Tabernemontana - home care, photo species and varieties

Tabernemontana (Tabernaemontana) - a perennial evergreen shrub of the Kutrov family, living in hot countries with a humid climate and reaching a height of several meters. The birthplace of tabernemontans is South Asia.

Under indoor growing conditions, the shrub usually grows no more than 1 meter in height. Its numerous shoots are highly branched; they are covered by oppositely arranged large leathery leaves of a juicy green hue.

A plant can bloom in comfortable conditions year-round. Its inflorescences combine up to 20 medium-sized flowers with smooth or corrugated petals of a snow-white or cream shade, many varieties have a very delicate aroma.

See also how to grow indoor plumeria and diplomacy.

Tabernemontana: home care. Briefly

Care for tabernemontana at home. In detail

Flowering tabernemontana

Tabernemontan plant at home with proper care is able to bloom continuously throughout the year. Inflorescences appear on the tops of young shoots and consist of 3-20 snow-white or cream flowers with smooth or double petals (depending on variety). The flowers of most varieties have a pleasant aroma, similar to jasmine.

What to do to make tabernemontana bloom in winter

In order to admire the lush flowering of tabernemontana in winter, care should be taken as usual throughout the year. The plant is watered abundantly, but sparingly, the room temperature is maintained at + 22 ° C, top dressing is carried out every 2 weeks.

If necessary, additional illumination of the bushes with artificial light sources will be required.

Temperature mode

During the period of active growth, home taberne montana most feels most comfortable at an air temperature of about + 22 ° C, but in winter the plant needs to organize cooler conditions of keeping, lowering the temperature to + 15 ° C.

Spraying

For tabernemontana, increased humidity is important, especially if the air temperature in the room where it grows is higher than + 20 ° С. The plant favors regular spraying of foliage with warm, settled water. The procedure is carried out every 2-3 days, taking care of the protection of flowers and buds from moisture on them.

Lighting

For active growth and abundant flowering, a plant needs a lot of light, but direct sunlight is allowed on the crown only in the morning and evening. A pot of tabernemontana is best placed on the eastern or western windowsill.

A flower placed on the south window should be shaded during the hot midday hours.

Watering

In the warm season, the plant is watered abundantly 1-2 times a week, but between the irrigations allow the soil to dry out about half the depth. Water for irrigation is taken at room temperature, always clean, settled. In winter, the plant is watered less often, so that moisture does not stagnate in the soil at the roots.

Tabernemontana pot

The capacity for the plant is selected deep and wide with a drain hole to remove excess moisture. The pot should be such that, if necessary, you can easily shake out the roots of the flower along with an earthen lump. It is not worth buying containers in the shape of a ball, with recesses and recesses on the inner surface for tabernemontana.

Tabernemontana primer

The substrate for tabernemontana should be breathable and slightly acidified. You can buy a suitable mixture in a flower shop or prepare it yourself by mixing in equal proportions sheet, sod and coniferous land with peat and coarse sand.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Home care for tabernemontana includes regular feeding with liquid phosphorus-potassium fertilizers that do not contain lime. The procedures are carried out 2-3 times a month during the entire period of active vegetation.

Transfer

Tabernemontana has a rather fragile root system, therefore, any manipulations with it are not particularly well tolerated. The plant is transplanted, as necessary, no more than once every 2-3 years, when the pot becomes small or the soil completely loses its nutritional properties.

Tabernemontana transplantation is carried out by the method of transshipment without destroying the earthen coma.

Trimming Tabernemontana

A beautiful crown of tabernemontan at home forms independently without additional pruning. You need to trim only those plants that, as a result of improper care, stretch or twist the shoots, are sloppy in shape and grow "crookedly".

Rest period

Tabernemontane rests are arranged in the winter months, when there is no way to provide it with full conditions for active growth and flowering. For the rest period, the plant is transferred to a cool room with an air temperature of about + 15 ° C, watering is reduced, and top dressing is temporarily canceled completely.

Growing tabernemontana from seeds

Sowing seeds is carried out in a wet substrate, the container is covered with glass or film. At a temperature of about + 18 ° C, seeds germinate in about a month. Seedlings develop slowly, often die due to inappropriate growth conditions. Such a young plant can bloom only 2 years after sowing.

Propagation of tabernemontana by cuttings

Planting material is cut from semi-lignified shoots of the mother plant. Cuttings should be about 10 cm long and have 2-3 pairs of unfolded leaflets. Rooting can be carried out in water or a peat-sand mixture, to accelerate the process, the slices are pre-treated with a root stimulator.

Roots are formed slowly, so it can take up to 2 months to fully root. If the seedling has started to grow, it can be transplanted into an individual pot, in favorable conditions it can bloom in a year.

Diseases and Pests

Exotic tabernemontana has a rather non-capricious character. She does not make impracticable requirements for the conditions of indoor cultivation, but reacts to errors in care by negative changes in appearance.

• Tabernemontana leaves (chlorosis) turn yellow due to inappropriate soil or irrigation with too cold hard water. The plant needs to be transplanted into the correct substrate and establish a regime of watering.
• Tabernemontana leaves fade and turn yellow in too acidic soil or when root rot appears. An urgent inspection of the root system, removal of its damaged areas and transplantation into the correct substrate will help save the flower from death.
• The shoots are pulled if the lighting of the plant is poorly organized. In this case, tabernemontan needs to be moved to a brighter place.
• Tabernemontana buds fall not blooming if the room is too hot and low humidity. The room should be regularly ventilated (but keep the flower from drafts), and the plant should be sprayed with warm clean water.
• Tabernemontana leaves fall in the process of updating the plant. This is a completely natural process, not a sign of illness or a mistake in care.
• Tabernemontana leaves are stratified with insufficient watering or lack of nutrients. The plant needs to organize the optimal regime of watering and feeding.
• White droplets appear on the underside of the leaves. with excessive soil moisture or after a sharp temperature drop. It is also possible that these are traces of flower parasites. A flower is inspected, treated with an insecticide if necessary, comfortable conditions for growth are arranged for it.
• The flower does not grow well, leaves turn yellow, buds do not form - Most likely the roots are cramped in the pot, a transplant into a larger container is required.
• The edges of the leaves darken and dry with low humidity and irrigation regime violations. The regulation of these care components helps solve the problem.
• Dark spots on the petals may be due to excessive watering. The soil in the pot between waterings should be slightly dried.
• Openings on the leaves appear due to irregular watering. Even short-term drying of the soil should not be allowed, because of it the plant quickly loses its decorative effect.

Scabies, aphids, mealybugs and spider mites are dangerous for tabernemontans. When they appear, plants are immediately treated with special insecticidal preparations.

Types of homemade tabernemontana with photos and names

Tabernemontana divaricata (lat.Tabernaemontana divaricata)

The most popular variety in indoor floriculture with densely branched shoots and large leathery leaves of a dark green hue. Inflorescences are very lush, combine up to 20 pcs. snow-white flowers with corrugated petals and a delicate jasmine aroma.

Elegant Tabernemontana or Elegance (Tabernaemontana elegans)

Unpretentious variety with narrow elongated leaves of a juicy green hue. The flowers are large, non-double, white or cream color, collected in umbrella inflorescences of 3-10 pieces. Their aroma is very weak unlike other varieties.

Crowned Tabernemontana (lat.Tabernaemontana coronaria)

Compact highly branched shrub with embossed oval leaves of a dark green hue. Umbrella inflorescences appear on the tops of shoots and combine up to 15 medium-sized flowers with non-double petals of a pure white hue with a pronounced aroma.

Tabernemontana Holst (lat.Tabernaemontana holstii)

A rare variety with elongated oval leaves in a juicy green color. The flowers are snow-white, large enough, with an unusual shape of the petals - long and curved, similar to the blades of a propeller.

Tabernemontana sanango (lat.Tabernaemontana sananho)

A spectacular plant with large, very dense leaves of a deep green hue and unusual flowers, the thin snow-white petals of which are intricately twisted along the entire length.