Indoor ivy (Hedera)

Hedera or indoor ivy is a popular evergreen of the Araliaceae family. Its scientific name, "hedera", is believed to be derived from the Celtic word for "cord".

Ivy is appreciated not only by flower growers, but also by florists and designers. Its long stems with cut leaves can be used to create beautiful compositions. Such a plant is easily strengthened on a support and can quickly form a lush and beautiful crown. Often, experienced florists combine ivy with other plants (most often with fuchsia or pelargonium), but ivy alone also looks good in the interior. A huge plus of indoor ivy is that caring for it is minimal and simple.

Is ivy poisonous?

Hedera does not contain and does not emit toxic substances. The only exceptions are its berries. Despite the fact that humans cannot eat them, in nature they are readily eaten by birds, contributing to the reproduction of ivy. The common term "poison ivy" refers to a completely different plant - the toxicodendron, which is also a liana.

Sometimes rumors about the "poisonous" ivy concern the energy created by the flower. According to some beliefs, it is considered an unfavorable plant for single girls - the liana is credited with the ability to drive away men. At the same time, in Ancient Greece, hedera, on the contrary, was considered a symbol of male fidelity and a guarantee of strong love.

Indoor ivy care at home

In order for ivy to form a beautiful lush crown, it will need special care. It is not considered too difficult, but it is important for the health of the plant to regularly perform the procedures it needs.

Lighting

Ivy quickly adapts to both the sun and partial shade. Due to the length of its stems and the tightness of the window sill, the plant is often kept away from the window, using it as an ampelous one. But such conditions do not allow ivy to bloom. If the formation of inflorescences and fruits is considered necessary, then you will have to find a sunnier place for the heder. Usually in the summer it is kept on the windows of the south-west or south-east direction, and in the winter - on the south. But foliage should be protected from direct rays and overheating.

Variegated ivy forms are more dependent on sunlight. In a too dark corner, they can lose their color.

Temperature

For a cheder, the temperature is optimal in the range from +21 to +25 degrees. In summer, it is recommended to ventilate the room with the plant - this will contribute to more intensive growth and formation of the ivy crown.

Keep ivy in cooler conditions during the winter. The critical temperature for ivy is +12 degrees.Such conditions can lead to the development of diseases or even death of the plant. If a pot of ivy is on the windowsill, in winter, when cold blows from the window, it is recommended to insulate the container or put it in a warmer place.

Watering mode

The soil in the ivy pot should be moderately moist, especially in hot weather. Usually it is watered after the soil is half or a third dry, but it should not be allowed to completely dry out. In winter and in cold weather, the number of waterings is slightly reduced. Excessive bay can kill the flower.

Although ivy is quite drought tolerant, lack of moisture can affect the appearance of the plant. Its foliage can begin to dry at the edges, depriving the bush of its former attractiveness. Usually, well-settled soft water is used for irrigation - plain or boiled.

Humidity level

Due to the fact that ivy foliage collects dust and harmful microparticles of home air, it must be cleaned regularly. The plant can be washed under running water or each leaf can be wiped with a sponge about once every couple of weeks. You should not use special means for giving shine to the foliage.

If the apartment is hot and dry, you can increase the humidity level by spraying. You do not need to do this every day - a couple of times a week is enough. This will protect the foliage of the plant from drying out.

The soil

Suitable ivy soil should contain sand, earth mix, and peat. The plant is not too demanding on the composition of the soil, so ready-made universal mixtures can also be used for it. Slightly acidic soil works well for hedera. Before planting, it can be additionally disinfected with a manganese solution.

The roots of the cheder do not go deep into the soil, so you can choose small, medium-sized containers for it. Their diameter should be greater than the height. Place at least 5 cm of drainage on the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizers

Khereda is fed 2 times a month, using universal formulations for plants with beautiful leaves or alternating organic fertilizing with mineral ones. Regular application of nutrients helps to accelerate growth rates and improve plant immunity. In addition to the usual, foliar feeding is also carried out.

In winter, the number of dressings is reduced by 2 times - the growth of the heder slows down at this time. An excess of fertilizer can cause foliage to turn yellow, and an excessive amount of nitrogen can turn variegated leaf blades into simple green ones.

Important! An excess of fertilizer leads to the fact that ivy leaves can noticeably increase in size.

Transfer

Ivy transplant is carried out depending on the growth rate of its roots. Spring is considered the best time for this. The young plant can be moved annually, at the same time replacing the potted substrate. Heders from 5 years old and older are transplanted 2-3 times less often when their roots begin to be seen in the drainage holes. A transplant is also required if the bush has slowed down or its foliage has begun to fade. Plants over 10 years of age are simply replaced by the topsoil.

Heder is moved along with the earthen lump, trying to maintain the same level of deepening.

Pruning

Caring for a chedera involves regularly pruning its long stems. This procedure helps to form a more beautiful and neat crown, as well as stimulate the growth process. Old ivy can be rejuvenated by completely pruning the entire stems, which are then planted in a single container.

In order for the ivy to begin to form side shoots, its top is pinched at the required height. If the crown becomes too lush and ceases to fit within the specified framework, it can be thinned out by removing excess branches and sprinkling the sections with charcoal powder.

Bloom

Although ivy is often considered an exclusively ornamental plant, it can sometimes bloom. This happens about once every 8 years. For a fairly long (up to 50 years) plant life in the natural environment, this period is not so rare.

To achieve flowering of a home heder, you need to follow the correct lighting regime. The light hitting the plant should be bright, but diffused. Most of the species during the flowering period form small inflorescences-baskets or umbrellas, collected from beige or yellowish flowers with an unpleasant odor. Purple or blue berries that form on them later are considered poisonous.

To prevent ivy from dropping the buds, you should not disturb the pot during the period of their formation.

Dormant period

The dormant period of the cheder is poorly expressed - in winter it does not change its appearance, but simply slows down the growth rate slightly. Because of this, the plant begins to be watered a little less often, as well as fed. Hedera usually rests from late autumn to early March.

Breeding methods of heders

Breeding heders is a fairly simple task. Sometimes seeds from fruits appearing on the plant are used for this, but most often vegetative propagation methods are practiced at home. The seed method is considered to be quite time consuming; in addition, a young plant may not retain the characteristics of maternal ivy.

Apical cuttings

If the tops of the stems are removed from the cheder in the spring, they can be used as cuttings. The optimal cutting length is 10 cm, it should have several leaves and (if available) air roots. The cutting is immersed in water until full roots are formed. Then it is transplanted into a mixture of earth and sand to a depth of about 1 cm and covered with a film. It is moved to a permanent pot after about 2 months, when the cutting is properly rooted.

With the help of shoots

If excessively long branches were removed from the plant, each of them can be divided into several similar cuttings. They take root in the same way.

Using layering

For reproduction of heders by layering, you will need to bend one of its shoots to the ground without cutting it off. You can also tilt the top of the plant, which has aerial roots. Sometimes a glass with a peat-earthen mixture is used as a rooting container. The shoot is fixed in the chosen place (most often in the middle), and then sprinkled with soil a little and watered. In a couple of weeks, roots should appear on this section of the shoot. After that, the layers can be cut off and transplanted into your own pot.

Possible difficulties of growing ivy

The main difficulties in growing heders are associated with the following reasons:

• If the lower part of the plant dries up, do not worry - this is a consequence of natural aging. Dried foliage can be cleaned periodically.
• If variegated ivy has lost its color and turned green, excess nitrogen fertilizer may be the cause.
• If the foliage dries at the edges, this indicates insufficient air humidity or too rare watering. Fresh leaves should look healthy after adjusting conditions.
• Yellowing or blackening ivy foliage is a consequence of overflow or excess of nutrients in the soil. The plant needs less watering and fertilization.
• Lack of lighting can have a bad effect on the appearance of the stems: they stretch out and become thinner, the foliage turns pale, and its variegated color can fade or disappear.

Diseases and pests

Spider mites, aphids and scale insects can settle on the cheder. The appearance of a tick is usually associated with low humidity, so you can prevent its appearance by periodically humidifying the air. It should be fought with insecticides.

You can notice the presence of scale insects or aphids by the twisted leaves of the plant. Pests are removed from the leaves with a cotton swab with an alcohol or soap solution, and then the bush is treated with a special preparation.

If whitish spots appear on the foliage, brown from the inside, the cause is yellow thrips. They also need to be fought with the appropriate means.

The benefits of ivy

Along with decorativeness, ivy has a number of useful qualities. Its numerous leaves perfectly clean the air in the room. They accumulate harmful vapors, chemical suspensions and tobacco smoke.

The healing properties of ivy are also known in folk medicine. On its basis, tinctures and decoctions are made that can relieve cough, increase immunity and help with liver diseases. The plant has antibacterial, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties and can also speed up wound healing. But doctors recommend using such drugs only externally and in adulthood.

Ivy is also appreciated by esotericists. In their opinion, this plant is able to absorb not only harmful substances, but also negative energy, soothe overly active children and protect the inhabitants of the house from the evil eye.

Types and varieties of ivy with photos and names

In indoor floriculture, there are over a hundred different types of ivy. They differ in the shape and color of the leaf plates, as well as in their size.

Plain or English (Hedera helix)

This type of ivy is easy to hold on to a support. Able to wrap around the column, and serve as an ampelous plant. Foliage can have different shapes: resemble a heart, be elongated or lobed.

In good light, the plant forms umbrella inflorescences, consisting of small flowers with an unpleasant odor. Later, poisonous purple berries are formed on them.

The most famous varieties:

• Eva is a miniature ivy for small rooms.
• "Harald" - has round foliage with a beige border.
• "Ivalace" - with light green 5-lobed foliage with a wavy edge.
• "Sagittaefolia" - has deeply dissected green foliage with bright yellow veins.

Colchis (Hedera colchica)

Large-leaved species. The length of the leaf plates can reach up to 25 cm. Their seamy side is covered with short pubescence, and the outside has a glossy sheen. The foliage exudes a nutmeg aroma when rubbed. The main difference between the varieties is the color of their leaves. They can be:

• Variegated. Dentata Variegata has light yellow edges.
• Curled and slightly drooping (like Arborescens and Sulfur Heart).

Pastukhova (Hedera pastuchowii woronow)

This species is listed in the Red Book, inhabiting the territory of Russia. It has brown shoots with thin green foliage up to 10 cm long. The shape of the leaf plates can differ even on one plant and depends on the growing conditions. It can be elongated or heart-shaped.

Canary (Hedera canariensis)

It has large (over 10 cm) foliage that combines white and green colors. In this case, the white color is concentrated at the edges of the leaves. The stems turn red over the years. It does not form aerial roots.

Hoya wax ivy

The species stands out from the rest with its thick oval leaves covered with a waxy layer. Young shoots of hoya are quite soft, but over time they begin to grow stiff. The plant is remarkable in that it does not depend on sunlight and can grow even far from windows. The inflorescences resemble a hemisphere and consist of pinkish star-shaped flowers with a red heart.

Hoya variety "Arborescens" can grow horizontally and can act as a ground cover.

Fatshedera ivy

It has three-lobed leaves. In fatshedera, they are colored in shades of white and rich green and have specks all over the leaf surface.