Brief descriptive characteristics of Livistons, agricultural techniques during cultivation, steps for the propagation of a palm tree, pest and disease control, interesting facts, species. Livistona belongs to the genus of plants with a long life cycle, attributed by scientists to the Palm family (Aracaceae). This genus includes about 30 varieties. The native territories of natural growth are in the lands of southeast Asia, as well as in Africa, the islands of Oceania and the Australian continent. That is, mainly these palms grow in areas where the subtropical climate prevails, the soils on which Livistona grows are rather poor in nutrients, sandy, but perfectly moist. Many of the varieties can briefly endure the lowering of the thermometer column to zero, but at the same time they lose their decorative effect. In our localities, you can find a similar palm tree on the Black Sea coast in the Caucasus.
The plant owes its name to Lord Livingston, Patrick Murray (1632-1671), who collected more than a thousand different representatives of the flora on the territory of his garden. Also, this man was a student and friend of Andrew Balfour, a Swedish doctor who also studied botany, was an antiquary and a book collector.
The Liviston plant is a tree that can reach a height of 25–40 meters in natural growing conditions. While the palm tree is still young, it is used to decorate the interior, since its parameters are much more modest - 2-3 meters. The surface of the trunk is covered with scars, which are sheaths of leaf petioles. The top of the trunk is crowned with a crown of large leaves. They can vary in diameter 60–100 cm. Their shape is large, their color is dark green (occasionally grayish-green), their outlines resemble large fans. In young specimens, the leaf plates do not have a very strong dissection, in contrast to adult palms, in which it can be not only up to half, but also deeper. The leaf lobes are radially folded.
The leaf petioles are often covered with sharp teeth, which are characterized by an inward bend. The petiole itself is surprisingly strong, if you make a transverse cut, then it has a concave-convex shape, it is sharp along the edge, there are spines-teeth at the end, and there is also a tongue in the shape of a heart (anterior ridge). The petiole has a recess in the leaf plate in the form of a rod, while its length is measured 5–20 cm. During flowering, an inflorescence appears, located in the leaf axils.
Due to the fact that the growth rate of Livistona is very slow, it is excellent for cultivation in pots and tubs. When grown indoors, the plant does not form a trunk, and the growth is due to the numerous foliage. If the conditions of detention are not violated, then in a year up to three new leaves can appear in Livistons.
Agrotechnics for growing livistons, home care
- Lighting and installation of a pot with a palm tree. Diffused bright lighting is needed, since in nature young Livistons are protected from direct sunlight. Window sills facing east and west will do.
- Content temperature. In summer, the palm tree is maintained at 20-24 degrees, but if the heat rises, then ventilation and an increase in air humidity will be required. With the arrival of winter, the heat indices drop to 15 units, then bright lighting is needed.
- Air humidity. When growing Livistons, these indicators should be increased. In the spring-summer period or if the plant is in a warm room during the winter months, it is recommended to spray, as well as wash under a warm shower. It is necessary to organize ventilation, but care should be taken to protect against drafts.
- Watering. It is best to keep the substrate evenly moist at all times. Watering is plentiful in summer and moderate in winter. If the substrate is overdried, then the leaves of the palm tree begin to droop, but the bays are also harmful - otherwise the root system will rot. Only soft and warm water is used for irrigation.
- Fertilizers for growing livistons are introduced during the active growing season, which occurs in spring and summer. But the plant does not need large doses of nutrients, since in nature it grows on depleted soils. You can use ready-made preparations for palm trees, which include the required amount of trace elements. It must be remembered that some varieties do not tolerate high dosages of phosphates. The palm tree reacts well to organic matter. With a lack of nutrients, the leaves of the Liviston turn yellow, and the growth of the plant stops.
- Transplantation and recommendations for the selection of the substrate. It is recommended to change the pot and the soil in it between April and May. When Livistona is still young, this operation is carried out annually, but over time, if the plant reaches middle age, then once every 2-3 years, adult (tubular) specimens are transplanted every 5 years or they change part of the soil from above. A good layer of drainage material must be laid on the bottom of the pot. When transplanting, Liviston is carefully removed from the pot and the felt layer formed by part of the roots is recommended to be cut off with a sharpened knife. This is done so that the palm tree fits into the new flowerpot. But at the same time they try not to destroy the earthen lump, so that healthy roots are not injured. As a new substrate, you can use ready-made soil mixtures for palms with drainage and the presence of coarse sand and perlite. Such a composition will not allow water to stagnate in the ground. The acidity should be neutral or weak. You can make a soil mixture yourself from a light clay-sod substrate, humus-leaf soil, peat, rotted manure, river sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1. A little crushed charcoal is also added there.
- Pruning Livistons. If the leaves begin to dry out, then in order to avoid a progressive process in the leaf plates, it is necessary to cut off the tops of the segments so that a couple of millimeters remain to the living tissue. This will help to avoid the loss of the decorative appearance of the plant. A leaf from a palm tree is cut off only when the petiole has dried out, if this is not done, then other leaf plates will begin to dry out. It is not recommended to remove green leaves, as well as those leaves that have changed color to yellow or brown, since Liviston pulls nutrients from these dying parts.
- Dormant period the palm is practically not pronounced. Only at this time (in winter) it is recommended to keep the plant at a temperature of 14-16 degrees, watering becomes moderate, and the lighting is bright.
Important! When pruning, do not damage the trunk of the palm tree, as its decay will begin. You cannot remove more leaves than that which appeared in a year.
Recommendations for self-breeding Livistons
To get a young palm plant, seeds should be sown or the resulting lateral shoots should be planted.
When Livistons have lateral formations - processes, then during the next transplant they can be carefully separated and planted in separate pots with a suitable substrate. But when carrying out this operation, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- plant roots should not be cut, but carefully untwisted;
- according to the maxim, they try not to destroy the earthen lump, carrying out a transplant by the transshipment method;
- if the root system is damaged, then it is recommended to treat such places with garden pitch;
- when planting, a young Liviston must not be deepened, but planted at the same level;
- the entire planting operation should be carried out very quickly so that the root system does not dry out.
If it is decided to propagate Livistona using seed, sowing is carried out in February-March. Before planting, it is recommended to soak the seeds in warm water overnight, and then plant them in a substrate of peat and perlite. The planting depth is only 1 cm. After the seeds are buried in the soil, it is sprayed with a fine spray gun. Germination is carried out at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. A container with crops is wrapped in polyethylene foil or covered with a piece of glass. Seeds can germinate for one and a half to three months.
At the same time, it is important not to forget about ventilation in order to remove condensation and moisture, if necessary, of the soil. When the first true leaf is formed on the seedlings, the shelter is removed and the palm begins to be accustomed to indoor conditions. When sowing in one container, it is recommended to plant 1–2 seeds in order not to carry out the diving operation in the future, since the plant's roots are quite sensitive. These young seedlings must be treated with fungicidal preparations, since they are highly susceptible to various fungal infections. In the first year, Liviston seedlings should be kept in partial shade from April until the end of summer.
Diseases and pests of livistons when grown indoors
If the conditions of detention were violated, then this will lead to the defeat of the palm tree by pests, among which are: mealybug, scale insect and spider mite. If the following signs are found on the leaves, cuttings and trunk, it is necessary to treat with insecticidal preparations (for example, Aktara, Aktellik, Fmitover or agents with a similar spectrum of action):
- formations in the form of small lumps of cotton wool of a whitish color on the back of the leaf and in internodes, on the petioles;
- brown color glossy plaques on the back of the leaf plate;
- thin translucent cobweb on the petiole leaves and stem;
- sticky sugary bloom on parts of the palm - pad;
- the appearance of deformed sheet plates.
You can also talk about the following problems when growing livistons:
- if even a short-term drying of the substrate has occurred, this will lead to drying of the foliage and the possible death of the plant;
- at low humidity, the tips of the leaf lobes dry out;
- if the heat readings are too low, the leaves begin to wither and wither, change color to black;
- if there is not enough food for Livistona, then its growth slows down greatly;
- the lower leaf plates darken and over time they die off - this is a natural process for a palm tree.
In the case of frequent bays or infection with infectious diseases, Livistons show symptoms of gray and root rot.
Notes about Liviston
The plant has the ability to perfectly clean the air.
If we talk about the zodiacal affiliation, then Livistona refers to the constellation Capricorn. She can help shy people who have multiple psychological barriers to socializing. Thanks to the influence of this palm tree, such personalities begin to show strength of character and take timely action in those situations where they previously suffered from excessive concentration on their own inner experiences. Moreover, changes in character change in shy people thanks to Liviston occur quickly enough, due to the fact that the plant is actively growing.
It is also worth mentioning that the Livistona rotundifolia variety is sometimes referred to a different genus called Saribus rotundifolius. This became possible after conducting research on the DNA of this palm tree.
Types of Livistons
- Livistona australis often bears the name of the "Australian fan palm". The plant has leaf plates that can reach two meters in diameter. The trunk of the palm tree has a columnar shape with a thickening in the lower part. The parameters of the trunk in height fluctuate within 20-25 m, with a diameter of about 30-40 cm. When the specimen is old, then on the surface of the trunk, ribbed traces are visible - the remnants of sheaths of cuttings of fallen leaves. The leaf plate is fan-shaped, in diameter it can reach 1.5–2 meters, radially folded, has 60 or more leaf segments-segments, resulting from the splitting of the leaf. The cuts reach the middle of the plate, sometimes more. The tops of the lobes are with two incisions. The color of the leaves is dark greenish, the surface is glossy. The length of the petiole ranges from 1.5 to 2 meters. Along its edges there are rather frequent, strong spines with a sharp point at the ends, painted in a brown tone. When flowering, an axillary inflorescence with branched outlines is formed, its parameters are 1, 2-1, 3 meters in length. When fruiting, spherical berries appear, painted in a brown tint. The native area of growth falls on the lands of Eastern Australia, which became the reason for the second name of the plant, and it loves to settle in subtropical forests and shrubs located on the coast. In culture, the variety has been found since 1824. It grows well in semi-warm conditions of greenhouses or rooms.
- Chinese Livistona (Livistona chinensis) also found under the name Latania. It quite strongly resembles a variety of southern Livistona, but its main difference is that its trunk is smaller in size, and the parameters of the leaves are also large. The trunk reaches a height of 10–12 meters with a diameter of 40–50 cm. In the lower part, the surface of the trunk is completely covered with the remains of dead leaves and fibers. The outlines of the leaves are fan-shaped, up to half are split into lobes. The number of such segments can reach 50-60, and sometimes even 80 units. The tips of the segments have a drooping shape and a deep incision, the apex is tapering. The parameters of the petiole in length are measured 1-1, 5 meters with a length of 10 cm. Due to the narrowing towards the top, its width becomes equal to 3, 5-4 cm. Up to the middle of its length or in its lower third along the edge there are pointed short straight lines spines. They protrude into the leaf plate by almost 20 cm, the tongue is raised, its edges are parchment-like, their width is 1 cm. The inflorescences that arise during the flowering process are 1.2 meters in length. Native territories fall on the lands of southern Japan, Taiwan and some islands in the South China Sea. If we talk about the state of Florida (USA), then there the variety is recognized as a weed, although it was originally introduced as an ornamental plant. This palm is suitable for growing in moderately warm rooms.
- Livistona rotundifolia most often found on the sandy soils of the island of Java and also the Moluccas, settling in the coastal zone. The height of the trunk can vary from 10 to 12 meters, often reaching up to 14 meters. The diameter is 15–17 cm. The leaves, like other varieties with fan-shaped outlines, are about 1–1.5 m in diameter. They are dissected by 2/3 of their length. In this case, the formed lobes-segments are folded, they extend evenly from the upper part of the petiole. The foliage color is green, the surface is glossy. The length of the petiole can be one and a half meters, it is densely covered with thorns along the edge from the very base, reaching 1/3 of the length. When flowering, axillary inflorescences are collected from yellow or reddish flowers. The length of the inflorescence is 1–1, 5 meters.
More information about the Liviston palm tree in the video below:
