This article will focus on an unusual indoor plant from the aster family. It is quite rare in the collections of Russian flower growers. This is Rowley the godson. Care at home for him has its own characteristics. Therefore, many connoisseurs of the beauty of indoor plants will be interested in the recommendations of specialists in its cultivation.
This variety differs from other ragworts in its original appearance. Senecio Rowleyanus (the Latin name for the flower) has long thin shoots strung with small beads. In Germany, this plant is called Perlenkette, which translates as "string of pearls." When a lot of such threads hang down in a beautiful cascade of pots, this flower is admired even by those who are completely indifferent to indoor vegetation.
Description of the plant
Rowley's ragwort plant is a perennial belonging to the numerous genus of ragwort from the Astrov family. Grows naturally inarid regions of Namibia, Southeast Africa. Prefers to settle in mountainous areas where precipitation rarely falls in the form of rain. For this reason, the plant is resistant to drought and direct sunlight.
This is a succulent that accumulates moisture in its beady leaves, so it is considered a moisture-resistant and unpretentious plant. With proper care at home, Rowley's ragwort grows quickly. Under natural conditions, its branches grow up to two meters in length. The sizes of adapted varieties grown at home are much more modest - no more than 50 cm. You should be aware that the shoots are quite fragile, so they should be handled very carefully.
The leaves, located on short petioles, are round, resembling berries and rather small - about 1 cm in diameter. At the end of each bead there is a short tail. Leaves grow in the next sequence.
Senecio Rowley flower, as usual, called only by experts, is a flowering plant: in late spring, it blooms like dandelions, white and pink flowers with a pleasant aroma. The plant is poisonous. However, this does not stop flower growers, because there are a lot of poisonous plants in our homes, but no one tastes them. Work with "pearl strings" should be in gloves, after "communication" with these beautiful green pets, you must thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. In addition, flowers should be placed out of reach of children and pets. It's easy to do - just hang the flower higher.
Rawley the godson:home care
The conditions of this plant are typical for most succulents. However, there are some features in the content, and we will consider them further. What should be the soil? The plant develops well in slightly acidic, moderately fertilized, loose, breathable soil. There must be a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot. This variety prefers loam, with coarse river sand. If possible, purchase a ready-made substrate for succulents.
The soil mixture can be prepared independently. For this you will need:
- two parts of leaf and sod land;
- 1 part each river sand and crushed charcoal.
Capacity selection
The pot for planting "strands of pearl" should be small, wide and shallow. Flower growers recommend using ordinary clay containers, without glaze.
Lighting
This factor is especially important for the young ragsman Rowley. Home care involves bright but diffused lighting in the warm season - from early March to late September. The plant develops well on the windowsills of the east and west sides. If the windows in the room face south, then the senecio is grown in the back of the room. For this occasion, you should purchase a flower stand.
In winter, the plant should be moved to the south window sill or artificial lighting should be used. With a lack of light, the shoots stretch out, turn pale, the leaves become very small. Difficult and sometimesit is impossible to return the lost decorative effect to the plant. Light day should be about 12 hours. This is very important for flowering.
Indoor temperature
During the growing season, the air temperature in the room should not exceed +25 °C. In winter, it should be lowered to +15 °C. Lower temperatures can kill a thermophilic plant.
Humidity
The plant is almost indifferent to this indicator: the leaves, transformed into beads with a glossy dense skin, retain moisture in any conditions and do not allow it to evaporate. Therefore, Rowley's ragwort develops equally well both on glazed unheated terraces and in dry rooms.
Spraying is not necessary at all, more often they resort to water procedures when it is necessary to refresh the flower and remove dust from it.
Irrigation
In spring and summer, the flower should be watered abundantly after the top layer of the substrate has dried. Remember that during this period the plant builds up green mass and stores nutrients for the winter. It is impossible to overdry the soil. But excessive moisture can also harm the roots - they can rot.
In winter, watering is reduced, especially if the plant is kept at low temperatures. If the flower lives in a warm room in winter, watering is reduced slightly. The water used for irrigation should be settled, purified, soft. You can soften it with a small amount of citric acid. In winter, the soil is moistened every 2-3 weeks.
Feeding
Rowley's ragwort is fertilized twice a month during its growth period, and at rest, the ragwort does not need to be fed. For top dressing, it is recommended to use liquid mineral fertilizers for succulents. Remember that it is necessary to avoid oversaturation of the soil with nitrogen fertilizing. Fertilizers for succulents with a low nitrogen content are applied during the growing season once every 3-4 weeks. In winter, the flower does not need to be fed.
Succinic acid tablets
This is an excellent plant growth regulator that improves the absorption of nutrients from the soil, helps plants to more easily endure various stresses. Succinic acid normalizes the natural microflora of the soil. Plants treated with acid become more resistant to adverse environmental influences. Its use stimulates the growth of roots, young shoots. Before planting, cuttings and seeds of plants are treated with it to improve germination and increase resistance. Dilute the drug at the rate of 1 gram per 5 liters of water.
Pruning and transplanting
Rowley's ragwort does not need constant pruning. The density of the green mass depends on how often you cut the shoots. This variety only requires pinning the top leaves to form a beautiful shape.
Replant an adult plant no more than once every 3-4 years. A new pot must be selected 4-5 cm larger than the previous one in diameter. This should be done as needed, not immediately after.purchases. If the crown is too dense, you can divide it very carefully and plant it in several pots. In the composition of the soil mixture for plant transplantation, it is necessary to take leafy soil, humus, vermiculite, sand, peat in equal parts. We have already said that the shoots are very fragile, so transplanting will require you to be careful and skillful.
During the transplant, shoots and roots should be shortened a little. This promotes the growth of side shoots on the branches, which will make the plant more dense and lush. But more often, the flower is simply transplanted into a larger pot, and too long roots are not cut off, but twisted, the shoots are pinched a little. After 5-7 years, Rowley's cross should not be transplanted. It will be enough to update it. To do this, cut off strongly overgrown stems. The cut parts of the shoots can be used for propagation.
The shoots of this plant lengthen by 30 cm or more in a year. They hang from the pot more and more. On the surface of the earth in a pot, lying branches take root and give roots and new shoots. Thus, the earthen clod is being mastered, the feeding area is decreasing. If you do not allow such rooting on the surface of the soil in a pot, then the flower will lose its decorative effect: gradually the old sections of the branch are exposed, and new ones cover them. The plant becomes very dense, for its proper development requires more and more soil. After transplantation, the plant is watered abundantly and not fed for 1.5-2 months.
Reproduction
Rowley's ragwort can be propagated in two ways - by dividing the bush we talked about with a leaf andcuttings. Any of these methods can be used during the active growing season, summer and spring. Quite often, flower growers are interested in: “Can Rowley’s ragwort be propagated by a leaf?”. Here it is necessary to make clarifications. In this case, we are talking about reproduction by layering.
Place a second pot of potting soil next to the ragwort, take a few shoots from an adult plant and pin them in the new pot. Where the branch is in contact with the soil, the leaves are removed. Rooting will happen pretty quickly. After a month, the layers can be separated from the mother plant. They will continue to grow, releasing side branches. This is the easiest and most affordable method of reproduction even for a beginner in floriculture.
Rowley's ragwort cuttings take root just as well. You can plant several cuttings from 5 to 10 cm long in one pot at once. The lower bead leaves are removed and this part is added dropwise to the ground. To obtain cuttings, it is necessary to cut the ends of the lashes. After that, the mother plant begins to branch even more and becomes very dense.
Owner Reviews
Few owners of this luxurious plant are very proud of their purchase. They find it very showy, not requiring too much maintenance. However, flower growers warn that all agrotechnical activities with this exotic must be carried out with gloves and wash hands thoroughly after work is completed.
