Nolin flower is a succulent plant that belongs to the Agave family. It got its name in honor of the famous French botanist and gardener. Due to its unusual shape and simple care of it at home, this flower, or rather, a small tree, is popular among amateur gardeners.
An unusual indoor palm tree perfectly survives, does not cause much trouble to the owners: this tropical perennial plant is considered one of the most unpretentious.
Description
In vivo, nolin is widespread in Mexico, where it grows up to 10 meters in height. In indoor floriculture, the plant rarely exceeds 1.5 meters. At the base, the straight trunk of the flower expands, taking the form of a jug. The trunk of the plant has the ability to accumulate moisture. Thanks to this, nolina got the second name - bottle tree. The long and narrow leaves of the flower at the top are collected in a lush rosette. This dense bunch caused another name to appear - a horse's tail.
The surface of the sheet is rigid, resilient, having distinct grooves. Young leaves grow from the center of the green bunch. Blooming nolin can be seen only in vivo. White-yellow flowers gather in panicled inflorescences with a strong and pleasant aroma. Unfortunately, at home, the plant does not bloom. After pollination of flowers on the plant, seed bolls are formed in which rounded flat seeds of dark color are located.
Nolin has a strong trunk structure of brown or gray. The bark is rough, covered with cracks. Under it is a moist green flesh. The extended part of the trunk is called caudex. A narrower trunk is located above it, sometimes there are several of them, and each of them is crowned by a bunch of thick green foliage.
The plant is shrouded in legends, signs and superstitions. It is believed that at home, nolin maintains calm and harmony in the family, eliminates rage and anger.
The genus of these tropical plants consists of 30 species. However, in indoor floriculture, only one is grown - bent nolin. Home care is easy even for beginner gardeners. The main thing is to follow the simple rules of plant maintenance.
In many floriculture publications, you can see a photo of a nolina flower. Home care generally comes down to proper lighting and regular watering.
Transfer
This is the first procedure that should be carried out after acquiring a plant in a flower shop. Soil and transport pot are not suitable for keeping nolina in room conditions. The pot for the plant should be shallow, wide, with a diameter greater than the trunk by about 5 cm. Its thickened part should remain on the surface, and the rest in the soil. Only the root system is placed in the substrate. It is necessary to evenly spread the roots throughout the pot.
Basic transplant requirements:
- The procedure is carried out in early spring.
- An adult plant is transplanted no more than once every three years.
- The need for transplantation can be determined by the growth of nolin: if it slowed down, then the plant needs a transplant.
- Another sign is the roots that appear in the drainage holes.
After transplanting, the plant is not watered for about 7 days. If nolina is transplanted due to her illness, then watering begins after 10 days.
The soil
The composition of the substrate should include sheet land, peat and sand. It is advisable to add a little humus to the mixture. Plant growth is activated by the addition of turf land. As a soil, you can use the finished mixture for cacti. When transplanting, pay attention to the drainage layer. It is necessary to prevent stagnation of water.
Nolina: home care, photo
Despite the fact that the plant is undemanding to the conditions of detention, care for nolin should be regular. Otherwise, the plant will die - the leaves will begin to dry, the caudex will rot, the plant will stop growing. Caring for nolina (we posted a photo in this article) requires compliance with certain requirements for watering, lighting, maintaining temperature, fertilizer, humidity.
With frequent watering and insufficient lighting, the plant forms a dense and lush crown. With rare watering and good lighting, the trunk at the base expands, becoming a bottle, and the crown begins to resemble a palm tree.
Lighting
The plant feels best on the southeast windows. Despite the fact that the plant loves warmth, direct sunlight should be avoided. In winter, it is better to rearrange the tree at partial shade, but it must be a window sill: in this case, the plant receives the necessary amount of light even in the cold season. If your room does not have enough natural light, you will have to use artificial light. A table lamp is suitable for this.
Temperature
A feature of caring for nolin during active growth is that the plant needs to adapt to room temperature. In summer, she can be taken out onto the street (loggia, balcony) because she loves warmth. If in winter the temperature is above +18 ° C, the plant will continue to grow actively. If it drops to +12 ° C, then the tree needs to be prepared for this in advance. Reduce the temperature in the house gradually.
Watering
You may have seen photos of nolina flower in indoor floriculture magazines, the care of which is not complicated, but has some features. This is particularly true for irrigation. In the warm season, the plant is watered abundantly. There are several watering methods, but experienced flower growers prefer the lower one - through the pallet. Periodically, you can immerse the pot in which the flower grows in water. Wait a few minutes for the soil to soak, and allow excess water to drain.
Between watering the earth needs to dry well. The interval is usually 4-6 days. The next watering is carried out after the earthen lump is completely dry. In winter, watering is reduced to a minimum (no more than once a week). The number of water procedures can be different, because it depends on the air temperature: if it is high (above +25 ° C), the summer regime is maintained, at low (+15 ° C) watering is completely stopped.
It is necessary to spray the leaves regularly. They can be cleaned with a damp cloth. This is especially true if the apartment has dry air. For this, it is necessary to use settled water.
Breeding
Experienced flower growers recommend that beginners purchase a bottle tree in a specialized store. Caring for nolin involves reproduction of the plant - sooner or later this will have to be done. At room conditions, the tree propagates in two ways - lateral cuttings and seeds. More simple and convenient - the first. Although, it should be recognized that both methods take a lot of time.
Seed propagation
From the seeds of nolin grows for a long time. Having bought a bag in the store, first of all, it is necessary to sort out the seeds. Discard defective, dried, rotten immediately. To identify them, soak all the seeds for a day in warm water. Floated grains are unsuitable for planting. Then, the selected seeds should be soaked for a day or two in a growth promoter. For this, “Epin” and “Zircon” preparations are suitable.
These tools have the following advantages:
- increase resistance to diseases and pests;
- accelerate the rooting process;
- improve the characteristics of the plant;
- simplify adaptation to external conditions.
Sow seeds in a prepared substrate of sand and peat in a ratio of 1: 1.
By the time of sowing, it must be moistened. Seeds are laid on the surface of the substrate at a distance of about three centimeters from each other, and sprinkled on top with a thin layer of earth. Some gardeners advise covering the pot with glass or film. It should be replaced when condensation appears on it. This is usually done once a week.
Then put the pot of seeds in a warm and bright place. The optimum temperature is +25 ° C. Illumination is required at night. The daylight hours for nolin must be at least 12 hours.
Propagation by processes
This method is much simpler, although it has one feature: nolina rarely shoots in indoor floriculture. But if there is a process that can be separated, then this method can be used.
Training
Gently cut the stalk as close to the base of the stem as possible. Immediately grease the place of cut with a solution of manganese or sprinkle with crushed activated carbon. The processes are dried for at least five hours. The lower layer of leaves must be cut off. You can leave only 3-4 top leaves.
Landing
The container for planting is filled with a mixture of peat, sand and vermiculite, slightly moisturize it. In the center, make a small hole and plant the shoot. Lightly compact the soil around it.
Care
Cover the seedling with a liter glass jar and place the plant in a warm and bright place. The temperature in the room where the plant is located should not be lower than +25 ° C until the moment when the nolin is rooted. When 3-4 leaves appear on the crown of the shoot, as well as along its length, the jar can be removed.
Using this method, it is possible to use the Zircon stimulator during growth. When leaves appear, care is carried out as usual, like an adult plant.
Diseases of room nolina
The plant is quite resistant to diseases and pests. If they arise, then the reason for this is improper care of the plant. This can be fixed by adjusting the conditions for the content of nolin:
- Excess moisture leads to rotting of the roots. About this plant informs the owner of the drying leaves. Let the soil dry well.
- If the air in the room is too dry, you will see that the leaves of the plant are blackened and deformed. Spray the flower and wipe the top with a wet sponge.
- With a lack of lighting, the plant loses its decorative effect.
- The development of the fungus leads to heavy soil, retaining moisture. In this case, the plant can be helped by replacing the substrate with a more moisture-permeable one, treating nolin with fungicides.
Pests
At low humidity and high temperature, the plant infects a spider mite. It is enough to adjust the microclimate, and treat the tree with insecticides. Yellowing and deformed leaves indicate the appearance of scale insects and thrips. They should be cleaned with soapy water and sprayed with karbofos.
Florist reviews
We presented you a description, photo of nolins. Home care, according to owners, is simple, although certain rules must be followed. Watch for air humidity, to which the plant is very sensitive. Carefully monitor the condition of the leaves: they will tell you what exactly in the content of the tree you need to adjust.