Aucuba care at home - how to grow a lush bush
In ancient times, growing aucuba was limited to gardening. Although caring for the aucuba itself is not difficult, only the nobility had it as a houseplant. For the golden blotches on the leaf plates, the culture was called the "golden tree". In nature, this decorative tree was impressive in size - up to 4 m in height. Thanks to the work of breeders, today we have compact varieties with a variety of colors. They are short, up to a maximum of 1.5 m in height, and are simply ideal for indoor conditions. What does an aucuba love and how to create ideal conditions for her?
Where to put the flower
Aucuba is not demanding in terms of lighting. She calmly tolerates partial shade and can "live" in the northern room. South windows are also suitable for a flower.
Variegated Aucuba varieties are the most demanding for light. They are best kept in bright, but diffused lighting. Otherwise, you can lose the brightness of the color.
The temperature regime of aucuba depends on the season:
- in summer, it is advisable to rearrange the pot in a cool room with an air temperature of about 20 ° C or outside;
- with the arrival of autumn, gradually lower the temperature by 5-6 degrees;
- Wintering should take place in a cool place, but not lower than 5 ° C.
During warm wintering, the aucubus must be provided with light and moisture.
Aucuba care
The decorative tree gratefully responds to care and attention. To grow a luxurious, lush and dense bush, you just need:
- Water the flower often in summer, but the soil should dry out slightly. A short-term drought is not as bad for the aucuba as overflow and stagnation of water. From excess moisture, its leaves begin to turn black. When wintering is cool, watering should be rare.
- If the room is hot and dry in winter, the aucuba should be sprayed frequently, otherwise the foliage will start to disappear.
- In the spring-autumn period, top dressing is applied, but not more than 4 times a month. In the spring, start with organic and then use mineral complexes or alternate.
- In March, if necessary, carry out formative pruning. Young plants are pinched to stimulate branching.
When caring for the aucuba, you cannot do without its transplant. Young bushes are handled annually in spring. Adults can be transplanted three times less often. It is better to take pots that are not deep. The soil for the aucuba should be fertile and loose. When making a mixture, you can use humus and light deciduous soil.