhouse effect. To do this, cover the container with glass. Remove it only during spraying and airing.
Bloom
Can a fat woman bloom at home? Caring for a plant in this case boils down to creating an environment that will be as similar to natural as possible. This plant comes from southern countries, so it needs an African climate. You will need to try to create such an atmosphere in the room where the flower stands. To do this, you can use the following recommendations:
- Lighting from all sides. As a rule, in the room, the light enters the flower from only one side, so in the summer season it is necessary to take it outside.
- By and large, the sun's rays can not harm the crassula, however, a red border often appears on the leaves. So the plant responds to climate change. But still, most experienced gardeners recommend at lunchtime to choose a shaded place for a fat woman.
- Abundant watering is also bad. The roots of the plant rot, which can cause the disease. Even spraying the crown is allowed only in very hot weather.
- In order for the fat woman to bloom, she must always be kept in the fresh air.
Lure
What needs to be done to make a fat woman grow well at home? Care necessarily includes complementary fertilizer. As a rule, new shoots appear on the tree from spring to autumn. During active growth, the plant loses a lot of strength, so it needs support. It is recommended to select complex fertilizers intended for cacti as fertilizers. Feeding is carried out no more than once a month. It is important to follow the instructions so as not to spoil the roots.
But in the winter, the plant is at rest. Accordingly, his needs are reduced. You can completely eliminate the use of fertilizers or simply reduce the dosage, while maintaining regularity.
Diseases
Fortunately, the fat woman is rarely ill, but this tree is still not protected for one hundred percent. It happens that gardeners have to fight infections. Which of them are considered the most common?
- Decay. This problem occurs if improper care has been carried out. The crassula in the photo above has yellowed leaves. This is one of the signs of the disease. In the next stage, they fall. Such problems arise due to improper irrigation and stagnation of water. Stop watering immediately. If after two weeks the condition of the flower does not improve, you need to dig it out, inspect the roots and remove the damaged ones. Then dry the plant and plant in a new soil, sprinkling the roots with activated carbon.
- Pests. Dangers for bearberry are a spider mite, mealybug, scab. To combat them, you can use folk remedies, such as tincture of tobacco or garlic. Soap solution is also suitable. Sometimes alcohol rubdowns are used, but the liquid must be diluted with water.
- Fungus. This infection appears on the leaves in the form of small spots. Also on them you can notice stains of brown or light shade. Fight fungi with fungicides. However, before disinfection, affected areas must be removed.