Home care for delicate and dangerous ivy (chedera). Hedera - comprehensive care at home Hedera reproduction at home

The evergreen shade-tolerant indoor ivy is hedera. Care at home allows you to grow a vine, the long shoots of which can hang down or be positioned horizontally, and the suction roots of the header allow the flower to cover the entire surface of a nearby wall. However, it is better to provide the plant with bamboo or plastic sticks for support.

More than 100 varieties of hedera (Hedera helix) are grown at home, for example, hedera helix mix. Some features of caring for this plant are described below.

Hedera, home care for normal plant development

The air temperature at which hedera feels good is from 18 to 20 Celsius in summer, and not lower than +12 Celsius in winter. In summer, it is very advisable, if possible, to take the pot with the plant into the fresh air.

The header flower is quite shade-tolerant and does not require particularly bright lighting. It is not recommended to expose the plant to direct sunlight; hedera grows well in shade and partial shade. The only thing is that variegated flower varieties require more light.

The hedera is not watered particularly abundantly, maintaining the soil in the pot in a state of moderate moisture in the summer, and limiting watering in the winter. The plant is grown using hydroponics methods.

Tropical ivy hedera develops well in conditions of high humidity and moderate temperature, so in rooms heated by radiators, the leaves of the flower should be regularly sprayed with water at room temperature or periodically give the plant a warm shower.

An important condition for caring for hedera at home is the correct choice of soil. The soil for the flower requires light and loose. In practice, this can be a mixture of turf and leaf soil, as well as sand. The ratio of these components of the soil mixture is 1:1:0.5, respectively.

Feed heder in spring and summer, during the development of the plant, twice a month. Complex mineral fertilizers containing potassium and nitrogen are used for feeding.

With proper care at home, hedera grows well and every two or three years it is recommended to replant the flower in a new pot, the size of which is 20 centimeters larger than the size of the old pot. If necessary, plant growth is limited by pinching and pruning shoots.

Hedera is propagated by stem cuttings 15-20 centimeters long, which are obtained during pruning of the plant. The cuttings are rooted in a peat-sand mixture, in pre-dug grooves, in conditions of high humidity and temperature 18-20°C. The leaves are not buried.

Hedera rarely blooms at home, but in the wild its small yellow-green flowers are collected in umbrella inflorescences. Hedera fruits are blue-black balls of berries up to one centimeter in diameter.

Hedera, home care for problematic flower growth

If the leaves of variegated hedera varieties fade, it means that the flower does not have enough light and its lighting needs to be made more intense. The lack of lighting is also evidenced by the small size of newly emerging hedera leaves.

Brown tips on hedera leaves mean the flower is not watered enough or the air around it is dry. To “cure” a flower, you should water it more often and try to increase the air humidity (for example, by spraying the plant).

If the plant grows very slowly, it means that the hedera does not have enough nutrition and the flower needs to be fed or replanted with subsequent feeding.

The falling of only the lower leaves of the hedera flower is a natural process of its development. If desired, such a plant can be rejuvenated by rooting the tops of its shoots.

Of the huge variety of all kinds of plants for home and garden, amateur gardeners most often choose a very decorative evergreen vine - common ivy. It is used both as an hanging plant to decorate a home and for landscaping buildings and fences on personal plots.

Several types of plants are most often grown at home:

• Indoor ivy Hedera. The foliage color of this variety can be emerald, dark green, or very light. The plant produces berries that look very decorative on the vine. The flowers of Hedera climbing plant themselves cannot be called particularly attractive.
• Canary ivy for indoor floriculture is distinguished by very large leaves, which reach 12–15 cm in length. This variety does not have aerial roots, and therefore the plant must be tied up.
• Colchian indoor ivy has even larger leaves than Canary ivy - up to 17 cm in length. This variety smells like nutmeg. Today, many hybrids have been bred that are unpretentious and grow well indoors.

Common garden ivy is most often planted in open ground. The liana can grow up to 30 meters in length and is therefore ideal for vertical gardening. This plant is also planted as a ground cover.

Boston ivy grows up to 20 meters in length and forms lush thickets. The liana looks very decorative, and especially in the autumn, when the foliage turns from dark green to orange and burgundy.

Planting and care in open ground

Ivy plants are very fond of fertile soil, which must be taken into account when planting the plant. Although the vine can take root in loam, it is still better to fill the planting hole with a layer of fertile soil in an area with poor soil.

For planting, only high-quality seedlings with a developed root system and shiny leaves are used.

Many inexperienced gardeners, not knowing how to plant common ivy correctly, make mistakes that lead to the death of the plant.

To avoid this, it is important to follow simple planting principles:

1. First, you should prepare a fairly large planting hole, which needs to be filled halfway with a mixture of turf, leaf soil and peat.
2. At the bottom of the hole, under the roots, drainage is arranged. For this purpose, you can use pebbles or crushed red brick.
3. The seedling in the new place is buried a little deeper than it grew before. Having planted a vine, its roots are covered with nutritious soil, lightly compacted, and then shed generously.

During the first time after planting, the young plant needs a lot of water and air. The soil around the seedlings should be loosened regularly, especially after watering or rain. It is very good to mulch the soil with organic matter.

In the hot summer, when growing in the country, ivy is watered twice a week. The plant is moisture-loving, but does not tolerate stagnation of water near the roots.

In order for the flower to develop well, it needs to be fed periodically. Liana loves mineral fertilizers, which contain a lot of nitrogen, which stimulates the plant to grow green mass.

Nitrogen is added only in June. Starting from mid-summer, ivy is fed with potassium and phosphorus to strengthen brittle, young green shoots.

Throughout the season, ivy is pruned to give it the desired shape. The plant grows very quickly and can be called aggressive towards its neighbors, so it must be pruned.

In southern regions with mild winters, the plant can overwinter in open ground. In the middle zone, the vine should be covered for the winter. They do this with spruce branches, fallen leaves, burlap, or even cover the vine with film.

Features of cultivation and care at home

Proper care is the key to ensuring that the vine will delight its owners for many years with its magnificent foliage and delight guests with its lush greenery.

• Most varieties of indoor ivy do not like sunlight and will grow much better in shade or partial shade.
• This plant loves slightly acidic soil. You can mix different soils, but the soil mixture must contain peat and sand. When preparing the soil, all components are taken in equal proportions, and before planting it is spilled with a weak solution of manganese.
• A drainage layer must be installed at the bottom of the flowerpot, since indoor ivy does not like stagnant moisture. Expanded clay or red brick can be used for these purposes. The drainage thickness should be at least 3 cm.
• The root system of such a plant is superficial, so the flowerpot should be shallow and wide. Medium-sized pots made of high-quality material are best suited, because ivy will grow in one container without replanting for several years.
• In hot summer months, the vine is watered abundantly. You need to ensure that the soil is moist at all times. In winter, watering is reduced, and sometimes even abandoned for a while. In hot weather, the flower is bathed in a warm shower. Leathery leaves can be wiped with a damp cloth in hot weather.

Propagation of common ivy

The easiest way to quickly propagate common ivy (Hedera helix) is by cuttings. The procedure is carried out in the spring.

1. The apical shoots up to 10 cm long are cut into cuttings with a sharp tool.
2. For rooting, planting material is placed in a mixture of leaf soil, humus, turf, peat and sand. Peat should predominate in the substrate.
3. The soil must be well moistened.
4. The optimal temperature for rapid rooting of cuttings is +15 degrees.
5. In about two weeks, roots will appear and the flowers can be planted in a permanent place.

Ivy is also propagated by small layerings, which is convenient to do in the garden. For these purposes, the branches are simply dug in, making small cuts at the bottom so that roots appear faster. It is advisable to secure the lashes with wooden brackets and sprinkle a layer of soil on top. After rooting, the young plants can be separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a new location. The rooting procedure by layering begins in the spring, and young specimens are planted in the fall.

Diseases and pests - how to treat

The owners themselves are to blame for many diseases of indoor ivy.

• If the leaves of the flower begin to turn yellow, it means it is being watered too much.
• If the green mass begins to dry out, then the air in the room is too dry.
• The foliage of indoor ivy can become very small. This means that the plant is experiencing a lack of light and should be moved closer to the window.

Of the pests, indoor ivy is most often attacked by aphids - the first enemy of deciduous plants. The leaves that begin to curl will indicate its presence on the vine. And spider mites can be recognized by thin webs on the shoots.

You can get rid of insect pests by washing the flower in the shower and then spraying it with a soap solution. Many gardeners wipe each leaf with a rag soaked in this product. If this does not help, then in a specialized store you can purchase drugs against insects on indoor plants and treat the ivy with them several times.

In the garden, ivy is most often attacked by pests such as scale insects, thrips and whiteflies. To prevent these pests, the plant is treated several times with insecticides.

A fungal disease can also affect the vine. If ivy grows in an overly humid environment, its root system may rot. The affected parts of the plant will have to be removed.

Signs associated with the plant

Various beliefs have always been present in human life. Many signs are associated with keeping ivy in an apartment or country house. Most of them sound unreasonable, to say the least.

• So, if a gifted flower dries up, they say it is bad luck. But a plant from a store has a weakened immune system and can quickly die in a new environment.
• But the main superstition that strikes fear into young ladies is that ivy “drives” men out of the house. Whether to believe in the unprecedented magical power of a plant or not is everyone’s personal choice.
• The ancient Greeks had a positive attitude towards the flower and considered it almost a sacred plant that saved the god Bacchus.
• In France, ivy is used to protect forests from fires.
• In England, they decorate houses for Christmas, as there ivy symbolizes resurrection.

In practice, ivy amazes with its amazing unpretentiousness and endurance. In addition, it takes root quite easily in a new place and grows quickly.

The content of the article:

Ivy (Hedera) belongs to the Araliaceae family, which also includes approximately 15 species. It prefers to settle in natural conditions in temperate, subtropical and tropical zones of Europe, the Americas, the northern lands of Africa, and Asia. The name of the plant comes from the word “spit”, as it has a very unpleasant taste of leaves and fruits. The plant can take on a variety of forms and has so many species that it has become a favorite among many gardeners. In many countries of the world, ivy is a symbol of constancy, and in eastern countries it symbolizes longevity. However, in our region, ivy has gained fame as a plant that, when grown in a house, drives away representatives of the stronger sex and is popularly nicknamed “husband buster.”

This unpretentious plant lives well in city apartments and gardens. Sometimes you can find ivy called “loach”, since its creeping stems are ready to cling to any support provided. The plant even finds small protrusions and attaches to them using an aerial root system; the shoots have small roots (in the form of brushes). Such root shoots provide the plant with nutrients. It can braid with its shoots not only supports that are placed vertically, but also horizontal surfaces are not a problem for the hedera (it can even braid indoor ceilings). In natural growth conditions, ivy can weave its shoots around the trunks and branches of trees, rising to a height of up to 15 meters. When a plant grows for a long time, its stems become woody and become quite thick and twisted.

Ivy leaf blades can have three or five lobes. They are painted in rich emerald shades, on which veins of a lighter tone appear. The leaves are located quite close to each other on a flexible and long shoot. With age, the plant begins to change the shape of the foliage to oval. Each variety of hedera differs in the measurements and color of the leaf plates. But most of all, for their decorative value, gardeners value species that differ in the spotting on the leaves in pastel colors - whitish, cream or with yellowing, and the veins should be well highlighted in color. These varieties require more careful care.

The ivy blossoms are completely inconspicuous. The inflorescences in which small flowers with a greenish tint are collected have the shape of an umbrella. Flowers form on shoots that have already grown sufficiently. In apartment conditions, this plant does not bloom, but even in natural growth conditions, flowering occurs only when the ivy reaches the age of 10–12 years.

The flowering process ends with the appearance of fruits and berries, centimeter in diameter. From the moment they appear, the color of the fruit changes from green to black.

The plant has an excellent feature of purifying the air from oil fumes and all kinds of fumes. It is an amazing green filter of dirty air, while ivy grows rapidly. Ivy has also gained popularity in medicine. It is used for its antifungal, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

This plant is simply a godsend for designers and decorators of flora. Ivy can fill the allotted space and it is possible to create all kinds of living figures from the hedera.

Attention! When caring for ivy, it is necessary to remember that if the shoots are damaged, it can secrete poisonous juice, which, when it gets on the skin, tends to cause allergic reactions. This must be remembered when placing the plant in homes with small children or pets.

Creating living conditions for hedera indoors

• Lighting. Hedera does not tolerate bright sunlight at all. Rather, the plant will perform well on windows into which the sun rarely peeks. To do this, a pot of ivy can be placed on a north-facing window, as it tolerates shading well. Even if it is in the middle of a not too bright room, the hedera will not drop its leaves and will not wither. However, such conditions are suitable for plants with rich green leaves; if they have a variegated pattern, then the pot must be placed on the windowsills of those windows where the sun peeks in at sunset or sunrise. If you install the plant on a south window, you will have to do shading with light curtains or gauze curtains. Most of all, ivy does not tolerate being moved from place to place. However, in winter, when the level of illumination is significantly reduced, it is necessary to provide additional lighting to the plant, since in variegated types of heder the color disappears and in general all types of these plants begin to stretch out, losing their decorative appeal. Ivy needs to be illuminated for at least 8 hours a day, placing the pot from the lamps at a distance of approximately half a meter.
• Humidity content. Since hedera has a large number of leaves, moisture evaporates from their surface very quickly, so frequent spraying is necessary. If the plant is kept in decent humidity levels, the color of the leaves becomes more saturated. The bleached veins begin to appear with better clarity, the branching of the stem begins to increase, and a fringe of additional roots appears on the shoots. These roots help the plant to take root in the most inappropriate places, bypassing the pot, and when they are removed, the shoots usually break off. For spraying, settled and softened water is used; it can be filtered. It is also recommended to wipe the sheet plates with a soft cloth or sponge dipped in water. There is no need to use solutions to give leaves a waxy shine. To increase humidity, they also use the method of placing a pot on moistened expanded clay or pebbles in a deep container. Many gardeners give the ivy a light warm shower, which washes away the dust accumulated on the leaf blades.
• Ivy content temperature. The plant is calm about heat indicators; it only does not like very high temperatures (above 25 degrees). A cool room with winter temperatures in the range of 10–15 degrees is best; in summer, it is advisable that the temperature does not rise above 23 degrees. It is very useful to take the pot of hedera out into the open air when the weather warms up. This representative of the green world can easily tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations and is not afraid of possible drafts. You should not place a pot with a plant near heaters or central heating radiators; from dry air and elevated temperatures, the leaf plates begin to become smaller and the gaps between them increase, which spoils the overall appearance of the plant.
• Watering ivy. This plant is quite moisture-loving. As soon as the air temperature begins to rise (spring-summer), hedera will require abundant and regular soil moisture. The main thing is not to let the soil in the pot dry out; it is better to always keep it slightly moist. If, with the arrival of cold weather, the ivy is kept at temperatures corresponding to room temperature, then watering does not change, but at lower rates, wetting is reduced and repeated only after the top layer of soil has slightly dried out. The main problem is not to flood the plant, since for it light drying of the substrate is not as dangerous as waterlogging. Water for irrigation is taken well settled, boiled or filtered.
• Fertilizers for hedera. In order for ivy to delight with the growth of lush green mass, it is necessary to carry out mandatory fertilizing. You need to choose solutions for decorative foliage or floral plant species. The regularity of fertilizing is once every 1.5–2 weeks in the spring and summer. Hedera also responds well to formulations containing organic matter. In winter, the number of feedings is reduced to once every 30 days. But it is important not to overdo it with fertilizers, since if there is excess, the size of the leaf plates increases greatly, and the plant does not look so beautiful.
• Carrying out pruning for ivy. If the shoots of the plant are unsightly exposed, they must be cut off. You will also have to pinch the tops of some stems, but it is advisable not to touch the side ones. Cut shoots can be used as cuttings for rooting.
• Replanting ivy and choosing soil. It is necessary to change the hedera pot if the root system has grown so large that it becomes visible through the holes for water drainage. But if the bush of the plant has grown sufficiently, then you don’t have to wait for such an effect. Ivy is replanted annually, but if you buy a plant that is old enough, it does not need a change of pot. You can slightly replace the old soil on top of the pot with a new substrate. If you want to change the pot for an adult ivy, then this procedure is performed once every 2-3 years. The width of the pot should be greater than its depth, since the roots of the hedera have a flatter position and do not go deep into the soil. A little fine expanded clay is poured into the bottom of the pot so that it absorbs moisture and gradually releases it to the plant. When replanting, they use the transshipment method - the plant is filled with water, after a short period of time the entire earthen ball with roots is pulled out and placed in a pot prepared in advance with drainage. After this, it is necessary to add new soil mixture from the sides and water the ivy a little.

• leaf soil, turf soil, peat soil, river sand (parts of the ingredients are equal to each other);
• turf soil, humus soil, coarse sand (the proportions for the components are the same).

Propagation of ivy at home

When propagating by cuttings, a stem is cut from the top of a branch at least 10 cm long. The cutting is placed in a vessel with water and roots are expected to appear. Then the plant can be planted in a suitable substrate. As soon as the planting has been completed, to improve branching, young ivy is pinched at the top. If the cuttings were planted in a soil mixture immediately (it can be made up of turf, sand and humus soil), then the plants should be covered with a glass jar until rooting, and then regularly ventilated and sprayed.

If propagation is carried out using lateral stems, then the shoot with grown small roots is cut off and placed horizontally in a container filled with slightly moistened sand. The branch should have at least 8–10 leaves. The shoot itself goes 1.5–2 cm deep into the substrate, but so that the leaf plates are on top, not covered with soil. After about 10 days, true underground roots form from small aerial roots and new leaves begin to grow at the top of the shoot. After 14 days, this stem can be removed and cut into pieces so that each of them has roots and one leaf. Usually 3 specimens are planted in one pot.

To propagate a plant using layering, you need to install a smaller ivy pot filled with prepared substrate next to the parent ivy pot and bend a side shoot into it from the bottom of the bush, which has aerial roots. The branch is held in a small pot using stiff wire or a hairpin. The place where the stem is bent is sprinkled with soil. Care for the future plant is the same as for mother ivy. When it becomes clear that the root system of the young hedera has already developed and the growth of new leaves has begun, it is necessary to carefully separate the shoot from the mother bush.

Difficulties and pests of ivy

• leaf plates begin to dry out, acquire a brown color and subsequently die off when the temperature is too high for ivy and the humidity is very low, the same can happen from small and irregular soil moisture, and can also be characterized by spider mite damage;
• the leaf plates are small, and the stems are bare and twisted - these are signs of insufficient light, however, if the leaves are from the very bottom of the branch, then they fall off with age and this is a normal process;
• if the leaves turn yellow, this indicates insufficient watering;
• if the leaf plates have a variegated color and it begins to turn pale, then it is necessary to move the pot with the plant closer to the light or increase the illumination with phytolamps.

Types of ivy

• Common ivy (Hedera helix). This is the most common type of ivy. May have climbing or ground-covering stems. Multiple aerial root shoots are visible on the shoots. The leaf blades may have 3-5 lobes with a leathery and shiny surface. A network of veins of a lighter color appears on it. But there are varieties that differ in the shape and color of the leaf plates. The flowers are completely inconspicuous in green and yellow tones, the edges are edged with white or cream, and are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences. Fruits with blue-black berries.
• Canary ivy (Hedera canariensis). The plant is considered the tallest of its kind. The leaf blades can measure 12 cm in length and 15 cm in width. Their color is rich green with light green veins. Takes a triangular shape. The Variegata variety, which has variegated leaves and a white border, is most valued by gardeners.
• Colchis ivy (Hedera colchida). A shrub with powerful liana-like shoots that can, leaning on something, reach a height of 30 m. The leaf blades reach a length of 25 cm. The shape is solid, very rarely has lobes, and the color is emerald. When rubbed, the leaf smells musky.

Ivy or hedera (Hedera) is an evergreen from the Araliaceae family. About 15 species of ivy are known, widespread in the subtropics of Europe, America, North Africa and Asia.

In nature, ivy grows in shady forests, entwining trees with its long flexible shoots. Its stems have small roots with which the plant clings to a support and can climb 10-15 meters up. These same roots provide additional nutrition to the plant.

In areas with mild winters, ivy covers the walls of buildings with a continuous green carpet, clinging to cracks.

Common ivy (Hedera helix) has long been known in indoor floriculture. It has long been used for vertical gardening and as a complementary plant in plant arrangements.

The leaves of young plants are small, three- or five-lobed, dark green with lighter veins. The leaf blades on a thin flexible stem are located close to each other. Mature plants have oval leaves.

More than 100 forms of hedera vulgaris are known, differing in the size and color of the leaves. The most prized varieties are those with white, cream or yellowish spots on the leaves, with clearly visible veins. Such ivies are more capricious than ordinary green ones; in particular, they need more light, especially in winter.

Like all plants from the Araliaceae family, ivy flowers are not distinguished by their beauty. They are small, greenish, collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences. After flowering, fruits appear, berries about 10 mm in diameter, first green, then black. But flowers only appear on old shoots; ivy almost never blooms in apartments.

Due to the large mass of leaves, hedera is considered one of the most effective. It is also known as a medicinal plant. Biologically active substances of ivy leaves have expectorant, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal effects.

Why does this unpretentious plant cover the entire wall of some people, while for others it does not grow more than a meter in length and withers even with careful care? Ivy does not like hot sun (although a few hours in the morning or evening will not harm it) and does not tolerate the dry, hot air of an apartment in winter. This plant prefers cool weather.

Recently, the popularity of ivy has been growing rapidly. Hedera is ideal for cool winter gardens and green corners.

Ivy is used as a ground cover plant; it grows quickly and covers the ground with a thick green carpet. Its additional roots on the stems penetrate into the soil, which contributes to the active growth of the plant.

Hedera is not picky about soil, so it can be planted as a complement to almost any plant.

A variety of options can also be easily realized with the help of this unpretentious vine. Green walls, green window frames, screens of shoots with small leaves will make your garden charming. A variety of driftwood, roots, stones entwined with ivy will naturally fit into the interior.

Rules for caring for ivy (chedera).

Ivy is an unpretentious plant and does not require complex care. It is important to wash the leaves frequently and prevent them from becoming dusty. This is beneficial for the plant itself, and in addition, clean leaves better purify the air in the apartment.

Location. Ivy is a shade-tolerant plant, but its variegated forms require good lighting with shading from the sun in summer.

Temperature. Ivy (chedera) prefers cool rooms with a temperature of about 18 C in summer, 6-12 C in winter. In summer, the plant can grow on a balcony or in the garden. Tolerates drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations well.

Watering. Hedera is a moisture-loving plant, its root system is superficial, so in the spring and summer, watering should be regular and quite abundant. Drying out the earthen ball is undesirable, but stagnation of water in the pot will lead to the death of the plant. In winter, water frequently when overwintering in a warm room, but if the ivy overwinters in a cool place, watering should be limited so as to only prevent the soil from drying out.

Air humidity. When kept in a cool room, humidity does not matter, but at temperatures above 20 C, ivy requires regular spraying and high air humidity.

Fertilizer. Ivy is most often hung in small pots. In order for the plant to grow and develop normally, it must be fertilized regularly. In spring and summer, ivy is fed 2-3 times a month with fertilizer for decorative foliage plants. In winter, growth does not stop, but it slows down depending on the temperature; usually the amount of fertilizing is reduced to once a month. But excess fertilizer has a bad effect on the plant - the leaves turn yellow and fall off.

Transfer. Young plants are replanted annually in the spring, adults after 2-3 years. Choose a wide pot, but not deep, because the root system of the hedera is superficial. Good drainage is installed at the bottom of the pot so that the earthen ball does not become waterlogged.

The soil. Ivy is not picky about soil and grows in almost any substrate. The best result is if planted in a slightly acidic, loose ready-made universal substrate or in a soil mixture made up of turf and leaf soil, peat and sand in equal parts. Sometimes the substrate is made up of equal parts of humus, turf soil and sand.

Trimming. During the period of intensive growth, it is recommended to regularly prune ivies for bushiness and remove shoots that have lost leaves. In addition, too long lashes in the spring should be cut to a third of their length. The cuttings are used for cuttings.

Reproduction. Ivy is easily propagated by apical cuttings throughout the year. They take root very quickly in water. To make the plant branch better, pinch the cuttings after planting them in the substrate.

Pests. Hedera can be damaged by scale insects, thrips, and red spider mites. As a result, the leaves become deformed, turn yellow and die. For treatment, the leaves are treated with special insecticides.

Possible difficulties when growing ivy:

• Yellowing of leaves - abundant watering at low temperatures, excess fertilizer.
• The leaves of variegated varieties turn green - insufficient lighting.
• Brown and dry tips of leaves - too dry air, high temperature, insufficient watering.
• Too large distances between the leaves - lack of lighting.

Hedera is perhaps the most unpretentious house plant. You may even forget for a while that you have a green pet under your care - you can safely go on vacation without assigning a nanny for watering. Another popular name for hedera is ivy. This is truly an ivy that can be grown at home. It perfectly copes with its purpose - interior decoration. In most cases, it is grown as an ampel (that is, in a hanging pot), and it weaves along all the surfaces surrounding it or hangs down picturesquely. It depends on what type of ivy you decide to grow. Hedera helix is a fast-growing climbing ivy that has microsuction cups on its shoots - aerial roots. They cling to any surface and easily turn a wall into a hedge. And here Hedera canariensis, Canary ivy, does not have such tenacity, so vines of this species need support.

You can also give your ivy any shape you want. Today, flower growers and florists use it for various compositions. Lianas grow well in any direction ordered by a person; they can be laid in a circle, in the form of an ascending spiral, in the shape of a heart - whatever you like. The plant will grow just as well if nothing was done to it. With simple but proper care, of course.

How to care for hedera

It is no secret that many types of ivy are used for landscape gardening. Indeed, ivy came into the house from the street; it is initially a plant that is resistant to temperature changes and is not afraid of frost. Some species can withstand frosts of up to 20 degrees, for some even a slight drop is detrimental. In any case, ivy loves light coolness more than heat and drought.

Lighting

In terms of lighting, the header is completely unpretentious. Wherever you place a flower, it will grow everywhere. Due to the high decorative qualities of ivy, it is often placed at the back of the room - this is quite normal, the main thing is that sunlight penetrates there in at least some quantity. Hedere will also look good on a window, especially variegated varieties. The darker the leaf, the more chlorophyll it contains, and the less the plant needs bright sunlight. With a lack of light, variegated hedera can become monochromatic - when there is a lack of nutrients and energy there is no time for beauty.

Temperature

Since the hedera is not very sensitive to lighting, there is no need to place the plant in a hot, bright window. When choosing between two evils it is better to give preference to a darker but cooler place. If we talk about ideal conditions, then a temperature of 16-22 degrees is suitable for heder, but the plant will withstand fluctuations of up to 10 degrees in both directions.

Humidity

Dry air is not good for most indoor plants. Hedera will gladly accept a gift from you in the form of rain (shower in the bathroom) or spraying from a spray bottle in the heat and drought.

Watering

Watering should be regular. The soil should not dry out even in winter. But the plant will survive a one-time drought and will not die, but it will not be able to live for years with a lack of water.

Substrate

Hedera prefers slightly acidic soil. This can be a peat mixture with the addition of greenhouse or leaf soil, sand, or perlite. You can also use a ready-made commercial substrate for begonias or saintpaulias.

Transfer

Hedera is replanted according to the classical scheme in spring or autumn. A young, fast-growing plant is replanted once a year, and the pot is enlarged to provide room for the development of the root system. An adult hedera does not need annual replanting; it is enough to do it once every two years.. However, you can pamper the plant with care and replace the top layer of soil after a year - this will allow fresh substrate to enter the pot and bring useful substances for growth and development. But in most cases, regular fertilizing with fertilizers is enough.

The container for planting ivy should not be very large - a couple of centimeters larger than the root system of the plant. When replanting, be sure to make a thick layer of drainage for good water drainage - the roots should under no circumstances become sour in wet soil.

Fertilizer

For good growth and beautiful greenery, hedera can be fed with complex mineral fertilizers for deciduous plants. Fertilizers are applied with watering from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn once every 2-3 weeks.

Trimming

Ivy grows quite quickly and without human intervention can grow long, but not very pretty vines. To keep it in check or form a beautiful crown, the shoots need to be pinched and trimmed regularly - then the plant will be more fluffy.

Reproduction

Hedera is propagated by cuttings and seeds. Cuttings are easy to obtain and root. It is better to get hold of seeds in a store, since it is very difficult to achieve ivy flowering at home. But if this does happen, you will definitely not be happy with the aroma that the flowers will exude. And the berries of this plant are highly poisonous.

Diseases and pests

Hedera can suffer from pests such as thrips and spider mites.