Roicissus - caring for “birch” at home

Among decorative foliage plants with unusual leaves, rhoicissus has long won the title of classic. In our country, this climbing vine is common under the name “birch” and is considered an almost boring plant. Meanwhile, a talented indoor steeplejack can surprise not only with its unpretentiousness and rapid growth. Roicissus loves cool weather, but at the same time adapts well to ordinary room conditions. Its ideally shaped leaves change depending on the type of plant, do not always resemble birch leaves and delight not with their variegation, but with their impeccable contours. And roisissus itself is an ideal plant for decorating a corridor, hall, foyer, or bright hallway.

Rhoicissus. © eteindien

Botanical description of the plant

Roicissus is an evergreen ornamental deciduous plant characterized by good branching. This liana belongs to the grape family, genus Roicissus, which unites more than 10 different species of liana-like plants. In the wild, it can be found in South Africa, and in the middle zone it is more often grown in greenhouses and as an indoor crop.

Roicissus can reach 2-3 m in length, growing up to 60–100 cm in the first year of life. Leaves are arranged alternately and, depending on the species, can be simple or complex. The trunk is flexible, with small shoots and opposite leaf blades. With age, the trunk vine becomes lignified and more and more resembles a thin grapevine. High branching is the main reason for pruning the plant, without which the leaves may become smaller and the rhizissus will lose its decorative functions. The fruit of rhoicissus is a berry.

Did you know? Tropical forests consist of 33% vines, while in European forest zones no more than 2% of loaches are found, which can be representatives of 200 different species.

Possible problems with the plant and ways to solve them

Indoor flower Roicissus: photo of the plant

Among the harmful insects on Roicius, you can find scale insects or spider mites. In both cases, you should immediately isolate the plant, and then treat it with some insecticide in two steps, with an interval of several days. You can return such a plant to the company of other indoor flowers only after you are sure that the pests have been completely exterminated.

During the winter months, you need to be especially careful with the amount of watering, as during this period mold may appear on the rhizissus. If possible, place the vine away from heating appliances for the winter and increase the intervals between waterings.

To prevent the indoor roisissus flower from stretching, you need to take part in the formation of the bush, pinching the tops of the shoots in a timely manner and forming a beautiful fluffy crown.

Main types

The list of possible varieties of the described plant includes up to 12 names, but the following are considered the most common:

1. Roicissus rhombicus. In its natural habitat, it is either a vine, up to 20 m long, or a bush, about 6 m wide. The houseplant is much smaller, but consists of the same main parts: light green, leathery, complex leaves with pointed edges and red hairs at the bottom parts; small, round fruits that can be eaten. The color of the fruit is dark red or purple.

2. Roicissus capensis - a liana characterized by rapid growth and characterized by large leaf blades, about 20 cm wide. All of them are solid, lobed, smooth on top and reddish, slightly pubescent below. In a young plant they may be reddish, but with age they acquire a light green color. As in the previous case, dark red fruits can be eaten.

3. Roicissus tomentosa - a liana-like plant that in tropical forests can reach 20 meters in length or take the form of a bush, up to 7 m in height. In a young specimen, all shoots are softly pubescent, but with age the hairs disappear. The tendrils of the vine are velvety to the touch, the leaves are simple, round, entire, up to 20 cm in diameter. Each leaf plate has shallow teeth at the ends, a slightly wavy, smooth upper side and a lower side covered with red hairs.
   Important! When choosing a specific variety for your home, it is advisable to pay attention to the cape and rhombic rhoicissus, since in comparison with other representatives of the genus they adapt more easily to indoor conditions and their growth is easier to control.

   Young tomentose rhoicissus leaves have a rich dark green color, but with age it gives way to crimson, which persists until the leaf fall period. The flowers are creamy-green in color, small in size, collected in racemes. The fruits are black and red, edible.

4. Roicissus tridentata. In its natural habitat, it is represented by a 10-meter vine or a small shrub reaching 3 meters in height. The entire surface of young shoots is covered with orange-red hairs. The leaves are compound (the leaf blade is divided into 3 parts), obovate, slightly serrated at the ends. Above, the dark green surface of the leaf blades is smooth, leathery and shiny, and in the lower part it is lighter and slightly pubescent. The flowers are small, green-yellow in color, with a slight greenish tint. The fruits are red-black, round, up to 2 cm in diameter.

5. Roicissus palmata - a liana-like plant, with shoots up to 15 m long or a bush, about 4 m high. The vines of young plants have red-brown hairs, but with age they thin out and disappear. The dark green leaves consist of 4-5 parts, all of them are entire, with a smooth leathery surface on top and “rusty” hairs below. The flowers of the vine are small, greenish-yellow in color. The fruits are black-red, round, 1.5 cm in diameter.

Birch - a houseplant similar to a birch tree

In many offices, schools and simply huge public spaces you can find a kind of flower that curls along the wall or, thanks to its stand, resembles a tree. People call this specimen a birch tree.

Appearance of indoor birch tree

Birch is a home plant that fits perfectly into any interior and helps to harmonize the space and make it more alive. Thanks to pruning, you can create any shape and size.

Without treatments, the length of the moon-shaped trunk can reach 1.5-2 m in length. A flower similar to a birch tree is loved by many gardeners precisely for its ease of care and growth rate.

What is the correct name for a houseplant that looks like a birch tree? Birch is an indoor flower, it is grown for its beauty and many do not think about the scientific name of the plant. However, the home flower has an exact name, which not many people know, much less use in everyday life. Depending on the specific species, this is cissus or rhoicissus.

Appearance of indoor birch tree

There are several varieties of the plant. The most popular is rhombicus rhombus, which has a complex leaf structure and is most adapted to growing at home.

Description and types

The birch plant is also popularly called indoor grapes due to its branching. Roicissus belongs to the genus of flowering plants of the Vine family. This culture is considered very widespread. It can be kept at home, in offices, schools, kindergartens and other institutions. The flower is suitable for both classic and modern room decoration. It is distinguished by its extreme unpretentiousness and versatility. Can withstand constant shade. The greens can be easily shaped.

Birch is an evergreen shrub of climbing or creeping type. The shoots grow quite long - from 0.6 to several meters. This indoor vine is considered one of the most popular. By the way, not only the birch variety is known; there are other, more interesting varieties. At the moment, 15 types of such crops have been established, but only 4 of them are grown at home.

The most popular variety is rhombicus rhombicum , which is popularly called birch. This is a climbing type vine. She is very flexible. The foliage is always green. The shoots can be up to 150 cm in length. The leaves have a complex diamond-shaped structure. They are bright green on top. It goes well with the lighter matte side, which is located at the bottom of the leaves. There are teeth at the ends. Usually the branches are covered with reddish hairs, which are located very densely. Another difference is the presence of thin antennae.

The next variety is Cape roisissus . This is also a climbing plant that belongs to the decorative deciduous category. Ideal both as a hanging crop and for growing on special supports. It develops very quickly and is also considered extremely hardy and unpretentious. The leaves look like grapes. They are quite large and symmetrical. Large and whole, not divided into leaf lobes. They have shaped recesses that can reach 20 cm in diameter. The height is affected by growing conditions, but the shoots will definitely not be longer than a couple of meters. This culture is great for creating large compositions.

There is another variety - palmate . It is very different from other varieties of rhoicissus. This variety name is due to the fact that the leaves are very similar in shape to fingers. The plant looks a little prim and dressy. It is best to install it on special supports in the form of various shapes.

Only the following types of Roicissus are cultivated at home:

• Rhoicissus digitata
• Rhoicissus rhomboidea
• Cape Rhoicissus (Rhoicissus capensis)

Roicissus can be grown as a hanging or climbing plant . The plant looks great in a wall pot.

Rhoicissus capensis.

Rhoicissus digitata

A highly decorative variety with unusual palmate leaves, the surface of which is glossy, leathery, and painted in a very rich emerald green hue. The reverse side of the leaf blade is covered with thin reddish fibers. In nature it blooms with inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers.

Rhoicissus rhomboidea

The most common variety in indoor floriculture with long flexible shoots covered with fairly large juicy green leaves of complex shape, consisting of three diamond-shaped parts. It blooms in nature with small greenish-whitish flowers.

Cape Rhoicissus (Rhoicissus capensis)

A climbing vine-like plant with beautiful whole leathery leaves of a malachite-green hue, shaped like grapes. It blooms in nature with very small greenish flowers.

Roicissus tomentosa

Under natural circumstances, the shrub grows up to twenty meters long or the bush up to seven meters high. Young shoots are densely covered with delicate hairs, which disappear with age. The foliage of the shrub is ordinary and reaches twenty centimeters in size (across). The shape of the leaves is rounded, slightly wavy, dark green in color. But the leaves below are tightly covered with red hairs. Young leaves are velvety, clearly colored; In an adult plant, the leaves are purple. The flowers are small, creamy-green, collected in a brush. The fruits are edible, rich scarlet color.

Beneficial properties and harm

First of all, it should be noted that the vine has no harmful effects on the human body; on the contrary, it has a number of benefits that can be useful to completely different people. So, this plant is useful for those who are accustomed to constantly cleaning the house and cannot get rid of the obsessive feeling of excessive cleanliness, the need to restore order.

In terms of maintaining health, indoor birch is appropriate in the fight against gastrointestinal diseases and helps to increase the protective functions of the body, making it more resistant to the negative influences of the external environment.

And finally, roisissus will be an excellent solution for those gardeners who simply want to green up their home, but cannot devote much time to indoor vegetation. With minimal attention, the vine can surprise with its appearance, bringing a certain sophistication to the interior of almost any room.

Also learn about such indoor plants as tetrastigma and alsobia.

Watering mode. Humidity

Birch is a rather unpretentious houseplant and easily adapts to many negative factors, but not to lack of water. The vine should be watered abundantly, but carefully. She does not like excessive moisture and stagnation of water in the pot, and even more so the soil should not be allowed to turn into a dry lump of earth. It is believed that a birch tree needs to be watered every day in summer, and 2-3 times a week in winter, but this is a controversial point. In summer, when the temperature is fairly low and even, the plant may not need to be watered for 2-3 days, but in winter, with active heating, the soil can dry out within a day. So watering indoor plants needs to be adjusted to specific conditions.

But what Cissus rhombifolia will never refuse is a warm shower. Birch, for all its immunity to mild temperature fluctuations, does not tolerate low air humidity. This phenomenon is smoothed out with the help of water procedures: a small plant is watered from the shower in the bathroom, and long vines, which are difficult to move, need to be sprayed more often.

Selecting a location

For good health, roisissus needs long-lasting, but not bright, lighting. Direct sunlight is harmful to vine leaves and even with short exposure can lead to a change in their color. Taking this into account, when choosing a place to place a pot, it is advisable to give preference to the south or west side of the house.

During the dormant period, the birch tree can be placed inside the room, maintaining average temperature values ​​within +15°C. In summer, the plant will feel great on the balcony or even outdoors, the main thing is to protect it from direct sunlight and protect it from drafts.

If there is not enough space for the vine near the windows, it can be left away from them. For example, shoots hanging from a pot will look great when placed in floor flower stands located in the corners of the room.

Air temperature and humidity

The optimal temperature for the growth of roisissus will be +16...+25°C during the warm period of the year, and about +12...+15°C during winter dormancy. In this case, the level of humidity in the room does not play a big role and can be maintained within the standard range of 50–60%.

Important! If the leaves of the vine begin to dry out at the tips, it means that the existing humidity level is not enough and you will have to periodically spray the plant with a spray bottle.

Problems in the process of growing a plant

It often happens that a plant, for no apparent reason, begins to lose foliage, turn yellow or wither. What could be the reason for this state of the flower?

• If in the autumn the flower suddenly unexpectedly begins to turn yellow and the leaves fall off, then most likely the reason is very frequent watering or lack of lighting. It is enough to reduce the amount of moisture and place the birch tree in a brighter place.
• If the leaves of a birch tree begin to curl, and brown spots begin to appear on their surface, it means that the flower does not have enough moisture or nitrogen fertilizing. In addition, this may be a consequence of overwatering the flower.
• If the leaves begin to turn yellow, curl, or fall off, the plant most likely does not have enough oxygen. To correct the situation, you need to loosen the soil in the pot more often.
• If the tips of the birch leaves suddenly begin to dry out, this indicates very dry air in the room. To help the flower return to normal, it is enough to place it away from the battery and spray it more often.
• If the leaves are pale, then this is a signal that it is oversaturated with sunlight. To help the plant, it needs to be placed in a room with diffused light and kept out of direct sunlight.
• If a birch tree experiences massive leaf shedding, then the reason for this may be a sharp change in temperature. Also, the presence of a plant in a draft can lead to massive leaf loss.

The plant will always remain lush , beautiful and healthy if you do not forget to care for it properly.

It should also be said that birch is a natural filter that can absorb harmful substances released in the air.

Home care

Regular watering, timely feeding and pruning of the plant are irreplaceable components of the good appearance of the rhizissus, so it is useful for every gardener to know about some of the nuances of their implementation.

Watering

Indoor birch prefers frequent and abundant application of soft liquid, without lime impurities and other undesirable additives that can get to the root system along with ordinary tap water. To avoid the accumulation of salts and heavy metals in the soil, it is advisable to first filter or at least settle the water, at the same time raising its temperature to room values.

As for the regularity of watering, you will have to monitor the condition of the top layer of soil: as soon as it dries 1-2 cm deep, you can take up the watering can. Both top and bottom watering are allowed, but in any case, it is better to drain the remaining water from the pan so as not to provoke rotting of the vine’s root system.

In winter, the frequency of watering is usually reduced, but if the room is hot, then this will not be necessary and you can still focus on the condition of the top layer of the substrate. In extreme heat, it is recommended to spray the leaves with a spray bottle, which will not only increase the humidity in the room, but will also rid the plant of accumulated dust.

Important! When trying to determine the norms for watering roisissus, do not forget to take into account the characteristics of its planting capacity. In ceramic pots, water evaporates faster, so the vine will need to be watered more often than when grown in plastic products.

Top dressing

The optimal solution for feeding rhoicissus is to apply liquid fertilizers simultaneously with watering, approximately once every 14 days during the warm season (from March to the end of October). As a nutritional composition, you can use any universal preparations intended for indoor decorative foliage plants (for example, Agricola). If there is a lack of important microelements in the soil, rhoissisus begins to lag in growth, and its leaves quickly turn yellow.

Trimming

Considering the natural length of the vine, pruning is one of the mandatory components of care, especially since the plant itself tolerates any trimming and shaping well. Typically, shoots are pruned to the level desired to limit rhoicissus growth, if possible in early spring. In addition, at this time it is worth carrying out sanitary pruning, removing all bare, thinned or damaged shoots of the plant. If you're worried about cutting them out completely, then just trim them down to the size of stumps.

Support

Many gardeners do not use support to support the thin and fairly flexible shoots of indoor vines, which can significantly harm its appearance. Stable and rigid ladders or trellises, with the help of which gardeners create green screens or even walls, will help to form attractive and densely leafy shoots, although to completely cover the surface you will have to manually guide the shoots, combining tying and pruning, until the desired result is achieved.

Transfer

Annual replantation of roisissus is carried out only in the first few years of development of a young plant, which is explained by intensive growth and rapid consumption of nutrients from the soil. Adult plants are replanted only when necessary, when the previous pot has become small and the roots have completely “mastered” the earthen ball. On average, this takes about 2-3 years.

Did you know? The longest vines are those of the so-called rattan palm, the shoots of which extend from the center to a distance of 200–250 m.

There are no strict requirements for the timing of transplanting a vine, because the procedure can be performed both at the very beginning of its active development and throughout the spring period. The new planting container should be at least 3-4 cm larger than the previous one, so that the plant feels free over the next 2-3 years. A drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the pot, a support is installed and a small amount of soil mixture is poured from equal parts of leaf and turf soil, humus and half of river sand (the optimal pH level is 6.0).

After this, perform the following transplant steps:

1. Remove the plant from the old pot using the transshipment method.
2. Place it in a new container and cover it with earth.
3. Gently water with a small amount of water.

Video: roiscissus (cissus) transplantation

Immediately after transplantation, it is recommended to carry out watering procedures as often as possible, but using a small amount of liquid to moisten the soil. In the first 2 days, it is recommended to place the transplanted vine in a shady or semi-shaded area, and only after that return it to its usual growing location. It is advisable to wait with fertilizing for at least 4 weeks after transplantation.

Pruning rhoicissus and support

Roicissus tolerate shearing and shaping well; their shoots can be shortened to thicken and limit the desired size of the plant. Every year, at the very beginning of spring, bushes should be inspected. If the vine has bare, thinned, damaged shoots, then it is better to cut them out or shorten them to stumps.

Despite its sufficient plasticity and not so large size, roisissus requires the choice of reliable supports. For this vine, stable, inflexible, large versions of ladders and trellises are installed. With the help of rhoicissus, you can create green walls and screens; for a “solid” covering, the plant must be guided, combining staking and pruning until the desired effect is achieved.

How to propagate at home

If there is a mother plant, the most successful option for propagating rhoicissus will be cuttings, since rooting and further development of the taken part occurs faster than germination of seeds. However, you should not completely abandon the seed growing method, because in some cases it turns out to be the only possible one. Let's look at the features of each option.

Cuttings

To get a new plant, the apical part with at least 2 internodes is usually cut off from the mother bush. Of course, only an adult and completely healthy plant is suitable for preparing such cuttings, which will give more guarantees for the successful rooting of the cut part.

Important! Sometimes other parts of the plant obtained as a result of planned pruning can be used to propagate birch trees by cuttings.

The rooting process can take place either in clean warm water or in a mixture of sand and peat, and a plastic cap over the cutting will help speed it up. During the entire rooting period, the temperature in the room must be maintained within +20...+23°C and the cap must be raised only to spray the soil or ventilate the planting material.

After roots appear on the cuttings, they can be transplanted into a regular small pot (no more than 8 cm in diameter) filled with soil for adult plants.

Video: propagation of roisissus by cuttings

Propagation of rhoicissus in this way is almost always successful, because the first roots appear on the planted cuttings within a few weeks. The optimal time for planting planting material is March-April.

It happens that during the process of replanting, a plant can be propagated by dividing the rhizome, but it is advisable to perform this procedure only if you have the appropriate experience, so as not to injure the plant by careless action.

Seeds

The soil for planting indoor birch seeds is prepared according to the same recipe as for adult plants when transplanting. Its composition must necessarily include sand, humus, leaf and turf soil, with the addition of river sand (the optimal proportion is 1/2: 1: 1: 1). It is advisable to deepen the seeds no more than 1 cm, however, even in this case high germination cannot be guaranteed. In indoor conditions, seeds rarely set, and flowering of an adult plant is almost impossible. For this reason, it is advisable to propagate rhoicissus by cuttings.

Recommendations for propagating rhoicissus

You can get a new plant by dividing the bush, cuttings and planting seeds. Any time of the year is suitable for this operation, but the end of winter or March is preferable. For cuttings, select the apical stem and cut the branch so that it has a certain number of buds (3–4 nodes). It is placed in a pot with a peat-sand mixture and covered with polyethylene. Rooting takes place at a temperature of about 20 degrees, and do not forget to ventilate and moisten the soil. After about 3 weeks the plant will take root. You can also wait for roots to appear if the cuttings are placed in water. As soon as it is clear that the roots have appeared, the cuttings are planted in a pot with a diameter of 8 cm, with the usual substrate for the plant. During transplantation, you can divide the bush into several parts; it is important that the part has a sufficient number of root shoots. The root system is carefully separated. The parts are planted in moist soil, which is suitable for permanent growth. The main thing is not to expose the roiscissus division to sunlight; it is necessary that rooting and adaptation take place in partial shade. As soon as the plant confidently begins to grow, it can be placed in a permanent place. Having sowed seeds in a substrate, there is no chance that they will be able to germinate indoors. And since, at home, this plant practically does not bloom, and its seeds are very rare in stores, it is better to propagate roisissus using the methods described above. To give the desired appearance to a “birch tree”, regular pruning of its shoots is necessary. This will help not only make the bush thicker, but also give it the chosen shape. Every spring, when inspecting the roisissus, if too bare, thinned or dried out branches appear, they are cut off almost to the stumps. "Birch" requires good support for growth. It is best to choose special reliable ladders or trellises along which the plant will climb. With the help of roisissus shoots, you can create phytowalls and green screens, but it is necessary to guide the vine stems by combining pruning and staking of the plant.

Seeds

1. From April to May they are sown in flat round pots, planted shallowly in the ground.
2. The bowls are covered with a plastic bag.
3. Ventilate and keep moist.
4. When the sprouts have a pair of leaves, they are planted in separate pots.

The conditions for the growth of young plants are the same as for adults.

Seeds can also be germinated in peat tablets

Cuttings

Propagation using cuttings is perhaps the most popular method. Moreover, the cuttings take root well both in water and in soil mixture.

1. To obtain a new plant, use a sharp knife to cut a cutting 10 cm long with several leaves.
2. In a small (8 cm) pot filled with a sand-peat mixture, 3 or 4 cuttings are planted at once.
3. The planting container is covered with a glass jar or bag and kept at a temperature of 20 to 22 ° C and at high humidity.
   

   The place should be bright, but without direct sun.

4. After 3 weeks, roots appear and the plants are planted in separate pots. But you can plant several rooted plants in one container. And then it will grow more magnificent.

You can propagate using cuttings at any time of the year, but preferably in spring or summer.

In water, cuttings root at a temperature of 14–18°C.

Dividing the bush

This method is used in the spring, when transplanting an overgrown plant into a new container. The roisissus removed from the pot is divided very carefully into the required number of parts, each of which must have a formed root system and an adult shoot.

This way the plant can be divided when replanting.

Immediately after division, each part is planted in a separate prepared pot.

By layering

Roicissus can be propagated using layering at any time.

1. Select an adult healthy shoot, which is fixed in a nearby pot in suitable soil.
   

   By deepening the shoot in several places, you can get several new plants.

2. As soon as the rooted shoot has grown a root system, it is cut off from the mother plant.

Roicissus can also be propagated by layering

Possible difficulties during cultivation

Any indoor plant can get sick or reduce its decorative value due to violations of the rules of care, so it is not surprising that when growing indoor birch, a gardener may encounter one of the following problems:

1. The color of the leaves fades. The main reason is the lack of useful minerals and microelements in the soil, which should enter the substrate along with fertilizers. Try changing the composition you are using or increasing its dosage.

2. Leaves wrinkle and become covered with dark spots, the basis for which is often insufficient watering and excessive dry air. In addition, under such conditions, leaf plates can bend and change shape.

3. The leaves dry out and the shoots decrease in size. It may be necessary to reduce the amount of watering and stop spraying for a while, which will help reduce air humidity.

4. Excessive leaf loss - a frequent sign of the development of root rot or a consequence of sharp fluctuations in temperature in the room.

5. Slow growth. If in the cold season such a phenomenon can be explained by the dormant period of the rhoicissus, then limited growth in summer most likely indicates a lack of nutritional components in the soil. Reconsider your fertilizing plan or change the nutrient composition you are using.

A separate group of reasons for possible problems in growing plants includes the development of fungal diseases and the activity of pests, the most common of which are whiteflies, aphids, spider mites and mealybugs.
In the fight against them, such insecticides as “Akarin”, “Aktara”, “Bikol”, “Fufvnon” are relevant. The fungicides “Mikosan”, “Oksikhom” or “Agate” should help in the treatment of fungal diseases (the required dosage is always indicated on the package). Having put a little effort into growing rhoicissus, very soon you will get an excellent vine that can become a good addition to the interior, but each gardener can decide for himself how and where to place it for greater decorativeness.

Diseases and pests

Roisissus in indoor culture exhibits enviable resistance to diseases, including fungal ones, but due to its tolerance to dry air it often becomes a haven for spider mites or aphids. It is better to fight insects immediately with insecticides, and the plant itself must be isolated from other indoor pets.

Common problems in growing rhoicissus:

• the appearance of spots on the leaves when watering with cold water;
• leaves falling off when watering with cold water;
• stretching shoots when the soil is insufficiently nutritious and in dense shade.

Cape Rhoicissus (Rhoicissus capensis). © Abu Shawka

Home flower birch: signs

There are some superstitions and signs associated with the birch houseplant. People believe that this flower brings men out of the house. There is no direct evidence of this, but still many do not risk having this flower at home. Everyone has their own opinion on this matter. Below are some of them.

Oksana, 30 years old, writes: “I am of the opinion that it is undesirable to keep a birch tree in the house. It seems to me that this is not all fiction. I no longer keep this plant in my apartment; I threw it out a long time ago. And I want to say that my personal life has improved. I don’t know, of course, maybe it all coincided like that, but I don’t want to take any more risks.”

Milana, 35 years old, writes: “Birch is a harmless plant, and it is also very unpretentious and grows quickly. Copes well with gas pollution. I don’t think this beautiful plant can negatively affect family relationships.”

Lena, 27 years old, writes: “If you believe in omens, they will definitely come true. My family grew several of these birch trees. They grew lushly and beautifully, but in our house we had a woman’s monastery. The men didn’t stay in the family for long until we put the cissus in the entrance.”

Olga, 29 years old, writes: “I once had a birch tree growing, but, unfortunately, it recently dried up. I believe that this flower cannot keep men out of the house. My mother-in-law has been growing this plant for decades. Despite this, she has lived with her father-in-law for 40 years in perfect harmony. My husband and I are doing well too.”

Birch is a houseplant also called rhoicissus. It is unpretentious. You can often find such a culture in office spaces. It is also perfect for growing in residential buildings. This ampelous flower will look good in various rooms; an additional advantage is its undemanding nature in terms of maintenance and care.

Reproduction of Rocius

Birch trees have two methods of reproduction:

• Using cuttings. It is best to do this in spring, when new branches appear on the vine. The cuttings should be carefully trimmed so that at least two internodes remain. All cut cuttings should be placed in a container with a damp mixture of sand and peat. After 12-14 days, the plants will be ready to be transplanted into a normal container.
• With the help of shoots. After winter rest, the plant must be cleared of old shoots and slightly rejuvenated. Cut branches can be placed in water until roots appear, and then transplanted into pots with suitable soil.

Additional care. In order for the birch tree to be more magnificent, it is necessary to pinch the tops of the stems. Birch lashes need support, then they develop much faster.

Possible pests and their control

House plants, even the most unpretentious ones, also suffer from attacks by pests, among which are:

1. Leaf aphids. Many house plants suffer from these small insects. Getting rid of them is very simple: you need to make a strong solution of laundry soap and spray the flower with it. It is easy to detect aphids; you just need to carefully examine the underside of the leaves.
2. Spider mites appear on grassy vines when watering is improper, when the plant lacks moisture. The main sign of the presence of mites is the appearance of small cobwebs on leaves and shoots. You need to fight ticks using a special product sold in stores. In addition, the plant needs to be returned to proper watering.
3. Scale insects are a rather dangerous pest for indoor plants. It usually lives on stems and leaves, and is sometimes found on stems. The insects have an oval shape and a flat body, the lower part fits tightly to the plant. There are two types of scale insects: false and true. Real ones know how to hide under their shells, like turtles, but false scale insects do not have this ability. The reproduction rate of scale insects is high, so colonies appear very quickly. They suck the juice from house plants, causing them great harm. If you don’t start fighting them in time, the vine will die. Means for exterminating scale insects can be purchased at gardening stores.
4. The fool is white. This insect lives in soil, especially in soil that contains a lot of humus. It has an elongated body on which small antennae are visible. It feeds on plant remains, but does not disdain living roots. Because of this, the plant can become sick and wither, and eventually die.
5. Mealybugs. These small worms are white in color and like to settle on the back of leaves, closer to the passing vein. Female scale insects are larger, their size reaches 0.5 cm. They make homes for their numerous offspring; the houses look like cotton balls. Females store eggs in them. Usually these insects do not live on vines, preferring cacti and azaleas to them, but if a birch tree is adjacent to these flowers, they can settle on it.

How to make a phytowall from a birch tree

Landscaping an apartment or house is not only a beautiful design, but also an excellent air filter that can be installed in any room: office, home office, children's room or living room.

Making a phytowall yourself is not at all difficult. To do this, you need to purchase a phytoblock (phytomodule). The structure does not need to be connected to water supply or electricity, so it can be placed in any convenient place in the apartment.

The phytoblock must have several parts:

• Sturdy wide frame. It is necessary to ensure that the plant does not adhere to the wall, which can cause mold due to poor air circulation.
• A layer of polyethylene or other material that does not allow moisture to pass through.
• Fabric with small pockets. The fabric for the canvas should be very durable; it is best to purchase synthetic felt. It does not deteriorate so quickly from exposure to moisture.
• A tray is required to collect water from below.

How to replant a birch tree

Cissus rhombifolia needs to be replanted in the spring, but this procedure is not necessary every year. As a rule, a birch tree is replanted every third year, and the rest of the time the soil is simply loosened well and filled with fresh soil.

A slightly larger pot is taken to accommodate the increased mass of roots. The container should be ceramic: recently, plastic flowerpots have been increasingly used, which is not entirely correct, since they do not allow air to pass through, and the soil in them becomes sour, because evaporation is only superficial.

At the bottom of the container you need to lay a layer of drainage 2 cm thick. Then the pot is filled with soil to 1/3 of the volume and the roots of the plant are laid. Then they are sprinkled with earth: the roots should lie at a depth of at least 2-3 cm from the surface. The soil on top is not compacted.

You can buy the soil mixture in the store (consultants will recommend the right option) or prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to take two parts of turf soil, two parts of humus, two parts of sheet soil and one part of coarse sand to improve drainage properties.

Reproduction methods

There are two ways to propagate roisissus:

• Dividing the bush.

It is carried out in the spring during transplantation. The plant is carefully divided into two or three parts, depending on size, and planted in separate pots.

• Cuttings.

Acceptable at any time of the year. The cuttings are cut and planted 3-4 pieces in one container. Blanks should be selected with three to four buds.

REFERENCE: Rooting occurs at a temperature of 20-22 degrees in 20 days. Roicissus quickly begins to produce new shoots and in a short time turns into a lush, beautiful flower.

Flower care

Beautiful spirea hedge: planting, pruning, care and propagation

In order for the vine to delight with bright green leaves and be lush, proper care will be a necessary condition. Cissus tolerates the winter well at home in greenhouses and public spaces, and grows well in the room.

Lighting

This vine prefers bright sunlight. It grows well in the shade and under artificial light. If in a well-lit room the crop has green, rich and dense foliage, then in the shade there will be no such result. The plates will lose their color.

In summer, the plant needs as much light as possible to grow. It must be remembered that direct sunlight should not fall on the leaves. If for a certain time the rays of the sun directly fall on the flower, then it is better to shade it.

Temperature

The main condition for the successful development of indoor grapes is the absence of cold drafts. Under the influence of a cold air stream, the cissus can shed all its leaves. It thrives at normal room temperatures of 18 to 25 degrees.

In summer it can be taken outside, as the flower develops well in the fresh air. In winter, it is advisable to lower the temperature slightly. A decrease to +10, and for the Arctic to +5 degrees it is not necessary to create. In an apartment, cissus plants feel good at 16-20 degrees.

Humidity

The main condition for keeping a flower is that cissus requires very simple care at home, but it needs high humidity. It needs regular spraying. In winter.

The event is performed twice a day, and once in the summer. If the plant is not too large, you can carry out water procedures - bathing in the shower. Large plants located on supports can be wiped with a sponge soaked in water.

Watering

Cissus is a moisture-loving plant, as it grows very quickly and has abundant green mass. Water it abundantly, but do not allow water to stagnate in the container. The substrate in the pot must be kept moist at all times. When the top layer of soil dries, the plant should be watered. By the beginning of winter, watering is gradually reduced.

Priming

Planting can be done in ready-made commercial universal soil or you can prepare it yourself. To do this, take turf and leaf soil, add fine sea sand, peat, and humus. All ingredients are taken in equal proportions. The result should be neutral soil.

Circumcision

Pruning is best done in the spring. Old shoots are shortened, and young shoots are pinched to enhance branching. After this procedure, the plant does not get sick, since pruning does not have a negative effect on indoor cissus.

Top dressing

You can use any balanced composition. Feeding is carried out at intervals of 7 days. Fertilizers are applied when the plant is in its growth period. It is not necessary to feed the plant in winter.

Transfer

Held in the spring. Young plants are replanted every year, and older plants less often. The transplant is carried out into a larger pot than the previous one. To make it easier for the roots to breathe, it is better to use a ceramic container. Transplantation is carried out using the transshipment method

The bottom of the pot is covered with drainage, the plant is carefully placed in it and covered with substrate.

Reproduction

Cissus is propagated in several ways:

1. By cuttings. They can be cut all year round. A light nutrient mixture with a high content of peat and sand is placed in the pot. From 3 to 4 cuttings are planted in each container. Maintain a temperature of 20-22 degrees and regularly moisten the soil. When leaves appear, rooting is considered successful.
2. Dividing the bush. Adult bushes that have grown too large are divided during transplantation. Planted plots are shortened. This allows the new plant to develop a root system.
3. Seeds. Reproduction in this way is mainly suitable for Arctic cissus. Sowing of seeds is carried out in the spring. To do this, take a small box and fill it with a sand-peat mixture and moisten it. The seeds are placed on the surface of the substrate and sprinkled with soil. The top is covered with glass. Carry out systematic ventilation. After the second leaf appears on the sprouts, transplant into separate 7 mm pots.

The choice of method depends on the variety of cissus and the capabilities of the grower.

Diseases and parasites

Caring for a birch tree at home is not difficult, but if you do not follow the listed rules, this will lead to the flower starting to hurt or various pests appearing. Despite the fact that this crop is unpretentious, it can suffer from various diseases and parasites.

An example is the spider mite . It appears on a birch tree and begins to parasitize only if the flower was not properly cared for, for example, when watering was irregular and rather meager. As a result, the finest cobwebs gradually appear on the branches and leaves. To combat this pest, it is recommended to use insecticidal preparations. In addition, all rules must be followed.

Scale insects also attack indoor plants because care rules are not followed. But the plant will quickly recover after special treatment, regular watering and loosening of the soil.

Aphids can also damage a birch tree . They get rid of it using different methods. For example, you can use special preparations for spraying bushes. A soap solution is also suitable (use only laundry soap), to which a small amount of ordinary wood ash is added.

One of the diseases is root rot , which develops due to improper care. The plant gradually withers, withers, and leaves fall off. In this case, you need to carefully remove the shrub from the container, cut off the diseased roots, treat them with ash or charcoal, and then transplant them into a new container. Be sure to fill it with fresh soil.

Another dangerous disease is powdery mildew . It appears on birch foliage in the form of a whitish coating. Gradually the bush fades. To combat this disease, it is recommended to use the special drug “Topaz”.