Tetrastigma (Tetrastigma) is a plant of the Grape family. Homeland – East Asia and Northern Australia. Grows in the tropical rainforests of Vietnam and Laos.
In indoor floriculture, one type of tetrastigma is most often cultivated – voignier (T. voinierianum), a description of which is given below.
Much less common Tetrastigma lanceolarium, differing from voignier in more elongated leaf plates, having the shape of an irregular oval, the center of which is shifted to the top of the sheet.
Reduces the number of Staphylococcus aureus by 20-30%, saprophytic staphylococcus by 10% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by 25%.
Look at the photo below,how tetrastigma decorates the wall of the room. By the way, when decorating the interior, it is worth considering that this culture serves as an excellent backdrop for bright colors.
This page provides a description of the plant and gives tips on growing it.
Description of tetrastigma species of voignier (with photo)
As seen in the photo, tetrastigma voignier – This is a fast-growing climbing ornamental evergreen plant. Petioles, young stems and leaves are pubescent with brownish hairs – the main decoration of this plant.
The leaves are very large, up to 25 cm long, on long thick petioles, trifoliate or palmately complex, of 3–5 leathery or fleshy leaflets.
Leaflets with large teeth along the edge, glossy bare above (except for the youngest ones). The lower surface of the leaves is often dotted with dotted grains, initially light, darkening on older leaves, this is cell sap crystallizing in air.
On the nodes of young shoots, opposite the leaves, there are spirally curved tendrils with which the plant clings to the support.
The flowers are small, greenish, collected in axillary many-flowered scutes-inflorescences. The fruit is berry-shaped, rounded. Indoors usually does not bloom.
The people call voignier tetrastigma “indoor grapes”, which is explained by the external resemblance to this plant, as well as its ability to cling to a support.
Growing tetrastigma (indoor grapes)
Despite the fact that home care for tetrastigma is not difficult, it can be recommended rather as a plant for a greenhouse or winter garden. It grows wildly and is very good for ennobling a solid wall. But it must be tied to thick, better metal supports.
The peculiarity of this flower is that one of its shoots, when fed and watered, can form a green tent several meters wide and high. The tetrastigma plant requires a lot of light, air and a large tub with a nutrient substrate for the root system. It may not grow and not give growth for several months, and in the spring, in a few days, throw out long shoots, which literally before our eyes are abundantly covered with leaves and mustaches.
Location. This individual needs a bright room, protected from direct sunlight. With a lack of light, the shoots are strongly drawn out, the leaves are formed small and in insufficient quantities. Suitable for growing in rooms near the western, eastern and southern windows. It can grow near the north window, but in this case, additional lighting with phytolamps will be required. It is worth considering that on the southern windows the tetrastigma flower can get burned from exposure to direct sunlight, so that this does not happen, you will have to do shading.
Temperature. In the period from spring to summer, tetrastigma is recommended to be kept at a temperature of + 20-24 ° C, in autumn it is better to lower the temperature, in winter it should be kept at 12-18 ° C. With changes in air temperature, brown spots appear on the leaves, the leaves fall off. Doesn’t like drafts.
substrate. Tetrastigma voignier is planted in a large bowl with a prepared soil mixture, consisting of two parts of soddy land and one part of hardwood. Some experts recommend adding some bone meal and rotted manure. Such a substrate is also suitable – soddy land, humus, sand, peat, taken in equal parts. You can use purchased soil for indoor decorative leafy plants.
Watering. Watered during the growth period, from spring to autumn, plentifully, as the top layer of the substrate dries. The soil ball should not dry out. From autumn, watering is reduced, with a cool content in winter, it is watered carefully to avoid acidification of the soil.
When watering a tetrastigma houseplant, make sure that water does not fall on the flower stem, trying to moisten the soil near the walls of the pot. In this case, bottom watering is useful, that is, water is poured into a container under the pot. Filtered, melted or boiled water without harmful salts is suitable for irrigation.
Air humidity. The plant tolerates dry air easily, but it is preferable for it to have high humidity in the room where it will be kept. For a comfortable stay of this culture, daily spraying with soft settled water at room temperature will be required. To wash off the dust from the leaves, it is recommended to put the flower under a warm shower once a week, wipe its leaves with a damp cloth.
During the heating season, you can keep a humidifier next to the tetrastigma. There is also such a way to save it from dryness: put the pot in a deep pan with water and expanded clay. During this period, it is recommended to remove the flower away from the battery to avoid drying of the leaves.
Topdressing. Plants are fertilized from spring to autumn. During this period, regular top dressing is recommended once every 2 weeks, alternately with complex mineral and organic fertilizers. With a lack of nutrition, the leaves become smaller, the number of leaf lobes decreases, the edges of the leaves turn black.
Transfer. Young specimens are recommended to be replanted annually, old ones as needed, but every year it is necessary to change the topsoil.
Pruning. Pruning is also included in the care of tetrastigma, it is especially relevant when the flower is grown in a room.
To limit growth, you need to use anti-aging pruning, removing part of the roots during transplantation, keeping in a tight container. In the case of growing in an apartment, it is important from the very beginning, as the shoots grow, to tie them to a support, twist them around sticks stuck in a pot, or guide them along a twine stretched under the ceiling.
To enhance branching, pinch the ends of the stems.
Pests and diseases. It is rarely affected by pests and diseases indoors, but a spider mite may appear, after which the leaves begin to rapidly turn yellow, and a small cobweb can be found on the reverse side of the leaf plate.
If white dots appear on the lower part of the leaves, and they become sticky on top, then the whitefly attacked the plant.
When pests appear, the flower must be treated with soapy water, and then washed with a shower.
Effective in the fight against harmful insects spraying with insecticides.
Tetrastigma reproduction
Tetrastigma is propagated by cuttings of slightly lignified parts of shoots – a leaf with an eye and a piece of shoot. This work is carried out in the spring during the period of active growth of the plant.
The cuttings are planted in a soil mixture with a high content of sand so that the eye and part of the leaf petiole are on top, then they are covered with glass and kept at a temperature of 20–22 ° C. After three to five weeks, they take root. As soon as the roots reach about 1 cm in length, you can plant the plant in a separate pot with a diameter of 8 – 9 cm. Moisten the soil, remove the seedling to a permanent place. As they grow, young individuals need to be transplanted into containers larger than the previous ones by 1 – 2 cm in diameter.