Bear's Paw Leaf Cutting Propagation Method and Precautions

Bear's Paw (Cotyledon tomentosa) is a succulent variety, and it grows best in a warm, well-ventilated environment. Bear's Paw is currently grown in many parts of China, and it is one of the more popular flowers. So when many people grow it, they are not particularly clear about some methods and precautions.

How to Propagate Bear's Paw (Leaf Cutting Method)

Leaf cutting propagation: Comparatively speaking, leaf cutting of Bear's Paw belongs to first-level advanced propagation. Unlike other succulents, leaf cutting of Bear's Paw has a certain degree of difficulty. But once you grasp the key points, you can still propagate it easily:

1. The right amount of leaves: The key to successful leaf cutting lies in the quality of the leaves. Choose healthy leaves with intact growth points. If a leaf is damaged, do not bother with leaf cutting. In addition, if you often pick off aged, diseased leaves for propagation, do not even think about succeeding.

2. Soil quality: Good soil is pure vermiculite or somewhat loose soil. With yellow mud soil, the flowers you can get to root are absolutely green fingers.

3. Sunlight and water: During leaf cutting, do not give direct light; it must be placed in a cool, shaded place. Before seedlings emerge and roots form, giving water is strictly forbidden. If during leaf cutting you find that a leaf has black rot, remove it promptly, otherwise it will infect a whole ring of surrounding leaves. Finally, just wait for heaven to favor you and give your leaf cuttings a higher survival rate.

Precautions for Leaf Cutting Propagation of Bear's Paw

1. Bear's Paw is best propagated in spring and autumn, when the temperature is about 23 degrees. At this time Bear's Paw is in its growth period, which can ensure the success rate of propagation.

2. When propagating Bear's Paw, choose healthy branches with plump leaves, cut the branches below the 4-6th pair of leaves on the plant, and let the wounds of the branches dry in a cool, ventilated place.

3. Insert the branches with dried wounds into the soil, and place them in a cool, ventilated place to wait for rooting, because at this time the branches have no roots, and exposure to strong sun will cause a large amount of water in the leaves to evaporate, causing the plant to dry out. For the soil used for branch cuttings, it is best to choose a mixed soil of vermiculite + perlite + peat soil, as this facilitates rooting of the plant.

4. After the branches have rooted, you can carry out normal watering management. The next thing is to wait to harvest a big tray of bear paws.

Care Tips for Bear's Paw

Plant shape: Repot every spring. When the plant height is 15 cm, it must be pinched back to encourage branching. When the plant grows too tall, it needs pruning to lower the plant shape. After 4-5 years, it should be re-propagated by cuttings to refresh it.

Watering: During the growth period, water once every 2 weeks to keep the potting soil moist. During high summer temperatures, mist around the plant. In winter, it enters the dormant period, and the potting soil should be kept dry.

Fertilizing: Fertilize once a month. Use diluted cake fertilizer water or "Huiyou" 15-15-30 special fertilizer for potted flowers. If there is insufficient light and too much fertilizer and water, the stem nodes will elongate.

Pests and Treatment Methods for Bear's Paw

The pests of Bear's Paw include scale insects and whiteflies. Because the surface of Bear's Paw has many fuzzy white hairs, and scale insects and whiteflies are relatively small, when there are few pests it is difficult to notice them without careful observation. The pests are on the leaves of Bear's Paw, sucking sap from the branches and leaves, forming wounds and causing slowed plant growth. In a humid environment, the wounds are extremely prone to infection by fungal diseases, producing a chain of damage.

Treatment method: Once pests are found, rinse promptly with clean water. When there are few pests, they can also be scraped off with a bamboo strip. Then, use 40 percent omethoate emulsifiable concentrate diluted 1000 times and spray it on the plant surface.

There are many propagation methods for Bear's Paw, among which the most commonly used is leaf cutting propagation. In fact, as long as you master the method, it is still relatively simple. One of the most important points is to ensure its temperature. Only when propagation is carried out at a suitable temperature can its survival rate be guaranteed.