This plant is evergreen, climbing, belongs to the Araliaceae family. English ivy (or common ivy), thanks to its petals, is able to cling to almost any object, thereby growing to a great height - up to twenty meters or more. If there are no tall structures or trees, it can creep along the ground.
English ivy has leaves that look like hearts. The flowers have a greenish-yellow color, they can be observed in September-October. The fruits of the plant are poisonous to humans, but are rich food for birds, which spread the ivy seeds contained in their droppings.
English ivy breeding
This plant is propagated by cuttings, shoots or layering. With the help of cuttings, ivy is cultivated as follows: cut the cuttings and plant them in small pots of two or three units each, then cover with a film. The ideal soil for such seedlings is sand mixed with hardwood. If cuttings have aerial roots, they are much more likely to survive.
Ivy shootsordinary is grown as follows. We cut off the shoot, which has about ten leaves, and put it on the sand. Now gently press it in so that only leaves remain on the surface. After a week or ten days, underground roots will appear on the stem in the place where the air roots are located (we constantly moisten the sand). Now we take out the shoot and cut it so that leaves and roots remain on each individual cutting. Next, the cutting can be placed in water so that it is thoroughly rooted, and then it needs to be planted in a pot.
English ivy is just as easy to grow by layering. To do this, take long shoots and pinch them to the ground with staples. After some time, if the earth was constantly moistened and the shoot was sprayed, roots should appear. It remains only to transplant the plant into a pot, but this must be done very carefully, since it does not feel very well during this period and can easily break off.
English ivy growing
The plant is not so whimsical. Perfectly English ivy (photo on the right) also develops at home, for which it received the nickname home ivy. However, the soil should be constantly moist, watering it abundantly in summer, and moderately in winter. Top dressing of any type is very useful for this plant. To add splendor and decorativeness, it is recommended to pinch the ends of its shoots.
Transplantation is carried out only once every two years. To do this, it is always necessary to take a pot with a diameter larger than that ofthe previous one. Common ivy is very fond of the sun, so it should be grown in the right place.
Sometimes this plant can still get sick. If the room is constantly warm, then English ivy can be damaged by scale insects. Cut off the affected leaves, and take the plant to a cooler place. With a lack of moisture, you will notice that the ivy leaves turn yellow and fall off - do not forget to water the plant.
