Leathery, with a slight gloss and slightly wavy at the edges, lobed leaves on long flexible shoots, a rather fast growth rate, hardiness and a wide variety of varieties have made ivy very popular indoor plants. They look good simply placed on a table or shelf, or in combination with other plants in flower arrangements. With the help of curly supports, long shoots can be given any intricate shapes. Heders are used as ground cover and ampelous plants, in the form of green screens, where the shoots grow vertically upwards. In addition to the most common common ivy (Hedera helix), on sale there are other closely related ivy species with a great variety of varieties that differ in the nature of growth, shape and color of leaves with shades of green, white, yellow, gray and cream. (See on page Ivy).
Important: Heder is not recommended for people prone to allergies, all parts of the heder can cause severe contact dermatitis, sometimes coughing fits.
Growing ivy at home is easy if you imagine what the plant needs. The main problems arise in winter when it is kept in a warm and insufficiently lit room with low air humidity, when the plant is severely affected by spider mites.
Illumination. All heders need bright diffused light, they should be protected only from the direct midday summer sun, since ivy does not like heat and overheating of the roots. Some varieties can withstand weaker lighting, but will lose their color brightness. Ivy with variegated leaves are more demanding on light. The opinion was established that these are shade-loving plants, but without enough light, the shoots will stretch out, internodes will increase, and the plant will become more susceptible to pests. In the warm season, it is advisable to take the cheder to an open balcony or garden, placing it in the light shade of other plants and carefully covering the pot from the sun.
Air humidity for ivy is of great importance. This plant is from humid forests, so the house also needs high humidity. Hedera tolerates well even very frequent spraying, since the leathery and slightly wavy leaves along the edges allow water droplets to easily drain. In dry air, especially in winter, ivy is severely affected by spider mites, which is usually the reason for the death of the plant. Spray ivy regularly in the summer during dry, hot weather. In winter, if the plant is placed in a warm room with heating, spray the leaves 2-6 times a day and regularly arrange a cool shower, it will help to cope with the tick. Heder can be kept in a bright bathroom. If the hedera winters on a cool balcony or greenhouse at temperatures below + 15 ° C, spraying is not needed.
Watering. Before the next watering, check the moisture content of the soil, let the top layer dry out, preventing the earthen coma from completely drying out. In the summer, watering is regular, until the water comes out into the sump. In winter, in cool conditions, the plant rests, consumes less water, so the frequency and abundance of watering is reduced. The soil must be well drained throughout so that water does not linger and quickly passes through it. Water the plant only from above, and be sure to drain the excess water from the pan - ivy does not like excessive dampness in the roots. At the same time, he calmly refers to the hardness of the water.
Read more about watering in the article Watering rules for indoor plants.
Temperature. Hedera grows well in summer at a temperature of + 18 ... + 24 ° C and preferably outdoors. During the heat, it needs regular spraying. In winter, the plant rests, so do not place it next to batteries, provide coolness, + 10 ... + 18 ° C, although ivy can tolerate lower temperatures.Optimal conditions for the plant are on a light, frost-free glazed balcony.
Top dressing. From spring to autumn, apply water-soluble complex fertilizers for decorative deciduous plants or universal mixtures with microelements. For the winter, when ivy falls asleep, all feeding is canceled.
Soil and transplants. Heders are undemanding to the composition of the land mixture, grow well in both weakly acidic and slightly alkaline substrates, but they need good drainage. Add perlite to the ready-made universal soil mixture before planting, it will provide looseness and rapid passage of water through the substrate, and prevent waterlogging. And the greater the tendency to overflow, the more perlite is needed in the composition of the land mixture.
It is better to grow several shoots in one pot, this will give the plant splendor. Do not transplant plants after purchase.
They are transplanted to the heder by careful handling only after good root development of the entire previous volume of soil. A new pot is taken 1-2 cm larger in diameter. The best time to transplant is in spring, but you can transplant until the end of summer.
Read more in the article Transplanting indoor plants.
Pruning and shaping. Slow growing varieties require little or no pruning. Vigorous shoots can be shortened if necessary at any time of the year, but preferably from early spring to mid-summer. Cut off healthy parts of the stems can be used for propagation. In the spring, sanitary pruning is also carried out, removing dried and heavily exposed shoots during the winter. Ivy can be shaped in any shape. The shoots must be tied to vertical supports, since the stems themselves do not twist and do not cling, but are attached to surfaces with the help of short aerial roots.
In contact with ivy, an allergic reaction, contact dermatitis is possible, therefore, it is recommended to use gloves when working with it.
Bloom does not occur at home, since flower buds are laid only on adult ivy shoots, which form on the tops in the open sun. All shoots in the pot are juvenile, not flowering.
Reproduction. The variety you like is propagated in a vegetative way, by rooting cuttings. To do this, take pieces of healthy leafy stems 5-10 cm long and root them in peat soil using root formation stimulants (Kornevin, Heteroauxin). Planted cuttings must be placed in greenhouses with high air humidity.
Read more in the article Cutting indoor plants at home.
Pests. Hedera, like many other indoor plants, can be affected by the scabbard and mealybug, if a pest is found, treat it with Aktara. But the real disaster for ivy is the spider mite, which overcomes the plant in unfavorable conditions for it. The tick is especially dangerous in winter, when the heder is kept next to the battery, in a warm and dark room with dry air. Wash the plant thoroughly under the shower urgently, find a bright and cool place, increase the humidity of the air.
Diseases. Hedera is not very susceptible to disease. Only from waterlogging of the soil can the roots rot.
About plant protection - in the article Houseplant pests and control measures.
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Possible problems with growing ivy
- variegated leaves have lost their brightness - lack of light. Move the plant to a bright light.
- leaves dry, fall off - overdrying of soil, low air humidity, too high temperature. Do not let the soil dry out completely, spray the leaves often and take regular showers, find a cool place.
- the leaves have acquired a whitish color, covered with small light dots - in case of defeat by a spider mite. Wash the plant in the shower immediately, improve the conditions of detention.
