Some flowers have become forever the favorites of home growers. The reasons for the emergence of special love could be completely different: beautiful flowering, bright or unusual outlines of foliage, ease of maintenance, low light requirements - or, on the contrary, moodiness in leaving, painstaking work and high demands when organizing a residence. Everyone has their own reasons to choose one or another flower! But almost all home gardening fans liked indoor cissus plants. And the reasons for this mass preference are very diverse.
What is attractive about cissus
First of all, by the fact that it does not need an abundance of light. You must admit that a true connoisseur of plants will always find something to occupy the sunny windowsill, but there are not enough pets to master the darkened corners. Not all varieties are so illegible, but absolutely everyone agrees to dim lighting.
The next advantage: you will never find ugly cissus. The photos clearly illustrate the decorative and attractiveness of all varieties.
Another plus: plants are very viable. They will not wither if you forget about their existence for a week.
What is more valuable than cissus - caring for it is absolutely not complicated and does not require special skills, arranging greenhouses or installing humidifiers, constant temperature control and other fuss that some plants like so much.
Cissus is simply a champion in the rate of regrowth and splendor of his green "mane." That is why it is so attractive for vertical gardening. An additional bonus is the small size of the pot, in which a sort of luxury has grown.
And finally - the flower actively absorbs toxic and unwanted fumes that invariably form in any living room.
Plant species
Most often, Antarctic cissus is found in apartments, also colloquially called indoor (or New Zealand) grapes, and sometimes “kangaroo vines”. The second most popular is rhomboid cissus, which has a middle name “birch” for its bizarre leaf shape. A little less often, but colorful cissus comes across, attracting gardeners with variegated foliage. The remaining subspecies of cissus (Baynez, tetrahedral, Yutta, cactus-like) in the domestic crop industry somehow did not take root.
Care Basics
Since it is most often Antarctic cissus that is grown in our homes, we will pay maximum attention to it. Despite the low light requirements, it is not worth hanging it in a dark corner at the end of a very long room - sooner or later the plant will not be able to survive. If the room is small, then the wall remote from the window is suitable for him.
It is not necessary to regulate the temperature in the room where the Antarctic cissus is located: it is quite suitable for the standard in the range of 18-25 degrees, and in winter it is fully supported by conventional radiators. In addition, the plant does not need winter dormancy, so it is not required to clean it in coolness for these months.
Since cissus flowers are leafy, not succulents, not cacti and not conifers, in the heat they require more water - it evaporates abundantly from leaf blades. However, with an excess of moisture, the roots of the creeper rot, so you should take care of the drainage in advance and water less, but more often.
Since Antarctic cissus is a liana, its branches need to cling to something as it grows, otherwise they may break off or stop growing. The easiest way out will be a plastic flat lattice attached under the pot to the wall - its antennae will be enough to cling to and support the branches.
During active growth, the pet should be fed with a complex fertilizer every two weeks. Naturally, in winter such top dressing ceases.
Humidity adjustable
Due to the abundance of foliage, Antarctic cissus is in dire need of spraying. However, the density and length of the quickly overgrown mane makes it difficult: you are unlikely to manage to get to all the leaves. In addition, the stains on the wallpaper that form when water drains will definitely not please you. So in dry, hot weather, Antarctic cissus is better to take to the bathroom once a week and arrange a warm shower for it. All the leaves will be washed, the dried ones will disappear, and it will be possible to return the flower to the wall when the water stops dripping from it.
Formation
For a better appearance, Antarctic cissus will have to be trimmed periodically. Firstly, this way you will achieve a more magnificent growth of stems. Secondly, if you wish, you can grow a bush of a certain shape - for example, stop growing branches in the direction of a figurine or a TV screen. Thirdly, the "old" stems are woody, lose leaves and become unpleasantly bare. Circumcision of such “mouse tails” accelerates the development of new fresh shoots.
What problems may arise
Fortunately, Antarctic cissus is sick and infested with pests extremely rarely. If an invasion of whiteflies, aphids or scale insects has occurred, it is easily eliminated with the appropriate drugs and does not require any additional actions. All other possible problems arise only as a result of errors in the content. So, if watering is excessive or the soil is too dense, the flower begins to wither. The solution is elementary: set aside water, change the earth to a lighter one. You can simply add vermiculite or perlite to the soil mixture of the previous composition - this will increase air permeability, and the plant will cease to suffocate.
The leaves began to fly around - either a draft, or the temperature changes dramatically. Eliminated the cause (for example, outweighed the pot away from the balcony or air conditioning) - cured the flower.
The ends of the leaves wrinkle and brown - a lack of moisture in the air, it is worth increasing the frequency of shower procedures. If the leaves turn brown over the entire area and become covered with mold, then you have waterlogged the plant, and you have done this more than once. It may well be necessary to replace the top layer with fresh soil, and certainly you need to revise the schedule of irrigation and their rate.
If you make no mistakes, your cissus (photo - in the article) will please you for a long time.