Abutilon (cord) belongs to the Malvaceae family. It grows in the tropical and subtropical forests of South America, Australia, in the African tropics, as well as in China and India.
Description
The genus includes: perennial evergreen and deciduous varieties; shrubs, trees. They have woody or grassy shoots. Reach a height of 4 m in the natural environment.
- On a long stem, harsh villi or soft felt are observed. Usually the shoots are highly branched.
- The leaves are cut into several lobes. They are similar to maple: dark greenish or gray in tone with a blue tint with islet ends. Therefore, the abutilion has a popular name - indoor maple.
- In some representatives, greens have a striped or speckled appearance. The length of the leaves does not exceed ten centimeters. Not all of them are maple-shaped; in variegated varieties, heart-shaped greens.
When flowering, buds are formed in the form of bells. Their diameter reaches eleven centimeters. There are types of terry abutilon with large petals of the corolla. The flower has a different color (depending on the subspecies). More often, single flowers are formed in the sinuses of greenery.
Varieties of Abutilon
The most suitable types for home:
| View | Feature |
| Bella | When it begins to bloom, lush pinkish or golden buds appear, up to 8 cm in size. It is distinguished by a strong branching, with no need for pruning and pruning. It grows to a height of 0.4 m. |
| Organza | Shrub up to 1 m high. Has smooth, green leaves and large single flowers. It must be cut off. |
| Bellevue | A hybrid having flowers of all shades of the rainbow. The lush shrub reaches a height of a couple of meters with proper care and regular pruning. |
| Bella mix | A hybrid with large flowers of yellow, peach, pink. |
| Sello | Has an inflorescence of a peach tone with pink veins. It blooms from July to December. |
| Tiger's Eye | A large bush with orange-tinted flowers with reddish veins. If you look at his photo, he resembles a lantern. |
| Juliet | In just 12 months, this variety grows to 0.5 m. Flowering is year-round, begins 6 months after sowing. The buds are large, bright, their diameter reaches 6 cm. |
| Amazonian | With good care, it blooms all year. Its buds resemble a weeping Chinese lantern. It is two-tone: the tip is yellowish, and the corolla is red. |
| Terry | Has lush pink buds. This is a medium-sized shrub. |
| Grape leaf | Several flowers form in the brush and fall like threads on long cuttings. Hue have lilac or blue. Appear in May. The leaves are similar to grape, hence the name. |
| American (hybrid) | It grows to 0.5 m. It has brown bark. Flowers come in a variety of colors, from white to burgundy. |
| Arabesque | It blooms year-round. The buds are large, pinkish. Size usually does not exceed 40 cm. |
In total there are more than 100 subspecies (Macrame, Lobelia Maranta, Neon Pink, Ornella, Variegata or variegated, Chardon, Isabella and others).
Home care
Caring for abutilone at home does not cause much trouble. In favorable conditions, the tree grows to the ceiling. It is growing and developing rapidly. It is enough to follow simple recommendations.
Planter and soil selection
At first, the cord is grown in a liter pot.
A tree has a peculiarity: until its roots cover the whole earth, it will not begin to bloom.
There should be drainage holes at the bottom of the tank. If the roots come out of them, it's time to transplant.
There are two ways to prepare the soil:
- coarse sand, peat, sheet land in equal shares;
- coarse sand, humus, leafy, turfy earth - 0.5: 1: 1: 2.
You can buy the finished mixture in a specialized store.
Lighting Temperature
If you do not maintain the required temperature in the apartment, the abutilon will begin to hurt and dry out, it may turn yellow. In summer it is optimal - + 25 °, in winter - + 12- + 15 °.
At low temperatures, the shrub dies.
Abutilon does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, heat. At + 30 ° and above, he throws off the petals and greens. Also, the plant must be removed away from drafts.
The shrub does not like direct sunlight. It is better to put it on the east, west, southwest, southeast window sills. It is better not to place it to the south window. The bright sun will harm the plant.
Watering and humidity
Indoor maple loves water. He needs regular watering. However, you should not overdo it with him. Excess moisture will destroy the bush, as well as its lack.
In summer they often and abundantly watered. The land in the pots is always a little wet. In winter, if the bush does not bloom, a slight drying of the soil is allowed.
There is no need to irrigate the tree. However, if it is produced, it grows healthy, strong. Spraying is recommended in winter with intense heating. If the bush is under ultraviolet rays, irrigation is performed in the evening. Otherwise, drops heated in the sun will cause green burns.
Feeding
Complex fertilizers are used for fertilizer. Top dressing is carried out in spring and summer weekly.
During the flowering period, it is recommended to use fertilizers with a high concentration of potassium and phosphorus.
Formation and transplantation
In order for the bush to look good, it needs to regularly cut the shoots, they grow rapidly. Otherwise, the plant will have an “antenna” appearance or the processes will begin to curl. Buds are formed only on young lateral shoots. Good branching and flowering can be achieved by constantly pinching the top. After winter, the tree needs to be updated: cut off 1/2 of the spine (stem).
It is recommended to transplant abutilone only if necessary. You need to do this in the spring, before the buds appear. Transplantation is performed once a year in a larger pot, if the roots of the bush completely envelop the earthen lump. Adults are moved to a new cache-pot no more than once every 2-3 years. This is done by the method of transshipment, so as not to cause injury to the roots.
Reproduction: step by step instructions
Propagated by seeds, step by step instructions:
- The soil is sieved for looseness and better moisture retention. The soil of low acidity is disinfected with a manganese solution.
- Seed is soaked in tepid water for 12 hours.
- Seeds are planted in flower pots to a depth of 5 mm. The pot is covered with polyethylene, placed in a warm place under the sun. From sprouted seeds, seedlings appear after about three weeks.
- When forming greenery, the sprouts are transplanted into separate containers with a diameter of 7 cm.
Vegetative propagation is best used in August:
- A root of 12 cm with a flexible stem is taken. The lower buds and greens are removed.
- The processes are planted in small containers, covered with banks (favorable greenhouse conditions are created). After about a month, the shoots start crawling roots. We must not forget to carry out watering, irrigation, ventilation.
- The landing of strong seedlings is carried out in pots with a diameter of not more than 7 cm.
Diseases and Pests
Pest damage leads to the death of the bush. To avoid this, it must be periodically examined under a magnifying glass for the presence of insects, diseases. Humidify the air around abutilon. If the pest is wound up, chemicals are purchased in specialized stores to combat it.
Indoor maple is sick due to improper care. Most often, root rot occurs.
Use, benefit, harm
Abutilon is used for decoration (for example, ampere types look good against the background of a stretch ceiling). It also has technical applications after processing. From it produce:
- rope burlap;
- ropes;
- high ctex ropes and quality weaving.
That is why it has one more name - the cord. It does not have harmful properties, but for some people it becomes an allergen. There is a sign that the cord brings troubles to the home, but this is just superstition.
