Croton - home care

Croton is a decorative deciduous plant that belongs to the family euphorbiaceae of the croton genus. This plant was first seen on the Malaysian islands. It also grows in the forests of Southeast Asia, and on some islands of the Indian and Pacific Ocean. In nature, this plant reaches a height of three meters. At home, you can’t grow a croton of this height. The maximum growth of this deciduous plant at home reaches one and a half meters. At the same time, so that you have such a height, you need to try very hard. However, not one effort can be compared with the beauty that this plant radiates. You will admire the croton all year long!

Today we will talk with you about what croton care at home requires.

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Varieties of croton

Croton is a plant that is very popular for decorating houses, offices and apartments. The great demand for it is explained by colorful leaves, variegated colors and high height. However, there are many varieties of this plant, and each of them is beautiful in its own way.

Varieties of croton:

• Norm. This plant is characterized by variegated bright green leaves that have red veins and yellow spots located throughout the leaf.
• Petra. In their form they are very similar to the “norm”, but they do not have red veins and spots. There are only yellow “lines” on bright green leaves.
• Excellent. The leaf shape of this variety is very similar to maple. Streaks of green, yellow and red. Without spots.
• Gold Finger. The leaves of this variety are long. There are yellow streaks without spots.
• Gold Sun is characterized by large leaves that have yellow spots all over the surface. The color is dominated by yellow.
• Zanzibar is the most beautiful croton variety. Its leaves have an oblong oval shape. Hang down a bit. Each sheet individually has its own shade: green, yellow, red, orange and others.

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Croton care at home

Many are interested in the question of croton, how to care at home and what are the necessary rules for growing it, so that it will please the hostess every day. Let us tell you in detail about the temperature regime, lighting, watering and humidity, which are necessary for this plant.

Temperature mode

Croton loves warmth. The air temperature in the room where it should increase should exceed 16 degrees.

Important! If this does not happen, then the leaves of such a beautiful plant will simply fall off. To all this, the root system can rot.

In the summer time, the most optimal air temperature for croton is 20-22 degrees.

Important! If in your room it is very hot it is necessary to increase the humidity. This will ensure a favorable growth of croton at home.

Lighting

Caring for croton at home implies good lighting - this is a necessary factor that will ensure bright coloring of leaves.

Important! If there will be very little light in your room, then the leaves of the flower may lose all brightness and beauty, there will be variegated shades and a uniform green, dull color.

In the summer, protect the croton from direct sunlight. In winter, put the flower on the south side.

Watering

The croton plant and care for it at home involves constant watering:

• You must ensure that the soil is always moist, as dry earth can affect the plant and it will simply die.
• It is also worthwhile to ensure that there is not much moisture, as the roots can begin to rot.
• In the autumn-winter period, it is worthwhile to ensure that watering is not carried out too often.

Important! If you see that the leaves of the plant are drooping, but at the same time watering is carried out regularly, then it is necessary to spray the leaves with water. Use settled water at room temperature for this. Spraying with cold moisture adversely affects the foliage - it loses its decorative, colorful color.

Air humidity

For normal croton growth, increased air humidity is required. That is why it is strongly recommended to regularly spray plants in the autumn-spring period. Also, do not forget to do this in the summer. In fact, you can safely spray croton throughout the calendar year. This will favorably affect the plant.

In addition to spraying:

• It is worth wiping all the leaves with a wet swab. This procedure must be done once every five to six days.
• You can also put a container with wet stones and a small amount of moisture next to this plant. Thus, you will increase the humidity in the room, and your pet’s growth will only improve.

Top dressing

For favorable care of croton at home, it is necessary to feed it periodically. For this, special products that are sold for deciduous flowers are suitable for you.

Important! It is worth feeding after watering once a week. In winter, it is recommended to carry out this procedure once a month.

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Transplant croton

Due to the fact that an adult plant reaches a height of one and a half meters and its root system grows regularly, young flowers should be transplanted. This procedure is recommended in the spring season.

Important! For transplantation, the method of transferring an earthen lump into a larger pot than the previous one is used.

Before transplanting croton into a new pot, it is necessary to put drainage on the bottom then the soil, which is intended for deciduous plants. If your flower is already quite mature, then you can transplant it once every 36 months.

Important! The best mixture for croton is peat, turf land, humus and coarse sand, which are mixed in equal proportions.

To protect against harmful microbes, this mixture of earth must be calcined in the oven. To prevent root decay, it is recommended to add a little chopped charcoal to the pot.

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We multiply the croton

Caring for a croton at home does not require much effort, and if you cope with the task, then you can think about how to propagate the plant:

• During the flowering period, seeds are allocated for it, which you need to collect and plant. Do it in a growth stimulator, covering with a film.
• When croton is propagated, the cuttings method is also used. To carry out this action, you need to cut the cuttings, which are very well ripe and their length is 15 cm. “Twigs” should be cut from the main stem, then lowered into water - this is necessary in order to wash off the juice. After that, dry the shoot and plant it in a pot, while covering it with foil. In order to guarantee a result, you need to put the handle in a warm place. In one month you should have the first roots. All varieties are propagated in this way.

Important! Immediately after the plants bloom, the flowers must be removed. They are not as beautiful as the color of the leaves.

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Croton diseases

Diseases rarely affect croton growth. They can appear only due to the fact that you do not properly care for the flower. This is due to the fact that this species is poisonous.

Have croton leaves fallen off? Then the flower does not have enough moisture.You need to water and spray more strongly, wipe the leaves with a cotton swab. Most often, this ailment occurs in the summer.

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Stock footage

Diseases that can form are triggered by two factors - low air humidity and improper watering. If you provide all these nuances, then the croton will delight you all the time.