Image – Flickr/barloventomagico
How do you take care of Cordyline fruticosa? It is a plant with beautiful leaves, green, pink or reddish depending on the variety or cultivar, and equally beautiful flowers. So it looks great wherever you want to put it, but it is important that your needs are knownbecause only then will you know how to prevent him from having problems.
And it is that, for example, irrigation is essential, but if it is not done well, and/or if the soil it has is so compact that it retains moisture for too long, its roots will literally drown. So here is a maintenance guide Cordyline fruticosa.
Contents
Is it an indoor or outdoor plant?
Image – Wikimedia/Mokkie
Our protagonist is a tropical plant, native to the hot regions of Southeast Asia, therefore, it does not tolerate frost, so the winter is cold in our region, we will have to bring it indoors, otherwise she would not survive. But beware: this does not mean that it should be kept indoors all year round; In fact, if you have a patio, balcony or terrace where there is a lot of light but no direct sun, we can have it there during all the months when the temperatures remain between a minimum of 10ºC and a maximum of 35ºC.
And it’s not a plant you have to keep outside all year round. You can very well live inside a houseprovided it is placed in a room with plenty of natural light.
Related article:
Cordyline, an easy-to-maintain species
Should it be in a pot or can it be in the ground?
The answer to this question will depend on what we discussed above: if he is going to be at home, obviously he will have to be in a pot; but if it’s outside, will it have to be on the ground? Well, you don’t have to. Although it is a plant that can reach about 4 meters in height, in a pot it cannot grow so much. (unless planted in one with a diameter of 80 centimeters or more).
But if you have a garden, you can plant it as long as the temperatures are high throughout the year. Now, if you live in a region with a temperate climate, you can also do this but without removing the pot. So when the weather turns cold, it will be relatively easy for you to take it off and put it around the house.
What kind of land do you need?
Image – Wikimedia/David J. Stang
It is a plant that requires light soils, rich in nutrients and above all that do not retain water for too long; that is, they do not stay wet for long. For this reason it is important that, if it is going to be planted in the ground, we make sure beforehand that the soil is good and that it absorbs water quickly; in case it has poor drainage, it will be necessary to dig a hole of about 100 x 100 centimeters, cover its sides except the base with a shading mesh, then pour a layer of about 30 or 40 centimeters of clay (on sale here) , and finally finish filling it with a universal substrate of a well-known brand, such as that of Flower that you can buy here for example.
If, on the other hand, we are going to keep it in a pot, we will plant it in a pot with a universal growing medium. In addition, it is important that the container has holes and that it is about 7 centimeters wider and higher than the one it currently has.
When should it be transplanted?
The Cordyline fruticosa must be transplanted in the spring. It is a plant that does not resist the cold, so whether we go to plant it in the garden or change pots in autumn or winter, we run the risk of it suffering damage. Moreover, it is very important that it is not removed from the pot if it has not yet taken root there; that is, if we still don’t see the roots coming out of the holes.
How should the watering be? Cordyline fruticosa?
It is a species of tropical origin, which lives in areas where rains are frequent. For this reason, the worst thing we can do is not water it, especially in summer. But you have to be careful and do not water if rains are expected in the next few days, because excess water would be dangerous.
So that during the hot and dry months we will water our cordiline several times a week, but how much exactly? This will depend on the weather conditions in our area, because if, for example, the temperatures are very high and it does not rain, the earth dries out quickly, so we will have to water more often than if we are in an area where it rains frequently. In winter, or indoors, it will be necessary to water much less than if we have the plant outdoors, since it stays humid longer.
As an indication, it is generally recommended to water every 3 days during the summer season, and less the rest of the year. This, yes, you have to water the groundby pouring water until it is soaked.
Do you have to pay it?
Yes, it’s good to do it. It’s a way to make it grow well, and keep it looking good. It should therefore be fertilized from the middle of spring until the end of summer with an ecological fertilizer, if possible liquid, like this one, because it is more quickly effective.
But yes, you must use it as directed on the package; otherwise, and as they say in Spain, the remedy will be worse than the disease. And it is that an excess of fertilizer could leave us without Cordyline fruticosabecause it would burn the roots.
How to play the Cordyline fruticosa?
Image – Wikimedia/Forest & Kim Starr
If you want to get a free copy, the quickest way to do this is to propagate it by stem cuttings in the spring. To do this, a piece about 10 centimeters long that has leaves is cut off, and it is planted in a pot with a universal growing medium.
For it to root better, it is advisable to impregnate the base with rooting hormones before introducing it into the soil, but this is not really necessary. Then it is watered, and the pot is placed in a place where there is plenty of light, but not direct. If all goes well, you should have a new rooted plant in about two weeks.
Another way is sow their seeds, also in spring. To do this, place no more than two in a pot about 8 centimeters in diameter and only bury them a little. Then it is watered and the container is brought to a place with indirect light. Therefore, it is necessary to water from time to time, so that the soil always remains moist, but not waterlogged. They will germinate in a week or two, although they can take up to two months.
The Cordyline fruticosa It’s easy to maintain, you’ll see.