How should you grow a Bear's Paw (Cotyledon tomentosa) so it thrives?
Bear's Paw (Cotyledon tomentosa) is an angiosperm succulent in the Crassulaceae family, genus Cotyledon. Its leaves are covered with fine hairs and resemble a bear's paws. It is native to Namibia in Africa. The usual market price is 14 to 20 yuan for 4 leaves and 30 to 50 yuan for 30 leaves. It easily dies in high summer temperatures, and keeping it at 5°C in winter is enough for it to survive the winter safely. Now let's take a look at how to grow Bear's Paw well!
Growth habits of Bear's Paw
Bear's Paw rather likes sunlight, but it goes dormant when summer temperatures are too high. It prefers a warm, dry, sunny and well-ventilated environment, and dislikes cold and excessive moisture. When summer temperatures exceed 35°C during its summer dormancy, watering should be reduced to prevent root rot caused by overly wet potting soil. At the same time, it should be shaded appropriately to prevent the scorching sun from burning the sun-facing leaves and leaving scars that affect its overall ornamental value.
Propagation methods for Bear's Paw
Bear's Paw is mainly propagated by cuttings. During the growing season, choose cuttings with short stem nodes and thick, plump leaves, 5 cm to 7 cm long, with the top stem node being the best. Let the cut surface dry slightly, then insert it into a sand bed. It roots about 20 to 25 days after insertion and can be potted up after 30 days. The branches can also be inserted directly into garden soil. Unlike other Crassulaceae plants, Bear's Paw, although easy to root from leaf cuttings, rarely produces shoots, so leaf cuttings are generally not used for propagation.
How do you grow Bear's Paw well?
1. Temperature: After moving Bear's Paw into a new pot, you should always pay attention to keeping its growing environment dry and ensure it gets plenty of sunlight. Note, however, that the growing temperature for Bear's Paw should not exceed 35°C, because at this point the plant's growth goes into a paused state.
2. Light: Bear's Paw needs full sunlight during the growing season. With sufficient sunlight, the leaves become thick and plump; if it is too shady, the stems and leaves become thin and weak. In the heat of midsummer, shade it appropriately, but too much shade makes the stems and leaves weak and the hairs lose their luster. It is not cold-hardy, so in winter move it indoors for care and place it by a window with plenty of sunlight.
3. Watering: Bear's Paw rather likes dry soil. If the surrounding environment is fairly humid, reduce the frequency of watering to prevent the roots from becoming overly moist and developing root rot. When watering Bear's Paw, water a little at a time; watering twice a month is enough. Try to keep the watering time around seven o'clock in the evening.
4. Repotting: As Bear's Paw grows, a small pot can no longer meet its growth needs, so it should generally be repotted once every one to two years, preferably in spring during the growing season. Before repotting, prepare new soil in the new pot. The new soil should have medium fertility and good drainage; you can mix coarse sand, vermiculite, garden soil and leaf mold evenly. Because Bear's Paw is drought-tolerant and not tolerant of waterlogging, only a small amount of water is needed at the time of repotting.
5. Pests and diseases: Wilt disease and leaf spot disease are two conditions that commonly affect Bear's Paw. Wilt disease can make Bear's Paw's leaves turn yellow and wither, and in severe cases it can be fatal. Leaf spot disease causes various irregular spots to appear on Bear's Paw's leaves and affects its ornamental value. To prevent and control these two diseases, you can dilute 50 g of captan 800 times and spray it on the surface of the plant. The insect pests of Bear's Paw include scale insects and whiteflies; you can dilute 40 percent omethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times and spray it on the surface of the plant.