Indoor mountain ash, viburnum or currant – as soon as they do not nickname ardisia. This amazing exotic from the category of evergreen indoor plants attracts not with flowering, and not even with an impressive dense crown, but with berries. Bright red, gathered in bunches, they are fancifully arranged and, as it were, encircle the trees. But thanks to them, ardisia turns into a luxurious decoration of the entire interior.
Ardisia, or Ardisia (Ardisia). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com induced
The exquisite and catchy necklace of round berries on this beauty is worth all the effort that will have to be spent on grooming. It is not so easy to grow ardisia, but it cannot be ranked among the most capricious plants.
Contents:
Getting to know the berry soloist
Ardisia are quite compact plants both in nature and in indoor culture. Evergreen shrubs with a very dense crown reach from 50 cm to 1 m, but most often they are more squat. Ardisia leaves are very beautiful, leathery and glossy, elegant lanceolate-oval shape with a slightly wavy edge.
They are arranged alternately on the shoots, and at the ends they are collected in pretty pseudo-whiskers. The color is dark, rich green. Thanks to the shine, the crown appears slightly bluish. But the main feature of the greenery of this plant is the presence of bulges with nitrogen-fixing bacteria along the edge of the leaf, which in no case should be touched or cut off.
The flowering of ardisia is practically inconspicuous. Inconspicuous, modest flowers will not attract admiring attention. Small and pale pinkish, they are collected in inflorescence umbrellas and just precede the main show. Ardisia blooms in summer, in June-August.
Conditions required by ardisia
The main pride of Ardisia is a luxurious necklace made of berries. It is not by chance that this shrub has earned the title of the main berry exotic: no other plant has such spectacular fruits as in ardisia. But even the number of berries and their beauty pales in comparison with their unprecedented resistance: a berry necklace will last on this bush for up to six months, and sometimes even longer.
The period of maximum decorativeness in Ardisia covers the coldest season and lasts from August to March. The fruits are traditionally formed in October-November, sometimes a little later, and just reach the greatest attraction for the New Year and Christmas holidays.
Lighting for ardisia in room culture
Ardisia, like most evergreen crops, is not too demanding on lighting. She does not like direct sunlight, which affects the attractiveness of the crown and is content with any bright location.
Stable lighting is the key to long-term preservation of berries on the plant. In winter, it is better to move the ardisia closer to the light source or specially illuminate the plant: the amount of light received for this berry beauty should remain unchanged.
Ardisia does not like drafts
Despite its strong and unapproachable appearance, Ardisia is not at all as hardy as we would like. This plant does not like drafts and cold air currents; it must be protected from sudden temperature fluctuations. The more stable the conditions in the place where the ardisia is grown, the better.
Ардизия. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com White Flower Farm
Temperature regime for berry soloist
Ardisia is quite comfortable to grow in cool room conditions. It reaches the greatest decorativeness (and the greatest fruitfulness) in the summer mode from 18 to 20 degrees of air and in the winter it is several degrees lower – from 16 to 18 degrees. Ardisia does not like heat and it invariably affects the number of berries. But during the period of active development, it will completely reconcile with traditional room temperatures.
To compensate for the heat, it is necessary to provide ardisia with high air humidity and good ventilation of the premises (but without drafts). But during a period of relative dormancy for this evergreen shrub, try to choose the coolest places in the house.
Air humidity, comfortable for ardisia
A very important parameter for growing ardisia is the provision of high air humidity. The minimum acceptable values for this evergreen shrub are 60%. Fortunately, maintaining a comfortable performance is easy enough for this room beauty.
Ardisia will respond with gratitude both to the installation of air humidifiers (both special devices and trays with wet pebbles, expanded clay, moss), and to regular spraying as the main measure of air humidification. The only “but”: after the beginning of flowering and during the ripening of the fruits, you cannot spray the plant. But as soon as the berries turn red and fully formed, you can resume the usual procedures.
Care for housekeeping at home
Watering for ardisia
Watering ardisia is quite standard. Maintaining a constant level of substrate moisture is the main task of flower growers. Ardisia loves stable growing conditions in terms of humidity and it is precisely the maintenance of light moisture that is the most difficult moment.
Ardisia do not like either drying out of the soil or its waterlogging. Each subsequent procedure should be carried out only after the topsoil has dried. After watering, it is better to immediately drain the water from the pallet.
Watering is adjusted seasonally. In spring and summer, they should be plentiful and more frequent, in winter they are reduced, and the moisture content of the substrate is brought to less than your ardisia is used to.
Pay attention to the water: for this plant, it must be soft, be sure to stand. Never water ardisia with too cold water: its temperature should be equal to the temperature of the air around the plant.
Top dressing for ardisia
Ardisia need a standard feeding scheme – from March to September. For them, universal mixtures of fertilizers for indoor plants are suitable. It is not necessary to create an excess of nutrients, therefore it is better to feed in reduced doses, but often – every week or 2 weeks.
Pruning ardisia
For this evergreen beauty, pruning is about forming a crown. Out-of-silhouette, too elongated shoots are cut in early spring, at the first signs of resumption of growth and before transplanting. It is better not to do too much pruning – slightly shorten the branches or pinch the ends.
Pollination of flowers
Ardisia is a plant that forms the largest number of berries only with outside help or when grown in pairs and groups. To achieve the most active fruiting, after flowering ardisia, pollinate the flowers with a brush, and after a few months you will see that the plant will form much more berries.
Ardisia transplant
Substrate: nutritious and loose, based on peat with an obligatory admixture of sand (preferably river). Pay attention to the acidity of the soil: ardisia needs a slightly acidic or neutral soil mixture.
It is better to transplant Ardisia not with a certain frequency, but as needed – only when the previous container becomes too tight for it (the roots are completely entwined with an earthen ball). Transplant is carried out in the spring, at the beginning of active growth.
Transplanting must be done very carefully: ardisia has symbiosis not only with bacteria on the leaves, but also with fungi that live on the roots. In order not to damage the endomycrosis, you need to carefully handle the plant, keep most of the earthy coma intact and in no case damage the root tissue.
Containers for ardisia need spacious, spectacular, larger in height than in width, preferably with a glossy surface. A powerful drainage layer must be laid on the bottom of the pots.
Kokedama (moss ball) with ardisia. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Ardisia crenata Bospremium
Pests and diseases
Often found:
- scale insects;
- spider mite;
- felt;
- thrips;
- chlorosis;
- fungal diseases.
Control measures:
- insecticides or fungicides;
- correction of care (for example, in case of chlorosis, it is necessary to use iron-containing fertilizers).
Ardisia development problems
Caused by improper care or selection of conditions:
- drying of the edges of the leaves at low air humidity, active drafts, improper watering;
- loss of leaf color and the appearance of dry spots in direct sunlight;
- the appearance of brown spots with excessive watering or fungal infections;
- too soft, curling leaves at low temperatures or temperature extremes.
Breeding methods for ardisia
Seeds
Berries for propagation are harvested in January, using only fruits with a diameter of up to 1 cm.After removing the soft tissues, the bone is washed and planted in a moist nutrient substrate to a depth of 1 cm.If you want to speed up the process, lightly file the hard seeds and soak them for 2-3 hours in growth stimulants.
After planting, the crops must be covered with a cap – glass or film. Ardisia can only germinate at a temperature of 18-20 degrees or slightly higher. Small shoots should not be touched. Only when they grow up and get stronger, they need to be planted in single pots and grown for 2-3 years, after which they should be transplanted into containers usual for ardisia.
Apical cuttings
This is a very complex and industrially applied method that requires strict control of conditions. Rooting of the tops of the shoots is possible only in the range from 24 to 28 degrees Celsius, in small individual pots and requires the brightest lighting and a very long time. You cannot pinch young plants as they grow: ardisia must form a crown on its own.
Ardisia in the interior
This berry exotic is ideal for the role of a cheerful accent, a solo soloist. Ardisia looks good:
- in the kitchen or dining room;
- in the decor of the dining table and bar;
- as a plant that decorates meals;
- in the role of a single window sill decoration, separated from other plants;
- in seasonal autumn and winter decor, when its bright red berries literally transform the room;
- in interiors with a focus on orange and red.
