The beautiful Australian deeringia are considered rare cultures today. Neither delicate shoots, nor bright leaves, nor unusual fruiting have not returned the once popular plant to the lists of the best crops. But in terms of opportunities to put up with not the brightest lighting and decorate rooms that are not the most suitable for growing plants, deeringia have no equal. It is an unpretentious and hardy plant worth looking for.
Deeringia amaranthoides or Deeringia baccata. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Sheila’s collection
Rare non-standard vine
Deeringia is one of the most elusive indoor plants. Immediately after being imported into Europe, it was considered one of the most promising species, a culture perfect for exploring plants and their reproduction. But today, deeringia is more common in directory lists than on shelves or in catalogs. And this is not entirely fair: a unique evergreen beauty can surprise with unusual fruiting, and bright greenery, and a choice of growth form. And the grassy, light and lush greenery contrasts nicely with most indoor vines and shrubs.
There is a lot of confusion with the names of deeringia. Our plant, both in catalogs and in everyday life, is often formulated as “deerginia”, although the botanical name of the plant is deeringia. Both names can be used interchangeably, although the confusion over syllable placement is most likely due to a spelling error in the early catalogs.
Deeringia in room culture is represented by a single species – deeringiey amarantoid (Deeringia amaranthoides, the name is still more popular berry deeringia (Deeringia baccata), clearly indicating the main feature of the plant). The representative of the Amaranth family is significantly inferior in popularity to the most common plants, but it can also boast of a special decorative effect. Deeringia – Australian endemics, naturally occurring in a dry subtropical climate and do not lose their “habits” and size in indoor culture.
It is an evergreen shrub with thin drooping shoots, which can be classified as compact vines or semi-lianas. Thin and flexible twigs, capable of stretching up to 6 m in nature, and in room culture limited to 1-2 meters, form a lush crown, almost hidden under densely sitting medium-sized oval leaves with a pointed tip. The length of the leaves does not exceed 4 cm, the edge is solid. Deeringia is characterized by a very beautiful saturated medium green cold color. On sale, this berry beauty can also be found in variegated form. The white border on the leaves only emphasizes the special beauty of the greenery. The matte texture of the leaves remains an unnamed characteristic of both decorative forms and the base plant, which gives it a bluish effect. The leaves are thin and light, with prominent veins, fresh and “grassy” in appearance.
It is difficult to call the flowering of deeringia spectacular, it only precedes bright fruiting, but the lines of the inflorescences are very beautiful. Spike-shaped dense long inflorescences are collected in complex panicles of 2-5 pieces, bend arcuately, seem to be lashes or snakes, give the whole plant a graphic appearance. The flowers of the deeringia seem to shyly peep through, giving the “sticks” of the inflorescences an openwork neatness. The greenish color of the flowers on rather short stamens, merging with the axis of the inflorescences, attracts attention to the beautiful stamens. But deeringia reaches the peak of decorativeness when the flowers are replaced by rounded red berries. In a loose tassel, the berries look especially impressive, sparkling like beads in a precious jewelry. Externally, the seedlings are reminiscent of red currants and coffee.
Deeringia is a visually light and fresh plant. It revives the usual classic accents in the interior and brings variety to the collections. For all its massiveness, this half-liana looks like an elegant and revitalizing small garden miracle. Deeringia will do an excellent job of creating the effect of drowning in greenery without distorting the space. The possibility of forming allows the plant to be used in rooms of any size. In the absence of pruning or guiding measures, the plant may be exposed from below, the trunk thickens and, as it were, rises. Deeringia lose their compactness and attractiveness with age. If the plant looks sloppy or neglected, then it is better to either try to rejuvenate the bush by cardinal pruning, or replace the old specimens with those grown from cuttings.
Deeringia amaranthoides or Deeringia baccata. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Black Diamond
Caring for deering at home
Visual airiness fully reflects the ease of care: deeringia is an unpretentious and hardy liana, but it needs a systematic approach and the more beautiful the care is. It is desirable for her to provide a cool wintering. But otherwise, deeringia, if they can be found, can be recommended even to novice growers.
Lighting for deeringia
Deeringia berry is a shade-tolerant plant. It bears fruit luxuriantly in bright, but diffused lighting, but also perfectly tolerates shading. A strong shadow negatively affects the shoots, leads to stretching and paleness, but in partial shade and in the interior, at a short distance from the window, the plant develops without visible damage to decorativeness. In winter, it is better to increase the light intensity. In order not to lose the attractiveness of the leaves and to avoid stretching the shoots, it is better to rearrange the deerginia to lighter places. The plant can be supplemented, but since deerginia does not belong to the most light-loving crops, it usually does not need such measures.
Comfortable temperature
Deeringia amaranthoid tolerates temperature fluctuations very well. It grows both in temperature regimes that are standard for living rooms, and in cool rooms, it is not afraid of short-term cold snaps or heat. The plant will reveal its decorative effect in the spring-summer period both when kept in temperatures from 18 to 25 degrees, and at higher rates. In winter, during the dormant period, if deeringia is not grown for the sake of as abundant fruiting as possible, there is no need for the plant to create any special conditions. The shrub winters equally well at room temperatures and when it is cool. If you want to reveal all the beauty of the shrub, to achieve abundant flowering and the formation of berries, then for the wintering period it is better to provide a cool content with an average temperature of about 15 degrees. The main thing is that the temperatures do not fall below 13 degrees (stable 14-15 degrees deeringia is not terrible).
Deeringia, if desired, in the warm season can be used as a garden potted plant, even planted in mixed compositions. In the garden, the plant must be protected from a temperature drop of up to 10 degrees, bringing it indoors on cool days. Deerginia also feels great on balconies. At any time of the year, even in winter, it is important for the plant to provide fresh air and regular ventilation. Deeringia is not afraid of drafts.
Irrigation of deeringia and air humidity
Deeringia require very careful, gentle watering. Plants are sensitive to dampness, stagnation of water in the lower part of the earthen coma, therefore, after watering, the water is immediately drained, and the watering itself is made abundant, but frequent. The plant is not afraid of drought, but prolonged or complete drying out of the earthen coma can lead to partial shedding of leaves, cessation of growth, and loss of decorative effect. Therefore, deeringia must be provided with regular watering with control of soil drying, constant light moisture. In winter, watering is reduced depending on the rate of drying out of the substrate, slightly reducing the humidity compared to the summer period. The higher the air temperature, the more often and more abundantly the plant needs to be watered. If the deeringia is taken out into fresh air, then it needs more generous watering.
For this, plants use standard settled water for irrigation, the same temperature as the air in the room.
Deeringia tolerates even the hottest temperatures well. But as soon as the indicators exceed 23-24 degrees, the plant needs to start spraying. Additional spraying helps deerings to cope with both excessive heat and dry air when heating appliances are operating. Installation of humidifiers is not necessary.
It is advisable to regularly wipe the leaves of the plant from dust. With a frequency of about once a month, showering or washing is carried out (but not at the stage of flowering and fruiting, when it is better to clean it by hand). For deeringia, you can use leaf shine enhancers.
Deeringia amaranthoides or Deeringia baccata. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Sheila’s collection
Feeding for deeringia
Fertilizers for this plant are applied at a standard frequency. Additional feeding will be needed for deeringia only during the period of active growth, from March to the end of September, with a frequency of about 1 time in 2 weeks. It is necessary to stop and resume feeding gradually, either by slowly increasing and decreasing the frequency of procedures, or using reduced doses of fertilizers with a standard frequency.
For deeringia, complete complex fertilizers are used – universal fertilizer mixtures, since all three basic macronutrients are equally important for this crop and needs in equal proportions.
Trimming and shaping deeringia
Deeringia, with its slender shoots, can grow both as a half-liana on supports, and as a sprawling, bushy houseplant with some formative measures. Usually, when it reaches a height of 1 m, the plant loses its compactness, splendor and decorative effect, therefore, if it is not planned to tie the shoots to a support, pruning and controlling pinching must be introduced into the care program. Deergyny is restrained by pinching the tips of young branches during the entire active period of growth. Pruning to give more compact and neat contours is carried out in the spring, after transplanting.
Transplant and substrate
Deeringia usually develop quite actively, and for these plants in the first years, annual transplantation is preferable. It is carried out at the end of February or March, when the first signs of the beginning of growth appear. Only adults and large deeringia are transplanted with a frequency of 1 every 2 years, but in early spring they still carry out a procedure for partial replacement of the upper layer of the substrate in pots every year.
Deeringia have a powerful root system. The plant itself, although visually light, requires the choice of large, with a height slightly more than width, stable containers. The support is installed before the plant is transplanted.
Deeringia can be planted in any quality substrate. It is suitable for both a universal soil mixture and substrates for decorative deciduous plants. The main thing is that the soil is loose, nutritious and permeable. The substrate for the plant can be prepared independently by mixing turf soil with sand, peat and leafy soil in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.
When transplanting a plant, it is better not to destroy the main earthy coma, removing only free and contaminated substrate. The plant is rolled over, maintaining the same level of deepening. At the bottom of the pots for deeringia, a high layer of drainage must be laid.
Deeringia amaranthoides or Deeringia baccata
Diseases and pests of deeringia
Deeringia is considered one of the most resistant indoor plants; with normal care, it is not afraid of pests or diseases. Dampness and overflow turn into the spread of various types of rot. If the plant is in dry air in the heat, then there may be problems with spider mites, aphids, scale insects, mealybugs. It is better to deal with problems right away with insecticides or fungicides, supplementing the treatment of an isolated plant with adjusting the care or conditions.
Common problems in growing deeringia:
- stretching shoots in insufficient lighting;
- shedding leaves during hypothermia;
- lethargic, faded appearance, drooping leaves in the heat;
- yellowing, spots on the leaves with improper watering.
- blanching of leaves with insufficient feeding;
- lack of flowering with the wrong wintering regime and improper feeding.
Reproduction of deeringia
The berry plant is very easy to propagate by vegetative methods.
In indoor conditions, only one, the main and most productive method of propagation is used – cuttings. Both stem and apical cuttings, when treated with growth stimulants under the hood, take root within a few weeks. Cuttings are cut during the period of active growth, you can use the shoots left after pruning. For cuttings, only shoots with 2 – 3 pairs of leaves, with an oblique cut, are used. For deeringia, rooting is carried out in a standard substrate or in a mixture of substrate and sand. Stable temperatures from 20 to 23 degrees Celsius and an average constant moisture content of the substrate are very important. Rooted cuttings are planted both one at a time and in small groups to obtain more lush bushes and quickly achieve decorativeness.
