Perennial climbing plants with decorative leaves are widely used not only in horticulture, but also in indoor floriculture for vertical gardening and creating original compositions. One of the brightest representatives is ivy. A spectacular plant with triple leaves has an unpretentious disposition and beautiful leaves. However, in addition to this, it has not too good fame, which is interesting, it is in our country.
It is human nature to associate events taking place with him with the environment and objects that are part of it. It is much easier to attribute the troubles that happened to him to a third party, or better, to an uninspired subject. In particular, indoor ivy. Can I keep at home? Signs say no. Let's deal with the notoriety of the plant, as well as the features of its cultivation.
What is this plant?
Under the name "ivy", the genus of plants of the Araliaceae family is combined, numbering 15 species. The Latin name Hedera for these plants was borrowed by C. Linnaeus from the Romans. Ivy is a creeping shrub that clings to a support as it grows (trees, walls, etc.). On the stems are dense leathery leaves of an angular-lobed shape. Color - dark green, there are decorative forms with milky white stripes.
Natural habitat - the countries of the Northern hemisphere with mild climatic conditions, as well as Australia. In our country, ivy (see photo for the text) is mainly an indoor plant.
Common types of ivy
- Colchic ivy is an evergreen lianoid shrub with large (up to 25 cm in length) leathery leaves attached to the stem with suction cups. The shape of the plate can be different, when rubbed, a characteristic musky smell appears. It climbs to a height of up to 30 m. It grows quickly, but in comparison with ordinary ivy it is less frost-resistant. In vivo grows in Iran, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor.
- Common ivy (photo below) - evergreen vine, leathery leaves, medium size (up to 10 cm in length), location - another. It grows slowly, shade-tolerant and heat-loving, demanding on soil fertility. It has a high decorative effect, in connection with which it has been used for a very long time in landscaping gardens as a groundcover and climbing plant. Many hybrid forms have been developed, differing in color and leaf shape. The photo shows a variety of Calico.
- Canary ivy is an evergreen shrub, extremely popular as a houseplant. A spectacular plant with variegated leaves does not tolerate frost, requires good lighting, warmth and fertile soil.
- Pastukhov ivy is a rare evergreen vine growing in the Eastern Transcaucasia and listed in the Red Book of Russia. Distributed both in mountainous regions and in lowlands, spreads along the ground and clings to tree trunks.
Indoor ivy: can I keep it at home? Signs
Signs and superstitions of various kinds have always been present in our lives. Some believe in them, others do not, and still others listen. Quite a lot of superstitions are connected with plants in the house, and people often find it difficult to say where they came from. Most generally sound unreasonable. For example, about a gift flower that withered after a couple of months and, therefore, was not presented from the heart. Absolutely untenable argument. Shop flowers often have weakened immunity and can hardly tolerate a change of scenery and microclimate.
The ivy room will not go unnoticed by lovers. Is it possible to keep this plant at home (signs are given in the text)? It is possible, and most of the Europeans do so. They do not need to plant it indoors, a beautiful plant wraps around the house outside, covering all the walls with an even carpet of greenery. But is this such a significant difference ?!
The main superstition about ivy lies in its alleged ability to “drive” men out of the house, to survive them. Agree, the plant is endowed with a very impressive force. The ancient Greeks also treated ivy in a special way, but from a positive point of view. The plant was almost sacred, because according to legend, it was it that saved the life of the wine god Dionysus (Bacchus). Since then, not only the vine, but also the curly stems of ivy have adorned his images. The mythological properties of the plant, however, have real soil. It, along with rosemary in France, is used to protect forests from natural fires.
Ivy is a winding evergreen shrub and, who would have thought, one of the symbols of Christmas. It is with this spectacular plant that Europeans, especially the British, adorn temples and houses. It is interpreted as a symbol of eternity and resurrection, affection and love. Ivy is used in tandem with the holly, the first being considered a symbol of the feminine (requiring support and protection), and the second is masculine. In practice, the plant really impresses with its unpretentiousness and ability to survive, even in the homes of the most negligent gardeners.
Ivy builds up a very voluminous green mass, and therefore is considered one of the most effective air purifiers. Quite useful quality for city apartments.
These facts quite reasonably answer whether indoor ivy is harmful, whether it can be kept at home. Signs are most often far-fetched and absurd. Do not blindly trust them, let alone be guided.
Location selection, lighting and temperature
Indoor ivy - a unique plant. Choosing it for the house, you can fill with greens even the darkest corner of the room. He is very shade-tolerant. However, variegated forms need the sun to maintain a beautiful contrast on the leaves, it is best if it is slightly muted, avoid direct sunlight on the plant.
Ivy belongs to the evergreen, thermophilic plants. The most comfortable temperature for it will be 22-25 ° C in the spring-summer period and cooler (15-18 ° C) in the winter. You can take it to the balcony or summer terrace.
Soil for ivy
The plant prefers light but nutritious soils. You can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store or prepare it yourself. To do this, in equal proportions mix turf and leafy soil, humus, peat and sand. Place a drainage layer, such as expanded clay, on the bottom of the pot.
Transplantation of adult plants is carried out once every two years, and young - annually. The most optimal time for the procedure is March-April. Pick up a cache-pot 2-3 cm larger than the previous one.
Watering and feeding
For active growth, ivy needs regular and plentiful watering in the summer. But do not flood the plant. Low air temperature and excess moisture are a favorable environment for the development of fungal and bacterial diseases.
In winter, a mild period of rest begins. At this time, the plant is watered less often, but the substrate cannot completely dry out. Spraying and high humidity - this is what indoor ivy prefers. The leaves dry and fall off very often due to dry air. If possible, periodically place the plant under a shower, covering a lump of earth with waterproof material. After such a procedure, it looks much more attractive and starts to grow with renewed vigor.
Top dressing should be done once every two weeks, from March to the end of August, alternating organic and mineral complex fertilizers.
Breeding methods
Ivy can be propagated by the vegetative or seed method. Moreover, the first is the simplest and can be done in three ways.
Firstly, reproduction by apical cuttings. Cut off the ends of shoots 10 cm long and immediately plant them in a moist mixture of sand and sheet soil, covering the top with a glass or plastic cap. Thus, greenhouse conditions are created, and it is important to maintain constant moisture in the soil. You can pre-put the cuttings in water and wait for the roots to appear. Then plant in an already prepared soil mixture.
Secondly, propagation by shoots is practiced. From one section of the stem, you can get several plants. To do this, take an escape with 8-10 leaves and make an incision along it. Not too deep, it should be superficial. On the prepared moist soil, the shoot is laid down cut and pressed into the soil by 1.5-2 cm, leaving the leaves on the surface. Within two weeks, the plant forms roots along the entire length, a growing tip will serve as a sign of this. Then the stem is taken out and cut into several parts, each planted in a separate pot.
Well, the third vegetative method is reproduction by layering. The algorithm of action is the same as in the previous version, but with one amendment, the shoot from the mother plant is not separated, and squeezed to the ground with brackets.
Indoor ivy pruning
Trimming and forming a bush require, as a rule, street specimens. Indoor plants, if desired, can also be updated and rejuvenated, giving the desired shape. The procedure is carried out in early spring, before the plant begins the phase of active vegetation. First of all, remove diseased and damaged shoots, you can just pinch off the young ones in order to stimulate the development of lateral stems. To rejuvenate the shrub, cut old branches at a distance of 1 m from the root in outdoor conditions and half as much in indoor ones.
As a support for ivy, you can use the wall, specially stretched threads, but they must be strong (the green mass is quite heavy), a decorative trellis, etc.