Reproduction, planting and care of milkweed Milya at home

Euphorbia Milya - beautiful decorative exotic plant. Introduced almost 2 centuries ago from Africa, thanks to its unpretentiousness, resistance to moisture deficiency, low susceptibility to diseases and pests, this species has become one of the most beloved indoor plants, both experienced gardeners and amateurs.

History of variety selection

The birthplace of this culture is the mountainous regions of Madagascar and its adjacent islands. This Madagascan species of milkweed is also widespread in South Africa and Mexico. This plant was first brought to Europe by the governor of the French island of Reunion, Baron Milus, in 1821. Initially, this type of milkweed, due to its tall growth and sharp thorns, was used for dense hedges. But over time, due to its long and beautiful flowering, it began to be cultivated as an ornamental plant to decorate winter gardens and greenhouses.

On a note. Due to the characteristic shine of the leaves, as well as the large number of thorns, this plant also received such characteristic names as spurge spurge and crown of thorns.

Botanical description and cultural features

Euphorbia Mila is an indoor flower already familiar to most housewives. It is distinguished from other species of the Euphorbiaceae family, first of all, by characteristic features in the structure of the vegetative and generative organs.

Stem

The plant has an erect, highly branched, slightly ribbed stem of a grayish color with a large number of sharp, woody thorns. In nature, this type of milkweed reaches a height of 200 centimeters, but in indoor conditions - 100-120 centimeters.

Leaves

The plant has light green ellipsoid or teardrop-shaped leaves, up to 50 millimeters long and 15 millimeters wide. They are formed at the tops of the central and lateral shoots. Each leaf blade has 2 modified stipules - sharp spines, which remain on the stem after the leaf dies.

Bloom

With proper care, this milkweed can bloom all year round. The flowers of this plant are inconspicuous, small, yellowish in color, surrounded by large bracts of scarlet, white, and yellow colors.

Important. Very often, many gardeners wonder why this unpretentious species of milkweed does not bloom. The answer lies in improperly organized care - insufficient lighting, rare fertilizing, strong growth of side shoots, which take up a large amount of nutrients received by the plant from the soil for their growth and development.

Reproduction

Euphorbia Mil is propagated in the following ways:

1. Seeds - for this, store-bought seeds are sown in small containers with a light nutrient substrate, covered with film or sheet glass, and placed in a warm and dark place. After the sprouts appear, the container is placed on a well-lit windowsill. When the seedlings have formed 2-3 true leaves, they are planted in separate pots.
2. Cuttings - when pruning, a 10-12 cm cutting with 2-3 leaves is cut from the top of the shoot, placed in a container with water for a day, after which the lower cut is dusted with charcoal, kept for another 2-3 days, and only then planted in a small pot or glass filled with a light nutrient substrate (coarse sand). The process of rooting and formation of a normal root system takes, on average, 30-45 days.

Of these two methods, cuttings are most often used - it allows you to save money on the purchase of expensive seeds and with a high probability of obtaining a strong seedling with fully preserved varietal characteristics.

Pests of shiny

The main pests of milkweed are aphids, whiteflies and root mealybugs.

Aphids

These pests, settling in entire colonies on the leaves, suck the juice out of them, causing the leaf blades to curl, turn prematurely yellow and fall off. They fight aphids on milkweed by cutting off damaged shoots and spraying plants with insecticides such as Actellik, Aktara, Inta-Vir.

Whitefly

Whiteflies are small white midges that settle on the underside of leaves and feed on their sap. Leaves affected by the pest curl, turn yellow, and fall off. To combat whiteflies, leaves infested with pests are removed and the plants are sprayed with insecticides.

Root mealybug

This pest settles in the soil and damages the tender young roots of the plant, thereby leading to a slowdown in its growth, and if the population is high, to death. To combat mealybugs, the affected plant is removed from the pot, its bark system is thoroughly cleaned of soil, washed under water, sprayed with insecticides and transplanted into a new, pre-disinfected container. The old pot is thrown away.

Diseases of milkweed Mile

Of the diseases, Mil's milkweed is damaged only by rot, which is the result of frequent and abundant watering and low room temperature. To eliminate the consequences of this disease, the plant is removed from the waterlogged substrate, the roots are thoroughly disinfected, rotten shoots are removed and, replanted in a new container, placed in a room with normal temperature conditions.

Necessary conditions for cultivation

For normal growth and development, even a plant as unpretentious to conditions as Mil’s milkweed requires a certain level of illumination, the composition of the nutrient substrate, and air humidity.

Location and lighting

The container with the plant is placed on well-lit windows facing south.In winter, when there is insufficient lighting, additional lighting is used with special lamps for normal and abundant flowering. Insufficient lighting will cause the plant to become very elongated and stop blooming profusely and beautifully.

Air humidity

Euphorbia is not picky about air humidity and does not need additional moisture. This plant feels good in the dry and hot air of apartments and private houses with stove or central heating.

Soil requirements

The most suitable soil in terms of physical and chemical properties for growing milkweed Mil is a special store-bought soil for succulents and cacti. If it is not possible to purchase such soil for planting milkweed, prepare a soil mixture consisting of equal parts of leaf and turf soil, peat, and coarse sand.

Optimal temperature conditions

The optimal temperature regime in the room in which Milk milkweed is grown depends on the time of year:

1. In summer – + 20, +25 ⁰WITH.
2. In winter – +15, +16 ⁰WITH.

At temperatures below these values, the plant will be severely depressed, drop its leaves prematurely, and not form pedicels with buds.

Planting a flower at home

At home, this type of milkweed is grown by seedlings, with the obligatory picking of grown seedlings.

Preparing the container and soil

For planting seeds, use ordinary seedling boxes, previously cleared of last year's soil residues and disinfected with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. A light mixture for succulents or the homemade mixture described above is poured into them and spilled with water.

To plant grown seedlings, shallow and wide pots with holes in the bottom and a drainage layer of expanded clay and pebbles are used. Drainage should occupy approximately 1/3 of the container volume.

Technological process of disembarkation

The seeds are planted in small grooves in the soil substrate, poured on top and, covering the seedling box, placed in a dry, warm and dark room. After the sprouts appear, the seedlings are grown in a box until they form 3 true leaves. After this, the seedlings are dropped into pre-prepared separate containers.

How to care for a plant

Caring for milkweed Mila includes watering the plants, fertilizing and periodic pruning.

Watering frequency

This plant belongs to succulents - crops that are highly resistant to drought. Thanks to this, milkweed Milya does not require abundant and frequent watering. The frequency of watering depends on the time of year:

1. In summer, the plant is watered once a week.
2. In spring and autumn - once every 14-15 days.
3. In winter - once a month.

Water the plant with settled soft water at room temperature. When watering, carefully pour water under the root, avoiding it getting on the stems and leaves..

Is it necessary to spray the bush?

You should not spray Mil's milkweed leaves - this can lead to the formation of rot spots and the appearance of pests. The layer of dust that forms on the leaf blade is removed with a small brush or soft rag.

How often and what to feed

When watering the plant, feed it with a special liquid complex fertilizer for cacti and other succulents. The frequency of fertilizing in the spring-autumn period is once a month.

Formation

In order for euphorbia to delight with abundant and beautiful flowering, it must be pruned annually.With this pruning, all shoots of the plant are shortened by approximately half their length.

Transfer

Since during growth and development the plant develops not only the above-ground part, but also the root system, it must be periodically replanted into larger containers. The frequency of replanting depends on the age of the plants: young plants are replanted once a year, adults - once every 2-3 years.