Kodiyum, or croton, is an attractive houseplant that stands out with its very bright beautiful coloring of the leaves. The flower looks quite decorative. It blooms very rarely, especially at home. Its inflorescences are rather inconspicuous and do not constitute any original attractiveness.
Croton is widely known among flower growers; now it can be bought at any flower shop. There is only one minus: even if a favorable atmosphere is created for such a flower as a codium, leaving at home can deliver a lot of trouble. Croton is very, very moody. To grow it is quite problematic, but if you manage to create the right conditions, this flower will be so bright and beautiful that it will be impossible to tear off the eye.
Let's look at some of the main features of growing croton.
What does a codium require from its owner? Home care of this plant is not an easy task. First of all, he needs to provide a fairly plentiful
air humidity, as in the tropics.
Location
The plant should be on the sunny side. Diffused bright lighting is a must for him. The flower codium, care for which does not provide enough light, very quickly loses its bright color of the leaves. It is important to remember that direct sunlight can cause burns.
Temperature and humidityCroton does not tolerate drafts and sharp fluctuations in temperature. At low rates, the leaves of the plant instantly turn brown and curl. Therefore, the flower can not be taken out onto the street or the loggia, even in summer.
Humidity should be given special attention, it should be quite high. In the summer, the plant should be sprayed daily, but even this may not be enough. It is advisable to place the flower in a pan with wet pebbles. And if the apartment has an aquarium or a terrarium, then for a croton the best habitat is simply not possible to come up with.
Watering should be done carefully. Even such a moisture-loving flower as a codium can die from an excessive amount of water. Home care suggests an optimal ratio of air humidity and frequency of watering the plant. In the hot summer months, “drink” it should be often, but without over-watering. Croton has an underdeveloped root system, therefore, with excess water, its roots can rot quickly enough.
To allow overdrying of the earth in a flower pot is also unacceptable. Let me remind you that croton is a very moody flower; it can react quite sharply to any adverse conditions. For example, they forgot to water, dried the soil in a pot - the plant will instantly drop the foliage, and dressing in a new outfit will be very slow.
Transplantation, reproduction
Kodiyum, home care of which is rather troublesome, also requires an annual transplant, especially for young plants. It is necessary to transplant it as carefully as possible, trying not to not damage, but not to touch the fragile roots once again due to the capriciousness of the flower. Therefore, croton is moved mainly by transshipment of an earthen coma into a larger diameter pot.
The plant can be propagated by both seeds and cuttings. But the first method is quite complicated in itself, because the croton, which grows in the most favorable conditions for it, blooms very rarely. Therefore, cuttings are used for reproduction.
The most important thing for rooting them is the temperature, which should be approximately 24 degrees. For the best effect, it is advisable to treat the sections of the branches with
root stimulants.In order to grow a chic bright bush, very careful care is required. Peter's codium, for example, is very common among amateur gardeners, despite all the difficulties in growing it.