Cordyline Care indoor and Grow (Easy Guide)

 

The indoor Cordyline plant will feel good in your home if you create conditions for it that are close to its tropical relatives. In this article, we’ll show you how to create and maintain these conditions. Don’t worry, cordyline is not a capricious plant. It is enough to follow the following rules of care, and it will not be difficult for you to grow a beautiful healthy plant. Cordyline Care indoor

Cordyline: how to care for indoor

Lighting:

A lot of light is required for the normal growth and development of Cordyline. Species with green leaves allow slight shading, while species with leaves of a different color (or variegated) need bright, but diffused lighting. 

 Based on this, it is best to place a pot of Cordyline near windows facing east, northeast or northwest, on a wide windowsill or on a wide stable flower stand. If the windows of your apartment face west or south, set the plant aside from the window and shade it with curtains. 

If you have all northern windows, then the natural light of the Cordylinewill not be enough. You will have to use additional artificial lighting, such as phytolamps or fluorescent lamps. For variegated varieties, we recommend purchasing phytolamps and turning them on constantly. In the summer, the plant feels good outdoors: on the balcony or in the garden. Just be sure to build protection from direct rays of the sun and precipitation.

Temperature:

The optimal temperature for the normal life of Cordyline is considered to be the interval from 18 to 26 ° C. In winter, when the amount of watering is reduced to a minimum, the temperature is also reduced and maintained at about 13-15 ° C. Temperature at 8 ° C. will be critical for the flower. Kordilina does not like drafts and sudden changes in temperature. It is also not necessary to put a pot with a plant near radiators, fireplaces and other heating devices.

Humidity:

The plant needs a high level of moisture. Ideally, it should be up to 80%. Regular spraying of plant leaves with warm, settled water will help to maintain high humidity. Through the leaves of the Cordyline, it receives the additional moisture it needs. We recommend spraying in the evenings. In warm cloudy weather, you can spray it during the day, but so that the sudden sun does not burn wet leaves with its rays, we advise you to shade the plant with blinds or light curtains at this time. In the heat and during the heating season, spray Cordyline leaves more often – two to three times a day. Perhaps even arrange a shower with warm water in the bathroom for the plant. Just cover the surface of the soil with plastic to avoid washing the soil out of the pot. 

“Wipe the leaves with a soft, damp cloth once a week. In addition to moisturizing, this will clean their surface from dust.”

Wide containers of water placed next to the pot will also increase the humidity in the room, like wet towels on hot radiators during the heating season.

Watering:

Cordyline likes to be watered regularly and enough. It is necessary to water in moderation: overflow should not be allowed, which will lead to decay of the roots, but the plant will not tolerate completely overdried soil. Therefore, we recommend watering the plant in the spring-summer period 2-3 times a week , so that the topsoil has time to dry out to a depth of 3 cm.In the cold season, it will be enough once every 7-10 days , since the soil dries longer.

Water with warm, settled water. Remove excess moisture from the pallet after 20 minutes. We recommend mulching the soil surface with crushed bark or coconut substrate.

Fertilizer:

For the harmonious development of Cordyline, nutritious soil is necessary. During intensive growth, from late March to mid-September, the soil becomes depleted and needs to be fertilized. For top dressing, use complex mineral fertilizers for decorative deciduous house plants, preferably in liquid form. Dilute them according to the instructions in warm, settled water and use after the next watering once every 14 days. Sometimes the top dressing in the soil is replaced with foliar dressing – spray the leaves with the prepared solution using a sprayer (spray gun). This procedure, like ordinary spraying, should be carried out in the evening or in cloudy daytime. From mid-September to the end of March, stop feeding, since at this time it is impossible to stimulate the growth of Cordyline, so as not to deplete the plant. She needs a winter break.

Blooming: 

Cordyline blooms at home extremely rarely. And only in adulthood. In addition, the plant needs a cool hibernation to bloom. If all conditions are met, it is possible that long peduncles are formed on the plant, strewn with small star-shaped flowers of a lilac or cream shade.

Diseases and pests:

Cordyline is usually characterized by persistent character and high immunity. If you create and maintain comfortable living conditions for her, then diseases and insect pests will not affect her. Only gross violations of the conditions of detention will lead to certain problems. Let’s consider the main mistakes of leaving. 

• Excessive moisture can cause root or stem rot. Direct sunlight can cause burns on the leaves. 
• Constant cold drafts can lead to blackening and death of the entire plant. 
• Lack of moisture or uneven watering will lead to brown spots on the leaves of the plant. 
• If the temperature drops below the acceptable minimum, the leaves will begin to darken, soften or curl. 
• Too dry indoor air will cause the edges and tips of the Cordyline leaves to dry out and the lower leaves to fall off. Insufficient lighting will gradually lead to the fact that the color of the leaves will become paler, variegated species will become monotonous. 
• Lack of nutrients in the soil, lack of fertilizing during the growing season will lead to the fact that the plant will grow poorly, the leaves will become smaller. 
• Excess moisture and low temperatures will cause the leaves to rot and fall off. 
• Dry air and lack of nutrients in the soil will cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. 
• When infected with a fungal infection or the presence of insects, the leaves will become lethargic and the shoots will lose their elasticity. Fungal diseases are treated with fungicides, and insects are poisoned with insecticides.

Pot: 

As a rule, a small specimen should be planted in a small pot. Too large a pot for a small bush is not worth taking, because small roots will not be able to braid the whole lump of earth in it and will rot. As the bush grows, the diameter and height of the pot should increase by 2-3 cm compared to the previous one. 

For an adult plant, a high pot is required, since the root system of the Cordyline grows deeper, and few side shoots are formed. Some people use a wooden tub. A thick layer of drainage material, such as expanded clay or broken brick, should be placed at the bottom of the pot. The pot is placed in a deep pan to drain off excess water after watering.

The Soil: 

Cordyline grows best in loose, fertile soil with a slightly acidic reaction when the pH is around 6.5. Heavy and acidic soil is contraindicated for her. It is better to buy ready-made soil in a specialized store. A soil mixture for growing palm trees or a universal soil for decorative deciduous plants is suitable. If you wish, you can prepare the soil yourself. Its composition should be something like this: 

• garden soil – 3 parts;
•  sand (or perlite) – 1 part;
•  peat – 1 part;

 some brick chips (to increase looseness) and crushed birch or activated carbon (to protect against rot). A self-prepared mixture should be disinfected in any available way – steamed, frozen, spilled with potassium permanganate in order to destroy possible pests and fungal infection.

How to Propagate Cordyline at home 

Cordyline reproduces in several ways. Let’s consider them all in order.

By Cuttings: 

Lignified cuttings (optimally 10-12 cm in length) from the top of the plant or lateral stem, having 2-4 nodes, are suitable for reproduction. They are planted in a substrate consisting of a mixture of sand and peat. The apical cutting can be rooted in water with the addition of a root stimulator (root). The seedlings in the substrate are covered with polyethylene. The greenhouse is watered, ventilated, the temperature is maintained at 25-27 ° C. After about a month of conscientious grooming, roots should appear. They grow up a little – and the bush can be transplanted into a permanent pot.

By Growing from Seeds: 

Reproduction of Cordyline using seeds at home is rarely used, although a tree grown from seed is fully adapted to indoor conditions. Cordyline seeds quickly lose their germination, so only freshly harvested high-quality seeds are suitable for reproduction. When purchasing seeds in the store, pay attention to their expiration date. Plan your planting in the spring. Sow seeds previously soaked in “Epin” or “Zircon” in a mixture of garden soil and sand (1: 1) in a small greenhouse. Moisten the substrate with a spray bottle with warm, settled water. Maintain the germination temperature at about 27-28 ° C. Seedlings appear unevenly and slowly.

 

Access the web