The useful qualities of the golden whisker and its undemanding to living conditions have long attracted flower growers. In this article we will talk about the rules of care for this popular plant at home, and also consider its medicinal properties.
Botanical description
Golden mustache, or fragrant callisia, - slow-growing perennial, reaching about 1 m in height and 60-120 cm wide, with leaves 15-25 cm, located in turn. During growth, bulges form on the trunk, gradually transforming into separate shoots - "whiskers". At the same time, they include several "joints", at the end of which there are sheet sockets. Such shoots are of the first type and are used for reproduction as soon as the "whiskers" become purple in color.
The second type is formed by straight fleshy leaves, like corn. Their bases are close to each other, which is why there is often an erroneous opinion that this is one outlet. If you break the leaf, you can see the thin stretching hairs, which caused the appearance of such popular names of this plant as "hair of the lady" or "live hair". 
Did you know? In Russia, Kallisia first appeared in 1890 thanks to botany and geographer Andrei Krasnov, who brought her from the expedition.
Where does a golden mustache grow best?
Kallisia feels fine in the apartment, in the greenhouse, and in the open air. But it is still better not to lodge it in the kitchen and in places for smoking, as it prefers fresh air and a calm atmosphere.
Lighting
Golden mustache - a plant that prefers bright rooms, so it is best to place it on the window. It perceives poor direct sunlight, on a hot summer day, you need to move in the shade.
If there is a shortage of light, in principle, it can grow too, but you will not see beautiful and strong leaves. This "home doctor" begins to stretch, has a thin stem and a pale color. Fortunately, this deficiency can be corrected with the help of artificial lighting, which is also well suited for callisia, the leaves and stem of which, under good conditions, have a lilac shade.
Beautiful and useful indoor plants - aloe, kalanchoe, yucca, hibiscus, jerky, cacti - not only decorate the window sill, but also become assistants in the home first aid kit.
Priming
The most suitable for the cultivation of "golden hair" is a spacious pot. There must be a drainage, which can be made from river sand and eggshell (5-10 mm). This will supply the plant with silicon and help to mitigate oversight during watering.
Kallisia fragrant loves nutritious loose earth. There are several ways to prepare the substrate for planting:
- Cook at home from the necessary components.
- Buy soil in a specialty store.
- Mix the purchased land from the forest.
- forest land from under deciduous trees, except birch;
- humus;
- river sand.
Humus is prepared for at least two years. To do this, fresh cow dung is placed in the compost pit, each layer of which is poured with the remnants of healthy plants: mowed grass, weeds without seeds, fallen leaves, any tops, except tomato. If you use river sand, first you need to rinse it off the remnants of clay and heat it in a frying pan or oven. 
Loams are also excellent as a primer for kallisia.
Requirements for landing:
- Loose fertile land.
- Acidity is about 5.5 pH.
- Drainage.
Air humidity and temperature
The optimal temperature for the life of "living water" is 25-27 ° C and humidity 50-60%. In winter, it is recommended to reduce the temperature slightly (but not below 12 degrees).
Important! Callisia is good to put asthma near the bed, because it cleans the air and produces volatile, useful for the lungs.
Planting and breeding
At home, the plant is grown in two ways: seeds and dividing the bush.
Seeds
Seed propagation is a very tedious and unreliable process. Only one unit can achieve the desired result. The collected seeds are packaged in cloth or paper and stored in a dry place. Landing is made in the spring.
Dividing bush
Such reproduction is carried out with the help of sprouts, cuttings or rosettes of leaves.
1st method. Be sure to remove the leaves from the bottom of the process. First, the sprout is immersed in water for 10-15 days until the roots appear. Then they are planted in the ground, but a little deeper than other flowers (approximately 2 cm from the first leaves). This contributes to the emergence of a larger number of roots along the length of the stem, with the result that the plant will be stronger. It takes root well and quickly takes root. This method is suitable for breeding a whole year, but still it is better to do it from March to April - during the growing season.
2nd way. Separate the top from the shoot with two nodes, also removing the lower leaves, and the remaining shortened. The stalks are placed 3/4 into the water. For the best effect, you can use the Epin growth stimulator. After the formation of the roots (after 7-10 days), the golden mustache is planted in the ground.
3rd way. Rosette with leaves, which is formed on one of the shoots, cut in part with a stem. Then it is placed in a container with nutrient fluid, as in reproduction by cuttings. After a couple of days, the water needs to be changed to clean and settled. And after only 10 or 15 days the plant is planted in a pot. 
It is also possible to immediately cut the cutting of the cutting with “Korneovin”, hold it in the open air for about two hours and plant it in a container with sufficiently moistened soil. Spray the golden mustache with warm water, create a greenhouse effect, closing with a transparent lid or bag. After 3-4 days the film is removed and again provide generous watering and spraying. As soon as the young leaves appear, you can be sure that the flower has taken root.
Important! The plant is considered mature when 12 joints form on the whiskers.
Proper care
Observing simple rules of care, you can forget about the troubles associated with growing a plant for a long time and also enjoy its flowering, which does not happen very often. Small white flowers (less than 1 centimeter in diameter) are formed on the tips of the shoots. They have a pleasant scent that can be compared with lily of the valley or hyacinth.
Watering and spraying
In the spring and summer, the golden mustache needs to be watered daily, but it is important not to over-wet the soil. In autumn and winter, watering is reduced to 2-3 times a week, but if it is hot in the room, then, on the contrary, they increase it. The soil should be wet, but not swampy. 
It is recommended to carry out the procedure in the morning.
Leaves need to be sprayed with warm, separated water once every 2-3 days in order to wash off the dirt and refresh it, as well as regularly undergo a procedure in hot climates so that they do not dry out.
Fertilizer
After the development of a strong root system for the rapid growth of plants can be fed liquid fertilizer. When buying such dressings you should pay attention to the composition of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Such fertilizer can be made independently: ammonium nitrate (2.5 tsp.), potassium salt (1 tsp.), superphosphate (2 tsp.) diluted in 10 liters of water, adding a few drops of ferric chloride. This mixture should be used 2 times a month. Before starting to feed the land is recommended to water well. When introducing fertilizer, it is necessary to ensure that the mixture does not get on the plant, which can cause burns.
Second cooking method: potassium salt (1.5 tsp.), superphosphate (3 tsp.), water (10 l.). Also, they first irrigate to prevent burns. This feeding can be applied every 2 weeks. 
Important! Before applying fertilizer requires abundant watering.It promotes the growth of callusia by watering with milky water (1/4 cup of milk per 1 l of water). You can wipe the leaves with cotton wool dipped in milk.
Tying up
"Live hair" - a tall plant with a fragile stem, so it needs additional support. It can be either a wooden peg or tied with a rope. If you do not install a support, under the massiveness of weight, it will begin to bend, which will lead to the deformation of the trunk.
Possible difficulties in growing
Basically, it is easy to be engaged in growing a gold whisker at home, but still there are times that need to be paid attention to:
- the lack of minerals in the soil, water, or an excess of sun may indicate the appearance of brown spots on the leaves or dry tips;
- excessive bottom water or too low temperature will cause rotting lower leaves;
- if the plant has become dull or yellow specks have appeared, it signals an inadequate feeding.
Often, kallisia is a plant that is practically not exposed to pests, but many are interested in how to care for a golden mustache, if a red spider mite appears. The most important thing is to ensure regular airing of the room and spraying the leaves. If this does not help, it is worth spraying it with insecticide and cover it with a bag for a couple of days, or use a solution of laundry soap and tobacco, which forms a protective sheath on the leaves.Did you know? Golden mustache is to the taste of cats and dogs - they eat it up, starting at the top.
Few of the beneficial properties
"Living water", which is also called home ginseng, is often used for the manufacture of drugs that have a beneficial effect on the body:
- improve digestion and the work of the respiratory and circulatory systems;
- relieve pain;
- normalize the work of the stomach and spleen;
- promote healing of wounds, are used for skin diseases, bruises, calluses, arthritis and frostbite;
- strengthen the immune system;
- used with thrombophlebitis, diabetes, stroke;
- help to get rid of alcohol and nicotine addiction, to avoid cancer and premature aging.
Arthritis also uses the healing properties of wheatgrass, veronica drug, asparagus, kupeny, gentian, plectrantus.
The chemical composition of this plant contains biologically active substances from the group of flavonoids and plant (safe) steroids, which explains the healing properties of the golden mustache. However, the juice of kalliziya is rich in iron, copper and chromium, which are important elements for the normal functioning of the body.Important! Children are strictly forbidden to take the plant in any form.It should be remembered: without consulting with a specialist, it is impossible to self-medicate and take preparations of "live hair".
Information on how to care for undemanding gold mustache, suitable for both knowledgeable growers and beginners. If you follow these simple rules, then provide a full life for your plant.
