Room Araucaria - Features of caring for a mini Christmas tree

Room araucaria is included in the list of evergreen conifers that can be grown independently at home. It is believed that it is able to purify the air. Caring for a small tree is easy, if you know some features.

Araucaria - description

In a natural environment, the tree can reach a height of 50-60 m, but sometimes there are real giants. Home representatives do not grow more than 2 m. The main information about the main characteristics of a house plant is the araucaria:

  1. The branches on the trunk are located whorls and if viewed from above, but they will look like a star. For a year grows 1-2 whorls.
  2. On the entire length of branches are short and needles. Their color can range from bright green to blue.
  3. The tree grows slowly and can be kept indoors for 8-10 years. The adult plant can be transplanted into the open air.

Araucaria - interesting facts

Even owners of house firs do not know about them all and, perhaps, the following information will be for many amazing:

  1. This tree was found in the Mesozoic period.
  2. In the Jurassic period araucaria were the main food for herbivorous dinosaurs of sauropods.
  3. The useful properties of araucaria are known and they are related to the fact that conifers release phytoncides - substances that fight against microbes and bacteria in the air.
  4. Seeds of this tree can be eaten.

Araucaria - Species

To date, 19 species are known and more often in indoor use such indoor Christmas trees:

  1. Varied. The tree has a pyramidal crown and its homeland is Norfolk. House plant araucaria variegated has soft and shallow foliage.
  2. Narrow-leafed. Homeland is South Brazil. This tree has thin branching branches with bright green leaves.
  3. Column-shaped. In nature it is found in New Caledonia. Trees have a narrow crown in the form of a pyramid, which is formed by short branches.

Araucaria - home care

There are a number of recommendations concerning care that are important to consider for obtaining a beautiful and healthy plant.

  1. The room araucaria should stand so that the light on it falls from two sides or you need to rotate the pot every day, otherwise the curvature of the trunk is possible. The tree should be protected from direct rays.
  2. Finding out how to care for araucaria, it is worth saying that the optimal temperature for her are 20 degrees in summer and 10 in winter.
  3. You do not need to trim the tree.
  4. In the vegetative period, supplementation is recommended, for which use a complex mineral fertilizer.

Araucaria - soil

From the quality of the selected soil, much depends, so it is important to take a responsible approach to his choice.

  1. Use soil with a weakly acid reaction.
  2. Araucaria plant grows well in a mixture consisting of turf and leaf substrate, peat and sand. The proportions of the parts are as follows: 1: 2: 2: 1.
  3. Another variant of a suitable soil is clayey-turf, which includes two parts of the earth and 0.5 parts of sand.
  4. Room araucaria can be grown in ready-made earth mixtures for coniferous species that are in shops.

What kind of pot for araucaria is needed?

If you bought a Christmas tree, then plant it better in a medium-sized pot, which has a wide base. Another option is a pot that has a height of 25 cm. The growth and development of a home-grown araucaria tree in a pot that will not fit in size will be slowed down. Of great importance is a good drainage system. At the bottom of the pot must be a hole, so that there is no stagnation of moisture.

Home Araucaria - Features of Watering

To carry out irrigation, it is necessary to use clean standing water, which must have room temperature. It is impossible to let the earth clod completely wither, but stagnant water is contraindicated. If something is done wrong, then the branches will fade, and the needles will crumble. Araucaria flower needs periodic spraying and this procedure is especially relevant in winter, when the air in the room is dry. The procedure should be done twice a day. You can also use a pallet with moistened claydite.

Araucaria transplantation at home

A homemade tree does not require frequent transplantations, so the procedure should take place not more than once in 3-4 years, when the earthen coma is completely braided with roots. Doing everything is recommended in April or May. Araucaria transplantation should take into account a number of features:

  1. Prepare a new portion of the soil, the appropriate mixtures were discussed earlier. It is necessary to buy a new pot, which should be larger in diameter in comparison with the previous pot.
  2. First thoroughly pour the earth around the room araucaria, which will facilitate the excavation. Removing the roots should be done carefully, so as not to damage them. It is not recommended to clean the roots of the old earth.
  3. Put the drainage in a new pot, fill the ground and insert a tree. It is important to consider that the root neck of the plant should be at the same soil level as before. To fill it with earth is forbidden.
  4. It will remain lightly ground and well watered.

Araucaria - Diseases

If the tree is not properly tended, then there may be problems.

  1. If the room araucaria began to turn yellow and dry, and the needles fall, then this indicates that the air is very dry or the room has a high temperature. Take care of air humidification.
  2. Twisted trunk indicates uneven lighting and you need to turn the pot in the other direction.
  3. When the lower tree branches wilt at the Christmas tree of the Araucaria, this may indicate a defeat by the root beetle. Exit the situation - treat the trunk with insecticide solution.
  4. If the plant grows very slowly, then this indicates the presence in the earth of a large amount of calcium. It is best to use soil for needles, and to water to take soft water.
  5. In the case of the emergence of thin young shoots, they speak of insufficient nutrients. You can correct the situation by applying mineral fertilizers.

How to propagate araucaria at home?

Room spruce grows slowly, and multiplying it is very difficult. The result can be obtained only if all the rules are observed. For those who are interested in how Araucaria breeds, two options are possible: the use of cuttings and seeds. In both cases it is necessary to take into account that if the soil is insufficiently fed, shoots will grow thin, and if the air is too dry, they will turn yellow and dry. If there is an excess of calcium in the soil, the growth of the plant will slow down.

Cuttings of araucaria

The procedure is necessary in the spring or early summer period, and it consists of several stages:

  1. You can use a plant that is already 10 years old. It is necessary to cut off the tip a few centimeters below the whorl. Note that after this Araucaria will cease to grow up, but it can release lateral shoots.
  2. For propagation of araucaria by cuttings, it is necessary to dry the cut off tip in a shaded and well ventilated room. After this, clean the cut from the released resin, and sprinkle it with charcoal powder.
  3. To stimulate the formation of roots, you can use special tools.
  4. In the next step, you can plant the cutting in a container that must be filled with moist sand or a mixture of sand and peat. From above, cover it with a glass container or a plastic bottle and put it in a warm place. Please note that the temperature should not be more than 26 degrees.
  5. The process of rooting takes a long time and at least it takes two months. All this time you need to regularly water the stalk and spray it. To survive a room araucaria can be after forming a root lump.

Araucaria from seeds at home

Immediately it is necessary to say that the task of reproducing a tree with the help of seeds is practically impossible. The result can be obtained if the seed is just collected.

  1. For the reproduction of Araucaria, one seed should be placed in containers with the correct soil.
  2. From above it is necessary to cover with sphagnum and put in a room with a temperature of no higher than 20 degrees.
  3. Sphagnum should be moistened from time to time.
  4. The plant will be planted for a long time and will have to wait 2-4 months. When the needles appear, it is necessary to cover the sprout with a plastic cup and put in a small greenhouse.
  5. Periodically, seedlings should be watered and sprayed. Grow sprouts very slowly.