Juvenile care
Euphorbia or spurge is one of the mostcommon indoor plants. If someone does not have such a green friend, he must have seen this plant from relatives or friends, at school or at work. And all because the plant looks very cute, and care for milking comparatively simple.
Total exists about two thousand species milking. A distinctive feature of representatives of this family is that when the plant is damaged in place of "wound" appears a white viscous substance. With the milk of the milkweed you need to be careful, since it is poisonous and can cause severe burns.
The homeland of the milkweed is the subtropics of Africa, America and the island of Madagascar.
If the proper care of the milk is ensured, it can grow up to 1.8 m in height and will annually please the hosts with bright beautiful flowers. The spurge grows slowly, but it lives comparatively long.
Care for milk is relatively simple. This plant will perfectly feel at an air temperature of 20 to 25 in summer and from 12 to 16 in winter. She likes bright lighting, therefore it is better to put the spurge on the windowsillsouth or south-east window. Juvenile care involves moderate watering in the spring and summer (about twice a week), in winter watering can be reduced to once a month, as the spurge belongs to the category of succulents, and they do not like water very much. Nevertheless, the spurge sometimes sprinkle with warm water.
Periodically spurge should be fed. The optimal time for fertilizing is two to three weeks. Suitable for juveniles are special fertilizers for indoor plants, non-flowering species are good for fertilizers for cacti.
Juvenile care involves annual transplantation of young plants and transplant in two or three years old copies. The soil should consist of turf, peat, leaf land, sand and brick chips taken in equal parts.
Propagate spurge with seeds and cuttings. To do this, it is necessary to carefully cut the shank,then dry it in the air, and sprinkle the cut on the mother plant with pounded coal. It is better to put the stalk into the water so that it can take roots, although the spurge is well rooted and immediately in the soil. In order that the poisonous juice of the milkweed does not get on the skin, all manipulations associated with the propagation of the plant are better hold in gloves.
Proper care for milk is practicallywill protect the plant from diseases, but it is better to know about them in order to provide the green friend with the necessary help in time. If the leaves of the milkweed become pale and begin to fall, then the plant experiences lack of lighting. If the leaves turn yellow, dry up and fall off, then the problem is related to lack of moisture. Perhaps the milk is not enough watering, or the air in the room is too dry. Sharp temperature drop and drafts can lead to the fact that the plant will quickly discard the leaves and fade. Excessive watering causes uneven coloring of bracts leaves.
Suffers spurge from pests. If aphids attack the plant, the euphorbia depresses andstops development. When whiteflies are attacked, whitish and yellowish spots appear on the leaves of the plant. Then the leaves twist, turn yellow and fall off. The root mealy worm affects the root system. You can recognize this parasite by observing the development of the plant. Euphorbia, infected with mealy worm, significantly slows growth, yellow and leaves die. For pest control there is a whole mass of drugs for houseplants that can easily be found in any flower shop.
If you provide good care for the milk, the problems associated with its development will be rare. And the plant itself will please the eye for many years.
