Araucaria: plant characteristics and care recommendations

Araucaria is a beautiful evergreen tree and is one of the few conifers suitable for home cultivation. The popularity of the plant among florists and landscape designers is due to its high decorative properties and not too burdensome care.

Araucaria is a coniferous plant native to Australia and New Zealand. Today, its habitat is New Caledonia and New Guinea. Some species can be seen in South America, Norfolk Island and the Black Sea coast. In the wild, the tree grows up to 60 meters, while indoor species barely reach a height of two meters. The plant is characterized by a pyramidal crown shape, which is due to the arrangement of branches relative to the trunk at almost right angles.

Most species are represented by dioecious plants. Male cones sometimes grow up to 20 cm in length and weigh up to 1.5 kilograms. However, there are also monoecious species, for example, varifolia araucaria, which is an ornamental tree and is cultivated as a houseplant. Araucaria has powerful energy and has a beneficial effect on the psychological climate in the house. In addition, the tree effectively cleans the air from harmful impurities and helps to alleviate the condition of hypotension. However, for hypertensive patients, his presence in the house, on the contrary, is contraindicated. In addition, it is not recommended to place the tree in the bedroom and resting areas. This is due to its ability to increase the vitality of a person and stimulate him to be active.

The genus Araucaria is a member of the Araucariaceae family and includes 19 species. Below is a brief overview of the most beautiful and popular of them, growing both in the wild and at home.

• Araucaria heterophylla (lat.Araucaria heterophylla), which is also called "spruce in a pot", is considered one of the most common types grown indoors. In the wild, the tree often grows up to 60 m, and the diameter of the lower part of the trunk reaches 100 cm. The adult plant does not look very elegant: the appearance is greatly spoiled by the half-naked trunk. However, indoor specimens have the correct pyramidal crown and look great in apartments, greenhouses and conservatories. The bark of araucaria has a dark brown color and a resinous scaly structure. The tetrahedral needles are painted in a delicate light green color. They are quite soft to the touch, slightly pointed at the tips and are located on the branches in a spiral. In addition, they curl slightly upward, which gives the branches a fluffy appearance.

• Araucaria angustifolia (lat.Araucaria angustifolia) or Brazilian is distinguished by thin hanging branches and bright green leaf plates of a linear-lanceolate type, growing up to 5 cm. The native land of the species is the mountains of southern Brazil, where the plant reaches a height of 50 m. A distinctive feature of the species is valuable wood and quite edible nuts.The diameter of the trunk in the root part can reach 1 m, and the cones of males grow up to 30 cm in diameter and weigh about 1 kg. Full ripening of fruits occurs 2-3 years after pollination. The tree is quite suitable for greenhouse cultivation and in such conditions it rarely grows above 3 meters.

• Araucaria heterophylla (lat.Araucaria heterophylla) is a native of South America and grows well indoors. The tree cannot stand exposure to direct UV rays and requires a shaded area. The tree should be kept in a cool room during the winter months. The plant requires good moisture and does not tolerate the drying out of an earthen coma. It should be watered only with soft water, since hard water significantly slows down the growth of the plant.

• Chilean araucaria (lat.Araucaria araucana) grows in Chile and on the western coast of Argentina, and grows 60 m in the wild. The young plant looks very majestic: the lower branches of the crown are very low and are actually on the ground. The side branches of the middle and upper parts of the table are located horizontally and hang slightly. However, with age, the shape of the crown changes and acquires a flat-umbrella-shaped shape. This is due to the death of the lower branches, as a result of which, in mature trees, they remain only in the upper part of the trunk.

The plant has a thick bark with a high resin content. The leaves of the species are tough and rather thorny, arranged spirally and covering the branch very densely. The plant tolerates light frosts well, loves light and well-moistened non-swampy soils with a high nutrient content. Araucaria seeds are delicious and contain a lot of beneficial ingredients. At home, they try to place the tree as a single planting when decorating the landscape. This is due to the high decorative properties of the species, it is inappropriate to overshadow the beauty of which with other plants.

• Araucaria bidwillii (lat.Araucaria bidwillii) the only surviving species of the Bunia section of the Araucaria genus. It was widespread in the Mesazoi, with the earliest species growing back in the Jurassic period. This fact was confirmed by carbon analysis of fossilized plant remains found on the South American continent and in Europe. The species owes its name to the English naturalist J. Bidwill, who studied and described it in detail, and a little later transferred several plants to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. This marked the beginning of the spread of this species in Europe, where it was quickly appreciated for its decorative effect and began to actively decorate greenhouses and winter gardens with it.

In the natural environment, the tree grows up to 50 m, the trunk diameter reaches 125 cm. The plant is dioecious, and the females are much larger than the males. Just like in the previous species, only young individuals can be called beautiful: over time, the tree loses its lower branches and remains with a half-naked trunk. The plant has a thick resinous bark of a dark color and large cones up to 35 cm in diameter and weighing up to 3 kg.

• Araucaria high (lat.Araucaria excelsa) is a very airy and delicate tree with a pyramidal crown. In the wild, the plant grows more than 65 m in height and has a very thick trunk, the diameter of which reaches 3 m in the root zone.Its indoor sibling is much more modest in size and barely grows up to two meters, but it is a fast-growing tree, and stretches 15 see A distinctive feature of the species is the arrangement of branches that grow on the trunk in tiers, while forming an interesting crown.The plant has long and thin bright green needle-like leaves, and during flowering forms male and female cones measuring 5 and 12 cm, respectively. Due to its high decorative properties and unpretentious cultivation, the species is very often bred indoors.

Araucaria reproduces quite well at home. For this, cuttings or the seed method are used.

The procedure is performed in the middle of summer, using the crown of the crown as a planting material. If it is not possible to cut the stalk from the top of the tree, then the use of lateral shoots is allowed. However, many experts believe that it is impossible to grow a tree of the correct shape from them, as from the top. The procedure for propagating araucaria by cuttings is as follows: the shoot you like is cut off from the tree 3-4 cm below the whorl, wipe off the juice that has come out, dry the cut and sprinkle with chopped charcoal. The twig is left in this state for a day, which is usually enough to tighten the wound. Then the cut is treated with heteroauxin or any other root formation stimulator, after which the preparation of the soil substrate is started.

The earthen mixture is purchased in the store or prepared by yourself. For this, sand and peat are taken in equal shares, mixed and watered. Then a stalk is planted in the substrate and covered with a glass jar on top. Every day, the shoot is ventilated, sprayed and moistened. The most optimal temperature is 25 degrees, otherwise the rooting process slows down significantly. If it is possible to organize the bottom heating, it should be used, as this will help to quickly root the shoot.

The seed method is more painstaking and time consuming. Sowing is carried out from April to June, using only fresh seeds. The process begins with the preparation of a nutrient substrate prepared from a mixture of peat, sand, turf and leaf humus, taken in equal proportions. If the last two components could not be found, then a little charcoal is added to the sand and peat, which is previously crushed. Then the resulting substrate is poured into pots, watered and sowed. After all the seeds are planted, the ground is covered with sphagnum moss and the boxes are removed to a room with a temperature of 18-20 degrees.

The seeds germinate very unevenly and some of them may hatch only after 2 months. Seedlings must be protected from direct UV rays, otherwise they will turn yellow and die quickly. It is better to create diffused lighting for them or place them in the shadow of neighboring plants. A pick of young shoots is performed after the first needles appear on them. In the case of single planting of seeds in a pot, the shoots do not dive, but are left in the same containers until the root system gets stronger. After the roots cover the entire ground of the pot, they can be planted in open ground or in a large container.

Araucaria grows very slowly, and therefore does not need frequent transplants. Experts recommend replanting the purchased plant immediately into a suitable container in which it will be constantly. Transplanting is carried out by the transshipment method with the maximum preservation of the earth lump. The first full-fledged transplant can be performed no earlier than the flower reaches the age of three. Further transplants are carried out every 3 years in April-May.

The transplant substrate is prepared from peat, which has an acidic reaction, sand, turf and leafy soil, taken in equal proportions, as well as a certain amount of coniferous soil. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the container, which is used as expanded clay or small pebbles.Then the soil in the old pot is well moistened and half an hour after watering, the plant is carefully removed along with the earthen lump. In this case, you need to try not to disturb the root system, otherwise the tree may not withstand transplants and die.

After transplanting, the tree needs special conditions. To do this, it is placed in a shaded, humid room and sprayed more often. After 2-3 weeks, the plant can be put in its original place and transferred to the general care regimen.

Caring for araucaria in indoor conditions is quite simple and consists in watering, pruning, adding additives and creating the optimal temperature, humidity and light.

In spring and summer, the plant does not require any special conditions and will feel great at normal room temperature. If possible, it is recommended to take indoor views from the house to the street, well protected from direct ultraviolet rays. It is advisable to rotate the tree by 90 degrees every week. If this is not done, then the plant will reach for the sun, acquire a one-sided shape and lose its decorative qualities. In the winter months, the araucaria is moved to a cool room, the air temperature in which is 14-16 degrees, and the humidity is within a comfortable 60%.

Araucaria is a very light-loving plant, but prefers diffused light to direct rays. Therefore, it is better to place it in such a way that during the day it receives only a moderate amount of ultraviolet radiation, and the rest of the time is in light shade. The main thing is that the sun does not shine on him at noon and cannot harm him. This is especially true of young shoots sprouted from seeds and located on the windowsill. In this case, it is not enough just to propagate the plant, it is much more important to preserve it in the first year of life.

Araucaria is considered a moisture-loving plant and needs regular watering. A lack of moisture can lead to a slowdown in development, and if the earth lump dries up, it can completely drop the needles. Moreover, if the tree is not looked after and watered at least once a week, the branches will begin to sag and will no longer be able to rise without assistance. In such cases, you will have to literally hang the plant "upside down" in order to correct their location. For this, an earthen lump is wrapped in cellophane, the plant is turned upside down and left in this form for several days.

In winter, watering is slightly reduced and is guided exclusively by the state of the earthen coma. Moistening is carried out two days after the soil has completely dried out, and spraying is minimized or stopped altogether. So, at an air temperature below 16 degrees, it is not required to spray a tree. If the temperature is within 20 degrees, then you can sprinkle the bush a little at the same time as watering.

Fertilization is carried out throughout the spring and summer, 2 times a month. As an additive, complexes of mineral fertilizers are used, diluted in a 2 times reduced dose than for indoor flowers. The best option would be the introduction of preparations containing a sufficient amount of phosphorus and potassium, and practically free of calcium. This is due to the fact that, like most conifers, araucaria does not tolerate calcium and, due to its excess, can become very sick.

The introduction of organic preparations for the plant is not performed. In the autumn and winter months, the tree is dormant, in which the processes of growth and development slow down significantly.It is not recommended to stimulate the tree during this period, and therefore fertilization is stopped at this stage. Top dressing is resumed only after the tree is moved from a cool room to a warmer place and switched to summer irrigation mode.

For araucaria, light shaping and sanitary pruning is allowed. It should be cut with a sharp pruner, while removing the lower dying branches. The plant does not need regular full pruning, but if the tree is too stretched out, then this procedure will help make it thicker.

In general, araucaria has good immunity and is very rarely sick. Many ailments are often the result of improper care, and if you do not take measures to correct the situation, the plant may die. Below are a number of the most common diseases, as well as the reasons that led to their occurrence.

• So, if a tree dries up and leaves or needles fall from it, then the matter is most likely in too dry air. To correct the situation, it is recommended to spray the plant more often or put a humidifier in the room. In addition, in the autumn-winter period, the tree should be kept away from heating radiators and other heat sources.

• If the needles begin to turn yellow on the tree, then the reason may be insufficient watering or, conversely, an excess of moisture. The cause can be more accurately determined in the following way: if the yellow branches turn brown after some time, then the matter is most likely in the excessive moisture of the soil. In order to remedy the situation, it is enough to get a young tree out of the pot, remove the roots rotten from moisture and sprinkle the cut sites with pre-crushed charcoal. Then you should prepare a fresh earthen substrate and plant a plant in it. If a similar trouble happened to an adult tall tree, then you should stop watering and start drying the soil.

• If the plant stopped growing upward and began to acquire ugly forms, then the matter is most likely in damage to the crown. Therefore, when breeding araucaria, you should be very careful about the top and try not to damage the growing point.

• If the tree begins to stretch and acquire ugly lanky forms, then the main reason may be a lack of nutritional components. In this case, the tree should be fed immediately, and then fertilized regularly throughout the growing season.

• A noticeable slowdown in the growth of araucaria is often the result of an excess of calcium. In this case, you need to exclude all calcium-containing dressings and water the plant only with filtered or melt water.

• Over-watering and lack of drainage can lead to fungal infections. For the prevention of such diseases, it is recommended to sprinkle the soil with sulfur.

• If the new shoots grow too weak and thin, then the problem may be a lack of nutrition. In this case, the plant must be fed in a timely manner with a complex of mineral fertilizers.

As for pests, they rarely infect araucaria. In rare cases, the appearance of aphids, mealybugs, spider mites and a root beetle that devours wood is observed. If insects are found, it is necessary to immediately wash the plant using a soap or alcohol solution for this, and then treat it with insecticides.

For information on how to care for araucaria at home, see the video below.