We have already talked about it on the pages of our Encyclopedia. Here we will discuss how to grow myrtle from cuttings to an adult tree.

Myrtle tolerates pruning and pinching well at any time of the year, with the difference that in an adult wintering plant that is in the dormant stage, without signs of growth, you can painlessly cut off one branch per cutting, well, if you really need it, two, no more. And with a vegetating myrtle that continues to grow, you can safely cut off the crown radically. Best time for cutting myrtle branches for rooting - spring, end of winter. If you cut branches from a “dormant” myrtle, they must be immediately transferred to conditions suitable for the growing season: warm (20-25°C), air humidity not lower than 50% and light (additional lighting if necessary) - several hours of direct sun in the morning or evening.

For rooting, you can use branches from 7 to 15 cm, optimal length measured not in centimeters, but in a piece of stem - rooting occurs in the semi-lignified tip of the cutting. It is clear that a 5 cm branch still has a green stem, it will simply wither. You need to tear off the lower leaves of the cut cuttings and place them in water or damp vermiculite for rooting.

As you can see, in the first option there is one stalk in the cup, it is supported by a circle cut to the diameter of a polyethylene foam cup and cut to the center. Not only does it support the cutting, but it also prevents the water from evaporating too quickly. You can cut such a circle from foam rubber.

In the second option, many cuttings are rooted in one jar. Not all of them will give roots.

What is the difference and what is the best way to root? The fact is that if you got one single cutting, you should do as shown in the first photo. Moreover, the water must be very clean and boiled. Watch carefully the first two days - if the water remains clear, everything is fine, you just have to wait until the roots appear. If the water becomes cloudy, replace it with fresh water and add a secret ingredient to it. There is such a drug in the pharmacy as Polyphepan - this is an adsorbent (black powder similar to dry soil) that will not allow water to spoil, prevents the development of bacteria, but does not interfere with the rooting of cuttings. You need to add half a teaspoon to half a glass of water.

to his many years of experience shares Yuri Aleksandrovich Markin (): If everything is in order with water and the viability of the cutting, the roots form quite quickly - in the first week callus forms (white bumps at the tip of the stem), and in 2-3 weeks they grow good roots. When they reach at least 5 cm, maybe more, it’s time to transplant the cuttings into the ground.

In the photo you can see strong roots and the beginning of the growing season of a rooted myrtle cutting, but it must be planted carefully to minimize damage to the delicate root processes. Therefore, Yuri Alexandrovich ties the stalk to a peg. A peg stuck into the ground reliably holds the cutting without deepening the root collar.

If myrtles have strong roots, they take root instantly, and in high humidity conditions they grow very quickly. Thickened plantings in a common container require good ventilation of the room and timely planting in separate pots. It is perhaps more correct to immediately plant myrtle cuttings in separate containers, depending on the desired shape of the adult plant. If you plan to grow a dense bush, you can plant 2-4 cuttings together; if you plan to grow myrtle in a trunk or as a potensai, then each cutting has a separate pot. The option of merging trunks is also possible; it also involves planting several cuttings in one container, but it requires some skill and preparation.

Is it possible to prune myrtle roots when transplanting rooted cuttings?

Yes, you can, if root system is well developed, has many lateral roots of the upper part, then the elongated roots can be trimmed painlessly. After cutting the roots, they need to be sprinkled with crushed tablets. activated carbon or ground cinnamon.

Dimensions of a pot for replanting myrtle

How you choose the right pot for planting a cutting depends on its health, growth rate and appearance. Many people tend to take pots with a large supply, but if the pot is large, after watering the soil will dry out for a very long time, as a result, a salt effusion will form on the surface - a whitish or red coating of calcium and magnesium salts. In this case, the acidity of the soil shifts to the alkaline side; in such an environment, some nutrients are poorly absorbed and there is a high probability of root rotting. In a pot that is too small, especially when planted in clean peat, on the contrary, the root system of the plant can become very dry.

Here is an example of planting a rooted branch (stem thickness initially 2 mm), which has long grown and reached a height of 75 cm from the ground.

Myrtle grew in a glass (200 g) for about two years. The thickness of the trunk at the root collar reached 6 mm. The earthen lump is almost completely taken over by the roots. If the roots of your cutting have grown only in the lower part, formed a “beard”, or crawled out of the drainage holes, and the upper part of the pot has not been developed by roots, when replanting it makes sense to cut off those roots that stick out from the holes of the pot, or those that have curled on the bottom in a spiral, displacing all the soil. After this, you need to transplant the young myrtle back into the old pot. It can be replanted into a new one only when the roots fill the entire space of the pot.

Formation of myrtle

The formation of a myrtle tree occurs constantly. Trimming the ends of shoots can be carried out several times during the spring-summer season. You can grow the myrtle tree in a completely free style, as a shaggy bush. You can form a standard or another style. But first you need to imagine the image you want to strive for.

The myrtle tree blooming with pink buds (on the right in the photo, Pavel Karpenkov) is so beautiful not because it is extremely unpretentious, but because it is grown in ideal conditions for it: it stands in an area where the illumination is close to solar, humidity is under 90% and the temperature is 24 °C. Watered once every 2-3 days (does not dry out or flood). Planted in soil made from a mixture of akadama and sand and some soil for seedlings. Drainage is high - myrtles do not like waterlogged roots. Be sure to spray it every day.

Important: when wintering in cool and, even more so, cold conditions, spraying is not required, and watering is scanty.

Using wire, you can pull the branches in the desired direction; they are quite flexible even in adulthood. But old branches covered with brown bark can be bent gradually, smoothly, over several months.

Please note that while the myrtle tree is gaining trunk thickness, it does not need to be planted in a bonsai pot; the space of the pot is needed so that the plant can disperse the trunk.

From personal experience, Borya: My myrtle grows on a north-west window, but it will not be possible to form a spherical crown without additional lighting. I use this technique: as the branches lengthen, I tilt the largest of them to the sides almost to a horizontal position and secure them with wire. Then, along the entire length of the branch, new shoots begin to appear from the dormant buds (before that they were in the shade), and the entire branch becomes densely leafy.

The size of the pot should correspond to the size of the root system and increase as the earthen ball becomes entwined. It all depends on how many myrtle roots there are. In my opinion, it is better to take a cramped container than a spacious one, since in the second case, part of the soil may sour and become unusable even before the roots have time to penetrate into it.

I prefer to plant myrtles in a mixture of some peat soil with coarse sand, in a 1:1 ratio. Of the purchased ones, in my opinion, you can use the “Cactus” mixture, as it is the most porous and suitable for most plants.

What needs to be done to give myrtle the appearance of a tree from cuttings

From personal experience, Borya: You need to choose the largest, central, and, most importantly, branch of the bush that appeals to you and cut off all the rest. This can be done conveniently using small nail scissors. It is necessary to remove leaves and side shoots from below to the height of the intended trunk. This will result in an even trunk that will slowly grow thicker.

Since when growing in a “bush,” the branches touch and, as it were, “prop” each other a little, then, “left alone,” this branch may for some reason become bent (from accidentally touching, or as a result of tilting towards the light, for example ). Therefore, it is desirable for it to have support in the form of a peg stuck nearby.

As a result, shoots begin to grow on the upper leafy part. Those shoots that appear not on the “crown”, but on the stem, must be removed (otherwise you will again end up with a bush). Once the stem reaches a thickness of about 0.5 cm, the support can be removed.

Bamboo skewers (3-4 mm thick and about 30 cm long) are very suitable for the role of sticks for supports. The peg should be located, in relation to the plant, on the side of the room or to the side so as not to obscure it.

Myrtle - bonsai

Many people want to have a miniature myrtle tree in a bowl, but before the myrtle trunk gains thickness (from 1.5 cm or more), there is no talk of transplanting it into a bonsai plant. And all the plant material with which the formation work is carried out is called potensai.

An example of such work from Yuri Aleksandrovich Markin:

Bonsai style Sokan

And this is Potensai - the Sokan style "Twin trunks". Used 2-3 summer plants, grown from rooted cuttings. Rearranged from wintering to prepare for spring growing season - pruning and shaping to suit bonsai styles. The skeleton and trunks of the first Potensai specimen are formed in the Sokan style with the application of ligatures and stretch marks. The final height of the workpiece is 28 cm:

Formation work continues. Myrtle has its own subtleties, says Yuri Aleksandrovich - fragile wood and loose bark, although, when broken, it grows together remarkably well.

Before all manipulations, I take a long shower so that soak fabrics. When bending vertical and rather thick branches at an angle of 90°, I kind of knead the trunk area between my fingers - I crumple it, like a joint on a finger.

Next, I begin to apply a ligature to the trunk and place the wire on the bent branch. Then, I begin to slowly bend the branch along with the wire wrapped in two turns. You can place a screwdriver under the branch and create a stop at the bend. After bending the branch by more than 90°, I rewind the ligature, fixing the branch in the desired position.

It is also possible to perform a directional bend, i.e. break the branch and wrap it with raffia, and then apply a ligature (the main subtlety is not to break it completely when applying raffia and ligature; skill and a sensitive tactile sense of the material are required).

You can apply another method to thick branches. Make a crescent cut under the branch, at the place of the intended bend, to the middle or 2/3 of the thickness of the branch. The cut is made in thin sections with adjustment (bending and clarifying the position of the branch in the final form); if not enough, then another thin fragment is removed from both sides (such as slices).

Next according to the scheme is wrapping with raffia and applying a ligature. If it is difficult to bend copper wire in insulation with a cross-section of 2.5 mm, then you can apply two wires of 1.5 mm each or several folded wires of an even smaller cross-section - example - photo above (lower left corner), a coil of wire in the photo with myrtle. This wire can be used both for ligatures and for stretch marks.

Bonsai style Ikadabuki

Another example of work on the formation of myrtle bonsai in the Ikadabuki style from Gennady Boronin (). The author also modestly calls this only an attempt at formation: “he has been trying to become a bonsai for 2 years.” The height of the myrtle tree is 27-30 cm.

Photographs and materials used: Yu. A. Markin (YUM), Borya, Natali, barsuchok, Alexander, P. Karpenkov (beomaster), G. Boronin (Genn).

Considered a symbol of peace, youth, love and marriage, it has long been revered and grown in various countries. And today flower growers are not averse to seeing myrtle in their collection, which even a beginner can learn to care for at home.

In potted culture, you can most often find two varieties of this evergreen plant. These are the common myrtle, or Myrtus communis, and the small-leaved myrtle, Myrtus microphylla. In nature, the diversity of species is much wider. Today, botanists estimate about a hundred varieties of this crop, found in subtropical and tropical regions on both sides of the equator.

Evergreen myrtle in pots

Since ancient times, myrtle has enjoyed special respect in the countries of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The respectful attitude continues to this day. But if in regions with warm climates myrtle is one of the favorite garden and park plants, then in countries with temperate climate shrubs or small trees up to 2 meters high are planted in greenhouses or indoor pots.

Caring for a myrtle tree at home will not be difficult, and the plant gratefully responds to care by flowering and even bearing fruit. Myrtle flowers resemble those of the Chinese camellia. Thanks to large, protruding stamens, they appear fluffy and perfectly decorate the house in the first half of summer.

If you carry out artificial pollination while caring for myrtle, by autumn the bush will be covered with blue-black berries. The seeds inside the ripe fruits sprout and can be successfully used for propagating indoor crops.

Culture is valued as a source essential oil, the aroma of which can be easily felt by kneading a couple of small leathery leaves that thickly cover the shoots in your fingers.

Growing evergreen myrtle will bring the gardener many interesting observations and pleasant moments. But how to care for myrtle at home? What are the maintenance requirements for this Mediterranean species?

How to care for myrtle?

IN room conditions myrtle showed itself to be a rather uncapricious plant, gratefully responding to care. With proper care of myrtle, regular crown formation and correct selection places, potted culture pleases with its dense greenery, compact shape and absence of diseases.

The plant is photophilous and tolerates watering and spraying well, but it is not advisable to place a pot of myrtle in hot, stuffy rooms. In the cold season, the green pet really needs a cool winter.

The best place for myrtle is where the plant will be exposed to bright, but not scorching sun for a long time. If the pot is placed on a south window, it is useful to shade the bush at midday. But on the north side the plant feels uncomfortable, the foliage loses its brightness, growth slows down, and flowering in conditions of lack of light can hardly be expected.

How to care for myrtle different time of the year? From spring to mid-autumn, as long as there is no frost, the pot can be kept on the balcony, loggia or in the garden, only slightly sheltered from the wind and sun. Here the plant is watered and protected from pests, because the risk of their attack outdoors increases significantly. In winter, caring for myrtle at home changes, which is caused by the natural development cycle of the plant and the change of season.

Seasonal changes in caring for myrtle

How to care for a myrtle flower with the onset of autumn and winter? At this time, the plant slows down its growth, rests from active vegetation and lays the foundations for future flowering. Optimal temperature Myrtle content in winter is 6–10 °C. Coolness does not contribute to the rapid evaporation of moisture and its consumption by the myrtle itself, so watering is reduced, making sure that the soil ball and roots do not dry out completely.

Flooding the soil in winter is extremely dangerous due to the risk of losing the entire bush, whose roots inevitably rot in the cold, damp soil.

If the plant is left to overwinter at normal room temperature, it needs regular watering and mandatory irrigation of the crown. This measure will help myrtle cope with being in dry conditions. room atmosphere. A sign of lack of moisture and discomfort experienced in this case are withering and falling leaves. If you do not take urgent measures and do not organize the care of your myrtle, your pet will remain without foliage until spring, and in the summer it will refuse to bloom.

Feeding, pruning and replanting indoor myrtle

Indoor myrtle bushes are fertilized every two weeks and combined with regular watering. Support mineral supplements and organic matter the plant follows in spring and summer. In winter, such care is no longer necessary.

To get a compact, even crown, as in the photo, caring for myrtle at home includes pruning and pinching shoots.

The evergreen plant has long earned the love of gardeners who are keen on growing bonsai. The small-leaved form of the plant is ideal for these purposes, allowing for several years painstaking care get the most bizarre shapes.

Myrtle tolerates pruning easily. But it is best to carry it out in the spring, when it has not yet begun active growth. In the summer, a radical change in the shape of the bush is not carried out, but during this period, pinching young shoots is very effective, forcing the stems to bush.

Early spring is not only optimal time for pruning, but also for replanting an indoor myrtle tree.

The root system of this crop is no different rapid growth, but once every 3–4 years mature plant still transferred to the pot larger capacity, and it is useful to replant young seedlings annually. Myrtle thrives in light, loose soil of moderate nutritional value. Suitable for him universal mixture For ornamental crops, and a homemade substrate from turf soil, peat, sand and humus. With proper care, myrtle grows at home and pleases the owner for many years, becoming a living symbol of prosperity, love and peace.

Common myrtle is an evergreen shrub with fragrant leaves. IN natural conditions this crop grows throughout the Mediterranean, where it reaches a height of about 5 meters. Myrtle leaves are shiny and leathery, and have a pleasant aroma.

Exist garden forms of this crop, which mainly differ in the color and shape of the leaves. But they are all quite thermophilic, so growing them in conditions open ground only possible in regions with warm climates. As indoor plant Only common myrtle is used.

This plant is characterized by small, shiny, leathery leaves that smell pleasant when rubbed in your hand. In indoor conditions, they can be artificially pollinated. As a result, fruits with seeds will form, which can be used for propagation.

Optimal conditions for growing indoors

Myrtle is a rather demanding plant. Growing it indoors is quite difficult, as it requires high humidity air. To help the plant cope with this problem, The following methods can be used:

• Spray the air around the plant with a fine spray bottle.
• Place wet moss in a tray with a flowerpot.
• Place a container of water next to the pot.
• Also during intensive growth from March to September the plant must be watered regularly and abundantly.

Temperature

Myrtle is a plant for cool rooms. The temperature of its content in winter period should be only +5-6°C. At higher rates, it is quite difficult to preserve the plant until spring. Very often from warm and dry room air its leaves begin to fall. This process does not always lead to the death of the plant, but you can’t expect flowers from such a myrtle.

Growing common myrtle (video)

Lighting

Throughout the year, myrtle requires a large number of bright sunlight. IN summer period it can even be taken out into the open air or onto a balcony, but there it should be shaded during the midday hours. When myrtle is constantly kept in low light conditions, it does not have a flowering period, even if the optimal temperature regime in winter.

Common myrtle: popular varieties of indoor flower

IN indoor floriculture The most widely used varieties of myrtle are:

Name	Plant height, cm	Leaf color and size	Shape of flowers	Fruit coloring
Alhambra		Small, green
Flora Pleno		Small, green	Terry
Variegata		Small, colorful
		Small, green		Purple
La Cleipe Blanc		Small, green
Microphylla		Very small, green
Tarentine		Small, green
Tarentina Variegata		Small, colorful
		Large, green

All myrtle varieties presented in the table can be grown quite successfully at home.

How to propagate a house plant

Myrtle can be propagated in two main ways: seed and vegetative. When sowing seeds, the varietal characteristics of the plant are only partially preserved, so if you want to propagate a variegated variety or a variety with double flowers, it is better to use cuttings.

To propagate myrtle using cuttings, you need to follow the following procedure:

• Cut a cutting from a side shoot that is not yet flowering. Its length should be no more than 10 cm.
• Remove the lower leaves from the cutting.
• Treat the cut with a root formation stimulator.
• Plant the resulting cuttings in a moist, loose substrate and cover with a plastic bag.

If all conditions are met, the cuttings should take root after 1 month. After the root system has developed well enough, they are transplanted into separate containers. Further care they are cared for in the same way as for adult plants.

When propagating myrtle by seed, the following procedure should be followed:

• Prepare a container for sowing with loose and fertile substrate.
• Moisten the substrate evenly from a spray bottle.
• Spread the seeds over the surface of the soil and sprinkle lightly.
• Cover the sowing container with cellophane film.

During germination, the temperature must be maintained at 18-20°C, it is also necessary to monitor the humidity of the substrate and, if necessary, water it carefully. Seed germination usually takes from one week to 10 days.

After the seedlings develop a second pair of true leaves, you can begin picking them into separate containers. Further care for them consists of regular watering, loosening and fertilizing.

How common myrtle reproduces (video)

Caring for common myrtle in the home

Caring for myrtle is not particularly difficult, and its compact size allows you to place the flowerpot with the plant in any convenient place.

Requirements for soil and flowerpot

The soil for growing myrtle can be made independently from equal parts of turf soil, sand and humus. If this is not possible, you can use the usual universal substrate for growing indoor plants, the main thing is that it has a slightly acidic reaction.

When choosing a pot for growing myrtle, you should remember that its size should be larger than the size of the horse system. Otherwise, the soil that has not been developed by the roots may turn sour and cause the death of the plant.

Watering and fertilizing

To water myrtle, use only settled water. room temperature. The use of cold or hard water is unacceptable. Also in winter, the frequency and intensity of watering should be reduced. But under no circumstances should the substrate in the pot be allowed to completely dry out, otherwise the plant will completely shed its leaves or even die.

The bay is very harmful for home myrtle. Excessive amounts of moisture will very quickly lead to various rot and fungal diseases. To prevent this from happening, excess water from the pan must be drained, and drainage must be installed at the bottom of the pot.

In order for myrtle to develop well during the period of intensive growth, it must be fed. For this you can use any universal fertilizer for decorative foliage indoor flowers. Dilute it according to the attached instructions.

In winter, myrtle enters a pronounced dormant period., so there is no need to feed him at this time.

Crown formation

In order for myrtle to have a beautiful and well-groomed crown, it must be formed in a timely manner. To do this, you can use spring pruning, which allows you to rid the plant of elongated and weak shoots or pinching the apical growth points.

Pinching can be carried out throughout the entire period of intensive growth. It allows the plant to form a dense and well-leafed crown.

Rules and terms of transplantation

Young specimens of myrtle need to be replanted annually; adults need to be replanted once every 2-3 years. It is best to plan all replanting work in the spring.

Possible problems during cultivation

Myrtle, like any other indoor culture If growing conditions are not met, it can be affected by pests. Most often you can find the following types:

• Aphid. Small insects, which, depending on the species, may be green or gray in color. It feeds on the sap of the plant, which leads to damage to the leaves and their drying out. Controlling aphids is quite easy. To destroy it, you can use a solution laundry soap or any insecticidal preparation. In most cases, a single treatment is sufficient to completely kill aphids.
• Shchitovka- a pest that feeds on plant sap. If the pest population is too large on the leaves of the plant, you can see its accumulations in the form of black spots. For destruction, systemic insecticides are used.
• . Most often appears when growing myrtle in conditions elevated temperature and low air humidity. To combat it, you need to use special acaricidal preparations that have a long period of protective action. For example, you can use Actellik or Fitoverm.

How to form a crown of common myrtle (video)

Growing myrtle yourself indoors is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. You just need to follow agricultural practices and care for the plant in a timely manner.

Myrtle is such a charming plant that you fall in love with it at first sight: fluffy crown, dark green glossy leaves, creamy beads of buds, beautiful white flowers with numerous stamens.

Common myrtle, namely, it is grown at home, and is found growing wild in Mediterranean countries. It was known back in Ancient Egypt. And in Ancient Greece, myrtle was a cult plant. Entire myrtle groves grew near the temples of the goddess of love Aphrodite, symbolizing youth and beauty. And the name itself - myrtle came to us from Ancient Greece, which translated means balm, myrrh.

An interesting custom associated with growing myrtle at home, existed for a long time in Lutheran Germany: a little girl was given a small pot of myrtle. The girl took care of the plant herself, trying to grow it into a beautiful and fluffy tree. Having become a bride, she wove a wreath from its branches, in which she walked down the aisle, and the myrtle tree settled in a new family. They say that if the bride’s myrtle tree was well-groomed, with a strong trunk and fluffy crown, then family life The young wives' life was a happy one. What was the reason for this?

Hard to say. Maybe that’s why there was happiness in a family with a well-groomed myrtle tree, because the ancient goddess of love favored its owner. Or maybe the whole point was that only knowledgeable, skillful and, most importantly, patient people could grow a good myrtle tree in a room. Such people will be able to improve family life and bring comfort. So there will be happiness in the house. And whether myrtle is the cause of this happiness or not, everyone decides for himself.

But myrtle is valued not only for its beauty. Pluck a myrtle leaf and rub it lightly. The pleasant, resinous aroma that appears indicates the essential oils contained in the plant. They are widely used in perfumery and medicine. And in an apartment, even a very small myrtle plant will “fight” with all its might for the health of its owners. Its smell calms the nervous system and helps with insomnia. Essential oils of myrtle vulgaris have such a powerful bactericidal effect that they destroy pathogenic microorganisms and purify the air in the apartment. Basil has the same effect. For colds, runny nose, and sore throat, it is useful to brew myrtle leaves and breathe in the resulting steam.

Grow common myrtle at home not everything is easy. Still, it's worth trying. Knowing the difficulties, you can avoid them or overcome them.

Caring for myrtle in summer

Myrtle loves bright rooms. Water abundantly, but without accumulating water in the pan. Myrtle does not tolerate even short-term drying out of the earthen clod: this can lead to yellowing, drying and falling of the leaves. Myrtle likes very high air humidity, so spray the leaves more often, up to 2-3 times a day, from spring to mid-summer, and also regularly feed it with complex fertilizers or biological fertilizers once every two weeks. In the summer, it is useful to expose myrtle to fresh air.

Caring for common myrtle in winter

In winter, the common myrtle requires a cooler (optimum temperature 8-10 ° C), but bright room. In winter, myrtle should be watered very carefully, just so that the earthen ball does not dry out. It is quite difficult to create such conditions for myrtle in winter in an ordinary city apartment, so we can recommend the following. Put flower pot with myrtle on the lightest and coldest window sill, next to the glass the air temperature at night is about +12 +15°C; try to limit the intake of dry and warm air from central heating radiators to the plant; scour its crown more often; water with minimal doses, but do not allow over-drying. Under such conditions, myrtle will feel quite tolerable in winter.

The soil mixture for growing common myrtle consists of turf or leaf soil, humus, peat and sand in equal parts (1:1:1:1). Young myrtle is replanted every year, then, when the plant becomes an adult, replanting is done once every 3-4 years. But every year in spring and autumn you can change the top layer of soil. This will avoid soil depletion. For older myrtle specimens earth mixture make up a heavier one - the ratio of the above components is 2:1:1:1.

Pruning myrtle. In order for myrtle to branch better, young plants need to pinch out the apical buds on the shoots. Myrtle tolerates pruning and pruning very well, so its crown can be given any shape: bush-like, tree-shaped, spherical, spindle-shaped, etc. In addition, by pruning you will create the myrtle dimensions that suit you. During spring pruning, and also in June, when the myrtle crown is forming, you can take a lot of cuttings and root them. Common myrtle propagates by stem cuttings.

For better rooting, myrtle cuttings can be treated with root formation stimulants, after which they easily take root in a mini-greenhouse for 20-30 days at 18-20 °C. After they take root, the myrtle cuttings are transplanted into small pots. Common myrtle blooms in the 4-5th year of life.

Myrtle common (Myrtus communis) is a popular ornamental foliage plant. In nature, its habitat is the Mediterranean, the Azores and North Africa. There it is a tree with a height of 3 to 5 m. Indoor specimens on average have a height of up to 60 cm, very rarely growing up to 1 m. The myrtle tree can be described as evergreen with entire leathery leaves and single or numerous white flowers in short racemes.

The Myrtle genus includes up to 40 species of the Myrtle family. Myrtle leaves and shoots are a source of essential oil, widely used in perfumery and medicine. As a potted and tub plant, it is indispensable when decorating interiors.

However, these are not all the advantages of the plant. It is believed that it brings health, youth and beauty to the house. For a long time, many European peoples had the custom of decorating the bride’s outfit with myrtle branches and flowers, so at the birth of a daughter it was customary to give the family a myrtle tree. It is also considered a symbol of hope and peace, and is credited with the ability to strengthen self-confidence and relieve fear.

Myrtle - cultivation and care

Is it easy or simple to care for myrtle? How much is this positive flower, he is so demanding. The myrtle tree will not forgive its owners for forgetfulness if they do not water or feed it on time. For successful breeding, it needs to be provided with a sufficient amount of bright, diffused light. It can also tolerate direct sunlight, but in small quantities. Thus, best place there will be space for the plant at the western and eastern windows. It is also possible to grow it near southern windows, but in this case you need to think about how to protect it from the midday sun. The myrtle tree near the north window will also not disappear, but it will bloom less profusely. In winter, you should find a more illuminated place for it.

Myrtle is more prone to cool temperatures and needs moderate or slightly below moderate temperatures (18°C to 20°C) in spring and summer. In winter, it needs to be kept at a temperature from 5°C to 8-10°C (but not higher). If this condition is not met, there is a danger of foliage dropping.

Watering the myrtle tree from spring to autumn requires abundant watering (when the top layer of the substrate dries out), in winter - limited, using soft, settled water. Drying out the soil, even for a short time, is unacceptable. If this does happen, then the plant is watered by immersing the pot in a container of water. At the same time, stagnation of water in the pan is also unacceptable.

Air humidity also requires attention. In spring and summer, the plant needs regular spraying with soft, settled or filtered water. There is no need to do this in winter.

It is characterized by a pronounced dormant period, which can vary depending on the location: on the northern window it lasts 3 months, on the southern window - up to 1.5 months.

Myrtle tree You can easily give it an original shape by cutting it, which it tolerates very well. However, you should not trim the side shoots too much (especially for young plants), since the myrtle trunk is not particularly strong. Also, do not get carried away with pinching young shoots to avoid reducing the intensity of flowering. When starting to care for this plant, decide what you are aiming for: highly branching compact bushes or beautifully flowering specimens with a weak crown. Myrtle grows very quickly, so in a couple of years you can get small branched bushes. To increase the growth rate, it is fertilized weekly from spring to autumn with flower fertilizer.

Myrtle - transplantation and propagation

For young plants, annual replanting is necessary without deepening the base of the trunk into the soil; then the myrtle is replanted every 2-3 years (as needed). For replanting, prepare a mixture of turf and peat soil, humus and sand in equal parts or ordinary greenhouse soil. When replanting, care must be taken to ensure good drainage.

It propagates by seeds and cuttings. In the first case, the seeds are distributed over the surface of a moistened substrate of peat and sand, taken in equal parts. Then, covering the container with the seeds with glass, maintain the temperature at about 20°C, periodically ventilating it. The substrate needs constant moderate moisture. When the shoots appear after 1-2 weeks and they grow two leaves, they pick them into pots.

In the second case, from January to February and July, semi-lignified cuttings are taken and rooted in boxes or wide low pots. For rooting, take a mixture that includes turf and leaf soil and coarse sand. Keep the cuttings in a shaded place, covered with glass or plastic wrap and ventilated from time to time. A month later, when rooting occurs, they are planted in pots and watered abundantly.

Myrtle - possible diseases and pests

As we have already said, myrtle is very whimsical and does not forgive mistakes or negligence when growing it. Thus, it responds to insufficient lighting with elongated stems and pale small leaves; if there is an excess of it, its leaves become dull and yellow. If you place myrtle in dark room with high temperatures, it will drop its leaves.

Both overdrying and excessive moisture in the earthen clod are very dangerous for it. If it happens that due to non-compliance with these conditions, the plant shed its leaves, then you need to cut the shoots to half and continue watering and spraying (if waterlogging occurs, watering should be very careful). Perhaps in this case, after 10-15 days it will respond to your care with the appearance of young leaves.

Myrtle can also be affected by pests: spider mites, pemphigus and coccids. First of all, this applies to old plant specimens. Although it can be subject to their attack at any age, if in winter it is kept at too high temperatures high temperature. However, you should not immediately use pesticides to control insects. WITH spider mite you can try to fight with a jet tap water, with which it will simply be washed off, and to remove pemphig and coccida, use a brush dipped in a soap-alcohol solution.

Would you say that this plant is too whimsical and difficult to grow? Try to lightly rub its leaves, feel the subtle pleasant smell that fills your soul with peace, and you will immediately be ready to forgive him for all his whims!