How to care for myrtle at home?

Bright myrtle undoubtedly attracts attention with its decorative qualities, but not least of all it is valued for its pleasant aroma and numerous healing properties. Caring for myrtle at home, although it implies a certain specificity, does not cause serious problems even for beginners.

In some countries, a plant shrouded in legends, and today give brides as a sign of well-being in family life. Despite the variety of flower varieties, the most popular and sought-after is myrtle ordinary - an unpretentious, affordable and attractive variety.

Description of the plant and its use in everyday life

Evergreen shrubs are small leaves of a juicy green color, slightly elongated. During flowering, the plant is covered with small flowers of a white or pink hue. It is these elements that contain the maximum concentration of such valuable essential oils. Myrtle ordinary bears fruit in dark blue berries.

In addition, the green space is very attractive in appearance, as a room it is also used for the following reasons:

1. The leaves of myrtle emit phytoncides into the atmosphere, contributing to its purification from bacteria and viruses.
2. The microclimate created by the flower helps to strengthen immunity, increase stress resistance and performance.
3. Properly collected myrtle leaves are used to make infusions. They are actively used in home cosmetology for facial skin care.
4. For some, growing a plant involves the subsequent collection and drying of the fruit. Ground elements are used as a fragrant spice.

It is worth considering that myrtle will serve noble purposes only if it is provided with quality care. A barely living plant, which does not even have the strength to bloom, will bring no benefit.

Creating optimal conditions for shrubs or trees

Ensuring proper care is impossible without creating optimal conditions. Here it must be remembered that a native of the subtropics prefers light, heat and high humidity, so high-quality watering and the correct location of the pot come to the fore.

• The best place for myrtle will be the windowsills of the southern windows. Growing a flower can be carried out in any part of the house, but for the flowering period, it should be where most of the sun's rays.
• The plant gratefully receives fresh air and is practically not susceptible to drafts. It can be safely placed in the kitchen and in other rooms that are regularly ventilated. The abundance of fresh air will only stimulate the production of volatile and active cleansing of the atmosphere.
• Watering and spraying is carried out only with soft settled water. Melted liquid should be used only with an increased content of lime in it. Spraying is preferably carried out daily. It is necessary to water myrtle regularly; it reacts negatively even to short-term drying of the soil. It is better if watering is frequent and not very plentiful, fluid stagnation in the pan should not be allowed.

Tip: If the leaves of the myrtle dry and turn yellow, this indicates a lack of moisture. In this case, you should not water the suffering plant abundantly, it is better to place it directly in the pot in a container with water until the earthen lump is moistened. After this, you need to position the pot so that the excess glass liquid on the pallet.

• Particular attention should be paid to the soil mixture, it is desirable to bring it as close as possible to the natural composition of the myrtle. To do this, you need to take two parts of sand and humus and three parts of turf and peat soil. The plant gets along well with greenhouse soil or ready-made soil mixtures.
• From time to time, the flower needs to be fed with complex fertilizers for indoor plantings.

Caring for myrtle in winter and summer has its own specifics. If you take it into account, you can count on long-term maintenance of the health of the bush and its unfading attractiveness.

Features of plant care in the summer and winter months

Spring, summer and autumn are the times for moderate temperature conditions; it is recommended to maintain 20-24ºС in the room during the day and night. The location of the pot should be well lit, but the leaves must be shaded. After establishing stable warm days, it is better to transfer the plant to a balcony, a loggia or a veranda. If the bush grows in a room, then it will have to be regularly ventilated. In addition, we try to regularly water the flower in accordance with its requests and feed no more than once a week.

Tip: About once every two years, myrtle need to be transplanted, it is best done in the spring. At the same time, the image of the bush is carried out.

In winter, the flower should be at rest. Watering is limited to a minimum, but at the same time we make sure that the soil does not dry out. The best option is to moisten the substrate about once a week. Spraying at this time can be canceled. Additionally, we moisten the bush only if it is in a very warm room. Top dressing continues to be introduced, but not more often than once every 4-5 weeks. It is highly undesirable that in winter the temperature in the place where the flower is kept rises above 8-10 ° C. Warmer conditions can lead to the fact that all leaves fall from the bush, but this is not critical, everything will be restored in the spring.

Myrtle pruning, reproduction and transplantation

Correctly and regularly carried out trimming of myrtle allows you to get the plant of the desired shape. At the same time, it is not recommended to remove leaves too often and actively, this may interfere with the formation of flower buds. The trunk of the green space does not differ in increased strength, so it is better not to touch the side shoots much. Pruning should be combined with enhanced dressing of a bush or tree.

Myrtle breeding at home is carried out according to one of the following methods:

1. Cuttings. Allows you to save maternal symptoms. It is better to carry out in the middle of summer, when the temperature of the soil rises to 25ºС. To do this, a stalk about 7 cm long is cut from the side shoot, we remove the lower leaves, and process the slices. Cuttings are planted in a mixture of peat and sand, covered with glass or film. After 2-3 weeks, rooting occurs, allowing seedlings to sprout.
2. The seeds. A rather lengthy and troublesome process, which does not allow preserving the species features in their bright form. Manipulation is carried out in early spring. Seeds are planted in a sand-peat mixture, which is sprinkled with soil. We build a greenhouse of glass or film, provide diffused light and a temperature of at least 21 ° C. Sprouts will appear in a couple of weeks. Seating is carried out only after the formation of four strong leaves.

A young plant is transplanted once every two years, while gradually increasing the pot volume. Adult trees and shrubs need such care no more often than every 3-4 years. The procedure is best done in winter. To do this, a few days before stress treatment, we stop watering. Then gently pull out the plant, holding it by the trunk. You can use a stimulant to activate plant growth. We lining the bottom of the pot with expanded clay and drainage, we lay a layer of earth. We put the plant, sprinkle it with the remains of the soil and ram. Water the plant until the water flows into the pan, remove excess fluid and transfer the pot to the shade.

We advise you to read the article: Cannes storage in winter