Coniferous plants in the house - mission possible. Conifers in pots - growing on a balcony and terrace

Domestic conifers are not only exotic, but also useful because of their phytoncides, which heal the air, but as room culture are rarely used despite the fact that they are fashionable and modern.

domestic coniferous trees

There are mainly two reasons for caution in relation to coniferous houseplants. This is capricious character evergreens and high price them on the market for sale.

Meanwhile, not all conifers are difficult and capricious in cultivation. The so-called indoor Christmas trees have long been known, which not only grow, but also multiply in the conditions of a room or greenhouse culture.

Despite the optimistic approach to growing conifers in room conditions, it should be taken into account that the joint stay of traditional indoor plants and fastidious conifers, even certain species, is hardly possible. Therefore, it is necessary to tune in to the choice of one direction or another, without losing reasonable enthusiasm. After all, conifers are also successfully grown in industrial greenhouses, and not only in open ground!

The genus of conifers is very numerous and diverse, numbering about 800 species, only two or three are able to grow and multiply under indoor conditions.

For growing conifers at home, araucaria excelsa of the “Compact” and “Bidwilli” forms, elegant araucaria, or multi-leaved, as well as large-fruited cypress, are most suitable.

These photos show:

Indoor coniferous plants, successfully grown at home
Indoor coniferous plants successfully grown at home

Large-fruited cypress in the photo

Cypress large-fruited- this slender tree with a thin trunk and feathery horizontal tetrahedral branches can decorate the interior of an apartment, office, hall and winter garden. The scale-like greenery of cypress, like needles, has the same fresh aroma.

By it's nature conifer tree cypress is not a houseplant, but with proper care it can grow successfully for many years. The main difficulty is its winter content in the room. Plants do not tolerate high temperatures, dry air. To grow this conifer at home, he needs a lot of light, air and a cool room. This is ideal. But in practice, good results are obtained with the winter content of cypress on sunny windows when ventilated from the window.

If the plants were in the room in the spring, it is not recommended to expose them to the air in the summer. In the autumn, brought into the room, they immediately lose their needles.

This does not apply to plants kept in winter at a temperature of +6...+10°C in cool rooms or in winter gardens. In summer they can be displayed on balconies, gardens or terraces provided they are protected from direct sunlight.

When caring for this coniferous plant at home, do not forget that cypress is very moisture-loving. Therefore, watering becomes essential, especially in summer. In autumn and winter, watering is reduced, but at the same time the clod of earth should not dry out. Particular attention should be paid to watering in winter, when the soil in flower pots dries quickly from heating.

Water for irrigation needs settled, room temperature. Very useful daily spraying (morning and evening) with cool water.

Plants should be transplanted when young shoots appear. The container is taken in diameter and height more than the previous one by only 1.5-2.0 cm. In general, cypress does not like large pots. The land for transplantation is prepared clay-turf with the addition of sheet, coniferous and coarse-grained sand. When growing this coniferous plant at home, it is necessary to ensure good drainage. Since specialized stores have a wide range of soil mixtures, including for conifers, it is better to buy it there.

When transplanting plants, it must be borne in mind that they do not tolerate deepening. The root neck should be at the level of the soil surface.

Once or twice a month, it is desirable to feed with special mineral fertilizers for coniferous plants, but at a low concentration.

Cypress is not damaged by pests except spider mite, which appears in dry air and high temperature in the room.

The reproduction of these coniferous plants at home is carried out in the same way as the reproduction of araucaria.

Good to know:

• Most dwarf cypress trees have a strict symmetrical shape. Therefore, they are especially suitable for alpine slides based on symmetry.
• Cypress trees need soil containing calcium.

Araucaria excelsa in the photo

Araucaria excelsa (noble) native to South Africa and Australia. A beautiful tree up to 1.5-2 m in height, with the correct tiered arrangement of whorled branches. The needles of this plant are linear-awl-shaped, tiled. In the form of the "Compact" form, it is light green bright color. In the Bidwilly form, the needles, on the contrary, are dark, with a bluish tint.

There are three ways to propagate this coniferous plant at home: seeds, cuttings and layering. When cutting branches from the axillary buds, shoots appear. The tops of the shoots are the best cutting material. Cuttings from the mother plant are taken only from vertically growing shoots. Lateral do not give apical growth, but only horizontal.

To propagate these conifers at home, the cuttings are cut at the end of August, when the shoots begin to woody. They are planted for rooting in small pots (7 cm in diameter) with clean, washed, coarse sand.

In January - February, the cuttings that have formed callus are transplanted into new pots, 9 cm in diameter, adding heather or leaf ground. Good drainage is required. The temperature of the content of newly planted plants is +20...+25°.

In June, the plants are taken out (dropped) in open ground. Sun protection and regular watering is required. In September, they are transferred to 12 cm pots and placed in a bright, cool room (+8...+10°).

With the seed method of reproduction, only freshly ripened seeds are used. After 2 weeks after collection, they may lose their germination. To grow these coniferous plants at home, oblong-shaped seeds at one end to half are placed in a pot (5-7 cm) filled with leafy soil in half with sand and pieces of charcoal. From above, the sowing is covered with wet moss.

Despite the coolness, the plant needs light, not direct, but quite intense. In summer, araucaria should be taken out into the air in partial shade.

Araucaria is rejuvenated in a very peculiar way, at the age of 6-7 years. top the trunk is enclosed in a pot with light earth, having previously made a shallow incision around the circumference of the trunk. After rooting, the top is carefully cut off, getting young plant desired height. From the hemp remaining on the mother plant, new shoots appear. Their tops can be used for cuttings.

See a photo of how to propagate a coniferous indoor plant araucaria excelsa at home:

Araucaria excelsa
Araucaria excelsa

Araucaria variegated in the photo

Araucaria heterophyllous(high) more often comes to us as an import from Scandinavia.

Her homeland is Brazil, the islands of New Caledonia, where whole thickets various kinds araucaria form light, transparent forests. Araucaria was brought to Europe after the expedition of the legendary Captain Cook.

As you can see in the photo, this coniferous home plant is a small tree up to 1 m high, resembling correct location tiers of whorls artificial Christmas tree:

Araucaria heterophyllous
Araucaria heterophyllous

The needles are light green, the trunk is erect.

In summer, the plant needs bright, but not direct light and a well-ventilated area. In the spring-summer period - plentiful and frequent watering, however, without stagnation of water in the pan. Stagnation of water is the cause of the death of the roots, yellowing of the needles and hanging of the branches, which are not restored later even with the normalization of the water regime.

This plant is useful top dressing full mineral fertilizer low concentration (the rate of the drug indicated in the instructions is halved). The feeding interval is 2-3 weeks.

When caring for these coniferous plants at home with the establishment of a constant summer temperature, it is better to take araucaria out into the air, shading from direct sun. In hot weather, dry air is detrimental to the plant, so frequent spraying with water is required. In the process of growth, it is necessary to constantly rotate the plant around its axis for uniform development of the crown.

In winter, this type of araucaria, like the previous one, is also kept in a cool but bright room. Ideal - in winter garden or on a warm terrace.

In the room favorable conditions araucaria gives an increase of 2-3 tiers of branches.

Young plants are transplanted annually, and adults - once every 3 years. The transplant should be essentially a transshipment, i.e. with the preservation of a clod of earth, which helps prevent damage to the roots.

The substrate during transshipment requires air and water permeability. The most suitable - a mixture sod land, leaf, coniferous, humus and sand in the following ratio 2:2:1:1:1 or sod land, peat and sand - in the ratio 4:2:1. Capacity for araucaria is needed with good drainage. It is important not to deepen the root neck when planting, otherwise the plant may die.

This coniferous tree propagates at home in the same way as the previous species, cuttings and seeds. The technology of sowing seeds and propagation by cuttings is described in detail above.

Araucaria is valuable because it is almost not affected by diseases and pests. In exceptional cases, with dry air, thrips may appear and with drafts, a scale insect.

Coniferous plants green coloring they are preserved even in winter, thanks to which they are an adornment of balconies and terraces all year round. Find out the rules for caring for them, as well as a list of species and varieties of conifers for flower pots to the balcony, terrace.

Selection of conifers for pots on the balcony and terrace

The variety of needle colors and shapes can lead to dizziness. Choosing the right conifers for your balcony and terrace can be quite a challenge., since it is very difficult to estimate what will grow from a small seedling in a few years. Balconies often have limited height, so views that do not reach large sizes. For flower pots on a balcony or terrace, only miniature, slow-growing and creeping varieties and varieties are suitable. Dwarf species are available in almost any garden center, making even owners small balcony find an appropriate plant for themselves, and a place on the balcony to put at least one container.

Conifers in compositions and singly

Conifers in pots on the balcony and terrace look great individually and in the company of other plants. Even a small group of coniferous plants looks quite impressive. Can be combined and mixed various forms- columnar, spherical and creeping. In addition to varieties with green needles, there are also varieties with silver, gold, yellow and blue-gray. Thanks to this diversity, you can create multi-color compositions.

On the large terrace you can create hedge in containers made of columnar or planted in tubs or wooden long boxes. In large tubs and wide boxes, you can create a real small alpine garden on the balcony. You should choose varieties and species that are rather slowly growing, and supplement the entire composition with perennials. It is enough for this really only fantasies and desires, and after careful care.

The choice of coniferous plants for a balcony or terrace is huge– everyone will find something for themselves. Varieties with a variety of needle colors can be combined with other conifers or perennials and, small evergreen or shedding leaves, shrubs. Conifers look great in combination with seasonal flowering plants . It is worth remembering that taller specimens should be planted at the back of the pot, and with low shoots - in front. Due to their different water and fertilizer needs, they should be planted in a separate container and watered and fertilized separately.

Cultivation and care

• Place

When choosing conifers in pots on the balcony and terrace, first of all, insolation should be taken into account. On balconies heated by the sun, junipers, pines, thuja and larch will grow best. On shady balconies, you can plant yews and Canadian pines. It is also worth remembering that yellow and light green varieties require more light than dark green ones.

• Fertilizer and replanting

The substrate in pots should have a slightly acidic reaction (pH 5.5-6.5). It can be soil for conifers, purchased at a garden center or prepared on your own - a mixture of fertile soil with sand and peat. Plants should be repotted every 3-4 years. larger pot(required with a drainage layer).

It is necessary to fertilize with a specialized multi-component fertilizer for conifers - best of all from spring to the end of June. Considering a small amount of soil in a container, the dose of fertilizer indicated by the manufacturer should be halved, as it is recommended for plants growing in open ground, and not in containers. In autumn (September or October) it is worth applying autumn fertilizer for coniferous plants (with a high content of potassium) - thanks to this, they will safely overwinter on the balcony.

• Watering

The soil in the pot should be constantly moist, but not wet.. First of all, this is important in summer, when the walls of the pots heat up in the sun, which leads to faster evaporation of moisture. Conifers should be watered regularly throughout the year - even in winter.

• Trimming and shaping

Regular pruning has a positive effect on the thickening of bushes, and is also useful in rejuvenating shoots devoid of needles. They are cut twice during the season - in spring and summer. Coniferous plants are very plastic and you can give them various shapes - balls, columns or cones. Yew, juniper and thuja are best suited for shaping.

• Wintering

Most wintering conifers in containers are resistant to wind and low temperatures. However, it should be borne in mind that they are much more susceptible to negative temperatures than specimens growing in the garden. Although they are hardy, their potted roots can freeze in severe frosts. Pots should be protected from frost- it is best to overlay with polystyrene, and fill the free space with dry leaves. Shoots should be protected from winter winds by covering them with straw matting or thick paper. During frosty, sunny weather, it will be good to cover the plants with agrofibre, which transmits light and at the same time protects from drying out.

Conifers in pots on the balcony and terrace - a list of varieties and varieties

The most popular conifers in pots for balconies and terraces are yew, juniper, mountain pine, thuja. However, there are many more varieties of conifers that are ideal for growing in pots. Below is a list of them.

• Canadian hemlock ‘

‘Nana’ – dwarf species up to 1m in height.

• Yew berry

‘Summergold’- yellow needles, grows very slowly (up to 1m grows for 10 years), requires pruning, as it grows in width.

• Tees medium

‘Wojtek’- a narrow variety, columnar, frost-resistant.

‘Hicksii’- bushy variety, excellent for shaping.

• Cypress pea

‘Filifera Nana’- miniature, frost-resistant variety.

• juniper chinensis

'Blue Alps'- bushy cut, bluish needles.

'Kuriwao Gold'- young growths are bright green, which looks very colorful against the background of the dark green of old needles.

• juniper scaly

'Blue star'- dwarf, compact, grows by 3-5 cm per year.

• Juniper horizontal

‘Golden Carpet’- grows to approximately 15 cm high. and 1.5 m wide., grows 10 cm per year.

‘Plumosa’- needles turn brown-violet in winter.

• Common juniper, or Veres

'Depressa Aurea'- grows up to 50 cm high and about 1.5 m wide, grows about 15 cm per year, young shoots, bright yellow, change color to yellow-brown with age.

'Anna Maria'- compact, almost spherical cut.

'Compressa'- narrow, columnar cut.

‘Suecica Nana’- dwarf, columned variety.

• Juniper medium

'Old Gold' and ‘Gold Star’- varieties with a bushy cut and golden needles.

• Juniper Cossack

‘Variegata’- grows about 8 cm per year, has numerous white-cream blotches.

‘Tamariscifolia’- grows about 8 cm per year, in young plants the branches grow horizontally, fold with age, forming a dome-shaped bush.

• Microbiota (Siberian) cross-pair– low, undemanding shrub, growing approx. 0.4m high and 2 m wide., grows about 10 cm per year.
• Larch (European) falling

‘Pendula’, ‘Repens’- creeping shoots (lie on the ground), therefore grafted at a height of 1.5-2m.

• Bosnian pine

‘Smidtii’- very slow growing dwarf variety with spherical cover.

• mountain pine- bushy cut, slow growing plant.

‘Humpy’- bushy cut, annual growth 3-4 cm.

‘Pumilio’- low, elongated bush with slow growth.

'Winter Gold'- a miniature variety, in summer the needles are light green, in winter they become golden yellow.

• spiny pine– bushy cut, slow growing plant with an annual growth of approx. 10cm
• Weymouth pine (eastern white)

‘radiata’- A very slow growing variety. in 10 years grows up to 80 cm in height.

• Gray fir

‘Conica’- cone-shaped variety, very slow growing.

'Laurin'- narrow, tapered cut.

• Spruce black

‘Nana’- a bushy variety, gray-green in color.

• Spruce blue

‘Glauca Globosa’- young plants have a spherical appearance, older ones are small trees.

• Norway spruce

‘Echiniformis’- grows up to about 60 cm.

‘Nidiformis’- in the form of a nest.

'Little Gem'- spherical cut, grows up to 50 cm.

• Arbor vitae

'Aurea Nana'- yellow needles, ovoid cut, grows slowly, grows about 6 cm per year, golden yellow color.

‘Justynka’- a slow-growing variety, grows about 8 cm per year, green.

• Thuja western

‘Danica’, ‘Globosa’, ‘Hoseri’ - dwarf, spherical varieties.

'Teddy'- a miniature variety, cut spherical, dense.

‘Smaragd’- the cut is cone-shaped, the needles turn brown for the winter.

‘Holmstrup’- columnar variety, in winter it is repainted in a brownish color.

Growing coniferous houseplants is a difficult task, because they are residents of temperate latitudes and are distinguished by special conditions of detention. What species are best suited for housing, and how to properly care for them, you can learn from this article.

Popular varieties of indoor conifers

Most often, for growing in pots and decorating a living space, they choose following trees, which are distinguished by maximum unpretentiousness compared to their counterparts:

• . The cost is from 200-700 rubles up to half a meter high;
• . For a copy 40 cm high, you will have to pay about 1000 rubles;

• . 20 cm will cost about 500 rubles;
• Juniper. Depending on the specific type juniper will cost from 300 to 1000 rubles for a 40 centimeter individual;

• Tuyu. The price is from 500-800 rubles per individual with a height of 50-80 cm.

You can purchase the above specimens in nurseries or in special online stores where there is a catalog of coniferous trees, including photos with names. The cost will depend on the type of plant, its age and height. You can also buy seeds, the price of which is an order of magnitude lower than for an adult specimen, and grow a tree yourself. But this will take a lot of time and effort.

Different indoor coniferous plants in pots need some care, but there are also general recommendations how to take care of green pets:

• Trees need moist air to thrive. Therefore, in the summer they are sprayed every day, and in winter period- less often. From time to time the needles are moistened;
• 6-10 degrees of heat are optimal temperature for the green people. Therefore, it is difficult to create such conditions for them in an apartment;
• These representatives of the flora do not require good lighting;

• Soil for flowers or seedlings is not suitable for conifers, and nutritious and light will be very much in demand by them. It should include several shares - coarse-grained sand, earth based on needles (or heather), sheet. It will not be easy to make such a mixture, so it is better to buy a ready-made special substrate;
• Trees are sensitive to wet soil, so in summer season watered daily. In winter, watering is not carried out every day, but the drying of the soil layer is unacceptable, and also try to avoid excess water.

How to care for conifers in winter

• Most comfortable green pet he feels himself on a cold window from the northeast or north side, on a glazed veranda or loggia. The temperature level should not be below zero, and freezing of the soil cannot be allowed in any way;
• These representatives of the flora are very resistant to low temperatures, but in small pot freezing of the roots should be avoided, because they can die immediately;

• In winter, the trees are in a calm state, so they do not require top dressing with growth stimulants. They start from the beginning of March. In summer, you can take the “green resident” with you to the country house and plant it directly in a pot in open ground in a shaded corner so that the tree grows in cool soil than it will “steam” in hot air;
• Cover the substrate with a cloth so that earthworms and insects do not climb into the pot. In early September, he digs out, washes and is transferred to the apartment.

Transplanting a coniferous plant

• From a small shipping container, a tree bought in a store is transplanted into a ceramic, plastic or clay pot with a diameter of no more than 10-15 cm, with drainage holes;
• These trees are hard to tolerate "relocation", so it is done once every 2-3 years. Transplantation of indoor coniferous plants is carried out in such a way that the earthen lump is not disturbed and the roots are not damaged;

• Expanded clay drainage is placed in the pot, activated or charcoal, a little substrate is poured. The "Green Friend" is carefully removed from the container along with the ground, preventing loose soil from shedding. The earth ball is held with one hand, the new substrate is sprinkled with the other hand;
• The specimen is planted at the same depth as before.

Coniferous plants for the apartment are very beautiful and aesthetically attractive. Thanks to them, the home will always be present Fresh air. Despite the fact that the plants need careful care, your efforts will fully justify themselves.

Video: How to keep conifers at home

Indoor coniferous plants are an exquisite evergreen decoration for your home or apartment. They are mostly demanding in care, but the result is worth the effort. In addition, home conifers perform not only a decorative function. They are also very beneficial for health, as they synthesize oxygen, and also absorb and neutralize all kinds of harmful substances that are in the air. It is worth talking about how to provide them with proper care.

Home plants belonging to this group have many varieties. As a rule, they are most often grown in garden and park areas. The thing is that the birthplace of these evergreen trees and shrubs is subtropical and temperate climate. It would seem that the dry air of our premises is not the most favorable microclimate for them. In fact, the way it is, but who said that you can’t create for these plants with your own hands optimal conditions growth? In addition, you can choose from all this variety of conifers truly unique and very beautiful specimens:

• araucaria. If we talk about a full-fledged tree growing in vivo, it can reach a height of up to 60 m. Indoor plants, of course, are quite miniature, but even indoors you can grow amazing house tree with four-sided, soft-touch needles. It is desirable to place the araucaria away from the window, where bright light comes from, since the plant does not like direct rays. Choose a better semi-dark corridor;
• cypress. This coniferous shrub bright green light is the highlight of any plant island. It grows to an impressive size home plant. Cypress needles are distinguished by the presence of a golden hue. notable feature This shrub is also the fact that the change in growing conditions and maintenance does not have a very beneficial effect on the plant. Even if you endure flower pot with a cypress to another place, or simply move or unfold the flowerpot, this conifer can react painfully to such measures;
  
• cryptomeria. A coniferous tree of striking beauty, which can reach a height of up to 2 m. The shape of the crown can be formed independently, in general it looks quite neat, and branches with deep green needles hang from it. Over time, it becomes yellowish. Another one key characteristic- the presence of small cones that do not fall off the tree for a long time, decorating it. As for care, there are no particularly complicated rules here, however, it is necessary to know the key measures for the care of cryptomeria if you want your plant to successfully take root indoors;
• deodar. This plant also not included in the group of the most whimsical evergreen conifers. Nevertheless, it is also undesirable to forget about it for a long time. For example, experts very often recommend alternating in winter temperature conditions, that is, rearrange the flowerpot from a warm place to a cool one. Most indoor tree should spend time in a cool shaded room, where diffused light enters;
  
• juniper. Another popular coniferous tree, which can often be found in a private flower collection. The plant loves sunlight, but not direct rays, and also reacts negatively to sudden changes in temperature;
• thuja (western or folded). In fact, there are a lot of varieties of thuja, but these two are considered frequent guests in home flower garden. These species differ in the shape of the crown, the saturation of the shade of the needles, as well as its softness. If you consider yourself a connoisseur of exquisite indoor plants, you should think about finally getting a thuja.
  

There are many attractive representatives of evergreen conifers. The main thing is to decide on the copy you like and carefully study the basic recommendations for caring for it.

Video “Description”

From the video you will learn about the description of many coniferous house plants.

Subtleties of care

Coniferous plants in pots great choice for the true florist. However, even if they are considered not particularly fastidious, you need to be able to care for them. The most important point is lighting. It should be diffused, only some of them should be fed regularly with sunlight, and then direct light is clearly not for conifers. As for moisture, there should be plenty of it in the substrate. Of course, stagnant water is not an option, because in this way the roots can simply rot. However, wait until upper layer the soil will dry out significantly, it also should not.

Often the most significant problem for flower growers involved in the cultivation of conifers is the need to maintain a stable low temperature. Yes, about 1-2 weeks in winter is the time when the plant needs to “warm up” a little, and it can be safely left even in a well-heated room. But as a rule, the temperature is + 6-10 degrees - optimal microclimate for this kind of domestic conifers.

Transfer

The main thing in the process of transplanting a thuja or any other coniferous plant is a competent choice of drainage and soil. As a rule, a coniferous tree or shrub is planted in a new flower pot without cleaning its rhizome from the soil. The fact is that this can harm the integrity of the root system.
In general, the transplant process is a real stress for the plant, so do not get carried away with this activity: it is recommended to transplant conifers no more than 1-2 times a year. Special attention stop at the drain: they fall asleep to the bottom flower pot, spreading a few pieces of charcoal on top.