How to grow and care for a golden mustache at home?
Growing a golden mustache at home is rapidly gaining popularity. First of all, this is due to the unique chemical composition of the leaves and shoots of the flower. The biologically active substances contained in them are flavonoids and phytosterols are actively used for the preparation of ointments, tinctures and decoctions. Dosage forms based on the extract from the golden mustache help get rid of skin rashes, high blood pressure, osteochondrosis and rheumatism.
Guest from the tropics: humble and graceful
Judging by the abundance of pots with a golden whisker on the windowsills, the plant originally existed on the territory of our country. But this is not at all the case - the homeland of the flower is the tropical forests of South America. In its native spaces, a golden mustache can grow up to 3 meters high, its shoots twine around tree trunks and fill the voids of rocky crevices. At home, with proper care, the shoots hanging from the pots grow up to 1.5-2 m in length.
Important: if a flower is planted for the sake of obtaining medicinal infusions, an allergic susceptibility test should be carried out in order to avoid disappointment after using the drug.
If not ampelous cultivation is practiced, then the stems need strong support. Here are the distinctive features of an exotic plant:
- leaves are alternate, narrow, up to 30 cm long;
- the outer side of the leaf is light green, the inner side is dark green with a burgundy tint;
- thin brownish shoots (whiskers) with internodes sprout from the leaf axils;
- at the ends of internodes there are rosettes of tiny leaves;
- small flowers consist of three petals of delicate lilac or pink color.
The genus Callisia from the Kommelinov family has more than 10 species; in our country, only one of them is cultivated. Golden mustache blooms extremely rarely, only among diligent breeders, for this process he needs optimal care conditions. But, if it bloomed ... Even a small group of blossoming flowers can fill the room with a magical aroma with sweetish notes.
What you need to know about the propagation of fragrant callis?
Once the golden whisker has finished blooming, tiny seeds can be collected and sown. But at home, bud formation is extremely rare, so this method is not common among breeders. The plant reproduces easily in the following ways:
- Layering using an adult specimen.
- Cuttings with rooting under the film.
- Rosettes rooted in distilled water.
When growing a golden mustache in the greenhouse, the method of rooting long shoots is used. "Whiskers" of an adult plant are sprinkled with earth and watered abundantly. In two weeks, roots will appear on the shoot. Now you should carefully separate the rooted part of the flower and plant it in a permanent place.
Cuttings are obtained from a shoot, which is cut into pieces so that each piece contains 3-4 internodes. They are planted in a prepared soil mixture of peat and sand; with the help of a film, the containers for growing are covered and left at room temperature in a bright place. Rooting will occur in a couple of weeks.
Important: the cuttings must be watered as the soil dries, and the greenhouse must be ventilated daily and the accumulated condensate removed.
The golden mustache forms many rosettes at the ends of the shoots, which can be used for breeding at home.Healthy large rosettes with short stems root perfectly in a glass of water. The water needs to be changed periodically to avoid stem decay. After the flower has grown a powerful root system, the seedlings are transplanted for further cultivation.
Secrets of proper care
A visitor from the tropics is sensitive to lack of sunlight. If the pot with a golden whisker is in shade, you should be ready to pull out shoots. The stems and leaves will fade, and flowering is out of the question. The plant feels great on windowsills located on the east side. The south side is also suitable for a golden mustache, but when leaving, you will need to shade the flower.
The humid climate of the historical homeland made the plant demanding for high humidity. In the morning and in the evening, you need to spray the golden mustache with soft, settled water using a spray bottle. The pot can be placed on a pallet with small pebbles and water can be poured - this way you can do without constantly wetting the stem and leaves.
Important: when carrying out weekly cleaning, do not forget about the leaves of the golden mustache. Wipe them with a damp cloth and remove accumulated dust.
Immediately after purchasing a seedling, you need to adjust the watering. Complete drying out of the earthen coma is unacceptable: a golden mustache may not recover from the stress it has endured. You can water the flower according to the following scheme:
- from mid-spring to early autumn - 3-4 times a week;
- with the onset of a cold snap - once a week.
The golden mustache likes it when the owner acidifies the water when watering. You can do this at home with a few grains of citric acid or a couple of drops of fresh lemon juice. Proper care consists in loosening the soil under the plant weekly. This must be done carefully, trying not to damage the delicate roots.
Soil and nutritional supplements
Loamy soil with slightly acidic PH values is suitable for planting a golden mustache. The soil can be picked up in a specialized store. A universal one will work well. And it is best to prepare the potting mix yourself by mixing the following ingredients:
- Horse peat.
- Deciduous humus.
- River sand.
The soil should be light, nutritious. To prevent moisture from stagnating in the area of occurrence of the roots, 3-4 cm of any drainage material should be laid on the bottom of a wide pot. Ordinary expanded clay, eggshells or sphagnum pieces will do. Before adding sand, it should be ignited or spilled abundantly with a pink solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.
Important: do not forget that the soil collected by yourself under the trees can be inhabited by the larvae of harmful insects, which are deadly for the roots of the golden mustache. An hourly roasting in the oven will help solve this problem.
Over time, the soil in the flowerpot is depleted and the plant slows down. The golden mustache needs regular nutritional supplements. He responds well to the introduction of organic fertilizers, but this is not always appropriate in an apartment. Therefore, the owners pamper their pets with complex feeding. The main thing is that they contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In winter, it is not required to apply fertilizers more than once a month, and when the golden mustache starts to grow in spring, the amount of fertilizing needs to be increased to once a week.
Diseases and dangerous pests
The flower is able to signal flaws when caring for it at home. If brown spots have formed on the leaves, their tips have turned yellow and dried, it means that the owner is doing something wrong. This could be:
- excessively abundant watering, which caused root rot;
- insufficient watering;
- dry indoor air;
- poor fertilization.
Having revised the rules for caring for a golden mustache, it is necessary to find and correct the error.
Important: if the plant is grown as a medicinal plant, then high-quality care is necessary - only under such conditions the maximum amount of biologically active substances accumulates in the leaves.
Pests are not indifferent to the medicinal plant, which willingly settle on its delicate parts. The flower began to lose its turgor, the leaves wrinkle, fall off, and the shoots have lost their elasticity? It's time to look for unexpected guests on the golden mustache. As a rule, these are:
- Thrips. Form colonies on the inside of the leaves.
- Spider mite. Its red variety is especially rampant.
It's time to take drastic measures and go for the insecticide. Aktellik and Aktara, used for pest control, have proven themselves excellent. These drugs are systemic, the plant should be sprayed once a week for one month. A good preventive measure against pests is regular checkups to find them.
Golden mustache is a modest and very graceful plant. It is difficult to appreciate its beauty at first sight. Moreover, he was not used to attracting attention. It grows in a corner, gratefully responds to simple care, while the owner spends a lot of time on capricious flowers from his collection.
But the benefits are colossal. Perhaps, initially the florist did not plan to use the healing properties of the plant. But how not to use them if your back hurts, and the necessary medicine is growing on the windowsill? One has only to reach out, pluck the leaf and throw it into hot water.
and will be published shortly.