The Efeutute proves that tropical plants do not always require extensive care and a perfect green thumb. The climbing plant forms up to 10 meters long tendrils and is not only relatively undemanding in its care, but also extremely robust against typical care mistakes. Representatives of the Epipremnum, which is also known colloquially as the gold tendril, are available in various colors and leaf patterns. With little skill, the plant from the Asian rainforest can be converted into a decorative green wall or used as a room divider.
Table of Contents
location
In the Asian rainforests, the herbaceous Epipremnum can be found crawling or climbing trees. Hardly any light penetrates through the dense foliage of the giants of the jungle, which is why the arum plants are used to living in diffuse penumbra. In our living rooms at home, the Efeutute thrives in bright places, direct and long-lasting sunlight should be avoided. Drafts are a factor that the plants cannot get at all and react to it with blotchy to withered leaves.
However, the fact that the efeutute can hardly tolerate direct sunlight does not mean that it can thrive in a location with little light. Too dark a place inhibits the growth of the plant, the leaves lose their pattern and turn dark green. Even if the golden tendril is moved back to a lighter place, the already discolored leaves remain in this state.
The marbling of the respective species of ivy also plays an important role in choosing the right location. Because the more noticeable the marbling of the leaves, the more light the plant needs.
Watering and fertilizing
Despite its tropical origin, the Efeutute is enormously adaptable. But even if it can withstand waterlogging for a short time, it still has to be watered regularly but carefully in spring and summer. Before the next water supply, the top layer of soil should be slightly dried out. In winter the plant needs less moisture. But you still have to dust them regularly with lukewarm water.
The arum plant is relatively unproblematic in terms of its supply of fresh nutrients. The plant is supplied with liquid fertilizer every 14 days. But also the use of fertilizer sticks has proven itself with Efeututen. In the winter months, when the plant also reduces its growth, fertilizers can be completely dispensed with.
Repot the females
When the root network of the plant completely fills the flower pot, or at the latest every two to three years, the efeutute must be transplanted. When moving the robust tropical inhabitant, there are relatively few important points to consider:
- new flower pot should be larger than the one previously used
- Efeututen like to climb or crawl, which is why they use a sturdy flower trough variant.
- Prepare humus-rich soil.
- Completely cover the roots of the plant with substrate, press it down lightly
- Water well for the first few days – this will make it easier to root
By the way, the best time for repotting is spring, even before the main growing season of the efeutute begins. Moving to a new flower pot is also unproblematic at other times and can, for example, be linked directly to the removal of cuttings.
If you would like to prevent waterlogging and also forget to give water, the following tips are recommended:
- The bottom of the flower pot is prepared with a drain. This is done in the form of pottery shards or coarse gravel. This ensures a better water flow and counteracts waterlogging and the associated root rot.
- Small styrofoam balls mixed with the earth store the water longer and provide the plant with moisture. This is particularly recommended for hot summer days.
Multiply
Efeututen are almost indestructible and very well suited to embellish room walls with tendrils or a slightly different way to provide a decorative change to the banister. The joy of growth of the tropical climbing plant also contributes to the fact that it can be easily propagated by cuttings.
- Cut off small plant shoots, about 10-12 centimeters in size, with a sharp knife
- There must be two to three leaf nodes on the shoot
- Put a knot without a leaf attachment into the plant substrate
- constant ambient temperature of around 20 ° C contributes to rapid root formation
- Keep the shoot well moist
- a bright location is required
If the effort is too great for you, you can also put the separated cuttings in a water glass for root formation. After about 3 weeks a visible root system has formed and the young efeutute can be placed in a container with a humus-rich plant substrate.
Overwinter
Like many tropical plants, the Efeutute is only suitable for outdoor cultivation to a limited extent. One reason is due to the warm, constant temperatures that the golden tendril needs. In addition, the plant forms meter-long tendrils that either climb up or creep in length. This fact can make moving the plant considerably more difficult.
It is often advised to keep the efeutute at a temperature of around 15 ° C in the cold winter months. This step is not absolutely necessary, but the tropical plant must also be regularly moistened with water atomizers if the heating air is dry.
To cut
As a houseplant, the Efeutute does not need a regular pruning. However, there are a few reasons that sharp scissors are used:
- Remove wilted and dead leaves without hesitation
- Cutting directly on the leaf axis stimulates the ivy to a bushy shoot
- If the tendrils of the plant become too long, they can easily be cut back to the desired length.
Care tips for the efeutute
The robustness of the plant makes the arum family very popular, especially for beginners. For example, the epipremnum can withstand waterlogging for a short period of time without reacting directly with root rot. Something that cannot be said of every plant. The Efeutute survives even a temporary dry period without having to land on the compost immediately. However, if you want to admire the tropical climbing plant in all its glory, you should consider a few tips:
- Efeututen love high humidity
- Spray the leaves of the plant with a water atomizer on hot summer days or in the dry, heated air in winter
- The golden tendril has no problem with diffuse lighting conditions
- The location can be in the shade or in places with little light
- Plant cannot branch by itself
- for densely overgrown flower pots, plant several cuttings in one pot
- Clean the leaves regularly with a damp cloth
Efeututen can only be kept as a houseplant or in the winter garden all year round in our native regions. If you still do not want to do without the delicate green of the arum plant on your balcony or terrace in the warm summer months, the following points are recommended:
- Put the climbing aid in a sufficiently large plant trough
- The flower pots must be protected from the wind
- at temperatures below 13 ° C, bring the efeutute to a warm place immediately
- Cut off excessively long tendrils as offshoots before moving into the house
Arum plants do not develop adherent roots, as is the case with ivy, for example. To give the shoots a hold on walls, nails are recommended, on which the tendrils are carefully draped. Espaliers and moss sticks have also proven their worth. The latter can easily be made yourself without any effort and, in addition to the efeutute, is an eye-catcher in your home flower pot:
- Form a roll from a close-meshed grid and fix it in place
- Fill the roll tightly with moss and dig in the center of the flower pot
Care errors
Even the most robust plant is not indestructible and the efeutute also reacts at some point with discoloration of the leaves and, in the worst case, with the death of parts of the plant.
- If the leaves of the plant show a brown-yellow color before they fall off, the ivy suffers from drought . As a first aid measure, the root ball is placed in a bowl of water for a few minutes so that it can soak up well with water.
- If there is a lack of nutrients , the leaves of the golden tendril show a uniform yellow color. The plant must immediately be supplied with liquid fertilizer or repotted in humus-rich soil.
- An oversupply of nutrients is noticeable through yellow leaf margins . Fertilization will be discontinued for the foreseeable future; if the leaves are heavily infested, the fertilizers must be converted into a new plant substrate.
- If particularly marbled varieties of the golden tendril lose their leaf pattern, the plant lacks light . This condition is permanent, only new shoots will show the variety-dependent grain again in a lighter location.
Diseases and pests
Parasites on ivy are relatively rare, but even the robust golden tendril is not immune to some diseases. However, brown or blotchy leaves are often the result of improper care.
- A gray, velvety coating on the plant indicates an infestation with gray mold . This disease is caused by the fungus “botrytis” and occurs due to excessive humidity and an overdose of nitrogen fertilizers. The parts infected with gray mold must be removed and disposed of immediately. In the advanced status you have to dispose of the whole plant.
- Black, rotting shoots are an indication of black stem rot , which is also known as cutting rot . This fungal disease is caused by too firm soil and too much moisture. The infected areas have to be removed as they no longer regenerate.
- Spider mites and mealybugs are rare guests on house plants. An infestation of the same can either be combated with a nettle brew or with the use of chemical pesticides.
Conclusion
The robust Efeutute forgives many care mistakes and is the ideal plant for “beginners” or those who do not have a green thumb. The meter-long tendrils of the tropical Epipremnum can be used to green trellises, room walls and banisters. The arum plant with its up to 10 meter long tendrils is also well suited as a hanging plant.