Ivy room: can I keep houses, signs. Growing ivy at home, photo

Perennial climbing plants with decorative leaves are widely used not only in gardening, but also in indoor floriculture for vertical landscaping and creating original compositions. One of the brightest representatives is ivy. An effective plant with triple leaves possesses unpretentious morals and beautiful leaves. However, in addition, it does not have too much fame, which is interesting, it is in our country.

It is peculiar for a person to associate events with him with the environment and objects that are part of it. It is much easier to write off the troubles that have happened to him to a third person, or better - to an uninvolved subject. In particular, on ivy room. Can I keep the house? Signs say that no. Let's deal with the bad reputation of the plant, as well as the peculiarities of its cultivation.

What is this plant?

Under the name "ivy" is united the genus of plants of the family Araliev, numbering 15 species. Latin name Hedera for these plants K. Linnaeus borrowed from the Romans. Ivy are creeping shrubs, which, as they grow, cling to the support (trees, walls, etc.). On the stems are dense leathery leaves of angular-lobed form. Color - dark green, there are decorative forms with milky-white stripes.

The natural area of growth is the countries of the Northern Hemisphere with mild climatic conditions, as well as Australia. In our country, ivy (photos see the text) - this is mainly a houseplant.

Common ivy species

• Ivy Colchis is an evergreen lianate shrub with large (up to 25 cm in length) leathery leaves attached to the stem, with suckers. The shape of the plate may be different, a characteristic musky smell appears when rubbed. Climbing to a height of 30 m. It grows quickly, but in comparison with ordinary ivy it is less frost-hardy. In natural conditions it grows in Iran, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor.
• Ordinary ivy (photo below) is an evergreen vine, leaves are leathery, medium in size (up to 10 cm in length), the location is regular. It grows slowly, shade-tolerant and thermophilic, demanding for soil fertility. It has high decorativeness, which is why it has been used for a very long time in planting gardens as a ground cover and climbing plant. Many hybrid forms are distinguished, differing in color and form of leaves. The photo shows Calico.

• Ivy of Canary is an evergreen shrub, extremely popular as a houseplant. An effective plant with variegated leaves does not tolerate frost, requires good lighting, warmth and fertile soil.
• Ivy Pastukhova is a rare evergreen vine that grows in the Eastern Transcaucasus and is listed in the Red Book of Russia. It is widespread both in mountainous areas and in lowlands, spreads on the ground and clings to tree trunks.

Ivy room: can I keep the house? Signs

Signs and superstitions of various kinds in our lives were always present. Some believe in them, others do not, and others listen. A lot of superstitions are associated with plants in the house, and to say where they came from, people often find it difficult. Most of it sounds unreasonable. For example, the gift of a flower, which withered in a couple of months, and therefore not from the soul was presented. Absolutely groundless argument. Shop flowers often have weakened immunity and are difficult to tolerate a change in the environment and the microclimate.

Did not go unnoticed by amateurs will take and ivy room. Is it possible to keep the house (the signs are given in the text) in this plant? It is possible, and most of Europeans do so. They do not need to plant it in the room, a beautiful plant braids the house from the outside, covering all the walls with an even carpet of greenery. But is this a significant difference?

The main superstition about ivy lies in its alleged ability to "drive" men out of the house, survive them. Agree, the plant is endowed with a very impressive force. The ancient Greeks also treated the ivy in a special way, but from a positive point of view. The plant was almost sacred, because according to legend, it was it that saved the life of the god Dionysus (Bacchus). Since that time, his image has been decorated not only by the vine, but also by the twisting stems of ivy. Mythological properties of plants, however, have real soil. It is used on a par with rosemary in France to protect forests from wildfires.

Ivy is a curly evergreen shrub and, who would have thought, one of the symbols of Christmas. It is this spectacular plant that Europeans, especially the British, decorate churches and homes. He is treated as a symbol of eternity and resurrection, affection and love. Ivy is used in conjunction with holly, the first is considered a symbol of the female principle (requiring support and protection), and the second - the male. In practice, the plant really impresses with its unpretentiousness and ability to survive even in the homes of the most neglected flower growers.

Ivy builds up a very voluminous green mass, and therefore is considered one of the most effective air purifiers. Quite a useful quality for urban apartments.

These facts quite reasonably answer whether the ivy is harmful, whether it is possible to keep houses. The signs are often far-fetched and absurd. Do not blindly trust them, let alone be guided.

Selecting a location, lighting and temperature

Indoor ivy is a unique plant. Choosing it for the house, you can fill with greenery even the darkest corner of the room. He is very shade-tolerant. However, variegated forms need the sun to maintain a beautiful contrast on the leaves, best if it is slightly muted, avoid direct rays on the plant.

Ivy belongs to evergreen, heat-loving plants. The most comfortable temperature for him will be 22-25 ° C in the spring-summer period and cooler (15-18 ° C) - in the winter. You can take it to the balcony or summer terrace.

Ivy soil

The plant prefers light, but nutritious soils. You can buy a ready-made primer in a specialized store or prepare it yourself. For this, in equal proportions, mix soddy and leafy soil, humus, peat and sand. At the bottom of the pot, lay a drainage layer, for example, expanded clay.

Adult plants are transplanted every two years, and young plants are given annually. The most optimal time for the procedure is March-April. Choose pots 2-3 cm larger than the previous one.

Watering and feeding

For active growth, ivy requires regular and abundant watering in the summer. But do not fill the plant. Low air temperature and excess moisture are a favorable environment for the development of fungal and bacterial diseases.

In winter, a weak period of rest begins. At this time, the plant is watered less often, but complete drying of the substrate can not be tolerated. Spraying and high humidity - this is what the ivy prefers indoor. The leaves dry and fall very often due to dry air. If possible, then periodically put the plant under the shower, covering the clod of earth with waterproof material. After such a procedure, it looks much more attractive and moves into growth with new forces.

Feeding should be carried out every two weeks, beginning in March and until the end of August, alternating organic and mineral complex fertilizers.

Methods of reproduction

Ivy can be propagated by vegetative or seed method. And the first is the most simple and can be carried out in three ways.

First, reproduction by apical cuttings. Cut the ends of shoots 10 cm long and immediately plant them in a moist mixture of sand and sheet earth, covering the top with a hood of glass or plastic. Thus, greenhouse conditions are created, and it is important to maintain a constant moisture in the soil. You can put the cuttings in the water first and wait for the roots to appear. Then put in the already prepared soil mixture.

Secondly, shoot propagation is practiced. From one segment of the stem, several plants can be obtained. To do this, take a shoot with 8-10 leaves and make a cut along it. Not too deep, it must be superficial. On the prepared wet ground, the shoot is laid down with a cut down and pressed into the soil by 1.5-2 cm, leaving the leaves on the surface. Within two weeks, the plant along the entire length of the roots, a sign of this will serve as a growing top. Then the stem is removed and cut into several parts, each planted in a separate pot.

Well, the third vegetative way is multiplication by layers. The algorithm of action is the same as in the previous version, but with one correction, the shoot from the mother plant is not separated, and the ground is pressed down by the staples.

Trimming ivy room

Pruning and forming a bush require, as a rule, street copies. Indoor plants, if desired, can also be renewed and rejuvenated, giving the desired form. The procedure is carried out in early spring, before the plant starts the active vegetation phase. First of all, remove diseased and damaged shoots, young can simply pinch to stimulate the development of lateral stems. To rejuvenate the bush, trim the old branches 1 m from the root in street conditions and half as much - in the rooms.

As a support for ivy, you can use a wall, specially stretched threads, but they must be strong (green mass is heavy enough), decorative trellis, etc.