Kordilina kiwi: description and reproduction, planting and care at home

Tropical plant, Kordilina Fruticose kiwi is unpretentious in content. With the creation of favorable conditions, it grows for many years. It has many types for growing indoors. Retains its unusual color throughout the year. Rarely sick, tolerates drought well. Brings a tropical touch to the interior of the apartment.

General description and characteristics of the Cordilina kiwi plant

Cordilina kiwi belongs to the genus Agave. The homeland of the tree is Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, Southeast Asia. In its natural environment, kiwi reaches a height of 2-3 meters. In room conditions, it grows up to 1.5 meters.

Leaves

It has elongated narrow rounded edges, dense, juicy leaves, which gradually die off with the growth of the tree. Outwardly similar to a palm tree. On the sides gives new shoots that are used for reproduction. The color is dark green, with a yellow or pink rim around the edges.

Flowers

The flowers are elongated tubular, white or pink in color, collected in brushes, form large inflorescences. Flowers bloom gradually, one by one. Each flower remains open for 6-8 days. Then seeds begin to form, which ripen for 5 months. The seeds are berry-like and form three nests, each containing 5-16 seeds.

Roots

Kordilina kiwi has a powerful root system, many shoots with shoots, they are easily separated from the mother plant and develop as independent. Cones form on the roots.

Advantages and disadvantages of Kordilina kiwi

Tree has its advantages and disadvantages, let's take a closer look.

Dignity

Cordilina kiwi is unpretentious in care even when grown at home. It tolerates high and low humidity, does not require frequent watering. The tree fills the house with tropical beauty. Retains color all year round.

Flaws

Kiwi has practically no drawbacks. The tree grows quickly and requires frequent transplants, top dressing is also necessary. It practically does not get sick, however, pest control should be carried out as a preventive measure. It is difficult to tolerate low temperatures and drafts, and may die because of this.

Varieties

Cordylina Fructicosis in nature develops rapidly, grows and takes on the appearance of a palm tree. At home, it practically does not bloom. It is valued as a small indoor non-flowering plant.

In a pot, the tree grows more slowly, in such conditions the leaves are located until they sink into the soil. Cordilina kiwi is a heat-loving plant, for it it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of at least 20 ° C.

Kiwi has many varietal and garden species. The most famous of them differ in leaf color:

• Tricolor. The sheets are painted with stripes of different colors - yellow, dark red, pink.
• Red age. It has narrow green leaves, light beige in the middle, pink stripes along the edges.
• August. The dark green leaves are covered with bright red stripes.
• Kiwi. The leaves are green, with a pink border around the edges, yellow stripes are located throughout the leaf.
• Snow. Dark green, large leaves with white spots.
• Lord Roberts. The leaves are green, elongated, there is a pink rim around the edges, white stripes all over the sheet.
• Purple Compact. Small plant, dense cap at the top of the trunk, purple leaves.
• Ginga. Long, elongated, red-brown leaves.
• Casanova. A large plant with long, brown-purple leaves with wavy edges.
• Cordilina shrub. A low tree, up to half a meter high. The leaves are green, it has varieties with yellow and pink stripes on the leaves.

Features of cultivation

Kordilina kiwi does not require special attention, unpretentious care, easily tolerates low humidity. Will retain their color throughout the year.

How to choose a he althy plant

To choose a he althy Cordilina kiwi, it is better to buy a young plant. The leaves should be dense, juicy, elongated, straight. If a plant comes across during the flowering period, then it is better to choose it. Their coloration should be characteristically bright, this indicates good he alth of the tree.

Soil preparation

As soil, you can use ready-made soil for palm trees, which is sold in specialized stores. You can also cook it yourself. For this you will need:

• turf - 3 parts;
• sand - 1 part;
• peat - 1 part;
• moss - for improved drainage.

Boarding process

For Cordilina kiwi choose a pot made of ceramic or plastic so that all the roots of the plant are placed in it and there is little space left. There should be holes at the bottom to drain excess water. Get a pallet for the pot. Expanded clay, river sand or pebbles are laid at the bottom of the pot, then part of the soil mixture is poured. It is watered with slightly warm water. The plant is transferred to the ground, sprinkled with the remnants of the soil mixture and watered.

Kiwi care details

Cordilina kiwi, like other plants, requires the creation of optimal conditions for existence. The plant is unpretentious, but you need to take into account the illumination of the room, temperature, air humidity, irrigation regime, transplantation, fertilizers.

Lighting

The plant prefers long-term illumination of at least 6-8 hours a day. At home, the tree is placed on the windowsill or stand next to the window on the south side. The more light the kiwi gets, the brighter the color. With a lack of light, Cordilina stretches.

Temperature

This is a thermophilic plant. The optimum temperature is kept in the range of 18-23°C. In late spring and early summer, a houseplant can be taken out to a balcony or veranda, but only for a day.

At the slightest drop in temperature, the tree will die. It is difficult to tolerate low temperatures and drafts. When airing the room, it is recommended to rearrange Cordilina from the window or move it to another room.

About air humidity

At high humidity, the plant develops well. Dry air also transfers easily, but it requires spraying the tree with water. It is not recommended to place kiwi near the battery during the heating season.

Irrigation Rules

At high temperatures, lingering heat, Cordilina is watered with ordinary water, preferably prepared in advance. During this period, it is watered every day or every other day. Check the level of dryness of the soil, if the soil dries quickly, then there is not enough water. At optimal temperatures, watering is reduced to 2-3 times a week.

Important! It is necessary to monitor the overflow of Cordilina, when overflowing, the roots begin to rot, the plant's immunity decreases, and there is a risk of developing diseases.

Feeding

Kiwi is fertilized all year round, using special dressings for palm trees.They are sold in any store for gardeners and gardeners. Each package contains detailed instructions for use. It is preferable to use liquid fertilizers. They are better absorbed by the root system. Top dressing is carried out every week in the summer and spring, in the cold season 2 times a month.

When to transplant

Cordylina grows quite quickly, so young trees require replanting every year. Older individuals are transplanted every 4 years. If roots are visible above the pot, this is a signal that it is time to pick up a larger container.

Protection from diseases and pests

Cordilina kiwi is affected by several diseases and pests. The most common are: scale insects, thrips, aphids.

Shields

Brown spots appear on the leaves. They lose juice, become soft, fall, lose color, fall off. To combat them, the tree is treated with soapy water. Then spraying with Aktellik's solution is carried out. Instructions for the drug are indicated on the package.

Thrips

Thrips develops at high temperatures and dry air. Colonies form on the upper side of the leaf, covering it with a gray-brown film that creates a sheen. To combat the pest, they are sprayed with insecticidal preparations: fitover, Aktellik, Inta-vir.

Aphid

Aphids are small, chewing insects that feed on Cordilina leaves. They affect its lower part, as a result of which the leaves begin to dry, lose color, curl, turn yellow, fall off, dry. To combat aphids use: Decis, Inta-vir, Aktellik.

Methods of reproduction

Reproduction of Cordilina kiwi is carried out in three ways: cuttings, seeds, rhizome sections. Each of the methods has its own characteristics.

By cuttings

For cuttings, shoots are used, which are located on the trunk of the mother tree.Suitable apical and shoots of the middle part. They are transplanted when the base of the process begins to acquire its own bark. Before planting, cuttings on kiwi are moistened and sprayed, when the roots protrude, they are ready to be transferred to the soil, consisting of: peat, sand, humus. This process takes about a month.

Seeds

Seeds are sown in the spring sometimes in soil for palm plants, bought in a store or prepared on their own. Shoots appear after a month and continue to appear for another 2 months.

Important! This propagation method is suitable for the original forms of the tree, varietal species reproduce only vegetatively.

Division of the root system

Plots of overgrown rhizome are separated from the mother plant. Transferred to the soil, consisting of: peat, humus, sand. Later transplanted into a mixture of the usual composition. The procedure is carried out in the spring.

Mistakes in care

When caring for Kordilina kiwi, mistakes are often made that appear as follows:

• leaf tips turn brown - too low air humidity, exposure to drafts, little water;
• dark brown spots - insufficient watering;
• parts of the tree curl up, become soft, the rim turns brown - the plant freezes;
• yellow leaves - lack of trace elements in the soil;
• yellowing of the lower leaves is a normal process of growing a tree;
• light spots, dry - sunburn.

Recommended