Cissus

Family. Vitaceae.

Homeland of the plant. South America.

Description. Cissus is a very extensive and diverse genus, consisting of vines and shrubs.

The stems are creeping, drooping, branched, and with age they become woody at the base and are covered with brown bark.

Different types of cissus also differ from each other in the size, shape and color of the leaves. Some plants have simple lanceolate or heart-shaped leaves, while others bear palmate or compound leaves - consisting of several oblong or rounded segments with jagged edges.

The leaves are green, shiny, variegated varieties are distinguished by the presence of contrasting white spots on the leaf blades.

The vines climb the support, clinging to it with tendrils. Sometimes long aerial roots are formed on the shoots.

The flowering of cissus is not interesting - small branched racemose inflorescences bear small greenish or pink flowers.

If the buds are pollinated, over time clusters of round, black or reddish berries are formed.

Height. The length of the plant's shoots can reach 2-3 m, and within a very short period of time. 

Care at home

Reproduction 

It is propagated by division during transplantation, vegetatively - by cuttings, air layering, and sometimes the flower is grown from seeds.

Vegetative propagation is carried out by semi-lignified stem cuttings 8-12 cm long.

Rooting is carried out mainly in spring and summer, when the bushes are ready to develop. In autumn and winter, the percentage of successful rooting will be lower.

The cuttings are separated from the mother bush with a sharp knife so that the lower cut is oblique. Each cutting should have 2-3 internodes.

1. The lower leaves are removed from the cuttings and the bases of the branches are treated with growth hormones.
2. The cuttings are immersed in a well-moistened substrate to a depth of 1-2 cm.
3. Rooting is carried out in a container under a glass or transparent plastic cap, shading from direct sunlight.
4. The seedlings are kept in a warm place with a temperature of at least 21 ° C, rooting occurs within 4 - 6 weeks.
5. After the appearance of new shoots, when it can be said with confidence that there are roots under the surface of the soil, the cuttings are planted 3-4 pieces in one pot so that the flower looks thicker and more lush.

The rooting process will take 1.5 - 2 months. 

Rooting of some species is excellent in ordinary water. The cuttings are processed as described above and placed in a glass of water, immersing only the lower part of the stem in water.

Add a tablet of activated carbon to the rooting water and cover the glass with an opaque material - it is believed that roots appear faster in the dark. The first roots will be visible in 3-4 weeks.

When the roots of the cuttings reach a length of 1-2 cm, the seedling can be placed in the ground.

If after planting the cuttings do not develop for some time, it is okay. At this time, its root system adapts to new conditions underground.

Adult large cissus bushes can be divided into several parts when transplanted.

If necessary, the root system is cut with a sharp knife and the cut areas are treated with crushed charcoal.

The resulting divisions should have their own roots and a well-developed green ground part.

The seedlings are planted in separate pots, watered generously with warm water and shaded from direct sunlight for 7-10 days.

The air humidity around the plants is constantly maintained high - in such conditions, the flowers quickly adapt to new conditions and begin to grow.

It is possible to obtain cissus from seeds - to do this, they are sown in the spring in loose, moist, nutritious soil, covered with transparent plastic or glass to maintain uniform humidity and placed in a warm place without access to direct sunlight.

The seeds have a hard outer shell, so they are sometimes soaked for several hours in warm water with the addition of epin or zircon, or scarified - lightly scratched with a needle file. 

You can simply try to remove the hard outer layer with your hands, but this must be done carefully - without damaging the sprout and root.  

1. At the bottom of the sowing container there should be drainage holes and a drainage layer 2 - 3 cm high.
2. Before sowing, the substrate is thoroughly moistened with water from a spray bottle.
3. The seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a small layer of soil.
4. From above, the crops are moistened again and covered with a lid. 
5. Place the container with the seedlings in a warm (temperature 20 - 25 degrees Celsius) and well-lit place, but protected from direct sun.
6. After 3 - 4 weeks, the first shoots will appear - at this time, remove the lid from the container for a few minutes a day, gradually increasing the ventilation time.
7. The last shoots may appear already 4 - 5 months after sowing the seeds.

With the appearance of the first 2 - 3 true leaf blades of each bush, they are planted in separate small pots.

7-10 days after picking, the flower is fed for the first time with a weak solution of mineral fertilizers.

1. To propagate cissus by air layering, another small pot filled with nutritious and loose soil is placed next to the mother plant.
2. A semi-ripe shoot is placed in this pot, pinned to the soil surface and lightly sprinkled with soil on top. The top of the shoot should be above the surface of the substrate.
3. During the entire rooting period, the soil in the small pot is kept uniformly moist.
4. After some time, young shoots will appear from under the ground, where the leaf nodes are located.

Rooting is usually successful within 3-4 weeks. A couple of months after new growth appears, the cuttings can be separated from the mother plant and planted separately.

The advantage of this method is that from each layer you can get several daughter bushes that completely copy the varietal characteristics of the parent flower.

You can form a bark system directly on an adult bush - to do this, a section of the shoot is lightly scratched, then wrapped in a layer of well-moistened sphagnum moss and this layer is hermetically covered with transparent plastic film.

The film is secured to the plant at the top and bottom with an elastic band.

From time to time, water is squirted into this bag from a syringe, keeping the moss evenly moist.

After 1 - 1.5 months, the first roots will be visible under the film.

Diseases and pests of cissus 

• Leaves fall off when the soil becomes too dry for a long time, and turn yellow and fall off when there is excess moisture.
• If there is insufficient air humidity, the edges of the leaf blades dry out and turn brown - the leaf blades often become curled.
• Plants slow down when there is a lack of nutrients.
• Long-term exposure to sunlight leads to the appearance of burns in the form of brown spots on the leaves.
• Leaf blades fade and become pale, covered with light spots when exposed to direct sunlight during the daytime.
• Brown spots on the leaves indicate a large amount of moisture in the soil - rot has appeared in the root system.
• Powdery mildew due to insufficient air movement and high humidity.
• The leaves dry out and fall off if the cissus is kept in a too stuffy and hot room.
• Keeping it too cool or exposed to cold drafts affects the plant by falling leaves.
• Leaves lose turgor and become limp due to insufficient nutrition. If the leaf blades are covered with black spots, the plant lacks phosphorus; if they are brown, it lacks nitrogen.
• Keeping a pot too small will result in stunted plant development.
• Sharp curling and falling of leaves can be observed when the flower is kept in soil that is too dense, which does not allow the root system to breathe. 

Among the harmful insects, the plant can be attacked by aphids, spider mites, and scale insects.

Soil 

It is preferable to use soils with a close to neutral or slightly acidic pH.

This species thrives in nutrient-rich soils with good drainage.  The soil for cissus should not only have good drainage, but also allow the root system to breathe, allowing air to pass through.

The mixture for keeping the flower is made up of components such as peat, leaf and turf humus, and garden soil.

To improve drainage, coarse river sand or perlite and vermiculite are mixed into the soil.

As an organic feeding component, you can add humus, a small amount of well-rotted cow or horse manure.

How to care for cissus 

In early spring, carry out formative pruning to maintain a compact shape.  Carry out pruning with a sharp and sterile tool - a garden knife or pruning shears.

Pruning is carried out during the spring and is often done during replanting.

Weak and elongated stems that the flower may have sprouted during the winter in insufficient light should also be cut off.  Pinch the apical buds of young shoots regularly so that the bush develops more densely.

The flower easily tolerates pruning and quickly recovers after it. 

Old specimens are rejuvenated with the help of a radical haircut, shortening long shoots by 2/3 or even 3/4 of the length. During pruning, you can obtain cuttings that can later be used for propagation.

Long stems of vines should be provided with support.

Cissus at home will appreciate being placed outdoors in the summer. Take the flower out for several hours during the day and gradually increase the time spent outside. 

Outdoors, place the pot with the plant in a place inaccessible to direct sunlight, heavy rainfall and strong gusts of wind.

Bring the plant indoors in the fall as soon as nighttime temperatures drop below 12 degrees Celsius.

Wipe off dust from glossy leaves with a damp sponge.

Flowering time

Summer, flowering does not attract attention.

Cissus rarely produces buds at home, but the plant is grown as an ornamental foliage plant and does not lose its attractiveness in the absence of flowering. 

Transplant 

Since cissus grows quickly, it needs an annual spring transplant.

Young bushes are planted annually in slightly larger containers - the new pot should exceed the diameter of the old one by 2 - 3 cm in diameter. Planting directly into a large container will lead to root rot, since an excess amount of substrate will retain moisture in the soil after watering. 

The need for replanting will be indicated by the tips of the root system that appear in the drainage holes of the pot.  The size of the container directly affects the development of the plant - in a cramped pot it slows down.

Adult bushes are replanted into fresh soil and a new pot approximately every 2-3 years. The diameter of the pot for an adult cissus can be about 30 cm.

For large tub specimens, instead of replanting, it is enough to replace the top 5-7 cm layer of the mixture with fresh soil in the spring.

Since cissus acquire an impressive size over time, it is advisable to use heavy and stable pots for replanting - for example, clay ones.

The best time for replanting is the beginning of new growth.

Since the soil in the old pot can be completely braided with roots and will fit tightly to the walls of the container, before replanting, the root system is soaked for 1 hour in warm water.

1. To grow cissus, it is worth choosing pots with sufficiently large drainage holes. 
2. When replanting, you should immediately install a support for the plants.
3.  The first layer is poured drainage onto the bottom of the flower pot. Drainage can consist of foam pieces, expanded clay of the required fraction, clay shards or broken bricks. You can also lay river pebbles as a drainage layer.
4. A small layer of soil is poured onto the drainage and the plant is placed in the center of the pot. 

You can move a flower in 2 ways - transplanting and transshipment.

When replanting, the root system is cleared of the old substrate and the flower is placed with straightened roots in a new pot. Replanting should be done if there are signs of root rot or other problems with the roots. During the procedure, the affected areas of the roots are cut to healthy tissue.

When replanting, the bush is removed from the old container along with the root ball and also replanted with it into a new pot. Replanted plants experience less stress and tolerate the procedure more easily.

Next, in both cases, the plants are sprinkled with fresh substrate, which is lightly compacted with the fingertips.

When planting, the soil surface should be 1 - 2 cm. is located below the level of the walls of the pot.

After transplantation, the flower is watered with warm water and placed in a moderately warm place without direct sunlight.

If after watering the ground sag and holes appear, they are filled with fresh soil.

3 - 4 weeks after transplantation, you can carry out the first feeding. You should not start feeding the plants too early - they have enough minerals contained in fresh soil.

Watering 

Wet the soil completely during each watering. In spring and summer, dry the soil a few inches deep between waterings.

Be sure to drain excess moisture from the pan without allowing the water to stagnate in the soil.

In winter, the frequency of watering will depend on the ambient temperature - when kept cool, water extremely rarely - just so that the earthen ball does not dry out.

Deciduous species are rarely watered in winter - their moisture evaporation is sharply reduced, and excess water in the pot can destroy the bush.

Regular watering is resumed in the spring, when the plants show the first signs of new growth - young shoots and leaves.

Water for irrigation should be at or slightly above room temperature.  Tap water is left to settle for 24 hours before watering - during this time, chlorine will evaporate from it and limescale will settle.

If the water is hard, then before watering, place a cloth bag filled with peat in it and keep the moisture in this way for 24 hours.

Cissus can be watered with filtered or bottled drinking water. 

Rain or melt water can be used for irrigation, but it must be collected away from chemical plants and busy highways.

In spring and summer, you can periodically immerse the pot with the plant for a few minutes in a large basin of warm water and allow excess moisture to drain.

Succulent varieties with thick, juicy shoots are watered much less often than other varieties - this plant stores sufficient moisture reserves in thick, juicy stems.

Fertilizer

During the growth period - from early spring to late autumn, feed the plants with liquid fertilizers every 2 weeks. If the flower is in a warm place in autumn and winter, then the frequency of feeding is reduced to once a month.

If the vine was given a cool rest period, then gradually reduce feeding in the fall, and then completely stop until spring. Resume feeding with the appearance of young shoots in the spring.

Fertilize after watering, since contact of the mineral nutrient solution with dry roots can cause a chemical burn.

Cissus responds positively to both root and foliar feeding. With foliar feeding, the fertilizer solution is applied directly to the green mass of the plant using a fine sprayer.

Temperature

Indoor cissus is thermophilic and prefers temperatures above 18 ° C during the growth period. During the growing season, when the plant is actively developing, it is kept in rooms with a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees.

Specimens with green leaves prefer several weeks of coolness in the winter months at a temperature of 8–12 ° C, but variegated variations do not need a dormant period and are kept all year round at room temperature.

Bright varieties of cissus should not be exposed to temperatures below 12–14 degrees Celsius.

The most heat-loving are considered to be Cissus discolor and Amazonian - they are kept at a temperature of at least 18 ° C, varieties such as Cissus antarctica and striata should not be exposed to temperatures below 12 ° C.

Cissus does not like sudden changes in temperature - the bush can lose all its leaves.

With the onset of intense summer heat, it is worth placing the flower in the coolest possible place, increasing the frequency of watering and air humidity.

Lighting

Depending on the species, it tolerates a wide range of light levels. Specimens with uniform green leaves can be grown in partial shade, while variegated leaves lose their appeal when there is insufficient light.

In any case, exposure to direct sunlight during the day should be avoided.

During the daytime, especially in spring and summer, the flower should be protected from direct sunlight.

Windows facing northeast or northwest are well suited for growing cissus. When placed in the north, the bushes will need additional lighting. If the southern windowsill is chosen as the location, the leaves should be protected from the sun with a curtain or placed on a nightstand or table located in the back of the room - at a distance of 1 - 2 meters from the window.

For lighting, you can use both special phytolamps and ordinary fluorescent daylight lamps.

Spraying 

To maintain humidity, place a room humidifier near the plant.

Spraying should only be done with soft water, as hard water will leave whitish spots on the leaves.  Try to spray in the first half of the day - in  this case, droplets of moisture will have time to evaporate from the surface of the shoots and leaves before nightfall. 

Placing several plants in a small room increases air humidity well. 

You can also place an open vessel with water next to the pot  or grow cissus on a tray filled with wet pebbles.  When using the latter option, make sure that the surface of the water in the tray does not reach the bottom of the pot. 

The flower prefers to be in well-ventilated rooms with sufficient air circulation. Protect it from cold drafts - when airing in winter, take it to another room - otherwise, leaves may fall.

In summer, you can bathe cissus in the shower - cover the surface of the soil in the pot with plastic wrap and place the plant under soft streams of water at a temperature of 35-40 degrees Celsius.

After water procedures, leave the pot in the bathroom for half an hour so that the cissus can enjoy the humid atmosphere.

Purpose

Cissus are suitable for vertical gardening in bright rooms. 

The flower can be used as an hanging plant - its long stems will hang over the edges of the pot in a beautiful cascade.

Cissus verifiosa can be grown as an epiphytic plant by attaching it to a block or piece of bark.

Note

Cissus or indoor birch is very picky and willingly grows indoors for many years.

If pruning is not performed, the lower parts of the stems of the plants may become bare.

Some species have phytoncidal properties and are able to kill airborne pathogens.

With age, some specimens lose their lower leaves and bare their stems - they are replaced with new plants obtained by cuttings, or are subjected to radical pruning.

Hydroponics

Cissus grows well in hydroponics.

Types of cissus:

Cissus quadrangularis

A perennial evergreen plant - a liana with very long stems, reaching 15 m. An interesting feature of this species, due to which it received its name, is the presence of tetrahedral thickenings on the stems. With age, the stems of the plant at the base become woody and covered with brown bark. The leaves are green, reminiscent of ivy leaves in shape, have branched veins. Each leaflet is equipped with a tendril, with the help of which the plant climbs along the support. The inflorescences are branched, axillary, bear many small flowers of white, yellow or greenish hue. 

Cissus tuberosa

A very attractive subspecies that is grown as a succulent plant that forms a green caudex. In the upper part the stems remain thin and flexible and grow quickly. There are aerial roots on the stems of plants. The leaves are palmate, deeply cut, dark green in color. 

Cissus rhombifolia

An attractive vine with glossy, green, compound leaves on long petioles. The shape of the leaves is variable - while some resemble oak leaves (for example, Ellen Danica's cissus), others are more like maple or grape. Young leaves have a bronze tint, the stems are often burgundy. Flowering is inconspicuous and rarely occurs in indoor culture. 

Cissus antarctica

One of the most famous types of cissus is a perennial evergreen plant - a vine with stems up to 3 m long, growing quickly. The leaves are green, oblong-heart-shaped, pointed, 5-8 cm long. The edges of the leaf blades have large denticles. Young leaves have a bronze tint. This species develops well in partial shade. 

Cissus discolor

The plant is distinguished by dark green, oblong, heart-shaped leaves with silvery spots on the upper surface. The underside of the leaf blade is painted a bright burgundy shade. 

Cissus striata

The leaves of this species resemble Schefflera in appearance. Each compound leaf consists of 3 or 5 oblong, glossy, green leaves connected in a circle by short petioles. The stems of the plant can reach 10 m in length.