How to grow Serissa japonica? Detailed guide to cultivation methods and precautions
Upon hearing its name, everyone immediately thinks of a scene in June when snowflakes suddenly drift down from the sky, a scene that is magical and dreamlike, but such a phenomenon is impossible to occur. Although it cannot happen, seeing flowers like snowflakes in summer is also quite nice. So how is Serissa japonica cultivated, and what needs attention during cultivation? Let's take a look below.
How to grow Serissa japonica
During high-temperature and dry summer days, besides watering daily, use clean water to sprinkle the leaf surface and nearby ground in the morning and evening to cool down and increase air humidity. The plant should be placed under a shade shed, and never left in strong sunlight for long periods. After autumn begins, as temperatures drop, gradually control the amount of watering, watering once every 2—3 days.
In winter, move it into a cold room or indoors where the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees to overwinter, watering once every 20—30 days, maintaining moist air and providing sunlight exposure. Before moving it outside each March, repot with leaf mold soil, and use hoof and horn pieces at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer.
Cultivation methods for Serissa japonica
1. Light: Serissa japonica fears strong light exposure, so daily care requires shading, placing it in a cool place, avoiding direct sunlight, and it can absorb scattered light.
2. Watering: Keep the pot soil moist throughout the year. In summer when it is hot and dry, besides watering daily, also spray the leaf surface with clean water, or spray the nearby ground, to maintain relative air humidity.
In autumn when temperatures drop, gradually control the amount of watering, watering once every 2 to 3 days. In winter, watering once every 7 to 10 days is sufficient.
3. Fertilizing: During the growing season, apply dilute liquid fertilizer once every 10—15 days. You can also fertilize with water, meaning each time you water, mix in dilute liquid fertilizer.
4. Temperature: Serissa japonica prefers a warm climate and can slightly tolerate cold. In winter when temperatures are relatively low, it needs to be moved indoors for cultivation, and the indoor temperature must not be lower than 0°C. If Serissa japonica freezes, it is extremely easy for it to die.
5. Soil: Serissa japonica is not strict about soil requirements, and grows best in loose soil with good water permeability and aeration.
Precautions for Serissa japonica
1. Frequent topdressing: Besides normal fertilizing, also frequently carry out foliar topdressing. During the growing season, topdress 3 to 4 times, spraying leaves with a 1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution to regulate pH and increase plant nutrition.
2. Avoid exposure to the sun: In summer, place the plant in a cool place. You can use small-hole nylon mesh or plastic window screening to build a half-light shade shed, which maintains ventilation while also absorbing scattered light.
3. Pay attention to ventilation: When placed indoors for care, increase ventilation, otherwise branches will grow leggy, leaf color will turn yellow, and a large number of lower leaves will fall off.
4. Repotting needed in spring: Every March, Serissa japonica can be moved outdoors. Before that, repot with leaf mold soil, and use hoof and horn pieces at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer.
Common diseases of Serissa japonica and solutions
1. Snails
Snails generally cause serious damage in May—June, when Serissa japonica is about to enter its flowering period. They cause damage to leaves and stems, leading to leaf fall, weakened growth of Serissa japonica, and threatening the entire plant.
Control method: Spray-kill with 58% Fenglei Ji emulsifiable concentrate at 1500 times dilution. Sometimes root rot occurs. At the initial stage, use 12% copper abietate emulsifiable concentrate at 600—1000 times dilution, or 50% Genfuling at 800 times dilution to drench roots and spray leaves for control, spraying (drenching) once every 3—5 days, continuously spraying (drenching) 3—4 times.
2. Scale insects
Scale insects are of the mealybug type, with very strong reproductive ability, and can reproduce multiple generations each year. May is the peak period for reproduction. Damage mostly occurs on leaf edges or the underside of leaves, but also sometimes on the leaf surface. Scale insects pierce leaves with their mouthparts and suck the sap of Serissa japonica leaves. In mild cases, leaves turn yellow and age, affecting the plant's growth. In severe cases, leaves gradually wither and fall, until the entire plant dies.
Control method: Spray with 40% omethoate at 1000 times dilution, or 50% dichlorvos at 1000 times dilution, or 2.5% deltamethrin at 3000 times dilution for control, spraying once every 7—10 days, continuously spraying 2—3 times.
Serissa japonica is relatively simple to cultivate, but if you want it to grow well, good care is the key factor. It is especially afraid of sun exposure, so it must be in a cool environment. In addition, pest control is also very important. You cannot let pests damage the plant itself, or all our efforts will be wasted, so be sure to pay attention.