belongs to the family of plants called Dioscoreaceae. In Latin, the name of this plant will sound like this: Dioscorea discolor. As for the family itself, its name in Latin will be: Dioscoreaceae.
Description of care features
It should be noted that such a plant as varicolored Dioscorea is rather difficult to call especially whimsical in care, however, in order for the plant to develop well, it will be necessary to comply with certain standards for growing this plant. It is recommended to choose a sunny location for growing multi-colored dioscorea, however, placing a pot with a plant in partial shade is also acceptable. In the summer, you will need to provide the plant with abundant watering. At the same time, the air humidity for growing multi-colored Dioscorea should be kept at an average level.The life form of this plant is a deciduous vine. It is recommended to grow this plant indoors not only on the western windows, but also on the south side. At the same time, when growing a plant on the south side, it should be remembered that multi-colored Dioscorea will also need to provide a little shading. Also, such a plant is quite often found also in winter gardens, as well as in greenhouses.
It is noteworthy that in culture such a plant is able to reach a maximum size of about a meter or even a meter in height. Multi-colored Dioscorea should be transplanted annually: experts recommend performing such a transplant in the spring, while pots of standard proportions should be chosen. Actually, the choice of pot should be guided by the size of the tuber of the plant: for example, a tuber the size of a small apple is suitable for a pot with a volume of one liter.
As for the composition of the soil, you will need to take one part of sod land and one part of sand, as well as two parts of leafy soil. The acidity of such a land mixture can be either neutral or slightly acidic. When planting multi-colored dioscorea, it is very important not to deepen the root of the plant: it is worth remembering that the apical bud should always protrude above the soil surface. During the first two weeks after planting, the air temperature should be kept at no higher than sixteen degrees, and the substrate should always be kept moist. In the event that the humidity in the room where the multi-colored Dioscorea is grown is less than sixty percent, the plant may be affected by a spider mite. Therefore, it is so important to monitor the constant maintenance of air humidity in the desired state.
Throughout the rest period, a temperature of about six to ten degrees Celsius should be ensured, while at this time the multi-colored Dioscorea will do just fine without watering. The dormant period of the plant begins in October and lasts until March. During all this time, it will be necessary to store multicolored Dioscorea tubers in the pot where the plant previously grew. However, it is permissible to store plant tubers without soil in a cool and dark place.
Propagation of multi-colored Dioscorea can occur in several ways: by dividing the tuber, by rooting cuttings, and also through seeds. However, it should be noted that propagation by seeds is most often chosen exclusively by collectors. It is important to remember that during the growth period, the plant will need support. It is permissible to remove the shoots of this plant only after they have completely dried. If this is done earlier, then the plant will not have enough nutrients in order to renew its growth in the spring. It is noteworthy that, under the condition of growing at home, multi-colored Dioscorea will rarely bloom.
Dioscorea versicolor is an attractive plant whose drooping stems are densely covered with beautiful leaves. For a year shoots can grow up to 2 meters.
Dioscorea: growing from seed
The most difficult way to propagate Dioscorea is sowing seeds, which is carried out in the first half of spring. For this, a mixture of sand and leafy soil is used, germination should take place at a temperature of about 15 degrees, the soil should be watered periodically. When the seedlings grow up a little, they dive into separate pots. At first, young plants need to be shaded, a little later - to transfer to larger pots.
Dioscorea reproduction
More simply, Dioscorea can be propagated using apical cuttings about 10 cm long. They can be planted in a wet mixture of perlite and peat, having previously treated the cut points with a root formation stimulator. After that, the containers must be covered with a transparent film and placed in a warm, well-lit place. Remove the film daily for 5-10 minutes for ventilation. After about two weeks, when the rooting process is over, the film is removed.
After providing the plant with moderate watering, after two weeks it can be transplanted into a separate pot, providing the care that adult Dioscoreas require.
The easiest way to propagate Dioscorea multi-colored is to divide the tubers of an adult plant. This should be done in early spring before the plant begins to grow. After division, the resulting specimens are planted in the same way as ordinary tubers.
Dioscorea: the nature of growth
Dioscorea is a fast growing climbing plant. In just one season, its stems can be 2 meters long. At the same time, its leaves will have a length of up to 15 cm. Their upper part is painted in olive color, the lower part is dark purple. In late summer, inconspicuous flowers appear on the plant.
Dioscorea: features of care
Every autumn, the growth of Dioscorea stops, its stems begin to gradually die off. At this time, watering the plant stops. After the complete death of the stems, the pot with the tubers of the plant is turned over on its side and left in a room with a temperature of about 13 degrees.
In early spring, tubers are dug out of the ground and planted in a mixture of equal parts of leaf and sod land, peat and sand. After planting, the pot is covered with plastic wrap, and placed in a room with a temperature of 21 degrees.
When the first signs of growth appear, the film is removed, and economical watering of Dioscorea is provided. When the height of the stems is about 30 cm, watering should become plentiful, remaining the same until autumn. Along with the beginning of abundant watering once every two weeks, it is recommended to feed. At any time of the year, this plant prefers bright light.
Possible problems
Sometimes brown spots appear on the leaves of the plant. This is a sign of sunburn. To prevent this, Dioscorea must be shaded during the hot midday hours.
If the tubers do not begin to grow for a long time in the spring, most likely they are at a low temperature. In this case, the containers with them are transferred to a warmer place. For successful growth, the temperature of the soil in which the tubers are located must be at 21 degrees.
Native to South Africa, Dioscorea versicolor is a graceful perennial vine. The length of the plant reaches 5 m, its stem is somewhat angular and completely bare. The slender shoot winds counterclockwise and is characterized by sinuous branches.
The leaves are opposite, heart-shaped, of decorative interest because of their unusual color. The leaf plate is painted in purple-green or olive-green color with light silver-gray paths along the veins. Foliage turns golden in autumn.
In home culture, the plant blooms with small greenish flowers, collected in a loose inflorescence. Dioscorea multi-colored - a relatively compact species. To give an unusual shape to the vine, you can stick a small trellis or a ring of thin wire into the ground. Representatives of the species gradually wrap around all such a support, and over time, the structure covered with greenery looks especially interesting. It is relatively small and easy to transport. This look will be a spectacular decoration of any interior.
