Araucaria is a general term for a large class of plants, it has a lot of varieties, including fine-leaved Araucaria, Araucaria spinosa, Australian Fir and Noh and Nick Araucaria; don't ask the difference between Araucaria and Australian Fir, they are the same type of plant, the maintenance methods are the same, but the varieties are different.
Above is the Australian fir
Araucaria looks like a pine tree, but in fact it is a coniferous evergreen plant of the genus Araucaria in the Family of Araucaria, which can be planted outdoors in the subtropics of China, and the north and south regions can raise it into pots, it has an upright trunk, and the plant will grow particularly symmetrical, plus its slightly curved coniferous leaves are extremely ornamental.
Araucaria is sometimes planted abroad as a Christmas tree, and can be hung with ornaments on its branches. Of course, it can also be cultivated indoor foliage plants. Its plants can be controlled at more than a meter high, can grow indoor large green plants, and its seedlings can grow small and medium potted plants.
Care for Araucaria Note:
The maintenance of Araucaria should give more sunlight, and it can also be raised in the semi-shade, and its shade tolerance is still relatively good. When planting Araucaria potted plants, it is provided with some loose and well-drained sandy soil to ensure that the soil is slightly acidic and more beneficial to its growth.
1. Plenty of light
The maintenance of potted araucaria should give plenty of sunlight, it is best to have more than 6 hours of direct light per day, the more sufficient the light, the faster it grows. Potted araucaria can grow in a slightly dark environment for more than a month, but the condition will get worse and worse, and the leaves are easy to yellow and fall.
If the Araucaria is raised on the window sill, only one side of its branches and leaves can be exposed to the sun, pay attention to regular potting, turn 180 degrees every other week, can ensure that its plant grows evenly, to avoid growing crooked.
2. Potting soil selection
The potting soil for planting Araucaria should be loose and breathable enough, in order to ensure good air permeability and drainage, which is conducive to its growth.
Indoor araucaria is raised with common peat soil, coarse coconut bran and perlite, mixed in a 5:3:2 ratio, which can ensure that the soil is slightly acidic, breathable and very good, can be properly mixed in the soil with 3 to 5 grams of slow-release fertilizer, more conducive to its growth.
3. Proper watering
Conservation of potted araucaria does not need frequent watering, it has the appropriate drought tolerance, before each watering it is recommended to check the wetness of the potted soil, to wait until the soil is almost dry, and then add water to it.
You can check whether the soil on the surface of the pot has dried up and whitish, and then decide whether to water it or not.
Or insert your finger into the soil, the soil surface is 5 cm dry, and then water it.
4. Humidity and temperature
The maintenance of Araucaria also needs to maintain a suitable temperature, to avoid too low temperature, it is more like a warm environment, the temperature is between 18 and 25 degrees, they can grow rapidly.
If the temperature is below 2 degrees, it is prone to frostbite. In the summer when the temperature is excessive, it is also necessary to pay attention to the appropriate amount of shade, especially if the temperature is higher than 33 degrees, and proper shade at noon and afternoon.
Indoor maintenance of potted araucaria also pay attention to maintaining a certain air humidity (more than 50%), do not let the air dry, otherwise its leaves are easy to yellow and dry, if the overall yellow leaves it is particularly ugly, serious when the entire plant will wilt, you can increase the humidity around the spray water, you can also open a humidifier for it.
5. Appropriate fertilization
In the spring, summer and autumn, when the environment is warm, you can add water-soluble fertilizer to it every 3 to 4 weeks, and the concentration is lower than usual. If it is kept in a place with a lot of light, you can slightly increase the frequency of watering. If you are raised in a place with excessive shade and the environment lacks light, then you must stop fertilizing.
Potted araucaria plants are not too strong, especially its root system is particularly fragile, be sure to make sure that the concentration is low when fertilizing. Indoor maintenance is recommended to give slow-release fertilizer, so as to avoid fat injuries, generally in the spring or autumn in the edge of the soil surface to dig holes, buried in 2 to 4 grams of slow-release fertilizer can be.
6. Other precautions
Potted araucaria does not need to be pruned in the process of maintenance, generally found that there are yellow, wilted branches and leaves can be cut off directly, there will be some wilted and yellowing old leaves at the bottom of the plant, in addition to the need for too much pruning.
Maintenance of potted Araucaria also pay attention to avoid frequent pot changes, it grows slowly during indoor maintenance, generally every 2 to 3 years to change pots once on it, each time you change pots, choose a larger than before a larger size of pots, the bottom should have a larger drainage hole.
In addition, pay attention to ensure that the soil pot has a certain weight, you can choose the red clay pot, if it is planted in a plastic pot, it is necessary to add coarse sand or saprophytic soil in the pot soil to ensure that the Araucaria can grow upright and avoid lodging. Araucaria should avoid frost in winter, otherwise it is easy to frostbite.
If there is heating indoors, the potted araucaria should find a way to increase the humidity of the environment, and in a dry air environment, it is not only prone to yellowing and wilting, but also prone to diseases and insect pests.
Many people do not raise Araucaria indoors, in fact, it is due to excessive watering, resulting in root rot, or the leaves often retain moisture, resulting in infection with germs.
Usually pay attention to water control, but also maintain a certain air humidity. Do these two things well, its leaves are still yellowing, it may be a lack of light. If the leaves keep falling, it may be too much watering.