How to grow potted bird of paradise flowers? A detailed guide to the latest care methods

The bird of paradise flower is also known as the crane flower, paradise bird flower, and so on. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Strelitzia in the family Strelitziaceae. It is cultivated in parks and flower gardens in major cities in southern China, while in the north it is cultivated in greenhouses. It stays evergreen year-round, with large, graceful leaves and unusual flower shapes. It can be planted in clumps at courtyard corners to add scenery to courtyards and as accents in flowerbeds and flower borders. Now let us take a look at how to grow potted bird of paradise flowers!

Growth habits of the bird of paradise flower

The bird of paradise flower is native to southern Africa and is a subtropical long-day plant. It likes a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight. It fears severe cold, and dislikes intense heat, drought, and waterlogging. It requires loose, fertile sandy loam with good drainage and a pH of 6 to 7. The suitable temperature during the growing period is 20 to 28°C. It is cultivated in parks and flower gardens in major cities in southern China, while in the north it is cultivated in greenhouses.

Propagation methods of the bird of paradise flower

1. Sowing: Under ordinary cultivation conditions, the bird of paradise flower must be hand-pollinated to set seed. Before sowing, select seeds that are large and plump, with smooth seed coats, fresh, undamaged, and free of pests and diseases. Soak the seeds in warm water at 30 to 40°C for 4 to 5 days, then disinfect them for 5 minutes with a 5% benzalkonium bromide solution diluted 1000 times. The sowing time is from May to July. Use spot sowing, cover with 1 to 1.5 cm of soil, water, and then cover with plastic film to keep warm and moist. The suitable germination temperature is 25 to 30°C. After sowing, they will germinate in 15 to 20 days and emerge gradually.

2. Division: Division propagation of the bird of paradise flower is carried out in early spring from February to March, when repotting and changing the soil. Take the plant out of the flowerpot, gently remove the old soil around the outer edge of the root ball, and do not break the fleshy roots. Let it dry in a shaded place for 1 to 2 days. After the root system softens, use a sharp knife to cut off the offset shoots growing around it from the gaps between the roots, keeping roots attached, so that each small clump has 2 to 3 buds, and each bud has 2 to 3 fleshy roots. Apply plant ash to the cut surfaces so they dry and form a protective layer, then replant them in wooden barrels, ceramic vats, or deep white plastic pots.

Cultivation methods for the bird of paradise flower

1. Potting soil: The bird of paradise flower has thick fleshy roots, so you can mix 5 parts leaf mold or peat soil, 3 parts garden soil, 1 part decomposed manure soil, and 1 part coarse sand. If the prepared growing soil has poor permeability and aeration, and watering is excessive, it is very easy to cause root rot. Its root system is well developed and grows quickly, so it needs to be repotted in time.

2. Temperature: The bird of paradise flower likes a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment. The suitable growing temperature is 12°C to 25°C, and the winter room temperature should be kept above 5°C. It is suitable for growing in loose, deep humus soil. Its natural flowering period is autumn and winter. If temperature, light, fertilizer, and water are suitable, it can bloom in all four seasons, and each flower can remain open for more than a month.

3. Watering: Water the bird of paradise flower by the principle of watering when dry and stopping when wet. In summer, watering should be sufficient. In spring and summer, also frequently spray water on the leaf surfaces and sprinkle water on the ground around the flowerpot to increase air humidity and create a cool environment, which is beneficial to its growth and development. After late autumn, reduce watering. In winter, control watering and keep the potting soil somewhat dry.

4. Fertilizing: During the growing period, the bird of paradise flower requires a dilute fertilizer solution once every half month. For home cultivation, it is best to water it with fermented rice-washing water or soybean soaking liquid. From flower stem formation to full bloom, you can add 0.5% superphosphate to the fertilizer solution, which will make the flower colors more brilliant.

5. Light: The bird of paradise flower needs no less than 4 hours of direct light every day, and ideally bright light all day. Take some protective measures when the sunlight is strong. In winter, the main flowering period, sufficient sunlight helps increase flower production. Light regulation emphasizes the management principle of “not shaded in winter, not exposed in summer.” Under shading, the plant's leaves look more beautiful, but the number of flowers will be somewhat lower.

Pest and disease control for the bird of paradise flower

1. Anthracnose: It harms leaves and stems. The lesions are round, with red-brown lines around the edges and a flat brownish-gray center. When conditions are suitable, conidia spread by splashing water and invade through wounds, and the disease occurs easily when humidity is high. When diseased leaves are found, cut them off along the edges. You can also remove diseased leaves and burn or bury them deeply. Spray with 25% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution or 40% sulfur-carbendazim suspension.

2. Root rot: When root rot is found, disinfect the soil and control watering in time, remove the rotten roots, and spread quicklime in the soil or disinfect the soil with 70% quintozene. In the early stage of the disease, alternately spray the plants or drench the roots with 50% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 800 times dilution, or 50% benomyl wettable powder at 1000 times dilution, or 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 500 times dilution, spraying once every 10 days.

3. Wilt disease: The vascular bundles of affected plants are infected, and symptoms generally appear only at the mature plant stage. In the early stage, leaves appear dehydrated or show yellow patches, net-veined faded spots, and so on. Severely diseased plants lose their leaves one after another, and eventually the whole plant dies. Remove diseased residues and burn them in a centralized manner. In the early stage of the disease, spray with 72% agricultural streptomycin soluble powder at 4000 times dilution or zhongshengmycin at 4000 times dilution, spraying once every 10 days for 2 to 3 consecutive applications.

4. Leaf spot: When diseased plants are found, remove them in time, burn them in a centralized manner, cut off diseased leaves, and smear wounds or cut surfaces with 30% basic copper sulfate suspension. In the early stage of the disease, spray the leaf surfaces with 30% basic copper sulfate suspension at 400 times dilution or 70% zineb wettable powder at 500 times dilution once every 10 days for 2 to 3 consecutive applications.

5. Gray mold: During the disease period, spray for control with 80% captafol wettable powder at 500 times dilution, or 75% chlorothalonil at 500 times dilution, thiophanate-methyl at 500 to 800 times dilution, 50% carbendazim at 1000 times dilution, 50% iprodione wettable powder at 1500 times dilution, or 60% kangjunling wettable powder at 500 times dilution.

6. Greenhouse whitefly: Taking advantage of the strong tendency of greenhouse whitefly toward yellow, use sticky oil on yellow boards to trap and kill them, or spray with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution. Because the insects are on the undersides of the leaves, be sure to spray the leaf undersides thoroughly when applying the pesticide.

7. Carmine spider mite: Affected leaves first show small yellowish-white spots. In severe cases, the leaves curl, turn yellow, and fall off, affecting growth or preventing flowering. Adult mites are 0.5 to 0.6 mm long. Female mites are oval, vermilion to rust-red, or dark brown. Male mites are slightly diamond-shaped, pale yellow, and slightly smaller. They like to gather on the undersides of leaves to feed. This pest is prone to outbreaks in hot, dry seasons. Use 20% dicofol emulsifiable concentrate at 800 times dilution, or 73% propargite at 2000 times dilution.

8. White shield scale: Adults and nymphs fix themselves on stems and leaves and pierce and suck leaf sap, causing leaves to lose green color, show yellow spots, and branches and leaves to turn black, leading to early falling and even death. Cut off and burn infested leaves, or scrape the insects off the leaves with a knife. For newly hatched larvae, use 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution for control. In summer, when temperatures are high and it is the active period of scale insects, use 10% imidacloprid powder at 2000 times dilution for control.