Indoor cissus grapes and rules for caring for it

Birch and indoor grapes - this is how growers call unpretentious cissus, which can be taken care of even by beginners. The list of the advantages of this vine is extensive and varied. She is beautiful, hardy, well adapted to home conditions, and has a fast growth. Flower shoots hanging from the pot in a luxurious cascade or creeping up the support, densely covered with carved leaves, will refresh the interior of an apartment, office, study or hall.

Cissus species

Wild plant species, whose scientific name sounds like Cissus, are found in tropical and subtropical latitudes. They are numerous, there are more than 300 of them. The closest relatives of cissus are plants from the grape family. For this reason, the flower received one of its popular nicknames.

The cissus genus is represented mainly by climbing vines. Clinging with their antennae to the nearest support, they quickly braid it, covering it with a carpet of lush greenery. The flower looks no less impressive in ampelous culture - in hanging pots or on stands. The vine grows literally before our eyes: in 2-3 years its length can reach 3 m. Some types of cissus have whole leaves, while others have dissected leaves. It is rare to see the flowering of vines at home. It is not particularly beautiful. The inflorescence of the plant - a false umbrella - consists of small buds with pale petals.

Apartments and offices are most often decorated with the following types of cissus.

• Diamond-shaped. Also known as rhombic. The flower owes its name to the complex shape of the leaves, dissected into 3 diamond-shaped parts. Outwardly, they strongly resemble birch. This vine with thin and flexible shoots is prized by flower growers for its amazing unpretentiousness and ability to adapt to any conditions, including lack of light and temperature fluctuations.
• Antarctic. Its second name is kangaroo liana. The leaves of the flower are oval or egg-shaped. Their edge is jagged. Their length can be up to 12 cm. In terms of endurance, the plant is not inferior to rhomboid cissus.
• Multi-colored, or discolored. More capricious than other types of culture. Needs special conditions of detention (temperature above 15 ° C and high humidity). In winter, it can shed its leaves. If this happens, the bare shoots are cut off. In the spring, the plant will release new ones. The multicolored cissus boasts a vibrant leaf color. Silver spots are scattered across the dark green background. Below the leaf plate is purple.

Lighting and temperature

Cissus feels good in bright diffused light or in partial shade. The more sunlight a flower receives, the larger its leaves and the darker their color. The vine pot can be placed on the windowsill, hung next to the window, or placed on a stand or shelf at some distance from it. Cissus is not picky: artificial lighting is enough for its normal development.

When choosing a place for a flower, you must take into account its appearance. Antarctic and colorful Cissus plants cannot stand direct sunlight. For their cultivation, windows oriented to the west or east are optimal. On the south side, these vines will have to be shaded. In contrast, the rhomboid type of culture loves light. In summer, it is allowed to be taken out onto the balcony or garden. He needs shading only in extreme heat.

During the period of active growth, the temperature is most comfortable for cissus in the range of 18-25 ° C. In winter, the air in the room with the flower should be warmed up to 16-20 ° C. Some vines can withstand more severe conditions.Antarctic cissus will not die even at 5 ° C. The plant reacts sharply to hypothermia and drafts, shedding leaves.

Watering and feeding

Overdrying and waterlogging the potted substrate are equally harmful to cissus. In winter, this houseplant needs moderate watering. The next procedure is started when the soil clod dries out. From spring to early autumn, the flower grows actively, and its numerous leaves evaporate moisture, so this care is carried out more often, and more water is spent. It is important not to allow waterlogging of the soil, otherwise the roots of the cissus will rot. The time for watering is determined by the state of the substrate: if its top layer is dry, it's time to start moistening. It is carried out with soft water, having previously settled or filtered it.

Plant health depends on air humidity. Almost all types of cissus require regular spraying. They need such care at least 2-3 times a week. Demanding multi-colored cissus is sprayed at home every day, and with the beginning of the heating season, the frequency of procedures is increased to 2 times a day.

Advice

In the spring, this houseplant will appreciate a warm shower. It will wash away the dust accumulated during the winter from the vine and revive it. Experienced flower growers recommend periodically arranging it in the summer. To avoid waterlogging of the soil, before the procedure, its surface is covered with a film.

The rapid growth of cissus explains the flower's need for regular feeding. Nutrient compositions from mid-spring to the end of September are applied once a week. Complex fertilizers intended for decorative deciduous indoor crops are suitable for lianas. In winter, the development of cissus slows down, and it ceases to need additional feeding.

Transplant and pruning

Young vines are transplanted annually. They tolerate the pot change procedure most easily in spring or summer. Adult plants (over 5 years old) need transplantation less often. It is carried out every 2-3 years.

Indoor cissus prefers loose nutrient soil with a neutral reaction. Of the compositions sold in the store, a substrate for vines is ideal for him.

Preparing the soil for cissus at home, mix 5 components in equal volumes:

• leafy ground;
• sod land;
• humus;
• peat;
• sand.

Since the roots of cissus are afraid of stagnant moisture, good drainage is a vital necessity for it. When transplanting, the bottom of the pot is covered with a thick (2-3 cm) layer of pebbles or expanded clay. The root system of the vine is small, so it does not need a deep container. It is better to plant indoor grapes in a clay or ceramic pot. The walls of such dishes easily let air to the roots of the plant and do not retain moisture.

Cissus is transplanted by the transshipment method. After well moistening the soil in an old pot, turn it over and carefully, trying not to damage the roots, remove the plant along with an earthen clod. Placing the liana in a new container, filling the voids with fresh substrate and slightly tamping it, the flower is watered and removed to a dark place. It can be taken out into the light after 2-3 days. The transplanted cissus does not need special care, but feeding should be excluded from the usual scheme.

To make the plant bushy and lush, it is pruned and pinched. Indoor cissus tolerates both procedures well. Pruning is carried out in the spring. It has a sanitary and anti-aging purpose. By pinching the tops of young shoots, they seek to enhance their branching. Ampelous plants are especially in need of such care. They look more decorative if their stems are shortened to a certain level. Formative pruning can also be used in summer, when the vine grows enough to give it the desired shape. If the cissus climbs up the support, there is no need to carry out such care. The shoots of the plant are simply directed in the right direction.

Reproduction

Indoor grapes are propagated vegetatively using:

• cuttings;
• layering;
• part of the bush.

Some types of flowers can be grown from seeds. This is how Antarctic cissus is obtained. Its seeds are sown at a shallow depth in a common container. When a pair of true leaves appear on the plants, they are dived into separate small pots.

Reproduction of cissus by dividing the bush is convenient to combine with a transplant. But growers rarely resort to it. This method severely injures the vine, and delenki take root and grow slowly. It is much more practical to propagate indoor cissus by cuttings. This can be done all year round. As cuttings, professionals use the remaining parts of the shoots after pruning. They should have 3 internodes each.

In order for the cuttings to give roots faster, they are dipped in a growth stimulant solution for a while. They can be immediately planted in a pot filled with light soil: vermiculite, perlite, sand, peat. It is better to put several cuttings in it, then the crown of the flower will be thicker. They take root in warmth (the room temperature is maintained at 20-22 ° C) and at high humidity. This process takes 2 to 3 weeks.

The diamond-shaped cissus species can be rooted in water. If the thermometer stays constantly at around 18 ° C, it will only take a week. But you should not expect rapid growth from a cuttings transplanted into the ground. First, he needs to adapt to new conditions. This can take up to six months.

Vine propagation is also practiced by layering. Having chosen a strong shoot on the mother plant, it is bent to a container filled with moist nutrient soil and sprinkled on top of it. The substrate layer should be 2-3 cm. Having compacted the soil, the shoot is additionally fixed. You can use a wire or a straightened paper clip for this. For successful rooting, cissus cuttings need the same conditions as cuttings. It will take about 40 days to wait. When the cuttings take root and get stronger, the mother shoot is cut off, and the pot with the daughter plant is moved to a well-lit place.

Pests and diseases

At home, cissus rarely suffers from insects. On plants weakened by improper care, such pests may appear:

• scabbards;
• spider mite;
• whitefly;
• leaf aphid.

For pest control, special preparations with an insecticidal effect are used. They are bred according to the instructions, being careful. Indoor vine leaves are very sensitive and can be burned by chemicals. If the pest colony has not yet had time to grow, it is better to get rid of them in a safer way for the vines - collecting insects with cotton swabs dipped in a solution of laundry soap. Regular cleansing of the leaves of the plant from dirt and dust will help to avoid their invasion.

All diseases and problems with the vine are caused by gross violations of its requirements. Most often, excessive watering leads to them, due to which the roots and stem of the cissus begin to rot at the base. Heavy soil can also kill a plant. Without oxygen, its roots stop developing and gradually die off.

Difficulties in growing cissus and their solution

Cissus is a beautiful and grateful plant. It will take a little time for a florist to care for him, and a luxurious vine will delight the eye with the bright greenery of its unusual leaves, turning the room into a real greenhouse all year round. Cissus is good not only as a houseplant. It is used to create compositions and place colorful accents in winter gardens, vertical landscaping of interiors, and masking buildings in the garden. In favor of breeding this vine at home, its ability to purify the air, absorbing toxic substances from it, also speaks.