Croton (codiaeum)

Contents

Croton varieties
Croton care at home
Reproduction of croton at home
Croton transplant at home
Croton diseases
Croton pests
Popular questions and answers

This plant is a desirable object for many flower growers, but the plant is whimsical and not everyone manages to grow it. Let’s figure out what he needs together with the experts

There is a real confusion with croton in the heads of amateur flower growers. They stubbornly refer to the showy house plant as such, when in fact Croton grows in the wild or on tropical farms, where it is grown for medicinal purposes or for seed. And these are large trees or shrubs. In our houses, it’s not the croton that lives, but the codiaum. And only one type – codiaum motley (Codiaeum variegatum) from the Euphorbia family (Euphorbiaceae). In Europe, it is often called “Joseph’s cloak”. It became popular there in the first half of the XNUMXth century.

Variegated codiaum is an evergreen shrub that grows no more than 70 cm at home. On a straight branching trunk, large (up to 30 cm) leathery leaves are arranged alternately. The flowering is inconspicuous, the flowers are small, pale, the seeds are large. But the value of the plant is not in the flowers, but in the leaves – they have different shapes and incredibly beautiful colors: all shades of green, yellow, orange, red and even black! The decorative effect is enhanced by bright colored veins and spots (1).

There are at least 7 varieties of variegated codiaum, which differ in the shape of the leaf plate. For example, the form tortile leaf heart-shaped with elongated pointed tip, in trilobium the base of the leaf is deltoid, and the plate itself is divided into 3 parts.

Croton varieties

The popularity of this plant has led to a lot of work by breeders who have created original varieties and hybrids.

Excellent – its leaves look like oak, the top is green with yellow veins, and the lower part of the leaf is red-burgundy.

Gold Star – graceful green leaves are covered with numerous golden spots.

Missis Ayston – an elegant tree, on which at the same time, you can see the leaves of cream, yellow and green.

Mummy – this variety has narrow, spiraling orange-red leaves with dark green stripes.

Petra – a compact shrub up to 50 cm high with large green leaves with yellow veins.

Spiral – a very original variety with narrow bright leaves twisted around its axis.

Sunny star – a tree up to 80 cm high with thin yellow-green leaves.

Tamara – an elegant shrub up to 1 m high with white-cream-green leaves in the form of an elongated oval with a sharp tip and a wavy edge.

Zanziebare – differs in narrow long leaves of dark green color with yellow specks.

zulu – with lanceolate green leaves of a bizarre shape with yellow spots.

Croton care at home

The birthplace of croton (codiaum) is the tropical corners of India and Malaysia. And this determines its requirements for growing conditions.

“Many problems in growing codiaum can be avoided if the temperature regime is strictly observed,” says collector of indoor plants Elizaveta Starostina. – In summer, the plant is comfortable at a temperature of 20 – 25 ° C, in winter – not lower than 18 ° C. No temperature drops, cold window sills and drafts!

Ground

Of the ready-made mixtures, soil for roses is most suitable for codiaum. However, experienced flower growers prefer to prepare the soil on their own. To do this, take in equal proportions leaf and garden humus, peat and coarse river sand. A glass of crushed wood soil and a handful of zeolite are added to 3 liters of the mixture. The reaction of the soil solution should be alkaline – 6 – 7,4 pH.

Lighting

This plant loves bright light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight – they “erasure” a beautiful pattern and can even cause burns. The best place from spring to autumn is the windowsill of the east, west or southeast direction.

But in winter, the codiaum can be rearranged on the windowsill of the south direction. If the color of the leaves begins to fade, turn on the phytolamps!

Humidity

Codiaum loves moist soil and air. From April to October, watering is frequent and plentiful up to 3 times a week. Make sure that the soil does not dry out more than 3 cm from the surface of the pot. In winter, one watering per week is enough. 30 minutes after watering, the water from the pan must be drained.

The plant responds very well to daily spraying, air humidifier. But this is not enough. Wipe the leaves daily on both sides with a soft, damp sponge – this increases humidity, removes dust and pests. Give your pet a warm shower once a month (2).

Water for irrigation and spraying should be settled, soft and warm – 2 – 4 ° C above room temperature. Ideally, use rainwater or filtered water.

fertilizers

For codiaum, a complex mineral fertilizer is used for succulents and cacti. It is also recommended to use hardwood ash as a fertilizer.

Feeding

Top dressing is carried out only on wet ground, with solutions of complex mineral fertilizer. In spring and summer in a full dose 1 time in 3 weeks. In autumn and winter – 1/2 dose of fertilizer 1 time in 1,5 months. Once every 2 months, a teaspoon of wood ash is poured into the pot and the topsoil is slightly loosened.

Trimming

A beautiful crown and optimal size are formed by regular pruning. In young plants, pinching of shoots is carried out, in adults – pruning. The first pinching is done when the young plant reaches a height of 15-20 cm, then each shoot is cut to the outer bud, as soon as it reaches 20 cm in length.

It is recommended to cut flower arrows, and lateral shoots that protrude too much beyond the formed crown.

When pinching the apical buds of the wound, the milky juice tightens; when cutting the stems, it is recommended to powder the cuts with crushed coal.

Pruning is carried out in the spring and, if necessary, in the summer. After 2 – 3 days after pruning, the plants are watered, the crowns are sprayed with growth stimulants.

Important! The milky juice of the plant is poisonous, so work only with gloves.

Reproduction of croton at home

Croton (codiaum) will be propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering.

Seeds. With seed propagation, parental characteristics may not be preserved.

The seeds must be fresh, they are poured for 30 minutes with hot water (60 ° C), then they are allowed to swell in the same water for a day. Sow in bowls with a mixture of peat and sand to a depth of 1 cm. Cover with foil and put in a warm place. Water regularly in the tray.

When two true leaves appear, the seedlings are seated in pots.

Cuttings. There are 2 options for rooting: in soil and water. The optimal cutting time is February-April. The cuttings are cut 10-15 cm long, the lower leaves are removed. The milky juice is washed off with warm water, the sections are allowed to dry for 3 hours. Then the lower cut is powdered with Kornevin. The cutting is planted in a pot with loose soil (perlite and peat) and covered with a jar. Put in a warm place (24 ° C). Spray every day and pour water into the pan as needed. The rooting process takes approximately 1 month. Then the plants are planted in pots with soil for codiaum.

Cuttings can also be rooted in a glass of water. However, it will be necessary to maintain the optimum water temperature – 22 – 24 ° C. With the growth of roots 1,5-2 cm long, the cuttings are planted in the ground, placed for 2-3 days under the film and then carefully monitor the soil moisture (2).

– They often write about the method of rooting the codiaum with a leaf. Indeed, the leaf quickly appears roots. However, further the process stops, because a growth bud is necessary for the appearance of a new plant. Therefore, it is precisely the stalk that is needed, at least a small piece of the stem with a leaf, – explains collector of indoor plants Elizaveta Starostina.

Layers. In varieties with long shoots, the method of propagation by layering can be used. To do this, remove the bark on the bare part of the branch – with a ring 1 cm wide, apply moistened sphagnum moss on the wound, wrap it with a stretch film, fixing it from above and below. In a month it will become visible how the roots have sprouted through the moss. Under them, a branch is cut and planted in the ground.

Croton transplant at home

It is advisable to transplant young plants 2 times a year, plants older than 2 years – 1 time in 2 years, large adults do not transplant, but only replace the top layer of soil annually.

The first transplant is 2 weeks after purchase. The pot should be 3 – 5 cm in diameter wider than the old one. 3 cm of drainage must be laid at the bottom. Starting from the second transplant, the plants are transferred, trying not to destroy the earthen coma, but only slightly shaking off the old soil. Damaged and diseased roots are cut off and powdered with crushed charcoal.

The best transplant time is spring. Please note that you can not transplant a flowering plant and a sick one (except for root rot disease).

Croton diseases

Anthracnose. It appears as gray or brown spots on the leaves. The reason is often excessive watering and stagnant water in the root zone.

For protection, spraying the plant three times and watering the soil with any fungicide, for example, Fitosporin or Alirin, is used (3).

Root rot. The first signs of the disease are leaves turning pale. And then they dry up and fall off.

The plant must be urgently transplanted, removing soft and affected roots, sprinkling cuts with crushed coal. Add two tablets of Glyocladin to the top layer of soil. Spray the plant and water with Alirin’s solution (3).

Croton pests

Spider mite. These pests leave small punctures and whitish spots on the leaves.

As a preventive measure, regular spraying and wiping the leaves with a damp sponge has proven itself well. It is recommended to wash the affected plant thoroughly with a sponge and soapy water, then spray Actellik or Fitoverm three times with an interval of 7 days (3).

Shchitovka. Insects are noticeable on leaves and stems – they look like brown dry plaques.

The plant should be wiped with a cotton pad soaked in vodka, then washed with soapy water, adding an infusion of tobacco dust (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 30 minutes, leave for a day, then strain and add 1 tablespoon of liquid laundry soap) . It is also recommended to spray Actellik (3).