Climbing indoor vines are very popular among gardeners. Wax ivy is one of these plants, but the bad omens associated with it force many to give up growing the flower at home. Some people think that Hoya brings only bad luck, although there are many good things about it. Before making hasty conclusions about a luxurious liana, you need to learn more about its influence on different areas of the life of its owners.
What does the flower symbolize?
Hoya is an evergreen liana-like shrub from the Kutrovaceae family. Its natural habitat is the tropical forests of East Asia. To those who look at hoya, it seems that it is artificial. The dark green leaves have a rough texture and the flowers appear to be cast from wax. Thin shoots of vines at home grow up to 5 meters in length. A beautiful plant attracts the eye and delights people.
Do not confuse hoya fleshy, which is often called wax ivy, with common ivy (hedera). These are completely different plants belonging to different families, although they have some similarities.
Hoya is an evergreen plant, so it symbolizes youth and immortality. She is associated with such qualities as coquetry and curiosity. She is often compared to a young girl who, due to her young age, continues to behave childishly. According to signs and superstitions, growing indoor ivy at home can bring invaluable benefits to its owners, but some believe that it can harm household members.
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Growing and caring for ivy at home
Caring for indoor ivy is not difficult.
Even an inexperienced gardener can grow an indoor ivy flower if he follows simple care rules that do not take much time.
Requirements for soil and pot
For an exotic flower, select a small pot with large drainage holes. The plant prefers loose and fertile soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. The optimal composition of the substrate includes leaf, turf, humus soil, peat and sand in equal parts.
Microclimate, proper lighting
A climbing plant from a subtropical climate loves moderate heat and moisture.
- During the active growing season, a comfortable temperature range is considered to be 22 – 24°C. In winter, temperatures may drop, but not below the maximum permissible value of 13°C.
- To create conditions close to natural, the flower should be sprayed with settled water throughout the year and bathed in a warm shower.
- Ivy, or hedera, is a shade-tolerant plant and can grow even in the back of a room. However, the more diffused light the plant receives, the more spectacular it will look. Therefore, when choosing a place that should be decided upon even before purchasing a flower that does not like to move, preference should be given to well-lit areas.
How to properly water indoor ivy
A climbing flower with decorative foliage is an ideal plant for people who are often away from home. Ivy can withstand soil drought, but you should not use this quality of the plant too often. The optimal irrigation regime involves maintaining constantly moist soil in the summer without stagnating moisture in the root system. In winter, watering is reduced: before the next portion of water, the earthen lump should dry out slightly.
Feeding and fertilizers
In the spring-summer period, which is when the potted crop grows intensively, ivy is fed every two weeks. For fertilizing, special liquid fertilizers for decorative foliage plants are used.
Replanting ivy
You can replant the plant according to the same rule as other indoor flowers: young specimens - every spring, adults - with an interval of 2 years. But you should know that an indicator of the need for the procedure is the appearance of ivy roots in the drainage holes.
The transplant is carried out as follows:
- A new pot is selected that is 2 cm wider than the old one.
- Expanded clay or gravel is placed at the bottom of the container to create a drainage layer.
- A flower with an earthen lump is transferred to the drainage.
- A new substrate is poured into the pot so that there is a small gap between the wall and the earthen lump for irrigation water.
- The flower is watered, sprayed and returned to its permanent place.
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Magical properties of vines
According to folk superstitions, the ivy flower has very powerful energy. Here are the magical properties attributed to this plant:
- According to legend, ivy is fueled by the energy of the residents of the house. However, there is nothing wrong with this - the flower does not destroy people’s biofield and does not take away their vitality. It absorbs only bad energy, thereby purifying the space.
- It's a good sign when ivy grows in the yard. In this case, household members do not need to be afraid that a sorcerer or witch will enter the house. According to legend, the flower will protect the family from the evil eye and damage.
- It is useful for young unmarried girls to carry a leaf of wax ivy in their pocket. According to the sign, he will help you meet a worthy guy who may well become a husband.
- Those who are in a difficult life situation and cannot decide what to do best should weave an ivy wreath and put it on their head for a while. The symbolic crown will help you think clearly and rationally.
- According to legend, you can entwine a house with ivy so that it protects the family from magical influences from the outside and misfortunes.
Rejuvenation and propagation of indoor vines
Many indoor vines shed their lower leaves as they mature, leaving behind a bare vine with a dozen leaves at the end.
This happens especially often in herbaceous vines after winter. In this case, the plant needs rejuvenation: the apical cutting with leaves is cut off and rooted. The old plant is cut to almost half: this way it will branch more strongly. The sections must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The apical cutting, cut from an old plant, can be placed in water so that it takes root. But many indoor vines (like Ivy) have aerial roots, and therefore the cuttings can be immediately dug into the ground.
For quick rooting, a cutting cut is treated with “Kornevin”, or folk remedies - aloe juice or Kalanchoe juice.
In addition to the vegetative method, vines are propagated by seeds. For example, I sowed Passionflower and got very good results in the form of strong shoots. But I do not recommend propagating other types of vines in this way.
In addition to seed propagation and rooting of apical cuttings, some vines can be planted using a propagation method such as dividing a bush.
How people treated ivy in the old days
Our ancestors were kind to wax ivy. He was credited with the ability to heal people. According to legend, a person who fell ill with whooping cough needed to drink a tincture of fleshy hoya in order to recover faster. They just took the medicine from a wooden spoon.
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In ancient times, ivy was also used to treat various eye diseases. Those who believed in omens about this flower placed its leaf in a bowl of water for a day. The next day, the eyelids were washed with healing liquid. Previously, it was believed that even blindness could be cured in this way.
Ivy was also used in fortune telling. On the first Sunday after the celebration of the Trinity, the young men plucked 10 leaves from the plant, then put 9 under their pillow before going to bed, and threw away the last one. According to legend, the young man was supposed to dream about his future wife. If the guy already had a fiancée at that time, then with the help of this fortune-telling it was determined whether she would be the only woman, or whether another would appear in the young man’s life.
Reproduction
Indoor ivy can be propagated by several methods. Any of them gives a good result, since this vine is quite tenacious and takes root at any opportunity.
- Cuttings. The most effective and simplest way. When pruning, a lot of planting material is formed; any branch more than 10 cm long will do. For planned planting, it is better to take shoots 10-20 cm long. They need to be placed in water at room temperature (+20…+22 ⁰С) and wait until they take root. To speed things up, you can add a growth stimulator to the water. When the first roots appear on the branches, they can be moved to a pot.
- By layering. A good method for all creeping plants. It is necessary to select a long shoot, slightly cut it in the middle, and cover the cut site with earth. It is advisable to secure the shoot itself with a staple at the incision site, otherwise it will constantly shift. After the branch takes root, it can be separated from the mother plant.
- Indoor ivy is also propagated by dripping. To do this, you need to select a long and young shoot with at least 7-8 leaves, and press it down so that it goes deeper into the substrate. The leaves should remain outside. After 2-3 weeks, roots will appear at the junction of each leaf with the vine. The shoot can be divided into parts and each specimen transplanted into a separate container.
- Propagation by seeds. The method is practically not used for two reasons: firstly, ivy is easy to propagate by other methods, and secondly, it blooms extremely rarely, so the seeds need to be specially purchased. But if you want to gain experience in germinating hedera from seeds, then this is easy to do: you need to wrap the seeds in a damp cloth for two days, and then bury them in the ground. To be on the safe side, you can add a couple of drops of growth stimulator.
Bad Omens
Although hoya is a fairly popular houseplant, some are wary of it. The reason lies in superstitions that attribute negative properties to the flower. Wax ivy is called an energy vampire. If you believe the signs, his stay in the apartment can have a bad effect on the household. Vyun is often accused of causing quarrels and scandals at home. However, those who love this plant and have been growing it for many years do not notice anything like this.
According to superstition, ivy should not be used for landscaping walls in the bedroom of a baby or an elderly person. Such people have weak energy, and a vampire flower can undermine their health.
The ivy plant is associated with a sign concerning women. According to legend, married people should not bring an overgrown vine into the house, as it will destroy family ties. As a result, the husband will begin to cheat on his wife or go to live with another.
Indoor ivy - negative signs
Ivy (chedera)
It would seem that the plant fills the room with positive energy, attracts all the good things, and it is a must to have one at home. However, many believe that ivy has a scary feature.
It consists of energy vampirism. It is worth making a clarification - initially the plant absorbs negative energy, and if it does not get enough, it is mistaken for positive energy. Therefore, it is best to keep ivy on the balcony, in the home front garden. As soon as you feel that the atmosphere is heating up, a scandal begins, bring it into the room. Let the plant absorb all the bad things, then take it back.
If all the walls in the house are covered with climbing ivy, a single girl will not marry, since the plant will repel the opposite sex from her.
It was said above that for a married woman, blooming ivy is a good omen, but according to another superstition, it will, on the contrary, drive her husband out of the house.
A vine that has fallen off a large and strong plant foreshadows collapse and large financial losses. Melancholy people who grow such a flower will become even more vulnerable.
Does the flower bring misfortune?
Some beliefs about this plant are so scary that many people give up the idea of growing it at home. For example, one of the signs says that hoya can kill a person with its aroma. However, this information has not been scientifically confirmed. The stems, leaves and petals of the vine do not contain toxic substances.
Only those people who have been diagnosed with asthma need to be careful. If allergens enter the respiratory tract, they can cause swelling of the mucous membranes and an attack of suffocation.
Care
At first glance, caring for hedera is not difficult, but failure to comply with the maintenance conditions leads to the death of the plant, especially for novice gardeners.
Watering
The liana loves moisture, since the usual growing conditions for hedera are tropics and subtropics. The soil in the pot should always be moist, but the soil should not become acidic due to stagnant water.
When it gets colder, watering is reduced, and in winter it is reduced to a minimum. The soil should also not be allowed to dry out.
If the hedera overwinters at normal room temperature, water it as before.
Ivy loves moisture; when it gets cold, watering is reduced, and in winter it is reduced to a minimum.
Lighting and temperature
Ivy plants are considered shade-tolerant plants, but they feel more comfortable in good light. Pinnately-leaved varieties especially need it.
Direct sunlight should be avoided as it causes burns on the leaves.
Lianas are more comfortable in cool rooms: in the summer at +18°C, in the winter months - +12°C. In the summer season, vines are taken out onto loggias, balconies and terraces.
They are not afraid of sudden temperature changes and drafts. Dry air and high temperatures lead to scale insects.
Ivy loves good lighting, direct sunlight should be avoided
Humidity level
Liana is demanding on the level of air humidity. In hot weather, it must be regularly sprayed or the foliage wiped with a damp cloth.
It is not recommended to use special products to make leaves glossy.
Transfer
When the pot becomes too small, the plant is replanted. Signs that it’s time to replant ivy:
- no growth;
- wilting of leaves;
- roots peeking out of the pot's drainage hole.
Young plants are replanted annually, adult ivy - once every 2 or 3 years. It is preferable to replant in March-April.
The new container is taken 3 cm larger than the previous one. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot.
Ivy transplantation:
Soil and fertilizing
The composition of the soil for ivy is not particularly important. A soil mixture for decorative deciduous indoor plants or one made independently from turf, humus, leaf soil, peat and sand is suitable.
The plant is responsive to root and foliar feeding. You can use fertilizers for decorative foliage plants.
In the warm season, fertilize every two weeks, in winter - no more than once a month. Excess fertilizer leads to yellowing of leaves.
The benefits and harms of hoya for humans
Wax ivy, or hoya, to which signs and superstitions attribute magical properties, has many beneficial properties. The leaves of the plant purify the air well and release a lot of oxygen. Thanks to this, brain activity improves and performance increases. Hoya reduces the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation emanating from household appliances. In addition, ivy secretes phytoncides that prevent the development of pathogenic microflora.
This flower is recommended to be kept at home for those who suffer from furunculosis or carbunculosis. Ivy contains substances that inhibit staphylococcus bacteria. Chiryak will ripen and open faster if you apply plant leaves to it at night.
In some cases, ivy can cause harm to humans. People with allergies should not grow it at home. During flowering, pollen enters the air, which can trigger the development of an allergic reaction. The juice from the leaves causes skin irritation in some people, so it is better to care for the flower with gloves.
Read also: What are the signs associated with willow?
Possible problems and their solutions
When growing crops, many gardeners face various problems. In such a situation, you should take action immediately.
Leaves fall
Moisture deficiency and increased dryness of indoor air lead to dryness and falling leaves. Also, the cause of problems is the active reproduction of spider mites.
Leaves turn yellow
Yellowing of foliage is caused by excess moisture. Excessive amounts of fertilizer also cause problems.
Few leaves
The cause of this problem is lack of lighting. Also, a decrease in the number and size of leaves is considered a consequence of increased air temperature.
Pale foliage
Changes in leaf color are due to lack of light. In this case, it is enough to move the culture to another place.
The tips of the leaves dry out
Dry leaves are caused by violation of the rules of care and incorrect temperature conditions. To do this, the culture is moved to a cool place.
Is it possible or not to keep ivy at home?
According to florists, wax ivy can be kept at home, and the signs associated with it, in most cases, have a positive interpretation. It is believed that this flower protects the home from evil. It’s not for nothing that our ancestors planted loaches near the house. They believed that in this way they could protect the family from uninvited guests, from people associated with black magic.
There are different opinions about this flower. Some are afraid to keep a loach at home because it supposedly feeds on human energy and destroys family ties. Other people are happy to grow overseas liana, considering it not only a wonderful decoration for their apartment, but also a protector from evil. Before you get a hoya, you need to find out what is really hidden under its external beauty.
Positive signs
Having studied the signs about wax ivy, it becomes obvious that it can become a real amulet for a family and bring invaluable benefits to its owners. According to popular belief, the liana helps to find harmony in relationships between spouses, prolong youth and achieve success in professional activities.
Common interpretations of good signs about hoya:
- a plant that is well cared for at home promotes peace in the family;
- According to legend, this flower calms easily excitable people, for example, rude, aggressive men, irritable women, rebellious teenagers;
- a married couple who grows a long vine from a tender shoot will live a long and happy life;
- Caring for a young plant will help single girls find love;
- For those who carry a hoya leaf in their breast pocket, the sign prophesies eternal youth and good health.
If you trust signs, the ivy flower gives confidence to pessimists. This plant is also useful for melancholy people. It will help you discover your good qualities and increase your self-esteem.
Negative signs
Those who want to grow this perennial at home need to learn more about it. Some ancient beliefs associated with loaches have a negative interpretation:
- Bringing an adult plant into the house is a bad omen. In this case, the Hoya will turn into an energy vampire. It will gradually take away the vitality of the household. However, if you grow a flower from a small sprout yourself, the bad omen will not come true.
- An unmarried girl will remain lonely if old ivy grows in her house. He will repel suitors on an energetic level. To prevent this from happening, you need to regularly renew the plant, leaving behind young shoots.
- According to legend, a flower can take revenge on its owner for poor care. Those who decide to grow a beautiful tropical liana at home will have to pay a lot of attention to it - water it on time, replant it, pinch it and feed it.
Good omens for ivy at home and in the office
According to one popular belief, the ivy flower helps to cleanse an apartment on an energetic level if strange things happen in it. For example, when there are constantly scandals in the house or husband and wife fight. If there is a person in the family with a difficult character, the plant will help tame his violent temper, taking away some of the energy.
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Keeping Hoya in an office or study at home is useful. According to popular belief, loach improves concentration, memory, and helps to think clearly. Those who have set a goal to move up the career ladder need to plant a vine shoot in a pot and place the flower on their desktop. According to legend, fleshy hoya prevents the development of conflict situations in the work team.
Indoor ivy - good omens
Ivy
It is believed that if ivy grows in a room, goodness will reign in it. Psychics and bioenergetics experts claim that this plant helps resolve family conflicts and calms partners. It is recommended to buy it for easily excitable people or for hyperactive children.
There is a widespread superstition that if you keep ivy at work or in the office at home, then things will improve. This is due to the fact that the plant personifies vitality and fortitude. Therefore, timid and insecure people are advised to keep ivy at home.
It’s a good sign if a plant blooms in a married woman’s house. This suggests that her husband is faithful to her and the relationship is harmonious.
Ivy is a reliable remedy against damage, the evil eye, and envy. It absorbs the negativity of your guests. If a person comes to your house with the intention of harming you, the flower will prevent this.
Where is the best place to put the plant?
Ivy is an unpretentious flower; it can grow both in a well-lit room and in partial shade. It is important to immediately choose a permanent place, because he loves permutations. If you place a pot in the marital bedroom, old feelings will flare up between husband and wife.
You can decorate the room of a schoolchild or student with creeper. According to legend, ivy growing in an apartment promotes the desire for new knowledge and helps to reveal a person’s talents. In addition, the plant awakens the desire to become independent and helps to learn to make the right decisions. However, it is better not to place the flower near the bed, but to place it on the windowsill or on the wall near the doorway.
If ivy is placed in the center of the living room, then the residents of the house will quickly recover their strength after a hard day upon returning from work or study. Even after a short stay in the room, there will be no trace of irritation and fatigue - all the negativity will be absorbed by the vine.
Other signs about the plant
There are several other signs that indicate the danger of keeping ivy in an apartment. For example, it is highly undesirable for single women to have ivy at home.
, as he easily repels and scares away men. Energy has nothing to do with it. Most likely, this is just fiction, but all signs have a basis.
Very often, single women remained single and did not find a partner, and the fact that each of them had ivy growing on their windowsill could just be a coincidence.
If it is not recommended to keep ivy in rooms, then in the open air it can become a barrier to other people's energy. In areas with a warm climate, it is customary to plant this plant so that it wraps around the entrance to the house and the windows from the outside. This is a kind of living energy filter through which no negative energy can penetrate into the house.
The interpretation will be based on the state of the flower
The flower is able to warn its owners about impending danger or trouble. It is important to carefully monitor the condition of the leaves and shoots. The most common signs about house ivy:
- Despite good care, the leaves on the plant suddenly began to turn yellow - this is a warning of an impending disease. You need to pay attention to the health status of household members and try not to ignore the first alarming symptoms.
- It is a bad omen if the ivy plant dries at home. This means that an enemy has appeared in the immediate environment, a person with bad intentions. You need to think carefully about who it could be. Perhaps this is a new acquaintance or colleague who harbors anger in his heart and wants to harm one of the family members.
- If a bush growing near the house suddenly dries up, it means that the family will face financial difficulties.
- According to legend, wax ivy blooming at the wrong time is a bad sign. It's likely that trouble will happen soon.
Everyone decides for themselves whether to believe the signs about ivy or not. Many gardeners are very happy to grow a beautiful liana in an apartment. However, they do not feel any harm from the flower. Due to its wide distribution, hoya grows in many homes, including those where various misfortunes and troubles have occurred. This is probably why the plant fell into disrepute over time. However, there are many more happy families who successfully grow this luxurious vine.
Other signs about the plant
The meaning of ivy also helps in various fortune telling and rituals. He especially helps men understand their destiny and answer many questions that interest them. Signs say that this plant promotes love relationships and helps unmarried men choose a betrothed. The plant also knows how to preserve youth and beauty, but only if it is prepared correctly. The flower leaf can be brewed and used in cosmetology.
Don't be afraid to grow ivy, they, like many other plants, suit everyone differently. Some people have their own plant, it is suitable for that person, in spirit and in character. It may also be that ivy is your flower, and only it should go with you through life. If a plant has been living in your house for a long time, but you only recently learned about its meaning, you should not throw it away immediately. Before you found out such information, he did not cause you harm or inconvenience, so nothing bad will happen in the future.
Each country reacts differently to this plant, so there can be a lot of opinions. The main thing is not to set your thoughts to negative ones. Think only about the good and then big problems will turn into small ones that you can easily cope with.
