Ruskus is an erect shrub reaching a height of 1 m. It is a dioecious species. In order to receive fruits, it is necessary to have both a female and a male flower in the apartment. Propagate the culture by dividing the bush, seeds or cuttings. The right approach will allow you to get a luxurious flower from an escape bought in a store.
What does Italian Ruscus look like, to which family does it belong
Ruskus or Iglitsa are classified as evergreen perennial herbs and shrubs from the Asparagus family. The flower has many-branched stems on which phyllocladies (modified shoots) up to 18 cm long are located.
Ruscus italian
The plant feeds with the help of a creeping rhizome located on the surface of the soil. Shoots form a large number of branches from the base, they are covered with dark scaly bark.
Important! The foliage of the plant is dense, egg-shaped, with almost no petioles. At the ends of the leaves are thorns.
Ruskus hyrcanic
Common varieties
Italian Ruscus (ruskus) has several varieties:
- Needle Colchis
This is a shrub with spreading branches, the total length of the shoot reaches 50 cm. The leathery phyllocladies are dark in color, the flowers have long and narrowed petals. The variety blooms from October to January, after pollination, edible fruits in the form of reddish berries form on it.
- Pontic or prickly needle
Bushes grow up to 100 cm, shoots are erect, green foliage has a lilac hue. On the tips of the leaves there are small thorns, on the modified shoots there are leafy type leaves. Flowers on a dense pedicel, small size and single type. The plant blooms from February to April, the fruits ripen in November.
- Needle hyoid (Ruscus hypoglossum)
Another variety name is Israeli Ruscus. Small bushes reach 50 cm in height, erect, decorated with emerald foliage. Modified shoots of oblong shape, glossy. Flowers are painted in shades from white to light blue, have thin narrow petals. The plant blooms at the end of the winter season, the diameter of the fruit does not exceed 1.5 cm.
- Ruskus Girgan
The plant grows up to 40 cm, shoots spread or stand straight. Vast plantings resemble a spiky carpet. Modified shoots of greenish color, oblong, ovoid shape. Flowers are located in the axils of the bracts, from 2 to 5 pieces in each. The variety blooms in April, the fruits ripen from September to October.
- Leaf needle (Ruscus hypophyllum)
Bush height from 45 to 55 cm, with branched green stems, white or pale blue flowers. Buds are formed in the spring and winter. Fruits are reddish, fleshy, with two seeds.
Prickly needle
Important! Botanists account for about 6 thousand species of needles, in dozens of them they grow several dozen.
Features of home care
Special skills for growing plants are not required, so its breeding is available even for beginner growers. Needles are plants that easily adapt to new conditions. Improper care can result in a lack of flowers and fruits.
Temperature
Ruscus grows in houses and apartments. In the summer it needs to be carried out to the street or a balcony. In winter, the flower stubbornly tolerates a temperature drop of 13-15 ° C.
Lighting
Shrub prefers long daylight hours. The pot should be placed at a certain distance from the window so that direct sunlight does not burn the leaves of Ruscus.
Important! In the winter months, containers with the plant are transferred to the southern windowsill or use additional artificial lighting.
Watering
Humidification of the soil is carried out by drying the upper layer 3-4 cm in depth. During the formation of new modified shoots, the number of irrigations is increased.
Spraying
The plant needs regular spraying of leaves. In the spring-summer period, foliage is periodically washed with a cotton pad soaked in water.
Humidity
Ruscus plant prefers average moisture. In hot and dry summers, a glass of water can be placed near the pot.
Priming
The culture is not whimsical, in the natural environment it quietly develops on rocky territories. At home, a flower needs a loose substrate of one part of sod land, sand and three parts of leafy soil.
Important! The bottom of the flower boxes must be lined with expanded clay or broken red brick drainage. Experienced gardeners give preference to ready-mixed soils, which are sold in garden stores.
Top dressing
From April to October, the plant is fertilized with mineral compounds. The mixture is applied to the soil. In winter, feeding is not carried out.
Features of winter care, rest period
Starting in late autumn, the bushes rest, falling into a state of hibernation. Plants are watered as necessary, but not more than once a week. With the onset of spring days, fertilizers are applied to the soil, transplanting and pruning are carried out.
Pruning
Ruscus greens do not require special adjustments. To achieve the perfect look, just remove the yellowed branches. Some gardeners trim the flower to create a specific shape.
When and how it blooms
The main plant species have been producing buds since April, but there are varieties that bloom closer to winter. Flowers emerge from leaf blades on short pedicels. Buds with lilac or white color, in diameter reach 1 cm. Star-shaped flowers are single or collected in small inflorescences from 2 to 3 pieces.
Flowering of Ruscus israeli
Important! Ruscus flowers are located in the middle of mutated shoots
How Italian Ruscus propagates
Propagate the culture of seeds and division of the bush. Both options provide healthy and viable young plants. Some masters prefer to use cuttings - any branch or young shoot is suitable for the procedure.
Seed germination
Landing work begins in February. To speed up the process, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and refrigerated for one week. Then they are sown in boxes with peat-sand soil.
Crops need to be sprinkled with earth to a height of not more than 1 cm. The containers are closed with plastic wrap and sent to a room with a stable temperature regime. Airing is carried out daily, periodically watered. It is better to moisten the crops through the drainage holes in the pan - with this method, the risk of stagnation of water and rotting of the roots is reduced.
Important! Subject to the rules of planting, the first sprouts appear in 2-3 weeks
Bush division
The procedure is carried out in the spring days, before the active development of the plant begins. The bush is carefully removed from the container, the root system is cleaned of soil, cut off. The roots are divided taking into account young phylloclades - they must be present on each new plant. Young growth is planted in pots, the ground in which is pre-disinfected with activated or charcoal.
How to propagate ruscus with a twig from a bouquet:
- It is cut into cuttings, the places of the slices are treated with a root growth stimulator (1-2 hours).
- Pieces are planted in nutritious soil and covered with a glass container.
- Twice a week, watered through a pan.
- After the first leaves appear, the jar is removed and continued to care for the flower, as for an ordinary indoor plant.
Transfer
As the bush grows, it is necessary to transplant. The process follows the algorithm:
- The bush is carefully removed.
- Old land is cleaned from the roots.
- Trim dry areas.
- The bottom of the pot is covered with drainage.
- Fertile and light soil is filled up.
- A flower is planted.
Important! Do not use too large containers: this approach will cause the growth of side branches.
Diseases and Pests
The root system of culture has antibacterial properties, so many diseases are not afraid of it. The main plant pests:
- mealybug;
- spider mite;
- thrips.
Immediately after the detection of pests, you need to process the green part of the Ruscus with a cotton pad soaked in soapy water. In case of massive damage, insecticides are used.
Mealybug
Problems arising from improper care of the plant:
- putrefactive damage to the root system due to excessive watering;
- drying out of the shoots due to direct sunlight or lack of moisture;
- lack of fruit due to lack of pollination.
Important! Yellow and dried leaves are a sign of a violation of the rules for caring for ruscus.
Signs and superstitions
Ruscus symbolizes prosperity and life. According to legend, the forest nymph presented the medicinal properties of the plant berries.
The flower pot should not be closer than one meter from the table, resting place. Depending on the location, the ruskus performs different functions:
- on the windowsill - filters negative energy;
- by the bed - improves well-being;
- in the corners - does not allow stagnation of energy.
With proper care, evergreen perennial bushes will decorate the interior of any room: office or home. It is not difficult to grow an unpretentious culture, the main thing is to prevent an excess of moisture so that the root system does not rot, and the flower itself does not die.
