Today, many interesting plants are used to decorate the interior. They create a cosiness in rooms, and also provide a healthy microclimate in the room. The presence of a sufficient number of plants provides normal humidity. Also, various representatives of the flora produce a sufficient amount of oxygen.
One of the most beautiful, popular species is the birch houseplant. Even a beginner grower can grow it. The features of caring for this plant will be described below.
Description
Indoor plant birch (photo below) is quite popular among amateur gardeners and professional interior designers. The unpretentious shade-tolerant representative of the flora serves as an ideal decoration for the office, corridor, hall, lobby or bright hallway.
What is the name of a houseplant birch scientifically? The flower is called roicissus and belongs to the grape family. His homeland is the tropical forests of Central Africa. The genus of roicissus includes 15 species of plants, of which only 3-4 species are grown as indoor plants.
Roicissuses are evergreen creeping and curly vines. In nature, their shoots reach a length of 0.6-6 m, however, at home, their length does not exceed 3 m. The stems are covered with simple or complex three-part green leaves. Under natural conditions, roicissus blooms with small false umbrellas, but does not bloom in room conditions.
Types of Roicissus
A birch-like houseplant or rhombic roicissus is a winding evergreen vine with complex rhomboid leaves on long stalks, which are alternately arranged on thin shoots up to one and a half meters long. The upper side of the leaves is painted in a more saturated dark green color, while the lower side is distinguished by a lighter, dull green color. It is used as a potted or ampelous plant, or as a liana on a support to create green walls, screens and screens in the interior.
Cape Roicissus is a fast-growing unpretentious plant with large symmetrical leaves, remotely resembling grape in shape. Bright green leaves reach 18 cm in diameter and are not divided into lobes, but only have large curly notches. Shoots grow up to two meters in length. This species of roicissus is grown on pylons and as an ampelous culture. It looks very impressive in large compositions.
Finger-shaped roicissus differs from other species in the form of leaves that really resemble fingers. It has a smart look and looks good on supports.
Roicissus multicolored is especially decorative. Its characteristic feature is a rich coloring - red-violet stems and green-red leaves with a barely noticeable silver pattern.
The choice of plant variety depends on the preferences of the owners of the house. From each type of these colors, you can create chic compositions that will decorate any type of interior. You will also need to consider the features of growing roicissuses at home. You need to know a few nuances.
Care
One of the main reasons for the popularity of birch trees is its unpretentiousness and simplicity of requirements. This indoor flower requires minimal care. Moreover, it is the same for all types of roicissuses. Even the rarest decorative species of this plant are grown according to the same rules.
The birch perfectly adapts to various temperature conditions, air humidity and level of shade. Therefore, this species can be grown even by inexperienced gardeners. Roicissus is suitable for any room.
However, in order for the birch to look especially attractive, it is necessary to observe some minimum requirements for the conditions of its maintenance. So, if a house birch plant has settled at home, how to care for it?
Lighting
The main lighting requirement, like most indoor vines, is the lack of direct sunlight, especially midday. From this effect, burns remain on the leaves of roicissus. Therefore, the "birch" must be shaded or placed on the windowsills of the western, eastern windows. During the hot season, you can rearrange the pot into the interior of the room. However, do not leave roicissus in the shade. From this, he will also be ill and develop poorly.
The rest of the houseplant birch does not impose special requirements on the choice of location. She feels best in partial shade, but grows well also in a brightly lit place. Great for northern windows that most indoor plants don't like. Therefore, this type of plant can be grown in different rooms with more or less light.
Temperature
Indoor plant birch, especially the species Cape Roicissus, prefers cool. Therefore, it feels great in rooms that are less heated in winter than living rooms - in halls and corridors. In summer, the optimal temperature for a birch is + 18-22 degrees, in winter - about +15. However, if it is impossible to ensure the optimal temperature regime, roicissus also adapts to hotter conditions, only slightly losing its decorative effect.
Birch is not afraid of warm summer drafts. However, in winter it should be protected from streams of cold and contrasting air. In summer, roicissus is not only possible, but it is even advisable to take it to fresh air, placing it in the shade or partial shade. In the warm season, the "birch" can easily decorate a balcony, terrace or shady corner of the garden. Its spreading green branches will be able to complement any floral arrangement.
Watering
Even soil moisture without excessive moisture, but also without complete drying is a necessary condition for the well-being of roicissus. Therefore, it should not be watered with a certain frequency, but as necessary, controlling the degree of drying of the top layer of soil in the pot.
As soon as 1-2 upper centimeters of soil dry out, the plant needs to be watered with settled water at room temperature. Hard, salted and cold water is strictly contraindicated to the "Birch". The liquid from the pan should be drained immediately, preventing its stagnation even for 5 minutes.
If possible, after each watering, it is worth loosening the soil. If this is not possible, loosening should be carried out at least once every 2-3 weeks.
It is better to water in the summer after sunset. Moreover, the higher the flower is located, the more often it needs to be watered. In winter, the intensity of irrigation depends on the ambient temperature. If the plant is in a cool room, watering is reduced, maintaining a small, stable substrate moisture. In a warm room, roicissus is watered in the same way as in summer.
Air humidity
Room birch tolerates both dry and excessively moist air. It also greatly facilitates care. With increased air dryness, the plant should be sprayed regularly and from time to time pamper it with a warm shower. If it hibernates in a hot, well-heated room, it is necessary to wipe the leaves with a damp sponge at least once a week. But at the same time, to install humidifier devices for it, both industrial and home-made, is completely unnecessary.
Breeding
It is very easy to propagate a birch houseplant at home by the method of cuttings. For this, young shoots with several internodes are used, which are cut from the top of the plant. To form the roots, they are placed in warm water or planted in a special mixture of sand and peat. The air temperature in the room should not fall below +20 degrees.
Even unnecessary branches left after the planned pruning, which is carried out in the spring to improve the appearance of the plant, are suitable for the propagation of roicissus.
After rooting, shoots are planted in nutrient soil. The plant loves loose nutritious soil, consisting of two parts of turfy soil, two parts of leafy soil, two parts of humus and one part of coarse sand or peat-sand mixture.
Why do the leaves of a plant dry?
Sometimes at a houseplant, birch leaves dry. There are several reasons for this reaction. The following factors can cause such changes on the leaves:
- The air in the room is too dry. Humidity should be increased and the plant should be sprayed more often.
- Excessive watering, resulting in rotting of the roots. The flower needs a transplant.
- Mass falling of leaves is observed at a sharp temperature drop, for example, in autumn. With strong leaf fall, the plant also reacts to drafts.
- The dried birch leaves may indicate that the roots lack oxygen due to the strong compaction of the soil. It is time to either loosen it or transplant the plant.
Another situation can cause such deviations. If the shoots grow quickly, but the leaves grow dull and look unnatural, this means that the time has come to fertilize the soil.
Signs and superstitions
Despite the unpretentiousness, ease of care and excellent decorative properties, many people doubt whether it is possible to keep a birch houseplant at home? This is due to widespread superstition, as if this flower survives men from home. And not just all males, namely husbands. Many people think that keeping a birch in the house is a divorce, usually because of treason.
Opinions were divided on this point. There are both active fans and ardent opponents of the content of roicissus in the house. Truth, as usual, is somewhere in between. It has long been known that signs work where they are believed. So if the owners of the house are sure that this cute flower will spoil their personal life - you do not need to start it in your apartment.
If the florist believes that all these are fairy tales and stupid superstitions - you can safely settle this wonderful plant in your apartment. Moreover, it is proved from a purely scientific point of view - roicissus not only decorates the room, but also improves its ecology - cleans and moisturizes the air, kills harmful microorganisms and absorbs some dangerous substances, for example, formaldehyde, and, as a result, increases the immunity of all the inhabitants of the apartment . With proper care, a birch houseplant will delight you with lush greenery and will become an adornment of any interior.