Phytoncides of coniferous plants benefit human health, they clean the air well of harmful substances, inhibiting the development of pathogenic bacteria. How nice it is to have such an evergreen tree at home!

Trees with flat needles, belonging to the Araucariaceae family, are found naturally in the countries of South America and on the Australian continent. Some species decorate parks and streets of Crimean and Caucasian cities. But there are also those that have taken root at home.

reaches from forty to seventy meters with a trunk thickness of more than a meter. Coniferous plants grown indoors have a smaller height - up to one and a half meters. The trunk of the plant is erect, the branches are located horizontally or bend upward. The conical shape of the crown becomes umbrella-shaped over time.

The hard, bright green needles are up to five centimeters long and densely cover the branches of the araucaria. The cones are round, small, ten centimeters in size, and have seeds similar to nuts.

Two types of coniferous plants are grown indoors: araucaria varifolia and Bidwilla.

The first has a pyramidal crown covered with soft light green needles two centimeters long. Bidwill's Araucaria is distinguished by its spiky, glossy coniferous leaves. The resemblance to spruce has allowed the plant to gain popularity among lovers of indoor floriculture.

Evergreen araucaria is classified as a fastidious plant; it requires the creation of the conditions necessary for its life:

• For the plant, you need to choose a well-lit place in the house, but without direct sunlight. The duration of daylight at ten to twelve hours should be maintained in winter. And here artificial light lamps will help to create illumination. It will help to make the growth of the tree's branches symmetrical by turning it around its axis. Then the light will evenly affect the plant.
• The pot with conifers should be placed away from heating appliances that dry out the air. This is unacceptable to him. In the homeland of araucaria, in tropical forests, humidity is high, so it will need constant spraying. For better growth add Epin or a few drops to the water succinic acid. It will also help to create comfort by moistening the soil in the pot and the air in the room using a tray where expanded clay, pebbles or moss moistened with water will be placed.
• The temperature in the room and house is especially important for the tree. It does not tolerate heat: in summer twenty degrees of heat will be enough, and in winter time– ten. You can place the pot on an insulated loggia for the rest period, but with good lighting. But drafts can lead to the death of the plant.

Creation comfortable conditions for this unique conifer it will help to preserve the greenness of its needles and the symmetry of its thin branches. It is undesirable to change the location of the plant; it may react by dropping the needles and turning them yellow.

The capriciousness of the plant requires attention to it and the fulfillment of basic care requirements:

1. Watering is important for araucaria, since the slightest drying out of the earthen ball on the roots will lead to the death of the plant. During the growing season, it is enough to water two to three times a week, in winter - much less. The water should be at room temperature, it is advisable to let it stand before watering.
2. For the plant, select those that are recommended for conifers. They are applied during the active growth period of the tree from April to August every three to four weeks. In winter, this procedure is not necessary.
3. It is enough to replant an araucaria once every three to four years in cases where the pot has become too small for it. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the selected container. Soil for araucaria is selected by mixing an equal share of deciduous and coniferous soil, turf, peat, sand, and humus. Suitable for growing. The method of transplantation is transshipment while preserving the old substrate on the roots.

If every year a coniferous tree grows one layer of branches, then it is cared for correctly.

There are many ways to propagate a plant: cuttings,... The most reliable is cuttings. They are prepared from April to June from the apical part of semi-lignified shoots. After drying in the shade for 24 hours, having cleaned the cuts well, place the prepared branches in sandy soil or a mixture of peat and sand. The soil should be well moistened. After this, the containers with the material are covered with polyethylene films, creating a greenhouse effect.

Reproduction of araucaria at home is a labor-intensive process and not always successful.

After placing the pots with cuttings in a cool, well-lit room, ventilate the plantings daily. It is also necessary to water and spray them periodically. Rooting of araucaria can only occur after two or four months. As soon as callus appears at the end of the cutting, the shoot can be transplanted into a substrate of peat and sand. And after the roots appear in June-July - to a permanent place.

It is possible to propagate the plant by seeds, but they must be fresh. They are planted one or two seeds per pot. small size filled with nutritional mixture. The nuts will take a long time to germinate – up to four to five months.

Araucaria diseases occur due to improper care:

• The falling of needles and their drying out indicates that the plant does not have enough moisture and the air temperature is too high.
• There is no need to worry about the loss of lower branches - this is a natural process. But if their number increases rapidly, then it is necessary to create sufficient coolness for the plant.
• Paleness of the needles and stretching of branches occurs due to excessive watering or the pot with the tree being in a draft. In such situations, the plant often dies.
• With a lack of calcium in the soil, araucaria slows down in growth.
• A damaged top of a coniferous tree can cause it to stop developing normally and stop growing.

By correcting deficiencies in care, you can return the plant to its former healthy appearance.

To prevent the appearance of pests on conifers, you need to be attentive to your pet, noticing problems in time.

More information can be found in the video:

biologist, collector indoor plants, website editor (indoor plants section)

Araucaria is one of the few coniferous plants (along with footcarp, cunningamia lanceolata and large-fruited cypress) that you can try to grow at home. This is due to the fact that the natural habitats of Araucaria (19 currently known) existing species) are areas with a warm climate (Australia, Norfolk Island, New Guinea, Chile, Argentina, Brazil) and the plants are adapted to fairly warm wintering.

Araucaria chilean (Araucaria araucana) can be found in the botanical gardens of Crimea and the Caucasus. The plant is native to Chile and Argentina - very large tree, reaches 60 meters in height. The branches are located in horizontal whorls of 6-7; with age, the lower ones fall off and the crown takes on an umbrella shape. The needles are thick, scale-like, hard, triangular (3-4 cm in length with a base of 1-3 cm), with sharp edges, arranged tightly in a spiral and last up to 10-15 years, due to this it covers most of the tree. The branches are arranged in very symmetrical whorls and resemble reptiles. This is a fairly hardy species, tolerates short-term drops in temperature down to -20 o C, which has made it a popular plant. open ground in Europe.

As a rule, Chilean Araucaria is a dioecious plant, although monoecious specimens are also found. The seeds are edible, similar to pine nuts. The entire genus Araucaria is named after this species, from the name of the Chilean region of Araucana, where thickets of this plant were discovered by the Spanish conquerors.

(Araucaria heterophylla)- the most common type for indoor use. Its homeland is Fr. Norfolk is near Australia and is often called Norfolk pine. In nature, this species can reach 50-65 m in height. It is a monoecious plant (male and female cones are produced on the same plant). Female cones are round, reach 10-14 cm in diameter and contain large edible seeds. But at home, araucaria grows to a much more modest size and never forms cones.

The tree has a clear and wide arrangement of whorls of branches on a straight trunk, each branch resembles an even triangle, due to which the plant has a very decorative look and is often used as a Christmas tree.

The species got its name due to the change in shape of the needles as the tree grows. At a young age, up to about 30-40 years, the branches are covered with awl-shaped emerald-green needles 1-2 cm long and 1 mm wide. Subsequently, scale-like concave needles begin to grow, up to 10 mm long and 2-4 mm wide, which tightly surround the branches in a spiral.

Araucaria angustifolia, or Brazilian(Araucaria angustifolia) suitable for growing at home and in greenhouses, since under these conditions it rarely reaches 3-4 meters in height.

The homeland of the plant is Southern Brazil. In nature, this tree is 25-30 meters, sometimes up to 50 meters in height with a straight, even trunk. The branches are arranged horizontally in whorls, the lower ones fall off with age and the crown acquires a flattened umbrella-like shape. The shoots are collected in characteristic whorls at the ends of the branches, due to which the plant is often called the Candelabra tree. The needles are lanceolate, pointed, thick, matte, dark green, 3-6 cm in length with a base of approximately 0.5 cm, most often located in pairs at the end of the shoots in whorls. The needles on fertile shoots are much smaller and denser. The plant is dioecious, the female cones are spherical and reach 20 cm in diameter.

Araucaria Hanstein(Araucaria hunsteinii)- this species has recently been supplied as a potted plant from Holland. It is native to the mountains of Papua New Guinea, where it is on the verge of extinction. These are the tallest trees in their genus, they can reach a height of 80-90 m, the trunk is smooth, up to 3 m in diameter. The branches are arranged in horizontal whorls of 5-6. The needles are scaly or awl-shaped, long, 6-12 cm long and 1.5-2 cm wide at the base, with a sharp end, shorter and narrower on young branches, arranged in a spiral. As a rule, these are monoecious plants. Seed (female) cones are oval, up to 25 cm long.

Illumination. Araucaria prefers bright light with little protection from the midday summer sun. Rotate the plant regularly to form an even crown. In summer, it is useful to take araucaria out into the open air (without exposing it to low temperatures) in the light shade of trees. It is imperative to monitor the uniformity of illumination of the crown; if there is a lack of light, some of the branches may turn yellow and lose needles; this must be avoided, since the crown will not recover and the plant may lose its decorative effect. In winter, it is advisable to organize additional illumination of the plant (length daylight hours 12 hours) fluorescent or LED lamps(for one plant, a 20-40 watt lamp will be sufficient when placed low and directly above the plant).

Temperature. The optimal temperature in summer is +15+22 o C, in winter - +10+16 o C. Araucaria does not tolerate high temperatures; during hot weather it is better to place the plant in an air-conditioned room or frequently spray the crown. At home, be sure to provide the plant with an influx of fresh air.

Watering should be regular and moderate. It is advisable to keep the soil evenly moist, avoiding drying out and dampness; Wait until the top layer dries between waterings. Water only with warm and settled water, always from above. Do not allow water to stagnate in the pan. In winter, when the temperature drops, the frequency and abundance of watering decreases, but the soil should still not be allowed to dry out.

Air humidity. It is advisable to support high humidity air. With insufficient humidity, the needles at the ends of the branches begin to dry out. Do not place plants close to heating appliances. Spray the plant several times a day at temperatures above +18 o C. During hot weather, very frequent spraying is required, this will help the plant cope with high temperatures. At temperatures below +15 o C there is no need to spray the plant.

Fertilizers Be sure to use special ones for coniferous plants, according to the instructions (it is better to slightly reduce the dosage). Feeding can only be carried out on a pre-moistened coma.

Transfer. After purchasing the plant, carefully remove the lump from the pot. If the roots are tightly entwined in a ball, then you should soon transfer (without replacing the soil) into a slightly larger pot with the addition of substrate for coniferous plants. Try not to damage the roots; replanting with soil replacement can lead to the death of the plant. The next transplant may be required only after 3-4 years, when the lump is again tightly entwined with roots.

Reproduction

Araucaria can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.

For vegetative propagation Only apical or intermediate stem cuttings are taken. Rooted side branches can produce asymmetrical growth. The shoot is cut a few centimeters below the node (whorl of lateral branches). It is dried for some time so that the resin hardens. Then you should carefully remove the resin from the bottom of the shoot, dip the bottom in dry Kornevin and plant it up to the level of the whorl of branches in sterile soil (or peat tablet). Be sure to place the planted plant in a greenhouse with a temperature of about +25 o C. Rooting occurs in approximately 2-4 months.

Trimming the crown can lead to loss of decorativeness of the plant.

Araucarias can be propagated seeds. It is better to take seeds immediately after collection, since germination rate drops sharply over time. Sow one seed at a time in small containers filled with a mixture of peat and sand, lightly moisten and place in a warm place. However, araucaria seeds may germinate unevenly, from 2 weeks to several months. At first, seedlings develop very slowly.

Pests

Araucaria is quite resistant to pests, but can be affected mealybug and specific pests of coniferous plants. If you notice white accumulations that look like pieces of cotton wool, take a semi-rigid brush (for glue), soak it in alcohol and carefully remove the pests between the needles, treat with Aktara.

Araucaria is almost the only coniferous plant that can be successfully grown in pots. Such home flower is of great interest to flower growers. Firstly, having a real conifer in an apartment is unusual and new, because quite recently this opportunity did not exist, and secondly, araucaria, like all coniferous trees, cleans the air well, releasing phytocides, and emits a pleasant light pine aroma, and thirdly, it’s just great to decorate a homemade living Christmas tree for the New Year.

Araucaria - flower description

These are tall trees; at home they can grow up to one and a half meters. Their branches are densely covered with green needles in a spiral. The needles completely cover the branches; they are quite long and tetrahedral. The branches grow perpendicular to the trunk. They form a crown in the shape of a pyramid. The top of the head looks like a soft cone. The trunk is brownish, smooth.

Features of cultivation

At home, they most often grow araucaria varifolia, which fits perfectly into any interior and is not very difficult to care for. But this plant is for people who have at least some experience in growing indoor plants.

Breeding araucaria is not difficult, the most difficult thing is providing it required temperature for content.

Planting araucaria

After the plant is brought from the store, it must be given time to adapt. It usually lasts 1-2 weeks. The plant can then be removed from the shipping pot and planted in a home pot. Special literature devoted to this plant states that araucaria exists in close symbiosis with soil fungi. This phenomenon is called mycorrhiza, and it is very beneficial to the plant. Therefore, you should not clean the roots before planting.

Planting methods

Before planting, prepare a flower pot by building a high drainage in it, designed to protect the indoor spruce from excess moisture. The plant is placed in the center of the pot, carefully sprinkled with soil so that the root collar is not only not covered with soil, but also at the level that was in the transport pot.

Optimal time for planting

The most best time It will be spring for planting. But the first landing can be made at any time, because it involves a purchase that can be made at any time.

Soil for planting

Indoor spruce loves light soil. You can make several options for the earthen mixture:

• peat, leaf soil, turf, coarse sand in equal parts;
• leaf, peat, coarse sand, also in equal proportions;
• any store-bought soil for ornamental plants, plus peat;
• humus, peat, coarse sand, garden soil in equal proportions;
• purchased soil mixture for conifers, for example, thuja;
• soft soil dug up in a spruce or pine forest.

You need to carefully observe the araucaria and follow all the rules in caring for it, only then can you grow a tall, nice, dense tree.

Location and lighting for the plant

Araucaria does not tolerate hot sunlight, especially midday, but it must be provided with bright diffused light, otherwise it will lose its decorative effect. Araucaria grows well on south-eastern and south-western windows or in close proximity to them.

It can grow for some time in partial shade without losing its decorative qualities.

The pot with araucaria must be constantly rotated so that the crown develops evenly. For the whole summer, the araucaria is taken out into the fresh air, finding a slightly shaded place for it. But one where the light falls evenly from all sides.

Air humidity

Indoor spruce does not tolerate dry air. It begins to shed its needles when it becomes very dry, this happens especially often during the period heating season. To prevent this from happening, araucaria must be constantly sprayed when the air is too warm and dry, two or even three times a day, stopping this procedure only in the case of a cold winter.

To increase the air humidity around the plant at least a little, you can put moss on a tray and constantly moisten it. You can cover the soil in the pot with sphagnum; it should also be constantly moist. If an exotic conifer overwinters in a room, then it is convenient to place it near the aquarium, of course, if it is located next to a window.

Temperature

Araucaria loves coolness even in summer. It develops best at a summer temperature of 20 degrees, in winter it will suit 10-12 degrees, but the ideal place for winter maintenance would be a glazed loggia or veranda, where the temperature does not drop below 5 degrees.

How to water araucaria correctly?

To water the plant, water should be well settled or rainwater used. Hard water is not suitable for araucaria. In summer, you should never overdry the earthen ball. Watering should be regular, but not excessive. If water does appear on the pan after watering, it must be drained immediately. In winter, the plant is watered no more than once a week, and if it overwinters on a glassed-in loggia, then even less often.

Araucaria is fed with ordinary mineral complex fertilizer, but the dose indicated in the instructions is reduced by half. Fertilizer intended for azaleas is completely suitable. Fertilize the tree every two weeks, after thoroughly watering the plant with water. Organic fertilizers dangerous for indoor spruce. In winter and late autumn, fertilizing is not applied.

Pruning araucaria

Crop it exotic plants You can’t, if they lose the top of their head, they stop growing. Although there are recommendations to trim the top for tillering and growth control. But this is already on the verge of an experiment that is not worth conducting.

Transplanting araucaria

Until three years old, it is better not to replant Araucaria at all.

Transplant methods

Carefully, without shaking off the rhizome, remove it from the old pot and place it in a new one, cover it on all sides, trying to ensure that the neck of the plant does not end up underground.

Araucaria propagation

It is very difficult to propagate this plant at home. It’s easier to buy a ready-made plant.

Reproduction methods

Cuttings

Suitable for reproduction only apical cuttings, and araucaria usually has one crown, which should not be disturbed under any circumstances. Sometimes vaccination is used, which is also technically difficult to do.

If you manage to get a cutting, then it must be dried, then thoroughly clean the cut areas from resin, treat it with root and plant it in a mixture of sand, peat and charcoal. But you need to know that propagation by cuttings at home does not bring good results: only 1% of such seedlings take root.

Seeds

This method is also unlikely to be able to propagate indoor spruce, because fresh ones, almost freshly grown, are suitable for this. collected seeds. But it is impossible to get them at home.

But if you are lucky and manage to get fresh seeds, then they are soaked for a day in water with a stimulant, then placed in separate containers 12-15 cm in diameter, buried 2 cm, and make sure that the sharp end of the seed is at the bottom and the thick end at the top. The seeds are also laid flat, but then they are buried to a shallower depth. They germinate for a long time, up to 2-3 months.

At the same time, we must remember that there is no need to place the containers in heat; araucaria germinates at a temperature of 15 degrees. The soil should always be moist. The seedlings are not transplanted until the first tier of leaves appears and the roots grow throughout the entire space of the pot.

Araucaria flowering

This exotic does not bloom in the house.

The ephedra is affected by mealybugs and root beetles. When infested with scale insects, spruce is treated chemicals, if infested by a beetle, take it out of the container, wash the roots in a solution of potassium permanganate, change the soil and pot.

The only thing that araucaria suffers from is heat and too low humidity air, most often these problems arise in winter, in the absence of a cold winter. If the conditions of detention are not changed, the araucaria may die.

Popular types (varieties)

• Araucaria Chilean: aka Bidwill's Araucaria; the crown is pyramidal at the top, the lower branches lie densely on the ground, as the plant grows, the branches below fall off; the leaves are prickly, dark green, very dense, arranged in a spiral;
• Araucaria variegated: or indoor spruce, has a beautiful pyramidal shape, the leaves are needle-shaped and small, slightly curved, light green and very dense;
• Araucaria columnar: otherwise it is called Cook's araucaria; resembles a columnar cypress, the branches extend from the trunk at right angles and are collected in whorls; it is usually bred in greenhouses;
• Araucaria bonsai: This is an indoor spruce with the growing point cut off and grown in a certain way using wire to form the trunk and crown.

• You need to handle the top of the plant very carefully; if it is damaged, the araucaria stops growing and developing normally: there is a growth point there.
• If the soil is oversaturated with calcium, then araucaria will not grow.
• You need to add about half a glass of finely chopped pine bark to the pot with araucaria, and then add finely chopped pine or spruce thorns every year.
• Doctors advise people suffering from asthma to grow araucaria at home.
• The room where araucaria grows should be well ventilated.
• It’s good to add a little to the water for watering araucaria. citric acid, so that the water becomes slightly sour.
• Araucaria should stand freely, without its branches touching walls, glass or other plants.
• A small pot inhibits the growth of araucaria.
• If the young branches are too thin, then the araucaria needs to be fed.
• If possible, it is better to place the flower in a corner room so that it has light from both sides.

Answers to readers' questions

Araucaria lives in a house for up to 10 years or more.

Is it possible to keep this plant at home?

It is not only possible, but also necessary, especially for people suffering from chronic pulmonary diseases and if there are small children in the house. If possible, it is better to place this indoor plant in the bedroom or nursery.

Is this flower poisonous?

Araucaria is not poisonous.

Why do the leaves turn yellow (dry)?

This happens due to defects in care: not enough moisture, or vice versa, in excess, or perhaps due to the high temperature in the room.

How does the plant overwinter?

Winters well on a glazed balcony at a temperature of at least 5 degrees.

Evergreen araucaria is the only representative of coniferous trees that look great not only in nature, but also in an indoor environment, which allows it to decorate an office or apartment with its presence. How to grow this beauty in an apartment, provide proper care for araucaria at home? First, let's get acquainted with araucaria (ARAUCARIA).

Basic “passport” data of Araucaria:

1. Belongs to the Araucariaceae family, the genus is evergreen. The countries of the Southern Hemisphere are called the homeland - South America, Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. The second, everyday name for araucaria is “indoor spruce.”
2. Almost all members of the family are dioecious (Araucaria Bidwill), but there are monoecious species (Araucaria varifolia, for example).
3. Height – in natural conditions can reach 60 meters (growth record holders are Brazilian araucaria, 90 meters), home plant gains 1.5 m. This height can be reduced to the miniature size of a bonsai tree and the evergreen tree can take its rightful place on the windowsill.
4. The trunk is straight, the location of the branches in relation to the trunk is an almost perfect right angle. Green needles of various shades - from bright, light tone(Araucaria varifolia) to dark (Araucaria Chilean and its closest relative, Araucaria Brazilian), located very closely to each other. The leaf is hard, prickly, and varies in appearance depending on the variety. For example, the Aurakaria Bidwilla variety has green spines that continue with long brown shoots. Some species change shape during the transition to adulthood (like Auracaria columnar). The bark is quite resinous and scaly. Crown: both pyramidal and umbrella-shaped (Brazilian Araucaria). The cones are small, about two tens of centimeters; the male type of araucaria has an elongated shape, while the female type has a rounded appearance.
5. Currently, about one and a half dozen species of Araucaria are known. The most famous and popular are Chilean Araucaria and Brazilian Araucaria; columnar Araucaria is more exotic and unique. IN indoor culture used one species of variegated araucaria (A.heterophylla).

Araucaria varifolia/A.heterophylla

We create maximum convenience

Quite often, the main reason for the appearance of a house is said to be the desire to purchase a Christmas tree for all year round, because in fact, aurakaria is a real indoor spruce. In an apartment or house, caring for an araucaria in a comfortable home environment will not be difficult for the owner.

The plant is unpretentious, so you won’t have to spend a lot of time looking for instructions for keeping this green beauty indoors. However, if you don't follow the rules temperature regime, lighting, watering, a home Christmas tree can get sick and eventually die. It is also important to feed and replant araucaria in a timely manner.

1. Lighting

It is important to properly organize lighting for the plant: best place location will be north or East End at home where there is no access to bright sunlight and the temperature is not so high. The light falling on the araucaria should be bright enough, but not direct. If it is impossible to provide uniform lighting, the plant is turned to the light source in different directions once a week.

Quite often, the branches of the beautiful auracaria houseplant droop, to return them to their usual state, it is enough to tie them up for a while, giving them an upward direction. For example, the Brazilian auracaria has this feature.

Flowering at home is extremely rare, so it is unlikely that you will be able to see a house spruce flower on a windowsill among other indoor plants.

1. Temperature

The most favorable temperature for home maintenance is within +25C in summer, and in winter, when araucaria is at rest, no higher than +15C (high temperatures lead to drying out of the tree and its death).

Video: Araucaria, all the secrets of care at home

How to “feed” araucaria: watering, fertilizing

To water your home spruce, only soft water is required; hard moisture causes the needles to become covered with a white coating from an excess of salt deposits. The water must be allowed to settle before watering. Araucaria loves water, but from an excess of moisture it can “choke” and die, so you should not overwater it. The problem with maintaining moisture balance arises in winter, so experts advise covering the surface layer of soil with sphagnum moss. This technique is beneficial for two reasons: it retains moisture in the pot and moisturizes dry air.

The winter regime for watering needles is 2 times a day; in summer you can reduce the schedule to 2-3 times a week.

You need to feed your home spruce from spring until the end of summer, 2 times a month. Compared to other plants, araucaria needs less mineral nutrition.
There is no need to use organic matter; this type of fertilizer is not suitable for the plant. In stores you can buy ready-made mixtures for rhododendrons to feed homemade spruce.

Another important rule is that there should be little calcium in the fertilizer so as not to stop the growth of the green beauty. In autumn - winter period no feeding required.

Reproduction methods

You can propagate home spruce in two ways:

1. Seeds;
2. Cuttings.

• Propagation by seeds

Before planting seeds in pots, you need to properly prepare the soil composition and take care of the temperature of the room where the trees will grow. The mixture contains peat soil, sand, and charcoal. Suitable for seed propagation turf and leaf soil. The pot should be wide, roomy, and clean.
Only recently collected seeds are suitable for sowing. In order for the roots to germinate better, the soil is treated with a phytohormone before planting. The room temperature should not exceed +20 C, the area must be constantly ventilated and maintain the required humidity.

The germination period varies: the first shoots may appear after 2 weeks or 2 months, then it takes about another 2 months to root system got stronger.

• Propagation by cuttings

For cuttings, the material used is half-lignified cuttings taken from an adult araucaria. The whole procedure looks like this:

1. The cut is made in the middle of the branch.
2. The resulting cutting is dried for 24 hours, then freed from resin and carefully sprinkled with coal. To stimulate the formation of the root system, a special composition is used - heteroauxin.
3. The cuttings are planted in the prepared mixture (sand + peat, in equal parts), covered with a jar or transparent polyethylene.
4. Keeping temperature is not lower than +25C.
5. The planted araucaria shoot is regularly ventilated, sprayed and watered.

A stable root system is formed after 2 months. If the temperature is lower than necessary, rooting will take about 5 months. After the root system has formed, the plant is transplanted into prepared pots. The soil mixture is the same as for an adult tree.

It is necessary to propagate a domestic spruce by cuttings in summer time, then complete rooting will occur in late autumn - early winter, and the plant will enter dormancy mode almost fully formed.

Transplantation: basic rules

The plant needs to be replanted no more than once every 3-5 years in the spring.

More often, araucaria should not be disturbed: it is very reluctant to leave its habitable place, especially since careless replanting can damage the root system and the plant will die.

In terms of the method of execution, transplanting an araucaria is more similar to transshipment: the tree is carefully removed from the pot and transplanted (rolled over the sides) into a prepared container - more spacious, equipped with a sufficient layer of drainage.

It is necessary to replant if an indispensable condition is met: it is necessary to maintain the level of the root neck at the same soil level in order to prevent the death of the tree.

Difficulties of home maintenance

Despite its unpretentiousness, the tree has several features that the owner should be aware of in order to take timely measures to correct the unfavorable situation.

The plant has turned yellow.	This is how a home spruce reacts to improper care and negligent attitude. The whole difficulty lies in some delay in the bad reaction of the araucaria to discomfort and lack of proper care, so help is often late, then the araucaria can be lost forever. Other reasons for the yellowness of the crown are allowed drying out, inept replanting with damage to the root system.
Pest attack	The tree suffers most from attacks by root beetles, aphids or small mealybugs. Control measures: washing with an alcohol/soap solution, then spraying with special preparations to kill insects.

Araucaria (araucaria) is a dioecious plant that strongly resembles spruce, but in fact, belongs to a separate family of Araucariaceae, which has about two dozen varieties. Of these, only one is grown at home - araucaria varifolia, and it is extremely rare to achieve its flowering.

In nature, Araucaria variegata grows in New Zealand and reaches a height of about 60 meters, but at home, it rarely exceeds one and a half meters, only with quality care and no less than 5 - 7 years, since it grows, like most conifers, quite slowly.

Growing conifers in room conditions- the process is not the easiest, even if it is a miniature spruce - Araucaria variegated. But still, with a certain patience, and most importantly, following the rules of care, this is quite possible. Let's look at these rules in more detail.

Light mode

Decorative spruce - araucaria, loves a lot of fairly bright natural light, but it should be slightly diffused. In early spring and in the fall, the plant can easily tolerate direct sunlight, but in the summer, especially on the hottest days, it is imperative to shade its crown, otherwise you will not be able to avoid burns. This will not only spoil the decorative appearance of the tree, but can also lead to its disease.

In addition to the brightness of the light, it is desirable to ensure its multidirectionality, which means that at home, the best location for araucaria would be between windows facing different sides. If this is not possible, you will have to turn the pot around its axis from time to time (preferably 1-2 times a week), but not immediately by 180°, but little by little. If this is not done, the crown will reach towards the sun and grow one-sided.

Temperature

Like most coniferous trees, araucaria variegated, likes moderate temperatures. So, during the warm period - from spring to the end of summer, the optimal temperature will be in the range - 20 - 25 ° C, and for the winter it is advisable to reduce it to 15 - 18 ° C. The tree can easily tolerate lower temperatures - down to +10°C, but not lower. Lower temperatures make the tree weak and prone to various diseases.

In addition to temperature, it is imperative to provide the plant with fresh air, that is, regularly ventilate the room. However, this must be done carefully, with an eye to the thermal regime, which is very important in winter.

Watering and humidity conditions

Unlike flowers, araucaria is an evergreen plant, that is, it does not have a dormant period, so watering is needed all year round. This tree does not tolerate drying out, which means the soil must be constantly moist. The required amount of water depends on the temperature and humidity. In summer, during hot times, abundant watering is needed, and in winter, the temperature drops, and the rate of moisture evaporation decreases accordingly, so watering needs to be slightly limited. The fact that indoor “spruce” likes abundant watering does not mean that it is necessary to water it until a swamp forms in the pot - stagnation of moisture is categorically unacceptable, there must be moderation.

It is also worth noting that araucaria is extremely sensitive to water with a large amount of salts dissolved in it, so it would be better to prepare rainwater or melt water. But this is only provided that your region is not polluted by industrial emissions. Otherwise, it is better to water with boiling and settled tap water, with the obligatory separation of sediment - it contains a lot of salts.

Air humidity is also of great importance - if there is a lack of it, you are guaranteed not to get good result. Because of this, the tree needs regular wet care. In summer, during hot times, it is best to place it in a wide tray filled with wet expanded clay - it will evaporate water and humidify the air, and on the hottest days, moisturizing care is necessary - spraying the crown with a sprayer. In winter, this is done only if the optimal temperature regime is observed - at least +15°C.

If the plant is kept in winter at a temperature of 20 - 22°C, which is typical for keeping at home, spraying is simply necessary, since any heating devices dry the air and without additional moisture it will be difficult for the tree.

We remind you once again - tap water, containing salts, is not suitable, even for spraying.

Soil composition and fertilizer

To begin with, it’s worth saying a few words about the pot for araucaria - it should be at least medium in size and quite wide. Before planting the tree, it is equipped with a drainage layer of pebbles, screenings or crushed red brick. A thickness of 5–7 centimeters will be sufficient to reliably drain excess water, which will prevent rotting of the roots. The soil itself must be nutritious. Of course you can use it ready-made mixture from the store - universal soil for indoor plants, for example, for flowers, but it would be better to spend a little time and prepare it yourself.

You need to mix turf, leaf soil, peat and sand in proportions - 1/2/2/1. In such soil, araucaria feels very well and develops fully, but subject to regular feeding.

They are carried out with minerals, about twice a month and once a month with organic matter - a small amount of mullein. They are introduced during the active growing season, that is, from March to mid-autumn. Fertilizing is carried out by watering the soil with liquid mineral fertilizers. At the same time, it is worth considering the fact that indoor spruce - araucaria - does not respond very well to excess calcium - its concentration should be minimal. One more point - before liquid fertilizer, be sure to check the soil for moisture, if it is dry, water it, otherwise the fertilizer will burn the roots of the plant.

Starting from the end of October, there is no need to feed the tree until the next warm season.

Transfer

Transplantation is carried out only when absolutely necessary - all araucarias really do not like changing their place of residence and have a hard time taking root in a new flowerpot, and even more so in new soil. Hence the conclusion - when replanting, it is necessary to reproduce the previous conditions as accurately as possible, the main one of which is the composition of the soil.

Young plants that have become cramped in a flowerpot and plants with a diseased root system are subject to mandatory replanting. In the first case, it is advisable to replant the plant using the transshipment method, without exposing its roots; in the second, you will have to clean them, treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate and transplant them into a new substrate.

Mature plants require replanting approximately every 3 years.

Reproduction

At home, vegetative propagation It is rarely used due to its problematic nature. Sometimes they try to root stem cuttings, but this is impossible without strict adherence to temperature and humidity conditions and the use of stimulating phytohormones. And even in this case, the forecasts are far from clear. Due to such difficulties, propagation of this variety of spruce is carried out by seeds.

Seeds are sown in the ground immediately after they are collected, since they very quickly lose their viability. The composition of the soil is similar to that for an adult plant (described above). It is moistened, covered with a layer of sphagnum and the nursery is kept at a temperature in the range of 18 - 20 ° C. Be sure to maintain constant humidity in the nursery and provide an influx of fresh air, but not cold.

After rooting, young spruce trees actively entwine the earthen ball of the flowerpot with their roots. At this point, they need to be transplanted into large containers and provided with optimal conditions care

Possible problems during cultivation

Araucaria is quite sensitive to deviations of care conditions from optimal ones and immediately reacts to this. Let us give an example of the most common such cases and clarify their cause:

• With insufficient air humidity, young shoots begin to turn yellow and dry out;
• The falling of needles most likely indicates a lack of watering combined with low air humidity;
• Improperly organized lighting leads to slower growth and withering of branches, and if the crown deviates towards the window, then the flowerpot needs to be rotated around its axis more often;
• A strong slowdown in growth, for no apparent reason, is most likely due to a violation of the composition mineral fertilizers, or rather with excess calcium in them. Another reason is watering with hard water;
• Stretching and thinning of the crown indicates a lack of nutrients.

In addition to improper care, diseases caused by infections and pests can also lead to problems. So, for example, when the lower branches dry out, it can be assumed that the tree is infested with a root beetle, and the appearance of a dirty white coating on the trunk and branches indicates infection with a mealybug. Both are treated by treating with chemicals from the group of insecticides, followed by washing them off with warm water.