A Detailed Guide to the Latest Lipstick Plant Care Methods
The lipstick plant gets its name because its leaves are shaped much like a lipstick. It is native to South Africa, and its leaves are thick and fleshy, bright and green. The stems are distinctly angular, and the flowers come in peach red and scarlet red with a pale yellow center, resembling chrysanthemums, with narrow petals. The lipstick plant is not prone to pests and diseases, so it is a very good choice for potted cultivation. So what are the care methods and points to note for the lipstick plant?
How do you grow a lipstick plant?
1. Suitable soil: For the lipstick plant, loose and fertile sandy loam is best, and drainage must be good. The potting soil is best slightly acidic; you can use a potting mix made of peat soil, sand and vermiculite, and add an appropriate amount of superphosphate.
2. Light: It likes a semi-shaded environment. Except for the strong midday sun in midsummer, which should be properly shaded, it should be given plenty of light at other times, especially in winter. If the light at the location is too strong or insufficient, the leaves will easily turn pale green or yellow-green.
3. Temperature: The lipstick plant should be placed in a cool, well-ventilated spot, and care should be taken to maintain environmental humidity. Continuous high temperature and high humidity should be avoided; poor drainage and ventilation will cause rot. The lipstick plant is not cold-tolerant and needs to be brought indoors to overwinter.
4. Watering frequency: The potting soil should be kept moist most of the time, but never let water accumulate in the pot, as this can cause root rot. From March to September, during the peak growth period, the plant needs more water, so water and mist it frequently to increase humidity; as the weather gradually turns cooler in autumn, gradually reduce the amount of watering and fertilizing. In winter, the potting soil should be kept slightly dry.
5. Pruning tips: When growth is vigorous, you can pinch back the tips appropriately to encourage branching. After the flowering period in winter, promptly cut off the spent stems that have already flowered, which can save nutrients, promote new shoots, and help it produce more buds and flowers.
Propagation methods for the lipstick plant
The lipstick plant can be propagated by cuttings. Spring and autumn are the suitable seasons. Select robust, thick stems and cut them into segments 7-10 cm each, then insert them into loose sandy soil, or a potting mix made of 50% fine tree fern fiber, 20% perlite and 30% coarse sand. Keep the humidity appropriate and provide about 50-60% sunlight. After about 30-40 days they will root and become seedlings. Once the root system has grown vigorously, transplant them into pots or a flower bed for cultivation.
When does the lipstick plant bloom?
Above we have been discussing the flowering period of the lipstick plant, so when exactly does the lipstick plant bloom? If the room temperature is suitable, the flowering period of the lipstick plant will be concentrated from December to February of the following year. If the lipstick plant does not bloom at this time, it means the care method must be wrong. It may be due to improper watering and fertilizing, or it could be light, temperature, pest invasion, and so on. In addition, during cultivation the lipstick plant may also show symptoms such as leaf drop; 70% of the time this is because something has gone wrong with watering, and in this season the lipstick plant must not be exposed to strong sun and should be properly shaded.
What uses does the lipstick plant have?
Besides being kept as a potted ornamental and purifying indoor air, the lipstick plant also has certain medicinal value:
1. Treating bruises and injuries: Grind the dried whole plant of the spider plant into powder, take 9 grams per dose, and take it warm with wine.
2. Treating swelling and pain from bruises: Mash the spider plant leaves, stir-fry them with wine until hot, and apply to the affected area.
3. Treating wind-toxin nodules that persist for a long time without dispersing: Wash the fresh whole spider plant including the roots, mix with glutinous rice and a little table salt, mash into a paste, and apply to the affected area.
4. Treating cough from lung heat: Take 30 grams of spider plant root and 30 grams of rock sugar, and decoct in water to take.
In addition, the price of the lipstick plant is very affordable; a potted lipstick plant is about 20-30 yuan, so friends who like growing flowers and plants might consider buying a pot of lipstick plant to take home.