Seeing this plant for the first time, you can completely take it for a beautiful artificial copy. Juicy beautiful leaves with spectacular coloring - that's what pedilanthus titimaloid flower growers love. Its curved stems, variegated leaves, which in some varieties have wavy edges, make this plant a magnificent decoration of the home interior. How to grow this miracle at home? We will talk about this in the article.
The birthplace of pedilanthus
This plant belongs to the representatives of the genus euphorbia. It is grown as a decorative decoration of gardens, if climatic and weather conditions allow it. Among flower growers, pedilanthus titimaloid has gained great popularity as a houseplant.
In general, the birthplace of this miracle is the tropical and subtropical territories of Central and North America. There, the bush can be found in well-lit areas with dry soils, with a sufficient content of sand, as well as iron, copper, boron, molybdenum, zinc and manganese.
Kinds
There are about 15 species of this plant. They differ in the shape and color of leaves, stems, sizes. The most popular varieties of pedilanthus can be found among indoor plants. In the natural environment, it can reach two meters in height. At home, pedilanthus titimaloid has not such gigantic dimensions. Moreover, its shoots can be formed. For the unusual kink of the stalks, the Dutch called him the ridge of the devil. In fact, the name of this plant comes from two words of Greek origin: a shoe and a flower.
Appearance
It is difficult to confuse pedilanthus titimaloid with another plant. It is very colorful and stands out against the background of other colors. Its stem can reach a diameter of one centimeter. The leaves of the pedilanthus are as if made of wax. With sufficient lighting, they are colorful and bordered on the edges of a white or slightly pink uneven strip.
In some varieties, they can bend around the edges, acquiring a bizarre boat shape. If you place the flower in a darker place, then its leaves will acquire a smooth green color. The flower of pedilanthus titimaloid practically does not change throughout the year and very rarely blooms in captivity. All its beauty and uniqueness lies precisely in the leaves.
Precautionary measures
It should be noted that, despite all its beauty, pedilanthus is a toxic plant. Its juice is very dangerous. Experienced gardeners know this and take precautions when working with shrubs. The juice of the plant in contact with exposed skin causes inflammation. And if you try beautiful leaves for a tooth, then you can get poisoning.
That's why you need to protect children and pets from contact with this plant. When transplanting or trimming pedilanthus, it is better to use gloves, protective clothing and glasses. If poisonous juice gets on your skin, wash it with warm water and soap several times.
Lighting
Pedilanthus is titimaloid, care at home which is simple, loves a lot of light. Its appearance, or rather, the color of the leaves, depends on this. The plant is best placed in the area of the solar window. It loves a lot of diffused light. In winter, when the daylight is small, you can use additional lighting. However, the light of the lamp should not be directly directed at the flower. This is a photophilous plant, but he does not like direct rays.
Humidity
Pedilanthus titimaloid, home care for which includes mandatory watering, does not like the complete drying of the soil. In summer, watering should be more frequent. The soil should always be moist, but do not allow waterlogging. In winter, watering is reduced. The plant does not need so much moisture. However, the earthen lump in the tub should not dry out. The plant may begin to shed leaves to retain moisture in the stems.
By the way, almost all species of this shrub have the ability to accumulate it in reserve. Therefore, pedilanthus is not so demanding on air humidity. As the experience of observing a plant testifies, it can itself tell about its needs. If the leaves of the bush began to fall, then it should be watered. In summer, you can spray the plant with warm, settled water. In winter this is not required.
The soil
As you know, the main condition for the good growth and development of any plant is soil. Each representative of the flora has its own habitat requirements. Pedilanthus titimaloid is also no exception, although it is not a capricious plant. For its planting, it is better to choose loose and moisture-resistant soil. The composition may be different, but excessive humus is not welcome. It can be soil from one part of turf and two parts of sand.
You can also use garden soil with the addition of a third of the sand. Perfect for planting purchased soil for succulent plants, in which sand must also be added. The soil should be light, airy. The main condition for good growth is a sufficient layer of expanded clay, since pedilanthus does not like acidification and waterlogging of the soil.
Top dressing
Even with sufficient care, there comes a time when the plant begins to need additional nutrition. No need to wait for obvious changes in appearance. Top dressing should begin before the flower begins to lose its beauty. It is enough to carry out this procedure once a month, from spring to autumn. In winter, you do not need to feed the plant. As a fertilizer, you can take preparations for succulents. They contain a sufficient amount of nitrogen. Pedilanthus needs this component, but its excess can lead to rotting of the roots.
Care
What else needs to be done to grow a beautiful titymaloid pedilanthus. Pruning is a prerequisite for the formation of shrubs. Very often, as the plant grows, the stems are exposed from below. Leaves remain only in their upper part. In this case, you can cut the shoots, leaving stumps about 5-6 centimeters high. After some time, new branches will grow, young and beautiful. Such a rejuvenation will only benefit the plant.
Breeding
Pedilanthus titimaloid, reproduction at home which is not difficult, with good care all year round pleases with its beauty. Cuttings that remain after the rejuvenation process should not be thrown away. They can be used to propagate the plant. They need to be cut into a length of about 10-15 centimeters. Then put the cuttings in warm water. For greater effect, you can add honey to it (a teaspoon per liter of water).
After a day, the cuttings must be removed and dried. If the stems are very thick, then this process should be given more time. Cuttings root well in practically dry sand or perlite. Covering them with a film, like most plants, should not be done to avoid decay. After 2-4 weeks, when the rooting process takes place, you can transplant the pedilanthus into the ground. Typically, a plant is cut in the spring or early summer. The planting pot should not be too large. The root system of pedilanthus develops slowly. It is better if it is a container of the same height and width.
Pests and diseases
Pedilanthus titimaloid, whose flowering is rarely seen at home, looks spectacular due to its foliage and unusual shape of the stems. For this, flower growers also love him. However, care must be taken so that this beauty is not spoiled by diseases and pests. Although this is an unpretentious flower, nevertheless it is subject to the harmful effects of these factors. This plant is affected by a spider mite, whitefly or mealybug.
The presence of the pest can be determined by external signs. If the leaves wilted and turned yellow, and a spider line appeared on their lower part, then this is a spider mite. The formation of sticky fluff at the base of the leaf indicates a defeat by the mealybug. Affected areas must be removed, and the plant treated with any insecticide. Fungal lesions are eliminated by treating the flower with a fungicide. It is not necessary to moisten the soil of the plant strongly and often, as this can lead to damage by powdery mildew.
Transfer
As the plants grow, they will have to be transplanted. They do this extremely rarely, in case of urgent need. But still, if the root system of the flower is closely in the pot, then it should be transplanted. It is better to carry out this procedure in the spring. The new pot should be slightly larger than the old. At the bottom, it is necessary to lay a layer of expanded clay. Next, gently brush off the old earth, being careful not to damage the root system. Then put the flower in a new pot with new soil. When transplanting, a young plant can be pruned to provide a more magnificent shoot development. After that, you need to put the flower in the shade for two weeks, until completely rooting. Pedilanthus titimaloid, the benefits and harms of which were described above, will become the best decoration of the interior and fill the house with light and heat.