CODIAEUM VARIEGATUM PLANT (2021 Guide!) - Croton Plant Care

Hi everyone, today we're going to be talking about one of my favorite plants, the croton. Okay, coming up. The croton is very popular because of its color. I mean, look at the leaves you guys. They're so bright. We have yellow, we have orange, we have red. It is just such a colorful plant. When grown indoors, the croton can grow up to 90 centimeters in height and 60 centimeters in diameter. I've been reading more about this plant and there is a big variety. You can have crotons with more circular leaves, oval, longer and thinner leaves. There are just many kinds. The croton originated in Malaysia and it was first introduced in Europe until 1860. And you could only find this plant in greenhouses or in gardens in the south of Europe, where the weather was warmer. However, now we have many variants of this plant. They are beautiful and very easy to care for. So let me tell you how you can keep your croton very happy and healthy at your place. Normal household temperatures are perfect for this plant. But try to keep her in a place that is above 13 degrees Celsius. This is because a place that is below 13 degrees Celsius will be too cold for her and she will not thrive. They will also be very happy and thrive in higher humidity levels. I have mine in our bedroom and we have a humidifier there. So we keep the humidity about 50 to 60% and she seems to be thriving. Try to keep away from heating vents because the air there is very dry and this can burn the leaves. Crotons need lots of bright light. And I have read that at least three hours of direct sunlight is very good for them. This will help them keep the color on the leaves. As you can see, the top leaves of our croton are green. This is because right now in Berlin we don't have so much sunlight. So our plant is healthy but it's not getting the bright light that she needs to keep the bright colors like yellow or red. I have brought her closer to a grow light so we will see how it goes. And of course I will let you know. This plant, as many other tropical plants, will be great with moderate watering. I always check the soil with my finger just to make sure that she needs water. And don't worry, your plant will also let you know if she's missing the water. When a croton is not getting enough water, the leaves start to drop down. If this is the case with yours, just make sure that you check the soil first to make sure that it is dry. And if it is dry, just water her and she will come right up. During the winter you will notice that the soil will take longer to dry out. So go back in water. Only fertilize your plant during the growing season, which is from spring to fall. And as a plant beginner, I prefer to use organic fertilizer. This is because organic fertilizers are way less concentrated than synthetic fertilizers. So this helps me prevent over fertilizing my plant. Always make sure to follow the instructions of your fertilizer and to observe your plant, just to make sure that she's happy with the fertilizer that you are providing her. An extra tip that I can give you is that these plants are prone to be attacked by spider mites. Spider mites don't like humidity. So a humid space will help you prevent them. Another way to prevent spider mites is to clean your plant weekly. I use my normal houseplant cleaning solution, which includes castile soap, water and peppermint essential oil. This is great to prevent pests. So check weekly and clean the leaves. Another extra tip is as you can see this proton is very long and not so full. You can actually trigger more growth on the sides by pruning the new growth on the top. When you prune your plant, be careful because the sap can be toxic. But if you prune the new leaves on the top, you will trigger more growth on the sides and your plant will look more full. Do you have any other more tips for this plant? Make sure to comment below. I can assure you that the whole community will appreciate it. And as always, I will see you in the next one. Okay, ciao!