On the thin shoots of the candlestick flower are fleshy leaves and, for a long period of the year, the typical flowers for this plant genus, which are responsible for the name of the plant. From a botanical point of view, the candlestick flower belongs to the dog poison family and the silk plant family. Due to the long shoots and their flexibility, the candlestick flower is ideal as a decorative plant in living rooms. Depending on the variety, the shoots climb, crawl or loop. This makes it possible to use the plant as a creative design element by draping it on potted trellises in a wide variety of shapes.
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The descent and different types
About 160 species are known of the plant, which is known under the botanical name Ceropegia. Their place of origin is in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and Africa. Although several species are cultivated as houseplant, the most common plants of Ceropegia are two subspecies called Ceropegia Woodii and Ceropegia Debilis. The name candlestick is used exclusively for these two species. While the Ssp. Woodii has marbled kidney-shaped leaves, the Ssp. Debilis with narrow leaves with greenish-purple markings.
The flowers of the candlestick flower
According to their shape and function, the flowers of the candlestick flower are among the most complex flowers that developed in the course of evolution. It consists of five petals that are fused at the tips, with fine crevices on the flanks. The inner crown is located in the bulbous flower part of the corolla tube. The five stamens of the flower have also grown together to form a tube. The entire flower has an approximate length of three centimeters.
The main blooming time of the candlestick is from late summer to autumn.
location
Basically, the candlestick flower is undemanding in terms of location and thrives even with less incidence of light and in partial shade. However, the plant only offers regular flowering, rich leaf color and denser foliage if the location fully meets its needs.
- For healthy growth, the chandelier flower needs a bright location with light exposure to sunlight.
- Despite a bright location, the plant does not love midday sun.
- The demands on the indoor climate are very low. A location in dry air is just as acceptable as a rather humid room climate.
- The plant is very sensitive to frost.
- The chandelier flower can spend the summer on the terrace or balcony.
- It is ideal if the plant is cooler from October to February. In this case, the temperature should not drop below 10 degrees.
- If the plant is in the same room all year round, it can easily withstand room temperatures between 18 to 24 degrees.
Water and fertilize properly
For the optimal supply of moisture, several points must be observed when pouring. The watering plan is adapted to the different growth phases.
- The growing season is from April to September. During these months, the plant is supplied with water at regular intervals. It is advisable to let the soil dry out slightly in between. Watering twice a week is usually sufficient.
- The resting phase is in the months of October to March. At this point, only enough water is poured to ensure that the pad contains minimal moisture. The cooler the winter quarters, the less water the candlestick needs.
- In the best case, the irrigation water is at room temperature.
- Waterlogging must be avoided at all costs in order to prevent the tuber from rot.
The potted plant is only fertilized in the growth phase. During this time, from April to September, it is supplied with liquid fertilizer for foliage plants at intervals of two to four weeks in strong dilution. During the rest period from October to March, nutrients are not supplied through fertilizers.
Only plants with healthy growth in adulthood are fertilized.
Repot – but at the right time
The candlestick flower is only repotted every few years. The time to repot the plant is always towards the end of the resting period, just before the start of the growth phase. At this time, a corrective incision can also be made to bring them back into shape.
- Shallower pots are better than too deep flower pots.
- The bottom layer is a thick layer of gravel to provide drainage for excess irrigation water.
- Either potting soil mixed with sand or cactus soil is used as a substrate. This achieves good permeability for water and avoids the risk of waterlogging.
- Expanded clay pellets can be mixed in to improve the structure of the substrate.
- When repotting, the tuber is placed in the substrate so that it is about 1 centimeter covered with soil.
The increase
In principle, the propagation of the candlestick flower is very simple and takes place in two different ways.
- Via shoot cuttings that are seven to ten centimeters long cut from an adult plant.
- If the plant has already formed tubers, so-called rhizomes, on the shoots, these can be used as brood tubers for propagation.
The substrate for propagation consists of a loose mixture of earth and sand, with the proportion of sand being higher than the proportion of earth.
Propagation with shoot cuttings
- For propagation, shoots seven to ten centimeters in length are cut from an adult plant.
- The interfaces of the cuttings have to dry out for several days.
- As soon as the interfaces have dried, the fresh cuttings are inserted into the mixture of soil and sand.
- The planter is placed in a bright place without direct sunlight
- Water very moderately at the beginning and let the soil dry off in between.
- A period of seven to eight weeks must be expected for the formation of fresh roots. From this point on, the cutting starts to form the first fresh shoots.
- As soon as the young plant is growing well, the location is changed and a place with direct sunlight is selected.
- From this point on, the young plant receives the same care as the old plant.
Propagation via brood
tubers The tubers that form on the shoots can also be used for propagation during the main growth. The same mixture of sand and soil is used for propagation with brood tubers as for propagation with cuttings. To protect the tuber from rot, this mixture is additionally covered with a layer of sand about 1.5 centimeters high, on which the tuber is placed. When propagating with brood tubers, it takes about seven to eight weeks for fresh roots to develop.
With this approach, care is carried out in the same way as with shoot cuttings. The cultivation remains in a bright place without solar radiation until the first shoot. The optimal temperature for root formation and the subsequent budding of the young plant is between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius.
Pests and diseases and their treatment
The candlestick plant is in principle a very robust plant that can also cope with dry air very well. Nevertheless, under very unfavorable conditions, infestation by pests can occur. One pest that nestles on the plant is the red spider. An infestation with the red spider can be recognized by a fine web with which the infested leaves are covered. On closer inspection, you can see small, bright spots that are also yellowish-white in color. If there is a strong infestation with the pest, the leaves change color. The color changes to yellow, gray-green or copper-brown. There are different methods available to combat this pest.
In the case of severe infestation, the plant and the undersides of the leaves are showered lukewarm in the first step. Thorough washing reduces the pest infestation and facilitates subsequent treatment with suitable agents.
In the next step, special and commercially available crop protection sprays are used or systemic agents that have a better effect.
Systemic agents are added to the irrigation water. As a result, the plant absorbs the systemically acting poison via the roots and distributes it evenly throughout the plant. In this way, all pests are better reached than by spraying. Neem products and acaricides are some of the most effective systemic agents for red spider infestations.
Since the red spider develops resistance to the various poisons within a very short time, the treatment must be repeated several times. It is recommended to change the treatment agent every 14 days. Switching between spray poisons and systemic poisons is a very good solution that reduces the build-up of resistance and ensures systematic pest liberation.
An alternative to poisons is biological control of the pest. Special predatory mites are used for this purpose. This procedure is normally recommended for large-area applications. But it can also be used for the treatment of a large number of plants in private areas.
Other pests are aphids and, rarely, mealybugs. In the event of an infestation with these pests, the same procedure is used for combating the red spider.
If the drainage layer below the substrate is missing and if too much water is poured, root rot can occur. The normally plump leaves of the candlestick flower appear limp and begin to lose their color. In this case, it is important to immediately pot the plant in fresh soil, which has a thick drainage layer of gravel at the bottom. Pouring is only very moderate.
Conclusion
The candlestick flower is just as suitable for indoor spaces as it is for sunny locations outdoors without direct midday sun. It makes little demands on maintenance and also thrives in less bright locations. During the main growth phase, the candlestick is watered twice a week and fertilized every two to four weeks. Propagation takes place via shoot cuttings or brood tubers. Except for being sensitive to waterlogging, the candlestick flower is a robust plant.
