Araucaria heterophyllous is an evergreen coniferous tree from the Araucaria family. It is endemic to Norfolk Island, from where the plant was brought to Australia, where it successfully took root. This is the only species from the Araucariaceae family grown in indoor floriculture.
Under natural conditions, the tree grows up to 30 meters, and with restrained growth at home - up to one and a half to two meters. It fits perfectly into spacious rooms and, with proper care, lives for several years.
Araucaria variegated comes from the distant island of Norfolk, which is located near Australia. Here it was discovered by the famous James Cook during his second trip around the world. The plant also has a second name - Norfolk pine.
Araucaria feels most comfortable in a subtropical climate, growing up to 30 meters in height. The trunk of such a giant reaches one and a half meters in diameter.
External Features
Araucariavariegated has a symmetrical pyramidal crown. From the scaly trunk of a gray-brown color, its branches extend horizontally, which are arranged in tiers. You are probably wondering why the variegated araucaria has such a name? It is explained by an interesting feature of the plant: on young trees (up to 30 years old), the leaves have a different shape than on adults, and this makes them look almost different plants.
At first, variegated araucaria has styloid needles about 2 cm long, slightly curved upwards. In adult specimens, scaly leaves appear on the branches. Young plants, namely, they are grown at home, are very reminiscent of spruce, while adults growing in natural conditions are more like pine. But, despite the obvious resemblance, neither pine nor spruce are close relatives of araucaria heterophyllous, they are completely different conifers.
Due to its attractive appearance, the plant is grown with pleasure in many countries of the world with conditions suitable for its life. In colder climates, Araucaria heterophylla is a houseplant most often grown in winter subtropical gardens.
Conditions for keeping araucaria at home
The plant has perfectly adapted to life in offices and apartments. Often, a house tree makes demands on its owners that differ from the conditions of its natural growth, for example, a pet can tolerate dry air or higher temperatures in winter. BUTnow more about the features of the content.
Lighting
The plant has a negative attitude to direct sunlight, especially at noon, prefers diffused lighting or partial shade. It is desirable that the tree be placed in such a way that it is lit from all sides. Otherwise, it will have to be turned from time to time in different directions to the light. If this is not done, your plant will lose its natural symmetry, and shoots that lack light will begin to dry.
Temperature
Perhaps one of the most important factors in the care of Araucaria heterophylla at home, which affects the development of the plant. In summer, for a room tree, the air temperature in the room is comfortable in the range of + 18 … + 24 ° C, in winter it should not rise above + 14 ° C. Such a requirement forces owners to keep Norfolk pine in winter in a greenhouse or on a glazed and well-insulated loggia.
Keep in a hot room for a long time will cause yellowing and leaf fall.
Humidity
Indoor araucaria variegated does not tolerate dry air, especially at high temperatures, so you should spray the plant at least twice a day with rain or settled warm water. We should not forget that under natural conditions, araucaria lives at air humidity up to 80%.
Soil
To grow araucaria at home, you will need special soil, which can be purchased at a specialized store or made independently from equal parts of sod land, peat,rotted pine needles and sand. Too acidic soils cannot be used, they are only added to the substrate. The soil should be breathable and loose with a good drainage layer (perlite, sand).
Araucaria: home care. Tips from experienced owners
- Araucaria requires timely watering. The plant does not tolerate either excess moisture or stagnant water. The drying up of an earthen coma, as a rule, leads to irreversible consequences.
- Water the araucaria only with warm, settled, melted or rain water. In winter, when the air temperature drops, watering is carried out rarely.
- To create a more stable microclimate, put sphagnum moss around the plant on the surface of the soil, which should always be moist. This will help protect the surface of the soil from drying out.
- If you notice that the branches of the araucaria are drooping, this may be a signal of excessive waterlogging of the soil or too high a temperature in the room. This situation can be easily corrected: tie up the drooping branches so that they take a horizontal position, or create a support for them. The plant will quickly restore its shape, but subject to the basic conditions of detention.
- Airing the room does not harm the araucaria, because in natural conditions it is resistant to winds.
Transfer
Transshipment is necessary every four or five years. Such an operation must be carried out with particular care, since damage to the roots can be verydangerous for the tree. To prevent this from happening, the earth lump is soaked with water before being removed from the pot and, without violating its integrity, is placed in a new container, adding fresh fertile soil.
When planting, do not deepen the root collar. A tight container inhibits the growth of araucaria. This should be followed when choosing a new pot.
Feeding
Any plant needs timely fertilization, and araucaria is no exception. Home care for such a pet involves fertilizing every three weeks (from April to August) with mineral fertilizers for coniferous crops. The rate indicated on the package is halved to prevent excessive horizontal growth of the branches. In September, all feeding should be stopped. Thus, the tree is prepared for the dormant period.
Pests
When the air is dry, spider mites can attack the araucaria, and rot develops when the soil is waterlogged. In addition, mealybugs and thrips can pose a danger to the plant.
Reproduction of araucaria heterophyllous
This is not the easiest plant care procedure. There are two methods of propagation: cuttings and sowing seeds. Experienced flower growers claim that araucaria grown from apical cuttings are more beautiful and thicker, have more attractive leaves than those grown from seeds. We will tell you more about this method.
Spring cut apical cuttings withan adult plant and leave them for a day to dry the sections a little. After that, the cuttings are cleaned of juice and treated with charcoal or activated charcoal, crushed into dust, or a root former. Then the cuttings are planted in a greenhouse filled with a wet mixture of peat and coarse sand in a ratio of 1:1.
Seedlings are sprayed and ventilated daily, the optimum temperature for rooting is in the range of +22…+24 °C. If it is possible to organize a bottom heating, be sure to do it. This technique will help speed up root formation, which can last several months. Rooted cuttings are planted in separate pots with a diameter of 8 cm.
