Dizygotheca (Dizygotheca) from the genus Araliaceae (Araliaceae) is appreciated by lovers of indoor flowers for the decorativeness of the leaves. A shrub plant with evergreen foliage, it came to our latitudes from distant Australia and the islands of Oceania.
Small flowers of the dizigoteca, woven into an umbrella, are not of particular aesthetic value, but its foliage is quite beautiful. The leaves are composed of several jagged segments and resemble spread fingers. Their color varies in different varieties from copper shades to charcoal.
Dizygoteka care at home
Location and lighting
Dizygotics is very fond of light at any time of the year, it will even endure the scorching summer rays of the sun, but not at the very zenith. Still, it must be protected from the midday summer sun.
In winter, you need to choose the lightest window sill for a plant, especially when it is in a room with a temperature of more than 18 degrees. Then it also needs additional lighting. In summer, dizygotics will feel great in the fresh air, but in a place protected from burning rays.
Temperature
In spring and summer, the flower does not really like the heat: its temperature optimum is 20 degrees. The winter range varies from 16 to 18 degrees, and the lower limit of the content is 15 degrees. Dizygotics does not tolerate proximity to heating systems that drain everything around.
Air humidity
Because of its love for moisture, the flower has become increasingly common in the florarium. An indispensable condition for the successful cultivation of a dizigoteca is regular spraying. Winter heating makes it necessary to resort to such methods as evaporation of moisture from a sump filled with water with expanded clay or sphagnum.
Watering
Watering the plant in spring and summer is necessary in sufficient quantities, however, overflows should not be allowed, as well as strong drying of the soil in the pot. Water should be at room temperature and separated for at least 12 hours. Cooling in autumn means less moisture in the soil. In winter, watering the dizygotek is necessary only to prevent overdrying, especially at low temperatures.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Every week in the summer, use a special feed for plants with decorative leaves for the dizigoteca.
Transfer
A spring transplant is required to arrange a flower annually or every 2 years. The optimal composition of the soil is expressed in 2 parts of turf for 1 part of humus and sand. Don't forget good drainage.
Reproduction of a dizigoteca
Seed propagation
It is better to sow dizigoteka seeds at the end of winter. Before that, it would not hurt to soak them in a stimulant solution. In the loose earth, you need to bury the seed at a distance equal to two of its lengths. It is better to moisten the soil with seeds from a spray bottle and keep it warm, not lower than 20 degrees, but not higher than 24.The container covered with transparent glass or foil should be periodically ventilated and moistened.
Additional heating from below will help speed up the seed germination process. Young sprouts, which already have 2-3 leaves, are planted in separate cups and grown for several months at 18-20 degrees. Then, more mature seedlings are transferred in two stages into larger pots, and the temperature of the content is lowered each time by two degrees.
Propagation by cuttings
The cut offshoots of the dizigoteca take root hard, so they should be treated with a special root former. After that, plant the cutting in a mixture with 50% sand and the same part of peat. Cover with transparent material and place in a bright place. Further care for them will be the same as for the growing seedlings: rooting under the can, the gradual removal of the shelter and transplanting as the root system grows with a gradual decrease in the ambient temperature.
Important! When working with a dizygotek, do not forget about gloves, since all of its components contain poison. Keep the plant out of reach of children and pets.
Diseases and pests
Spider mite, thrips, scabbard - frequent uninvited guests harming the leaves and roots of the dizigoteca.
How do plant diseases manifest themselves and what is their cause?
- Loss of lower foliage - little light.
- Whitish bald patches on the leaves, turning brown over time - direct hits of rays.
- The flower grows poorly, its leaves have become small - there is little nutrition in the soil.
- Loss of foliage - temperature violations, dry air, drafts or proximity to heating appliances.
Popular types of dizigotek
The most popular are two of its types: Dizigoteka elegant and Dizigoteka Veich.
Dizygotheca elegant (Dizygotheca elegantissima)
This species has a straight trunk, like a tree, but without pronounced branching. Oblong leaves, serrated along the edges, are located on elongated stems and have a rich green color. Attached to each stem are 4-11 of these leaves, looking in all directions in a circle. Umbrella inflorescence is located at the top and consists of nondescript flowers.
Dizygotheca veitchii
Evidence, she practically does not differ from the previous representative. This dizigoteca is tree-like with evergreen leaves, only their carved edge is smoother, bending in a wave.
