Codiaum is a very beautiful decorative foliage plant. Despite the fact that codiaum is capable of blooming, its aesthetic value lies precisely in its unusual leaves. The flower can be found under the names croton and codium.
The first name is erroneous, because croton and codiaum are completely different plants. And “codium” is a folk form of “codiaum”. There are several varieties of flowers; you can choose “your” codium simply from a photo, and since home care is almost the same for different types, you can purchase several plants at once without fear of creating difficulties for yourself.
Description of croton, origin, features
The houseplant croton is also called codiaum; now these names are considered to be synonyms. But from a scientific point of view, the second one will be more accurate. Crotons are a genus of over a thousand species of tropical shrubs and trees. Their closest relatives, they belong to the same family Euphorbiaceae, are codiaeums. According to the latest data, there are only 17 species of evergreen plants in this genus. And only one of them, Codiaeum variegatum, is adapted to home conditions. It is his flower growers who are accustomed to calling croton.
Croton is a tropical plant, it is accustomed to warm and humid climates.
Codium is native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia (common in India, Malaysia, Indonesia) and the islands of Oceania and Australia. The climate in these parts is mild, the temperature does not drop below +25, the rains are plentiful but short, and the soil is always slightly damp. Therefore, the plant fell in love with high humidity and very warm, even hot, air.
According to one version, the plant received the name croton from the ancient people who inhabited the Moluccas Islands (Indonesia). According to another, naturalist Carl Linnaeus gave it the name of the Italian city of Crotone, which in turn was named after the ancient Greek hero.
Croton (codium), like all representatives of the Euphorbiaceae family, has a milky sap. It is poisonous to humans and animals. Croton "milk" can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and skin irritation. Therefore, you must follow safety rules: wear gloves when starting work, and then wash your hands and tools. The plant should be out of reach of small children and animals.
In freedom, codiaum grows above 3 meters
In their natural environment, crotons grow up to 3 meters or more. Houseplants are rarely taller than one and a half meters, and there are compact forms up to 60 cm. As a rule, this is an upright bush with variegated leathery foliage. The shape of the leaf plate has many options: an elongated or very narrow oval, an ellipse with a pointed or rounded end, two or three blades. Some varieties of croton have spiral, wavy, or intricately curved foliage. Its color is no less whimsical. On one plant you can see different shades of green, as well as yellow, red, pink and purple, burgundy painting. The pattern and brightness of the ornament drawn by nature depend on the conditions under which the flower is kept and its age. The more light and the older the croton, the more interesting and rich the colors will be.
The older the croton bush, the more varied and interesting its coloring.
An adult croton can bloom with good care. But the inflorescences cannot compete with the variegated foliage. They resemble a brush and appear in the axils of the leaves, each with one to two dozen small whitish flowers. They are divided into male ones, consisting of stamens and similar pom-pom balls, and female ones, curved pistils. The flowers on the cluster are of only one sex, but they open at the same time. Flowering greatly weakens the croton, after which growth slows down for 3–4 months. Therefore, at home, flower stalks are usually removed.
Male croton flowers are balls of stamens, they are cute, but take a lot of energy from the plant
Croton has never been considered an easy species to grow. It has always had a reputation as a capricious and demanding plant. This luxurious beauty takes a long time to get used to a new place, can get sick immediately after transplantation, requires a lot of light and high air humidity all year round, and cannot tolerate cold and drafts.
It has become easier to grow codiaum (croton) at home; now there are devices that humidify the air and special lamps for plants
Previously, such requirements were difficult to meet. But now flower growers have accumulated a wealth of experience in growing the whimsical croton and are successfully using it. Plants and modern devices help fulfill the whims. To make the air tropically damp, you can use an electric humidifier or an indoor fountain. Short daylight hours will be lengthened by special lamps. But even with such technical support, the croton will not do without constant attention; it needs to regularly wipe the foliage, form a bush, protect it from temperature changes and pests. This plant is suitable for caring and caring gardeners.
Croton requires a lot of attention and care from the grower
Description
The color of the foliage is extremely varied : yellow, red, orange, purple, black dots and stripes are combined with lace silver and bronze patterns.
Such magnificence, apparently, became the reason to call this plant “Joseph’s cloak” - after the name of the biblical character who received from his father, to the envy of his brothers, brightly colored clothes of fine workmanship.
They are called variegated codiaum and croton . This name is considered inaccurate by botanists .
Like many members of the Euphorbia family, the sap that contains Joseph's Cloak Croton is poisonous. Therefore, it is not recommended to grow the plant where there are small children and pets, and after working with it you should wash your hands well.
When grown indoors, codiaum does not grow above a meter. He is demanding of living conditions , which should resemble his favorite jungle: warm, with bright lighting and high humidity.
However, at home, codiaum, “dressed in crimson and gold,” can not only be grown, but also propagated.
Indoor plant species and varieties
A single species, Codiaum variegatum, as well as its varieties and hybrid varieties, began to be grown as indoor plants. But they represent such a wealth of shapes and colors that other types were simply not useful.
Varieties of Codiaum variegatum:
- The narrow-leaved croton is equipped with long (about 20 cm) leaves, their width is no more than 1 cm. Yellow-golden strokes and specks are scattered across the green background.
- The appendage-like croton is variegated and green. Its leaves, wide at the base, narrow in the middle into a kind of petiole, and then expand again, forming a small leaf appendage at the end.
- Curly codiaum (crispum) has long, narrow, curled leaves. The greenery has stripes, spots, veins or a network of different shades of yellow. The brightest representative of the variety is Spiral with uniform turns of leaves.
- Lobed croton is distinguished by wide leaves divided into three parts. The central lobe is much longer and wider than the lateral ones. Yellow veins decorate the bright green of the leaf.
- Flat-leaved (platyphyllum) codiaum is a plant with large (up to 30 cm in length and 10 cm in width), oval leaves, their edges are slightly wavy.
- Oval-leaved (ovalifolium) with simple leaf blades in the shape of an elongated oval with a rounded end, rich yellow markings located along the veins.
- The tortoiseshell variety (tortile) is distinguished by leaves that are broad at the petiole and taper towards the tip. On an olive green background there are red and yellow stripes along the central vein and chaotic golden spots.
- Genuinum is a variety with solid oval leaves covered with a pattern of silver or gold color with a reddish tint. There are forms with small and ribbon foliage.
- Codiaeum variegatum pictum is the original form for most hybrid varieties. This is a shrub with a straight stem (up to 1 meter in height), which is covered with dense and hard leaves. They are painted with a pattern of bright yellow, red, pink spots on a green field.
The most famous varieties and hybrids of Codiaum variegatum pictum:
- Croton Petra is a branching stem bearing large, leathery leaves. Yellow veins, edges and dots are drawn on the main green background. The shape of the leaves is varied.
- Mrs. Iceton is a variety with wide, rounded leaves. Young plants have a cream pattern on them. With age, the color becomes more intense, becoming pink, yellow or red. There are forms of blood red or very bright yellow shades.
- The Excelent variety is easily recognized by its leaves, similar in shape to oak leaves. Young leaves, at the top of the plant, are yellow-green. At the base of the trunk - burgundy.
- Coroton Mammi is distinguished by narrow, small leaves. Their edges are slightly curved from the center. The color combines different shades of green, yellow, red and pink.
- The Zanzibar variety has long (about 40 cm) yellow-green leaves. They curve gracefully.
- Nervia is a variety with a colorful crown of bright green, lemon yellow and soft pink leaves. They are jagged with a well-defined vein in the center.
- Croton Tamara is a very rare variety. Oval leaves of medium size, bicolor. On the main dark green background, there are light green and white spots closer to the edges.
- Disraeli is a variety with lobed leaves. They are green-yellow above and red brick-colored below.
- Codium Black Prince with flat and wide foliage. The coloring is very original: the background is dark green, almost black, with red, yellow or orange markings.
What is Croton variegatum mix
Often, specialized stores offer plants called codiaum (or croton) variegatum mix. This is not a variety, but an indication that the batch contains specimens of this variety. Their color depends on the conditions and age of the leaves. So the same plant can look different. And even experts sometimes find it difficult to accurately identify the varietal identity of croton.
The name “Croton variegatum mix” can hide any variety
Video: introduction to crotons (codiaums)
News:
Article date: 01/12/2008Family: Euphorbiaceae (Euphorbiaceae).
Homeland: tropics of Asia, Oceania.
Flowering: rarely indoors, in summer.
Height: average.
Light: bright diffused. The plant is shaded from direct sun.
Temperature: 20-22°C in summer and not lower than 18°C in winter.
Watering: all year round, regularly and abundantly, with soft, lukewarm, settled water, as the top layer of the substrate dries.
Humidity: high. Regularly, if possible every day, the plant should be sprayed with soft, settled water (keeping an eye on the low lime content in the water), wiped with a damp cloth and frequently wash the leaves.
Feeding: mineral and organic fertilizers (from spring to autumn - once a week, in winter - once a month).
Pruning: formative throughout the year.
Rest period: not expressed.
Transplantation: in the spring, young ones annually, large overgrown specimens are replanted or transshipped every 2-3 years.
Reproduction: seeds and cuttings.
The genus Codiaeum, or Croton (Codiaeum Rumph. ex A.Juss.) includes 14 species of plants of the Euphorbiaceae family. Distributed on the islands of the Malay Archipelago and the Pacific Ocean.
Representatives of the genus are evergreen plants, trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, broadly ovate, obtuse or pointed, leathery, entire, notched, twisted, constricted, green and multi-colored, with petioles. The flowers are collected in racemes emerging from the axils of the upper leaves.
Codiaums are one of the most beautiful ornamental foliage plants, very demanding to care for. They are grown for their beautiful large variegated leaves. Small-leaved varieties of codiaums can be grown as standard trees. Can be used for bright, warm and humid rooms in greenhouses and winter gardens. Codiaum rarely blooms in summer. Small, decoratively inconspicuous flowers are collected in axillary racemose inflorescences.
Kinds:
Variegated croton (Codiaeum pictum (Lodd.) Hook.) . Synonyms: Croton variegated various. variegated (C. variegatum var. pictum (Lodd.) Mull. Arg. in AP de Candolle), C. variegatum diff. variegated (C. variegatum var. variegatum) . The plant is native to Eastern India, the Sunda and Moluccas Islands. Evergreens, shrubs 1.5–2.5 m tall or low growing, 3–6 m tall, trees, branched, with bare branches and shoots. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate, varying in shape, size and color. A species common in botanical gardens and in culture due to its exclusively decorative leaves. There are many different shapes and varieties available. Of these, the most famous are the following:
Varieties and forms:
diff. genuinum (var. genuinum) - leaves are flat, entire, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, the apex and base are pointed. On the upper side of the leaf, especially along the central vein, golden or silver painting is noticeable. Sometimes the leaf has a reddish tint.
diff. oval-leaved (var. ovalifolium) - leaves are oblong-oval, flat, entire, rounded-blunt at the tops and at the base, with pronounced golden-yellow areas on top and along the veins.
diff. decorated (var. picturatum) resembles the previous one in leaf shape, but the “second” leaf is narrower and elongated, rather elongated-lanceolate.
diff. recurvifolium (var. recurvifolium) has wide, almost oval, leaves, their edges are turned outward.
diff. tortoiseshell (var. tortile) - the leaf blade is deltoid or heart-shaped at the base, elongated at the top, linear with a slightly pointed apex, leaf spiralization is weakly expressed. The leaves of various forms of this variation are distinguished by their variegated color: against an olive-green background, a reddish central vein, along which there is a golden stripe, and irregularly shaped spots of the same color scattered on both sides of the central vein stand out clearly. One plant may have leaves that are completely golden or have a reddish tint.
diff. three-lobed (var. trilobium) . The base is wedge-shaped or deltoid, the leaf blade is tripartite. The color of the leaf is varied: there are forms with golden central and lateral veins, which are emphasized by spots of the same color. Other plants have wide golden stripes along the central and lateral veins.
Various _ wrapped (var. volutum) - broadly lanceolate, elongated leaves are rolled inward towards the stem, as a result of which the plant takes on an almost spherical shape.
narrow-leaved form (f. angustifolium). The leaves are narrow, linear, 15-20 cm long, 0.5-1.0 cm wide, the apex is slightly elongated. Golden spots are scattered randomly on a green background; the veins can also be painted the same color.
appendicula form (f. appendiculatum Celak.) attracts attention with the original shape of the leaves. The broadly ovate or lanceolate-ovate leaf blade narrows at the apex, forming, as it were, a second petiole, on which a second leaf blade is formed, resembling the main one in shape, but smaller in size. The color on both sides is green, although there are also variegated forms.
form curly cultivar Spirale (f. crispum cv. Spirale) — leaves petiolate, prostrate, rather long and narrow, oblong or linear-lanceolate, twisted into a spiral. Within this variety there are plants with different leaf blade shapes: a) linear-lanceolate leaves with golden veins forming a reticular pattern on a green background; b) leaves of the same shape, but spiral-curled with a golden central vein; c) leaves are lanceolate, extending from the stem at an angle of 30-45 ℃, rounded, along the central vein there is a golden stripe of indeterminate shape; d) leaves are longitudinally lanceolate, more or less spirally twisted with golden spots diffusely scattered over the green background.
lobed form (f. lobatum) - leaves are simple, quite large (18-22 cm long, 7-10 cm wide), the leaf blade is three-lobed, the central blade is elongated, the lateral ones are shorter, separated from it by a deep notch. The base of the leaf is narrowed. The leaves are green with yellow stripes and spots.
Varieties:
Andreanum - leaves are broadly ovate with a predominance of yellow color. Angustissimum - leaves are narrow, linear, the veins and leaf margins are yellow. Appleleant - yellow leaves, green veins, red border along the edge of the leaf. Aucubifolium - leaves are lanceolate, entire, 15 cm long, 5 cm wide, leathery. The leaf blade is dark green, the veins are light green, and yellow spots of varying sizes are scattered over the entire surface. Baron de Rotschild features spectacularly colored leaves ranging from olive green to pink and orange with reddish veins. Bravo - leaves are lyre-shaped, quite large, 25 cm long, 12 cm wide, leathery, dark green. Young leaves are decorated with a bright yellow stripe along the edge, small yellow spots and a vein of the same color. As the leaves age, they turn a crimson-purple color. Duke of Windsor - leaves are lanceolate, leathery, 30 cm long, 6 cm wide. In young leaves, small yellow spots and vein endings of the same color stand out against a green background. Mature leaves are olive green; against this background, the crimson central veins and small spots of the same color look contrasting. Indian Prince - leaves are linear, 40-45 cm long, 2.5-4.5 cm wide, widened at the base, tapering at the apex, olive green with yellow, red and orange tones. Norma - green leaves with red veins and yellow spots. Phillip - lyre-shaped leaves, 25 cm long, 9 cm wide, bright green with a bright yellow central vein and yellow spots. In older leaves, a dark reddish-green color predominates; the spots and veins become bright crimson. Punctatum aureum - leaves are narrowly lanceolate, 20 cm long, 1 cm wide, green with small yellow spots. Sanderi - leaves are lanceolate, leathery, 20-30 cm long, 7-10 cm wide, the base and upper part of the leaf blade are green, the central part in the area of the main vein is decorated with a large bright yellow spot, the color of which is emphasized by small dotted spots. Weismannii - the leaves are wide, wavy along the edges, the green color of the leaf blade contrasts with red petioles and yellow veins.
| C. pictum | C. pictum | C. pictum 'Goldfinger' |
Plant care:
Codiaums, or crotons, prefer bright, diffused light; they require protection from direct sunlight. Places near eastern and western windows are best suited for growing; near southern windows, it is necessary to provide shading from direct sunlight; near the northern window, codiaums may not have enough light. With a lack of light, variegated leaves lose their wonderful color. Variegated codiaums need more light than green-leaved ones, but they also need protection from direct sunlight. In winter, provide the brightest possible location.
Plants require a fairly high and uniform temperature (20-22°C in summer and not lower than 18°C in winter). It is better to keep them in the room in the warmest place - near the radiator (the air and soil temperatures should be almost the same throughout the year). At the same time, when kept warm, it is extremely important to provide the plant with high air humidity. Codiaum must be kept away from drafts, so it is better not to take it out onto the balcony or into the garden.
Codiaums are watered all year round regularly and abundantly, with soft, lukewarm, settled water, as the top layer of the substrate dries. It is necessary to avoid stagnation of water in the pan. To prevent acidification of the soil in the pot, use a small and cramped container so that the roots quickly master the earthen ball, but it is necessary to water regularly, preventing the earthen ball from drying out.
The plant needs high air humidity, at least 70-80%. Regularly, if possible every day, the plant should be sprayed with soft, settled water (keeping an eye on the low lime content in the water), wiped with a damp cloth and frequently wash the leaves; a warm shower once a month is useful. To protect against dry air, you can wrap the pot with damp moss, or even better, place it on a stand immersed in a container of water and expanded clay or peat for constant evaporation.
Throughout the year, codiaums should be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers (from spring to autumn - once a week, in winter - once a month with a weak solution).
To form a beautiful crown, codiaums require proper and regular pruning. It is recommended to pinch the young plant. The first is done when the plant reaches a height of 10-15 cm, then, as the shoot grows, every 20 cm, on the outer bud.
Codiaums are replanted in the spring, young ones annually, large overgrown specimens are replanted or transferred every 2-3 years, adding fertile substrate to a larger pot. The substrate is suitable rich in humus, slightly acidic (pH about 5.5). The planting mixture can be made up of turf, leaf, humus soil, peat and sand in equal proportions with the addition of pieces of charcoal. Good drainage is necessary. The plant is suitable for hydroponic culture.
Codiaums are propagated by seeds and cuttings. Seed propagation is rarely used, mainly in hybridization work. Plants are easily propagated by cuttings, and this method is widespread.
Cuttings are taken mainly in January–April, but cuttings are practically possible throughout the year. The tops of the shoots, as well as semi-lignified pieces of the shoots, are cut off for cuttings. After cutting the cuttings, milky juice flows out, so before planting it is necessary to wash them in warm water. The surface of fresh cuts is sprinkled with crushed coal. It is recommended to use the growth stimulator heteroauxin. Cuttings are planted in a distribution box or 1 copy in 7-centimeter pots. The substrate for planting cuttings is sand, but more often a mixture of sand and peat soil. Can be rooted in water. The temperature for cuttings needs to be at least 24C. Caring for cuttings consists of spraying and maintaining substrate moisture. Rooting occurs within 1-1.5 months. After rooting, the cuttings are planted in 7–8 cm pots. Composition of the soil: leaf - 1 tsp, humus - 1 tsp, peat - 1 tsp, turf - 1 tsp, sand - 1 tsp. After entwining the earth with roots, transfer it into 10-11 cm pots.
Precautions: the sap of the plant is poisonous and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and contact dermatitis. Care must be taken when performing any operation. Upon completion of work, you must wash your hands with soap.
Possible difficulties:
Due to a lack or excess of light, the leaves lose color.
Due to direct sunlight, burns appear on the leaves.
Due to dry air or soil, the tips of the leaves turn brown; if the temperature is too low, the edges of the leaves turn brown. For the same reasons, the lower leaves fall off.
Brown tips of the leaves indicate a lack of moisture in the substrate and in the air, and if the edges of the leaf blade are also colored this color, it is necessary to increase the ambient temperature.
Large leaves easily adsorb dust, and they are wiped with a soft, damp sponge at least 2-3 times a decade.
With low air humidity, codiaum is easily attacked by pests and diseases.
At a temperature of 12°C, dulling of the surface of the leaves is observed, and with a long stay at 10–12°C, the leaves fall off.
Young leaves are less brightly colored than older leaves. This is normal for the plant.
Damaged by: mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects, thrips.
Author of the article: Marina Mityaeva
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How to propagate croton (codieum) - we discuss the features of propagation
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Materials used in the article:
Garnizonenko T.S. Woody indoor plants. Encyclopedia/Series “The World of Flowers and Plants”. - Rostov n/d: Phoenix, 2002. - 384 p.: ill.
Indoor floriculture / R. Milevskaya, Y. Vies. - Mn.: Book House, 2005. - 608 p., ill.
Saakov S.G. Greenhouse and indoor plants and their care. - L.: Nauka, 1985. - 621 p.
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Common types
Codeium from the Euphorbiaceae family reaches a height of about 1.5-2 meters. Croton is native to islands in the Pacific Ocean, where it is always warm and humid. Codiaum prefers tropical climates. There are many types of codiaum, but in home floriculture the most popular are Croton Motley, Mammy, Sunny Star and Crispam, as well as codiaum Tamara.
Codeium
Codiaum Mammi
This species is a variety of variegated. India and Malaysia are considered to be the birthplace of the flower. It has the shape of a bush, the leaves of the Mammi croton are large, painted in various shades. From yellow-orange, with red splashes, to golden with green streaks.
The Mammy codiaum flower is popular among lovers of these plants due to the unusual foliage. It is narrow and spiral-shaped, creating a specific curly crown.
Codiaum Mammi
Codiaum Variegatus Mix
This is the main species from which most forms are derived. Codiaum Variegatus has large leaves, reaching 30 cm. They are characterized by leatheriness specific to codiaums. The leaves are always brightly colored with pronounced reddish or greenish veins. Each plant is individual, representing a real riot of colors - green, yellow, red, orange, and in some cases, almost black.
Interesting! The codiaum will retain its outfit all year round for many years.
The description of the Varigatum Mix plant indicates that this is not a specific variety, but a whole batch of one variety. Depending on the conditions of detention and the age of the leaves, the codium flower can look completely different. Even experts are not always able to identify the croton variety in a pot labeled Variegatum Mix.
Codium Variegatum Mix
Codeum Sunny Star
Codium Sunny Star is represented by a subspecies of the plant, with a large number of shoots on the sides. The leaves are lanceolate-shaped, painted in a bright light green color, and the tips are yellow. The homeland of Sunny Star codiaum is the south-eastern part of Asia, islands in the Pacific Ocean.
This is an interesting plant with narrow leaves. Codium is a flower famous for the beauty of its leaves, but codeium blooms inconspicuously and very rarely. Mostly in the summer. On a small peduncle, which the bush throws out, there is an inflorescence in the form of a ball. A plant similar to this variety is Croton Gold Sun.
Codeium Gold Sun
Codium Crispam
The croton variety Crispam or Crispum is also called codeium curly. The flower got its name due to its narrow and curled leaves. On the green part of the leaf there are spots, stripes and veins of various shades of yellow. These crotons also have their own varieties. A striking representative of the curly codiaum is the spiral one, which has uniform curls of leaves.
Conditions for croton (table)
| Season | Lighting | Humidity | Temperature |
| Spring | Bright, diffused light. A small amount of direct sunlight is beneficial. They will make the color brighter. The best place to place croton is window sills in the east or west, south side, but at some distance from the window. From the hot midday sun it is necessary to shade | High, 70–80%. Spray the plant regularly (in hot weather and with the heating on, 2 times a day). Wash the leaves. Humidify the air around you in all ways:
| Moderate and slightly elevated. Optimally +20–25 degrees. In the warm season, you can take it out into the fresh air, but protect it from drafts, significant temperature changes and cold winds. |
| Summer | |||
| Autumn | Bright, diffused. Daylight hours must last at least 12 hours, otherwise the leaves will lose their variegated color. Provide artificial lighting. | Moderate, slightly reduced, + 18–20 degrees. Below + 17 is unacceptable. Do not place near heating appliances or cold window glass. Maintain an even temperature, without fluctuations. | |
| Winter |
Clean leaves are the key to health
Croton is a neat plant; it can get sick due to the fact that the leaves are covered with dust. Why is wet cleaning so important?
- Dust closes the pores on the leaves, and this makes air exchange with the environment difficult.
- The dusty film slows down the process of photosynthesis, the plant suffers from nutrient deficiency.
- Dust can contain and accumulate harmful substances.
- Pests may be hiding under the dusty layer.
Washing crotons with wavy or curly foliage requires patience, but is important for the health of the plant.
Therefore, at least once a week, take a soft damp cloth and wipe the croton, admiring the colorful patterns. It is better in the first half of the day so that the plant dries out before nightfall. To make cleaning easier, pre-spray your beauty.
For greater beauty, you can add gloss to the foliage. It is better to take polishing products in aerosol packaging. Or try traditional recipes. Polish the leaves with beer, a weak solution of vinegar or milk. Do not touch young foliage. And polish the adult one carefully, do not press hard, so as not to cause injury.
Leathery leaves look good after polishing
Florarium and croton
Croton lovers say that the most difficult thing is to ensure high humidity. It is not always possible to create tropics in an apartment in which a fastidious plant feels good. Croton will enjoy living in a home greenhouse - a florarium. It is easy to maintain the desired microclimate, including high air humidity. Making an open florarium is not difficult. You will need a container with a door or an aquarium made of glass or transparent plastic.
- Fill the container with drainage material (pebbles + charcoal), porous soil substrate with a high sand content.
- Plant tropical plants with the same care and maintenance requirements.
- Moisten the plantings, cover them with a lid or just glass, and place them in a warm and bright place.
- The florarium plants themselves create a favorable microclimate.
- From time to time, if condensation appears, ventilate the mini-jungle.
- Once every few months, give the plants a rain and clean the florarium: inspect the pets, remove damaged leaves, add substrate if necessary.
For a florarium, select plants with similar habits
The many-sided croton is an ideal plant for a florarium. To avoid problems with care, you can plant different varieties. Such a “kindergarten” will not be boring. Good neighbors for croton are ferns, arrowroot, fittonia, rheo, selaginella. Avoid planting succulents and cacti with them.
An indoor florarium is sometimes called a garden in a bottle. Its main difference from an open one is a container with a rather narrow neck that closes tightly. After planting, the bottle garden is watered only once, and then it is sealed and not opened. Plants live in a closed ecosystem. An indoor florarium is not the best choice for croton. Its leaves are too large.
Croton is suitable for growing in an open florarium; for a garden in a bottle it is large
Is it possible to grow a bonsai from codiaum?
Croton's patterned foliage will look great on a bonsai tree. This idea certainly dawns on flower growers. And such bonsai are grown. But with great difficulty and losses. Croton has several qualities that make it unsuitable for this:
- leaves are too large and heavy;
- the plant does not tolerate transplantation well, and for bonsai this is an annual operation;
- easily loses foliage due to care errors;
- a straight stem is difficult to form.
You can grow a bonsai from croton, but it is difficult, and the result will not always please you
Maintenance errors and their elimination: table
| State of the codiaum | Causes | Troubleshooting |
| The tips of the leaves turn brown and dry out. | Keeping the plant in a hot room with dry air. Lack of proper watering. | Humidity should be maintained at 70% and watered properly. |
| The leaves have drooped and leaf fall has begun. | Growing at low temperatures, possibly with changes, watering with cold water. | Do not allow the room temperature to drop below +18°C. It is important to monitor soil moisture. |
| The leaves and stems are covered with a fluffy coating. | Spraying with hard water. | Salts can be removed with acidified water. For prevention purposes, it is recommended to spray with boiled water. |
| The plates became pale, the variegation disappeared, the stems elongated. | Lack of lighting. | The pot with codiaum should be moved to a well-lit place. |
| Leaf blades lose turgor. | Excessive watering. | You will need to adjust the frequency of watering. |
| Brown spots. | Sunburn. | Remove the plant from the south windowsill and move it to the west or east. |
Care
Codiaum has never been a plant easy to cultivate; it has always had a reputation as a very demanding and very capricious green pet. This exotic beauty takes a very long time to adapt to a change of place of residence, immediately after transplantation it can be sick for a long time, and needs good lighting and high humidity throughout the year. The flower does not tolerate low temperatures, cold drafts and dryness.
With the advent of home climate control equipment, maintaining a comfortable environment for plants has become much easier. Therefore, flower owners should take care of purchasing an air humidifier, air conditioners and phytolamps , which will create conditions in the room that are close to natural. But even with such support, codiaum requires constant attention, it needs to be properly cared for, protected from air currents, direct sunlight and temperature changes, it needs protection from pests, and also gratefully responds to periodic spraying of leaves, bush shaping and regular replanting .
Temperature
In order for your contact flower to feel as comfortable as possible, it is necessary to maintain the optimal temperature at +20.24 degrees Celsius. The extremely low temperature for it is considered to be +23 degrees during the dormant period (from November to February); if the room is cold, then life processes begin to slow down, and the plant does not have the strength for full growth and development.
Temperatures above +24 degrees are also unfavorable for this ornamental shrub, but its harmful effects can be compensated by increased air humidity parameters.
Drafts should be completely excluded, as well as staying near heating devices - in both cases, the codiaum begins to stretch, the leaf blades wither, and soon the plant may die.
Humidity
Full care of codiaum involves maintaining a given level of humidity. This figure should be 45% or more. If the air is too dry, you will have to put in a lot of effort to avoid yellowing and falling leaves; this problem especially often occurs in winter when the heating is turned on.
You can help a representative of the tropical flora if you turn on the indoor fountain near the flower from time to time, line the tray with moss and, of course, spray the leaves with a spray bottle. Such a shower will not only increase the humidity parameters around the codiaum, but will also stabilize the metabolic processes in the plant tissues.
Keep in mind that when spraying, water should not get on the ground.
Lighting
Codiaum responds very well to long daylight hours; it prefers brightly lit places, but the light must be diffused - under scorching sunlight there is a high probability of leaf blades getting burned.
That is why the optimal directions for arranging flowers are eastern and western . If the plant is grown on a southern windowsill, it will require additional darkening. On the north side, a flower can only fully develop with the use of additional lighting, otherwise the shoots begin to stretch, the leaves lose their variegation and richness of colors, and then completely fall off. The plant begins to wither and soon dies.
Usually, special phytolamps are used for illumination - they have the necessary yellow spectrum of light and at the same time do not create an increase in temperature around the plant.
However, if there is no special lamp, then an ordinary fluorescent lamp can help, but in this case it should be located at a distance of 50-60 cm from the flower.
Watering
The main requirement for caring for codiaum is good hydration from March to September. The plant needs abundant watering, which is done as the substrate in the pot dries. In the cold season, the activity of the plant subsides, so you need to water it less abundantly and irrigate it a little less often - you can wait a couple of days after the soil dries out.
The plant immediately signals a lack of water - the foliage becomes faded, loses its elasticity and wilts, however, excessive irrigation can also cause rotting of the roots, as a result the above-ground part of the flower does not receive enough nutrients and begins to dry out and wither.
For irrigation, you should use soft water, preferably settled for 2-3 days or filtered.
A couple of times a week, codiaum needs a warm shower or wiping the leaf blades with a soft, damp sponge.
Fertilizer
In spring and summer, simultaneously with watering, it is necessary to feed the flower. To do this, you can use ready-made complex preparations enriched with all the minerals, micro- and macroelements necessary for normal life of plants. Feeding should be done every 2 weeks.
During the dormant phase – in winter – the application of fertilizers can be suspended.
Molding
If you want your codiaum to have a beautiful crown, it must be pruned periodically; for a young plant, pruning is replaced by pinching. Trimming the top of the shoots stimulates the growth of the side shoots, which makes the crown dense and can be given the desired shape.
As a rule, the buds and flowers of codiaum do not have any decorative function, but only take on some of the vital nutrients and juices; they are recommended to be removed along with the leaves that have withered and lost their elasticity.
For pruning, use pruning shears or sharp sterile scissors, and after the procedure, the cut site is sprinkled with crushed activated carbon.
Croton care at home
Codieum Excelent: care at home. The success of growing a tropical plant depends on maintaining the required temperature and humidity, as well as on the timely application of fertilizers.
Location
It is advisable to choose a place near the heating radiator for the location of the croton. But in this case, it is important to maintain air humidity at 70% - spray the foliage once a day, wash the entire crown under a summer shower once a month.
To maintain soil moisture, you can place pebbles or sphagnum moss on its surface.
Croton lighting
Codiaum loves bright but diffused lighting. The optimal place to place a flower pot would be a window sill on the west or east side. When located on a southern windowsill, it is important to shade the leaves from the sun at midday, otherwise burns will appear on the plates.
Be careful!
But it is also impossible to leave the flower in partial shade, as the variegated color will become pale.
How to water and fertilize
Croton has large foliage, so it evaporates a lot of moisture. You need to water with warm water. It is impossible to fill it, as the roots will die off as a result of rot. Watering is carried out if the top layer of soil dries out by 3-4 cm.
In autumn, scanty watering is recommended, and in winter - as needed. The frequency of moistening depends on the temperature in the room - if it’s cold, water rarely. The plant reacts poorly to drying out the earth clod. For watering, it is important to use warm, settled water; if you water with cold water, the variegated codiaum will shed its leaves.
During the growing season, croton needs mineral supplements. When purchasing, you need to look at the composition. You should be aware that excessive application of nitrogen will negatively affect the color of the foliage. It is better if the fertilizer is potassium-phosphorus. In winter, you also need to feed croton, but with a solution in half the dosage. By understanding how to water croton, you can avoid mistakes.
Trimming
This procedure allows you to form an aesthetic bush with a neat crown. Pruning is done in the spring. If the flower is young, you only need to pinch the top part. This will encourage branching. The crown of a mature plant is formed by pruning shoots and removing excess branches. To prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases, the cut areas are treated with crushed charcoal.
The separated parts can be used in crop propagation by cuttings.
Popular propagation methods
To propagate the plant, the seed method and cuttings are used. In the first case, the task is difficult to accomplish, because the kernels are slow to germinate, and the crop itself grows very slowly. Most often, croton is propagated by cuttings. To do this, a shoot 10-15 cm long is cut from an adult healthy specimen, always with leaves.
The prepared cuttings are immediately planted in a substrate (you can use a mixture of perlite and peat) or placed in water with activated carbon to build up the root system. In the latter case, rooting slows down, and the planting material itself may die due to rot, which is why experienced gardeners use soil. Rooting is slow, so root stimulants are often used. The process takes from 1 to 3 months.
Transfer
The young plant needs to be moved to a new container every year. It should be about 3 cm larger than the previous one. The flower is taken out along with the earthen lump and carefully moved into a new pot, trying not to damage the roots.
Mature plants should not be moved so often. The procedure is carried out after 2-3 years. The exception is cases where culture develops too quickly.
If the roots do not have enough space in the pot, which is why they become visible, then the flower should be moved to a larger container earlier than planned.
Planting and transplanting
After each transplant, crotons get sick for a long time, adapting to the new environment, so young specimens need to be transferred with a lump of earth into a new pot. This procedure minimizes the risk of damage to the root system. Codiaum transplantation of young specimens is carried out annually, adult plants - once every 3 years.
How to transplant Croton Aiston, depending on age? Large flowers do not need to be replanted, but the top layer of soil should be replaced annually to a depth of 5-6 cm. A signal for replacing the soil is the appearance of a white coating on the surface and excessive compaction of the soil.
How to choose a healthy plant
When inspecting croton in a store, due attention should be paid to the foliage.
- The bright color of the codiaum mix indicates good health. Each leaf blade should have a well-drawn vein.
- Now you need to pay attention to the location of the foliage. The norm is a parallel arrangement of the plates at the bottom of the trunk, and at the top the leaves should point upward. If the plates droop sadly, the flower is sick.
- If dents, dots, or dry spots are noticed, it is possible that pests have settled on the codiaum.
- The presence of pits on the main trunk indicates that the crop has already lost some of its foliage.
- The earth ball should be slightly moist, but not overdried or waterlogged.
If you find several problems, it is better to refuse the purchase.
Replanting after purchase
A new plant in the collection is like a time bomb. Therefore, the pot with croton must be placed separately from other flowers. The optimal period of quarantine measures is 2 weeks.
After this period, you can transplant the plant into new soil and pot.
Attention!
Do not completely remove the transport substrate - this will help protect the root system. It is necessary to change the soil only if pests, rotten parts are noticed, or soil acidification has occurred.
Transplant process:
- The procedure is carried out only in previously disinfected soil.
- A drainage layer is required.
- Sprinkle a little new soil onto the pebbles or expanded clay and moisten it.
- To keep the earthen ball intact, it is necessary to water the plants well before transplanting.
- Now you need to tilt the pot, slap the bottom with your palm if the croton does not want to come out, and carefully remove the plant.
- After inspecting the root system and removing damaged segments, you will need to transfer the bush to a new pot and fill the void with a new fertile substrate.
- After planting, it is recommended to water the plant and place it in a warm place for adaptation.
If you consider that the exotic plant does not tolerate transplantation well, you need to add Epin, Zircon or Kornevin to the water for irrigation.
What soil is needed for croton
To grow codiaum, it is recommended to use fertile soil with a loose structure. The following compositions are suitable for culture:
- 1 part humus, 1 part sand, 1 part peat, 2 parts leaf soil;
- garden soil - 3 parts, sand - 1 part, peat - 1.5 parts;
- leaf soil - 2 parts, peat - 1 part, sand - 0.5 parts, humus - 0.5 parts.
Drainage made of expanded clay, vermiculite, and polystyrene should be poured into the bottom of the pot.
Important!
Before transplanting, it is important to disinfect the drainage and planting container.
Which pot is best for croton
Codiaum can be grown in plastic or ceramic pots. Young specimens grow better in plastic, as it is possible to observe the root system. Ceramics are more suitable for older plants, as they are heavier and more stable.
For your information!
In ceramic pots, the salt is absorbed by the material itself, which is very important for the culture.
The width and height of the ceramic pot should be approximately the same. It is important to make large drainage holes at the bottom of the container.
Pests and diseases
Preventing pest infestations is very simple. You just need to carefully inspect the plant during each watering and spraying.
If insects are removed in a timely manner , their population will never become so large that the plant will notice it.
Moreover, pests are usually afraid of codiaum because of its poisonous juice.
If somehow pests have taken over the plant, washing with soapy water and treating with a fungicide will help.
Frequent feeding and watering (without flooding) eliminates the occurrence of diseases.
Codiaum Peter can hardly be called a very capricious plant, however, it needs to be given attention.
If you follow the basic rules for caring for this variety of garden croton, it will delight you with its variegated foliage for many years.
Diseases
With proper care, codiaum is quite resistant to any diseases. However, just in case, you need to be prepared for some complications:
- Codiaum leaves turn pale. The reason is most likely the short duration of daylight hours. In this case, it is worth illuminating the plant with a fluorescent lamp.
- Dry yellowed leaves, burns. Here it is necessary to protect the flower from direct sunlight!
- Darkened edges of leaves and their falling. Perhaps the problem is the low temperature. It is highly recommended to take the plant to a warmer place. It may also indicate insufficient watering.
- Small leaves, slow growth. This probably happens when the codiaum is not fertilized in any way or is done in too small doses.
- Pests. More often, spider mites and scale insects grow on codiaum. Their appearance can be noticed due to the presence of a translucent whitish coating on the foliage and stems. To destroy pests, the entire plant is washed with soapy water (you can also add a little tobacco). Then rinse again with clean water. Next, you should treat it with a biologically based anti-tick product.
As a rule, such harmful insects appear due to insufficient humidity.
How and with what to fertilize without causing harm?
Croton Petra responds well to feeding. In summer and spring, fertilizer should be applied twice a month; in winter, fertilizing should be reduced and carried out no more than once a month.
Experienced gardeners recommend using organic fertilizers or alternating them with mineral fertilizers. The application of mineral fertilizers in high doses leads to the growth of ugly leaves. Nitrogen applied in excess amounts causes loss of variegated color.
Why do leaves become variegated in color?
The green color of the foliage is due to the large amount of chlorophyll, a substance that absorbs solar energy. But absolutely any plant has other substances, which therefore have a different color. If chlorophyll is missing, the leaf turns yellow (or red). In some plants the reverse process may occur. For example, the beautiful bracts of anthuriums, spathiphyllums, and callas become green after pollination. It is believed that this is necessary to enhance nutrition during the period of seed ripening. There are plants such as Croton (Codium), which regulate metabolism using non-chlorophyll areas on the leaf blades.
Personal experience. Croton after rooting.
Reproduction methods
Indoor codiaum is propagated by seed or by cuttings.
Seed material must be fresh. To begin with, the seeds are poured with warm water (50-60 degrees) for half an hour, then taken out and left to swell for 24 hours, wrapped in a moistened napkin.
While the seeds are being prepared, make up a soil mixture. It is important that it is drained, nutritious, slightly acidic, with high parameters of water and air permeability.
The seeds are buried 1 cm into the substrate, watering is carried out using the bottom method through a tray until the first shoots appear. When the seedlings acquire 2-3 leaves, you can safely transplant the young plant into small separate pots.
Most often at home, the cutting method is used. To do this, cut a stalk 8-15 cm long from the top, wash it under running water so that all the milky juice is completely released, and then dry it under natural conditions for a couple of hours. After all the manipulations, the cutting is placed in warm water in order to root it.
To avoid rotting of the roots, you can add a little coal to the vessel, or you can tint the water with pharmaceutical blue. It is advisable to create greenhouse conditions in the container - cover it with plastic film or glass in order to maintain high humidity and an optimal temperature for germination of +25.28 degrees Celsius. To place the container, you should choose bright places, but such that they are not exposed to direct sunlight.
Rooting usually takes 2-3 weeks; as soon as the roots grow 2 cm, the shoot can be moved to a permanent place of residence.
Experienced flower growers advise propagating codiaum leaves ; to do this, they are cut into two parts, buried with cuttings in the ground and covered with a bag, periodically watering and spraying. After 2.5-3 months in a comfortable environment, the plant takes root and roots appear.
However, even in this case, it will not be possible to grow a full-fledged adult plant if there are no buds for shoots, which is why it is imperative to cut off a small section of the stem along with the leaf.
Sowing seeds
For sowing seeds, you should use freshly harvested seed material, since codiaum seeds lose their viability very quickly. Another disadvantage of this method is that plants grown from seeds have random characteristics and do not 100% inherit the characteristics of their parents. Therefore, seed propagation is most often used by breeders to obtain new varieties and colors.
Step-by-step instructions for sowing codiaum seeds
- Before sowing, the seeds should be kept in hot water at about +60 degrees for 30 minutes.
- After this, the seeds are left to swell in water for a day.
- Seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The containers should be covered with film or glass and kept at a temperature of at least +22 degrees until germination.
- After germination, the glass or film is removed.
- After the first true leaf has formed, the seedlings can be planted into separate containers.
Caring for young seedlings is exactly the same as for adult plants.
At home, an easier and more accessible method of propagation is by cuttings. In addition, plants grown from cuttings have all the characteristics of the mother plant from which they were harvested.
Rooting cuttings
For rooting, a part of the stem with 2 buds on it is enough. At least 1 healthy leaf is also left on the cuttings.
After cutting, the cuttings should be washed in warm water to remove the milky juice that appears at the cut site. You can root in constantly moist soil or in water.
When rooting in the soil, it is necessary to maintain the ground temperature of +23...+30 degrees; without bottom heating, such conditions are unlikely to be provided around the clock. In cooler water, roots will not form and the cutting may rot.
Rooting in water will take a long time - up to 2 months. The water should also be warm enough, +23…+25 degrees. For successful rooting, use root formation stimulants, such as Kornevin, Heteroauxin.
After the roots have grown at least 2 cm, the cuttings can be planted in the ground. After planting, rooted cuttings should be sprayed daily until the elasticity of the leaves is restored and growth begins.
Layering
Layering can also be obtained in a more conventional way, by pressing the stem to the ground and covering it with soil. To speed up the emergence of the root system, you can remove the bark from the lower part of the stem and again treat this place with root formation stimulants.
After new leaves begin to grow on the pressed shoot, the plant can be separated from the mother.
Air layering
The trunk of codiaum is often exposed, and the plant loses its decorative effect. This can be used to obtain planting material.
To do this, in June, at a distance of 10-15 centimeters from the top, a circular cut is made on the stem and the bark is removed.
The cut site must be treated with a root formation stimulator. You can wrap sphagnum moss around the cut area and wrap it with film on top to prevent the moss from drying out. The upper part of the film is loosely fixed so that the moss can be moistened.
The first roots will appear in a month, but the cutting can be cut only after the roots reach 5 cm in length, so that they can provide the leaves with moisture when separated from the mother plant.
The cuttings planted separately are placed in a shaded place for 2 weeks. At this time, the plant must be sprayed frequently so that it does not suffer from lack of moisture.
Watering
Codiaum, like any plant, needs stable watering. It is necessary to find the so-called golden mean - so that the flower does not rot due to the abundance of moisture, but also does not dry out due to its lack.
It is advisable to water the codiaum constantly, waiting until the top layer of soil is slightly dried. However, water should not be allowed to ooze out of the pan or remain on the surface of the soil.
It is worth taking a pot slightly larger than the volume of the plant’s root system - this way the flower will immediately absorb all the necessary moisture, without leaving any excess in the ground.
For irrigation, use soft water that has been standing for 24 hours.
Signs and superstitions
- It is believed that Codiaum (Croton) is a very energetic flower. Many believe that he does not allow people with negative energy into the house. The flower senses people with bad thoughts and protects people living in the same room from them. Croton affects order and stability in the home.
- It improves the efficiency of its owners who are indecisive, despondent, or pessimistic. Codieum gives self-confidence and removes all negative phenomena. People suffering from speech problems communicate better in a room where the plant is located.
- For people involved in art, the flower is useful for new ideas and plans. It is also good to have a plant in the workplace to harmonize business relations between employees.
Sources
- https://diz-cafe.com/rastenija/kroton-kodieum-uxod-za-priveredlivym-krasavcem-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html
- https://greensotka.ru/dekorativno-listvennye/kodieum-ukhod-v-domashnikh-usloviyakh.html
- https://stroy-podskazka.ru/kroton/kodieum/
- https://stroy-podskazka.ru/komnatnye-cvety/kodieum-petra/
- https://selo.guru/rastenievodstvo/sukkulenty/kroton-kodieum/vidy-kr/petra.html
- https://ogorodnikam.com/komnatnye-rasteniya/kodieum-petra/
- https://mvazonchik.ru/kodieum-petra-uhod-v-domashnih-uslovijah.html
- https://kaktus-sukkulent.ru/drugie-rasteniya/kroton-kodieum-populyarnye-vidy/
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Lighting
In the wild, the plant is accustomed to the bright sun, but it is better to shade homemade codiaum in too sunny weather, because Direct rays cause burns. Codiaum will feel great on western and eastern windows.
It is also worth noting that sunlight affects the bright color of the leaves. Due to lack of lighting, codiaum can lose its attractiveness, becoming as pale as possible. Therefore, if the plant is located, for example, in the north, it will have to be illuminated with a fluorescent lamp.
