Croton is a beautiful plant native from Sri Lanka which is grown outside, but indoors it’s incredibly temperamental and will not accept poor treatment for very long. The scientific name of croton is Codiaeum Varigatum Pictum can be an extraordinarily showpiece wherever you place it.
It brings attraction to your place and if you’re a beginner, we don’t recommend you to grow this plant indoors because it’s a challenge.
The plant is hard to look after and the challenge is sometimes a good thing as a gardener. Another point to remember about this plant is its family connection with euphoria. This plant is often called the most famous plant family for being mildly poisonous and irritants to humans and pets. So it’s necessary for you to keep it away from pets and children and avoid the contact with latex sap it produces when the leaves are cut or damaged.
The most interesting thing about this plant is the leaves of the plant have different colors at the top and totally different at the bottom. This huge range makes it really difficult to know exactly what varieties you actually have. So while choosing your plants look for a healthy one and use your eyes to guide you.
Codiaeum Variegatum Pictum/Croton Care Guide:
Let’s see how to care for this plant in detail:
Light:
Croton needs bright light to grow it healthy, but avoid direct sunlight to prevent leaf scorching. Never provide low light conditions for long periods otherwise the markings on the leaf will face away easily.
Watering:
You need to be very careful when it comes to watering schedule of this plant. Because, too little water on the leaves will fall and too much will cause a similar effect on this plant. During growth, keep the soil moist for majority of the time but not soggy, wet or saturated, not dry too. Make sure to allow the soil to dry completely before watering it the next time.
Temperature:
Crotons will survive in warm temperatures, so make sure the plant is safe for an average all year round temperature of 21 degree/ 70 degree Fahrenheit but warmer temperatures won’t be a problem.
Fertilizer:
It needs reasonable amount of fertilizer for its healthy growth, no overdo it though. Once in a month is enough or so at normal strength will be perfect.
Repotting:
Make sure to use similar potting soil which is already around the current root ball. Don’t cut the roots and handle it gently to minimize the risk of shock and causing the latex sap to bleed.
Propagation:
You can do it by cutting the tip of the stem and stripping back to just few leaves. Then dip it in the rooting hormone and plant it in the everyday watered potting compost. Plant it in the soil where its temperature is 20 degree to 77 degree Fahrenheit.
Croton can grow up to 5 feet height and bloom flowers rarely when growing indoors.
Croton Problems:
Falling leaves is one of the most common problem with croton. This is basically the result of improper care and some more reasons include:
- Too much water
- Too little water
- Variations in temperature
- Not enough feed
It’s hard to know what has caused the problem and in some cases it might be a combination. If it produces brown tips, it means you have been under watering or the humidity is too low. If they had brown edges instead, this is a sign of cold temperatures and droughts.
When the light is too low, it starts to fade its original color. Bright light is crucial to retain its original markings, just find a new place for this plant.
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