Tips for caring for dyschidia indoors, recommendations for reproduction and transplantation, disease and pest control, interesting facts, species. Dyschidia (Dischidia) is a liana-like plant, leading mainly an epiphytic lifestyle, that is, for its growth it settles on the branches or trunks of trees. They belong to the Asclepidaceae family, and according to other sources, to the Apocynaceae family. In them, almost a third of the representatives are succulents - they have the ability to accumulate liquid in their parts in order to survive dry climatic periods. The homeland of this exotic plant is considered to be the territory of India, Polynesia, and the lands of the Australian continent, and the number of such specimens of flora reaches 120 units. Only a few of them are suitable for indoor cultivation.
Dyschidia has curly and creeping stems, the length of which can reach 5 meters. On its shoots, multiple whitish aerial roots are clearly visible, through which the stems cling to any nearby support, and in the natural environment these can be the trunks of more powerful representatives of the green world. It is a parasitic plant, since it is the roots that not only provide attachment to the supports, but can also suck vital juices from the host tree. These root shoots are mainly formed on the lateral shoots or at the base of the bush. In indoor cultivation, due to elongated stems, dyschidia is grown as an ampelous culture, and not only in pots, but also on bark bushes or snags.
Leaf plates are the hallmark of this exotic, and it is because of them that the dyschidia is popularly called the "bubbly plant". On the liana, they are formed of two types: the first are small, rounded or elongated, with a flat surface, the color is grassy green. They are attached to the stems with short stalks, densely covering the shoots along their entire length. The second ones are large, thickened (since moisture collects in them), can take the form of jugs or bubbles, their length is 5 cm. Such wonderful leaves are colored in different ways, depending on the variety of liana: it can be a gray-green color, saturated - green or patterned. Veins appear as patterns on the surface of the foliage, which can be shaded with a whitish or purple tone. These leaves are like a "bubble" with a cavity inside and oblong contours. Often, various insects can make passages into this cavity, and various plant debris falls there. Under the influence of a humid environment, these accumulations begin to rot and form a nutrient substrate. Over time, air roots also grow inside such a "bubble" and the dyschidia begins to feed on its own compost in these plant "bins".
When flowering, small flowers appear, from which whorled or racemose inflorescences are collected. Usually they have 2-4 flowers, the beginning of the inflorescences take in the leaf axils. The color of the petals in the buds can also vary from white to deep red. The shape of the flowers is bell-shaped. The flowering process in nature occurs twice a year, but in indoor conditions it can only be once during this time.
At the end of flowering, fruit pods, filled with seed material, ripen. These seeds have a miniature flying umbrella that resembles the shape of a dandelion in outline.
Although the plant does not have overestimated requirements for its care, for some reason dyschidia is considered a rarity in green collections of gardeners. But consider how to grow such a curious vine on your windowsill.
Agrotechnics for growing dyschidia, care
- Lighting for this "bubble creeper" it should be bright, but devoid of direct sunlight, therefore, windows facing the east or west side of the world are suitable. If possible, you can put a pot of dyschidia on a glazed balcony - this will give the plant a sufficient level of humidity and a decrease in temperature at night. If there is no way out, and the plant is on the southern windowsill, then shading with curtains should be provided, and on the north one will have to be illuminated with special phytolamps or fluorescent lamps.
- Content temperature. It is optimal to withstand heat indicators in the range of 25-30 degrees in any period of the year, and when flowering stops, the temperature is reduced to 18-22 degrees, since the plant begins a dormant period.
- Air humidity when growing bubbly liana is very important, and it should be in the range of 60-70%. If your bathroom has a window, then the dischidia can be placed in this room, otherwise they put vessels filled with water next to it, or you can put the pot in a tray on moistened expanded clay. You can carry out daily spraying with warm soft water or "bathing" the vines.
- Watering. Dyschidia really does not like waterlogged soil in a pot, therefore it is recommended that the substrate be completely dried between waterings. Even if hot days are issued in summer, this vine can be watered only once every two weeks. With the arrival of the autumn-winter time, moisturize once a month and in small portions. You can combine watering the soil with "bathing" the bush - when in the bathroom the dyschidia is washed with a slight pressure of warm water. The main thing is to carefully remove all liquid from the pot after this operation. The water used is soft, free from impurities. It is better, of course, to use rain or melt water, but in urban conditions it is almost always polluted, so tap water is boiled and settled for 2-3 days, and then drained from the sediment. Some growers use filtered or distilled water.
- Fertilizer for a plant, it is introduced during the period of growth activation (from the beginning of spring days to September). Once a month, apply fertilizing for succulents in half the dosage specified by the manufacturer. With the arrival of the autumn-winter period, it is also recommended to use fertilizers, but with a lower frequency, choosing flower fertilizers in a half dose. Also, in spite of root dressing, it is good to carry out fertilization "on the leaf", when the solution with the preparation is sprayed onto the stems and leaf plates.
- Dyschidia transplant. It is necessary to change the pot and substrate annually when the vine is still young. As they grow older, such operations are carried out no more than once every 2-3 years or as needed (if the root system has mastered all the soil in the flowerpot). A drainage layer is necessarily laid out on the bottom of the tank, small river or sea pebbles, expanded clay or broken brick can act as it.
The soil for the vine is selected light with good air and water permeability. Ready-made bromeliad substrates can be used. They also make up a soil mixture on their own, mixing charcoal, chopped fern roots, not finely chopped sphagnum moss, small pieces of pine bark, river sand, peat soil, perlite and leafy soil. Fern roots can be replaced with dry foliage.
Dyschidia can grow well in blocks, as they are an epiphytic plant or on pieces of driftwood or pine bark. The plant is wired or tied to the chosen object, and its roots are covered with sphagnum moss.
Since the vine has long creeping shoots, then when transplanting in a pot, a support is installed before pouring the drainage layer. It can be an arch or a staircase, along which stems will "climb" in the future.
Tips for breeding dyschidia at home
You can get a new "bubble plant" by planting cuttings or sowing seeds of dyschidia.
Since the seeds are very small, they must be harvested after the pod has matured. They are placed in a container filled with a mixture of sand and peat soil (equal parts) and only lightly powdered with the same substrate. Then you need to create conditions for a mini-greenhouse with high humidity and heat. To do this, a piece of glass is placed on a container with crops or it is covered with a plastic bag. Crops are placed in a warm place with diffused lighting. The temperature during germination is maintained within the range of 20-26 degrees. Remember to ventilate and regularly moisten the soil in the container.
Seedlings appear quite quickly (after about a week), and when a couple of leaves are formed on the shoots (about 3 months later), then picking can be carried out in individual pots. When it is necessary to carry out reproduction using cuttings, then the tops of the shoots are selected for cutting. The length of the cut branch should not be less than 8 cm and more than 10 cm. It is recommended to treat the cut points with any root stimulator (for example, Kornevin). Then the cuttings are planted in a sandy-peat substrate and covered with a glass vessel or plastic wrap on top. Heat indicators during rooting withstand about 20 degrees. It is important to regularly ventilate the planted branches. There is also a way to put chopped cuttings in a container of water, but there is a possibility that they will rot and you need to change the water daily. After the cuttings take root (after about a month, new leaves or root aerial shoots will appear), they can be transplanted into separate pots with a selected substrate.
If there is a ripe jug leaf next to the cutting, then inside it there may be a root shoot ready for planting, then such a leaf is cut and the shoot is planted in a separate container.
Difficulties in growing dyschidia, diseases and pests
Since the plant has succulent foliage, if the conditions of maintenance are violated, it can be affected by aphids, mealybugs or spider mites. If you do not pay attention to the appearance of "uninvited guests" for a long time, then their number will grow rapidly, and they will be able to destroy even an adult plant. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately carry out the treatment with insecticidal preparations of a wide spectrum of action. They can be, for example, Fitoverm, Aktara, Akarin or Confidor, Iskra and the like.
Other problems include:
- if the foliage has acquired red tones, then the reason for this was the excessive level of illumination;
- with flooding of the soil and frequent waterlogging, rotting of the stems and roots begins;
- in the event that fleshy leaves resembling jugs have ceased to form, then this is a signal that the moisture of the dyschidia is not enough.
It also happens that this vine is affected by atypical diseases.
Interesting facts about dyschidia
In natural conditions, the leaves-jugs of dyschidia often serve as a "house" for ants or other small insects, since there is also a supply of water and nutrients.
The shape of the jug leaves is obtained due to the fact that the plate splices its edges, forming something like a "bag". It is through this formation that the plant itself can regulate the amount of moisture necessary for life.
Types of dyschidia
- Scallop dyschidia (Dischidia Pectenoides) is a vine with climbing stems, on which there are a lot of aerial root processes. Leaf plates grow of two types: the first are small in size, oval in shape with a slight sharpening at the top and a grassy green color; others - have the outlines of bubble jugs, reaching a length of 5 cm. On the outside of these jug leaves, the color is saturated green, and inside it is brick. The surface of such leaves is decorated with a vein pattern, which, like veins in a person's hands, starts upward. If the plant is properly looked after, then the flowering process will take place twice a year. At this time, small flowers with short pedicels appear. The flower petals are shaded with a reddish-pink tone.
- Dischidia Ovata - a plant with an epiphytic form of growth (likes to settle on other large plants, for example, on trees). The stems have multiple aerial roots. The color of the stems is greenish-pink. When the leaves are young, their color is pinkish, but over time it acquires a light green tint. The shape of the leaf plate is oval with some sharpening at the top, the surface is fleshy. On the plane of the leaf, whitish wide veins are clearly visible, because of which the foliage looks even more decorative. This variety is not afraid of the action of drafts and is not affected by short-term small cold snaps, and it begins to bloom at the same time.
- Dyschidia Ruscifolia (Dischidia Ruscifolia) is sometimes called the Dyschidia of Russifolia. The plant has graceful outlines and elongated stems, which are densely covered with fleshy leaf plates. In shape, they are very reminiscent of small hearts, and for this the variety is popularly nicknamed "the dyschidia of a million hearts." The color of the leaves is rich bright green. When the flowering period begins, small flowers with snow-white petals and a bell-shaped corolla begin to form in the leaf axils, which spread a very pleasant honey aroma around.
- Dischidia Vidalia also bears the synonymous name of Vidal's Dyschidium. The plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, since it does not put forward special requirements for its content. It has thin elongated shoots, which are densely covered with rounded leaf blades of two types: the main ones are painted in a light green shade; additional with vesicular outlines, in which there are reserves of moisture. In the process of flowering, pink flowers are formed twice a year.
- Dyschidia hirsuta (Dischidia hirsuta). The variety is quite rare with rounded foliage and pubescence. A pattern of embossed veins is clearly visible on the surface of each leaf. The color of the surface of the petals casts a silvery shade, dots or bulges are densely placed on them, which are glands (like warts) of purple color. There are so many of these formations that it even seems that the entire leaf has a color with a reddish tint. When blooming begins, a plurality of small flowers are formed, with a rich purple hue. Each flower has a short peduncle.
- Dyschidia rafflesiana differs in elongated shoots, reaching 5-meter indicators. A large number of whitish air roots are formed on them. The stems are densely covered with dense leaf plates of two types: one with oblong-oval outlines, large in size; others are smaller, rounded. The color of the foliage is rich grassy green. When flowering, small yellowish flowers appear, from which umbrella inflorescences are formed.
- Dyschidia apple leaf. In this variety, the shoots are distinguished by their elasticity and large sizes of leaf plates. The shape of each leaf is very reminiscent of a beautiful apple with a green color, the surface of which is decorated with white spots.
- Large dyschidia (Dischidia major) has rather large dense inflorescences.
What dyschidia looks like, see below:
