How to Grow Monilaria moniliforme and Drosanthemum, Care Tips and How They Differ

Aizoon is an edible herbaceous plant. Because its taste is very similar to spinach, many people like to call it "foreign spinach". Drosanthemum is a fairly common succulent that clusters easily and has a very small, cute appearance. Gardening friends often call it "little rabbit", and it is very easy to love. Do you want to grow a pot of this cute "little succulent" too? Come and learn how to grow it with me.

How to Grow the Succulent Aizoon and Care Tips

1. How to Grow the Succulent Aizoon

1. Light

Drosanthemum likes warm sunlight, but it cannot be exposed to full sun, so in summer be sure to shade the seedlings and give them ventilation. When the weather is very hot, you can spray some water around them to keep the air humid, and you can place a water tray at the bottom of the pot to keep the base of the pot moist. In the cold winter, Drosanthemum should also enjoy plenty of light; move it to a corner where it can see sunlight, and at the same time pay attention to keeping the potting soil moist.

2. Fertilizing

Fertilize Drosanthemum one to two months after the seeds germinate. During fertilizing, be careful to dilute the purchased fertilizer as much as possible, and choose to fertilize by soaking irrigation; not fertilizing at first is also fine. After the Drosanthemum seedlings come up, in order for the young plants to absorb enough nutrients for growth, they should be divided into separate pots in good time. Also note: do not water the seedlings immediately after dividing them; water only after one week.

3. Soil

The soil used for sowing Drosanthemum is loose and breathable in texture, and for care it needs soil with good water retention. It is best to use a mixed soil; the mixed soil can be made by mixing nutrient soil, coal ash, sand, plant ash and perlite in a ratio of 4:4:2:1:1. Alternatively, nutrient soil, vermiculite and perlite can be mixed in a ratio of 4:6:1.

2. Care Tips

Succulent plants themselves are basically made up of water. A plant that can store water itself can survive even if it is not watered much. On the contrary, if it is given too much water, it cannot hold the excess moisture and will rot, slowly withering away. Therefore, every time you water, pay attention to observing the state of the plant.

The Difference Between Monilaria moniliforme and Drosanthemum

1. Form

Monilaria moniliforme form: the leaves are semi-transparent with a grainy feel, and it has stems and clusters easily. The flowers are usually white, the fruit is ingot-shaped, and there are 50-150 seeds. The stem is thick, fleshy and jointed. The leaves are fleshy and have two forms: during the growing period the leaves are slender and opposite, often not joined; the dormant leaves are short and thick, hemispherical in shape, with the opposite leaves highly joined.

Drosanthemum form: a perennial fleshy small shrub, with very fleshy, opposite, club-shaped leaves covered with a layer of transparent, reflective bumps. The young stems are green, while the old stems are dark red or brown; the perennial branches tend to become woody, and there is no obvious dormant period.

2. Growth Habits

Monilaria moniliforme: grows extremely slowly, and throughout its life it has only one pair of fleshy leaves shaped like rabbit ears; the old plant has a tuberous root. In high temperatures it enters a dormant state and the leaves wither, and it has no branches.

Drosanthemum: the leaves are opposite and shaped like a little rabbit, but these leaves grow on the branches, unlike Monilaria moniliforme, whose leaves grow on the tuberous root, so they are fairly easy to tell apart.

How to Care for Drosanthemum Through the Four Seasons

1. Summer Care

Summer is an important season for growing Drosanthemum. Drosanthemum is fairly afraid of rain and also fairly afraid of high temperatures and muggy heat. In summer, temperatures are generally very high, so Drosanthemum often enters dormancy. At this time, generally place the Drosanthemum plant in a semi-shaded spot, or shade it; be sure to stop watering and fertilizing, and prevent rain from hitting it.

2. Winter Care

For Drosanthemum, winter is a fairly hard season to get through. The suitable temperature for Drosanthemum growth is between 15°C and 25°C, so in winter the first thing is to keep the temperature relatively high. The next thing is light. In winter, place Drosanthemum in a spot indoors with plenty of light. If it overwinters outdoors, be sure to wrap the plant, but at midday you need to uncover it so it can breathe.

3. Spring and Autumn Care

In spring and autumn, because the climate conditions are fairly similar, the methods for growing Drosanthemum are still much the same. However, these two seasons themselves have a climate fairly suitable for plant growth, so during care there is no need for special attention; just keep direct light.

In autumn, Drosanthemum is generally sown, keeping the temperature between 15°C and 30°C.

Sowing and Propagating Drosanthemum

1. Direct Sowing of Seeds

The fruit skin of Aizoon is fairly hard and thick, and the seeds do not easily absorb water and germinate; without treatment, germination takes about 15-90 days. So, in order to speed up seed germination, a common method before sowing is to mix the Aizoon seeds with 1-2 times their volume of sand grains, grind them, then soak them in warm water at 40°C-45°C for 20-30 hours, and then place them in a 25°C environment with moisture to force germination. Then sow when the seeds have slightly swollen and split open.

If direct sowing of seeds is used, generally two methods are adopted: spot sowing or drill sowing. If the drill sowing method is used, the sowing row spacing is 50 cm. After sowing, cover with a layer of fine soil, then start by watering a little, and that is enough. 2. Raising Seedlings and Transplanting

If raising seedlings and transplanting, generally a cold frame is used for raising seedlings. The seedling-raising method is basically the same as the drill sowing method, except that no rows need to be left; the entire frame surface should be broadcast evenly. When the seedlings have grown 7-8 true leaves and the temperature is stable above 12°C, they can be transplanted and planted out. Raising seedlings and transplanting saves a fair amount of seed; only 300 grams of seed raised into seedlings is enough for one mu of land. The transplanting plant spacing is 30 cm and the row spacing is 40 cm.

The above is a general introduction to Aizoon from the editor, and I hope it helps everyone. Growing the succulent Aizoon is not very difficult; it likes a warm growing environment, and during the growing process you should still give plenty of light, but avoid exposing it to full sun.