Akalifa (Acalypha) - a perennial decorative and deciduous plant of the family Euphorbiaceae, growing in two life forms: bush and ampel. The homeland of Akalifa is the tropical forests of Malaysia and New Guinea. Under natural conditions, some varieties can reach a height of 2 meters; when grown indoors, the length of shoots of acalifa usually does not exceed 1 meter.
The stems of the plant are very flexible, covered with leaves of a lanceolate or oval shape, the color of the leaf plate varies from light green to red-brown. The flowers are small, collected in long flowering inflorescences-ears of raspberry red hue. Flowering akalifa with properly organized care can continue year-round.
See also how to grow a room jatropha.
| Growth rate is high. | |
| It blooms almost the whole year with proper care. Be sure to prune the bloomed flowers. | |
| The plant is easy to grow. | |
| It is a perennial plant. |
Useful properties of Akalifa
Growing akalifa in a room helps to improve the environmental situation in the room. This is expressed in a decrease in the amount of dangerous microflora in the air and the normalization of electrostatics. In addition, the presence of the plant in the home stabilizes the positive energy of the surrounding space and has a calming effect on the person in the room.
The poison of Akalifa
All parts of the plant contain a certain amount of toxic substances, so Akalif should be kept away from children and pets.
Akalifa: home care. Briefly
| Temperature mode | In the summer period - about + 23 ° C, in winter - about + 15 ° C. |
| Air humidity | Increased (not less than 50%), spraying of the plant during active vegetation is allowed (except for the flowering period). |
| Lighting | Bright, but diffuse, in the shade, the leaves of the plant turn pale, and under the "direct" sun they become covered with burn spots. |
| Watering | Regular, in summer - at least 2 times a week, in winter - as the topsoil dries. |
| Soil for Akalifa | Fertile, well-drained. Suitable and adapted substrate from a flower shop, and a self-prepared mixture of turf land, peat, humus and sand. |
| Fertilizer and fertilizer | Through irrigation with solutions of liquid complex preparations during the entire period of active vegetation (2-3 times a month). |
| Akalifa transplant | In the spring or summer months. In adult plants, it is enough to renew the topsoil in a pot every year. |
| Breeding | In the spring through sowing seeds or planting apical cuttings. |
| Growing Features | To preserve the maximum decorativeness of Akalif at home, it needs an annual forming and sanitary trimming of shoots to half their length. Once every 3-5 years, the plant is recommended to be cut to a height of 20-30 cm. |
Care for acalifa at home. In detail
Flowering acalifa
The flowering period of Akalifa is not tied to a specific season and can last year-round. Inflorescences of the plant consist of many small raspberry-red flowers collected in fluffy ears, the length of which in some species reaches half a meter.
To keep the Akalifa decorative, fading flowers must be regularly removed from it.
Temperature mode
The heat-loving Akalifa feels comfortable in a room whose air temperature in the summer is + 21- + 25 ° C, in winter - + 12- + 16 ° C. If the room is hot, the plant will stretch and lose its decorative and attractive appearance, when lower temperature to a minimum flower will slow down in growth and may become sick.
In addition, drafts are dangerous for akalifa, so it is not recommended to take it to fresh air even in summer.
Spraying
A tropical plant of Akalif at home needs to maintain a constantly high humidity environment. Throughout the growing season (with the exception of the flowering period), acalifa should be regularly sprayed from the spray bottle with warm, settled water, directing the sprayer not directly onto the foliage, but slightly higher.
Lighting
Home Akalifa is very photophilous, but she should be protected from direct sunlight. The best place to place the plant is the western or eastern window, you can put a flower pot on the southern windowsill, but during the hours when the sun is especially active, the plant will have to be additionally shaded. But in the constant shadow of the Akalifa quickly loses its decorative effect: its shoots are extended, the leaves turn pale and fade.
Watering
It is necessary to water the Akalifa throughout the year regularly and moderately, avoiding the drying up of an earthen coma. It is especially important to monitor soil moisture on hot summer days.
In winter, watering is reduced to the minimum necessary.
Akalifa pot
Akalifa grows best in a cramped pot, but go to extremes and choose a very small capacity for a flower. The root system of the plant should be comfortably placed in a pot and be able to further development.
Priming
Akalifa does not impose special requirements on the composition of the soil, it is only important that the soil is light enough and that it passes moisture and air well. The optimal composition of the substrate for the plant: turf and leafy soil, peat, humus and sand, mixed in equal proportions.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
Care for acalifa at home should necessarily include regular feeding with complex mineral fertilizers, which should be applied from the beginning of spring to mid-autumn every 2-3 weeks.
Organic fertilizers (for example, biohumus) can be periodically used as top dressings.
Akalifa transplant
Young specimens grow very quickly, so they should be transplanted into larger pots every year. Transplantation of an acalifa that has reached adulthood is carried out once every 3-4 years, and old highly grown specimens can simply be reloaded in a new container every few years or periodically updated in a permanent pot topsoil.
Pruning akalifa
To make the plant look neat and well-groomed, it is subjected to forming pruning every spring in the course of which the shoots are shortened by at least half their length. Once every few years, Akalifa is rejuvenated, cutting all its stems to a height of 20-30 cm. To accelerate the "fouling" of the stumps of young shoots, the plant can be sprayed with a solution of zircon.
Rest period
Akalifa does not need a full rest period at home. Reducing daylight hours can be a signal for a short rest of the plant, during this time it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering and stop the application of fertilizing.
Growing acalifa from seeds
Sowing of seeds is carried out at the beginning of spring in a light soil mixture of sheet soil and sand, optimal germination temperature is + 20- + 22 ° C. For future seedlings, it is better to create a mini plate, in it the seeds will germinate faster. When the seedlings reach a height of 2-3 cm, they should be pecked in separate pots, subsequent care for young plants is carried out according to the same rules as for adults.
Propagation of akalifa by cuttings
The vegetative method of propagation is suitable for all types of akalifa with some reservations: variegated varieties can be cut all year round, akalifa bristly-hairy - only in spring. Cuttings root in small plates in a loose substrate consisting of peat and sand.
Before planting, cut sections of shoots are recommended to be treated with any root formation stimulator. The plants take root and begin to grow quite rapidly. After 1.5 months after planting the cuttings, their tops need to be pinched so that the young Akalifs better bush.
Diseases and Pests
Akalifa is hardy and not demanding on growing conditions, but with significant violations of the rules for caring for the plant and it can be subjected to diseases and pest attacks. Inexperienced gardeners face the following problems:
Akalifa leaves turn yellow and fall - the plant does not have enough moisture, it is urgent to eliminate violations of the irrigation regime, otherwise the flower will completely lose its decorative effect;- acalifa leaves wither and fall - It is probably too cold in the room where the flower is located. In order to restore a healthy appearance to the Akalifa, it should be moved to where the temperature regime necessary for the plant is observed;
- pale leaves of acalifa indicate a depletion of nitrogen reserves in the soil, the plant must be fed with appropriate fertilizer;
- Akalifa is slowly growing - The reason also lies in the lack of nitrogen and other important micro and macro elements. The problem is solved by regular feeding;
- brown spots on the leaves of akalifa - this is evidence of infection of the plant with a fungal disease, in order to stop its spread, the flower is treated with a suitable fungicidal preparation.
Akalifa leaves turn yellow and fall - the plant does not have enough moisture, it is urgent to eliminate violations of the irrigation regime, otherwise the flower will completely lose its decorative effect;Among the pests that pose a real danger to Akalifa, one can distinguish aphids, scale insects, thrips and mealybug. Special insecticides for indoor plants help effectively deal with them.
Types of home Akalifa with photos and names
Akalifa Wilks (Acalypha wilkesiana)
An artificially bred variety that has straight shoots lignified with growth, simple large oval or heart-shaped leaves and small raspberry-red flowers collected in inflorescences. The peculiarity of the species is in the unusual color of the leaf plates, which can have various shades from pale green to mottled brown.
Forms of Akalifa Wilkes:
- Godseffiana (Godseffiana) - a plant with heavily pubescent dark green leaves that have a golden border around the edges.
- Mosaic (Musaica) - a plant that has large leaves of a red-brown hue with small dark spots.
Akalifa bristly-hairy, Akalifa bristly, red cat's tail (Acalypha hispida)
Shrub species, characterized by bright green color of leaves and unusually long (up to half a meter) spikelet inflorescences. This akalifa is most widespread in indoor floriculture among all varieties.
Akalifa Haitian, cat's tail (Acalypha hispaniolae)
Ampel plant variety with thin flexible shoots about 30 cm long. The leaves of this acaliph are oval in shape with serrated edges, painted in a dark green shade. Inflorescences are collected in short soft spikelets of red color.
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