A bright representative of the euphorbia family is Croton. Croton - photo, reproduction, how to care, plant species, transplant, pruning, disease Croton angustifolia care

One of the most popular plants among flower growers - croton, when cared for at home, requires special attention. Consider the main rules that allow you to create comfortable conditions for a flower, as well as the problems that arise when growing it, and best ways their decisions.

Basic rules of care

One of the disadvantages of croton is the increased demands on growing conditions. The plant is very capricious - it can get sick only because its leaves are dusty. When growing it, it is necessary to carefully monitor the microclimate of the room, prevent movement from place to place, protect it from cooling, drafts and drying of the soil. An obligatory element is the formation of the contour of the crown. Decorative foliage and good health are preserved with increased care and careful observance of all maintenance regimes.

Location and lighting

Croton grows well on east and west windows– optimal proportions between brightness and quantity are provided here sun rays. Croton Mammy responds positively to an abundance of evening sunlight. North side plants extra lighting required fluorescent lamps. On the southern window sills in the summer midday hours there is a danger of burns of leaf plates by direct rays of the sun, so a little shading is required.

Sufficient lighting is the key to the well-being of the bush and the decorativeness of the leaves - the more bright, but diffused light, the more colorful the pattern and richer colors. With a lack of lighting, juicy shades fade, the leaves turn green, losing their variegated color. The most negatively weak light affects the Petra variety, which requires significant illumination during the winter rest period.

When using artificial illumination, LED-type lamps with a warm emission spectrum should be used (ordinary incandescent lamps lead to burns of sheet plates). Preferably narrowly focused light sources, which are located at a sufficient distance from the plants.

Temperature regime

Heat-loving croton is conservative and requires maintaining temperature indicators at a certain level, without sharp fluctuations and drops.

The ideal summer temperature is +20 - 25°C. With an increase of more than + 27 ° C, the plant looks depressed, additional spraying is required to increase air humidity.

Temperature indicators in winter months should not fall below 17°С (optimally +18 - 20°С). To prevent cooling or sudden changes in temperature, the plant pot must be kept away from window glass and heating appliances.

Due to the fear of drafts, the flower should not be placed near an open window. For the same reason, in the summer it does not need to be taken out to the balcony or garden. The plant should be in one place with a constant microclimate.

Air humidity

Main requirement – high humidity air (ideally 70 - 80%) throughout the year. To create tropical conditions in ordinary apartment different methods can be used:

Use decorative fountains, humidifiers or water containers;

Apply the principle of "double bottom" - fill the space between the pot and the flowerpot with moss and constantly water it;

Place a container with a flower in an additional pan with water on large pebbles;

In the summer heat and in winter, when the air is dry due to heating, spray the plant twice a day with a fine spray so that there are no burns from the sun's rays on the water drops;

Arrange a warm shower in the summer months, while covering the pot itself with a film to prevent excess moisture;

Wipe the leaves regularly with a damp sponge.

Irrigation mode

A moisture-loving plant with large leaves evaporates more moisture and therefore requires constant and abundant watering, does not tolerate even a slight drying of the earth in a pot. The consequence of insufficient watering may be the drying of the tips of the leaves and their subsequent fall.

During the active growing season (spring-summer) watering should be done daily or every other day, depending on the air temperature. The soil should be moist, but the water in the pot should not be allowed to stagnate. Excess moisture leads to rotting of the root system. To prevent undesirable consequences, there should be a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.

In the cold season (autumn - winter), watering should be reduced to 2 - 3 times a week. There is a principle: the lower the temperature, the less watering.

Water for irrigation should be warm- croton is afraid cold water and may drop leaves. Chlorinated water must be defended.

Suitable soil

Croton develops well in loose soil, rich in nutrients, with a slightly acidic environment. It can be a ready-made store mix, but it is good for young bushes. When planting adult plants in it, it is worth adding a little leafy soil - this will increase the density and provide better preservation moisture.

The soil substrate can be prepared independently by mixing equal amounts of soddy soil, coarse sand and leafy soil (for adult specimens, the third component is taken in double size).

Decontaminating the mixture will help ensure the charcoal has fine particles. The finished substrate can be calcined or spilled with potassium permanganate - a safety measure against pests and diseases.

Rules for caring for a plant bought in a store

The acquired croton is placed in the place intended for it and left for 2 weeks in a calm environment for acclimatization. The transfer from the store to the apartment is enough stress for the plant, so you can not carry out an immediate transplant. If the bush looks good after the due date, and there is no apparent reason to replace the pot, then the procedure is not necessary. Further, the plant should be looked after according to the usual rules for it.

The expediency of flowering

An indicator of the proper care of croton is its regular flowering, which is not of interest in terms of decoration: axillary inflorescences consist of small yellowish flowers. But this process requires a large expenditure of energy and nutrients from the plant, so it is necessary to remove flower buds and emerging inflorescences.

The need for a transplant

For young, actively developing plants, transplantation is carried out annually, as the roots quickly fill the volume of the pot and become bare, sticking out of the soil. The flower receives insufficient nutrition, its leaves decrease in size and lose their decorative appearance.

Older specimens are transplanted as needed, trying do not disturb them more than 1 time in 2 years. The last transplant of croton is considered to be planting it in a pot with a diameter of 25 cm. Next, you should annually remove the top layer of the earth and add a new one to the previous volume.

Be sure to form a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot (at least 3 cm), which will protect the plant from stagnant water and root rot. It should be transplanted with extreme care - the slightest damage to the roots is fraught with a long rehabilitation period. Therefore, the transshipment method is used, when a plant with an earthy clod is moved from pot to pot.

After transplanting and watering, the plant is placed in a place protected from bright rays, where it regains strength with constant spraying and watering as needed.

Personal hygiene rules

The milky juice of croton is quite poisonous - it can cause severe irritation on the skin or poisoning if accidentally ingested. Therefore, any contact with the plant requires accuracy: it is better to carry out work with gloves, and then be sure to wash your hands with soap and water. Keep the plant away from small children and pets.

top dressing

To ensure adequate nutrition and maintain decorativeness, croton needs regular feeding. At the same time, the complex mineral fertilizer for ornamental plants and organic additives. The composition of fertilizers plays an important role - doses should be adjusted individual elements. The brightness of leaf color, an important indicator of decorativeness, increases with the presence of potassium and decreases with the presence of nitrogen. Particularly from an overdose of nitrogen, the variegated foliage of Mammi and Excelent crotons suffers.

Top dressing mode

Crotonfollows fertilize between the beginning of April and the end of November 1 time in two weeks , and winter top dressing is reduced to 1 time per month with a mandatory half reduction in the summer rate.

Together with top dressing and according to the same scheme, it is useful to use various growth stimulants (Zircon, Epin), which improve the condition and increase vitality plants. Their solution can be watered or sprayed with bushes.

Feeding rules

Any top dressing must be carried out after careful watering - this method will protect the root system from chemical burns.

It is forbidden to feed newly transplanted or diseased plants - this will increase their stress state and cause significant harm. In addition, fresh soil contains enough nutrients, and excess fertilizer will lead to overfeeding.

Fertilizers can be dissolved in irrigation water.

Pruning as a way to form a bush

One of the problems when caring for croton is pruning, which is neglected by some flower growers because of the toxicity of milky juice. Pruning has three functions - the formation of an aesthetic appearance of the bush, the prevention of depletion of the plant due to a lack of nutrition for all shoots and the implementation of hygiene procedures (dry and damaged branches are cut off).

Trimming Rules

The poisonousness of the plant should not be an obstacle in the formation of the contour of the plant - work must be carried out with gloves, and the juice itself helps to tighten the sections as soon as possible.

The procedure should be periodic - when the required height is reached, all stems are pinched or cut off at the end, which leads to the formation of dense side shoots. The photo clearly shows the result of cropping.

To form the decorativeness of the bush, two methods are used: on young crotons - pinching, on adults - cutting.

After each stage, the bush can be sprayed with stimulants and placed in a mini greenhouse.

In the process of pruning, inflorescences and flower buds are removed. With their modest appearance, the flowers do not decorate the bush, but a lot of effort is spent on their formation, which threatens the health of the foliage.

Pruning and shaping, depending on the variety, has its own characteristics. To increase the splendor of the bush of the not very branching croton Peter, it is possible to plant several plants in a flowerpot. When creating a mix composition, each plant is formed separately, taking into account the needs of its neighbors.

Trimming pattern

Crown formation in young plants should begin in early spring, before the start of the active growing season.

At the moment the croton reaches a height of 15 cm, the first pinching of the upper points of growth occurs. Next, all shoots are cut every time when their length is 20 cm. Such a scheme awakens lateral buds and promotes active branching.

The bush formation scheme includes regular rotation of the plant relative to light sources to prevent the one-sided crown.

In adult plants, the cut points are treated with charcoal powder. Cut off shoots are used for cuttings.

Possible problems and solutions

Any problems that Croton has are only manifested when blunders in care. To eliminate them, it is necessary to thoroughly study the negative signs of damage, analyze the conditions of detention and possible violations, and then proceed to treat the plant, adjusting the methods and modes of care.

Croton dry and fall leaves

When the leaves dry and then fall off at the bottom of the trunk, the natural aging process manifests itself. There is no reason to worry, since all the other leaves are in excellent condition.

If the process begins with dry tips of the leaves and ends with their abscission, this is sign of low humidity indoors - a tropical plant dries from lack of moisture.

The low temperature when the croton is kept at room conditions is expressed by the drying edges of the leaf plates, as well as the appearance of brown spots - the flower suffers from the cold and soon reacts to this with leaf fall. The same picture occurs when the plant is in a draft.

A long period of insufficient watering leads to massive drying and dropping of leaves. In this case, the roots do not receive enough water and cannot provide moisture to the entire plant.

All these problems can be eliminated by adjusting the temperature, watering and spraying schedules, or removing the flower from the draft.

Leaves have lost their elasticity

The problem arises from excessive soil moisture - frequent and abundant watering, which does not allow the soil to dry out a little. Sometimes rotting of the stem is observed, there is a danger of rotting of the roots. Troubleshooting is possible by revising the irrigation schedule and following a dry regimen for several days.

Why does croton grow very slowly?

Poor growth or its complete absence may indicate low light in the room - sunlight for a tropical bush is a fundamental link in the life cycle. It is necessary to rearrange the pot to the illuminated part of the window or room.

drooping leaves

The problem arises if the plant itself or its roots are frozen (drafts or temperature changes) - croton is not able to drink. It is necessary to adjust the watering and rearrange the flower in a warm and quiet place.

Another reason for hanging foliage can be a significant lack of moisture in the pot. When the soil is dry, immediately water the plant with warm water and spray the leaves abundantly. Frequent bringing the flower to "drooping" is fraught with complete leaf fall and death.

dull young foliage

Not too bright, not having decorative young growth is a natural phenomenon for croton. New leaves are dull green or yellowish. With age, the color acquires tones of red - brown scale, becomes bright and colorful.

sudden leaf fall

A sharp and massive fall of the leaves occurs as a result of watering with cold water. The roots of the plant prefer water at room temperature. Need to follow up proper watering and, if necessary, heat the water.

The decorativeness of the sheet plate is changing

Directly opposite reasons can lead to this result:

A small amount of sunlight leads to a change in bright, contrasting color to pale, green tones - Croton should be removed from the shade.

Too bright rays of the summer sun can burn the leaves, brown spots of burns will appear on them - you need to control the lighting and shade the flower at noon.

Fluffy plaque on the aerial part

Watering with hard water with a high salt content leads to the appearance of a white coating of fluffy consistency on the leaves and stems - salts are released through the pores. To prevent this phenomenon, croton should be watered with settled water.

Leaf ugliness and loss of variegated color

The need to monitor the regimen and composition of mineral dressings is due to the influence of certain elements on the beauty of the leaves. A large amount of nitrogen leads to the loss of multi-colored color. Too frequent fertilization leads to the appearance of deformed leaf plates. Lack of nutrition is also the cause of the formation of ugly leaves, but they are small in size. In any case, adjustment of the feeding schedule is required.

The appearance of pests

Various pests can appear on a poisonous plant only when it is in an unfavorable condition due to poor maintenance.

Eliminating the problem is possible by washing with a soapy-tobacco solution, rubbing the leaves with a sponge with vegetable oil (effective against scale insect larvae) or treating (in advanced cases) with insecticides. At the same time, adjustment of the conditions for keeping Croton is required.

But it is better to prevent defeat than to eliminate its consequences. Therefore, plants must be regularly inspected for pests.

Croton diseases

Occur as a result of errors in care during indoor cultivation.

Incorrectly selected soil with low acidity is dangerous for the development of root rot. With it, the leaves look pale, gradually turn yellow and fall off. The roots soften, the plant may die.

With abundant and frequent watering, red-gray spots appear on the leaves. This is a characteristic manifestation of a fungal disease - anthracnose. Over time, it affects all above-ground parts, disrupts the supply of nutrients and threatens the death of the plant.

For any disease, the plant is separated from the rest, care regimens are adjusted and treated with fungicides.

Croton care requires careful attention to it and compliance with all the rules of cultivation. The result is healthy, bright and ornamental plant in the apartment.

Croton is a beautiful ornamental evergreen plant. It is valued for its beautiful shape and original coloring of the leaves.

Origin of Croton

Croton, or codiaum, is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Indonesia, Southeast Asia, India, and some Pacific islands. It first appeared in Europe in the first half of the 19th century.

Croton is a plant that has a dense, smooth, erect stem, from which a large number of lateral processes extend. Some species do not have a trunk, the leaves depart immediately from the root.

Croton (croton)

Under natural conditions, the plant reaches a height of 4 meters and even more, in room conditions - up to one meter.

Belongs to the Euphorbia family. Croton juice is poisonous, therefore it is dangerous for animals and humans. If it gets on the skin, it can cause irritation, if it gets into the stomach, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, when caring for a plant, flower growers observe safety precautions: they put gloves on their hands. Tools and hands should be thoroughly rinsed with water after work.

Important! In the house, the codiaum is located in places where animals and children cannot reach.

How the houseplant croton blooms

The flowering period is the end of February-beginning of March.

The flowers are white with a yellowish tint and rather inconspicuous. Formed in the leaf axils of the plant. Collected in a medium-sized panicle, which is located on a dense peduncle. Bright sunlight stimulates the appearance of flowers.

Flowers are dioecious. Usually female flowers appear first, then male flowers. The flowering period is about a month.

Croton blooms greatly weaken the plant, so they are usually removed.

Descriptions of croton leaves

The perennial has hard and leathery leaves, outwardly resembling ficus leaves, located on petioles. Depending on the species, they can be ribbon-like, twisted, narrow, wide, large and small, have a shape from three-toed to oval, smooth or slightly wavy edges.

The color of the leaves can also vary depending on the species. There are plants with pink, dark green, olive, chocolate, raspberry, red leaves.

A relief pattern is clearly visible along the veins.

Attention! Croton leaves are usually two-colored, but there are species in which the leaf color consists of 5-6 colors.

Young leaves are usually green or yellow. Over time, they can change color, spots of different colors appear on them, and the bush takes on its bright and beautiful appearance.

Types and varieties of croton

Currently, more than 1200 species of croton are known. However, only codiaum Variegatum, its varieties and hybrids derived from it are suitable for growing at home. Currently, most hybrids are bred by US breeders.

dragon kind

The homeland of the plant is America. It got its name because of the red resin, somewhat reminiscent of blood. Mature plants look like trees with a thick trunk.

This resin is used in the production of varnishes, as well as in folk medicine, as it has good antiseptic and analgesic properties. It is used in the treatment of various kinds of ulcers, for wound healing. Preparations with resin are prescribed for reduced immunity.

Croton Cascarilla or Eutheria

Under natural conditions, Cascarilla is a small tree. The bark has a pleasant sweet smell. It is used in the preparation of aromatic oils.

In medicine, oil is prescribed for diseases of the respiratory tract or stomach. It has antiseptic properties, so it is used for skin inflammatory processes. In cooking, it is used to make flavoring for liqueurs.

spiny croton

The shrub resembles dragon croton not only in appearance, but also in properties and scope.

The color of the leaves is green and red.

The resin is used in the paint and varnish industry for the manufacture of varnishes.

laxative croton

The homeland of the plant is Asia. It can grow as a shrub or small tree, depending on conditions.

Seeds are a valuable raw material for pharmacology. They produce an oil that has a laxative effect.

The oil is used in homeopathy, cosmetology, medicine. It is used in the treatment of eczema, herpes and constipation. However, the seed oil of the laxative croton is poisonous. When treating, you must strictly adhere to the dosage so as not to harm the body.

variegated croton

This is the most common type. On its basis, for growing at home, many different varieties and hybrids of crotons were bred as indoor plants.

The leaves can have a different shape: from spiral to oval. Painted in at least two colors. Usually these are combinations of colors of yellow, green, brown, pink and red.

Three-bladed crotons

The shape of the leaf plate of this species resembles an oak leaf. Visually, it is divided into three parts, with the central part larger than the side ones in size.

The leaves themselves are large, hard, leathery. The color is combined from green, yellow, red, brown, burgundy and other colors.

This type includes codiaums:

• Excilent;
• Nervia;
• Disraeli;
• Holuffianaa.

narrow-leaved crotons

This variety includes plants with long, but narrow leaves. They are used in the design of not only residential premises, but also offices.

The most optimal conditions for development are diffused light, warm moist air and moist soil.

This group includes:

• Mammy;
• Sunny is old;
• Zanzibar;
• Splashes of champagne.

The leaves are usually up to 30 cm long. Under favorable conditions, the plant can reach 1 m in height.

Lobe varieties of crotons

In this type of codiaum, the leaf plate resembles three-bladed varieties, but only it is solid.

The shape and dimensions of the leaf plate may also differ depending on the variety.

TO this species relate:

• Peter;
• Gold Sun;
• Mrs Aiston.

On sale you can also see Croton Variegatum Mix. In the case of the sale of mix plants, it is not a specific variety of croton indoor flower that is offered, but an accumulation of several varieties and hybrids of codiaums, which can be difficult to identify.

Croton transplant after purchase in open ground

However, the croton flower should not be repotted on the same day it was purchased. Planting can begin after at least 10 days. During this time, the plant will acclimatize and tolerate the transplant more easily.

It is best to transplant a bush in the spring or early summer.

Attention! You can not transplant a croton flower during the flowering period.

What you need for planting croton

For optimal growth and development, codiaums need light and fertile land. To independently prepare the substrate, take turfy soil, fine sand, humus and peat in equal proportions. All components of the substrate are thoroughly mixed.

Additionally, a little charcoal or ash can be added to the soil. This will prevent the spread of putrefactive diseases in plants.

For planting, you can purchase universal soil for indoor plants in a specialized store. Also, for transplantation, it is necessary to prepare a flower pot with a diameter larger than the previous one by 3 cm, made of plastic or clay. An important condition is that it must have large drainage holes.

Choosing the best location

A warm sunny place, without drafts, is best for growing codiaum. With a lack of lighting, the leaves will lose their color variegation and become monochromatic.

Direct sunlight will not harm the leaves, but it is preferable that the light be diffused. It is best to place the flower on a window that faces west or east.

In order for the codiaum to feel comfortable and develop normally, the surrounding air must be humid. You should not place the flower next to heaters that dry the air a lot.

Step by step boarding process

1. First of all, you need to prepare a flower pot.
2. Sterilized drainage is poured at the bottom. It can be a crumb of broken red brick, expanded clay, polystyrene, etc.
3. Part of the soil mixture is poured onto the drainage, which is lightly rammed and moistened.
4. The plant is taken out of the pot. Be sure to monitor the integrity of the earthen coma. It must not be destroyed. It is better to use the method of transferring from one pot to another.

1. Inspection of the root system. If rotten roots are noticed, then they need to be removed.
2. Place the flower in a pot and fill the pot with the remaining mixture. In this case, you need to make sure that there are no voids between the earthen clod and the walls of the pot. The container can be periodically shaken so that the earth evenly fills the free cavities.
3. After transplanting, the soil is moderately watered, the leaves are sprayed with water and the pot is placed in a warm shaded place.

If there is no desire to grow a tall croton flower, then transplantation is not necessary. If the earth is covered with a white coating, then it can simply be updated a little. To do this, carefully remove the top layer of soil (3-5 cm) and pour new soil on top.

Croton reproduction

A plant can reproduce in several ways:

• cuttings;
• layering;
• seeds.

To obtain high-quality cuttings, lignified healthy shoots are selected. The stalk is cut from the apical part of the shoot 7-10 cm long with 2-3 leaves.

A piece of shoot is dipped into a glass of water and kept for several hours. Thanks to this procedure, the milky juice on the cut will not be able to dry out. Then the stalk is taken out of the glass, the remaining juice is removed and placed in a container with a sand-peat mixture. The cuttings are placed in a bright place. The air temperature in the room must be at least +25°C.

After about a month, roots form on the cuttings. After rooting, the plant begins to actively produce shoots.

Propagate flower cuttings better in spring or early summer.

Growing from seed

Seeds are collected independently or purchased in a store.

Seeds are sown on the prepared sand-peat mixture and lightly crushed on top with the same mixture. They are pre-soaked in Kornevin's solution for better germination.

Then the container is covered with plastic wrap and placed in a warm place. It is recommended to ventilate the greenhouse daily. If the soil is dry, then the soil is sprayed. A month after sowing, shoots appear.

Croton home care

Many beginner flower growers do not know how to care for croton at home. In principle, it is not difficult, although there are some nuances.

Watering mode

Codium is a tropical plant, for which one of the important conditions for normal development is high humidity. It should be 70-80%. Therefore, it is important to regularly water the plant and spray the leaves with water.

During the hot season and during the heating season great benefit spraying with warm water from a spray bottle will bring the plant. Also periodically wipe the surface of the leaves with a damp cloth.

Attention! Dry air and drying out of the soil lead to the fact that the leaves will fall off. In addition, dry air favors the reproduction of weevils and spider mites - plant pests.

For irrigation, you need to use warm settled water. The soil of the flower pot should be moist all the time, but not waterlogged. Usually, watering is carried out in the warm season 2-3 times a week, in winter - 1 time.

top dressing

In spring- summer period croton is fed with a solution of mineral fertilizers, which is used for deciduous plants. The frequency of fertilization is 1-2 times a month.

IN winter period top dressing is not performed or carried out, but not more than 1 time.

Preparing for winter

IN winter time daylight hours for a plant should be at least 12 hours. Therefore, it is necessary to organize artificial lighting. If you do not arrange the backlight, then the leaves will lose their variegated color.

The ambient temperature must not fall below +17°C. Optimally, it should be within + 18-20 ° C.

Flower pots should be removed from cold window panes and away from heating appliances.

Thus, caring for croton at home is simple, you just need to follow some rules so that this beautiful and festive flower pleases the household with bright colors.

Croton (sometimes called codiaum) belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. While it includes many rainforest dwellers, it also includes the ornamental croton.

Growth opportunities in the tropics and at home vary greatly, so if in the wild these plants can grow up to 3 m, then at home, with careful care, croton can reach a height of one and a half meters. However, the effort expended will undoubtedly be worth the room decoration that the croton undoubtedly is.

All species of these plants differ in the individual shape of the leaves and variegated colors. The shape of the leaves is the most diverse - they can be either laurel-shaped or lobed, ribbon or even twisted.

Description of Croton

The croton plant (lat. Croton), it is also codiaum (lat. Codiaeum) or “Joseph’s cloak”, belongs to the genus of the Euphorbiaceae family. What the name "croton" means, which gardeners liked more than the scientific "codiaum", which means "head" in Greek, no one knows for sure. Maybe this name comes from the name of the city in southern Italy, in which Pythagoras once founded his school, or maybe in some dialect this word means “bush” ...

Wild crotons are native to the Pacific Islands and Northern Australia, India, and Southeast Asia. The number of species in the genus varies from 17 to 1200, but in room culture, croton flowers are represented only by variegated croton and its hybrids. The croton flower is one of the most beautiful decorative leafy houseplants, which serves as a wonderful interior decoration and, as a rule, does not take up too much space. In some countries indoor plant croton is considered the keeper of the hearth, protecting the house from bad energy.

As already noted, in the wild, croton grows up to 3 meters in height. And at home, this indoor plant usually grows up to 1 meter, and almost all of its species, with the most careful care, do not grow above one and a half meters.

This flower is very beautiful and decorative. It can decorate not only our home, but also the lobbies of hotels, schools, medical institutions and various offices. Its leaves, of unusual color and shape, always catch the eye of people. Croton has the shape of a small tree, although one should not hope for a quick formation of a beautiful crown. In order for the flower to grow neat and beautiful, it must be trimmed, thereby forming a lush bush.

Codium is a flowering plant. With a rare flowering of croton, an arrow appears with small nondescript flowers of light yellow color. These flowers do not have special beauty and decorativeness, but croton expends considerable strength and nutrients for their flowering. Therefore, flower growers usually remove these arrows immediately.

Croton varieties

When buying crotons, you need to take into account that some of them grow quite large ("Petra", "Excellent", "Norma") and in adulthood take up a lot of space (at least 1.5 - 2 cubic meters) indoors, not to mention about window sills. Such varieties are characterized by a standard “traffic light” color, which can be preserved even in medium light, therefore they are successfully grown in spacious office premises, halls, greenhouses, where they are formed in the form of multi-tiered bushes and palm-shaped “trees”.

Medium and short (from 40 - 50 cm) crotons are more demanding on light and humidity, therefore they acquire characteristic sizes and colors only under suitable conditions.

However, compared to tall ones, they are distinguished by a richer palette of colors (red shades often go into almost black burgundy) and leaf shapes, which is why they are no less popular.

Particularly noteworthy among them are varieties with narrow short ("Gold Finger", "Banana", "Mora", "Gold Star") and long drooping ("Mascarena", "Franklin Roosevelt", "Colorado", "Pictum") leaves. , as well as varieties with twisted ("Golden Bell", "Mammy") and wavy ("Colorado", "Curly Boy") leaf blades.

The most capricious among crotons are considered very rare “white chimeras”, in the color of which there is a cream (almost white) color - varieties “Eburneum” and “Andrew”. At home, the first of them has cream-green young leaves with age become dark pink-green, and the second has white-green with a wavy edge gradually turns into solid green. But in greenhouse conditions (in bright light and very high humidity) in the first grade pink color acquires a rich burgundy, almost black hue, and the young leaves of the second grow completely white with small green specks and expressive corrugated edges.

Please note: many spectacular varieties (especially Dutch ones) can go on sale under "purely symbolic" identical names, which often confuses when creating collections.

Buying Croton

When choosing a croton among the specimens on sale, it is imperative to pay attention to the healthy state of the plant and its “compatibility” with your home conditions. A healthy croton should have elastic hard leaves with a bright juicy color and no signs of damage by pests (scale insects or spider mites).

It is better to refuse to buy a specimen with sluggish leaves, because during the time of adaptation to new conditions they will still fall off (if the cause of wilting was drying out), and at worst, the plant will die altogether (if wilting was provoked by root rot). If you are acquiring Croton for the first time, give preference to young specimens, as they are more plastic and adapt faster to new conditions. As an option, take a cutting from a vending healthy plant from neighbors or acquaintances for rooting.

Croton flower - growing features

The croton indoor flower is a bush with leathery leaves of various shapes: asymmetric, oblong-lanceolate, pointed or obtuse, entire, three-lobed, notched, broadly ovate, etc.

Young leaves, usually lighter yellow-green hues, become richer green and burgundy over time, so your home croton flower is colored like a smart autumn forest. A common feature for leaves of all varieties and varieties is pronounced venation. Blooming croton will not cause delight in you, because it is a drooping axillary racemes of inconspicuous cream flowers.

The croton home flower has earned the fame of one of the most capricious plants. What are the features of caring for Croton?

• Croton juice is poisonous. It causes diarrhea, vomiting, contact dermatitis, so all work with Croton should be done with gloves.
• Croton at home needs not only spraying the leaves from the sprayer, but also wiping them with a damp sponge. In the summer, give your croton a warm shower every month.
• Croton does not tolerate watering with cold water and drafts!
• Sometimes, at the beginning of the growing season, croton leaves take on strange shapes. No one knows how this is explained, but croton has a high degree of mutability, which is why it became possible to breed many varieties and hybrid forms of this plant, and they differ only in how the leaf of one or another variety of croton looks like.
• The inconspicuous flowering of croton takes a lot of energy from the plant, and if you are not going to engage in breeding experiments, it is better to immediately remove flower buds or flower stalks.

Croton care at home

The flowers of the Croton plant are not of particular value because they do not shine with beauty. This is one of the reasons for the removal of flowers when they appear, but it also increases the vitality of the whole plant.

How to care for croton

Croton loves bright light, but he can take baths from direct sunlight only in the morning or before sunset, so in the summer the window sill of the north window is suitable for him, and in winter, when the sun shines, but does not warm, the south one. If you have the opportunity to take Croton in the summer to fresh air and bright diffused light, do not neglect it. The most comfortable temperature for croton in summer is 20-22 ºC, in winter - not lower than 16 ºC.

Watering croton it is necessary that the earthen ball be slightly moist all the time, but at the same time, that moisture does not stagnate in the roots and does not cause the danger of their decay.

We note right away that only settled, softened and necessarily warm water. The main thing is that the water needs to be filtered or at least defended. Air humidity for Croton has great importance, so you will have to regularly spray or wipe the leaves with a damp washcloth, and in the summer, once a month, give him a warm shower, but so that the water does not flow into the pot.

Every day you need to spray the plant and wipe its leaves on both sides with warm water using a soft cloth. It is not necessary to place the plant next to equipment that radiates heat, since Croton is moisture-loving, and most of its diseases are a consequence of dry soil.

Fertilize croton a solution of complex mineral fertilizers on pre-moistened soil from April to November twice a month, in winter once a month is enough. To form a beautiful crown in croton, pruning (for an adult plant) and pinching (for young crotons) are used. Pinch plants that have reached 15 cm in height, and then every time the shoots grow 20 cm.

In adult plants, after pruning, the sections are treated with sulfur or charcoal powder. It is advisable to remove flower buds or young flower stalks that have appeared, because flowering, which has no decorative value, exhausts the croton, and this is reflected in the health and beauty of its leaves.

Light requirements

The lighting of the plant needs to be given great attention, since it is it that forms the individual variegated coloring of its leaves. With a lack of light for croton, its leaves have the usual green color.

The croton lighting regime should be changed depending on the season: in winter, provide the plant with direct sunlight, and in the spring it is undesirable, at this time of the year diffused sunlight is favorable for croton.

Temperature regime

Considering that in natural conditions croton all year round grows in relatively constant warmth (without a sharp cold snap and heat), at home it is optimal for it to maintain air and soil temperatures within 18 - 25 ° C. Because of low temperatures, drafts and even watering with cold water, the edges of the leaves of the plant turn brown, and with prolonged hypothermia, the roots also begin to rot. In order not to subject the exotic handsome man to tests in the form of a sharp drop in temperature and humidity, because of which he can drop leaves, it is strongly not recommended to take him out to the balcony or garden even in summer.

The humidity of the tropics for home croton is, of course, difficult to maintain. Ideally, it is necessary to ensure almost constant soil and air humidity, but at the same time adjust them also with temperature indicators. This plant should be watered with warm, settled water after light drying of the topsoil (1 - 1.5 cm) - at least, otherwise its leaves will begin to turn brown and fall off; but not more often, so as not to provoke the appearance of gray rot (fluffy mold on leaves and shoots).

Note: short-term drying / overflowing of the root ball for croton is not too critical, but prolonged maintenance in inappropriate conditions seriously disrupts the operation of its conducting system and one can not even hope for its restoration. It is optimal to set the frequency of watering in accordance with the air temperature in the room - more often in summer and less often in winter.

To ensure air humidity next to the crotons, you should always place pallets with wet expanded clay, peat or just water, every morning (!) Wipe large-leaved specimens with a wet sponge on both sides, and spray small-leaved varieties and plants with “curly” leaves. From time to time, you can arrange for crotons and a warm cleansing (from dust) shower, but be sure to cover the soil from waterlogging.

Pinching

In order for the plant to form a beautiful crown, it must be pinched regularly. They do this initially at a height of 15 cm. Lateral branches begin to develop, the flower becomes more bushy, beautiful. This procedure is repeated after, along the entire length of the plant, every 20 cm.

Croton in winter

When the cold season comes, the croton is moved from the northern window sill to the southern one, watering is reduced, but they continue to adhere to the same principle: the earth ball should be slightly damp.

Continue and water procedures- spraying and wiping the leaves with a damp sponge, but they don’t do it as often as in the warm season, and it’s better to forget about the shower until the summer. You need to feed the plant no more than once a month, but some professionals are sure that in winter, croton does not need to be fed at all.

Priming

Codiaum will grow and develop well in loose, well-fertilized soil.

Purchased soil for beautifully flowering ornamental deciduous plants is best suited for this. If you want to prepare the soil yourself - take equal amounts of sod, hardwood, peat and sand mixture. To exclude the appearance of harmful microorganisms and pest larvae in the soil, it must first be frozen or calcined.

To prevent rotting of the root system of a young plant, put a few pieces of charcoal into the soil. At the bottom of the pot with a layer of 2-3 cm, lay drainage from expanded clay or pebbles.

Pot

A pot for a young croton is taken medium, not deep, so that there is no extra space and the roots do not rot from excess moisture. Young plants as they grow should be transplanted annually into larger pots. Mature plants need to be repotted every 2-3 years. When you see that the roots are already peeking out of the drainage holes, it's time to transplant the croton. The new pot should not be much larger than the previous one, and the diameter should be increased by no more than 5 cm.

• Before transplanting, the flower must be well watered. Then the earthen ball will not fall apart and the roots will not suffer.
• Add fresh soil to the new pot, try not to let the roots touch the drainage layer, water it abundantly and place it in a bright, warm place.
• Croton transplantation is best done in spring or summer.
• It is better not to transplant a flower bought in a store for 2-3 weeks, let the plant get used to the new conditions and acclimatize.

Place for location

Croton is a thermophilic plant. It will grow and develop well at a temperature of 20-25 °C. Above 26°C and below 16°C. harmful to the plant. In a draft, the flower feels bad, so you don’t need to put a pot under the window. Planting in the garden or on the balcony is contraindicated for him. In summer, it must be protected from direct sunlight to avoid leaf burns. The east or west side of the apartment will do. And in winter, you can put a flower on a sunny windowsill. The lack of light can affect the decorativeness of the flower - the leaves will lose their bright color, become evenly green.

At prolonged low temperatures - below 14 ° C, the flower becomes ill, sheds all the leaves and may even die. It is best to put a flower near the window, you can even have heaters.

Croton loves bright but diffused light and high humidity. He loves to have his leaves wiped on both sides with a damp swab. Dust accumulates on them, which can lead to pests or disease. In winter, he feels great if he is warm, light and has enough watering.

And one more thing: once a week in the morning, it is advisable to spray Croton with warm settled water, even with growth stimulants such as zircon, epin-extra or immunophytophyte.

Croton transplant

Crotons are transplanted in spring or summer, into wide, shallow pots placed in a container of gravel, in which a constant water level will need to be maintained. Be sure to make a 3-centimeter expanded clay drainage layer in a pot.

Make a hole in the soil beforehand and place the plant in it so that the root system does not come into contact with the drainage.

Young plants are transplanted every year, as already mentioned, in spring or summer. Adult crotons are transplanted when the root system fills the pot space. You should not choose a pot that is too large for transplanting, a container with a diameter of 3-5 centimeters wider than the previous one will be optimal, free space filled with fresh soil.

It is not necessary to transplant croton without preparation, if you do not have the necessary skills, this is a rather delicate work, which, if done incorrectly, can harm the plant and even kill the croton.

Croton grows in the form of a small tree, but the crown configuration can be changed to the shape of a bush by removing the top shoot. It should be noted that the shape of the plant changes slowly, mainly due to the fact that the growth rate of the side shoots is much less than the top ones.

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Croton reproduction

At home, croton is propagated by seeds, when it comes to growing hybrids, and by stem or leaf cuttings.

seed method

Croton seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, so you need to sow freshly harvested seeds. It should also be taken into account that the germination process takes a lot of time, and most importantly, that varietal characteristics are usually not preserved during generative propagation. Before planting, large croton seeds should be heated for half an hour in water at a temperature of 60 ºC and left for a day to swell.

Sowing is carried out to a depth of one centimeter, the temperature required for seed germination is 22 ºC. Until shoots appear, the soil in the seed container is moistened with bottom watering. When the seedlings have a third leaf, they are seated in separate pots with a diameter of 7 cm and looked after like an adult croton.

Vegetative way

The easiest way is to root an apical cutting 6-10 cm long, but if you need several cuttings, then the shoot is cut into pieces so that each segment has at least one internode with one healthy leaf.

• Lignified or semi-lignified cuttings take root most easily.
• The poisonous milky juice flowing from the sections should be washed off with water, and then the sections should be allowed to dry in the air for three hours.
• On the upper part of the apical cutting, the leaves are shortened in half parallel to the veins, and the leaves are removed from the lower part.
• Then the cuttings are placed with a dried and root-treated cut in a container with water heated to 23-30 ºC (to avoid rotting of the planting material), and placed to grow roots under bright diffused light.
• When the cutting grows roots 2 cm long, it is transplanted into a croton substrate.
• In the first decade after transplantation, it is necessary to create increased air humidity around the cuttings transplanted into the ground due to frequent spraying. You will learn that the cuttings have begun by restoring the elasticity of the leaf.

Pests and diseases of Croton

Croton is affected by mealybugs, nematodes, scale insects and spider mites, and more often than others, it is mites. It is difficult to say what attracts them so much to croton, but sometimes the struggle with them brings the owner of the flower to an extreme degree of irritation, and he, desperate to win this fight, simply throws out the croton.

But let me remind you: if you follow all the rules of care, neither insects nor diseases are terrible for your plants, and the appearance of ticks is explained by the fact that croton was rarely washed and watered irregularly, so blame only yourself for this kind of trouble. You can fight spider mites, scale insects and scale insects by wiping the ground parts of Croton with a tobacco solution with the addition of soap, which after an hour and a half must be washed off so that it does not get into the substrate.

Croton dropped its leaves

If the plant has lowered its leaves, then it cannot drink. This happens if the roots are cold. Move the plant to a warm, bright place, streamline the moistening regime, letting the earthy coma dry a few centimeters deep between waterings, stop feeding the flower, spray the leaves well and put a transparent bag or cap on the plant.

Croton dries

If only the lower leaves of the croton dry, then there is no need to worry: the gradual exposure of the lower part of the stem is a natural process for crotons. Dry leaf tips indicate that the plant is suffering from low air humidity, and for Croton, a comfortable humidity indicator is 70%. If the edges of the leaves dry and brown spots appear on them, it means that the room is not warm enough and the croton freezes. If the croton not only dries, but also leaves fall, then its roots definitely lack moisture.

sheds leaves

Often readers of the site ask the question why croton leaves fall. The first two reasons are chronically insufficient watering and low air humidity - we have already named.

This also happens when the room temperature is too low, as well as from temperature fluctuations or drafts. What to do if croton leaves fall? First, carefully reread the rules for caring for croton. Secondly, analyze where and in what way you violated these rules. Thirdly, correct your mistakes and avoid them in the future.

Typical plant problems

• Croton growth very slow? There is not enough light, light is necessary for the growth of the plant. For this reason, growth is much slower in winter than in summer.

Croton rarely gets sick because it is poisonous, but not enough care can lead to various diseases. It is desirable to familiarize yourself with some of his diseases.

• Anthracnose is fungal disease. It occurs when excessive watering with cold water. A sign of anthracnose is the appearance of reddish or grayish-ash spots on the leaves. The fungus penetrates the leaf veins and destroys the plant. A pot with a diseased plant is urgently isolated from the rest and treated with an antifungal drug. It is better to spray all plants in contact with it with biological products to avoid infection.
• Root rot - appears with low acidity
  soil. The leaves turn pale, dry and fall off. At
  of a diseased plant, the roots become soft,
  exfoliating, they rot. To combat root rot, broad-spectrum antifungal drugs are used.
• It happens that the tips of the croton leaves begin to dry - this is from a lack of moisture in the soil and in the air. It is necessary to water the flower more abundantly, spray its leaves. To increase the humidity in the room, you can put containers of water next to the pot.

• If brown spots appear on the leaves of the plant, this is from direct sunlight on the flower, especially in the summer. Adjust the watering regime and remove the pot from the sunny windowsill - the croton will come to life again. And dry ends can be neatly trimmed.
• The appearance of a brown edge on the leaves indicates that the plant is cold, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the air surrounding the croton.
• If the leaves begin to turn pale, cease to be bright, colorful - the plant does not have enough lighting, move it to a brighter place.
• If the leaves fall off, the plant is most likely cold, not comfortable, not enough nutrition and moisture.

• On diseased plants, a spider mite may appear - a thin web on the stems and leaves of a flower. It appears with a combination of two reasons - dry air and insufficient watering.
• If a light fluffy coating appears on the leaves, this is a mealybug.
• Sometimes croton is affected by the scab - light areas appear on the leaves at the places where the pest feeds.

In all these cases, pots with diseased plants should be taken to the bathroom and all the leaves on both sides should be treated with soapy water. Then wipe them with ordinary vegetable oil. With a strong damage to the flower by pests, it is treated with special preparations - insecticides, such as karbofos or actellik.

In fact, the appearance of pests and diseases of croton is caused by two factors - insufficient humidity of the surrounding air and improper watering of the plant. If you provide the flowers with these conditions, they will never get sick and pests will not disturb them.

Cautions

Croton is poisonous plant. If the juice gets on the skin of a person, there may be a burn or contact dermatitis may develop. If croton juice enters the stomach, it will cause vomiting and diarrhea. If the juice of this plant enters the bloodstream, then a person may die - its poison is deadly. Therefore, before starting a Croton, you need to weigh all the pros and cons.

During any operations with this plant, you must be careful, after work - wash your hands with soap and water. It is not advisable for children to play next to croton in order to exclude the possibility that they will want to tear off a beautiful juicy leaf and take it into their mouths. If the child just touched the flower or stroked its beautiful glossy leaves, don't be scared, it's not scary - just wash his hands with soap and water. Croton does not emit toxic substances into the air.

Note!

Despite the fact that in the photo the croton looks not only beautiful, but also a powerful, strong plant, it is one of the most difficult to care for and demanding on the conditions of its existence. It needs to be watered often, fed, sprayed, protected from drafts, diseases and pests. Croton requires attention no less than pets. But if you decide to purchase this miracle, and you are not afraid of the difficulties of growing it, the time spent on it will pay off - a healthy croton of amazing beauty will create a wonderful atmosphere in your home.

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In the process of growth, almost all varieties of croton need crown formation. Young plants are regularly turned to a light source, and when they outgrow a height of 10-15 cm, they are pinched with the beginning of the growing season, stimulating branching. Later, with the help of pinching and pruning on adult specimens, the desired type of plant is formed - compact, sprawling, "palm-shaped", etc.

After the procedure, the places of the cuts must be sprinkled with charcoal, and the cut shoots (leaves) are used for propagation (rooted). Please note: when pruning, croton emits poisonous milky juice, so it is better to perform the procedure with gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after it.

Under optimal conditions, Croton grows actively, blooms regularly and rarely gets sick. Errors in care (especially low humidity and temperature) cause pests, stains and plaque to appear on it. Usually, due to the bright color of the disease on variegated plants, it is difficult to detect, therefore, even outwardly healthy crotons, it is advisable to periodically carefully examine for damage - the appearance of brown plaques on stems and leaves (scutellum), cobwebs on young leaves (spider mites) or white plaque on their reverse side and on the stem (mealybug), etc.

• If pest control (increase in air humidity, wiping the leaves with soapy water, spraying with Akarin, Aktellik, etc.) is not carried out in a timely manner, the damaged plants will gradually lose their color and leaves, and eventually die.
• Please note: experienced flower growers say that croton bloom greatly weakens the plant (increases soreness), so if you do not plan seed propagation or breeding of new varieties in the future, it is better to remove all flower stalks before flowers form.

Many flower growers believe that the successful cultivation of this exotic handsome man is only possible experienced craftsmen, so it is rarely recommended for beginners. But whoever does not take risks, as they say, will not be able to admire the beauty of Croton at home. Take risks, and let luck smile at you in this adventure!

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Consider caring for a specific type of croton - codiaum excelent

Characteristics and features of home care

It is not for nothing that Codiaum Excellence bears its magnificent name, meaning "fabulous". Its beauty and pride are bright variegated leaves of whimsical shape and color. True, flower growers have a different name for it - Croton Excellence, but it erroneous and belongs to another, not so rare genus of the same Euphorbia family.

Description

In room conditions, this is an elegant bush with a height about half a meter. The leaves resemble oak with very bright veins. Their color changes from bottom to top. The older the leaf, the more red, pink and orange hues it has. Young upper leaves flaunt mainly in golden yellow and green tones.

Extraordinarily demanding on conditions of detention, codiaum excellent, however, does not lose its popularity with flower growers - they are ready to put up with its "whims" - it is very beautiful. Such types of Codiaum as: Motley, Petra, Tamara are also very popular.

Even the poisonous milky juice of codiaum, which can cause an allergic rash or contact dermatitis, does not scare away lovers - it is not so difficult to put on gloves or wash your hands with soap and water after fiddling with the plant.

Temperature

So, codiaum excelent! How to care? Let's start with the fact that an alien from the humid and hot wilds of Malaysia, a flower needs warmth, and feels best in the range +21-25°С. It will withstand + 18 ° С, but not lower - its roots are in cold soil will die quickly.

For the winter, put it near the battery. Drafts for this sissy are fatal - just a little, he sheds leaves. This view is really loves the sun, especially its morning and evening rays - the more light, the brighter and more colorful its foliage, only in the hottest hours of summer days is openwork penumbra acceptable. But you can leave the flower in the sun.

Main, do not spray at the same time, otherwise the plant will get burned. In winter, the codiaum should also receive as much light as possible.

Watering

In summer, the codiaum craves moisture, so you need earth in a pot keep moist (but not wet!). When watering, everything that is glass in the pan should be poured immediately, excess moisture causes root rot. Take water for irrigation directly from the tap it is forbidden- it should stand for at least a day and warm up at least to room temperature. In winter, watering is cut, but the earthen lump should not dry out.

Air humidity

Codiaum needs stagnant moisture, like in a rainforest. You can arrange such a “bath” at home with the help of a humidifier (especially in winter). Another convenient option is to place the flower on a “pillow” of wet pebbles. Spray daily- soft warm water. And also wipe the leaves from above and below with a damp sponge. Once a month give him a "rain" in the shower, covering the soil with a film.

fertilizers

WITH May to October codiaum grows very quickly, sometimes in jerks, throwing out 2-4 leaves.

At this time, he needs frequent - once every 1-2 weeks top dressing. The best option– liquid complex fertilizer like Ideal, Oasis. Water the plant before fertilizing. In winter, growth is slower, and this handsome man needs additional nutrition - once every 3-4 weeks.

The soil

Codium loves alkaline soil with a pH of 6.5–7.4. The soil for it is prepared on the basis of peat, humus and coarse sand, taken in equal parts, and abundantly fertilized with humus.

Transfer (after purchase)

• The purchased codiaum needs to be transplanted from the store substrate, having previously cleaned the roots well.
• A pot for him should be slightly wider than the roots He likes to grow up in close quarters.
• Put on the bottom of the dish more drainage. The soil is well calcined so that all pests die. In it you can add charcoal to prevent root rot.

IN first 3-4 years the root system of the codiaum grows rapidly. At this time, it needs to be transplanted annually in spring. An adult plant is rarely disturbed when the roots begin to bulge out of the pot, the rest of the time they simply renew the top layer of soil.

reproduction

Codiaum excelent at home is propagated in the spring by cuttings taken from the top of the plant.

Choose large, 15 cm high shoots, cut from the stem and put in water to clean the sections from poisonous milky juice.

It is essential to do this gloved. Then the cuttings should dry off. So that they do not lose moisture too much, the leaves can be rolled up and fixed.

Ready shoots are planted in pots with wet peat, covered with foil and placed on a warm battery. In this hot mini-greenhouse, plants take root in a month.

Theoretically, codiaum can also be propagated by seeds, but this method is mainly used by specialists in breeding hybrid varieties.

pruning

• To give a beautiful shape to the codiaum - shaping pruning can be done, whenever there is a need. For him, this procedure is not painful.
• If the plant is very stretched out and partly lost its leaves, in the spring the top should be cut off by 15 cm (this cutting can be rooted) and then the remaining "stump" will begin to branch.
• The cut must be sprinkled with charcoal so that it does not leak juice. Also in the spring, young shoots are pinched - this makes the codiaum more magnificent. You need to do pruning with gloves.

Bloom

If you properly care for this tropical sissy, it will bloom in summer, but small cream flowers do not differ in its beauty, and a lot of strength is taken from the plant.

So better than them break off immediately.

Lifespan

Codiaum - perennial, in the hands of an experienced grower, he can live over 10 years, but it is difficult for beginners to cope with it, and the life of the plant is often limited to one season.

Possible difficulties

spider mite

A red, small mite settles on the lower part of the leaves and envelops them with a thin white web. White specks appear on top of the leaves, then large light spots - and the leaf dies.
On the codiaum, a tick can start if the leaves are rarely washed and the air around is too dry.

What to do: wash the leaves, especially from the underside, with a weak tobacco solution with soap. After a “soapy bath” after 2-3 hours, the leaves should be rinsed with warm water. Spray the codiaeum with an insecticide. Suitable Akarin, Fitoverm, Vermitek.

Shchitovka

What to do: you need a shield clean with a damp cloth or an old toothbrush, and rub the codiaum leaves with a swab dipped in vegetable oil- the larvae will suffocate under the oil film. If the lesion is large, an insecticide is needed. Suitable: Aktara, Biotlin, Appleud, Bankol.

Root rot

Rotting of the roots of the codiaum can also lead to stagnant water in the soil or pallet - it should not be allowed, and fungal infections. With it, the leaves lose their luster, turn pale, wither, the roots soften, exfoliate.

What to do: water the flower under the root with Alirin-B or Fitosporin-M preparations.

The plant as a whole looks very strong, but in fact it is a sissy - a greenhouse flower. For Kodiaum, excellent home care will require compliance with strict requirements, and then he will be prettier day by day.

Croton is a flower that is very popular with lovers of marvelous green pets. Experienced and novice flower growers appreciate the plant for its beauty and original foliage colors. Young leaves usually have a delicate light yellow tint. Over time, they become darker, acquire a rich green or even burgundy color. No wonder so many people mature plant gives rise to associations with elegant autumn forest.

Leathery leaves are distinguished by pronounced venation. Depending on the variety of the plant, they can be oblong, pointed or blunt, entire, three-lobed. But croton blooms, or, as it is otherwise called, codiaum, is not very beautiful. Hanging racemes appear on the bush, abounding with creamy flowers. Flowering plant pretty nondescript.

In the wild, an amazing plant is found in the humid tropics of Oceania and Southeast Asia. In order for the flower to feel comfortable, caring for croton at home should reproduce the natural conditions of its habitat as much as possible. It is important to ensure the correct temperature level and sufficient lighting, take care of abundant watering and air humidification.

flower varieties

In nature, there are about 10 varieties of croton. Only a few of them are grown at home:

1. Variegated codiaum in the wild, it can grow up to 6 m in length. When grown at home, this figure is much lower, although some individuals can stretch to the very ceiling. The leaves are variegated, have bright yellow, scarlet or green veins, as well as edging. It can be wavy, spiral or twisted.
2. Croton Petra differs in branched even shoots and huge leaves with numerous veins. The leaves are contrasting, dark olive. Along the edges they are framed by a yellow edging.
3. Excellence flower- the owner of the original leaves in the form of blades. They have a greenish tint and yellow streaks. And on the reverse side, the foliage is red with a brown edging.
4. Croton Mammy- 1 more species, characterized by original foliage. The leaves are quite long and tapered. They are slightly spirally wrapped. The color of the foliage is also unusual: catchy, scarlet leaves with yellow-red veins look very beautiful and non-standard.
5. Codiaum Sunny Star- bright and sunny copy. Most of the foliage is colored in saturated yellow and has olive tops. Young leaves are beige. As they grow, scarlet, yellowish and pink markings appear on them.
6. View Mix striking variety of shades of foliage. On one plant, leaves of red, pinkish, yellow and green colors may be present. In length, some leaves reach 20 cm.
7. Croton Gold Star has rich green leaves with yellow veins. In height, beautiful plants reach 30 cm. This variety is one of the most whimsical, it requires the organization of competent lighting.
8. Codiaum Tamara bears the name of a beautiful English girl with whom the emperor was in love. To declare his feelings to the chosen one, the ruler ordered the gardeners to bring the new kind plants and named it after the girl. The flower has long green-white leaves with spiral tips. The inflorescences are light, but at home this type of croton does not bloom.

Care different types the codiaum is identical. To keep the plant healthy appearance, several simple rules.

How to care for a plant?

1. Lighting. Croton is a great lover of light. He feels most comfortable on the windowsills of windows facing the western or eastern side of the world. Despite the light-loving flower, it is better to protect it from bright sunlight. They can burn the leaves, cause them to dry out and fall off. A young or just bought bush should be accustomed to bright light gradually. First, put it on the windowsill for half an hour, and increase this time every day. If the plant does not receive enough light, the decorative coloring of the foliage is lost. The flower becomes just green.
2. Temperature. The correct temperature regime plays a key role in flower care. It is important to ensure that even in the cold season, the temperature in the premises of houses does not fall below +16°C. The ideal temperature for winter is +18°C. In summer, a pet feels great at 20-25 ° C. The green pet categorically does not tolerate drafts. That is why it should not be taken out onto the street or balcony, even in the warm season.
3. Watering and humidification. Indoor flower is very moisture-loving. If you notice that the croton sheds leaves, then most likely it does not have enough moisture. This problem is especially relevant in the hot season, so in summer the flower needs special attention and care. However, the moisture-loving nature of a flower is not at all a reason to flood it. Water should not stagnate in the pan. In hot summers, watering should be done daily or every other day. It is acceptable to alternate spraying and moistening the soil. In winter, watering should be reduced, the optimal frequency is 1 time in 3 days. Be sure to monitor the humidity in the room, try to keep the pot away from hot batteries. Otherwise, it is likely that the plant will be hit by the worst enemies - weevils or spider mites. Before watering, the liquid must be defended. Its temperature should not be lower than room temperature.

How to transplant and fertilize a plant?

Periodically, a beautiful plant needs to be transplanted. The new place of residence of the flower should be more spacious than the previous one. It is advisable to choose a container whose diameter is 3-5 cm larger than the previous one. Preference should be given to wide and shallow pots. Be sure to take care of creating a drainage layer. Its thickness should be at least 3 cm. Broken bricks, small gravel or expanded clay are best suited for drainage. After transplanting, it is recommended to place the container in a gravel tray. This is necessary in order to maintain soil moisture.

Croton transplantation is usually done in spring or summer. A small hole should be made in the soil. In this case, the root system of the green pet will not come into contact with the drainage layer. Young bushes need to be transplanted annually. More mature plants are moved to a new place if the old pot becomes small.

The soil for transplanting the plant can be bought at a specialized store or prepared independently. To do this, you need to mix 4 components in equal proportions:

• soddy soil;
• humus;
• peat;
• sifted sand.

Before planting, it is recommended to briefly freeze or ignite the soil. In this case, it is possible to eliminate the risk that the land will be infected with pathogens or pest larvae. And a few pieces of charcoal added to the soil will help keep the roots from rotting.

What to do to make Croton grow faster? Use fertilizer. Pamper flower useful supplements follows a period of active growth. Complex and mineral fertilizers are optimally suited. Purchased mixtures intended for ornamental deciduous plants are suitable. They should be applied immediately after watering according to the schedule prescribed in the instructions.

After transplantation, the upper shoots of the plant can be pinched a little. This will get rid of the old stems and give the croton the shape of a shrub, the shape of a small tree is natural for it. You should not count on the instant formation of a beautiful crown. The side shoots of a flower grow much more slowly than the trunk.

How to propagate codiaum at home?

There are 2 most popular and effective methods plant breeding:

1. cuttings- the simplest and convenient way. With it, you can get new bushes throughout the year. To use the method, you must carefully remove the upper part of the stem from the mother plant. Its optimal length is 10 cm. The cut point on the branch should be washed to remove the milk juice. After that, the cropped area is treated with charcoal, crushed into dust. To accelerate the growth of roots, the use of growth stimulants is acceptable. Root cuttings in water or soil. If you chose option 2, do not forget to water the soil on time and periodically spray the leaves. To speed up rooting, take care of maintaining the optimum air temperature. It must not exceed +24°C. Roots appear after about 2 months. After that, the plants are planted in separate containers.
2. propagate indoor flower And using sheets. To do this, you need to choose a strong, large and healthy leaf on the mother shrub. It is carefully removed and lowered into clean water. It should be in the liquid until all the juice flows out. Then the sheet is taken out and treated with charcoal. It is better to root a leaflet in a soil consisting of sand and peat. To speed up root formation, it is recommended to make a mini-greenhouse from a film. It should be periodically opened to allow the young plant to breathe. After the leaf has taken root and given new stems, it is transplanted into a separate pot.

Choose the method that suits you best. If you follow all the rules, the flower will quickly give roots and take root without any problems.

What diseases threaten the flower?

Croton is a fairly unpretentious plant. It is extremely easy to take care of him. However, if you do not comply simple recommendations, a green pet can get sick and even die:

When leaving, you need to remember that croton juice is poisonous. If it gets into the digestive tract, there is a high risk of vomiting and problems with the stool. And contact of the juice with the skin can provoke dermatitis. Therefore, the plant must be handled very carefully.

This leafy succulent officially has two names: Croton or Codieum. Some experts believe that this is the name of the same plant. Others consider Codiaum a domesticated flower, and Croton a wild variety from which they produce medicines. Most likely, the difference in the name came from the different place of their growth in the wild. evergreen shrub a native of the Pacific Islands, the Malay Archipelago and the northern coast of Australia. It has about 14 species and belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. .

All the beauty and decorativeness of this home flower is in the leaves. They can be very diverse in shape: large and oval, with wavy edges; lanceolate, with a pointed tip; three-toed or fan-shaped. It differs in the color of the foliage, but usually the top is greener. With age, the leaves first turn yellow, then turn red or brown.

The color of the leaves is heterogeneous - some with pronounced spots, some stand out in different colors of the veins. There are species with a marble pattern on the leaves. The leaf blade is very hard and resilient. All species, when flowering, throw out an arrow with small nondescript flowers. Most often, it is removed so that the plant does not consume nutrients once again.

It must be borne in mind that Croton's juice is very poisonous, so they do not put it in children's rooms, and they try to make the plant inaccessible to pets. Given the wide variety of colors and leaf shapes, Croton will fit into any office interior. Croton care at home is not difficult, as many beginner gardeners think. The main thing is to follow the advice given in this article.

Kinds

Codiaum motley ( Codiaeum variegatum) Variegatum

The ancestor of all cultural types of Codiaums. In nature, it grows either as a shrub up to 1.5 meters tall, or as a four-meter tree with smooth branches and leaves only at the ends of the branches. At home, it grows up to half a meter.

It has large, up to 25-30 cm leaves, arranged alternately. The leaves are leathery, dense. Has a wide variety of colors. Grows slowly. With the help of selection, different kinds, With different form sheet. In this codiaum, they are initially oval in shape, the sheet plate is even.

Croton mottled

Varieties of Codiaum Motley:

• Genuine (genuinum) — leaves with smooth edges, flat, oval or lanceolate in shape, at the base and tops are pointed. On the upper side of the leaf, golden patterns are visible along the central vein. There are species with a reddish tinge of initially growing leaves;
• Painted (picturatum) - the leaves are narrower, closer to lanceolate, the color is about the same as that of the previous variety;
• Tortoiseshell (tortile) - the leaf plate is heart-shaped at the base, then elongated with a pointed tip, twists slightly around its axis. The color is variegated: a red central vein and a golden stripe stand out against a green background. On both sides of the sheet are spots of irregular shape of the same color;
• Three-leaved (trilobium) - the base of the leaf is deltoid. The leaf plate itself is divided into three parts. The color of the leaves is the most diverse - from stripes different color along the veins, to different color spots or a combination of both;
• Wrapped (volutum) – broadly lanceolate long leaves twisted to the base. The plant eventually takes the form of a ball and looks very original;
• narrow-leaved (angustifolium) - linear narrow leaves reach a length of 25 cm with a width of 0.5 to 1 cm. Veins, random spots located on the leaves can be colored yellow.
• Adnexal (appendiculatum Celak.) – Distinguished by the unusual shape of the leaves. The wide-oval plate at the top narrows to a vein and then expands again, forming, as it were, a second leaf.

There are also bred varieties that have become widespread among flower growers and have their own names:

Codiaum Petra (Codiaeum Petra)

Green leaves with yellow veins. A compact shrub that grows up to 50 cm high. The leaves are large, directed upwards. Brightly prominent veins decorate the plant very much.

Croton Petra

Codiaum Excelent (Codiaeum Excellent)

The upper part of the leaf is green with yellow spots and the lower part is reddish-burgundy. The leaves are large, reminiscent of oak. The bush is quite compact.

Codiaum Mix (Codieaum Mix)

They call a whole group of succulents. Often, without knowing the exact name, this group includes derived species from Kodiyum Motley.

Coroton Mix

Codiaum Mrs. Aiston (Codieaum Mrs. Ayston)

has the shape of a tree in adulthood. The leaves at a young age have an unusual cream color, as they grow older, they first turn yellow, then turn green. On one tree you can see all the colors that leaves can have. Grows into a fairly tall tree proper care, all covered in leaves.

Croton Mrs Aiston

Codiaum Mammy (Codieaum Mummy)

They differ in narrow leaves, twisting in a spiral around their axis. The color of the leaves is orange-red with dark green stripes, except for the apical leaves. Very bright and decorative plant.

Croton Mammy

Codiaum Zanzibar (Codieaum Zanziebare)

It differs in thin (width no more than 1.5 cm) leaves growing up to 40 cm in length. The leaves are not uniform in color, but most of them are dark green in color with small yellow speckles.

Croton Zanzibar

Croton aukubovidny ( Codieaum ucubaprominent)

It looks rather unusual, because. has bright green lanceolate leaves strewn with yellowish speckles. To maintain the bright color of the leaves, good lighting is needed, otherwise the croton may turn green all over, thereby losing its decorative effect.

Croton aukubovidny

Care

Watering

Codiaum (or Croton) is very fond of frequent and plentiful watering. It should be watered as soon as the top layer of the substrate has dried. But after a few hours, excess water from the pan must be drained. Water suitable for irrigation should be soft - melt or rain, or it must be filtered or boiled.

So that the water does not turn sour in the substrate, the pot must be selected so that the roots completely fill it. The topsoil should be loosened as roots form. Do not allow prolonged drying, the plant will react very quickly and begin to shed its leaves.

Lighting

Likes good lighting, but is afraid of direct sunlight. From direct exposure to the sun, burns form on the leaves. So it is better to protect the plant from direct sunlight with a cloth. For location in an apartment or in another room, choose windows facing the southeast or southwest. There will be insufficient lighting on the northern windows, and the succulent will quickly fade, all the beauty of its leaves will disappear. In winter, it is necessary to provide good lighting, possibly artificial lighting.

Temperature

The temperature of our standard apartments very suitable for this plant.

• In summer, Kodim needs 20-22 degrees of heat;
• In winter, the temperature should not fall below 18 degrees. The best place in an apartment for a succulent close to a central heating radiator;
• Codiaum does not tolerate drafts, so you should not take it out, even on warm windless days on outdoor balcony or loggia. If an adult plant is in your winter garden, you need to make sure that no drafts touch it;
• Temperature fluctuations are also very harmful to the plant.

Humidity

Croton is a tropical plant, so it needs a high concentration of moisture. You can provide the necessary moisture by daily spraying. For additional moisture, you need to put containers of water between pots with plants. Once a month, you can shower for the plant. If, for some reason, artificial rain is made to Codiaum, then you can wipe it with a damp sponge. This will improve the appearance of the plant, clean the pores of dust and increase humidity.

The soil

It is better to make a substrate for a plant yourself; you rarely find a suitable one in store mixes for Codiaum. It is not very difficult to make it. For the composition you need to take:

• Leafy soil, preferably from under linden, birch or hazel;
• Garden humus;
• Peat (you can buy it separately in the store);
• Coarse river sand, thoroughly washed.

All components are taken in equal proportions. Add finely crushed charcoal and a little zeolite to this mixture. Then mix everything thoroughly. Charcoal is needed to inhibit molds and bacteria. Zeolite absorbs fertilizers and gradually releases them, which is very beneficial for the plant.

When transplanting, all the old substrate must be removed from the roots. Damaged or beginning to rot roots should be cut off and sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

Fertilizer

In order for the coloring of the leaves to remain bright, in addition to proper lighting, this plant needs mineral supplements. In a specialized flower shop, purchase a complex mineral fertilizer for succulents and cacti.

In spring and summer, dilute it as written in the instructions and fertilize from spring to autumn once a week, in winter, dilute the fertilizer half as much as indicated on the label, and apply it once a month.

reproduction

seeds

Codium is a dioecious plant. Therefore, in order to propagate by seed, you need to have at least one male and several female plants. Since they bloom at different times, at least one pair must match for artificial pollination. Basically, professionals resort to the seed method to get a new hybrid or variety. But if you bought seeds, they must be fresh.

• Seeds are disinfected hot water or in a solution of potassium permanganate. Then left in clean water for 24 hours to swell;
• Sowed in a container filled with a mixture of river sand and peat, and covered with a 1 cm layer of substrate. The soil should always be moist, so it is better to cover the planting with film or glass;

When two true leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate pots.

cuttings

The most common and simple method of propagation by cuttings. You can cut cuttings throughout the year, but the most best time This is the period from February to April.

• The tops of the shoots are cut into cuttings, which remain during the planned formation of a beautiful crown. Do not forget that milky juice is very poisonous, so take precautions - at least protect your hands with gloves;
• Poisonous milky juice must be washed off with water, and fresh sections sprinkled with charcoal powder. Some flower growers use heteroauxin (growth stimulator);
• For rooting cuttings, a mixture of coarse river sand and peat is used. The temperature for cuttings during the rooting period must be maintained at about 24 degrees;
• For rooting, you need to make a mixture of river sand and peat in an even amount. You can root, both in a common container, and in separate pots, filling them with the appropriate mixture;
• Rooting takes about a month or a little more. During all this time, it is necessary to spray the cuttings with soft warm water and make sure that the topsoil is moist;
• After rooting, the plants should be planted in separate pots with a fresh substrate, the same as for adult plants. The old substrate must be shaken off well before planting.

Pots choose the smallest diameter. Be sure to put a good layer of drainage on the bottom. Drainage can be medium expanded clay, fine gravel or broken red brick.

layering

Some varieties with long branches are propagated by air layering. To do this, the bare parts of the branches are released with a ring 1 cm wide and sphagnum moss is applied to this place. Everything is wrapped in a film, tightly fastening top and bottom. In a month, aerial roots will sprout in the moss and, having cut off the apical part with roots, you need to plant it in a small pot.

pruning

Codiaum needs timely pruning to form a beautiful and uniform crown. The first pinching is done when the plant reaches 12-15 cm, depending on the species. Then they are cut to the outer bud every 20 cm. The side branches are also cut off if they protrude strongly along the perimeter of the crown. Then your plant will look well-groomed and neat.

Bloom

Croton is a dioecious plant. Male and female plants bloom differently. Flowers are left if they want to get seeds and grow new hybrids. Usually flower arrows are removed, as they do not look aesthetically pleasing (the arrow is high, pale flowers are very small). The arrow is removed so that the plant does not waste nutrients.

Diseases and pests

Poor care of Codiaum, especially not following rules such as maintaining high humidity, not rubbing the leaves regularly, not following temperature regime leads to illness. It also leads to the appearance of insect pests.

• spider mite forms whitish spots on the leaves on the surface, if the necessary measures are not taken, the plant may die. The appearance of a red spider mite is promoted by insufficient humidity. To get rid of the pest, you need to wash the plant well with either a soapy solution or a tobacco solution, or use store-bought preparations: Fufnon, Fitoderm, Derris;
• If you notice on the stems and leaves light brown dry patches- means, settled on plants scab. You can fight it with a mixture of soapy water, tobacco infusion and kerosene. The drug "Attelik" also helps well. It must be diluted as indicated in the instructions;
• In addition to pests, Codiaum can be subject to various diseases. From bright sunlight can form on the leaves burns that heal long enough;
• With insufficient air humidity, the plant first the tips of the leaves turn black and dry, then their edges. If the situation is not corrected, the plant will shed its leaves and die;
• Also sheds foliage Codiaum even if the air temperature stays below 10-12 degrees for a long time. In this case, you can save the plant by moving it to a warm place;
• Bright colors are fading if the plant does not have enough lighting. But this is not difficult to fix - provide the flower proper lighting and it will gradually restore its colors.

Signs and superstitions

• It is believed that Codiaum (Croton) is a very strong energy flower. Many believe that he does not allow people with negative energy into the house. The flower feels people with bad thoughts and protects people living with it in the same room from them. Croton influences the order and stability in the house.
• It raises efficiency to its owners, who are in indecision, despondency, pessimism, Codiaum gives self-confidence and removes all negative phenomena. People suffering from speech problems communicate better in the room where the plant is located.
• For people involved in art, a flower is useful for new ideas and designs. It is also good to have a plant in the workplace to harmonize business relations between employees.