Bottle tree (photo) at home: how to grow, methods of propagation

Nolina (aka Bocarnea) is an exotic succulent native to the arid Mexican deserts. It will be appreciated by lovers of everything unusual. The thickened trunk of this plant resembles an elephant's leg. Therefore, people call nolina “elephant’s foot”; it is also called “bottle tree”. The plant looks noble, perfectly decorates the interior and is deservedly popular among lovers of indoor floriculture.

Description of Nolina

In total, more than 30 species of tree have been described, but only nolina bent is cultivated at home. This indoor flower grows in nature like a real tree . It has a shallow root system, which is typical of all plants forced to exist in an arid climate. To survive in desert conditions, the nolina trunk forms a caudex at the bottom - a special cavity in which moisture accumulates.

Dense leathery leaves grow in a lush bunch at the top of the trunk. They are long and narrow, falling down. As you can see in the photo of the “bottle tree” indoor plant, the crown forms a real fountain. When purchasing in a store, you need to take into account that nolina continues to grow for many years and over time may not fit on the windowsill. At home, the “elephant’s foot” does not bloom, and this is not expected from it. The tree already looks very decorative.

Necessary conditions for cultivation

A plant is a living creature that needs to create certain conditions for its growth and development. The more the microclimate of your apartment resembles the nolina’s natural habitats, the better it will feel. Consider parameters such as lighting, temperature and humidity.

Lighting

Like all tropical plants, bocarney needs good lighting. Due to the fact that the trunk is covered with hard bark and the leaves are leathery, the tree tolerates direct sunlight , so it is advisable to place it in the most illuminated place. This could be a south or southwest window sill.

If the nolina is already large and stands on the floor, the pot with the plant should be brought close to the window. If there is a lack of light, nolina will begin to reach for its source. To prevent the trunk from bending during growth for this reason, turn the pot with nolina a few degrees from time to time. If curvature has already occurred, turn the plant with the other side towards the light.

Temperature and humidity

Since nolina is a desert plant, it loves warmth. In summer, it will be comfortable at a temperature of 23-25 degrees; in winter, the plant tolerates a temperature drop of up to 15 degrees. Elephant foot tolerates lower values worse. If the temperature is below 7 degrees, the plant may die . In summer, in dry and sunny weather, Nolina feels great in the fresh air.

Considering where the bottle tree grows in nature, the air humidity level may not be controlled. It doesn't matter to succulents. Nolina feels great in any humidity and does not need additional spraying. If you want to spray the leaves to remove dust from them, do it carefully, being careful not to get it on the trunk. In bark saturated with moisture, rotting may begin.

Pests

Nolina is resistant to the adverse effects of pests, but sometimes they still attack, causing significant harm to her. The faster they are detected, the higher the chances of saving the plant.

Scaleworms. They become especially active when the plant experiences moisture deficiency. For Nolina, this condition is quite rare, but still possible. Prevention consists of the correct watering schedule and maintaining sufficient air humidity (at least 60-70%).
Shield. This pest attacks the leaves, causing small sticky droplets to appear on them. The only way to get rid of scale insects is to wipe the leaves with soapy water and then wipe them dry.
Spider mite . If the leaves are too small and curl into a tube, then the plant is suffering from mites. To destroy it, it is necessary to use special sulfur-based preparations.

Plant care

Bokarneya needs regular watering, periodic fertilizing and replanting. These procedures provide the plant with moisture and nutrients and give it opportunities to grow. Caring for nolina at home is quite simple:

Under no circumstances should watering be excessive. Excessive moisture content in the pot is a direct path to ruining the nolina. Do not forget that in its natural environment the plant receives water extremely rarely. In spring and summer, it is enough to water the tree twice a month; the water is immediately drained from the pan. In winter, the plant can do without watering at all, especially if kept in a cool room . The need to moisten the soil can be indicated by wrinkling of the trunk. In this case, lightly water the bottle tree.
Fertilizing is done only in spring and summer, during the period of active growth. It is necessary to use special fertilizers for cacti, dissolving them in water for irrigation. It is enough to fertilize nolina 2-3 times a month.
The young tree is replanted annually, each time slightly increasing the diameter of the pot. Since, with proper care in the house, nolina lives for a very long time (15-20 years or longer), over time, replanting becomes difficult, because the “elephant’s foot” reaches impressive sizes. Transplantation of large nolins is carried out only as a last resort, for example, if the trunk has rotted. A healthy adult plant is not disturbed; simply replace the top layer of soil in the pot.

Choosing the right pot and soil

When choosing a pot for bocarnea, you need to take into account the presence of caudex, the type of root system and the height of the trunk. Tall and narrow vessels are not suitable for the “elephant’s foot” plant; such a container can easily tip over after transplantation. It is necessary that the pot is wide and low, with several drainage holes. In such a container, water will not stagnate, and the soil will be able to dry out quickly, which will prevent rotting of the trunk. When transplanting, the pot is filled 1/3 with expanded clay drainage.

The soil for this tree should be light, loose, and breathable. You can buy ready-made substrate for succulents at a garden center - this is the easiest option. To facilitate the penetration of oxygen into such soil, you can mix it with several handfuls of expanded clay. If you make up the soil mixture yourself, keep in mind that it should consist of clay soil, leaf humus, sand and expanded clay in a ratio of 2:2:1:1. For additional nutrition and disinfection, pieces of charcoal can be added to the soil.

Transfer rules

If you bought nolina in an unsuitable pot, it is advisable to replant it as quickly as possible. Prepare everything you need and start transplanting.

Remove the plant from the old pot and examine the roots. Rotten areas must be cut off and the wounds powdered with crushed charcoal. Dry the nolina slightly before planting if the soil was too wet.
Place drainage at the bottom of the pot and pour a small mound of soil, compacting it slightly. Then the nolina is installed vertically, the roots are straightened and covered with soil.
Make sure that the trunk does not go deep when planting, otherwise it may rot. Only roots should be in the ground. Some people try to bury part of the trunk because there is damage on it; this absolutely should not be done. Over time, the damaged area will certainly be covered with bark.
After planting, the soil around the plant is compacted to give the pot stability. If the weight of the container with soil is not enough to hold the tree vertically, you can place several decorative stones on the surface of the soil.
After completing the procedure, the “elephant’s foot” is placed in a shaded place and is not watered for 2-3 days. If the purchased plant was flooded and the trunk began to rot, you will have to stop watering for 2 weeks. The supply of moisture inside the caudex will help Nolina survive this time safely.

Crown formation

The form nolina will take depends on the conditions under which it is kept. Unlike other indoor exotic trees, the question is not how to prune bokarnia to give it the desired shape, but how to water it and where to place it. If you place the pot further from the light source and create extreme watering conditions, it will grow a “leg”. Placing it in a bright place and moisturizing more frequently will stimulate hair growth. The trunk can be completely straight. This adjustment can give the specimen the desired shape.

Reproduction methods

Some enthusiasts decide to get new specimens of the bottle tree at home, especially since it is quite expensive in the store. Reproduction can occur using lateral shoots or seeds.

Over time, the shoots appear in the lower part of the trunk; they must be cut off with a sharp knife and placed in a glass with root solution for rooting. Periodically inspect each shoot to identify the roots. If the stem rots at the cut site, cut off the rotting part and return the shoot to the water. The water in the glass must be constantly renewed. If root buds appear, do not rush into planting. Let them grow to at least 0.5 cm. After this, the young plant can be planted in the ground.

Seeds for planting nolina can be purchased at the store. They are quite large.

Before planting, the seed material is soaked for 10-12 hours in a zircon solution.
Then the seeds are placed on the surface of a mixture of sand and cactus substrate.
The top of the container is covered with plastic film.
For faster germination, plantings are kept warm, at a temperature of 25 degrees.
Condensation is wiped off the film daily, and the crops are ventilated.
A month later, when the seedlings grow up, the film is replaced with plastic cups.
Young plants sprout at 2 months, and at six months they are planted in a permanent pot.

Where to buy bocarney

You can purchase an adult copy of the southern tree in nurseries or online stores. But its cost will be quite high. It depends on the age of the plant, its type, height and material of the pot. For example, a tree 100 cm high will cost approximately 5500-6000 rubles. It will be much cheaper to buy seeds - their price is 60 rubles, but growing an adult nolina will be quite difficult and long.

Growing problems

Due to the rough bark and hard leaves, nolina is practically not damaged by pests. Any problems with her condition can arise only as a result of improper care. The causes of ill health can be determined by the appearance of the plant:

If you observe a loss of elasticity in the leaves and their subsequent drying out, most likely the room is too hot and there is not enough moisture in the air. This happens more often in summer in hot weather. Try to choose a cooler place for nolina; the leaves can be sprayed with water.
When only the tips of the leaves dry, and the stem is somewhat wrinkled, the plant clearly lacks moisture. Watering was excessively poor. Water the bottle tree with a small amount of water more often, and everything will return to normal.
If the leaves become soft and brown and then disappear, the problem is due to excessive watering, the roots do not have enough oxygen. Do not water the plant for a while, and then water it less frequently.
The trunk is growing slowly. The problem lies in too poor soil or insufficient fertilizing. Fertilize your bocarna more often. You can replant it in fresh soil.
Rotting spots and soft areas appear on the trunk - the plant is clearly suffering from excess moisture. Simply reducing watering will not be enough. Be sure to cut off the damaged areas of the bark with a knife, sprinkle them with crushed coal and dry them. After this, it is necessary to transplant the nolina.
The caudex does not thicken, the trunk is almost even along its entire length - the plant simultaneously experiences a lack of light and excess moisture. Adjust the watering and increase the amount of light, then the lower part of the trunk will begin to thicken.

Root rot is a fairly common occurrence when keeping a bottle tree in an apartment. If nolina looks unhealthy, and its position in the pot is unstable, then root rot can be suspected. In this case, the tree needs to be dug up and the roots examined. If they completely disappear, don't be upset. Nolina can be re-rooted.

Disinfect the pot with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate and plant the plant in new soil for succulents. For the first 2 weeks, the tree is kept in a dry substrate, then it begins to be watered, only slightly moistening the soil. From now on, make the watering schedule more infrequent, and also reduce the amount of water.

Now you know everything about caring for a bottle tree at home. Perhaps you have been eyeing it for a long time, but did not dare to purchase it. We also talked about how to grow bokarnia yourself from seeds or a small shoot. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth adding such an unusual plant to your home flower collection. Try it - you won't regret it!

Growth rate

Expect very slow or no growth if light levels are low or you don't follow step-by-step care tips. Under favorable conditions, you will still experience slow growth!

The simple truth about these plants is that they are slow growers. This is good if you don't want it to outgrow the space, but not so good if you want it to quickly grow into a tall and stately plant.