How to Grow a Bird of Paradise? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods
The bird of paradise (Strelitzia) is a highly ornamental plant, especially once it blooms, making it an excellent choice whether as a landscaping plant or for home cultivation. So learning how to grow a bird of paradise is actually a good choice, especially for flower growers who need to know more about it - who knows, it could be a new money-making opportunity
1. Preparing the soil
Cultivation starts from breeding, so those who buy seedlings directly can skip this step. The bird of paradise has relatively thick roots, the so-called fleshy roots, which have a strong requirement for soil permeability. So the soil prepared by flower growers must have the following characteristics: first, permeability - if the soil is highly sticky, materials like sand can be mixed in to improve permeability; second, fertility - the bird of paradise grows very fast, and insufficient soil fertility will severely limit its growth, so flower growers need to mix in about half decomposed soil, with humus soil from forests being the first choice
2. Light and temperature control after seedling emergence
Sunlight is the growth catalyst after the bird of paradise emerges, so let it get plenty of sun when there is sunlight; a greenhouse with good light transmission is best. The scorching midday sun is something the bird of paradise dislikes, so shade it at that time. Apart from the midday sun, it can basically be exposed to sunlight throughout the other time periods. The temperature should not drop below zero, as this will harm the bird of paradise; at temperatures above 10°C it will grow automatically. So the greenhouse for growing bird of paradise can be sealed in winter to help with heat preservation.
3. Controlling fertilizer and water during the growing period
After the initial settling period, it enters its period of rapid development, and at this time flower growers need to pay attention to fertilizer and water. Watering in spring and autumn is about moistening the plant, in summer it is about preserving moisture and cooling down, and in winter it is about its survival. So in spring and autumn, keeping the soil half-moist is enough; in summer, besides keeping the soil moist, you also need to protect the parent plant from high temperatures, so summer watering should use a spraying method, starting from the plant; in winter, simply spread the water evenly over the soil. As for fertilizer, it depends on the type used: if it is liquid fertilizer, control it to once every 10 days after seedling emergence; if it is organic fertilizer, control it to 1-2 times a month.
4. Good care in the later stage
Later care mainly involves two aspects: changing pots and soil. At this point, flower growers who have not sold their plants can basically only sell them as landscaping plants, so they need to switch to larger pots and new fertile soil, so that the bird of paradise will continue to grow. Of course, cleaning up the plant is also necessary, as this can prevent diseases to a certain extent; it mainly involves clearing away discarded and diseased parts to keep it healthy.
Overall, the bird of paradise is still relatively easy to grow, and those interested can try growing it themselves. Of course, you can also grow a small number of them to see how the sales prospects are.