Brainia is a very attractive plant that pleases with lush greenery and colorful leaves. Brainia is home to the hot tropics of both hemispheres, where it occupies large areas and grows well without care. In a temperate climate, only snow brein is cultivated, which is grown as a houseplant. To enhance the decorative properties, breeders have bred several varieties with white, pink and red piping on the leaves.
Botanical Description
Brainia is an evergreen or partially deciduous shrub of the Euphorbia family. Stems erect, highly branched. Gradually, the trunk becomes stiff and acquires a red-brown color. In the natural environment, the plant is able to reach a height of 2 meters, but timely pruning of indoor brazinia allows you to form a short bush or miniature tree, that is, build a bonsai from brainia.
The main decoration of brainia are its leaves. They have a round or ovoid shape. The surface of the leaf plate is glossy, slightly bent to the center from the central vein. Leaflets grow in length no more than 5 cm, and are 2.5 cm wide. The main tone of the leaf plates is bright green. Colored spots and dots are also present on the surface, they form a marble pattern. The most variegated leaves are located in the upper part of the crown. They create a kind of hat over the plant.
During the flowering period (from July to August) panicle inflorescences with small light green flowers appear on brain. Against the background of bright foliage, they practically do not attract attention. But the flowers have a fairly intense, pleasant aroma. It can be compared to the smell of jasmine flowers.
Varieties
The genus of brainia is not very diverse, most often found snow brainewhich care is very simple. Therefore, it is well established on the windowsills of city apartments. The variety got its name for white spots on the leaves, which from afar resemble a snow cap. The topmost leaves sometimes become completely white or have a small amount of green spots.
Gain popularity pink brachinia, she has pink tones in the color of the upper leaves. The color pink is diffuse and replaces the green shade of the leaf plates.
It has an even more attractive appearance. Brainia Atropurpurea, the leaves of which are covered with purple and burgundy spots.
Breeding methods
In our latitudes, brerania propagates vegetatively, since the plant cannot form a complete seed material. Hybrid varieties with colored foliage are generally not capable of transmitting varietal qualities to future generations.
It is most convenient to propagate brerenia by cuttings. The apical shoot with a heel (a piece of bark and wood of the mother plant) and 2-3 internodes are cut and planted in a pot with a moist substrate. For good rooting, it is necessary to provide the seedling with a temperature of at least + 25 ° C and high humidity. It is better to cover the pot with a plastic bag or a jar and water it regularly.
Strongly overgrown bushes can be divided, then each delenka will have an already ripened rhizome and immediately start growing. The procedure is carried out in early spring. They dig out the braine and cut the root into several parts. You should leave 2-3 buds of growth in each bush and immediately plant them in the ground. Drying is very harmful to the rhizome, so if you need to transport the seedling to a new place, it, together with a lump of moist earth, is tightly wrapped with a film.
Breinia Care
Brainia needs careful care at home, then it will actively grow and delight with variegated foliage. The plant needs good lighting for at least 12 hours. It is in the sun that the leaves acquire a brighter color with white and pink stains. In winter, it is useful to illuminate the bushes with a lamp, otherwise the young leaves will be completely green. But direct midday sun is harmful, it can burn leaves. To avoid such a nuisance, you need to create a little protection.
To plant a plant, use the following soil mixture:
- 25% sand;
- 25% of turf land;
- 50% of sheet land.
The soil should have a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. The bottom is lined with a layer of drainage and the drain holes are cleaned. Plants are transplanted as needed. Since the roots grow slowly, transplantation is carried out every 3-5 years. The procedure is planned for early spring.
For braine, you need to create a warm and humid environment. The optimum temperature is around + 25 ° C. In winter, a slight cooling is allowed, but not less than + 15 ° C. To maintain the necessary level of humidity, the leaves are often sprayed from the spray gun. You can also place trays with water or wet expanded clay in the vicinity. It is important that the water tanks do not come into contact with the soil, otherwise the roots will begin to rot and the braine will die.
They often water the brainia, it does not tolerate the complete drying of the soil, but stagnation of moisture can be harmful. A layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot (expanded clay, brick chips, pebbles) will help to cope with the problem. In spring and summer, twice a month, the plant needs to be fed. It is convenient to use complex fertilizers for indoor flowers. A good result is the introduction of organic fertilizing, for example, mullein. From this, the leaves become even more colorful.
Care for brainia includes pruning to form a crown. It also helps to get rid of dry branches from which the leaves fell. The plant normally perceives this procedure and after 1-2 weeks gives new shoots. Careful pruning of young shoots at the bottom of the trunk helps to form a dwarf tree with a lush crown.
Possible difficulties
Occasionally, aphids, scutes, or spider mites attack brainia. To provoke this phenomenon can be too dry air in the room. If parasites are found, rinse the crown with warm water or carry out a chemical treatment. For prevention, the procedure is repeated twice more with an interval of a week.
If brainia drops the leaves, you should make sure that the plant receives sufficient watering, and that the air is well moistened. Like all euphorbiaceae, it instantly responds to drought. As a treatment, you can temporarily cover the plant with a film and water it more often. After the appearance of young leaves, the shelter is removed.
Using
Brainia is used as a houseplant. A small bush looks good on the windowsill, and a taller tree is suitable for growing on the floor. If you plant the brainia in large tubs, they can be taken out in the summer on the balcony or terrace. In the fall, when it starts to get colder, tubs are brought into a room or in a greenhouse, where brainia will continue to please lush vegetation.
In the southern regions, you can grow a plant as a garden crop. For example, at home it is used to create a live fence.
