Columney came to us from the tropical forests of Latin and Central America (Colombia, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Bolivia), where in natural conditions it was an epiphyte (plants that are permanently attached to other plants, often - to the trees).
In our region, this flower is used as a houseplant that blooms very beautifully, sometimes it is called a "golden fish". In this article we will talk about the types of colums, the rules of cultivation and care, as well as how to deal with pests and diseases of Latin American flowers.
Description
At a young age, columney has shoots directed upwards. Over time, they begin to wilt, as their sizes are constantly increasing. This tropical flower is a perennial evergreen, which has fragile but fleshy vines, reaching a length of 10-12 cm. These vines are covered with a thick layer of petioled leaves. The leaves of the columney have a heart shape, covered with a glossy coating, the tips are slightly sharp. The length of the leaves is different and in some cases can reach 12 cm. Both the shoots and the leaves of this flower are covered with fine white pubescence. 
Did you know? For the first time, columney plants brought exotic flowers to Europe in the 18th century.
The plant blooms in winter or early spring, since it is at this time that summer comes to its homeland. Columney flowers are very beautiful, their characteristics are similar to orchids, they can reach a length of 5-7 cm. The color of the flowers is different: bright orange, dark yellow, pink, etc. 
We advise you to get acquainted with such epiphytes: tillandia, guzmania, asplenium, miltassia, venereal slipper, platicerium and vriezii.
Popular species
There are more than 200 species of colums, many of which have remained to grow in their usual habitat. However, some species of these flowers have long spread throughout the world and are grown as ornamental houseplants on balconies, terraces, as decorations on flowerbeds and in gardens.
One of the most popular column types is Carnival. This flower has many dense leaves of small size, which are covered with a glossy coating and a small whitish pubescence. The flowers of the Carnival are colored bright yellow, but at the edges there is a burgundy edging. 
Columney Allen Came to us from Panama. This country, which is located in the south of North America, has sheltered a beautiful plant in its jungle, the flowers of which are quite large (about 8 cm) and have a red-orange color. The leaves of this species are small, ellipsoid. Shoots creeping or hanging, which are constantly increasing in size. 
Columney Krakatau - probably the most common type of this plant in our country. He was bred by breeders specifically for growing and caring at home. Krakatau was removed from Columney Banks, whose birthplace is considered to be a huge part of South and Central America. Krakatau got its name in honor of the eponymous volcano, which during the eruption produces all the same colors that can be seen during the flowering of Columney Krakatau. The leaves of this flower have the shape of an elongated ellipse, painted in a rich dark green color. This plant blooms with fiery red flowers, reaching a length of 10-12 cm. 
Columney blood red It is also a frequent guest of lovers of exotic ornamental plants of our country. This flower is slightly different from its counterparts: it has larger leaves (up to 30 cm), flowers are formed in groups and have a bright red pubescence, woody and long shoots (up to 1.3 meters). Homeland blood-red plants consider the mountainous regions of the Antilles. 
Columney Banks has a sufficiently long semi-woody shoots (length reaches 1 meter). The leaves are covered with a waxy coating, the underside has large red spots. The flowers are tubular, orange-red-yellow, reach a length of 6 cm. 
Important! Insufficient lighting can lead to the fact that columney will not actively bloom.
Homeland Columni Shida are the rainforests of Mexico. Shida has thick bare shoots reaching a length of 1.5 meters. The flower grows as a bright representative of shrubs. It has oblong-oval, pointed, slightly pubescent leaves, the lower part of which is covered with reddish spots. Shida's columney blooms quite beautifully, has many flowers of red-brown, yellow-beige shade (resembling cheetah color). From this type of flower, other species were derived by breeding, which are widely used in decorative and landscape design. 
Planting and soil
The soil for this ornamental plant can be purchased at any flower shop. If you do not have such an opportunity, then prepare it yourself: take 50% of sod land, 25% of leaf humus, 12.5% of compost and 12.5% of sphagnum moss and small sawdust. This is not the only combination of soil composition for a goldfish. For example, instead of compost you can add high-moor peat, and instead of sawdust - vermiculite.
Since the columney is a flower with long creeping shoots, it should be grown in a hanging pots or flowerpot on the stem. Choose a landing tank wide enough, but at the same time it should not be very deep. The material of the container for planting does not matter much, the main thing is the presence of holes in the bottom for the drain of excess liquid.
Growing Hispanic charm out of cuttings, and in order for the plant to be chic and lush, at least 4 cuttings should be planted in one pot. If only one stalk is planted, then after a while he needs to do nip, so you will contribute to the growth of additional shoots. And do not forget about all the rules of care, otherwise the flower will have poor decorative qualities.
Conditions
For normal growth and flowering of columney, it is necessary to create optimal conditions and constantly monitor the temperature, light and humidity.
Temperature
The air temperature in the room where the flower is contained will depend a lot, including the active lush bloom. In the warm season, the flower needs to create a temperature regime that will vary from 22 to 28 ° C. From December to February (about 45-55 days), the column should be in a room with a temperature of + 12 ... +16 ° С. This temperature contributes to the normal process of the formation of buds.
Did you know? Columney was named after the Italian botanist Fabio Colonna (in Latin his last name is pronounced "Columney"). This name gave the flower Carl Linnaeus.
Low temperatures in winter will provide active budding and lush blooms. If you keep the plant at low temperatures for less than 40 days, then the desired decorative effect of the plant can never be waited. When the first tiny buds begin to appear, the columney must be returned to an elevated temperature.
Lighting
The best place to "goldfish" in your house will be the windows of the east or west direction, where a sufficient amount of ambient lighting will fall on the flower. To place an exotic flower on the northern part of the house should not be, because the light will come in a little, and columney is quite a light-loving plant. If you put a plant pot on the south side of the house, then in the summer it should be pritenyat, since the hot summer sunlight can cause burns to small leaves and young shoots of columney. 
Between late autumn and early February, the “goldfish” is best placed on the south or south east window. If there is little sunshine in winter in your region, then it is necessary to artificially illuminate the column by means of white or daylight lamps.
Air humidity
Homeland Kolumney are wet jungles of Latin and Central America, where there is no constant scorching sun, but frequent "guests" are precipitation. Therefore, at home for this plant you need to artificially create the optimum humidity. It is recommended to spray flowers every 2-3 days with clean filtered water, the temperature of which should be + 20 ... +22 ° С. Also 1-2 times a month it is necessary to pour plentifully over the crown of the plant with warm water, and then dry the flower in a dark warm place.
Since in the natural habitat of the columney had no pronounced period of rest, creating it artificially, it is possible to increase the frequency of flowering of the "golden fish". In the winter, in addition to low temperatures and reduced lighting, try also to maintain a slightly lower air humidity. This is done for 28-33 days. During this period, an exotic flower manages to form the right amount of flower buds.
Breeding
Columnia can be propagated in two ways: cuttings and seeds. The second method is a rather complicated procedure and is practically not used by amateur growers (when propagating by seeds, special greenhouses need to be built, in which a constant temperature, humidity and lighting are maintained). Seed propagation is used by professional breeders who constantly develop new types of colums.
Learn how to propagate by cuttings: rose, plumeria, chrysanthemums, clematis, cross-stones and royal geraniums.
Important! The soil temperature for planting cuttings should be + 20 ... +25 ° С.
Breeding cuttings "goldfish" to start in mid or late February. To do this, take the tips of the shoots with a length of 4-6 cm, on which there are 3-5 leaves. In the five-centimetric capacity planted 3-4 cuttings (you can use the cassette capacity and planted on a single cutting). Seedlings should be watered daily, illuminated and maintained at a temperature of + 20 ... +22 ° С. But young cuttings do not tolerate excessive moisture (it happens that the leaves begin to rot). 
Substrate for cuttings are prepared from three equal parts of humus, river sand and leaf earth. After the young cuttings take root, they need to be transplanted into larger containers. Prepare the substrate in the same way, but add a little more leafy ground. Columnaea reproduction is a rather scrupulous process, and after the cuttings are planted, they need special care, which means feeding, watering, lighting, maintaining temperature, etc. Feeding the rooted cuttings should be carried out using complex fertilizers every week for 2 -2.5 months, after which again transplant into a deeper container. 
Care
If you want your columney to show all its best decorative qualities, you need to take care of it in a timely and correct manner.
Watering
Water for watering your room "miracle" need to insist during the day. You can take the liquid directly from the tap, and then leave it in a dark ventilated place for a day (in the open, so that all chlorides and other harmful substances evaporate). Water temperature for irrigation should be + 20 ... +22 ° С. A slight excess of this value is allowed, however it is prohibited to use water for irrigation, the temperature of which is above +30 ° C.
It should be noted that the soil in a container with a flower should always remain wet, but not wet (remember that the column does not refer to rice crops in any way and do not need to leave puddles near its roots). When the soil dries out a little, the flower needs to be watered again. It is best to produce frequent watering, but with a small amount of water. You need to remember that excessive watering, as well as rare, can lead to the death of the plant. The frequency of irrigation in winter should be reduced to 1 time per week.
Fertilizers and fertilizers
During the period of active growth, which mainly falls on spring-summer time, the plant should be fed at least once every 2 weeks. Liquid fertilizers, which can be found on the shelves of flower shops, are best suited for dressings. Well suited drugs "Hertica" and "Kemira Suite." However, there should be taken into account one important nuance: make a solution, the concentration of which is 2 times less than that indicated in the instructions.
Columney is slightly different (in biological terms) from all other indoor plants, and if it is fed according to the instructions, the shoots will give a strong growth, and this will contribute to the inhibition of active flowering. 
Did you know? In some species, columney shoots can reach 6-7 meters in length.
When the plant is in the resting phase, which usually lasts from the end of December to mid-February, additional feeding will not be needed. In the rest of the time, when the flower is at lower temperatures, it should be fed no more than once a month.
Transfer
Columnaea transplant every year (for young plants). After 4-5 years, the plants are transplanted as needed (if its roots will have little space in the current tank). Transplantation is carried out immediately after the end of the flowering process, and the shoots are greatly shortened, which can be used as planting material (cut young cuttings). Transplantation is carried out in a previously prepared container with soil, which includes coconut chips and sliced sphagnum. At the bottom of the pot must be equipped with drainage, and the pot must have holes at the bottom to drain excess fluid. 
Diseases and pests
Poor air permeability in the room, as well as excessively high humidity of air and soil can cause gray rot in the plant. The first sign of this disease is gray fluffy mold, which covers the leaves and shoots of columney. To combat gray rot, you must first carefully remove the affected places, and then treat the whole plant with Zuparen, Fundazol or Topsin (use according to the instructions for use). 
Sometimes "goldfish" can infect pests, one of which is whitefly. These insects are small in size, live on the back of a leaf and often fly around a flower. To combat insects, you need to use special chemicals ("Aktellik", "Akarin", "Fitoverm"), which processing is carried out according to the instructions 2-3 times with an interval of 3-4 days. Also around the plant you can hang flypaper. 
Important! If you water the plant with cold water, then spots will start to form on it.
The spider mite is probably the most annoying pest of indoor plants, which is capable of infecting the column. The first signs of the appearance of spider mites are yellow specks on the leaves. In addition, the affected leaves begin to fall prematurely. It happens that at the junction of the leaf with the stem a small web appears, which also signals the presence of the spider mite. 
To combat this pest used drug "Actellic". But before using it, the flower must be thoroughly rinsed under running water. If the parasite has not left the plant, then after a week the treatment must be repeated.
If you have never engaged in the cultivation of exotic columnee before, then the above information will be enough for you to start doing this business. The main thing - to adhere to the correct technology of plant care, and the beauty of the flowering of the "golden fish" will please you regularly. 
