The Scindapsus plant is a member of the Aroid family. In nature, it grows in the tropics of Southeast Asia. This genus includes about 25 different species, most of which are vines. Even the very name of the scindapsus translates as "ivy-like".
Some of the scindapsus in modern classifications can be attributed to the genus Epipremnum, also belonging to the Aroid family. Sometimes only an experienced florist can distinguish one plant from another. In addition, the rules for caring for them are not too different.
Description of scindapsus
Scindapsus is a semi-epiphytic vine that lives on tree trunks. This plant is capable of climbing to an impressive height of up to 15 m. In addition to the usual fibrous roots, the scindapsus also has a number of aerial roots that serve as clues to hit the trees and spread the bush around the area. Sometimes the area occupied by scindapsus can extend over long distances. Because of this, in some regions of India and other tropical countries, the plant is considered a parasitic weed that badly affects the ecology of forests.
Home scindapsus is an unpretentious climbing liana with elegant motley or bright green foliage, reminiscent of some types of philodendrons. The plates are arranged alternately on the shoots, have an oval or heart-shaped shape and a shiny leathery surface. Their colors can be monochromatic or decorated with spots and stains of various shades of cream, yellow, white and green. Scindapsus flower is a small ear with a veil; it appears very rarely at home.
Brief rules for growing scindapsus
The table shows brief rules for caring for a scindapsus at home.
| Lighting level | A semi-shady or shady place is suitable. The flower should be at least 2 m away from the bright light of the southern window. Varieties with variegated leaves will need more light. |
| Content temperature | During the development period, it is about 18-20 degrees, in winter - not lower than 16 degrees. |
| Watering mode | Regular but moderate watering is required. They are carried out when the soil clod dries out by at least a third. |
| Air humidity | The level of humidity is required to be increased, about 50-60%. The foliage can be periodically moistened, given a shower, or the leaves can be wiped with a napkin. |
| The soil | The optimal soil is considered to be a slightly acidic mixture of humus, peat, sand and leafy soil. |
| Top dressing | During the entire growth period, approximately once every 2-3 weeks, using half the recommended dose of mineral formulations. In winter, the bush should be fed only once every 6 weeks. |
| Transfer | In the first years of life, the vine is transplanted into a new container after a year, then 2-3 times less often. |
| Pruning | Pruning, like the garter of the creeper, must be carried out periodically. |
| Bloom | Blooming at home is almost impossible, scindapsus is grown for the sake of beautiful foliage. |
| Dormant period | From the very end of autumn to the beginning of spring. |
| Reproduction | Formation of layering, cuttings, stem segments. |
| Pests | Spider mites, aphids, thrips, scale insects and scale insects. |
| Diseases | Rot development or loss of attractive appearance due to improper maintenance. |
Scindapsus care at home
Lighting
Scindapsus is shade-loving, so the plant should be kept away from light windows. The only exceptions are variegated species containing less chlorophyll. They need more light, otherwise the pattern on their leaves may gradually fade or disappear altogether. But a full shade for scindapsus is also undesirable, in such conditions they will begin to shed their leaves. If the bush is located too far from the windows, artificial lighting can be used.
Temperature
Scindapsus feels best at a temperature of about 18-20 degrees. In winter, it should be kept cool, while the room can be about 16 degrees. The critical temperature for the southern liana is 12 degrees; it can only withstand such a cold snap for a short time.
It can also be noted that the scindapsus calmly tolerates lower temperatures in winter, and in summer and at higher temperatures it will feel quite comfortable. The main thing is that sudden temperature changes and drafts are contraindicated for the plant.
Watering
Scindapsus does not require abundant and frequent watering; in such conditions, its roots can begin to rot. You need to moisten the substrate little by little, as soon as the lump dries out by at least a third.
Humidity level
Scindapsus requires high humidity, the optimal level for it is considered to be an indicator of 50-60%. The flower will be able to develop in drier air, but periodic moistening of its foliage can add decorative effect to the bush, especially during hot periods.
Keep the bush away from batteries in winter. In summer, the vine can occasionally be bathed under a warm shower, covering the ground in a pot with a film. But this method is suitable only for more compact bushes: it will be extremely inconvenient to wash the long shoots of vines fixed on the walls. Such skindapsus are recommended to be kept in clay pots. For the summer, they are wrapped in wet moss and placed in a more capacious pots. Thanks to moss, it will be possible to raise the moisture level next to the flower, preventing stagnation of water in the soil.
The soil
A weakly acidic mixture of humus, peat, sand and leafy soil with the addition of disintegrating elements is used as a soil for growing scindapsus. Universal substrates for plants with elegant foliage are also suitable. At the bottom of the pot, be sure to lay good drainage.
Top dressing
From spring to late autumn, the scindapsus is fed every 2 or 3 weeks, in winter you can do it less often - about once every 1.5 months. Any complex composition is suitable, while half of the usual dosage will be enough for a flower.
Transfer
Young scindapsus need to be transplanted more often than others: annually. The formed plants are transferred to a new pot 2-3 times less often. The best time for this procedure is the beginning of the growing season: the end of February or the first weeks of March.
For growing scindapsus, a low, wide container is suitable, which is approximately 3 cm higher than the old one. This will allow young cuttings-seedlings to be planted to the mother bush, thereby forming a more lush bush. Each root forms only 1-2 stems. When transplanting, the roots of the plant are sometimes pruned by about a third, this contributes to the development of lateral roots. Slices after this procedure should be sprinkled with crushed coal.
Adult long vines attached to the walls try not to transplant unnecessarily, so as not to damage the shoots.
Pruning
The growth of scindapsus shoots reaches 40 cm per year.To prevent the bush from growing and becoming messy, it is regularly shaped by pruning. The removed parts of the stems can be used as cuttings. Due to the fact that the shoots begin to lose foliage over time, the plant can be renewed every few years by rooting new cuttings.
In addition to pruning, pinching will help to preserve the attractiveness of the scindapsus, but this procedure does not contribute too much to branching of the shoots and serves to limit their growth.
Walls are often decorated with scindapsus or used as an ampelous flower with cascading shoots. You can also form the crown of a plant using curly supports: arches, stairs or ropes. The easiest way to deal with the direction of young and more flexible shoots: old stems should be disturbed as little as possible, otherwise they may break off and they will have to be cut off.
Quite large vines are often placed on a special plastic support tube with holes. Wet sphagnum moss is laid inside the pipe, and copra is wrapped on top of it. The air roots of the scindapsus are directed into the holes on the tube. Such a solution will not only contribute to a more attractive appearance of the vines, but also create an additional source of moisture and nutrients for it.
Bloom
Scindapusus almost never blooms at home. It is grown by flower growers as an ornamental plant with beautiful foliage.
Dormant period
The resting period for scindapsus begins from the very end of autumn and lasts until the beginning of spring. At this time, it is worth stopping the application of fertilizing and reducing watering to a minimum.
Scindapsus breeding methods
Propagation by cuttings
The easiest way to propagate a scindapsus is with its cuttings. In this capacity, the tops of the stems left over from the pruning of the plant are often used. Each such cutting should have about 2-3 leaves. The cuttings are cut at an angle, and then the cut sites are treated with a stimulant solution or disinfected with potassium permanganate. Rooting should take place warm (at least 22 degrees) and with adequate lighting.
The first method of rooting: put the segments in a vessel with water, and after the roots appear, transplant them into light soil. The second is to immediately plant the prepared cuttings in the soil. For planting, a mixture of sand with sphagnum moss is usually used. From above, such seedlings are covered with a bag or jar and periodically ventilated. Rooting takes place in 2-3 weeks.
Reproduction by division of the shoot
In addition, the scindapsus reproduces by dividing the shoot into segments (each must have at least one leaf) or by the formation of layering. The aerial roots of the plant help to form layers. Part of the scindapsus shoot is fixed in a pot with soil, installed next to the main plant. In a few weeks, its own roots will appear on the buried part of the shoot. After that, the layers can be separated from the main bush and grown independently.
Pests and diseases
Scindapsus is an undemanding and resistant plant, but frequent mistakes in caring for it can lead to the appearance of pests or the development of diseases. The most common possible problems include:
- Dropping foliage is a sign of a lack of lighting, a lack of nutrients, or a result of a draft.
- Changes in the color of leaf plates - the reason depends on the type of plant. If the leaves of the variegated liana began to fade, and their size began to decrease, the flower lacks lighting. If the leaves of green scindapsus brighten and become covered with spots, the bush is kept in too bright light.
- Yellowing of the leaves is a common sign of a lack of nutrients in the soil. The flower should be fed. If only old leaves periodically turn yellow and die off, this is a natural aging process of the bush.
- Drying of the tips of the leaves is a rare reaction to too dry air. Most likely, the bush is kept in close proximity to a hot battery or its foliage is hardly moistened.
- The tips of the leaves dry out and curl - the soil is too salty due to irrigation with insufficiently settled water. The bush must be transplanted and watered with softer water.
- Stretching the stems and increasing the gaps between the leaves - an excess of nitrogen fertilizers.
- Rot on the stems, black spots on the foliage - rot appears if a bush standing in a cool room is watered too often. Watering should be reduced.
- Viral or fungal diseases of the bush are difficult to cure, but with timely treatment, the scindapsus can quickly recover. With severe lesions, healthy cuttings should be cut from the plant and rooted so as not to lose the flower. The old soil must be completely replaced, and the container must be disinfected.
- Insect pests can settle on the scindapsus: scale insects, spider mites, aphids, etc. You can fight them using Actellik's solution (20 drops per 1 liter of water). With significant lesions, treatments are carried out systematically, repeating them up to 4 times with weekly breaks.
Types and varieties of scindapsus with photos and names
Scindapsus golden (Scindapsus aureus)
A particularly common type. It is grown as a climbing or ampelous culture. Without pruning, its stems can reach at least 2 meters in length. The leaf blades have a glossy surface and a beautiful color. On a deep green background, there are golden specks and splashes. The following forms of such a scindapus have a special decorative effect:
- Golden Queen - has a yellowish foliage with green specks.
- Marble Queen - green strokes are located on the white background of the sheet.
- Tricolor - the leaves are decorated with multi-colored stains of different shades of green and cream.
Scindapsus painted (Scindapsus pictus)
The Malaysian species has an angular stem, on which small growths form with age. It has a leathery, asymmetrical heart-shaped foliage of a dark green color with silvery stains. The leaves are up to 7 cm wide and about 15 cm long. The main varieties:
- Variegated Argyraeus - differs in shorter and wider leaf blades with rounded specks.
- Exotic - the foliage of the variety is decorated with long light silvery stains.
Home-grown types of scindapsus also include:
- Forest - a more miniature liana with shiny green foliage up to 20 cm long. Thanks to the short internodes, the bush looks compact and neat.
- Pinnate - one of the largest lianas, the length of which in the natural environment can reach up to 40 m. The green foliage is pointed at the ends. The color fades a little in the sun. The name of the species is associated with the peculiarity of the structure of the leaves: holes appear on them with age. The variety "Neon" is distinguished by its lemon-green foliage coloration.
- Siamese - is quite rare. Notable for large leaves covered with light spots and stains.
- Troiba and Perakensis - especially rare species, the first has narrow leaf blades and grows relatively slowly, the second is notable for arrow-shaped foliage.
Signs associated with scindapsus
The beliefs associated with scindapsus do not add popularity to the vines. It is believed that this plant belongs to those home flowers that prevent its owner from finding personal happiness. But do not immediately abandon the idea of growing it. In eastern legends, the scindapsus, on the contrary, is considered a real find for the home. Liana can positively influence energy flows in the home, as well as relieve tension, help in decision-making and serve as a source of inspiration.
In addition, the flower has practical benefits. It is able to emit useful phytoncides that purify the air of the room.
