Description of the distinctive features of cotyledon, recommendations for care, maintenance, transplantation of cotyledon indoors, difficulties in breeding succulents, facts, types. Cotyledon has been classified by botanists as a plant of the Crassulaceae family. Most often, this unusual exotic can be found in South Africa (only one variety), Ethiopia and the Arabian Peninsula. Although in the genus itself there are up to 30-40 species. Like all representatives of this family, cotyledon is quite easy to care for and can be recommended for beginner growers.
Even people who are not particularly developing in plants, it is enough to look at the plant to understand that it is a representative of succulents, as evidenced by the leafy plates of fleshy and thick outlines, which are collected at the top of the shoots in a socket and are located opposite or in the next sequence. They can either have petioles or be sessile. Cotyledon is a perennial with a herbaceous form of growth, although sometimes it takes the form of shrubs or semi-shrubs. The shape of the leaves is oval or rounded, the edge can be occasionally wavy. The color of the leaf plates is green or grayish. Their surface is conceived by pubescence or whitish bloom.
When flowering on this succulent, small flowers are formed, from which inflorescences are collected in the form of panicles, the color of the petals is quite bright from yellowish to purple in color. The location of the inflorescences is apical. The flowers are crowned with elongated peduncles.
Creating conditions for growing cotyledon indoors
- Lighting and location selection. This exotic succulent requires a lot of light, so it is recommended to place the cotyledon pot on the window sills facing the east, west and south sides. In the northern location, it will be necessary to carry out mandatory supplementary lighting with phyto lamps, otherwise the plant will stretch, losing its effective outlines.
- Content temperature. When cultivating this unusual succulent, it is recommended to maintain heat indicators in the spring-summer time no higher than 21 degrees. And only with the arrival of autumn, the temperature is gradually lowered to 10 units, but at the same time there should be a lot of light in the room where the plant is kept.
- Air humidity when growing cotyledon is not an important criterion, since it has been observed that the plant adapts perfectly to the reduced rates that are characteristic of our homes or office premises.
- Watering for cotyledon, they should be moderate in the spring-summer months, try to ensure that the soil between them dries out almost to the bottom of the pot. With the arrival of autumn, soil moisture begins to gradually decrease, and with the arrival of November days they stop completely, that is, when the foliage completely falls off, the plant is kept dry. When early spring comes, watering is resumed again, but this is done gradually and very carefully. Only well-settled water is used, or you can boil tap water, settle and warm up to room heat (about 20-24 degrees). There are flower growers who use only river or rain water and melt snow in winter. But since in urban conditions this does not guarantee the purity of the liquid used, it is better to use distilled water.
- Fertilizers for this succulent is introduced during the period of its growth activation, this time begins in March and lasts until September. Used as a top dressing for cacti and succulents. The regularity of such dressings is only once a month.
- Cotyledon transplant it is carried out in springtime and as needed, that is, when the entire earthy lump is braided by the root system. It is recommended to lay a layer on the bottom of the new container (about 2-3 cm of drainage material - expanded clay or pebbles). You should also first prepare the pot itself, that is, make several small holes in it. If the container is made of plastic, then it is easy to do it with a nail heated over the gas; such holes are drilled in a clay pot using a mini-drill. As a soil for planting such a succulent, a mixture of sod and leafy soil is used, adding humus, peat and coarse sand to the composition - the parts of the components must be equal. Also, uncovered growers use a substrate of clay-sod and leafy soil (in a 1: 1 ratio), adding a little peat and lime to it. If there is no way out and you don't want to mess around, then ready-made soil mixtures for succulents and cacti are suitable.
- General plant care. For us, this is an unusual phenomenon, but in the summer, cotyledon has foliage shedding. After that, it is recommended to keep the succulent in a dry state, without watering or feeding - this is the so-called dormant period. The location of the plant pot should be well lit. Adult specimens are recommended to be taken out in greenhouses for the whole summer, watering is excluded, but if the day is rainy, then the structure is covered with frames. With the arrival of September, the succulent should be brought into the greenhouse conditions (the greenhouse should be moderately warm or cold). When the time comes for transplanting, then these succulents can be divided into rhizomes, getting new young plants.
DIY steps to propagate a cotyledon flower
To obtain a new plant of this succulent, it is recommended to carry out cuttings and sowing of seeds.
Seed material should be sown in bowls filled with a mixture of their leafy soil and river sand in a ratio of 1: 0, 5. Seeds are placed on the surface of the substrate, it is not recommended to seal them up, just sprinkle them on top with a little clean sand. Then you need to lightly spray the crops from a spray bottle and cover the container with a plastic bag or glass, and put it in a warm place. Thus, an improvised mini-greenhouse with increased humidity and heat parameters is created. Or cotyledons are grown in greenhouse conditions. Further self-care is the daily airing and spraying of the substrate when it dries.
If the first shoots appear, the shelter is removed and when the seedlings grow a little, they are dived in separate pots at a distance of 1 cm from each other. When young cotyledons grow up to such an extent that they close together, then another transplant is carried out into pots with a diameter of 7 cm, but already one plant at a time. In this case, the composition of the soil should contain equal parts of soddy soil of leafy soil, peat and river sand. The germination temperature should be constantly maintained at about 12-14 degrees. For the summer period, plants can be moved to a greenhouse, but watering should be moderate.
When the grafting method is used, the workpieces are planted in boxes for planting or directly into the substrate of the rack (it is possible in separate pots). The soil is used for cacti and succulents, or river sand is used. The germination temperature should be between 16-18 degrees. Humidification is carried out not too abundantly; it is better to replace it with abundant spraying from a spray bottle. After the cuttings are rooted, transplant should be carried out in separate pots with a diameter of 7 cm. The substrate is used the same as for seedlings. After that, care consists in moderate watering and maintaining heat within 12-14 degrees.
Pests and diseases in the cultivation of cotyledon
Most of all, the plant can suffer from the appearance of a mealybug, which becomes noticeable, according to its waste products, these are shreds like pieces of white cotton wool. They can be seen in internodes or on the back of leaves. A broad spectrum insecticide treatment is recommended.
If the watering is excessive, and the substrate is too often swampy, then the foliage may begin to fall off, and subsequently it will threaten with rotting of the stems.
If you take a pot of cotyledon out into the garden, then the foliage can become the target of slugs and snails. It is recommended that the soil in the garden does not come into contact with the pot and keep the plant away from other flora.
In the summer, foliage may begin to dump, but for this succulent this is a natural process.
Facts to note about cotyledone
It is important not to forget that cotyledon is a danger, since its leaf plates contain a large amount of strong toxic substances, therefore, any operations with the plant must be performed with gloves, observing all precautions. It is necessary to place a pot with this succulent in such places to exclude the possibility of access to cotyledon for small children or pets.
Types of cotyledon
- Cotyledon cacaloides L.f. takes the form of a semi-shrub and has a low trunk, which can reach a length of 20 cm, with thin outlines, thickening is present in the nodes. A socket is assembled from sheet plates. The arrangement of the leaves is very dense, the outlines of the leaves are linear, the length can vary within 5-6 cm, the color is grayish-green. In the process of flowering, an elongated flowering stem is formed, reaching 30 cm in length, all covered with hairy pubescence. The inflorescence is a short panicle made up of a large number of flowers with yellow, orange or reddish petals. The length of the corolla tube is 2 cm. The flowering is quite abundant. The native habitat is in South and Southeast Africa. Perennial plant, often grown in greenhouses.
- Cotyledon macrantha Berger. This plant is a shrub that can vary in height in the range of 50–80 cm, its branches are straight, thickened. The leaf plates are arranged in an opposite order, cruciform. Their shape is obovate, they are thick, fleshy, the color is dark green, pointed along the edge, with a reddish tint. The petiole is not long. During flowering, the peduncle can stretch up to 25 cm. The flowers have drooping outlines, outside their color is red, and the inside is shaded with yellow-green. The tube of the corolla is swollen, reaching 1.5 cm in length. The contours of the petals are linear, with a bend back. The flowering process is long and plentiful, falling from December to March. The growing places are in the territory where mostly stony soils, namely in South Africa (Cape province). The variety is highly decorative.
- Cotyledon orbiculata L. is a shrub perennial, which in height can approach the shoots up to parameters of 90 cm. Its branches are straight with branching. The leaf plates are thick, flatish, their shape is oblong-ovate, obtuse, with a short sharpening at the apex. The color is grayish-white, there is a red edging along the edge. The flower-bearing stem can reach a height of 25–30 cm. The inflorescence is umbellate in shape, composed of numerous drooping flowers, with a red corolla tube. Its length varies within 1, 2–2 cm, while the petals are measured in the range of 1–1, 2 cm, in rare cases reaching 1.5 cm. The abundant flowering process falls from mid to late summer. It is a highly decorative plant that respects lateritic soils in South America as its native growing territories.
- Cotyledon paniculata L.f. also called Cotyledon fascicularis Ait. It has the shape of a bush, takes parameters in height from 50 cm to 2 m. The trunk is thickened, characterized by branching. The leaf plates are located at the top of the stem, in sequential order. The shape of the foliage is broadly ovate, narrowing towards the base, fleshy, their surface is shiny, there is a tendency to fall off during the rest period. Parameters 5–8 cm in length with a width of 2, 5–4 cm. The peduncle extends to a height of 40–50 cm, the surface is ribbed. The inflorescence takes umbellate or paniculate outlines. The flowers of drooping contours do not exceed 2.5 cm in length, the corolla is reddish, its surface is decorated with greenish-yellow stripes. The edge of the petals casts a reddish-green tone, has a fold back. The process of abundant flowering occurs in July-August, when all the foliage falls off. Under natural conditions, it prefers to settle in the Cape Province (South Africa), where there are mainly laterinous soils (soils in tropical and subtropical regions of the planet). The plant is highly decorative.
- Cotyledon reticulate Thunb. has a shrub appearance and its thick trunk reaches a height of only 30 cm with a diameter of 7 cm. Shoots are short, completely covered with papillae. The arrangement of leaves is opposite in whorls of 4–5 units, the outlines of the leaf plate are oval-cylindrical, its length can reach 1, 5–1, 6 cm. The surface of the leaf is fleshy, glabrous, with a tip at the apex (during dormancy, the foliage flies). The flowers appear erect, tinted in a yellowish-green color, but their surface is decorated with brown-red glands and stripes. The flowering process is quite abundant. In natural conditions, it prefers to settle in South Africa on rocky ground. The variety requires dry maintenance in the summer, when the plant has a dormant period, which is achieved by refusing to moisturize.
- Cotyledon undulata Haw. takes the form of a shrub, and can grow up to 75 cm in height. It has branched straight shoots. The leaf plates have diamond-shaped outlines, erect, waviness along the edge, their surface is thick, all covered with whitish stripes. During flowering, the peduncle can stretch up to 25 cm in height, it is also decorated with white stripes from top to bottom. The contours of the inflorescence are umbellate, it consists of numerous flowers, drooping outlines. Corolla of red color in white stripes, its tube can be measured in length 1, 6-1, 8 cm, despite the fact that the length of the petal is 1-1, 2 cm. The flowering process occurs from March to July, flowering is abundant. The native territories of growth are in the lands of South Africa (Cape Province).
- Buchholz's cotyledon (Cotyledon buchholziana). This plant is a rather peculiar representative of the flora, characterized by dwarf parameters in height, succulent stems, branches covered with wrinkles, gray bark. Its height rarely exceeds 15 cm. In the period from late summer, when the growing season begins to intensify, succulent leaf plates of cylindrical outlines are formed. But they soon die off. When blooming, buds are formed with pink petals.
- Cotyledon Jacobseniana he respects the lands of South Africa as his native territories. The plant is a shrub with thin shoots spreading over the soil surface, over time they have the property of lignification. The leaf plates are light green in color, they vary in length 2–3 cm, with a width of one centimeter and a thickness of no more than 5–7 mm. At the top there is a narrowing, as well as at the base. The flowers have a tubular corolla and a greenish-red color scheme.
What Cotyledon looks like, see below:
