For several centuries, stephanotis has been one of the most beloved home ornamental plants. Despite the fact that in the care of the flower is quite capricious, it is within the power of every flower lover to grow it. It is necessary to make a little effort, and it will delight the owners with its tenderness, beauty and unforgettable fragrance.
- Stefanotis flower: description
- What conditions to create in the house
- Location and lighting
- Temperature conditions
- How to care for stephanotis at home
- Watering and humidity
- Soil and fertilizer
- Pruning
- Transplant rules
- Reproduction stephanotis cuttings
- Problems in cultivation: pests and diseases of stephanotis
Stefanotis flower: description
Stefanotis flower (lat. Stephanotis) or Madagascar Jasmine, also called marsdeniya belongs to the Lastovnev family of plants, grows in its natural environment in Madagascar, Malaysia, Japan and China. The name "stephanotis" is formed in two words of Greek origin - "stephanos" (crown) and "otos" (ear).
In the wild, marsdenia is represented by about fifteen species, and at home only one grows - Stephanotis Madagascar or flowering. 
Evergreen liana can reach five meters in length, has oval leathery leaves of dark green color, with clearly distinguished central vein. The length of the leaves can be up to 12 cm, the location on the stalk is opposite.
In the wild, flowering can last up to 10 months. In greenhouses Madagascar jasmine can give its flowering at least 4 months - from June to September.
Fruits of a plant are two-part large boxes of ellipsoid form, which ripen for at least a year. At the end of the ripening, the boxes open and release the seeds-parachutes, similar to dandelion umbrellas. 
The domesticated stephanotis blooms with white waxy flowers with an extraordinary scent. A decorative vine is planted in pots with a support, giving the plant an unusual shape due to the rapid interlacing of any supporting fencing with branches.
What conditions to create in the house
Decorative vine is often used for vertical gardening of premises, decorating of gratings and screens, as well as decorating windows with the help of arched supports.
In order for a plant to grow safely, it is necessary to provide certain conditions and observe some rules of care. 
Location and lighting
Properly chosen living space favorably contributes to the growth and flowering of stephanotis.
In the period from autumn to spring, the light-loving plant will feel comfortable on the southern windows. However, in summer, in order to avoid sunburn, it should be rearranged to the west or east.
Lighting is one of the most important factors. for the proper cultivation of perennial Madagascar.In the natural environment of the hot tropics, the vine is hiding in the shadow of neighboring plants.
The flower does not tolerate bright light, However, twilight also does not accept. In the summer, it should be placed under the scattered rays of light, and in the short winter light days provide additional fluorescent lighting. In general, the plant should be exposed to light for at least 10 hours a day.
An excess of intense light causes yellow-brown streaks on the leaves. Stefanotis suffers because of a lack of lighting, which is why its leaves turn yellow, becoming covered with pale heels, and when there is an acute shortage of daylight, the plant leaves the leaves completely.
In the period of budding room jasmine, it is important to leave alone, do not rearrange to a new place, do not turn the pot, otherwise the buds simply will not open.
Temperature conditions
Tropical flower prefers the off-season temperature. He needs to ensure maximum peace in winter. The optimum air temperature in the period from April to September is from 20 to 25 ° С, from September to November - to 22 ° С, and in the rest of the time not more than 14-16 ° С. This temperature difference has a beneficial effect on the flowering vine. 
It is advisable to ventilate the room where the marsdenia is located, however, it should not be placed in the path of the air flow. A sign that the flower is cold will be his heavy leaf fall.
How to care for stephanotis at home
Beautiful fragrant vine requires special attention. She, like a real bride, needs care and constant maintenance of beauty.
Watering and humidity
Tropical jasmine prefers a varied watering regime. In the hot season, it should be watered abundantly, as the top soil layer dries out. In the autumn-winter period, watering should be rare, but saturated so that the land community does not dry out completely, and starting from the end of winter and before the onset of heat, it is necessary to supply water to a flower often, but less intensively (once every three days).
Water should be soft and separated at room temperature. If the stefanotis leaves and grows dull, the vine fades and its tips die off, and there is a specific smell in the flowerpot or pourees appear - these are signs of excess moisture. In this case, it is urgently necessary to dry the roots of the plant, and replace the pot substrate. 
Decorative perennial welcomes increased humidity. For proper development and growth of the plant must be regularly sprayed. In the summer it should be done twice a day - in the mornings and evenings. And in the cold season, once a day is enough. Moisturizing should be done with warm boiled water, increasing the water temperature during the period of air drying by heating devices.
In the dry summer period, it is necessary to produce additional moisture by placing the flowerpot in a pallet with wet peat or expanded clay.A clear sign of lack of moisture are faded soft leaves and premature fall of flowers. 
Soil and fertilizer
Land for vines must perfectly pass moisture and air. At the same time it should have a sufficiently acidic reaction -pH 5.5-6.5. Ready-made universal mixture for decorative flowering plants can be purchased in specialized stores, but it is better to prepare high-quality soil with his own hands. There are two ways to do this. One of them involves a mixture of equal proportions of such components:
- quality garden soil collected in the spring;
- the compost sustained within 3-5 years;
- undisturbed river sand;
- peat.
- one piece of humus;
- loose leaf soil (two parts);
- sod field soil (two parts);
- peat (two parts).
The period of formation and ejection of the buds (April and May) is very important for perennials, so at this moment he especially needs to be fed in the form of phosphate or a solution of good cow manure.
Pruning
To preserve the decorative appearance of the liana you need to give shape and beautiful volume. Pruning stephanotis produced in early spring, before its intensive growth, removing only the branches without leaves and too long shoots.
Young branches of the plant will give a lot of flowers, and in summer pinching of the shoots will provide longer flowering. 
It is desirable to carry out a garland of a liana to a support during the period when the shoots are still flexible and not woody, giving the perennial a beautiful shape.
Transplant rules
The flower pot with a flower must be ceramic, spacious, with a high drainage layer. The heavier the container in which the vine is planted, the more stable it will be.
Transplantation takes place in the spring before the appearance of buds. If you replant a flowering perennial, it can reset the entire color.
Young plants need to be transplanted once a year, and mature - no more than 2-3 years. The best way for stephanotis, how to transplant it painlessly and without loss of flowering - transshipment with the addition of fresh soil. This method of transplanting prevents damage to the small roots and further wilting of the shrub. 
Watering in the first few weeks after transplanting perennials should be very careful. Excess moisture will cause its death. The best growth will contribute to the growth stimulator.
Reproduction stephanotis cuttings
There are two ways of breeding stephanotis:
- sowing seeds;
- rooting cuttings.
Since seeds at home are formed very rarely, the flower is propagated in most cases by cuttings.
It is best to root apical young cuttings with a pair of leaves and several internodes. After trimming, they are placed in a mixture of moist earth with coarse sand, deepening approximately 1.5 cm into the ground, covering with a can or film.The greenhouse is better placed in a bright place, without direct sunlight, periodically airing and pouring the soil. The soil temperature under the greenhouse should not exceed 24 ° C.
After the appearance of the first roots and leaflets, three weeks after planting, the greenhouse must be removed. Two weeks later, the sprout can be planted in a pot in which the flower will grow further. Once a year, seedlings need to pinch and hand over. 
Problems in cultivation: pests and diseases of stephanotis
The pests most commonly affecting tropical liana:
- Greenhouse aphid - affects the buds and the lower part of the leaves. It is characterized by a cluster of sticky small insects that deform the leaves.
- Mealybug - spreads on the leaves, stalks and buds, squeezing the juice from the plant. It is characterized by a white wax coating.
- Shchitovka - colonies of insect sucking juice that infects the stems and leaves in a matter of days.
- Spider mite - forms a web on the lower part of the leaves, making them weak and soft.
It is possible to get rid of aphids and scale insects with the help of the Akarin biopreparation, and in case of severe infection it is better to spray it with “Fitoverm” or “Aktellik”.It is possible to destroy ticks with the help of “Kleschevit”, and the mealybug is killed by spraying with “Phosphamide 2%” emulsion. To combat powdery mildew, you need a solution of the drug "Hom".
From folk remedies for the destruction of pests include:
- treatment with soapy water;
- washing plants with a warm shower.
- Yellowing - most often associated with violation of the rules for the care of the vine: watering with lime water, deprivation of light, delayed fertilizer or improper transplantation.
- Flowering termination Transferring the winter in excessive warmth, lack of light, feeding with nitrogen or a sharp temperature drop - these are the list of reasons why stephanotis does not bloom.
- Leaf fall - occurs when there is a shortage of light in the winter, when the light day becomes shorter. Also, perennial loses leaves during hypothermia or drafts.
