Indoor birch, indoor grape or cissus flower are very popular among pets, which grow in almost every apartment or office. Translated from Greek, cissus means “ivy.” It is very loved by both flower growers and simple lovers of indoor plants for its lush, juicy greenery and ease of care. Caring for cissus at home is so simple that even beginners in floriculture can do it.

Cissus flower: types - photos and names

The types of cissus are so amazing in their diversity that one article is not enough to talk about them all. Here are the main ones that are grown indoors.

• Antarctic cissus. The most popular type is a vine that grows up to 2 meters long. Its leaves are egg-shaped and have serrations. The flowers of the plant are small, Green colour. Antarctic cissus produces edible berries that taste like grapes.

Antarctic cissus flower (photo)

• Cissus rhombifolia is a shade-loving plant, up to 1.5 meters long. Grow on a support.

• Multi-colored cissus is the most beautiful and whimsical. Has glossy leaves violet-green color, which are shed for the winter. Demanding on air humidity and temperature conditions.

• Cissus quadrangularis is an unusual cactus-like vine with dense, tetrahedral shoots. Grows up to 1.5 meters.

Cissus flower: can it be kept at home? Signs.

Signs and superstitions associated with this flower concern many lovers of indoor plants. Birch belongs to the vines, which are credited with the ability to expel male representatives from the house where they grow. If you are superstitious, then perhaps this will happen, however, those who do not believe in omens will most likely not feel this negative impact.

But other properties of cissus are interesting - it has enormous bacterial activity, due to which it destroys bacteria that cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and allergic rashes. The plant intensively absorbs dust and harmful substances contained in the indoor air. By growing this miracle at home, you can avoid many diseases, as well as gain vitality and reduce fatigue.

Cissus in the photo

Cissus: reproduction and care

The flower propagates very easily. It is enough to cut the top cuttings and root them in water or soil, having previously treated the cuts with a growth stimulator. As soon as the plant gives roots, it is transplanted into a pot.

Caring for cissus is quite simple. The plant will grow magnificently if you follow simple rules:

• All plants are light-loving, except for the rhomboid species, which loves shade. It is recommended to place them on a south, east or west window, but do not allow direct sunlight;
• The optimal growth temperature is +20-+25 degrees. Birch prefers moist air, so in dry weather it should be sprayed;
• the plant loves moisture, which quickly evaporates due to lush foliage. In hot weather, abundant watering is necessary;
• Feed the flower every week with compounds for indoor plants.

Video: Cissus, home care

Birch, indoor grapes, grape ivy - this is what people call cissus, a magnificent hanging plant that can often be found. It is grown in apartments, offices, shops, and medical institutions. Why is cissus so loved by flower growers? First of all, of course, for its spectacular appearance and bright glossy leaves, reminiscent, depending on the variety, of birch leaves or mini-grapes. Well, secondly, the plant is unpretentious and does not require much effort from gardeners. Let's meet such a wonderful representative indoor floriculture closer.

Cissus belongs to the grape family (lat. Vitaceae), and in the wild it is found in the humid tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. IN natural conditions You can find at least 350 species of cissus, some of which humans have adapted not only for decorative, but also for very practical purposes: as a food product, as a medicine for malaria, for creating hedges, and so on.

The name of the flower comes from the Greek word literally meaning "ivy", indicating the ampelous nature of the plant.

Cissus is an evergreen climbing plant, or rather, a creeping shrub with elastic, elastic stems and glossy, rich green leaves, the shape and size of which vary depending on the species. Cissus flowers are collected in pseudo-umbellate inflorescences and are colored cream or greenish-white. In general, flowering is not of decorative interest, and in indoor conditions it almost never occurs. However, in some cases, cissus growing at home can bloom and even bear fruit.

Cissus species

Despite the fact that in the wild there are quite a few a large number of varieties of indoor grapes, to room conditions Only a few of them have been adapted.

Rhombifolia cissus (lat. Cissus rhombifolia) is one of the most unpretentious species cissus, which has become widespread in home floriculture. The name "rhomboleaf" refers to the shape of the plant's leaves, which resemble a diamond. In general, Cissus rhombifolia is a vine with long, flexible, climbing stems, pubescent brownish hairs, and diamond-shaped, bright green leaves.

One of the features of cissus rhombolifolia is its rapid growth and development even when kept indoors. The plant spreads in all directions and entwines any suitable support with the help of tendrils located on the stems.

It is this species that is popularly called indoor birch.

There are several varieties bred based on the species, such as:

• "Ellen Danica" - with dissected patterned leaves;
• "Mandianna" - with large glossy leaves, the variety is resistant to temperature changes;
• "Fionia" - with large carved leaves.

[!] Cissus rhombifolia is often called rhombicus rhombifolia. This is incorrect: rhombicus rhombicus is completely independent plant from Southeast Africa, which is not suitable for home cultivation.

Antarctic cissus (lat. Cissus antarctica) is the second most popular species of hanging plant. Due to the similarity of the leaves to grapes, it received the name “Indoor Grape”.

In the wild, Antarctic cissus is a highly climbing, creeping vine with a woody stem. In indoor cultivation, the climbing qualities of the plant are not lost, but the stem remains flexible and plastic.

Multi-colored cissus (lat. Cissus discolor Planch) is a very rare variety of vine. This variety is quite demanding in terms of maintenance conditions (high humidity and air temperature), therefore, despite the unusual color of the leaves, it is not often grown as a houseplant.

Cissus multicolored differs from other species in its original pattern on the leaves: light silver spots on a dark background, back side The leaf is colored red-lilac.

Cissus quadrangular, cactus-shaped, round-leaved, glandular and other species are practically not found as home culture. Some rare specimens can only be found in the collections of botanical gardens.

Caring for cissus at home

Cissus, and especially Antarctic and diamond-shaped, are valued by amateur flower growers around the world for their unpretentiousness, fast growth and decorativeness of leaves. Really, indoor vine Not needed special conditions- cissus will grow in almost every room. But you still need to know some subtleties of care in order for the plant to look healthy and its foliage to delight with its lushness and rich greenery.

Temperature and lighting

The two most common cissuses, diamond-shaped and Antarctic, have been adapted by breeders to a fairly wide temperature range: from 10°C to 25°C. Some specimens can withstand short-term temperature drops of about 5°C. Cissus multicolored is more capricious; comfortable air temperatures for this species are from 18°C ​​to 25°C.

It is believed that the vine does not like drafts, and therefore it is not recommended to take the plant out into the fresh air. This is not entirely true. Cissus perfectly perceives fresh air and a slight breeze; only a cold, sharp draft is dangerous, from which the plant can get sick and shed its leaves. Therefore, if the climate allows, in summer time Cissus can be moved to fresh air: loggia, balcony, veranda or garden plot.

Indoor grapes are not demanding when it comes to lighting.

[!] Only direct sunlight is harmful to cissus - it can cause a heat burn on the tender leaves. Therefore, when placing the plant in the open sun, partial shade should be artificially created.

The liana can grow even in completely artificial light, although in this case you need to use fairly powerful phytolamps for at least 16 hours a day. At indoor growing East and west windows are good for placing cissus; in addition, the plant can be placed not only on window sills, but also on pieces of furniture in the back of the room. Even with this placement, the amount of sunlight will be quite sufficient.

Watering and air humidity

How to water cissus? The same as most other house plants: quite abundantly in summer and moderately, at intervals, in winter. The frequency of watering can be determined by the degree of drying of the earthen ball in the pot. For example, in summer the soil should dry out no less than half the volume of the container. In winter, you can dry out the soil by two-thirds.

[!] Inexperienced gardeners often die from cissus due to root rot that occurs as a result of overwatering the plant. Therefore, the volume and frequency of watering should be treated carefully and overflows should not be allowed.

[!] For irrigation, you need to take only soft, settled or filtered water at room temperature.

As for air humidity, more is better than less. The lush cap of vine leaves intensively evaporates and absorbs moisture in the atmosphere, therefore, the air should have quite high humidity. The problem of dry air becomes especially acute in winter, when heating season, since radiators and other heating devices dry out the air very much.

To increase the humidity in the microclimate of the room, it is necessary to spray the plant quite often and intensively, and also place several cans of water next to the vine. From time to time you can give the cissus a warm shower.

Trimming

As mentioned above, a healthy adult cissus grows rapidly and produces new shoots and processes. To regulate growth and maintenance decorative look indoor grapes, they need to be trimmed periodically.

For pruning, the longest and oldest canes are selected, the number of leaves on which has decreased. The shoots are not cut off at the root, but by about half or two-thirds. After pruning, lateral branching usually begins, so the vine takes on an even more lush appearance.

Soil and fertilizing

For cissus, ready-made universal soil with neutral acidity is quite suitable. For greater air and moisture permeability, you can add a little sand to the soil, and pieces of coal can be added to prevent the appearance of root rot. You can also prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing leaf soil, turf soil, peat and sand in proportions 1:1:1:0.5.

In addition, it is important to organize a good drainage layer of expanded clay, at least one-fifth of the total volume of the bowl. This way, water will not stagnate at the bottom of the pot, which will protect the roots from rotting.

The vine should be fed with fertilizers in spring and summer, with a frequency of approximately once every two weeks. For feeding they usually take universal fertilizers for decorative foliage plants, for example “Etisso”, “Pokon”, “Bona Forte”, “Flower Paradise” and many others.

Transplantation and propagation

Young cissus is usually replanted once a year, an adult plant - once every two to three years. Best time The year for transplanting indoor grapes is early spring.

The least traumatic method of transplantation is transshipment (the vine is removed from the old pot and, together with a lump of earth entwined with roots, placed in a new container, adding the required amount of fresh substrate). If indoor grapes have been flooded and rot has formed on the roots, the soil must be changed completely.

[!] Do not plant cissus immediately in a large bowl “for growth”. The plant prefers rather cramped conditions and will grow worse in a container that is too large.

Cissus reproduces in two ways:

• cuttings,
• dividing the bush.

In order to get a new plant, it is cut apical stalk with several leaves and placed in water or a moistened peat-sand mixture. After the cutting has taken root, it can be planted in regular soil suitable for an adult plant.

[!] To make the vine more lush and branchy in the future, several cuttings can be planted in one pot at once.

Dividing the bush is a propagation method used during the spring transplantation of cissus. Mature plant Remove from the pot and carefully divide in half into the required number of parts. Each part must contain an adult formed shoot and a sufficiently voluminous root ball. After division, each new plant is planted in a separate container.

Diseases, pests and growing problems

Cissus in general is quite resistant to diseases and pests.

The main insect pests that threaten indoor grapes are mealybugs and scale insects. Mealybug- round insect white, the shell is covered with a whitish coating, the scale insect is an insect with a brownish waxy shell. If the pest population is small, they can be controlled fairly in simple ways - mechanical removal and washing the plant, as well as using infusions of tobacco, garlic, and orange. When there are too many insects, modern insecticides will come to the aid of the gardener, successfully coping with even the most persistent pests.

Almost all diseases affecting cissus are due to improper care behind the plant. Let's consider the main ones:

Spots appeared on the leaves of the cissus, sheet plate turns black, the plant intensively sheds its leaves. The probable cause is overwatering and waterlogging of the soil. It is necessary to significantly reduce watering. If the condition of the flower worsens, check the roots for root rot, remove the affected areas if necessary and replant the cissus in a new substrate.

[!] One of the signs of excessive watering is the appearance of podurs - small white insects crawling or jumping on the surface of the substrate. and appear only on swampy, waterlogged soils.

Cissus leaves dry out, fly off, and curl. Most often, this phenomenon is observed in summer, in the heat, or in winter, during periods of intense heating - too heat air adversely affects the condition of the vine. If it is not possible to move the cissus to a cooler place, you can try to increase the air humidity through intensive spraying.

The cissus has practically stopped growing, the stems have become woody, and new shoots are not appearing. These are symptoms that the roots have entwined the entire earthen ball, and nutrients from the soil have ceased to flow in the required quantities. The plant has become too crowded in its pot. In this case, you can transplant the cissus into a new, larger container, or rejuvenate the plant. To do this, you need to take several young shoots, root them and plant them in a new bowl.

If young rooted cuttings do not grow, the reason is most likely that the bowl is too large. The voluminous earthen ball does not have time to dry out between waterings and the soil becomes waterlogged. In such conditions young plant will not develop. It is necessary to transplant the cissus into a smaller container.

The cissus leaves turned yellow between the veins, but the veins themselves remained green. Most likely the reason is . This disease occurs due to deficiency of iron, magnesium and other nutrients. To treat chlorosis, it is necessary to add iron and other complex mineral fertilizers in the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.

Young plants - annually, adults - once every 3 years In summer 22-27, in winter 16-18 In summer - when the top layer of soil dries out, in winter - less often Only in dry and hot weather, at temperatures above 25 in the room Shade-tolerant plant It is advisable to wash it in the shower monthly

Lighting

Cissus is a shade-tolerant plant; it lives in partial shade and even in the shade without visible changes in the condition of the leaves.

The optimal lighting for cissus is diffused light and partial shade..

If a flower is taken out into the garden in summer, it should be placed under the cover of large trees.

Do not place the flower in direct sunlight: this can lead to burns. But most often the sun does not burn the leaves, their color simply fades.

Temperature

In summer, cissus grows well at 22-27ºС, the usual air temperature for our latitudes. But it can also tolerate heat of more than 30ºС.

You should not leave cissus in a draft: cold air will cause dark spots to appear on the leaves.

In winter, the air temperature can be reduced to 16-18ºС. But if it is not possible to organize a cool winter for the plant, you can keep it in winter at room temperature.

In the cold season, the temperature can be reduced to 10 degrees. This applies to all species except cissus bicolor and rhombifolia. For these heat-loving species, the winter minimum is 16 degrees. The most cold-resistant is the Antarctic cissus - it can withstand temperature drops of up to 5 degrees.

If possible, in the warm season, indoor grapes can be taken out into the fresh air: onto a balcony, loggia or veranda. It is important that it is not in a cold draft.

Watering

In hot weather, the plant needs to be watered abundantly. However, soil moisture should not be excessive.

Water the cissus when the surface of the soil in the pot dries out.

In winter, watering should be reduced. However, even with low temperature The soil should not be allowed to dry out.

The plant is not picky about the composition of water; it can be watered with both hard and soft water. Tap water stand for at least 3 days.

The soil

Indoor grapes are not picky about soil composition. It grows equally well in both alkaline and acidified soils.

Cissus can be planted in ordinary soil brought from the garden.

It is advisable to have sand or other loosening agent in the soil. so that water does not stagnate in the pot after heavy watering.

You can also buy ready-made soil for cissus. It's better to buy a universal one earth mixture for deciduous plants. To mix the soil yourself, you need to take humus, turf soil, leaf soil, sand and peat in equal parts.

Fertilizer

They feed indoor plant cissus from mid-April to late October. Liquid mineral mixtures are suitable for fertilizing the soil. The procedure is carried out every 2 weeks. Fertilizers are diluted with water to the consistency specified in the instructions., and applied to moist soil.

At the end of summer, feeding is gradually reduced. In September and October, the plant is fed once a month. Then feeding is stopped until spring.

Since indoor grapes grow very quickly, they actively use nutrients, thereby depleting the soil. If you want the plant to develop quickly, it needs high-quality fertilizing twice a month. Any mineral fertilizers for decorative foliage indoor plants are suitable for this purpose, for example, “Pokon”, “Etisso”, “Flower Paradise”, “BonaForte”.

Occasionally mineral supplements can be alternated with organic ones. The rhombifolia cissus especially needs additional nutrients, since it grows a very lush green mass.

Humidity

Cissus does not require air humidification at room temperature. Only in very hot weather do its leaves begin to dry out. At this time, it is useful to humidify the air by spraying.

During the cool winter high humidity can lead to plant damage by fungal infections. If the flower is in a heated room, the air near the plant should be humidified.

Spray the plant only in very dry and hot weather. At room temperatures below 25ºC, spraying is not required.

Cissus should be washed in the shower monthly.

Showering is done for hygienic reasons. Grape leaves get dusty, and you can clean them well from dust only under running water at room temperature.

Trimming / Support / Garter

Indoor grapes are needed annually. This procedure stimulates the appearance of many new side shoots. Trim the plant in mid-April before the start of active growth.

When cissus shoots are located on a vertical surface(on the wall) trim the tips of the shoots. Usually several cuttings are planted in a pot.

After the shoots reach 30-50 cm, they are pinched. This is how 10-12 main lashes are formed. Then every year they are shortened by 10-15 cm so that they form side shoots.

If the plant is grown in an ampelous manner in a hanging pot, there is no need to leave very long vines. All branches should be no more than 50 cm in length so that the entire bush looks compact and lush.

Every year, the long shoots of such a plant are cut by half, the rest by 1/3, so that they hang beautifully around the pot or flowerpot. Then, after pruning, additional side shoots are formed, making the bush more beautiful and lush.

Diseases

Cissus – very resistant to various diseases plant. He can only be hit root rot, but this is due to wrong mode watering and poor soil composition.

You should follow the plant’s watering schedule and plant it in loose, fertile soil. Excess water should flow into the pan through the drainage holes in the pot.

Cissus- kissos (Greek), means "ivy", other name "indoor grapes", is a liana tropical origin. In nature, it is found in many tropical and subtropical jungles of both hemispheres.

Folk nickname "birch" The flower was obtained from leaves that are very similar to birch leaves. At proper care produces small flowers, which then turn into small berries. It clings to supports using antennae.

At home, indoor birch trees are grown in hanging pots, and then the birch shoots fall in the form of a green cascade, or are directed upward with the help of supports. You can make a wonderful combined composition when one part of the branches hangs freely downwards, and the other is directed upwards.

There is a long-standing belief that indoor birch gives a person strength, improves health, prevents infections colds. Absolutely unpretentious, quite simple in appearance, this plant can provide a huge amount of green mass, turning a room into a real greenhouse.

Types of indoor cissus

There are more than 300 species in nature, but much fewer are domesticated. This:

• quadrangular(cactus-shaped) - the shoots are thick, about 1 cm in diameter, tetrahedral (hence the name). The leaves consist of three parts, are small, and fall quickly. The species is photophilous and grows quite slowly.
• two-color(multi-colored) - a climbing shrub with ellipsoid leaf blades covered with silver spots with a purple tint. The flowers are yellow, collected in umbrellas.
• Antarctic— the leaves are shaped like an elongated heart, grassy green. The flowers look like little green umbrellas.
• rhomboid- a fast-growing vine that requires support, the shoots are thin, the leaf blades are complex, consisting of three diamond-shaped parts. The entire plant is covered with reddish hair, which increases its decorative value.

Cissus unpretentious plant and with proper care it grows quickly and pleases with an abundance of juicy bright green shoots with beautiful leaves.

Site selection and temperature

It is very important to place the birch tree in right place. With the exception of some species, cissus is a shade-loving plant that is completely bright sunlight is contraindicated.

It can grow away from windows or in eastern, western and northern areas. If not enough natural light, you can add artificial - cissus this won't hurt.

Birches are quite thermophilic, and feel great at temperatures up to +25° C. The lower limit is +5° C, provided that this is a short period, no more than 2-3 days. But constant drafts are destructive for them and often lead to death. Optimal temperature content - +16-19° C.

For the winter, it is better to place the bush in a cool room - from 12 to 15 ° C. In spring and summer, you can take it outside, placing it on a balcony, loggia or in the front garden. The exception is multi-colored, which does not tolerate drafts and temperatures below 15° C.

The most persistent is the Antarctic cissus, it withstands cold up to 5°C.

Watering

During the period of active growth in spring and summer, regular and abundant watering of the birch tree becomes main condition her health and magnificent appearance, because cissus has a large number of leaf blades that evaporate a lot of moisture.

The soil in the pot should always be wet, do not dry out (but without water stagnating on the surface).

In winter, you should avoid overwatering the plant, which at this time hardly grows, especially in cool rooms. Watering should be moderate, only after the outer layer of soil has dried.

Of course, you shouldn’t overwater the plant. For watering and spraying, use settled, soft water. You need to spray regularly, at least 2-3 times a week, especially young plants. Bath periodically under a warm shower. IN winter period these water procedures can be replaced by wiping branches and leaves with a damp soft cloth.

Top dressing

Cissus consumes many minerals and nutrients, therefore needs constant systematic feeding. For this purpose, you can use fertilizer complexes for decorative, non-flowering and deciduous indoor plants once every 7 - 10 days. Feeding is carried out from March - April to September.

Optimal soil composition

Mix equal amounts of humus, turf soil, peat, leaf soil and sand. The substrate must be neutral or slightly acidic and contain humus.

Transfer

Plants that have not reached five years of age should be replanted annually, changing the container to another, larger one. Older flowers are replanted with a break of 2 years, since by this age intensive growth and development cease.

To plant cissus, it is better to select a clay (ceramic), well-breathing pot that allows air and moisture to pass through the walls. Place 2-3 cm of pebble and expanded clay drainage at the bottom. Instead of soil Can you use hydroponics?.

So that by the time of transshipment the old soil is well behind the roots, the plant must be thoroughly moistened. Then turn the pot over and knock out the contents, being careful not to damage the roots. Water the transplanted birch tree and leave it for 2-3 days in a dark place. The transplanted plant does not need fertilizing.

In addition, in the spring you need to do sanitary pruning , removing stems that are left without leaves. This procedure rejuvenates the plant. Pinch the top if you want to increase the bushiness of the cissus.

Reproduction

Cissus can be propagated by dividing the bush or cuttings.

Cuttings can be cut at any time of the year, always with two buds (this must be done with a sharp knife). They are planted in a container with a substrate (verticulite, perlite, sand, peat) several at a time, kept in a warm room in constant humidity. The rhomboid species takes root well in an aquatic environment.

After about 20 days, roots appear, after which the plants are planted in separate containers for further growth.

Dividing the bush produced during transplantation. But this method is rarely used, since cuttings usually give excellent results - also in terms of rooting planting material, and in terms of growth.

Cissus pests

Most often, indoor birch trees are attacked by:

The main problems of cissus and the causes of their occurrence:

• platinum sheets lose color. The reason is a lack of microelements in the soil. Increase feeding or change fertilizer.
• leaves wrinkle and become stained. The reason is lack of moisture.
• leaves become convex or concave. The reason is insufficient watering.
• leaf curling, appearance on them mold and brown spots . The reason is too much and frequent watering.
• leaves fall, the shoots shrink and dry out. The reason is waterlogging of the soil and air.
• massive leaf fall. The reason is frequent drafts and sudden temperature changes.
• flower growth and development stops. The reason is nutritional deficiency.
• the tips of the leaf blades dry out. The reason is dry air.
• the leaves turn pale. The reason is too bright lighting.
• leaves curling and falling. The reason is a lack of oxygen in the soil (it is necessary to loosen the soil at least 2 times a week).
• the plant withers. The cause is root rot, which appears as a result of increased soil moisture and density.

Yellowing and falling of the lower leaves at indoor birch– no cause for concern, this is a normal growth process.

Excessive moisture may damage the cissus. powdery mildew , which needs to be combated by washing the leaves with a soapy solution (rinse off after 1-2 hours) or with fungicides for more severe lesions. At the first sign of disease, the plant needs send to "isolator" so that other flowers do not become infected, having previously treated them with the necessary chemical or natural preparations.

Cissus is not only beautiful and picturesque, but also useful plant , because it actively humidifies the air, absorbs various toxic substances from the surrounding air, enriching it with oxygen, destroys microorganisms of the Sarcina genus, absorbs household dust and colorless formaldehyde gas contained in plywood, foam plastic, fiberboard and many other materials that are used Our homes are packed to capacity.

So think about it, is this African birch tree as simple as it seems?
Happy growing!

Cissus is one of the very popular unpretentious indoor plants. It belongs to the Grape family (Vitaceae), which has more than 300 species. Among the people, cissus is better known as birch (for the similarity of the leaves with birch trees) or indoor grapes (due to species relatedness).

General information

Almost all cissus are climbing vines that cling with their antennae to any support and quite quickly cover it with green mass. Without the use of supports, they can be used as hanging plants, which will hang beautifully from stands and hanging pots. When choosing a design, you should take into account the rapid growth of the plant - in 2-3 years an approximately three-meter vine grows.

The leaves of indoor grapes, depending on the type, can be dissected or whole. These plants bloom quite rarely, but this flowering has no value, since the flowers, collected in false umbrellas, are very small and inconspicuous.

Cissus – perfect solution for the beginning florist. The plant is completely unpretentious and has excellent endurance in apartments and offices.

Cissus species and varieties

Despite the large number of species, only a few of them are most often found.

Or kangaroo liana (Cissus antarctica ) is an evergreen liana, with oval or ovate leaves up to 12 cm long with a serrate-toothed edge.

Or rhombic (Cissus rhombifolia ) is a plant with thin, flexible stems. This species is popularly called birch. The leaves are compound, consisting of 3 leaves, having a rhombic shape.

These two types are the most popular, as they are distinguished by their endurance and unpretentiousness. They grow well even in darkened rooms and can withstand temperatures as low as 10 degrees, as well as heat and dryness.

More whimsical ( Cissus discolor ). It requires a temperature of 15 degrees and high humidity. This view is especially beautiful.

Its leaves are dark green with silver spots above and dark pink below. A peculiarity of this species is its ability to shed its leaves in winter. In this case, the stems are cut off, and in the spring they will grow back quite quickly.

While creating favorable conditions all cissus grow quite quickly and can be used not only as a houseplant, but also for landscaping in the winter garden.

In the summer, cissus plants can be safely placed on glazed and wind-protected balconies. The main thing when colder nights arrive is to return the plant indoors in time to prevent leaves from falling when the temperature is too low.

Cissus care at home

Cissus love diffused bright light and tolerate partial shade well. The lighter and brighter the lighting, the darker and larger the leaves will be. Plants can be placed either on the windows or at some distance from them. These vines develop normally even under artificial light.

In summer, the temperature is considered favorable, ranging from +18 to +20 degrees, in winter time from +16 to +20. However, the Antarctic cissus tolerates temperatures well and +5 degrees. With a significant decrease temperature regime or drafts, plants may shed their leaves.

Cissus plants are not particularly picky about humidity. environment. But still, they should be sprayed several times a week. And cissus multi-colored, which cannot tolerate dryness, needs daily spraying.

In the spring-summer period, due to the large number of leaves and intensive growth, plants need abundant watering. In winter, it is reduced, without allowing the soil to dry out completely. The water should be soft and settled.

Soil and fertilizer for cissus

Can be used special soil for vines or leaf and turf soil, sand, peat and humus mixed in equal quantities. A soil pH of about 6 is required.

Cissus needs a large amount of nutrients for growth and development. This is especially evident in the spring and summer. Fertilizer feeding for non-flowering plants is carried out regularly once a week from April to September. In winter, during the period of “stagnation”, fertilizing is not carried out.

Plants are repotted every 2-3 years into a larger pot that provides good drainage.

Cissus propagation by division, cuttings and seeds

The bushes are divided during transplantation. Cuttings can be propagated at any time of the year. To do this, cut cuttings with 2 buds and plant several in small pots.

The temperature is maintained around 20-22 °C. Rooting occurs in 2-3 weeks. Cissus rhombifolia takes root well in water at a temperature of +18.

Antarctic cissus can be propagated by seeds that are sown shallow in the ground. Diving is carried out in the second leaf phase.

Diseases and pests

• The main pests of indoor grapes are scale insect, spider mite and leaf aphids . During processing chemicals To combat pests, you must strictly adhere to the manufacturer's recommendations and be extremely careful, since cissus leaves are quite sensitive.
• Leaf blades become deformed and bulges appear – the plant does not have enough moisture. It is necessary to spray with water.
• If the lower leaves curl and darken - this indicates insufficient watering of the plant.
• If the leaves lose their color - this indicates intensive growth plants and lack of microelements. You need to start feeding.
• The cause of mold on leaves is poor drainage. . In this case, the cissus must be transplanted into another pot with good drainage.
• Powdery mildew on leaves indicates overwatering . The watering schedule needs to be revised.

With proper care, which is not at all labor-intensive, cissus plants will delight you with their beautiful appearance and at the same time also absorb toxic substances from the air.