Muraiya is a rather rare and little-known tree house lover. Moreover, it is loved by aesthetics from floriculture. Muraiya is not only attractive in appearance, exudes a delicate exquisite aroma, but is also an aromatherapist and doctor for its owners.
This exotic tree from the Rutov family, originally from Southeast Asia, is the closest relative of citrus fruits.
Plant name
Murraya flower was named after Murray, a scientist, professor of medicine and botany from Sweden. Due to the shape of the flowers and their aroma, florists call the tree an orange jasmine. And for the pungent flavor of the leaves, which has black-fruited muraya Koenig, it is called the curry tree.
In addition, the flower is called the tree of emperors, fragrant tree, Japanese myrtle and exotic murai. In addition to Japan, the tree is found in China, India, and Taiwan. It grows even in Australia.
A bit of history
For many centuries in Japan, murayu was used to decorate gardens. In this country, the tree is called the Japanese myrtle. For a long time, only a select few could admire its exquisite beauty: it grew only in the gardens of Japanese emperors. According to legend, for trying to make this plant and even its seeds outside the palace of the emperor, the guilty person lost his head. The same fate awaited the ordinary Japanese, who ventured to grow Muraya.
During the time of the great emperors in ancient China, this plant was valued and protected no less than its owners. It was believed that it gives eternal life and youth.
Description
In nature, there are about 10 species. In indoor floriculture, low varieties of panicled and aronia muraya, bred by breeders, are grown. Panicled variety, some are called Dutch, others - ours or ordinary, others - exotic. In fact, this is one and the same plant, but, surprisingly, it grows in different people and under different conditions in different ways.
Muraiya is a perennial evergreen that can live at home for quite some time. Florists grow murayu in the form of a tree or bush. Their size is from 30 cm (dwarf varieties) to one and a half meters. The shoots and trunk of an adult tree are covered with a smooth gray-yellow bark. In young plants, shoots are slightly pubescent.
Branches are elastic, thin, perfectly bendable. Over time, they stretch, forming a lush and dense crown. For high specimens of muraya, home care involves a garter to the support in order to protect fragile branches. At first, the flower grows rather slowly, but when the root system fills the space of the pot, the terrestrial part of the plant will actively grow. Even dwarf varieties of murai grow annually by several centimeters.
The leaves of the plant are oval or elliptical, complex, dense, shiny, consisting of 5 or 7 lobes of dark green color. The size of one leaf is from one to nine centimeters and up to 6 cm wide. In the central part, the leaf plate is slightly bent along the central vein.
Flowering and fruiting
This is truly an amazing plant. On muraya, you can simultaneously see the ovaries, fruits, unblown buds and flowers. Flowers stay on branches for three days. They are replaced immediately by new ones. Flowering is usually year-round. The fruits of muraya are tied easily, since it is a self-pollinated plant.
To stimulate fruiting, it is sometimes pollinated by transferring pollen from one flower to another with a soft brush. This must be done if for some reason the fruits do not appear for a long time. Heat or very dry air makes pollen unviable.
Types of Murai
We have already said that in nature there are about ten species of this plant, but only three of them are grown at home:
We will tell about the last variety in more detail.
Paniculata muraia (exotic)
This species is considered the most popular, due to the decorativeness of a fast-growing spreading bush and the beauty of flowers. With proper care at home, panicled muraya (photo you can see below) reaches a height of one and a half meters. The stem of an adult plant is lignified.
Oval leaves are bright green. Their length reaches 15 cm. On the tops of young shoots, quite large (up to 8 cm) inflorescences with white small flowers bloom. After pollination, bright orange berries appear. They are edible, have a pronounced aroma of citrus.
We presented the general characteristics of this exotic plant. It's time to evaluate how difficult it is to grow and care for muraia at home.
Seed germination
Every lover of indoor plants wants to see Muraya flowering in his house. Home care begins with proper seed germination. They should hatch before planting, so immediately after soaking at room temperature in water for two to three hours, they are laid out on moist foam or a soft cloth and left in this state until very small shoots appear.
To germinate the seeds should build a "greenhouse". Place a layer of foam in a plastic container and moisten it so that a little water protrudes to the surface. Cover the container and place in a warm place (temperature + 28 ° C). After the seeds germinate, they are transplanted into cups with a moistened substrate. For this purpose, you can use a ready-made composition intended for citrus fruits.
Glasses with seedlings should be placed under a phytolamp and covered with a film on top. Seedlings should not be watered, since the film helps to maintain the necessary level of humidity in the glasses.
Hardening and watering
For muraya seedlings, home care, according to flower growers, is very important for the further development of the plant. Glasses should not be opened until the first sprout appears. After this, hardening should begin - about half the film is lifted overnight.
The next stage of hardening will be the opening of the film for a longer period. At the same time, very careful watering of the seedlings begins. To do this, use a spray. Before moistening the soil, it must be carefully, trying not to damage the plant, to loosen, so that voids do not form in the glass.
Seedlings must completely get rid of the shell. They can be helped in this by carefully removing it with tweezers. After that, young plants are again set under a phytolamp for further development and growth. Within a month, several leaves appear on them. It is important to know that with proper care at home, panicled muraya grown from seeds can bloom in four months.
Growing at home
Many owners of this exotic plant believe that it is not so difficult to grow it. It is only important to provide the flower with proper care. It includes:
- compliance with the temperature regime;
- preparation of light nutrient soil;
- proper lighting;
- regular watering;
- top dressing;
- pruning.
The soil
You may have seen photos of Muraya flower in magazines for indoor plant lovers. Care at home, properly organized, will allow you to grow such a luxurious plant. For this, it is necessary to prepare fertile soil that conducts air and water well. To do this, ready-made shop soil for citrus fruits should be combined with nutrient soil, which is pre-treated with a disinfecting solution of the Baikal or potassium permanganate preparation.
For looseness, dilute the soil with coconut fiber or perlite. It is important to know that a different soil is needed for an adult and a young plant. Young seedlings develop well in loose and light soil, while adults need heavier soil.
Lighting
This photophilous plant is muraya. Home care (photos you can see in this article) must be arranged so that the flower is well lit. The light should be diffused, but at the same time bright. Muraya does not tolerate the direct rays of the sun. If there is no way to put the plant anywhere except in the southern part of the room, then a light shadow should fall on the flower. The most comfortable places for this plant are western or eastern windows.
In winter, daylight hours should not be less than 14 hours. That is why, during this period, the care of the muraia at home should be supplemented with lighting. To do this, use a phytolamp or a regular table lamp. The main thing is that the distance to the plant should be at least 30 cm.
Temperature
Another important parameter, without considering which, it is difficult to imagine home care for muraia. In summer, the plant needs a temperature of no higher than + 25 ° C, in winter it is allowed to drop to + 18 ° C. The minimum temperature that a plant can tolerate is + 12 ° C.
Watering
Humidification of the soil is regulated depending on the season. In summer and spring, watering should be plentiful, but without waterlogging, from September to March - moderate. In spring and summer, the plant is watered four times a week. In autumn and winter - 1 time. Water should be settled and filtered. The plant tolerates spraying well.
Humidity is not a very significant factor for this plant. Its necessary level is created by constant spraying. Once a week, wipe the leaves from dust with a damp cloth.
Top dressing
Home care for muraya should include regular feeding. Young seedlings do not need them. The first feeding is done three months after planting in a permanent pot. This is necessary to support the active vegetation of the plant. In addition, fertilizers must be applied at the beginning of fruiting, and then regularly twice a month until the fruit ripens.
For feeding use a mixture of mineral and organic fertilizers, fertilizers for citrus.
Transfer
Very young plants are transplanted in containers 2 cm larger in diameter than the previous ones, once a year. Adult plants need a transplant once every three years. Between transplants, it is necessary to refresh the topsoil.
A flower transplant is carried out by transshipment so as not to disturb the earthen lump.
Pruning murai
If you want your tree to have a beautiful, well-groomed crown, when caring for muraya at home, you should not forget about pruning. It is also made for sanitary purposes. Usually the procedure is carried out at the end of February. Each twig is shortened into two nodules. If there are less than three leaves on the branches, you should not touch them. At the same time, all branches growing inward, towards the trunk, are removed.
To prevent flowering too early (up to 5-6 months of age), it is better to pinch the first buds of muraya. The plant will immediately respond with a second color, which is also removed. This procedure will allow the seedling to accumulate strength and grow up to 30 cm.
Breeding
We have described the reproduction of muraya by seed above. This is a reliable and proven method. For example, dwarf muraya reproduces only this way. Cuttings are not so reliable and also take much longer. The cuttings are cut from the top of the shoot and placed in moist sand for rooting, covered with a film on top. After about 30 days, the first roots appear, after which the sprout is transplanted into a separate container.
Pests and diseases
With proper care, muraya is disease resistant. When watering with insufficiently distant water, chlorosis can develop. In this case, the plant is treated with chelated iron. Excessive watering can cause the appearance of powdery mildew and root rot.
Of the pests, the tree is most often affected by a spider mite, whitefly, aphid and scale. The tick and whitefly can be eliminated by spraying with onion or garlic solution. It will be protected from insects by the quick processing of leaves with kerosene and washing them with soapy water. Fighting aphids is best done with a yarrow decoction.
Growing problems
Most of them arise due to the fact that the conditions of plant maintenance do not meet the requirements. With improper care at home, muraiya leaves fall. This indicates that the plant is not enough light. It is enough to rearrange it to a brighter place. The lack of color of muraya can be caused by several reasons:
- cramped pot and transplant is needed;
- lack of nutrients;
- You have purchased Dutch murayu, which at home may not bloom.
Yellowed and drying leaves of muraya indicate a sharp temperature difference, high temperature in the room, insufficient humidity, drying out of an earthen coma.
Owner reviews
Many flower growers say they were fascinated by this plant when they saw photos of muraya in the magazine. Care at home for the flower is not complicated, it grows rapidly, almost constantly blooms. The efforts to care for him more than pay off. Great aroma and real home decoration delight.