The dollar tree, which is very easy to care for at home, is an herbaceous plant from the Aroid family, known in the scientific literature as zamioculcas. The representative of the tropical climate of Africa owes its popular name not only to beautiful bright green leaf plates, but also to energy, which, according to Feng Shui practice, attracts money and prosperity.

Species and varieties

The genus Zamioculcas is represented by a single species - Zamioculcas Zameyolistny or Lodges. The variety was named in 1856 after the discoverer Conrad Lodges, who was a collector of representatives of exotic flora. However, in 1908, the second name appeared in the German Botanical Garden - Zamyokulkas zameyelistny, which is now generally accepted.

Dollar tree: features of growing

The main feature of a succulent plant is its ability to tolerate dry periods characteristic of natural conditions of growth, due to the accumulation of moisture in fleshy leaves, a powerful stem and tuber rhizome. Height up to 1 m and bright appearance allows phytodesigners to use the plant for landscaping rooms of various purposes and areas and create tropical corners with a special microclimate enriched with phytoncides.

Home Care

Simple maintenance of a dollar tree is the most important advantage of the plant: the undemanding and unpretentiousness of the culture, combined with a spectacular appearance, increase the decorative value of the exotic representative.

Location and lighting

In order to grow a healthy plant that will delight the eye with its decorative effect, it is necessary to provide it with a sufficient amount of light. The best option is to place the pot on the window sills of the south-facing windows with slight shading during the peak of solar activity.

Important! The lack of light causes the dimming of the bright color of the sheet plates.

Temperature features

The flower is adapted to hot climatic conditions, so an increase in temperature in the summer to 30 ° C does not pose a threat to it. While hypothermia is fraught with great dangers.

The optimal temperature regime depends on the season:

  • in summer - 22-25 ° C;
  • in winter - 16-18 ° С.

Caution! Lowering the temperature below 12 ° C can trigger the development of the disease and lead to the death of the flower.

Pot soil requirements

Succulents require a light, fertile soil with a loose structure, which will provide good aeration and water permeability. To prepare the soil mixture with similar indicators peat, sand and sheet land in equal shares are used. When choosing a pot, it is worth stopping by choosing a clay or ceramic container that can withstand the growing roots of a dollar tree at the onset. To prevent moisture stagnation, a drainage layer of 2-3 cm is necessarily placed on the bottom of the pot.

Watering and humidity

Zamioculcas needs rare, but plentiful watering, between which the earth in the pot should dry completely.

Constantly moistened soil can lead to the development of rot. Humidity in the room where the flower is contained should be increased in order to provide the flower with conditions as close to natural as possible.

You can achieve a high level of humidity:

  1. Every day, spraying the plant with the help of a spray gun with protected, warm water.
  2. By installing a container with a flower on a pallet filled with wet pebbles or moss.

Advice! To maintain the health of a tropical plant, it is necessary to systematically wipe the fleshy leaf plates of a dollar tree with a wet sponge, which will not only maintain high humidity, but also facilitate the breathing of zamioculcas, hampered by a layer of room dust.

Top dressing

From the beginning of active vegetation, noted in mid-spring, and until mid-autumn, the plant needs to organize additional nutrition in the form of mineral complexes for cacti and or succulents. Top dressing is carried out regularly twice a month.

How to transplant a dollar tree?

The root system of the dollar tree is represented by tightly located tubers that are easily injured during a careless and quick transplant. Damage can cause the death of the plant.

In order to prevent such a situation, transplantation is carried out with extreme caution and under the following conditions:

  • The tree was brought from the store a few days ago and is located in a transportation tank filled with peat. To minimize plant stress during transplantation, the procedure should not be carried out immediately after acquisition and give it time to adapt to future conditions of detention.
  • The young instance needs an annual transplant into a container of a slightly larger diameter than the previous one.
  • If the root system of an adult plant filled the pot and appeared from the drainage holes, then the time has come for the procedure. The best time for this is spring.

When transplanting, it is recommended to adhere to the following scheme:

  1. A pot is prepared that is suitable for the size of the root system of the transplanted specimen.
  2. A plant by transshipment together with an earthen lump is placed in a container.
  3. The voids are filled with a nutrient substrate for succulents so that the upper tubers remain 1 cm above the ground.

Zamioculcus pruning

Formative pruning of the money symbol is carried out in the spring to give the plant the correct shape:

  • The shoots growing inward are removed.
  • The upper part of the shoot is cut to stimulate the development of new side shoots.
  • Branches that are knocked out of the common crown are shortened due to excessively rapid growth.

Pests and diseases of zamioculcas

Growing a dollar tree is accompanied by difficulties caused by damage by harmful organisms:

  • Stem rot - in case of excessive watering carried out at low temperatures, the stem and root system begin to rot. To save the plant, the tubers are removed from the ground, the affected areas are removed, and the cut sites are treated with an antiseptic. After transplantation into a new substrate, the specimen is sprayed with a fungicide solution.
  • Spider mite and mealybug - the plant is populated by sucking pests due to dry air. As protective measures, they are carried out: wiping the sheet plates with a sponge dampened in soapy water, or spraying with an insecticide, which is most effective when heavily populated.
  • Aphids and thrips - harmful insects are observed after the succulent is on the street. For control, insecticides of systemic action are used.
  • Scale - insects, as a rule, fall on a representative of exotic flora from other plants. If a pest is detected, it is recommended to organize treatment with an isnecticidal preparation according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Advice! To achieve a positive effect, the treatments are carried out in two stages with an interval of 10-14 days, depending on the toxicity period of the selected drug.

How does a dollar tree bloom?

Blooming zamioculcas, in which an 8 cm long cob is formed, covered with a leaf plate, is an extremely rare occurrence, even under natural growing conditions. However, if you observe the basic conditions for keeping the flower, then at home you can witness a blossoming dollar tree.

The main rules:

  • moderate hydration;
  • warmth in the room where the tropical representative grows;
  • appropriate lighting.

Propagation of a houseplant

Reproduction of the dollar tree at home is carried out by vegetative methods.

Tuber division

When transplanting an adult instance, a rhizome division procedure can be carried out:

  1. Pots are prepared 3-4 cm more than the root system of the plant and are filled with a nutrient substrate with a loose structure and a slightly acid reaction.
  2. The rhizome of the maternal instance is divided into equal parts.
  3. Each part is placed in a separate container, moistened and moved to a well-lit window sill with protection from direct sunlight.

Cuttings

During the procedure:

  1. Preparing a stem stalk with a kidney and a leaf.
  2. The place of the cut is sprinkled with crushed charcoal or activated carbon.
  3. After a couple of hours in the air, the stalk is placed in moist sand.
  4. The container with landings is covered with polyethylene and moves to a warm and bright place.
  5. After a fortnight, the roots form.

Important! During the rooting period, the cuttings should be systematically moistened.

Leaf propagation

Despite the length of the process of root formation, leaf propagation is considered the easiest way to breed a dollar tree, in which:

  1. A small leaf plate is separated from the shoot, after which it is placed in moist peat.
  2. The container is covered with glass to create a greenhouse environment and transferred to a well-lit place.

Attention! Depending on the temperature and humidity, the process of tuber formation can take several months.

Thus, the beauty and originality of a tropical representative is worth the small efforts of a grower, and a healthy and very decorative plant will become an adornment of any room.

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