Grevillea - A plant belonging to the Proteus family. It was named in honor of Greville - a researcher from England.
The plant is imported from Australia, New Guinea.
In the premises of Grevillea can grow to a two-meter state.
The leaves of the plant are long, pinnate, so that the plant looks elegant and volume. It does not require special care.
The genus Greville includes more than two hundred species of plants, differing in size of leaves.
History of
Grevillea belongs to the Proteus family of the Grevillea family and has about 360 species. The first mention of the exotic shrub with open leaves dates from the beginning of the 19th century. A beautiful plant from tropical forests was described by the Englishman Charles Greville, a member of the Royal Community of Britain, after whom a strange flower was named.
Home care
After the purchase
Grevillea is best placed after a purchase in a bright place without direct sunlight. Although the plant does not suffer from sunlight or slight shading.
It is best of all after observing the plant to place it where it grows noticeably, and the foliage does not change its shade.
Watering
Grevillea loves moisture. With age, the tree loves frequent intensive watering more and more, but the tree does not tolerate stagnant water.
The best condition is to maintain the average soil moisture. In the period between watering, it is desirable that the top layer of soil dries out.
Do not overdry the soil should not even in winter, but in this period, the frequency of watering should be reduced.
Grevillea loves soft water.
Humidity is equally important for this tree. It is enough for the normal growth of spraying. You can also use pallets, which will be wet moss.
In hot weather, spray better every day.
Crown formation
This Australian tree can be quietly cut off without worrying about its condition. Without this procedure, Grevillea becomes very long with large gaps between the leaves.
Pruning is usually carried out before transplanting each year.
In the photo below you can get acquainted with the appearance of the flower:
The soil
Substrate must be carefully selected. She loves clayey soils, but at the same time loose. The tree grows well in acidic substrates.
Transfer
Since the plant has the ability to grow very quickly, it is best to replant it every year with the change of capacity. Transplanted usually in early spring.
If the plant is old, every year you can not carry out the transplant procedure, but simply remove the top layer of the substrate and change it to fresh. Grevillea does not like big pots, where there is a lot of free substrate.
In such containers, the leaves will develop much worse.
Temperature
The best temperature for the tree - 19-24 degrees. If the plant is kept in hotter rooms, it will shed its leaves.
The ideal place is the lobby, staircases. A good place are cool-type greenhouses or slightly heated conservatories.
Importantso that the room is well ventilated, while the plant easily carries drafts. In summer, you can place Grevillea on balconies, gardens and terraces. In this case, you need to choose a slightly shaded place.
During the rest period, Grevillea is best served in a bright room with temperatures up to 12 degrees Celsius. Watering is rare at this time, but the earth should not dry out.
Top dressing and fertilizer
The period of intensive growth of this tropical beauty begins in early spring and lasts until mid-autumn. At this time, the flower should be fed organic fertilizer 1-2 times per month. Well suited for fertilizing infusion on a banana peel. The skin of one banana is poured 1 l. cold water and infused for 1 day, after which you can water the plant.
Feed the tree twice a month, when the plant begins to grow rapidly. This is the period from spring to mid-autumn. Complex fertilizers are well suited for top dressing, as for good growth of this plant a sufficient amount of not only nitrogen but also nutrients is required.
Bloom
It is difficult to achieve the flowering of grevillea at home, as this tropical plant feels comfortable in conditions of high humidity and high temperature. There is a chance to enjoy the flowers when growing cold-resistant varieties in the open field. The flowers of this overseas guest are collected in a brush with a lot of tubular cups with small lobes instead of petals. The range of colors from cream to bright orange or red flowers with a wondrous aroma, which insects fly to.
Also, the house grows the following tree houseplants: Ficus "Eden", "Black Prince", "Bengal", "Kinki", Cypress "Goldcrest Vilma", Avocados, Lemons "Panderosa", "Pavlovsky", some types of ornamental conifers and others . Many of them are suitable for creating compositions bonsai.
Reproduction - step by step instruction
The life form of grevillea is an evergreen shrub or tree with many fast-growing shoots and needs periodic pruning. The plant is viable and easily propagated by cuttings or seeds.
Cuttings
For the reproduction of ornamental shrubs need to choose strong, stiff tips of the shoots. The most suitable time for this procedure will be August. To get a healthy plant with exotic leaves, you need to properly divide the shoot into cuttings.
- The most suitable for grafting is the part of the stem, which began to be covered with wood layer;
- With a sharp knife the selected shoot is cut, its length is 15-20 cm;
- It is necessary to cut the top green part of the shoot;
- The remaining cutting is divided into parts so that at least two nodes are left on each (sleeping buds).
- It is better to remove the green part of the leaves, since a lot of moisture evaporates through the leaf blade.
- Thankfully, the stalk responds to the treatment of the lower part of the root.
- Processed growth shoots for rooting are planted in a container filled with a mixture of sod land and river sand and covered with a transparent jar or bottle to create greenhouse conditions.
REFERENCE. The knot is the place on the handle, from which the leaf grows, and the distance between the knots is called the internode.
Seeds
The seeds of this luxurious, lacy leafy leaves, the plants are like large brown grains. They quickly lose their germination, so you need to carefully monitor shelf life, and use only fresh material.
- Seeds of Grevillea can be planted in the middle of February in a shallow container.
- The soil should consist of a mixture of sod and leafy land with river sand. Seeds should be sown to a depth of 1 cm.
- To ensure better germination, water the sown grains with warm water.
- To germinate the seeds of Grevillea, you need to choose the warmest place in the room, and place the bowls there.
- After the emergence of sprouts, young shoots need to be moved to a well-lit warm place.
- After the appearance of the second leaflet, the shoots can be dived into small pots with a diameter of 10 cm.
Diseases and pests
Most often, Grevillea is affected by spider mites, who love dry habitat. That is why air must be regularly humidified.
To control pests, you should regularly inspect the plant. At defeat by a tick, spraying is carried out with insecticidal preparations.
The plant sheds leaves when a strong lack of lightas well as at high temperatures.
In the absence of dressings and pruning in Grevillea, there is a noticeable shallowing of the foliage and stretching of the shoots.
If a tree grows in the soil with poor drainage, the root system is rotting.
Conclusion
Grevillea - the original plant, which is often used as a decor. The plant has beautiful feathery foliage, which is often associated with fern.
The plant requires certain conditions of detention, and it is difficult to call it unpretentious. With good care, Grevillea pleases with its rapid growth and amazing views.
