Spotted Crotonis a wonderful houseplant that can decorate even a rather gloomy room thanks to its beautiful, colorful leaves. However, it is a capricious plant and you need to take some trouble to keep the croton in good condition. Here is whatcare and pot cultivation of the crotonis possible, is it possiblereproduction of the croton spottedat home and what diseases and pests can attack this plant.
Croton variegated - Codiaeum
Spotted croton - varieties
Croton in the natural environment occurs in Malaysia, on the Pacific islands and in northern Australia. It belongs to the spine family, as does the poinsettia - the star of Bethlehem - that blooms in winter.
The most popular species in potting isCroton variegated- Codiaeum variegatum. This plant is sometimes also referred to as the three-variegated plant. In the past, crotons were considered very hard to keep plants that could only be grown in greenhouse conditions. Over the years, however, growers have obtainedcroton varietiesmore resistant to home conditions, thereforegrowing crotonin the apartment is now much easier.
These potted plants with colorful leaves grow to about 1 m in height.Strong, leathery leaves of the crotonmay have variegated veins or are covered with colored spots. Most often, croton leaves are green or yellow with orange, pink and red discoloration.The colors of the leaves and their shape may vary depending on the variety.
For exampleCroton variegated Aucubifoliumhas lanceolate leaves, green with yellow dots, andCraigii Crotonhas palmate leaves with yellow veins. In theCroton Reidiivariety, the leaf blades are red-yellow and the veins are dark red.Spotted Croton Bravohas leaves slightly lobed with yellow streaks. A relatively new variety is also interesting -Golden Bell croton , whose leaves are exceptionally long, narrow, angularly tipped. A yellow to red band runs along the center of the leaves, and the leaves are green at the edges.
Variegated croton - care and cultivation
Cultivation site, insolation
CrotonNeeds a lot of light for proper growth. However, it must be diffused light, as strong direct sunlight can easily burn the leaves.The abundance of light will make the leaves of the croton more intensely colored, and from the bottom the plant will not lose older leaves.
Growing temperature
During the growing season,variegated crotonplant well at normal room temperature. The ideal temperature range for it is 18 - 22 ° C. In winter, the temperature should be lowered to approx. 16 ° C, but it should not drop below 15 ° C.
Humidity, watering croton
Crotons are typical moisture-loving houseplants. During the growing season, we maintain a constant soil moisture, and in winter, watering must be limited, but the soil must not be completely dry.Croton carealso involves sprinkling the leaves in order to maintain the appropriate air humidity. Sometimes plants should be placed over trays with damp pebbles, from which the water will evaporate, moisturizing the air.
Croton fertilization
Croton fertilizationis carried out from spring to autumn, using diluted fertilizer for potted plants every two weeks.
Transplanting, soilWhen the current pot turns out to be too small,replanting the crotonis done in the spring, which is the usual time when potted plants are transplanted. The new pot should be filled with a light, permeable substrate rich in organic matter. The soil for croton should have a pH of 5.7 - 6.8. In older plants, which already grow in a sufficiently large pot, it is usually enough to replace the top layer of the substrate with fresh soil.
Trimming, cutting croton
The variegated crotonis naturally shrubby and does not need to be pruned. However, if the plant becomes too large, the shoots can be trimmed in spring. Like all spurgeons, the croton secretes white milky sap which can irritate the skin of the hands. Therefore, the cut should be performed with protective gloves. To stop the leakage of juices from the cut shoots, cover the cut areas with powdered charcoal.Cut off pieces of shoots can be an opportunity for the reproduction of the croton.
Spotted croton - reproduction
Croton reproductionat home is difficult. However, it is worth a try, because if you succeed, the obtained croton seedlings will be less sensitive and better adapted to the conditions of growing at home than those purchased in florists from greenhouse crops.
Croton cuttings are prepared from non-lignified parts of the shoots. For this purpose, shoot sections about 15 cm long, devoid of young leaves and flower buds, are cut. After cutting the shoots, the thick white juice leaks abundantly from the wound, which cools in the air, so the cuttings should be placed in lukewarm water for a few hours. To speed up the rooting of the plants, it is a good idea to place the lower end in the rooting tool (it should be a type A rooting cutter) and then plant it in a soil made of a mixture of sand and flower soil. The cuttings take root only in a warm substrate with a temperature of 20-28 ° C.
Croton - diseases, problems in cultivation
Many problems in the cultivation of croton are due to improper care of the plant. Fortunately, there are some signals that you can guess what the plant does not suit you. Ifthe lower leaves of the croton are fallingit is a sign of too dry air or too cold. Whencroton leaves lose their color- faded, dull or green, it means that the croton lacks light and needs to be repositioned to a sunnier location. Ifcroton leaves hang and wilt , it is most likely a sign of excessive watering.
The plant may also be infected with fungal diseases of potted plants. The most common then are round or irregularspots on the leaves of the croton , grayish, brownish or black, covered with fungus spores or covered with an annular border. Infected leaves should be cut out and the plant treated with Biochitan, Biochikol or Bioczos BR preparations.Spraying should be repeated 2-3 times at intervals of 7-10 days. If the plants cannot be cured, unfortunately they have to be discarded.
Crotons can also be attacked by pests of potted plants. These are usually thrips (they cause the formation of silvery spots on the leaves, with time the surface of the spots are corky), mealybugs (the leaves are fed by larvae covered with white, woolly, sticky discharge) or cuplets (insects with a hard shield are visible on the leaves). The latter two can be combated with soil treatment with BR or Ultra Shield. The natural preparation Agrocover Spray will also be helpful in the fight against all the above-mentioned pests.See also:
