Bokarneya bent – domesticated culture

Bocarneya is a genus of tropical perennials of the Nolin subfamily, which grows in the wild only in the southern regions of Mexico and America. the species are domesticated and cultivated as ornamental houseplants – these include a bent turnip.

Bokarneya bent – odo machine culture

Botanical characteristic

Bokarneya, or Nolina, in natural conditions of growth reaches a height of 10 m with a trunk diameter of about 1 m.

When grown home, it grows up to 2 m. It looks like a palm tree.

Because of the unusual appearance in the people, beaucarnea got the names of the elephant foot, bottle tree and horse tail.

Description:

• the barrel looks like a swollen bottle, has a thickening at the bottom, designed to accumulate moisture and nutrients, covered with races cracked bark, light brown or grayish color;
• the root system is predominantly developed in breadth.
• the leaves are narrow, erect or falling, length 0.3-1.0 m, the ends are pointed, the surface is hard leathery, the longitudinal veins are pronounced, the color is dark green;
• blooms with small inflorescences , a creamy shade with a strong pleasant smell;
• seeds are brown, the shape is round, flat.

Blossoms only in the wild or in greenhouse conditions. Flowering is observed in summer at high temperatures.

Species

The genus has about 30 subspecies, including several domesticated varieties.

• N. recurvata, unbent. Often grown at home variety. The recurvate has a typical trunk with a well-formed caudex. The branching is minimal. The crown is formed by a rosette of long foliage with a leathery surface structure.
• N.longifolia, long leaved. In home gardening is rare. It features a powerful trunk covered with cork-shaped bark. It has large leaves, which, as they die, close the trunk in the form of a skirt. Unlike bent, in the long-leaved branching is increased.
• N.lindheimeriana, Lindmeyer variety. Most similar to the description of a palm tree. Reaches the highest possible height. Dark green leafy crowns form on long thin shoots growing from caudex. The leaves are winding, sometimes descend to the surface of the earth.
• N.matapensis, Matap. It features a small height (not more than 1.8 m) and a very dense wide crown.

Rules for the purchase and adaptation

The best time to buy a bottle tree is spring. During the spring-summer season, it manages to go through the adaptation period and prepare for the cold season.

The price depends on variety and, on average, is about 1000 rubles.

Pay attention to the appearance plant. In a healthy person:

• the foliage is saturated in color, without spots, signs of diseases and pests;
• the root system is intact.

Newly bought home the succulent needs a two-week quarantine during which it is not fed and transplanted.

Growing conditions

The desert succulent is not demanding on the conditions and will survive with minimal care.

He prefers a lit place on the south or southwest window sill.

• In a natural environment, grows on a rocky infertile younger.
• Light water-absorbing and breathable substrate suitable for succulents is suitable for home growing.

In the prepared soil, expanded clay or gravel is added to increase aeration.

You can prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing clay soil, humus, coarse sand, small pebbles (expanded clay mixture) in the proportions of 1: 1: 0.5: 0.5.

Bokarney needs special soil

For prophylactic protection against the development of fungal infections, it is recommended to add charcoal or activated charcoal in a small amount.

Humidity

Humidity is not particularly important for a desert plant. Flower culture does not require spraying. Humidification on foliage is possible, avoiding getting on the trunk.

Temperature

Nolina is a desert perennial. The optimum temperature for home cultivation:

• in the summer – 20-25 ° C;
• in the winter – not lower than 10 ° C.

B The summer season is recommended for outdoor use with protection from precipitation and drafts.

Lighting

The excess of light is not afraid, but susceptible to direct sunlight. On the contrary, in the absence of sufficient illumination fades and dies. To avoid bending the stem, the flower pot should be rotated periodically every 1-2 weeks clockwise by 45 ° C.

The required daylight hours are 12 hours or more.

Care

Watering

Due to caudesque, the succulent can easily tolerate short-term drought surrounded by dry air and needs limited watering. It is watered in summer in the summer up to half a month, in winter it is reduced to a minimum or completely stopped, becausethe plant receives moisture from the surrounding atmosphere through foliage.

Nolina needs watering as soon as its trunk begins to wrinkle and becomes less elastic.

It is susceptible to overflow. When reducing the amount of moisture, the thickening narrows in diameter. With an increase in the volume of watering procedures, the stem base expands. Because of this feature, you can grow Nolina of the desired width with a large bulb and sparse foliage or with a thin trunk and a rich crown. mainly in the summer. Since the fall, top dressing is reduced to a minimum. In winter, the home plant is not fertilized. In this case, the concentration specified in the instructions is reduced by 3-4 times. The frequency of application is up to once every 3 weeks.

Transplant

A small but wide pot with drainage holes with a height / ratio is suitable for planting a bottle tree with surface-growing roots width 1/3. Drainage should occupy at least a third of the volume of the pot capacity.

A young plant is transplanted annually to ensure the full development of the root system. Adult succulents require a transplant every 3-4 years. For a room flower, which is already about 20 years old, they cost replacing the surface layer of the earth with 5 cm of depth.

A young plant is transplanted once a year

Transplant technology:

• the cannula is removed from the old pot;
• the root system is inspected for decay, with signs of overflow, it is dried for several hours, rotted fragments are cut off and sprinkled with crushed activated or charcoal;
• in the pot container organize a drainage layer, pour a substrate on top, forming a hill in the central part;
• the flower is set in the center, they smooth out the soil, fill it with soil, leaving the entire trunk on the surface, compact the voids;
• they cover it with small stones for stability;
• put it in partial shade for 2-3 days, do not water it.

To increase the decorativeness, flower growers often use group planting, planting 3-5 plants of the same age at once in one pot. Succulents are planted so that their trunks are in contact, because as they develop, they grow together in a single base with several tops.

Pruning

Flower crop does not need pruning and crown formation, because branching is rarely observed at home cultivation . Cut damaged shoots and withered foliage.

Propagation methods

At home, Nolina is propagated by vegetative methods (cuttings) and by the generative method (seed).

Seed

For seed propagation, the bottom of a wide tank is laid with a sand mixture 2-3 cm thick. A similar layer of light soil is poured on top, then another 1-2 cm of sand.

Seeds are soaked in a solution of Epin or Zircon for 5-10 hours, laid out on a substrate at a distance of 2 cm, covered with plastic wrap and put in place with a temperature of 25 ° C, airing the plantings daily, opening a film cover.

For seed propagation, only high-quality planting material is suitable. Even high-value seeds germinate very unevenly.

As the roots grow, they use a toothpick to point down, not separating the seed from the seedling. After about 30 days after emergence, the film is replaced with a plastic container with holes made upside down.

When the shoots reach 2 months, they are dived and transplanted into independent pots six months later.

Cuttings

For propagation, take side cuttings, which rarely grow in home breeding conditions, because this method is rarely used by flower growers.

Technology:

• the sprout is cut from the mother plant to a length of 10 cm;
• the stalk is cleaned from the lower foliage;
• planting section treated with a root stimulant;
• planted in a slope into a mixture of sand, vermiculite and peat, taken in equal proportions;
• covered with a glass jar on top, creating a greenhouse effect;
• put the pot in a well-lit place at a temperature of 25 ° C, periodically ventilating the greenhouse and moistening the soil;
• the shelter is removed when a pair of young leaves appear on the handle;
• o provide care as an adult plant.