How to Propagate Ixora by Cuttings? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cutting Method
Ixora is a very common flower in the southern regions of China. It has very high ornamental value and a great many varieties, making it suitable for pot cultivation. Moreover, the roots and stems of Ixora can also be used as medicine, with various medicinal effects such as dispersing blood stasis and stopping bleeding, regulating menstruation and lowering blood pressure. And when planting Ixora, the propagation method is very important, among which cuttings are the main method. So how should Ixora be propagated by cuttings? Let's take a look at the cutting method for Ixora together with the editor below!
1. Factors Affecting Cutting Rooting
When we propagate Ixora by cuttings, we must first understand the factors that affect the rooting of Ixora cuttings. The suitable seedbed temperature for Ixora cuttings is around 30 degrees, and the air temperature should be controlled at around 24 degrees. Therefore, it is best to carry out cuttings in late spring and summer. Usually, natural light can meet the light requirements for cutting rooting. However, under the high-temperature and strong-light conditions of summer, the cuttings are prone to wilting. So it is best to use mist propagation for seedling raising, and after cutting, shading work should be done well. It is best to keep the shading rate at around 60%, then gradually reduce it to 45%, and finally remove the shading material after rooting.
2. Cutting the Cuttings
The quality of the cuttings has a very large influence on the growth ability of the seedlings. Therefore, we should select excellent cuttings. In spring and summer, the plant will send out more young shoots. At this time, when the young shoots grow to about 10 cm and have not yet bloomed, cut them. This should be done in the evening of a sunny day, and it must be ensured that the cuttings are free of pests and diseases, have no wounds, and are robust and uniform in size. The weight should be controlled at around 4 g, and the length should be kept within the range of 11-13 cm. The branches must not be too tender; they should be in a semi-hardened state. Usually, side branches are the main choice, and the main branch during heavy pruning can also be selected.
3. Treatment of Cuttings
Ixora has a great many varieties, and the rooting rate will differ among varieties. Usually, if it is a small-leaved dwarf variety, then rooting is relatively easy. So this kind of variety can root fairly quickly even without treatment. On the contrary, if the cutting variety is the large-leaved type, then rooting is relatively difficult. Therefore, before cutting, we should use rooting agents such as indolebutyric acid to treat the cuttings, which can effectively improve the rooting rate. During treatment, generally, soaking with a low-concentration rooting agent for a longer time or dipping briefly in a high-concentration one is the main method.
4. Substrate Selection
The cutting substrate has a great relationship with the rooting rate of the cuttings. The cutting substrate must ensure good water and fertilizer retention, permeability, and be clean and free of pathogens. Generally, materials such as perlite and river sand can be used to prepare it. If river sand is used alone, although its permeability is strong, its water and fertilizer retention is very poor, so attention should be paid to mixing it with perlite. After preparing the cutting substrate, insert the cuttings directly into the substrate, then water to keep the substrate moist. After about 40 days, the cuttings can root, and 10 days after rooting, they can be transplanted.
The above is a brief introduction to the cutting method for Ixora. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!