Araucaria Variegated, Or High: Reproduction And Growing In An Apartment

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

The araucariaceae family consists of two genera, the first belongs to the only species - dammara, and to the second - the araucaria itself (there are 12 species), growing only in the southern hemisphere: South America, Australia, Polynesia and being one of the most ancient conifers.

They received their generic name from the province of Arauco in Chile, and that, in turn, was named after the Araucan Indian tribe living there. Araucaria existed already in the Jurassic period, long before the dinosaurs, and were distributed almost throughout the world. Currently, it is a dying group of conifers. But it was she who gave almost the only, and, in any case, the most common coniferous houseplant - the varifolia or tall araucaria (Araucaria heterophylla).

Her homeland is Norfolk Island, located in the north-west of New Zealand. Therefore, it is sometimes also called the Norfolk spruce.

These are trees up to 70 m high and 2 m in diameter. The trunk is straight, the wood is valuable and beautiful. The bark of mature trees is thick, furrowed, and resinous. Branches are rigid, horizontal, fluffy, collected in the correct whorls of 4-7 pieces. Crohn is openwork, narrow pyramidal or wide-cylindrical. In young trees, branches are located along the entire trunk, from its very base.

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This breed was named variegated because short (1-2 cm long), tough, leathery, prickly needle-shaped tetrahedral needles, sitting on pads and spirally located on the shoots, exists only in young plants, up to 30-40 years of age, up to entering the fruiting phase; after which it is replaced by a scaly. Hence the specific name. But we are only familiar with the first one from the specimens growing in indoor conditions. Kidneys devoid of renal scales are almost invisible.

The variegated araucaria begins to bear fruit from the age of 40-50, its cones are spherical, decaying, ripen in the second year; in room culture are not formed. Seeds up to 1.5 cm in size, with two lateral wings, are edible.

Of course, the data listed above have nothing to do with the room culture of araucaria. However, knowing about your favorite plant not only what is required directly for growing it in a pot, but also how it grows at home, is not only interesting for a true grower, but also useful.

Araucaria varifolia is an exceptionally beautiful garden and indoor plant. But, unfortunately, it is very thermophilic, and even on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus it often freezes underneath, so it cannot be grown further north in the open field. Has decorative forms.

As already mentioned, this is the most common and rather unpretentious coniferous houseplant. It tolerates home conditions well, but it grows extremely slowly and rarely reaches a height of more than one and a half meters. In cramped dishes, growth slows down and even freezes. At a young age, it is grown in pots on the window, and when it gets older, it is used as a tub plant to decorate halls, winter gardens and other large rooms.

In summer, she needs bright, but diffused lighting, with an abundance of fresh air. Therefore, in the warm months, it is recommended to put araucaria on the street, on a balcony, or at least put it by an open window, but it should be protected from direct sunlight.

Watering should be moderate but regular. Spraying the crown with water at room temperature should also be regular. Frequent ventilation of the premises is also desirable. In winter, araucaria prefers cool conditions of detention: 14 … 20 ° С and not lower than + 8 ° С; watering it at this time is rare and not abundant, only if necessary, but so that the soil clod does not dry out in any case. It is imperative, as needed, to spray the crown, especially in the presence of steam heating.

Lighting should be bright, but with a shade from direct sunlight, light partial shade is not excluded.

During the growing season, they are often fed, once every two weeks, but in small doses and fertilizer of weak concentration and not containing lime. For example, you cannot fertilize with ash.

The most common pest is scale insects.

The main danger during cultivation is the yellowing and falling of needles from the lower branches and even the dying off of the latter at low air humidity and at the same time its high temperature, as well as when the soil coma dries out.

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Araucaria is propagated by seeds, but it is difficult to get them, and vegetatively. When propagated by seeds, the latter are sown in a mixture of sand and peat (1: 1) with the addition of crushed charcoal. After sowing, the soil in pots is mulched on top with moss (preferably sphagnum). The seedlings that appear after a year are transferred into large pots into a mixture of sod and leafy soil, peat and sand (1: 1: 1: 1).

Usually propagated vegetatively by apical cuttings. only plants grown from cuttings cut from the ends of the upper branches are in good shape. This should be especially remembered. Indeed, if they are taken from the lateral branches, then the plants that have grown from them will not have a vertical trunk, but only horizontally spreading shoots will form. Which is used by landscape designers in the landscaping of the south of Western Europe when creating creeping specimens of araucaria for open ground.

However, whoever wishes can grow similar plants in room culture when styled under the bonsai of the Kengai and fukinagashi styles. But usually cuttings are harvested from the tops of overgrown plants, thereby reducing their growth. The apical shoot is replaced by tying one of the branches of the upper whorl to the top.

Cuttings can also be cut from the main axillary shoots. They are cut in August, dried up for a day, cleaned the cut from resin and sprinkled it with crushed coal or ash, and then planted. In addition, since the cuttings are very difficult to root, it is useful to treat them with growth substances - heteroauxin or root (according to the standard method). They are rooted in coarse-grained washed river sand at a temperature not lower than 25 ° C under a hood, glass or in a greenhouse.

In January, after rooting or at least the formation of callus, the cuttings are planted in pots in a mixture of heather earth and sand (1: 1). In winter they are kept at a temperature of 10-12 ° C, and in spring they are transferred into pots with a mixture for adult plants.

It is much easier to replicate araucaria with air layers, although this propagation method, unfortunately, is rarely used.

For flower growers who do not have much experience in cutting hard-rooting plants, it would be better to just buy a young araucaria plant. They can be purchased at specialty stores, flower growers, and other houseplant vendors.

Young plants are transplanted annually, adults - every 3-4 years. The soil mixture should consist of sod, deciduous and heather soil, humus and sand (4: 2: 1: 1: 1). In the absence of heather soil, you can replace it with a mixture of leafy soil, peat and sand (2: 3: 1). Keeping in a close flowerpot inhibits the growth of the plant, thus, if desired, you can regulate its growth.

Araucaria is a real decoration of the apartment. And on New Year's, it may well replace your Christmas tree. Occasionally, other types of conifers are grown in room culture. But the variegated araucaria, as already mentioned, is the most common among them.

Also read:

Indoor Spruce - Araucaria