How to grow Rhipsalis? Growing methods and precautions
The stems of Rhipsalis are thin and cylindrical, upright, with delicate thread-like plants that stay evergreen all year round; it is shade-tolerant and can be grown as a potted plant for indoor display. It is a very ideal small indoor potted flower. So how do you grow Rhipsalis?
1. Soil: It likes a warm, humid environment and a fertile, loose, well-drained, slightly acidic leaf-mold soil. It is not cold-tolerant; in winter the room temperature needs to be kept at around 10°C, and it needs plenty of sunlight and relatively dry soil. In summer it needs to be placed in semi-shade and kept at relatively high air humidity.
2. Watering: During the summer flowering period it requires high air humidity and needs frequent watering, but it should not be too wet. In spring and autumn, reduce watering, increase misting, and maintain relatively high air humidity. Excessive water and heavy, sticky soil can cause root rot.
3. Environment: In winter, keep a relatively dry environment and control watering appropriately, but do not let the roots dry out. Rhipsalis does not have high light requirements and semi-shade is preferable. If it is too shaded, it will affect bud formation and flowering. Never expose it to direct strong sunlight, otherwise the leaf-like stems will easily turn yellow and wilt, affecting growth.
4. Temperature: The suitable growing temperature for Rhipsalis is 15 to 25°C. In high temperatures it enters a dormant state. It is relatively cold-tolerant and can overwinter safely in winter as long as the temperature is above 5°C. Rhipsalis likes half shade and half sun and is afraid of strong light. In summer it must be shaded and cooled, and the direction should be turned every ten days to half a month to correct the light-facing tendency of the leaf stems so as to keep the shape upright. As it ages, the flower form becomes more beautiful.
5. Plants more than two years old can be given additional bean-cake fertilizer water. Generally, add 10 to 15 times the amount of water to fully rotted liquid fertilizer to dilute it before use. From early spring, water about once every one and a half months. During the high-temperature season from July to September, no fertilizer should be applied, otherwise root rot is likely. After September, apply a slightly stronger fertilizer once, and then no more fertilizer in winter.
6. Propagation: Leaf-like branches are commonly used for cutting propagation, which can be done all year round in a greenhouse, with May to September being the best. Select two-year-old leaf-like branches, cut them off, and leave them in a cool, shady place to dry for two days so that the moisture in the branches is slightly reduced, then insert them into a growing medium mixed with six parts leaf mold and four parts coarse sand. After insertion, place them in semi-shade, keep the air humid, and they will root in 20-30d. You can cut off an entire node as a cutting, or cut one node into several sections.
Rhipsalis is suitable for growing at home. It is beautiful and attractive, and the growing method is also relatively simple. If you like it, you can keep a pot at home.