Indoor cross-dress plants attract attention very much because of their unusual, saturated inflorescences. They grow both as solitary plants and as a group.
The main types.
The short-grown itself, well-blooming and is a perennial plant - it is a barbed cross. The flower is usually yellowish-orange. Inflorescences not large, up to 5 (7) centimeters in length. Upper leaves almost 2 times smaller than lower leaves.
Another type of funnel-shaped cross-frame. It grows in the form of half-shrubs with a height of 25-60 centimeters. Leaves are wavy, bare or completely bare, usually bright green in color. The largest part of this species grows in India, either in the lowlands, or in dry, clarified places. Flowers about two centimeters in diameter.
How to properly care for the plant.
Cross-trees are plants that prefer bright, but diffuse light. The best location for it will be the west or east window, but if you put it on the southern window, you should guard the cross-deck from direct sunlight. On the northern window, due to lack of light, the normal growth of the flower can be disturbed.
The optimum temperature for the growth of the cross-deck in the fall from 17 degrees, the main thing is that it does not fall below, and in summer the ideal temperature will be 23-28C.
Watering the crossband is necessary abundant especially during active growth. As soon as the top layer of the earth begins to dry up, this indicates that it is required to water the plant urgently. In autumn, as in most plants, watering is reduced, watering should be done so as not to overhydrate the land. When watering, care must be taken so that no drops of water fall on the leaves and flowers. The optimal water for irrigation awakens standing water at room temperature.
In order to strengthen bushy cross-dressing, somewhere in the beginning of spring it is required to prickle the young shoots, and also pruning old stems.
Fertilize the plant should be in the spring-autumn period with a frequency of every two weeks. In winter, only flowering species should be fertilized, the rest do not need additional fertilizer. The ideal feed is both mineral and organic fertilizers.
In the room where the cross-dressers are located, there must be a high humidity of air. When spraying, as well as in watering, care should be taken, as falling on flowers can be detrimental to the plant. Needless to spray the flower, too, is not it will lead to the suppuration of the leaves. To maintain moisture, you can put a pot of flower on a wet claydite. Special air humidifiers will also help, for a cross-card this will be a favorable condition.
Transplant these indoor plants should be in the spring. Young plants every year, but as they grow older every three to four years. At the bottom of the pot should be put good drainage, and use mixed ground. The mixture should include sand and peat and humus land naturally in equal parts.
For the reproduction of cross-dressers, either seeds or herbaceous cuttings (apical or cauline processes) are used in the spring, but the plant can be cut all year round. Rooting should take place from two to five weeks at room temperature. The same temperature should be maintained after planting the plant for a month, then it can be lowered. Ideally, a six-centimeter vase is suitable for planting, in which only one specimen should be placed. Within a month, the pot can be enlarged and planted several shoots. The earth composition must be well prepared and consist of humus, peat, turf and sand.
Seeds cross-breed is very rare, as it does not bear fruit every year. Most often, fruiting falls on a hot summer. In one fruit contains five seeds. Sowing seeds is required in an earthen mixture of peat and coarse sand, on top of the mixture after the landing, pour ordinary sand with a layer of about one centimeter. Temperature, as well as when planting cuttings is maintained room. An important factor in germination is the maintenance of moisture, if all conditions are met, the seeds will germinate in two to three weeks. In a month they should be planted in small pots. It is ideal to complete all transplantations by the end of August, as late transplantation affects plant vegetation and flowering. After the last transplant, the cross-dresser quickly develops the root system and a rapid flowering occurs.
For use in food after the cuttings, a period of 7 months must pass, and after seed multiplication after 10 months. For several weeks, flowering continues. If it grows in the room, fruiting begins. After aging, the plant loses its ornamentality and is easily attacked by pests.
What difficulties can be encountered.
The cross-leaves can fall off leaves, and the probable cause of this will be a drought of the roots or a short-term loss of moisture. It can also be accompanied by cold air or very bright sunlight.
If the air humidity is too low, dryness of the leaf tips can be observed. To adjust the appearance of the plant, spray more often and place the pot in wet peat.
From pests is damaged by decay and spider mite. Use special solutions to get rid of them.