Planting indoor grapes and care at home

Indoor grapes, cissus, grape ivy, birch - the names of perennial weaving vines. The culture grows quickly, clinging to support with tendrils, rarely blooms indoors, but is not without decorative value. The attention of gardeners is attracted by different types of cissus: Antarctic, rhomboid, two-color, quadrangular, caudex. In this article we will talk about indoor grapes and caring for them at home.

Decorative indoor grapes

Cissus (gr. kissos - ivy) - perennial deciduous vine with weaving shoots, reaching 5 m in length. The plant belongs to the Vinogradaceae family. The genus includes about 350 forms. These are mainly wild plants. Other names for the crop are indoor grapes and birch.

The plant is tall, the vines cling to the support with tendrils. The shape of the leaves is varied, depending on the variety and type of grape. The leaf blade can be trifoliate or entire. Often the shape is jagged, resembling the leaf blade of wild grapes.

In indoor conditions, the plant rarely or never blooms. Cissus flowers are small, green, collected in inexpressive inflorescences. The homeland of indoor grapes is Asia, America, Australia. There the culture is found in subtropical and tropical forests.

Reference. Indoor grapes are grown in apartments because of their ability to purify the air and their ease of care.

The stems and shoots of cissus are fragile, so it is recommended to determine a permanent location before planting. for him, so as not to move the potty to another room in the future.

Types of domestic grapes

In addition to cissus, another indoor grape called tetrastigma is known. However, it is not popular among gardeners due to its heavy vine. The crop is most often grown in gardens and greenhouses. Under natural conditions, the vine reaches 50 m in height. It is decorated with large lobed leaves and small, unremarkable flowers. At home, the tetrastigma is shortened to 2-3 m. Over the course of a year, the vine grows 1 m in height.

Cissus is most popular among gardeners.. It is grown in apartments, private houses, offices and winter gardens.

Exists several cultivated species of this plant:

1. Antarctic (C. antarctica). "Kangaroo creeper", or arctic cissus, has oval leaves up to 10 cm in length. It is used for landscaping offices, schools and other institutions. It is unpretentious and is not afraid of temperature fluctuations.
2. rhombolifolia (C. rhombifolia) is one of the most popular species in home floriculture. The greens are thick, fluffy, the leaf blade is diamond-shaped, glossy, and medium in size. The height of the vine is 1.5 m. The shoots are elastic, with a brownish edge. This form is represented by the varieties Fionia with a carved leaf plate and Helen Danica with carved leaves. The Mandiana variety has leathery, dense, shiny leaves with short hairs, and shoots of a brown-red color. It copes with temperature changes easier than others.
3. Two-color (C. discolor, discolor or multi-colored cissus) - the most capricious. Requires strict adherence to growing conditions. The leaves are dark green with a silver pattern, the back side is dark burgundy.
4. Quadrangular (C.quadrangularis) is a plant with unusual trilobed leaves and thick tetrahedral shoots. It is less common among indoor crops because it grows slowly.
5. Striped (C. striata) is distinguished by small three- or five-fingered leaves, reminiscent of girlish grapes. The plant is characterized by high growth, undemanding to temperature and air humidity.
6. Caudex (C. tuberosa, tuberose). The trunk has a bottle shape, long stems, with aerial roots. The leaves resemble maple.

Planting indoor grapes

A place for planting cissus is chosen on the east or west side of the house without drafts. The optimal air temperature should be +22...+25°C in the warm season and +18...+20°C in winter. Small bushes are taken out onto the balcony in the summer. Two-color citrus does not like temperature changes, so a comfortable place is immediately determined for it.

Indoor grapes prefer diffuse lighting, so it’s better not to place it near windows. The ideal place for the plant is a niche in the walls of the room, where sunlight enters, but not direct rays. The room should not be too dry, as a lack of moisture is detrimental to the plant. Arctic cissus is undemanding in terms of lighting and can grow even in dark corridors.

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Landing rules

Cissus is propagated by cuttings:

1. The top shoots with 2 buds are cut from a two-year-old plant.
2. The cuttings are placed in clean water at room temperature and wait for roots to appear, or they are immediately placed in a loose substrate.
3. After the roots appear, the plant is transplanted into a large pot.Several cuttings are planted in one container. Its volume should be enough for 5 years, since this is the frequency with which it is recommended to replant cissus.

For planting, prepare a soil mixture of turf, leaf soil, peat, humus and sand. in equal proportions. Soil acidity is neutral or slightly acidic (pH = 5.5–6). The optimal temperature for germination of cuttings is +22…+23°C.

Expanded clay is poured onto the bottom of the pot to prevent water stagnation. The container is filled with prepared moist substrate, a depression of 4-5 cm is made and the cutting is carefully placed. The hole is filled with soil without compacting it and watered with water.

Caring for cissus at home

Homemade grapes are easy to care for. It is important to follow the rules of watering, fertilizing and pruning.

Watering

Most species are characterized by high growth vigor and therefore require regular watering.. The active growth period occurs in spring - summer. For irrigation, use clean, settled water at room temperature. The plant is watered as the top layer of soil dries, avoiding overflowing.

Reference. Once every six months, indoor grapes are given sprinkling. This refreshes the leaves, washes away dust from them, makes the color bright and rich, and helps avoid the appearance of pests and diseases.

Overwatering leads to root rot. To test the soil for moisture, simply dip your finger into it. If the soil sticks, there is enough moisture, if the finger is dry, watering is required. Closer to winter, the amount of irrigation is reduced to once every 7–10 days.

Top dressing

To feed indoor grapes, use fertilizers for non-flowering plants.: succinic acid, Bona Forte, “Ideal”, “Florist”, “Mr. Color”, “Success”, “Agricola”. Substances are applied once every 14 days.In the spring, cissus is fertilized with nitrogen, in the fall - with potassium-phosphorus agents. In winter, no fertilizing is applied.

As the bush develops, young shoots are pinched and pruned. This allows you to regulate the growth of the crop in width and height, and give it the desired shape. Pruning is carried out in the spring, trying not to break fragile shoots. To make the plant branch less, pinch off the tops.

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Transfer

The first transplant is carried out 5 years after planting. To do this, use a larger pot and replace the old substrate with a fresh one. The composition of the soil is the same as when planting. After the procedure, the upper stems of the bush are cut off, this stimulates the formation of side shoots.

In the future, the cissus is replanted as it grows. Often the procedure is performed annually for 5 years, then once every 2-3 years.

Transplantation is carried out in the spring, apply nitrogen fertilizing for rapid rooting and adaptation of the plant to fresh soil.

Possible problems

Most problems with cissus occur when care rules are violated.

Table 1 summarizes the main cultural diseases and treatment methods.

Table 2 contains the main insect pests and methods of controlling them.

Possible problems:

1. Yellowing of leaves due to lack of moisture or watering with hard water, lack of nutrients in the soil or excess calcium.
2. Pale leaves due to too much light.
3. Brown leaf tips due to too dry air, lack of moisture, exposure to cold air or touching a cold window in winter.
4. Brown spots on the foliage due to a sharp drop in air temperature, excess moisture, and watering with hard water.
5. Dry leaves due to excessively high temperature and dry air, lack of moisture or overflow and stagnation of water in the pot.

Conclusion

Cissus grapes are an indoor plant for decorating balconies, walls and niches. It is unpretentious in care, but for proper growth and development it needs to create favorable indoor conditions. The plant prefers diffused light, moist air and frequent watering.

To maintain health, the bushes are fed with organic matter and minerals, and sprinkled once every six months to wash away particles of dust and insects.Popular types of cissus: Antarctic, rhomboid, bicolor, quadrangular, caudex.