The fat girl minor is the decoration of the home greenhouse. Types of crassula: descriptions and photos Cultivation of crassula Temple of the Buddha at home

Briefly: April 2018 seed collection. Description

The plant Crassula or Crassula is a representative of the genus of succulent plants of the Crassula family, which includes, according to various sources, from 300 to 500 species. More than two hundred of them grow in South Africa, many in tropical Africa and Madagascar, some species are found in the south of the Arabian Peninsula - crassulas are distributed mainly in the southern hemisphere. The name of the genus comes from the word "crassus", which means "thick", which in most cases is the fleshy structure of the leaves of many members of the genus. In indoor floriculture, crassula flowers are known as "money tree" or "tree of happiness."

Crassula is the guardian of your health: it releases substances into the air that have strong antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects. In addition, crassula leaf juice, like aloe juice, is used in folk medicine in the form of lotions for the treatment of herpes, bee and wasp stings, as well as for bruises, cuts and abscesses; in the form of a rinse for the treatment of sore throats and inflammation of the gums; in the form of rubbing at night with arthritis. However, it should be remembered that crassula juice should not be taken orally, since it contains arsenic in high concentrations.

It is believed that Crassula brings good luck in business and prosperity to the house, which is why, and also because of its unpretentiousness in care, Crassula can often be seen not only in apartments, but also in the offices of trading companies and shops.

Crassula. Care and maintenance:

Most crassulas will not be harmed by direct sunlight, so you may well place a pot with a plant on a south window, although the best place for a crassula is the windowsill of a window facing southwest or east. The lack of light negatively affects the decorativeness of the crassula - the shoots are drawn out, the leaves fall off. If you have the opportunity to keep Crassula outdoors in the summer - on a balcony or terrace - this will benefit the plant. Crassulas are thermophilic, therefore they tolerate summer heat normally, and in winter they do not suffer from proximity to working heaters like other plants, at the same time they feel great in winter and in cool rooms at a temperature of 10-15 ºC. Low air humidity is also not a problem for Crassula.

In fact, the constant care of Crassula includes only infrequent watering of the plant, washing the leaves and top dressing. How to water Crassula, which, as has been mentioned more than once, is a succulent? How often to do it? In summer, moisten the plant only after the topsoil has dried, in winter, let the soil dry 2-3 cm deep. Much more than drought, Crassula is afraid of waterlogging, so she will calmly transfer your departure to summer vacation for 3-4 weeks.

Crassula is fertilized in the spring and summer once a month with liquid fertilizer for succulents and cacti; in autumn and winter, the plant does not need to be fed.

Crassula formation. The formation of a tree must begin when the plant is still young, because when an already mature tree is formed, stumps remain at the site of removal of leaves and truncation of shoots, which affects the decorative effect of Crassula. First of all, you need to choose the right pot for the plant: the crassula root in a vessel that is too large tends to go deep, and the crassula itself rises, which makes the trunk stretch, becoming weak and thin, so the pot for the crassula needs a small and, most importantly, shallow. As for the composition of the soil, the soil for crassula should contain three parts of soddy land, one part of humus soil, leafy soil, sand and fine gravel or brick chips. When the crassula reaches a height of 15 cm, pinch off the two smallest
upper leaf - branching should begin at this place, that is, instead of two, two pairs of leaves should appear. As the crassula grows, remove the top leaves in places where you think the shoots should branch - this will form the crown of your money tree.

Crassula transplant. Crassula is transplanted as needed when the roots fill the entire pot, not necessarily annually, but if you want to see the flowering of Crassula, then transplant it at least once every two years. It is better to do this in the spring, at the beginning of active growth. How should Crassula be transplanted? Take a slightly larger pot than the previous one, put a decent layer of drainage material in it - expanded clay or chipped shards, then transfer the crassula from the old pot to a new one with a clod of earth and add fresh substrate as needed to fill the voids. If the crassula root has become too long, shorten it before transplanting to fit in the new pot. If you want to keep the crassula compact, try not to transplant the plant at all, replacing only the top layer of the substrate in the pot every year.

Crassula. Sowing seeds:

Crassula seeds are sown in wide bowls with soil of the following composition: leafy earth - 1 part, sand 0.5 parts. The bowls are covered with glass, which is removed daily to remove condensate and ventilate the crops. Seeds germinate in two weeks. Slightly grown seedlings dive at a distance of 1 cm from each other into a container with soil from one part of leafy soil and half a part of sand and light soddy soil. Contain picked seedlings under bright diffused light. Strengthened and grown crassulas are planted in pots 5-7 cm in diameter in the soil, consisting of leafy, soddy soil and sand in equal parts, and kept for the first time, until they take root, at a temperature of 16-18 ºC, and then transferred to a permanent place .

On home window sills, you can often find crassula, which is very easy to care for at home. This indoor flower is considered one of the most unpretentious. Even a child can look after him. Crassula species are diverse in size, structure and color of the trunk and leaves, but the general care of all plants is practically the same.

Crassula - money tree

In everyday life, Crassula is better known as a money tree or a tree of happiness, a fat woman. Belongs to the Crassulaceae family. This is one of the succulents, including both tree-like shrubs several meters high, and aquatic and even herbaceous plants up to several centimeters in height with tiny leaves. The only common feature is that their thick leaves are arranged on the stems crosswise against each other. Another distinctive feature is a thick lignified trunk. That is why Crassula (or Krasula) got its Latin name Crassula, which means "thick". The flowers of the plant are collected umbellate, paniculate or racemose inflorescences - white, pale pink, yellow or red. However, a fat woman blooming at home is a very rare phenomenon.

In Crassula, the species are quite diverse; about 100 varieties are grown at home. One of the most common indoor species is crassula ovata (crassula oval or ovoid). Under natural conditions (and it comes from southwest Africa), the tree reaches a height of up to 3 meters. At home, it does not exceed 1-1.2 m. Its leaves are glossy, oval, silver-gray or green. It grows rapidly, forming many shoots and a dense crown. This crassula is also popular because it is the most shade-tolerant, it can be grown in dark halls, lobbies, on very dark windows.

Crassula ovata became the basis for breeding the species - Crassula the hobbit. This is an American hybrid, its delicate milky leaves, fused from the base to the middle and as if turned outward. The bush is compact, no more than 60 cm tall, the trunk is strong, powerful, with good branching. When grown in full sun, the leaves turn yellow with a reddish-brown border.

Tree Crassula (Crassula arborescens) is a species similar to Crassula ovata. However, it has bare stems, fleshy, obovate, flat, 3.5-7 cm long leaves, light gray with a bluish tint and with a red border around the edges. It is more difficult to care for her - she absolutely does not tolerate shadows and for full growth she needs only a bright color.

Specialized stores often sell plants called crassula mix. However, experts believe that this species does not exist among fat women. As a rule, this is a batch marking, which includes several types of young trees of different varieties, hence the name - mix (mixture).

To care for Crassula at home, no special knowledge is required. However, knowing some features, you can successfully breed different species and even achieve flowering of some trees.

First of all, you need to determine the place where the money tree will stand. Since the plant can become large over time, you need to determine a spacious corner, preferably on a south or southeast window, because. the fat woman prefers bright sunlight. She is not afraid of even direct sunlight, so in the warm season the tree can be safely taken out into the open air. Worse, if there is not enough light: this can lead to stretching and thinning of the branches, leaf fall.

The temperature regime of the tree fat woman also prefers very warm. It easily tolerates high temperatures, so it feels great in the summer heat, especially if it is periodically sprayed. If it is not possible to take a fat woman out on a balcony or loggia in summer, the temperature at home should be maintained at 20-25 ° C. At this time, the money tree is actively growing and developing, light and warmth are vital to it.

In winter, a dormant period begins for crassula, so the optimum temperature for a tree is 8-10 ° C, but the plant is so unpretentious that it can withstand drops to 0 ° C. Connoisseurs believe that if the fat woman is not allowed to rest in the cool for several months, this can cause her exhaustion, the leaves may fall off partially or completely, the shoots will become weak, thin, brittle. Therefore, in the fall it is better to move the tree to a cooler room, or at least ventilate the room where it is kept more often.

Crassula tree is a plant that is better to forget to water than to moisten twice. Since crassula is a succulent plant, its thick leathery leaves are able to accumulate moisture for a long period and it does not need frequent watering. In summer, it is necessary to water as the top layer of soil dries completely. Water should be at room temperature or slightly warm, always settled. The moisture that has accumulated in the pan of the pot must be drained. In winter, the plant is rarely watered, the earth from above should dry out at least 2-3 cm deep. Experienced flower growers advise watering the fat woman in the evening.

Crassula is able to do without watering for 2-3 weeks, especially if she is outdoors and rain moisture is available to her.

More demanding is the money tree for spraying and rubbing the leaves with a damp sponge. Firstly, clean leaves give the plant a well-groomed appearance, and secondly, thanks to spraying, the elasticity of the leaves is maintained and they are saturated with oxygen, which protects the plant from losing its green crown. You can periodically wash the flower under a warm shower, not forgetting to cover it with an earthen bag.

The fat woman is also undemanding to feeding. Crassula is fertilized during the growing season (April-September) once a month with liquid fertilizer for succulents and cacti; in autumn and winter, the plant does not need to be fed. It is very important to remember that the root system of Crassula is superficial, therefore, when feeding, the roots are easy to burn. To avoid this, mineral fertilizers are applied only to well-moistened soil a few minutes after the main watering.

Transplantation and reproduction of crassula

The main care also includes a regular transplant of a fat woman. Young plants need to be transplanted annually, and at the age of 3 years or more - 1 time in 2-3 years.

It is important to choose the right pot. Experts advise choosing a container with a diameter equal to the diameter of the crown. Usually these are heavy, wide and flat containers, earthenware is well suited. The root system of Crassula is superficial, and the trunk is tall and very strong. Therefore, in adult plants, the risk of tipping over is high. Also, in order to prevent the plant from falling out of the pot, when the roots of the tree do not withstand the height of the plant and break off, it is recommended to tie the stem to the support. If you use interesting decorative elements, then with the help of a prop you can create an original piece of room decor.

At the bottom of the pot, be sure to pour a sufficient layer of drainage - expanded clay, small river pebbles, broken bricks. Crassula roots are very sensitive to transplantation, so they are not completely cleaned of the substrate, but transferred to a new pot along with an old clod of soil. Fresh earth is poured from the sides and top, slightly compacted and watered a little. Watering after transplanting should be minimal to avoid root rot. If the crassula root has grown too long, you need to cut it a little before transplanting so that it fits in a new pot.

The soil for the plant can be taken at a flower shop - soil for succulents is suitable, you can cook it yourself - mix 1 part of leaf, peat, sod land, coarse sand and fine brick chips. It is believed that it is useful to mix crushed charcoal, fine gravel or agroperlite with the soil for a fat woman. The fat woman is undemanding to the nutritional value of the soil, but it is better if the earth in the pot is sufficiently loose.

March - early April is considered the best time for transplanting and breeding.

Crassula reproduction

The fat woman breeds as easily as it grows. On an industrial scale, it is bred with seeds, while at home it is easier to propagate the money tree with stem or leaf cuttings.

  1. A leaf cutting, preferably large and well developed, is plucked from the mother tree, the cut is treated with crushed coal and dried for 2-3 days. Then planted for rooting in a mixture of peat and sand. After some time, a young plant should grow from the root, which, upon reaching 7-10 cm in height, is transplanted into a small pot with a nutrient mixture of leafy, soddy soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1.
  2. There should be 2-3 well-developed leaves on the stem cutting, the cut is also dried and rooted. It is believed that roots appear faster if the shoot is placed in water, to which charcoal or activated charcoal is added for disinfection. After the roots appear, the cutting is planted immediately in a permanent pot with a diameter of 5-7 cm.

After the plants are fully rooted and started to grow, they begin to form the correct crown.

Tree crown formation

Despite the fact that Crassula grows quickly and is able to form its own crown, many amateurs do this purposefully and get specimens of interesting shape. Moreover, the money tree responds well to pruning and pinching branches. It is believed that if a young plant that has reached a height of about 15 cm is pinched off the top point of growth, branching will begin in this place. With each branch, after growing to a certain length, they do exactly the same. Thanks to such purposeful work, the tree will soon acquire a beautiful dense crown.

Pests and diseases of Crassula

Due to its unpretentiousness, Crassula almost does not cause trouble in terms of diseases and pests. The main enemy of the fat woman is excessive watering, leading to the occurrence of putrefactive processes. If this does happen, the plant most often dies. You can try transplanting it into fresh soil, carefully cleaning the roots of the old soil and cutting off any rotten roots. A diseased plant should be watered very moderately and left alone until recovery.

Yellowing and falling leaves may indicate the appearance of a fungal disease. The diseased tree must be removed from the pot, completely dried with an earthen ball in the air, treated with special preparations and planted in a new pot.

Very rarely, but it happens that Crassula is affected by aphids, false shields, and mealybugs. In this case, you need to rinse the plant under a warm shower, covering the ground with a film, and then wipe each leaf with a sponge dipped in alcohol. It won't hurt the leaves. If such treatment does not help, you need to treat it with systemic insecticides, Actellik or Fitoverm.

Thus, caring for all types of crassula is absolutely simple. It is worth getting this beautiful fast-growing tree at home. With a minimum of care, it will always please the owners with a dense green crown with beautiful plump leaves. And if you believe the signs, this money tree will also bring prosperity to the house.

Crassula ‘Buddha’s Temple’ - Crassula ‘Temple of the Buddha’ (Buddhas Temple, Buddha Pagoda), belongs to the Crassula family, dicotyledonous plants of the saxifrage order. Crassulas (crassulas) are succulent plants. They have fleshy leaves and stems in which they store moisture.

They grow in the southern part of the globe, usually in arid, desert or highland regions of Africa and South America. Crassula "Temple of the Buddha" (Buddha's Temple) - artificially bred in 1959 variety.

"Temple of the Buddha", as you can guess from the name, the plant is very unusual. You can even call it unique. In shape, it looks like columns with a square or cruciform section and four tops. The leaves grow densely along the entire stem one above the other. The whole "construction" looks like a magnificent green Buddhist pagoda.

Growing up to about 15 centimeters in height, the elongating shoots can lean towards the ground. Gracefully curved stems in this case become like the necks of snakes or dragons. in green scales. It blooms in clusters of small, elongated red or pinkish-white flowers. Flowering can be quite frequent if the plant has suitable conditions.

The fat woman "Temple of the Buddha", like many other crassulas, cannot be called the most difficult plant to care for. However, certain rules are very important to follow. This plant is quite expensive, one way or another, it requires attention to itself. Some fans consider it more capricious than other species of the family. In good conditions, a fat woman can live for quite a long time, up to ten years.

Photo of a fat woman

Here you can see a photo of Crassula Buddha's temple:







Home Care

Lighting Needs a lot of sun, then the plant will be of good regular shape, with thick beautiful shoots.
Temperature As for other crassulas, in spring and summer - 20-25 ° C, in autumn and winter - a decrease in temperature to + 10-15.
Location Not suitable shaded places or those that the sun illuminates only a few hours a day.
Watering It is a very drought tolerant plant. It needs to be protected from spillage. Watering - strictly after the complete drying of the soil. The less often, the better. In winter - once a month or less (look at the condition of the leaves).
Air humidity Normal, no additional measures are required, except for spraying and rubbing the leaves as needed.
top dressing Better less often than more often. Just like watering.
The soil Sufficiently nutritious, but loose soil, dries well, breathable. The soil must be without peat! Store bought won't work. It is better to take turf ground in combination with a large amount of sand. Be sure to add pebbles, pieces of brick for drainage.
pruning You can prune at will and as the children appear on the stems as they grow.

View features

You can propagate the "Temple of the Buddha" jade with cuttings or leaves. Cuttings should be dried in an upright position for 7-14 days. You need to root without water, directly in the ground. The stem with leaves does not sink into the ground, but is fixed in a vertical position on the surface of the soil (there should be a layer of sand on top). You can deepen the stem without leaves a little.

Leaves for reproduction must be dried for about one to two days, then placed vertically on the ground (earth plus sand in a ratio of 1: 1). Repot the plant as needed. If the plant was purchased from foreign breeders or in a store, when transplanting at home, it is necessary to carefully clean the roots of peat residues.

You can learn about other types of fat women.

Possible difficulties

  • Overflow and lack of light. The plant may deteriorate or stretch out and lose its decorative effect.
  • The problem will be the wrong choice of pot. Too large a pot will not work, for this variety it is especially important to select small containers, slightly larger than the root volume of the plant.
  • The plant grows and develops quite slowly. From a leaf or cutting, an adult crassula will grow in a year and a half or more. Then it grows several centimeters a year.
  • Crassula pyramidalis biesiespoort (Crassula pyramidalis). One of the ancestors of the Buddha Temple. A plant very similar in columnar form to the "Temple of the Buddha", but somewhat different in texture.
  • Crassula cv."morgan"s beauty". Also a very interesting design of overlapping leaves. Cute hats of flowers are also very appealing to collectors.
  • Crassula cv. moon glow (Crassula "moonlight"). Pleasant-looking "columns" or even "bumps" of plump, rounded-ovate leaves. If you liked the "Temple of the Buddha" and want something in the same spirit, "moonlight" will be in the subject.
  • Pachyphytum oviferum (Pachyphytum oviferum). Another very decorative shrub with plump leaves, but no longer green, but in gray-bluish-pink tones with a waxy coating. Produces a long peduncle and blooms with flowers resembling small bells.
  • Astrophytum (Cacti of the genus Astrophytum). If you want a plant with a non-standard shape, then these cacti will certainly interest you. Spherical "body", pronounced ribbing. Some varieties in cross section even resemble the “Temple of the Buddha”. Plus, they bloom beautifully.

The “Buddha Temple” fat woman can definitely become the most stylish decoration in your succulent collection. Despite some exacting requirements for compliance with the conditions, it is definitely worth buying and starting to grow. It is very unique, interesting and able to enchant anyone with its beauty.

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Recently, in almost any home you can see original talismans made from improvised materials (coins, pebbles, paper, etc.), depicting a money tree. It is believed that such a talisman attracts well-being, prosperity, good luck to the house. However, in nature there is a plant that in the countries of the East is considered a living symbol of wealth and good luck, this is Fatty, or Crassula (Money Tree).

This tree is completely unpretentious, so even someone who has not grown any plants in his house before can take care of it. And those who love to make something unusual out of indoor plants with the help of pruning can give the Fat Woman a wide variety of shapes.

When buying a flower, you should pay attention to the color and condition of the foliage - it should be fleshy, thick, emerald in color (darker or lighter shade). If the central part of the leaf has a red tint, this indicates that the plant has been in direct sunlight for too long.

Choosing a place for indoor cultivation of Crassula

In a room, the best place for a money tree is windows facing east or west. The leaves of the fat woman should not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise the foliage will change its color to red, begin to wither and fall off. Also Crassula can throw off foliage if there is not enough fresh air in the room.

In the summer, this flower can be taken out to the balcony, where there is enough fresh air, warmth and enough sunlight. And in winter, it is better to move it to a window facing south.

During the spring-summer season, the temperature regime in the room should be about 24 - 25⸰С. And in summer, the plant feels best on the street - on a loggia, veranda or balcony.

In the autumn-winter period, the optimal temperature regime is 12-14 degrees and even lower (but not lower than 4-5 degrees). Some flower growers recklessly leave the money tree to winter at a temperature of 20-22 degrees, but in this case the plant may begin to lose foliage.

In no case should you place Crassula near heating appliances in the winter.

In a room, the best place for a money tree is windows facing east or west

Crassula reproduction

Crassula can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, growing from a leaf and dividing the bushes.

cuttings

When propagating Crassula by cuttings, they must first be placed in water for a while so that they give roots. To make the roots appear faster, you need to add charcoal to the water. After the crassula gives roots, it can be transplanted into pots with a diameter of 6 cm. The soil for planting can be made up by yourself, taking leafy soil, turf and river sand in equal proportions. Planted plants are placed in a sunny place, the temperature in the room should be about 17 degrees. Water young plants once a day. This method of reproduction of the fat woman is the easiest, it is used by most flower growers.

When propagating Crassula by cuttings, they must first be placed in water for a while so that they give roots.

seeds

Crassula is propagated by seeds much less often than by cuttings, since this method is less popular with lovers of indoor plants. Seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil in containers, lightly sprinkled with soil on top, moistened and covered with glass. The soil mixture for planting seeds is prepared the same as for planting cuttings. After the seedlings sprout, care for them is carried out in the same way as for the growing cuttings.

Gallery: Crassula (25 photos)


















leaf

This method is the most difficult, because most of the leaves simply rot during the rooting process. How does a money tree reproduce in a similar way? For this purpose, only strong healthy leaves are selected.. Most of the selected leaves, even having grown roots, rot. But if the whole process is carried out correctly, then this can be avoided (or minimize the decay of the foliage).

Crassula leaf propagation is the most difficult way.

First, the selected leaves should be dried for two days in a room where it is warm and dry enough. When the leaves become lethargic, they should immediately begin to root. This can be done using the following methods:

You should take a small glass, a pile, fill it with a solution with stimulants, put a leaf in it so that the leaf stalk is a centimeter in the water. This container must be placed in heat and light.

The leaf is placed on the edge of the pot, digging the stalk a couple of centimeters into the substrate. The earth should be moist, but there should be no stagnant water so that the leaves do not begin to rot.

The substrate can be replaced with moss (sphagnum). It is preliminarily crushed and the bottom of the sheet is immersed in the resulting mixture.

The first and third methods of rooting foliage are most effective. Roots usually appear after about a month.

Features of growing crassula (video)

Type and varieties of crassula

Crassula sickle-shaped is a slightly branched perennial shrub, up to 0.8-0.9 m high, has sickle-shaped foliage, fleshy 8-9 cm in length. The bright red flowers are collected in inflorescences - umbrellas.

Crassula arborescens

Succulent, the trunk of which is quite thick, and the shoots are powerful. Its natural habitats are the south and southwest of the African continent. Under natural conditions, the flower can grow up to 2.8 - 2.9 m. The foliage is oval-shaped, dense and fleshy. The inflorescence is a panicle with small white or light pink flowers.

Crassula arborescens

Crassula oval (ovata gollum)

Strongly branching herbaceous perennial native to the African continent. The oval-shaped foliage is collected in small rosettes.

Crassula oval (ovata gollum)

Crassula purslane

A perennial that grows in southern Africa. Its foliage is obovate, green in color. The flowers are small, white or pale pink.

Crassula purslane

Crassula mossy (mossy)

Semi-shrub with tetrahedral creeping stems, growing in the South-Western regions of the African continent. The shape of the foliage is triangular - oval, dark emerald color. When the sun's rays hit the young leaves, they may acquire a reddish tint. The flowers are small, located singly in the axils of the leaves.

Crassula mossy (mossy)

Crassula perforata (perforata)

Semi-shrub perennial up to 0.8 - 0.9 m high, growing in the South-Eastern regions of the African continent. The foliage is oblong, triangular, pointed in shape, can grow up to 13-14 cm in length. Flowers of a red or white shade are collected in umbrella inflorescences.

Crassula perforata (perforata)

Crassula milky (lactea)

Shrub or semi-shrub, whose shoots spread along the ground, grows in the southern and southeastern regions of the African continent. This dwarf plant does not grow above 0.6 m. Foliage grows together at the base, oval shape, pale emerald color. Small white flowers are collected in inflorescences - panicles.

Crassula milky (lactea)

Crassula dotted

Herbaceous perennial with branched creeping stems, grows in the southern regions of Africa. Foliage collected in loose rosettes. Leaves above - emerald color with red speckles, below - purple with a red tint. The flowers are located in the axils, small white.

Crassula dotted

Crassula Marnier

Refers to dwarf perennial shrubs with erect main stem. The foliage is located opposite, has a blue color, densely arranged around the main shoot. Numerous small flowers are located at the top of the shrub.

Crassula Marnier

Crassula Sunset

It has a beautiful decorative appearance due to the unusual color of the foliage.- it is yellow-white in the center, and a red border runs along the edges.

Crassula Sunset

Crassula Buddha Temple

This plant has an unusual shape. It does not have a stem, and the foliage grows as if from each other, such a “structure” can reach a height of 0.4 - 0.6 m. The color of the leaves is light green.

Crassula Buddha Temple

Crassula Hottentot

Grows on the Australian continent, stems and foliage - thick, fleshy.

Crassula Hottentot

Crassula the Hobbit

Almost all foliage is turned outward, and the edges are fused from the base almost to the middle. As a result, the foliage looks like little bags rolled up by someone's not very skillful hand. Blooms in winter, flowers - small, light pink, collected in inflorescences.

Crassula the Hobbit

Crassula Spring Time

Stems are erect. Foliage - regular, slightly elongated, dark - emerald color. small white flowers are collected in inflorescences, exude a delicate pleasant aroma.

Crassula Spring Time

Crassula Minor

Hybrid variety, bred on the basis of the fat woman ovata. Small foliage, oblong in shape, in the middle - dark emerald color, along the edges - a red border on top and bottom of the sheet.

Crassula Minor

Crassula Mix

Shrub with a massive trunk, many shoots and oval-shaped foliage. A red border runs along the edge of the leaves.

Crassula Mix

Crassula care secrets at home

The genus Crassulus is one of the most numerous of all plant species. These include even those that grow in aquariums. All varieties of crassula belong to, which are easy and simple to grow. Even those lovers of indoor flowers who are just starting to breed them will not have trouble with this plant. After all, taking care of him is quite simple.

Features and frequency of watering

In the summer, the flower is watered every 7 days, but if it gets too hot, then the number of waterings is increased to two times in 7 days. You should carefully monitor the soil in the pot - it should dry out a lot, but you can’t fill it with an earthen ball. This is the most important point when caring for a money tree - do not overdry the soil and do not flood the plant.

How Crassula breeds (video)

In winter, the number of waterings is reduced - the fat woman should be watered no more than once every 12 - 14 days. This flower is indifferent to air humidity, so you do not need to spray the foliage. But you need to wipe them with a damp cloth from dust at least once every two weeks.

top dressing

Usually top dressing is applied under the plant in the summer once every two weeks. You should purchase special fertilizers for cacti and succulents. The rest of the time, the amount of fertilizer is halved, and the plant should be fed once every 30 days, and the concentration of top dressing should be halved. Usually, fertilizers are applied only to moistened soil, so the flower should be fed immediately after watering.

Top dressing is applied under the crassula in the summer once every two weeks

Soil and drainage

Usually it is not possible to make a nutrient substrate for this flower on your own, usually they simply purchase a special mixture for succulents in a specialized store.

The pot should have a hole at the bottom to allow excess moisture to escape during watering., and a drainage layer (4-5 cm thick) should be poured onto the bottom of the pot, small pebbles, medium-sized expanded clay or coarse river sand are suitable for this.

Methods and timing of trimming a fat woman

Cut the bearberry in order to give it a decorative look. The formation of the crown is carried out in spring or autumn, cutting off strongly overgrown shoots. Usually, when pruning, 4-5 leaves are left on each shoot.

You should also pinch the top of the flower so that the plant produces more side shoots. In order for the crown of the fat woman to grow evenly and evenly, it is regularly turned on all sides to the sunlight.

The formation of the crown of a fat woman is carried out in spring or autumn, cutting off strongly overgrown shoots.

money tree transplant

Do not repot this flower often. Usually, a similar procedure is done only if the fat woman has grown greatly, or it is necessary to divide the bush - no more than once every three years. The best time to transplant a flower is mid-spring. For transplanting, a larger pot is taken, and suitable soil - purchased soil for cacti and succulents.

What to do if Crassula leaves fall

Many novice flower growers begin to panic when the foliage dries and falls off at the fat woman. They cannot understand what is the cause of leaf fall. Of course, in this plant, as well as in others, periodic leaf fall is a completely natural process, then the plant loses old foliage. But if young foliage begins to fall, then you should think - what is the reason?

And the reasons for leaf fall are as follows:

  1. Too little light, especially in autumn and winter. During this period, the flower is transferred to the south window, or fluorescent lamps are installed nearby.
  2. Drafts or sudden temperature fluctuations in the room. You should not put a flower next to an open window in winter, or place it on a cold window.
  3. Remember the "three pillars" on which the care of this capricious plant is based: heat, light and moderate humidity. And in this case, this flower will not have leaf fall.

Crassula leaves fall if there is too little light, especially in autumn and winter.

Diseases and other problems when growing a fat woman

The main pests that can affect the money tree are:

  • spider mite;
  • scab;
  • mealybug.

The methods of dealing with these insects are as follows:

  1. If a barely noticeable web appeared on the foliage and stems, it means that a spider mite settled there. You can fight it with the help of soapy water or special preparations (Fufanon, Fitoverma, etc.).
  2. If yellow or brown spots appear on the foliage, then this indicates the appearance of a scale insect on the foliage. The methods of dealing with it are similar to those carried out against the spider mite.

The rather unusual appearance of this inhabitant of the desert regions of Southwest and South Africa has led to the emergence of many popular names: "Rat's tail", "Lizard's tail", "Lightning" plant, etc. Yes, and one of the Latin variants can give an idea of ​​​​the appearance of the plant: "Lycopodioides" - "similar to wolf paws."

Despite the lack of romance in the names, Mossy Crassula is very decorative. Its long grassy stems reach 25–30 cm in height. Upright, they grow rapidly and occupy the entire area allotted to them. Small mossy leaves up to 4 mm. long densely cover the stem. Their usual color is bright green or variegated, but if you put the plant in direct sunlight, after a while the plates will acquire a bronze hue. Triangular in shape, the leaves resemble tiles in their arrangement and density of growth.

In the summer months, usually in July-August, inconspicuous small flowers of yellowish and white color appear on the bush.

In summer, the plant can be taken outside, but a few points should be taken care of: the pot must be protected from rain and midday sunlight. The plant will tolerate partial shade, but the best option would be the illumination of morning or sunset rays.