Pittosporum (Pittosporum), or emery plant - evergreen trees and shrubs of the Smolosemyannikovye family. This plant got its name because its fruits, in the form of a capsule, are filled with a sticky resin that protects the seeds.
The genus of these evergreen trees and shrubs in nature can be seen in tropical and subtropical forests in eastern Asia, in Australia and, partially, in Africa. 150 species of this family differ in shape (trees and shrubs) and height (from 2 to 30 meters).
The most widespread in cultural floriculture is only one species - the Tobir resin seed. It is grown for winter gardens or as a houseplant.
Description of the plant
A very dense and lush crown gives a decorative look to the resin seed. Numerous shoots with short internodes are covered with tough, shiny, dark green leaves. They are located on the stem in a spiral. A bright yellow vein and stalk give the leaves a spectacular motley look. Over time, the lower parts of the stem of the resin seed plant are freed from the leaves and a kind of "bouquet" of densely arranged leaves forms at the top.
Indoor representatives of pittosporum bloom with large snow-white flowers up to 2.5 centimeters in diameter. Flowering begins in late March and lasts until mid-June. As it blooms, the color of the flowers changes from snow-white to cream. The scent of resinous flowers is very pleasant, delicate and reminiscent of citrus and orange notes. Because of their pleasant scent, flowers are often used to flavor the air, add to tea mixtures, or set off the taste of alcoholic beverages.
Once it has finished blooming, the plant begins to form round, green fruits. Inside the fruit are large seeds covered with sticky resin. This sticky substance helps the seeds to stay inside the capsule for a long time after opening.
Caring for pittosporum at home
Lovers of exotic domestic plants will be interested in getting acquainted with the unpretentious pittosporum, or resin seed.
Location and lighting
Despite the fact that the wild representatives of the Smolosemyannik family love bright sunlight, compact home bushes prefer to hide from the direct rays of the sun. It is worth experimenting a little to find the lighting that suits the resin seed. You can understand that there is not enough lighting when you see that the leaves have begun to fall off. But an excess of lighting will force the leaves to change the direction of growth to vertical, which will break the beautiful flat shape of the plant.
The optimal daylight hours for pittosporum should be 12-13 hours. With a decrease in natural light in the autumn and winter periods, it is necessary to help the resin seed plant with phytolamps.
Temperature
The average temperature for comfortable growth of the resin seed plant is 22 degrees.Such a temperature regime must be maintained in spring and summer, but from mid-autumn it is necessary to start preparing the plant for winter rest and gradually reduce the air temperature to 10 degrees.
Watering
Watering pittospotrum in hot summer time should be 1-2 times a week. The dry topsoil in the pot will serve as a guide. During the winter rest period, watering is reduced by half about once every two weeks. A resin seed plant will tolerate a lack of moisture much more easily than an excess of it. Always wet soil in the pot will help horse rot develop quickly, and then the death of the plant is inevitable. Water for irrigation requires room temperature, no chlorine. To cleanse it, you can use filters or boil it, and then stand for a couple of days.
Air humidity
Smolosemyanik likes to be bathed in the shower periodically in the summer and the dust removed from the leaves with a clean, damp cloth. In winter, if the plant is near the batteries, then it needs to be regularly sprayed with settled water. In winter, you can pamper the resin seed plant 2-3 times with water procedures to wash off the dust from the leaves.
The soil
Garden soil, peat and coarse sand are mixed in equal proportions. This mixture will be enough to create comfortable conditions for growth for the unpretentious resin seed. Be sure to put a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot.
Top dressing and fertilizers
In the spring, the resin seed plant needs organic and mineral fertilizers. They are brought in during this period of active growth twice a month alternately. For feeding, universal liquid mixtures for indoor plants are also suitable.
Transfer
Young Pittosporum bushes are actively growing, so they need to be transplanted into larger pots every year. However, the plant tolerates this procedure very poorly, its growth slows down and it adapts for a long time. Transferring a plant with a clod of earth from a small pot to a large one will help to reduce stress as much as possible.
It is not recommended to transplant pittosporum from the age of three. You can improve the potting mix by replacing the top layer in the pot. Carefully, without damaging the roots, the old soil is removed and a layer of the new mixture is poured.
Pruning
The formation of a lush crown at a young bush should begin in the spring. Young shoots are pinched, directed or bent in the right direction. A wire frame helps to keep the branches in the right direction. The twigs are temporarily attached to it until they begin to grow in the desired direction.
The mature plant also undergoes formative pruning in the spring. This helps to maintain the aesthetic shape of the bush when the leaves on the lower branches die off.
Reproduction of pittosporum
The plant can be propagated by cuttings and by seed.
Propagation by cuttings
In May, young, semi-lignified shoots from the top of the bush are chosen for propagation. It is difficult to cut them off with a knife because of the dense crown, so you need to break off a ten centimeter stalk from the bush, and only then clean it with a sharp blade and dip the tip in Kornevin. Cuttings prepared in this way are planted in a greenhouse to a depth of 1-2 centimeters and watered with warm water. After a month, you can wait for the appearance of the roots. A young seedling will begin to bloom only when it gains full strength, after about 2-3 years.
Seed propagation
The resin seed is propagated by seeds only when they want to get a large number of plants. In spring, seeds are sown in boxes with light soil (peat, sand, vermiculite), the soil is moistened and covered with glass or film. Care consists in regular watering and ventilation of the greenhouse. The seeds germinate slowly, you will have to wait a long time for the seedlings to have two true leaves to make a dive. When transplanting, part of the seedlings may die. You can wait for active growth and flowering in such plants after three years of their life.
Diseases and pests
Spider mites can appear on the leaves of the resin seed plant when dry air has been in the room for a long time. To defeat the pest, you need to treat a large bush with an insecticide. If the bush is small, it will be enough to bathe it under warm water.
The most common fungal disease affecting pittosporum is root rot. It occurs due to an excess of moisture.
Other diseases are mainly associated with improper care. If the leaves become pale or turn yellow, then this is due to excess sunlight. If the leaves stretch out or lose their variegated color, then, on the contrary, there is not enough lighting for the plant.
