Nolina (bokarneya) belongs to the family of asparagus. The genus has about thirty varieties. In the wild grows in southern Mexico, USA.
Description
Nolina has a bottle-shaped trunk: it has a thickening called caudex. Refined tree-like stems with cracked, thin bark of pale gray or elephant color depart from it. In caudex, the plant accumulates moisture. This is necessary because it grows in arid places.
Bokarneya resembles a palm tree: its leaves are collected at the top. Plates grow to one meter, hard with veins. The greens located at the bottom of the plant fade over time, it is replaced by a new one.
In the wild, it begins to bloom only by the age of 15-20. At home, this does not happen at all. The flowers resemble a panicle of a yellowish-white hue. The buds exude a pleasant aroma.
Types for indoor breeding
There are over thirty types of bokarney. However, not all of them are suitable for indoor breeding. The following varieties are usually grown in an apartment:
Variety | Features |
Long leaf | Dimensional plant: it is often grown in special greenhouses. Has an erect trunk, expanded at the root. The bark is cork. Old specimens crack. The arched leaves are hard, belt-shaped. Grow bunches at the apex. Over time, they dry up and go down, forming a "skirt" covering the trunk. |
Bent (recurvate) | The most popular variety for growing a house. Reaches one and a half meters. The trunk is erect with an extension below. Green ribbon-like leaves form rosettes and hang from the top. Over time, they become “curly”. It’s about one meter long and one or two centimeters wide. |
Matapskaya | Belongs to the undersized variety. In nature does not grow more than two meters. Leaves after wilting do not fall. They form a "skirt" around the trunk. |
Lindenmeyer | Low-growing variety with a weak trunk. Leaves are dense and elongated. The people called the plant "devil's string." |
Nelson's | In young specimens, it is almost impossible to consider the trunk: it is covered with greenery. The bluish-green leaves are hard with jagged edges, sticking out to the sides. With age, they disappear, the plant is exposed. Reaches three meters. |
Tuberous | It grows to two meters. Gains three to five centimeters in height per year. Caudex is present in adult bushes that have reached the age of twenty. |
House maintenance
Seasonal home care table:
Parameter | Spring Summer | Autumn winter |
Location / Lighting | The plant loves fresh air. It is recommended to put it on a loggia or terrace. If this is not possible, a pot of nolin is placed on the southwestern or southeastern windowsill. Bokarneya calmly transfers direct ultraviolet rays. However, in the sunshine it is better to protect it from them (a leaf burn is possible). Unwanted draft and rain. Nolina needs bright diffused light. With its lack, the trunk bends towards the light source. | The location for the plant is chosen the same as in the summer. In autumn and winter, additional lighting sources are needed. You can use ordinary lamps. Daylight hours must be extended by 10-12 hours. |
Temperature | Nolina perceives any temperature well. Therefore, there is no need to create special conditions for it. If possible, it is better to maintain the most favorable environment in the room + 20 ... 25 ° С. | In autumn and winter, the room temperature must be lowered to + 10 ... 15 ° C. |
Humidity | The plant perfectly survives with normal humidity in the apartment. | When the heating system is operating, infrequent spraying is necessary. It is recommended that you wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust. Do not wash in the shower. This can destroy the plant. |
Watering | Regular and plentiful is needed. After manipulation, excess water must be drained from the pan. It is advisable to conduct the event by the method of "immersion". | The number of irrigations is gradually decreasing. It is enough to complete the procedure once every three to four weeks. At temperatures below + 10 ° C, water activities can be completely abandoned. |
Top dressing | To maintain health and beauty, top dressing is applied once a month. Fertilizers with a low nitrogen content must be used. | Not necessary. |
Transplant: pot, soil, step-by-step description
The pot needs a shallow, but wide, because the root system is superficial. The transplant container should have large drainage holes.
Plastic pots are used for young plants. For mature specimens - from ceramics.
Bokarneya is not picky about the ground. However, the best option would be loose soil, good moisture permeability with moderate acidity. You can make it yourself or buy it ready.
How to plant a bush in a new container (step by step):
- the drainage layer is laid out;
- substrate is poured 1/3 (capacity and soil are pre-disinfected);
- landing by transshipment (the earthen lump must not be damaged);
- the roots are sprinkled with earth, which is compacted;
- the bush should sit tightly in the soil (sprinkled with expanded clay or gravel);
- transplanted nolin is placed in partial shade, not watered for three to five days.
Young specimens need to be transplanted annually. Adult plants - 1 time in 3-4 years. The pot should be 3-4 cm wider than the previous one.
It is not difficult to understand that transshipment is necessary: the root system will begin to exit the drainage holes.
Formation
Nolina does not give flowering at home. In order for the plant to have lush foliage, the lighting should be of medium intensity. Watering at the same time regularly. Tuberous
It is necessary to take into account that with such a care, the sculpin will lose a strong thickening at the rhizome. It is also recommended to shorten the top to awaken the “sleeping” kidneys. The bush will turn out to be toned, with lush hair, but a small caudex.
When it is necessary that the plant has a powerful thickening at the bottom of the trunk, it needs to provide bright light in winter with a minimum amount of watering.
Caudex will grow, the bush will not grow up.
Breeding
Bokarney usually propagated by seed, because it gives the shoots extremely rarely. It happens as follows:
- seeds are soaked in Zircon, Epin;
- a pot of substrate, the soil is moistened;
- planting material is evenly distributed, covered with a thin layer of soil;
- the pot is covered with polyethylene and placed under a phytolamp, the temperature is maintained within + 21 ... 25 ° C;
- the condition of the earth is checked daily (it should always be slightly moist), the film is removed, condensate is removed from it.
The first shoots appear after 3-4 weeks. Strong and grown seedlings are transplanted into different containers. Long leaf
If nolin has sprouted, which can be separated from the mother bush, then reproduction occurs as follows:
- the stalk is separated by hands, the injured area is sprinkled with coal powder;
- the scrap is planted in a pot with a moistened mixture of peat, sand, vermiculite;
- the earth around the seedling is slightly compacted;
- the pot is covered with glass, kept at a temperature of + 21 ... 26 ° C;
- regularly watered with water with a small volume of root-forming agent, the ground part is sprayed with Zircon, the protective glass is removed daily to eliminate condensation;
- after the appearance of greenery, as soon as the shoots take root, the shelter is removed.
Breeding of bokarneya by shoots is an easier way with a good germination rate, but not always possible.
Mistakes in care and their elimination
With improper maintenance, the plant develops diseases. Errors in care and solution to the problem:
Description of the problem | Possible reasons | Remedies |
The greens turn yellow and fall away. | The room is damp. | Ventilate the room regularly, maintain a comfortable temperature. |
The stalk withers, becomes shriveled. Leaves fade. | Drying out of the soil. | Water more often. |
The tips of the leaf blades turn brown. | Excessive watering. | Water as recommended. |
In season, foliage grows slowly. | Lack of nutrients. | In the spring and summer to feed. |
The greens are sluggish and drooping, a darker shade than it should be. | Bad light. | Move the pot closer to the window or create additional lighting using lamps. |
Soft plaques form on the trunk. Shoots soften, rhizome rots. | Constant moisture. Water entering the trunk. This is exacerbated by low temperature. |
|
The lower foliage dries and falls, but new greens grow quickly. | Normal phenomenon. | Everything is good. The bush is healthy. |
The trunk softened. | Decay due to excess water. | When the trunk rots, the scorpion dies. |
Diseases, pests
A plant rarely has a disease. Due to hard leaves, it is infrequently affected by pests.
Sometimes the following insects can start on it:
Pests | How to determine | How to get rid |
Shield | When affected by adult insects, brownish plaques form. Sheet plates are deformed and may turn yellow. | Spray with Actara, Actellik, Fitoverm. Better on the street, like poisonous drugs. |
Spider mite | A pest pierces the leaves to get to the juice. Small dots appear, the green is covered with cobwebs. | |
Mealybug | The presence of white cotton lumps. The bush is weakening, turning yellow. Greens wither and fall. Growth is halting. |
Mr. Summer resident recommends: nolina - harmony in the house
The plant symbolizes strong family relationships.
There is a sign that the bokarney benefits the house: harmony reigns in the home. Apartment dwellers are becoming less aggressive. Between them, complete understanding.
A pot of nolina is recommended to be placed in the corridor or in the living room.