Features of planting and caring for indoor euonymus
The euonymus shrubs that burn in autumn are an original and easy decoration for both the garden plot and the window sill in the house. But how can a fairly large plant, which, depending on the species and variety, reach 1–9 meters in height, can become a pot culture?
It turns out that euonymus of deciduous and evergreen forms in the East have long been used by bonsai lovers to grow miniature living compositions.
The use of competent pruning and the methodical formation of the crown helps to tame the growth of the indoor euonymus flower. A few years after planting, a real tree grows from the cuttings with a dumpy trunk, curved branches and a beautiful crown, decorated with foliage and unusual fruits.
If the indoor flower is an euonymus of evergreen varieties, for example, Japanese euonymus, then the branches remain covered with red, purple or variegated foliage, but the life processes of the plant slow down, therefore, the care for it also changes.
Planted in a limited volume of a pot, euonymus remains a perennial culture that has its own preferences and characteristics and requires an individual attitude and approach.
How to handle an indoor spindle tree, planting and maintenance of which is carried out not in the open field, but indoors?
Rules for caring for euonymus in room conditions
Garden euonymus is famous for its good adaptability and unpretentiousness. Even novice lovers of decorative cultures can take care of him.
- The shrub grows well in almost any soil, the main thing is that the substrate is loose and permeable to moisture and air.
- Euonymus of all types tolerate shade well, but you can get a compact, even crown and bright color of autumn foliage only if the bush is planted in a well-lit place or at least in partial shade.
- Dry air is also not harmful to shrubs, but dry soil can cause wilting of foliage and its premature fall.
- The dormant period lasts from November to April, during the cold season. During these months, the plant needs almost no moisture and nutrients. The illumination of the shrub decreases.
The same rules should be adhered to when planting and caring for a room, as in the photo, euonymus.
Planting and subsequent care of indoor euonymus
For euonymus, a loose soil with a weak alkaline reaction, an abundance of nutrients and good permeability is required. If the plant is not planned to be subjected to rigid shaping, you can take a mixture of turf, sand and humus.
For bonsai, it is useful to add loam to the substrate to provide better adhesion of the root system to a small earthy clod.
To limit the growth of the shrub and facilitate the care of the euonymus, planting is carried out in a small pot, the width of which is equal to or greater than the depth. At the bottom of the container, drainage is made to remove unnecessary moisture to the plant and prevent root rot.
When planting, it is important to maintain the integrity of the original soil ball around the roots.Therefore, the plant is lowered into a depression made in advance in the substrate, then the voids are filled with soil and carefully compacted. The soil during planting should be moist, like the root system of the plant.
After planting spindle tree care includes:
- regular watering when the topsoil is dry under the bush;
- feeding with complex means from April to September with a frequency of 2 times a month;
- spraying the crown of euonymus on especially hot summer days;
- shaping crown pruning before the start of active vegetation;
- pinching of lateral shoots appearing in summer;
- sanitary pruning in the fall;
- plant transplant every 3-4 years.
At home, euonymus feels good on western or eastern windows.
It is better to protect the plant from direct sunlight, and if possible, it is best to keep the shrubs in the fresh air from spring until the onset of autumn coolness. Wintering of euonymus is carried out in a cool room. Watering is carried out very sparingly, feeding is not needed.
Reproduction of spindle tree at home
Indoor flower euonymus can be propagated using seeds collected from ripe and opened bolls, as well as by cuttings.
If a grower has seeds of a suitable variety and quality, they are placed in a container with moistened sand and sent to a household refrigerator for three months. Positive temperatures close to zero will harden the planting material and activate pecking.
After the expiration of the period allotted for stratification, the container is removed from the cold and placed in a brightly lit place, previously covered with glass or film to prevent moisture evaporation.
- The heated seeds are transferred to a layer of loose sterilized substrate, laid out on the surface and carefully sprinkled with a thin layer of sand.
- Then the soil is irrigated from a spray bottle.
- A container covered with a film is placed in a greenhouse.
- For the germination of seeds of the indoor euonymus flower, a constant air temperature is required within the range from 22 to 27 ° C.
- Every 4 days, the condition of the soil is monitored, which, if necessary, is sprayed, and the container with seeds is ventilated.
The seeds of the plant do not differ in fast and friendly germination, therefore, the reproduction of spindle tree in this way is rather laborious and not always successful.
The long-awaited sprouts can appear only 8 weeks after sowing. When real leaves appear on the seedlings, they are carefully dived. Further development of seedlings takes place indoors or on a terrace, protected from drafts and cold air.
Propagation of euonymus by cuttings gives better results than obtaining seedlings from harvested seeds. Planting material cut off in August or September from the tops of healthy shoots is rooted in a room greenhouse, buried in a mixture of equal parts of washed sand and peat... When the cuttings acquire their own root system, they are transplanted to a permanent place. This is best done in early spring.
Pests and diseases of the euonymus indoor flower
Like shrubs in the open field, a small indoor euonymus needs protection from diseases and insect pests. Most often, growers are faced with plant damage by mealybugs, which weaken the pot culture. It is not excluded that the euonymus is populated by a scabbard, a spider mite and harmful fungi.
In order to prevent the death of a green pet, they not only treat it with systemic drugs, but also establish care. Planting euonymus is carried out only in disinfected soil.