Domestic nandina: care

It is usually called nandina or sacred bamboo, although its scientific name is Nandina domestica. These are its main features:

• It is a shrub that grows up to 2 meters Tall.
• Its leaves are perennial, up to 50 cm long and one of its most striking characteristics, since in autumn its leaves take on beautiful red tones. The leaves show this color, in fact, on two occasions: both when they are young and have just sprouted in spring, and when they are about to fall after their lifetime has passed.
• Healthy and mature leaves are usually bright green, which takes on different shades depending on the time and condition of each leaf.
• Flowering occurs in large spikeswhere a large number of White flowers appear. This occurs in summer, although with the right conditions, flowering lasts a long time, being able to last until well into winter.
• The fruits are small berries or red spheres, very showy and decorative, although they may not appear in particularly hot climates.

Sacred bamboo is a plant very resistant to coldbeing able to withstand temperatures of down to -7ºC for considerable periods of time without problems. At temperatures even below this, if they occur for a long time or frequently, the plant can begin to shed its leaves near the base.

Against the heat, on the other hand, the domestic Nandina is not so strong. Very hot summers above 35 ºC require a lot of care for the plant, paying attention that its soil or substrate does not dry out completely to prevent the nandina from suffering too much.

In temperate climates it is usual place the nandina outside and in direct sunlightalthough in warmer climates, such as the Mediterranean, locating it in a semi-shade area It is usually a better option since, as we have mentioned, this plant suffers above 35 ºC.

Thus, if you live in a mild tropical climate, place it in full sun without any fear so that it grows quickly and strongly, while if the summers in your area are very hot, protect it, at least, from the most intense hours of sunshine of the day. .

The sacred bamboo does not need very abundant watering, but it does need frequent watering. It is important not to drown the plant by flooding the soil with excessive watering. Instead, it is best to use frequent waterings, every 2 or 3 days in the warm monthsto maintain certain level of moisture in the soil.

During the cold months, a weekly watering will suffice about. In any case, and if in doubt, use the method of sticking a stick or a finger in the soil and checking to what extent the moisture causes the soil to stick. If it comes out clean, it means the plant needs water.

The nandina is a slightly acidophilic plantwhich means that your soil needs to have a pH between 5 and 6 so that the bush is healthy. If you see that the leaves of your nandina seem to turn yellow, with only the nerves remaining a deep green, it means that the plant is suffering from iron chlorosis due to too alkaline pH in its soil.

In order to maintain the substrate at its proper acidity level, it is convenient to use soil or substrate for acidophilic plants and do not irrigate with tap water if it has a lot of lime in your area. Uses mineral or distilled water Or, if you can’t, let it sit for 24 hours before using it and don’t pour the grounds.

It is important that the soil also offers a drainage as best as possible, since the nandina does not tolerate waterlogging. Mix the substrate for acidophilic plants with earthworm humus and coconut fiber, which will make it lighter and more aerated, in addition to improving its nutritional properties.

As for the fertilizer, use ecological fertilizer such as compost or earthworm humus. If you have space at home, you can make them yourself, but if not, you can also buy them at specialized stores. Add a couple of centimeters of the organic fertilizer to the surface of the soil, mixing the top few centimeters a little, every 15 to 20 days during the warm months, from the beginning of spring.

Since it is an unusual but very beautiful plant, it is very common that if you grow the nandina a neighbor asks you for a cutting or advice to grow it too.

In this case, the best option is to use cuttings with semi-ripe cuttings, which you can take in summer and which must be grown indoors or in a greenhouse during that first winter. Treat the cutting with the same care as the mature plant, and by the following spring it will be ready for transplanting to its final location.

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