Piggy is a small evergreen flowering shrub native to the tropics (the Pig family). The scientific name plumbago translated from Latin means lead. Therefore, it was previously believed that an antidote to this substance could be prepared from it.
It has the appearance of long thin shoots densely dotted with leaves and inflorescences. Hence its popularity as an ornamental plant for growing in the garden, indoors.
Description of the pig
The pig produces many shoots, grows densely and reaches 2-3 m in height. Thanks to this, it can be grown in any form:
- standard with tied down trunks and a spherical cap on top;
- ampelous, with branches hanging freely below the level of the pot;
- lianiform with weaving shoots, suitable for breeding in warm climates.
On thin trunks, small leaflets with two stipules are alternately placed. Each of them has an elongated-conical shape narrowed to the base with a solid edge, and reaches a length of 5-12 mm. Sometimes on their surface there may be small villi. After ripening in some varieties, the saturated green color of the underside of the leaf fades to a whitish color.
The stems are crowned with large flowers compared to the leaves, reaching 30 mm in diameter. Five-petalled corollas are placed on a thin tubular cup, in which an oblong ovary is located. At the stem itself, they gather in a racemose or spike-shaped inflorescence, covering the entire bush.
Each bud contains glands that secrete a sticky fluid. The seeds also have a similar gluten, which contributes to their distribution through birds and insects.
The flowering process is delayed from the beginning of spring to September, and then oblong ovules form. As they ripen, the ovoid-shaped fruits burst from the base to the apex, releasing the seed. 
Ear-shaped
Popular types of pigs
The genus plumbago contains up to 10 species, and most of them are suitable only for the subtropical climate. Two main varieties are grown in culture:
- Auricular or Cape (Plumbago auriculata, capensis) native to South Africa, is more common than others. Has large blue flowers collected in umbrella inflorescences. Light green soft leaves up to 7 cm long and 3 cm wide. They are located on long grayish and green shoots, which almost do not bend and reach 3-6 m. It can grow in shrubs, grow in ampel form or curl on the ground. There are also its varieties, among which are “Alba” with snow-white corollas and “Royal Cape” with cobalt.
- Indian pink (Plumbago indica) is native to Southeast Asia. In India, cultivated in gardens everywhere, and in other countries is much less common. It differs in elongated flower spikelets of a bright red color with corollas up to 3 cm in diameter. Creeping stems grow to 1.5-2 m in height, and slightly wavy shiny leaves on them reach 8-13 cm. The color releases in the winter, and requires warm maintenance during this period.
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Home and Garden Pig Care Tips
Home care for a pig includes the following aspects:
- Lighting should be bright, with direct sunlight from autumn to spring and light protection from them in a hot room. In the summer, it is better to take the flower to the balcony or to the garden, to fresh air, and in winter to rearrange it on the southern windowsill.
- The temperature is needed moderate, within + 18 ... +24 ° C. When it is lowered to +12 ° C, the leaves begin to fall off, and when it is increased, airing or spraying is required. In winter, the temperature can be reduced to + 10 ... +15 ° C for the Cape variety, blooming from April to September.
- Starting in June, watering should be plentiful, up to 3 times a week, and moisturizers can be used. And after flowering - pour as the earth dries, but weekly.
Guided by these rules, the pig can be grown both on the windowsill and in the garden, in tubs or hanging pots. Fresh air is very important for her, which must be taken into account during the vegetative period.
The rest of the time, coolness and regular, albeit infrequent watering are acceptable, which is better to go to gradually.
Transplanting, soil, top dressing, pruning
Plumbago is considered perennial and green all year round. In order for it to grow, it is necessary to transplant it into new soil every year in early spring, at least at a young age. For an older flower, the frequency can be reduced to 2-3 times a year, transshiping it as necessary. At the same time, contact with the rhizome should be avoided and only the topsoil should be changed. 
Indian pink
In this case, the soil should be with good drainage, slightly acidic and with high nutritional values. For it, you can use a universal substrate for flowering plants containing turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1, possibly with humus.
Planting a piggy is only half the battle, but to ensure bright colors and beautiful inflorescences, you need to regularly feed it. It is worth doing this during the growing season, mixing the fertilizer in water for irrigation several times a month, according to the instructions.
At the same time, both universal dressings and species for beautifully flowering plants are suitable.
To ensure decorativeness and compactness, as well as abundant flowering, pruning is necessary. It must be produced late in the fall or early spring, it is better in February or March, until there are no fresh buds in accordance with the type of cultivation:
- in ampel form, lianas only slightly shorten, preventing them from stretching too much;
- when using supports, only the very tops of the stems can be attached, which are then tied;
- To form a bush, trim the entire excess length that is knocked out of the figure.
Ear-shapedAt the same time, the weakest and thickening branches are removed, which will prevent the strong growing. For the base, leave 3-4 powerful shoots growing from the center, and the rest at 2/3 of the height, leaving 2-3 pairs of leaves. For updating or restoration, the bush is cut more radically, cutting off all branches to a length of 30 cm.
Another mandatory measure is pinching flower buds as they dry, and removing flower stalks in early spring.
Breeding
The ornamental plant of the Piglet family is long-lived, and in favorable conditions will live for about 7 years. Its reproduction is carried out in one of the following ways:
- Cuttings with a length of 8 cm, cut during planned cutting, are planted in a container covered from above. It is taken out to a cool place, keeping it at a temperature of +15 ° C and periodically ventilating. A mixture of peat and sand is used as a substrate, which must be regularly watered. It takes 2-3 weeks to root, during which the shoots begin to grow.
- In early spring, seed is used, which is planted in a container with a moist substrate from soil and sand. Top cover with a film or glass jar, and for 1.5-2 weeks put in a warm place with a temperature of +20 ° C. Dive when a couple of leaves appear from the ground.
The decorativeness of the bushes does not appear immediately, although the first buds may appear already this year after planting a flower. 
Indian pink
Diseases, pests of pigs, growing problems
The pig is quite resistant to diseases, but still some problems should be feared:
- waterlogging in the winter can lead to root decay;
- in a strong shadow, the shoots will begin to stretch, and the leaves will decrease in size;
- drying out of the soil leads to stopping flowering, wilting;
- irregular watering provokes browning of the leaf plate.
It rarely suffers from insects, but in dry air some of them are activated:
- Spider mites in the form of translucent cobwebs, due to which the leaves begin to fall, live in the ground. To combat them, transplantation and root treatment with insecticides (Fitoverm, Antikleshch) is required, and stems with infusion of yarrow, garlic or onions.
- Scabies form red-brown spots along the veins on the wrong side of the leaf. Affected areas are wiped from plaque, and then processed by Karbofos.
- Aphids, powdery worms that feed on sap from branches, appear less likely.
It is worth noting that these insects more often affect an unhealthy plant, dried up by thirst or withering in a stuffy room. They will not bring much harm to an absolutely healthy bush if you treat it with special chemicals in time.
