The origin of the plant and its characteristics, types and interesting facts about adromiscus, agricultural techniques for care, reproduction and transplantation, difficulties in growing. Adromischus (Adromischus) is a succulent (a plant that can accumulate moisture in its parts) from the Crassulaceae family. There are also about 70 varieties of similar cacti. This shrub can call its native lands the territories of southern and southwestern Africa (South Africa and Namibia), is endemic - a plant that grows only in one place on the planet. The most concentrated species of this succulent are in the Cape Province and Small Karu.
The name - this plant took from the fusion of two Greek words "adros" and "mischos", which in translation meant respectively - thick and trunk, that is, it turned out that the adromiscus bears the name of "toast plant" or "thick-stemmed" plant. But often, due to morphological features, Adromiscus is found in some encyclopedic sources under the name "Adromischus".
It is a low-growing shrub or perennial with a herbaceous form of growth, in which the stem is rather short and practically recumbent on the soil surface. It is covered with aerial roots, which are painted in brownish-red shades. They help the plant to absorb moisture from the air. Roots can hang from twigs in the form of "shaggy beards". The height of adomiscus rarely exceeds 10-15 cm. The branches of this shrub are short, and the root is turnip.
The leaf plates are very juicy and fleshy, often their surface is painted in variegated tones and a colored spot can go along it. There is pubescence with the smallest hairs, the shape of the leaves is rounded or triangular. Very decorative leaf rosettes are collected from the leaves, which also differ in a variety of shapes and colors (depending on the leaves). Some of these formations are round in cross section, with a flattened and flattened apex, they are covered with funny specks and specks of a burgundy tone, which give the plant a resemblance to a seal. Others look like inflated upside-down gift bags with a flattened undulating "bottom". The surface of the leaves also varies from species to species. It is found completely smooth, but sometimes it is mottled with the smallest papillae (short outgrowths that look like a papilla, intended in plants for the release of spores of fungi, sporangia, pycnidia, etc.) with a tuberous shape. Because of these formations, the appearance of the lamina appears to be "crystalline".
When flowering, an inflorescence appears that takes the shape of a spikelet, which is crowned with a long flowering stem. The flowers from which the inflorescence is collected have five petals that have grown together in the form of a narrow tube. Their color is most often red, whitish or pinkish. But flowering in rooms is practically not observed, even in winter gardens this process is very rare and it occurs only if the summer is very hot and sunny.
The most popular among flower growers are varieties of adromiscus with reddish or dark emerald specks on the leaf plates, which quickly disappear in low light. Like all representatives of the Tolstyankov family, this succulent is a completely non-capricious plant and completely undemanding to care for, so people who do not have much experience in growing domestic plants will cope with it. And this cactus is rarely interesting to pests.
Agrotechnics when growing adromiscus, care
- Lighting. This succulent prefers bright light and south-facing windows are suitable for growing it. It tolerates the sun's rays well, but sometimes burns do occur. Shading is required only in the summer from 12 to 16 pm. If the pot is placed on the windows of the northern location, then the sunlight may not be enough, especially in the autumn-winter period. For this, a backlight is provided. It can grow well on the windowsills of windows in the eastern and western locations.
- Content temperature. In the spring-summer period, it is better for adromiscus to maintain heat indicators within the range of 25-29 degrees. If the heat increases, then you will need to provide an influx of fresh air. With the arrival of winter, the succulent can be kept in a cool, but well-lit place at a temperature of 10-15 degrees, but it should not drop below seven.
- Watering adromiscus. It is necessary to moisten the soil in the pot sparingly, only when the top layer of the soil dries out a little - this applies to the spring-summer period. With the arrival of autumn, watering is reduced, and in the winter months they are very rare, or even completely excluded. But it all depends on the temperature at which the plant is kept - the lower it is, the less often it is humidified. Only soft and warm water is used. If possible, rainwater or melt snow is collected for irrigation, which is brought to room temperature. Also, flower growers recommend filtering tap water, boiling and settling.
- Air humidity. Just like many of the Tolstyankov family, adromiscus grows successfully in the dry air of urban areas, so it is not required to spray or increase the humidity.
- Fertilizer. Feeding for the succulent is carried out from spring days until the end of summer once a month. Fertilizers are used for cacti. In the autumn-winter time, the plant should not be fertilized.
- Rest period for adromiscus. This time falls in the winter period of the year. In order for the bush to be comfortable, you will need to keep it in a cool and well-lit place with a thermometer reading of at least 7, but it is better when they vary within 10-15 degrees. Moisten the plant very rarely or not watered at all.
- First steps after purchase. You will need to choose a healthy-looking bush with thick and shiny leaf blades. It is necessary to pay attention to the root part of the stem, it can be affected by putrefactive processes. After the adromiscus has been transplanted, you will need to place the plant pot in a cool, shaded place and do not moisten the soil. After a few days of adaptation, it can be placed in sunlight and gently watered.
- Succulent transplant. It is necessary to change the pot or soil for adromiscus only when the size of the bush becomes much larger than the container in which it grows, that is, as needed. The pot is not chosen voluminous, since the root system is not large. The soil mixture is made loose and well-drained; for this, a large amount of sand is mixed into it. It is also recommended to add well-crushed brick and pieces of charcoal there. In the bottom of the container, holes are made without fail to drain water, and then a drainage layer is poured. After the plant has been transplanted, the soil is moistened very carefully, quite a bit, so that the root system does not rot.
Self-propagation of adromiscus
In order to get a new succulent bush, you can use leaves, cuttings or leaf rosettes, since they are completely fragile on the plant. If any part of the adromiscus falls off, then it can take root in the same pot and soil. When propagating, it is necessary to pre-wither a leaf blade, a stalk or a leaf rosette in a dark and dry place for several hours before planting.
Then a suitable pot is taken and moistened sand, vermiculite or a mixture of substrate for cacti and succulents with river sand is poured into it. The substrate in the container is crushed and a small depression is made with the help of a peg. A part of the plant is planted into this hole in the soil, the earth around it can be lightly pressed with a nail head. It is necessary to cover the planted plants with plastic wrap or a glass jar - this will create the conditions for a mini-greenhouse, with a constant temperature and humidity. The pot is placed in a warm place. It is important not to forget, to air the seedlings daily, and to make sure that the soil does not dry out.
Usually, the root processes of a part of the adromiscus appear within a month. As soon as new leaves are formed on the handle, it is necessary to acclimatize the young succulent, gradually increasing the airing time. After that, you will need to transplant a cutting or leaf in a container with a diameter of 5-7 cm with soil suitable for seedlings. It is necessary to care for small succulents as usual. Only after six months the rosette of leaves can reach the size of an adult bush.
Difficulties in cultivating adromiscus
You can list the following problems when growing adromiscus indoors:
- if even a little liquid gets into the leaf outlet, the plant will begin to rot;
- when a sunburn of the leaves occurs or the substrate was too waterlogged, the leaf plates acquire a yellow tint and dry out;
- if the soil in the pot was dry, then the leaves begin to crack;
- when the time comes, the plant begins to age and the lower leaf blades turn yellow and fall off;
- if during cultivation the adromiscus does not have enough lighting, then the leaves will become loose and dull, and the stem will stretch ugly towards the light.
Although the succulent is practically not affected by pests, there are some of them that, if the conditions of detention are violated, show an interest in adromiscus. Of these, one can distinguish: spider mites, mealybugs or aphids.
When the first pest is damaged, a thin cobweb begins to wrap all the leaves of the plant, they turn yellow and deform. When whitish cotton-like formations (lumps) are visible in the axils of the leaf plates and the whole plant begins to cover with a sticky sugary bloom (waste products of the pest), this is a consequence of a mealybug lesion. Aphids are clearly distinguishable on a succulent - green or black bugs, a sticky bloom on a leaf rosette.
When the above symptoms are visible, then it is necessary to take measures to eliminate the harmful insect. It is necessary to remove the pest manually using a cotton swab or cotton swab dipped in special solutions (soap, oil or alcohol). Then the treatment is carried out with an insecticidal agent, for example, "Aktara" or "Confidor". The first is diluted at the rate of 1 gram per 10 liters of water, and the second - 1 ml per 5-10 liters of water. The plant can be sprayed with these products. Re-processing is carried out after 2 weeks.
Types of adromiscus
- Adromiscus comb (Adromischus cristatus). May be called Cotyledon cristata. The native growing area is the south of the African continent. The height of this shrub plant reaches 15 cm. The stems grow upright at the beginning of their growth, and subsequently take creeping forms, or begin to hang, shrouded in brown roots. The leaf blades have a dark emerald color, and are also attached to the shoots with petioles. The surface of the leaf is pubescent, its edge is wavy. Measured 5 cm wide and centimeter thick. The length of the petiole also reaches 1 cm. The flowers are whitish in color, where a greenish undertone is mixed, and the tips of the petals are pinkish. This variety can withstand temperatures as low as -4 degrees.
- Adromischus cooper. It can be found in different sources under the names Adromischus festivus or Adromischus cuneatus. The homeland of this species is the mountainous or desert regions of southern Africa, namely the Cape Province. A plant with a shrubby form of growth, which is distinguished by a very short, but rather branched stem. It is covered with glossy green leaf blades, completely decorated with purple-brown speck. The leaf is oval in shape, its edge is wavy, but the top is even, it can be up to 5 cm in length. In summer, an inflorescence in the form of a spikelet is drawn out, reaching a height of 35 cm. It consists of tubular buds. The flower petals are colored reddish-green, but their edges are snow-white, pinkish or purple. They are measured in length one and a half centimeters. There is evidence that the variety can withstand a short-term drop in temperature to -7 frost.
- Spotted adromiscus (Adromischus maculatus). This shrub does not have a strong branching, there are few branches. Its height is not large, only 10 cm. The leaves are distinguished by a rounded or oval shape. They are 5 cm long and 3 cm wide. The epidermis is painted in a dark green color with decorative spots of a reddish tint. Flowers collected in a red-brown inflorescence.
- Adromischus poellnitzianus (Adromischus poellnitzianus). This species also comes from the Cape, located in southern Africa. It is a low-growing plant (only 10 cm in height) and shrub-shaped. Branching starts right from the base. The stems have a light green shade and their length varies from 5 to 10 cm. From below they are rolling, and to the top there is a gradual expansion into a wide thickening with a wavy edge, completely covered with sparse whitish hairs. These hairs are visible only under a magnifying glass. The inflorescence is stretched to a height of 40 cm.
- Three-pistil adromiscus (Adromischus trigynus). It is found under the synonymous names Adromischus maculatus. The native habitat is the African southern and southwestern regions. It is one of the most beautiful species of this genus. This succulent is characterized by weak branching and a height of 10 cm. The leaf blades are rounded, but they can grow and elongated. Up to 4–5 cm in length and 3–4 cm in width. The color is dark green with red-brown spots on both sides of the leaf plate. The buds are distinguished by the petals of a red-brown color scheme.
- Adromiscus mariana (Adromischus mfrianae herrei). A plant with incredible beauty and decorativeness, which is provided by leaves with a textured surface, the color of which is reddish. These leaves are somewhat reminiscent of pieces of lava or tuff. The growth rate is very slow and this succulent requires the most sunlight that the owner can provide. If this condition is not met, then the bright color of the leaf plates will be lost, they acquire a simple green color scheme. Shoots, stretching closer to the sun's rays, lose their compact size and decorative effect. All succulent collectors hunt for the Adromiscus mariana variety, and it is a very rare guest in home gardening meetings. If you look closely at this variety, you can find a great variety of subspecies, which differ in size, the degree of brightness of the color of the leaf plates, their shape and even the growth rate, which naturally affects their pricing policy. For example, one of the species of Adromischus mfrianae herrei has miniature, club-shaped leaves with a reddish color, while another has large leaves with a textured surface. Both differ in their minimum growth rate and can reproduce from leaf cuttings.
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