Codiaeum Excellent - no wonder wears its magnificent name, meaning "great".
His beauty and his pride are the bright motley leaves of whimsical form and coloring.
True, the florists in the course of another of his name - Croton Excelent, but it erroneous and belongs to another, not so rare genus of the same Euphorbia family.
Description
In room conditions, this elegant bush height about half a meter. The leaves resemble oak with very bright streaks. Their color changes from bottom to top.
The older the leaf, the more red, pink and orange shades it has. The young upper leaves adorn mostly in golden-yellow and green tones.
Extraordinary demanding, Codiaum Excell, however, does not lose its popularity among gardeners - 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 poisonous milky juice of codiame, which can cause an allergic rash or contact dermatitis, does not deter lovers - it is not so difficult to put on gloves or wash your hands with soap and water, after messing with a plant.
Care
Temperature
So, codeieum excelent! How to care? Let's start with the fact that the alien from the humid and hot wilds of Malaysia, a flower needs heatand feels best in range + 21-25 ° C. It will withstand + 18 ° С, but not lower - its roots are in cold soil die quickly.
Light mode
This kind of truly 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 the openwork partial shade is acceptable.
But you can leave the flower in the sun.
The main thing, don't spray at the same time, and then the plant will get burns.
In winter, the codiaum should also receive as much light as possible.
Watering
In summer, codiaeum craves moisture, so you need to land in a pot keep wet (but not wet!). When watering all that glass in the pan, you should immediately pour out, excess moisture causes root rot.
Take water for irrigation directly from the tap can't - it should stand for at least 24 hours and warm up to at least room temperature. In winter, watering is cut down, but the earthen room should not dry out.
Air humidity
Codium needs stagnant moisture, like in a tropical forest. To arrange such a "bath" at home, you can use a humidifier (especially in winter). Another convenient option is to put the flower on a "pillow" of wet pebbles.
Spray daily - soft warm water. As well as wipe the leaves above and below with a damp sponge. Once a month arrange for him a "rain" under the shower, covering the ground with a film.
Fertilizers
WITH May to October Codiaeum grows very quickly, sometimes in spurts, throwing 2-4 leaves.
At this time, he needs frequent - once in 1-2 weeks top dressing.
The best option is a liquid complex fertilizer of the Ideal, Oasis type.
Before applying feed, water the plant.
In winter, growth is slower, and this handsome need additional nutrition - once in 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.
Transplant (after purchase)
The purchased codiaeum needs to be transplanted from the store substrate, having cleaned the roots well beforehand. The pot for him should be slightly wider than the roots - he likes to grow in cramped.
Put it on the bottom of the dish. more drainage. Heat the soil well so that all pests die. You can add charcoalpreventing rotting roots.
AT first 3-4 years Codiaum has a fast growing root system. At this time it needs to be transplanted. annually in the spring. An adult plant is rarely disturbed when the roots begin to bulge out of the pot; at other times, they simply renew the top layer of the soil.
Breeding
Kodiya ekselent at home is propagated in spring by cuttings taken from the top of the plant.
Large shoots, 15 cm tall, are selected, cut from the stem and placed in water to clear sections of the poisonous milky juice.
Do it by all means in gloves. Then the cuttings need to dry. So that they do not lose too much moisture, the leaves can be rolled up and fixed.
Ready shoots are planted in pots with wet peat, covered with foil and put on a warm battery. In this hot mini-hothouse of a plant they will take root in a month.
Theoretically, codiaeum can also be propagated by seed, but this method is mainly used by specialists when breeding hybrid varieties.
Pruning
To give a beautiful shape to the codiaum - the formative pruning can be carried out, whenever there is a need for it. For him, this procedure is not painful.
If the plant is very elongated and partly lost the leaves, in the spring the top should be cut to 15 cm (this stalk can be rooted) and then the remaining “stump” will begin to branch.
The cut should be sprinkled with charcoal so that it does not expire juice. Also in the spring pinch young shoots - 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 the summer, but small creamy flowers do not differ in its beauty, and the plant forces take a lot.
So it's better than them. tear off right away.
Lifespan
Kodiya - a perennial plant, in the hands of an experienced grower, he can live more than 10 years, but for beginners to cope with it is difficult, and the life of a plant is often limited to one season.
Pest diseases (control measures)
This plant pests infect quite rarely, thanks to the poisonous juice. But unsuitable conditions of detention can greatly weaken the codiaum, make it prey for parasites.
Spider mite
The red, small mite settles on the lower part of the leaves and envelops them with thin white cobweb. White specks appear on the leaves, then large bright spots - and the sheet dies off.
At the codiaeum, a tick can start if the leaves rarely wash it, and the air around it is too dry.
What to do:
- Wash the leaves, especially from the bottom side of a weak tobacco solution with the addition of soap. After the "soap bath" after 2-3 hours, rinse the leaves with warm water.
- Should spray codiaeum with insecticide. Suitable Akarin, Fitoverm, Vermitek.
Shchitovka
These sucking parasites occupy the stems of the plant and sit still, covered with a wax-like shield, and their tiny larvae crawl away everywhere.
Where they suck the juice, white spots appear on the leaves.
What to do: shchitovok necessary clean with a damp cloth or an old toothbrush, and wipe the codiaum leaves with a swab dipped in vegetable oil - the larvae will suffocate under the oil film.
If the damage is large, an insecticide is needed. Suitable: Aktara, Biotlin, Applaud, Bankol.
Root decay
To the decay of the roots of codiaum can lead water stagnation in the soil or pallet - his cannot be allowedand fungal infection. When it leaves lose shine, pale, wither, 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 Codiaeum Eklelent, home care will require adherence to clear requirements and then it will be beautiful day by day.
