Myrtle to your home!

Remember the famous myrtle tree from the movie "The Straw Hat", which the bride's father took with him throughout the film to give to the newlyweds? Myrtle has always been considered a symbol of family happiness and well-being. But did you know that the Myrtle family is very extensive and popular among flower growers, not so much because of the symbolism of the myrtle tree, but because of the distinctive feature of these plants - the high content of phytoncides. Phytoncides are volatile bioactive substances that form plants and which inhibit the growth of bacteria or even kill them. The most famous plants of this family are just myrtle itself, tea tree, guava, eucalyptus, feijoa, clove tree, callistemon.

Myrtle

The most popular among flower growers is the myrtle tree. In flower shops, you can buy an already adult plant with a beautifully formed crown, or start from scratch - grow myrtle from seeds or cuttings. Myrtle seeds usually germinate in 10-14 days, after the appearance of two full-fledged leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots. Such a plant blooms in the fifth year. When propagating by cuttings, it is better to carry out the procedure in winter and take cuttings from the lower or middle part of the tree. The rooted stalk blooms in the third or fourth year. And I will also share a culinary secret - If you throw a branch of myrtle on the coals while cooking a barbecue, then the aroma will surpass all your expectations!

Fruit trees

An exotic guava for us can be grown from seeds, in a year you will get an almost adult tree, but the cuttings do not root very well. The tree will bloom and bear fruit at home, perhaps there will be few fruits, but they contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits. Feijoa is also grown at home. The seeds of fruits bought in the store germinate for two to three weeks, but it takes more time for the cuttings to take root, one and a half to two months. A plant grown from seed begins to bear fruit around its fifth year! Both guava and feijoa are cross-pollinated plants, so if several varieties do not grow at your home, then pollinate by hand, very gently transferring pollen with a soft brush - in this case, you will be rewarded with delicious fruits!

Clove and tea trees. Callistemon

If you managed to get the seeds of a clove tree, collected recently, then it is quite likely that you will be able to grow this representative of the Myrtle family at home. Under favorable conditions, after about 6 years, the tree should bloom. You can also grow a tea tree at home (propagated by seeds and cuttings), creating a bonsai of stunning beauty from it.

Callistemon is a bush, or rather even a small tree (50 to 100 cm high) with straight stems, small leaves and very beautiful flowers, collected in fluffy inflorescences. Originally from Australia, callistemon can grow up to eight meters in their natural environment. This plant thrives on eastern or western windowsills, where there is enough light, but there are no scorching rays of the sun. In the summer we water, spray and even bathe under a warm shower. But in winter we water less and monitor the temperature (if possible, move the plant to a cooler room. With the onset of spring, we form a plant: we cut off the overgrown shoots, thereby stimulating growth and lush abundant flowering. the tree will bloom for the first time in 6 years.Callistemon is an ideal plant for a big city - it is resistant to smog and exhaust fumes, heals the air in your home, and bioenergetics claim that Callistemon strengthens the spirit and gives determination to insecure people.

Myrtle Eucalyptus

And of course eucalyptus deserves special attention. In nature, these evergreen giants can reach 100 meters in height, but we are interested in indoor eucalyptus. It grows slowly, the foliage of an unusual blue-green color. Young foliage is soft and has a specific aroma, gradually the leaves become harder, and the smell is less pronounced. Two varieties are suitable for growing at home: lemon eucalyptus and gunny eucalyptus. You can buy mature plants from flower shops or grow them yourself from seeds. The plant loves light, the direct rays of the sun do not scare it, so a south or southeast window is ideal. The humidity of the room is very important, you can put a container with eucalyptus in a tray with wet expanded clay, or install a humidifier in the room. Eucalyptus not only cleans the air in the house (the proud owners of this plant claim that it makes breathing easier), but also helps in the treatment of respiratory and throat diseases, and flies and mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of eucalyptus leaves!

Any plant of the Myrtle family from the above can be grown at home without making incredible efforts (unless, of course, you have conceived to form a bonsai, but this is a completely different story). It's simple - you take care of the plant, and it takes care of you!