Shiny in every sense, attractive in its exoticism and surprisingly bright – this is how kazura appears at the peak of its decorativeness. This is one of the most original ampelous cultures that can only be found in modern interiors. And one of the most difficult in nature. Raising a mysterious Japanese woman is not easy, and her winter temperature requirements are not quite typical. It is difficult to find another plant with an equally bright oriental character. According to these indicators, kadzura is comparable to rhododendrons.
Japanese kadsura (Kadsura japonica). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com KENPEI
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Japanese liana with luxurious foliage
Kazuru is rightly ranked among the most exotic ampelous cultures. This is one of the rarest indoor plants, which is a great success to find on sale. But our low popularity does not detract from the beauty of the kazura itself: after all, an ornamental flowering plant conquers at first sight even long before flowering – with the beauty of its glossy, non-standard colored foliage on flexible shoots.
Kadsura or Kazura (Kadsura) – a representative of the family Limonnikovs (Schisandraceae) of the order of Magnoliaceae. It is easy to guess about the family ties of the plant by its extraordinary picturesqueness and obviously Japanese charm. In nature, this plant is found in the subtropics and is traditionally associated with the flora of Japan, although you can admire the spectacular liana in both China and India. All the difficulties in the cultivation of kazura are connected with the need to recreate the not at all simple climatic conditions of the homeland.
Despite the fact that in nature the Kazura is not a monospecific genus at all, a single plant of 20 species is represented in room culture – kazura japanese (Kadsura japonica). This is not the largest, but the most spectacular representative of the genus.
Magnificent curly evergreen vines, in which both greenery and flowering are attractive – such are the rare in our country, but deserving much more popularity kazura. This plant has branches not only graceful, branching well enough, capable of reaching three meters in length, but also flaunt with their interesting bark.
The reddish-purple young twigs gradually change color to green, and the bark seems to only emphasize the glossy reflection of the leaves of the plant. It is impossible to talk about the greenery of the kazura other than the classical one. Elliptical, tapering at the ends, but not too pointed, up to 10 cm long, with a solid or coarsely toothed edge, showy leathery leaves seem extraordinarily beautiful. A shiny dark top and a matte light back accentuate the charm of the plant, as do the reddish petioles, which are usually as long as the leaves.
But the plant prepared the main surprise for the second half of the year: the closer to autumn, the more the crimson from the petioles makes its way onto the leaf plates, the leaves gradually turn purple, creating a watercolor crown with amazing color nuances. Of course, kadzura reaches its peak of decorativeness during flowering. But her crown is also very beautiful – massive, ornamental, imposing and majestic – kazura will decorate the interior at any time of the year.
The flowers of the Japanese kazura are single, but this does not detract from the beauty of its flowering in general. They bloom in the axils of the leaves, are distinguished by a unique fleshiness and an unusual color, similar to a watercolor miracle. This is a dioecious plant, either female or male flowers bloom on the liana, and they can be recognized only by the close stamens in male flowers and pistils gathered “in a bunch” in female flowers.
Touching miniature buds transforming into attractive white, yellowish or red-orange “fleshy” flowers up to 2 cm in diameter, and then (when growing two plants) into bright berries, emphasize the picturesque nature of the plant. Berry-shaped multifruit fruits with a diameter of only 0,5 cm look almost like artificial beads, sparkling with their red, rich color. During flowering, kadzura will pleasantly surprise you with a delicate, but very pleasant aroma. And the berries of this plant are not only beautiful, but also edible (and even medicinal).
In addition to the usual kadzurs with dark leaves, variegated – variegated – forms and varieties are on sale, on the leaves of which bright white, cream or yellow spots appear.
Caring for kazura japanese at home
Japanese kazura is not the most popular of the vines, but definitely one of the fastest growing and most special. If you provide her with a cool winter, then she can become one of the most spectacular giants in the room collection. She needs a systemic care, but not extremely difficult. This vine is suitable even for novice growers, it will pleasantly delight you with the change of colors, and the beauty of the leaves, and flowering, and even fruiting. True, for the latter, you will have to get a couple of plants.
Lighting for kazura japanese
Delicate and sensitive, kazura needs soft lighting. It should be protected from shading and direct sunlight. Diffused but bright lighting on east and west windowsills is ideal. When choosing the lighting, it should be remembered that in nature, kadzura mainly lives in forests, therefore it is the diffused lighting that is most comfortable for her.
Comfortable temperature
The main difficulties in growing this houseplant are associated with a cool winter. Kazura cannot hibernate in normal indoor conditions, almost all the leaves will dry out, and the shoots will become bare and elongated. The maximum allowable air temperature for it in winter is only 13 degrees. Optimum performance for wintering is 10-12 degrees.
But even during the active phase of development, in spring and summer, kazura does not respond well to heat. Restrained temperatures, close to 18-20 degrees, will be the most comfortable for this vine.
Japanese kadsura (Kadsura japonica)
Watering and air humidity
Japanese kazura needs very careful watering. This vine is very sensitive to waterlogging, and too generous watering can become significant stress for the plant. But drought does not have the best effect on the decorativeness of the plant, although it is easier to tolerate than dampness. Watering is carried out not too abundantly, evenly wetting the soil, but not overmoistening it. The frequency of watering is controlled by the drying out of the soil in the upper layer.
In winter, in cool temperatures, watering for kazura should be especially careful; before each procedure, you need to check how the substrate dries. Usually, if the recommendations for keeping temperatures in winter are observed, one watering every 2-3 weeks is enough for kazura, but the specific frequency is set only individually.
Like all plants native to warmer and more humid climates, kazura will prefer high or at least medium humidity. The more temperatures are outside the optimal range, the higher the humidity should be. It is not necessary to install humidifier devices or their artisanal counterparts for kazura: the plant is quite content with the usual spraying in spring and summer. But you can only use warm water for this.
Top dressing for Japanese kazura
During the period of active growth, which for this vine usually lasts from May to September, not too frequent feeding is carried out for the plant. The optimal strategy is 1 top dressing every 15-20 days, with a standard portion of fertilizers recommended by the manufacturer.
For kazura, despite the status of an ornamental-flowering culture, they use not special fertilizers for flowering plants, but complex, universal mixtures or fertilizers for ornamental-deciduous crops with a high content of microelements.
For this plant, feeding is carried out only in liquid form; long-term fertilizers cannot be used.
Pruning and tying
Kazuru is most often grown in ampelous form or in containers on stands that allow the spectacular plant to form cascades. But this does not mean that it cannot be grown in ordinary pots. Provided that reliable supports are installed, kazuru can be formed at your discretion, giving it certain contours or simply tying lashes to create an effective vertical.
Cropping a kazura is a very simple procedure. The plant blooms on the shoots of the current year, the shoots branch out and form a beautiful crown on their own. To achieve more beautiful flowering, it is enough to shorten all branches by 1-2 eyes every spring to stimulate more active growth.
Kazuru is rejuvenated or shaped as needed. If the plant’s shoots dry out, damage or stretch out, then they are cut to healthy tissues or healthy leaves. The plant does not need cardinal rejuvenation.
Transplant and substrate
Almost any high-quality substrate is suitable for Japanese kazura – universal, permeable, not rough in texture. If the soil is mixed independently, then you can combine equal parts of leafy, soddy and humus soil with sand.
Liana develops quite actively, quickly assimilates the substrate available to it, so it is best to transplant kazura annually. The transplant is carried out at any convenient time in the spring, but before the start of active growth. If the plant is old and massive, then instead of transplanting, you can replace the top layer of the soil, but still less often than once every 1-2 years, it is undesirable to transplant the kazuru.
When transplanting, a high drainage layer must be laid on the bottom of the containers. For this plant, large-sized drainage is used (shards, expanded clay, brick chips). The depth of the root collar remains the same. An earthen lump around the roots is, if possible, left intact, removing only loose and contaminated soil.
Кадсура японская (Kadsura japonica). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com tree nursery coonen
Diseases and pests
This rare Japanese woman can boast of her enviable resilience. True, there are gray rot on the kazurs, but even then for such a defeat it is necessary to seriously start the plant and make constant irrigation mistakes. If gray rot has infected the roots and shoots, then the plant needs an emergency transplant with partial cleaning and treatment with fungicides of the roots and cutting out the damaged aerial parts. After treatment, kazura is placed in a long quarantine with limited watering until growth is restored.
Pests on this vine are very rare. If the plant has suffered as a result of infection of the entire collection, then the fight against the rhinestone begins with insecticides, and then prophylactic treatments are carried out for several years.
Reproduction of kazura
This amazing ampelous plant is mainly propagated by cuttings, but you can get your own little kazura from seeds.
For cuttings, semi-lignified shoots are used, cutting off the top up to 15 cm long. The lower leaves must be removed. Cuttings of kadzura are treated with a growth accelerator, rooted not in an ordinary substrate, but in vermiculite – a mixture of equal parts of the substrate and vermiculite or peat and sand. Before burying the cuttings, the soil is disinfected and moistened with warm water. The cuttings are buried by 2-3 cm. The branches will be able to take root only at a stable high temperature of 22 to 25 degrees Celsius and under a hood.
It is easier to grow kazuru from seeds if you remove the berries that are not fully ripe. Purchased seeds are characterized by low germination. Sowing is carried out immediately after collection, in any universal substrate, covering the seeds on top with a thin layer of soil. Germination is carried out under a film or glass, at constant soil moisture. Young plants, after the appearance of a pair of true leaves, are transferred to individual pots and grown under a hood: the leaves fall off from dry air and unstable conditions. The plant is sensitive to soil compaction, therefore, when caring for it, they do not forget about loosening the soil.
