Descriptive characteristics of nandina, recommendations for growing indoors, breeding steps, pests and diseases, interesting facts, species. Nandina is a genus of plants belonging to the Berberidaceae family, consisting of only one species (monotypic representative of the flora). This unique generic specimen is Nandina domestica. In conditions of natural growth, the plant can be found on lands covering China and Japan, and it was also naturalized in North America. Prefers to settle on the slopes of mountain ranges. Typically, the plant has shoots originating from the stump and root collar. Reproduction occurs most often by means of seeds, cuttings, grafting can be carried out or root suckers can be planted. The growth rate of nandina is very slow.
The plant is an evergreen tree that reaches 5-6 meters in height, but when grown indoors, it rarely exceeds a meter. It can also take on a shrub form of growth. The outlines of the crown of Nandina are cylindrical due to the foliage, seeming to be delicate. Lateral shoots grow straight up, branching is rather weak. Branches develop from the very base. The color of the bark of the shoots is of a light brown-purple color, over time it becomes grayish-brown, their surface is covered with longitudinal stripes. Nandina's root system is not very deep.
The resulting buds are about 1 cm long, the apex is sharpened, and flattened is present on the sides. They are covered with grassy greenish-brown or reddish scales, which are covered with veins located parallel to each other. Leaf blades are mainly grouped at the tops of the shoots. The leaf shape is complex, triple pinnate (usually the number of shares is 7 units), but the overall outline is triangular along the contour. Length parameters vary within 30–40 cm. The leaf lobes differ in density, the surface is shiny, glossy, each of them has a diamond-shaped or lanceolate shape, there is a sharpening at the top, and a wedge-shaped shape at the base. The length of the leaflets is up to 10 cm, with a width of 2.5 cm. The color is rich dark green, but with the arrival of autumn days, it changes to red-brown or reddish, and in this state the leaves remain until spring. By this period, the leaf plates acquire a brown color, but at the very beginning of the activation of spring growth they become green again.
Leaves are attached to the shoots with petioles about 10-15 cm long. In the lower part they are keeled, and at the base they expand and become stalk-enveloping. In leaflets, the length of the petiole reaches 1–3 cm.
During flowering, buds are formed, collected in panicle-shaped apical inflorescences. The length of such an inflorescence ranges from 20–40 cm. The flowers, when opened, reach 6 mm in diameter, the sepals are arranged in a spiral order, their color is yellowish-white. They turn into petals of a snow-white or pale pink color, nectaries in a corolla of 3 or 6 pieces. The flowering process occurs during the period from June to July.
After pollination, bright red berries ripen, but in rare cases, the variety produces whitish fruit. They reach 8 mm in diameter, there is a sharpening at the top. Ripening of fruits is stretched from September to October, gathering in colorful clusters that decorate the bush.
Nandina does not differ in increased requirements for cultivation, only in the open field the plant can be kept only in the subtropics, and in moderate climatic conditions it is kept as a tub culture used to decorate home greenhouses or summer gardens.
Agrotechnics for indoor cultivation of nandina
- Lighting and location selection. If, when growing a plant, there is a place with bright lighting, but without direct rays of the sun, then it is most suitable for nandina. That is, the location is preferable to the west or east. On the south, you will have to arrange shading from light curtains or gauze curtains. In the spring-summer period, you can put nandina in the garden or on the balcony, but make sure that at summer noon the plant is protected from the destructive streams of ultraviolet radiation. In winter, additional lighting with fluorescent lamps or phytolamps will be required, while the daylight hours should be 12 hours. If the foliage of the nandina turns pink, then this should not be a cause for concern, as it is a natural process.
- Content temperature. To make Nandina feel comfortable, you will need to maintain slightly cool temperatures, never exceeding 20 degrees. In the autumn-winter period, the plant will be quite comfortable if the heat indicators are in the range of 10-15 degrees. In summer, it is recommended to put the nandina pot in the garden, balcony or terrace until the temperature drops to 5 degrees Celsius. When the cold season comes, it is recommended to transfer the plant to a cool room, where the temperature of 10-15 degrees will be maintained. It is possible during the winter months to keep nandina in the lobby, hall or glazed and insulated loggia or balcony. Such temperature changes are necessary in order for the plant to have time to rest for the new growing season.
- Nandina pruning and general care. Since the shrub does not have highly branched shoots, in order to increase branching, the pinching of the tops of the stems is not carried out. However, most of the shoots will need to be pruned every 2-3 years to stimulate the formation of young growth. If such an operation is not performed, then over time the nandina bush will stretch out strongly and its decorative effect will be lost. If the decision is made to give the plant a bonsai shape, then the side stems and all lower leaves will need to be removed. After such pruning, the nandine will retain its shape for many more months.
- Air humidity. Best of all, when the moisture readings are about 70%, then the lush crown of the plant will remain attractive for a long time. It is recommended to spray the foliage twice a day, also, to increase the humidity next to the pot, you can put air humidifiers or place the pot with nandine in a tray with moistened pebbles, expanded clay or sphagnum chopped with moss. The main thing is that there is not a lot of water, and it does not reach the bottom of the flowerpot. For spraying, use only soft, lime and chlorine free water. You can boil tap water or take distilled one. If this is not done, then unaesthetic whitish stains will remain on the foliage.
- Watering. In the spring and summer months, it is recommended to moisturize the nandina well, immediately after the top layer of the soil dries. The indicator is that if the soil is taken in a pinch, then it easily crumbles. When autumn comes and during the winter period, watering needs to be reduced. The filling of the substrate should not be allowed so that the root system does not overcooled, just like its drying. Watering is carried out with warm and well-settled water. Distilled water, river water or rainwater can be used.
- Fertilizers for nandina, it must be applied in the spring-autumn period (from April to October), when its growth is especially intense. Liquid complex preparations are used for home plants. This shrub also responds well to organic matter (mullein solution), but one must not forget about the not very pleasant smell of such funds. The regularity of such dressings is once every 14 days. But even in winter, variegated caustic will require fertilizers with a frequency of once a month.
- Transplantation and selection of a substrate. While the nanadina is young, the transplant will be required annually, but over time, such an operation will be necessary only once every three years. Moreover, when the plant is removed from the old pot, it is recommended to prune the bark system. If the specimen is very old and overgrown and is grown in a tub, then only the top layer of soil is replaced, about 5 cm. A layer of drainage material (fine expanded clay or pebbles, broken shards can be poured into the new container) about 3-4 cm. several holes are made at the bottom of the pot so that excess moisture can drain out and not stagnate. To make Nandina feel comfortable, the soil mixture is combined from equal parts of sod soil, leafy soil (such a substrate is taken from under birches), peat and coarse river sand.
Self-breeding tips for nandina
Among the methods of plant propagation, one can distinguish: sowing seed material, rooting cuttings and planting cuttings (by root children).
To plant seeds, it is necessary to collect the fruits in the autumn, free the seeds from the pulp and dry them thoroughly. The germination capacity of such material is not lost within a three-year period. For a start, it is recommended to grow seedlings in a mini greenhouse or greenhouse. A light substrate is poured into the container, for example, consisting of a peat-sand mixture (parts are taken equal). Then the soil is slightly moistened from the spray bottle, and the seeds are deepened into it. The groundwork is carried out by one and a half centimeters.
To create greenhouse conditions, the pot must be placed under glass or wrapped in a plastic bag. The container is placed in a warm place where temperature readings fluctuate between 23-25 degrees. Before the seedlings hatch, light is not a prerequisite. It is important not to forget to carry out daily airing of the seedlings and spraying from the soil spray bottle if the soil is dry. Germination takes 7-10 days. When the 4th true leaf plate is formed on the seedlings, it is possible to dive into individual pots with soil suitable for adult nandines.
When grafting, it is required to cut the blanks from the apical shoots. The cut cuttings should be 8-15 cm long. The lower pair of leaves should be removed, and the cuttings should be treated with a root stimulator (for example, heteroauxin or Kornevin). The cuttings are planted in a pot with a peat-sandy substrate and wrapped in plastic wrap or placed under a cut plastic bottle. Until the cuttings take root, annual ventilation is required to remove condensation and if the soil in the container is dry, it is moistened. The temperature during germination is maintained in the region of 15–20 degrees. The roots of the cuttings will be released within one and a half to three months. After that, young nandines can be transplanted in separate containers, at the bottom of which a drainage layer and selected soil are laid.
From the very base of the plant, the formation of basal processes takes place, which during the transplantation process can be carefully separated and planted in separate containers. Since Nandina's wood is strong, a sharpened and disinfected garden tool is used to cut it. Then the slices can be powdered with activated charcoal or charcoal powder and the cuttings can be planted in a new place of growth. Such young nandines are distinguished by increased vitality, and the flowering process will begin the next year from the moment of disembarkation.
Pests and diseases affecting nandina when grown indoors
If there is a violation of the conditions of detention, then the plant is affected by pests, among which there are: scale insects, aphids, spider mites and nematodes. Leaves can be wiped off with soap, oil, or alcohol. However, treatment with modern insecticidal preparations with systemic action will bring a greater effect.
If there is a constant flooding of the substrate in the nandina pot, then root decay and root rot may begin. In this case, the bush is removed from the pot, the affected parts of the roots are removed and the remaining fungicides are treated, then it is necessary to plant the plant in a new sterilized container with a disinfected substrate. Watering is recommended to be carefully adjusted to prevent waterlogging.
Often, the foliage of nandina can be susceptible to a disease - mosaic spotting, when a patterned ornament of a yellowish color, reminiscent of a mosaic, forms on the surface of the leaf. This is because the disease spreads along the thinnest veins of the leaf plate. Alas, there is no cure for this disease, but if it is only at the very beginning, then treatment with karbofos is carried out, at the rate of 75 grams of the drug is diluted in a 10 liter bucket of water. But before that, it is recommended to remove all the affected parts.
If the foliage takes on a brown hue, then this is a symptom of sunburn and increased temperature with insufficient humidity.
Curious facts about Nandine
Nandin has sapwood - the younger outer layer of the tree trunk, which has the ability to conduct water. The wood is painted in a yellowish-brown color. It is rather problematic to distinguish the growth rings, but wide rays are clearly visible, and there are spirals on the walls of the vessels. The fibers have simple pores, the arrangement of the vessels in the wood is organized - stripes with convolutions were created due to the union of vessels and vascular tracheids.
It is customary to grow nandina as an ornamental crop, especially if natural conditions permit. For her, subtropics are preferable, which are possible in the Crimea, the Caucasus and regions of Russia with a similar climate. The culture of nandina was introduced in the middle of the 19th century (1846) by the workers of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. Often it is used for planting both singly and in group plantings, while creating a kind of decorative edges. But if climatic conditions do not allow, then nandina is grown as a tub plant.
Important to remember!!
When working with this colorful plant, one must not forget that all parts are very poisonous and after any manipulations have been completed, it is recommended to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Do not put nandine in the immediate reach of children or pets.
Types of nandina
Since there is only one variety in nature, breeders have taken the trouble to breed multiple decorative varietal species that differ in the shape, size and color of the foliage:
- Nandina Richmond differs in the property in the autumn period to change the color of the leaf plates to a bright red tone.
- Nandina Force fire is a dwarf plant that is recommended for growing in the bonsai technique, also has a red foliage color.
- Nandina Nana Pyrpurea differs in that in August the leaf plates acquire a bright and rich purple or crimson hue (this reflects the name of the variety).
- Nandina Harbor Draft is a shrub of medium size, with parameters varying in height within the range of 80–100 cm, with leaves with a wrinkled surface of bright red color in spring and autumn.
- Nandina Alba "Flaunts" with fruits of white color, collected in a brush.
- Nandina Compacta - a variety with dwarf sizes.
- Nandina is gorgeous has the ability to form a spherical shrub, the branches of which cover leaf plates with an elongated outline and a red border on the surface.
