Ping'an Tree (Lanyu Cinnamon) Care Guide: Precautions and How to Handle Yellowing, Drooping Leaves

The Ping'an tree, originally named Lanyu cinnamon (Cinnamomum kotoense); also known as Hongtouyu cinnamon, Hongtoushan cinnamon, Fanglanshan cinnamon, large-leaf cinnamon, Taiwan cinnamon, etc., carries the meaning of peace, good fortune, family happiness and everything going as one wishes, so people often use it to express blessings. Below we introduce Ping'an tree care methods and precautions:

Complete guide to Ping'an tree care methods and precautions

1. Soil selection for growing the Ping'an tree

Potted Ping'an trees need loose, fertile, well-drained acidic soil rich in organic matter. Compacted, heavy soil or insufficient acidity, poor drainage and compacted potting soil can all cause fibrous root rot, leading to yellowing leaves and poor growth. Leaf mold soil can be used. Small Ping'an trees should be repotted once a year, while large ones on average once every 2 to 3 years.

2. Watering methods for growing the Ping'an tree

The Ping'an tree likes moisture. Normally water once half of the soil surface has dried. When the weather is dry, spray or mist the leaves frequently. In winter, water after about half of the potting soil has dried.

The Ping'an tree likes an environment with fairly high air humidity; generally only when relative humidity is above 80% can it grow vigorously. In summer, or in dry autumn, or even when kept indoors in winter, the leaves should be sprayed frequently to create a relatively moist surrounding environment. If water accumulates in the pot, it easily leads to root rot.

3. Fertilizing methods for growing the Ping'an tree

The Ping'an tree fairly likes fertilizer. During the growing season, apply a quick-acting compound fertilizer once a month, and after autumn begins apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizer 1 to 2 times to increase the plant's cold resistance. Applying too much fertilizer, including raw fertilizer, concentrated fertilizer or heavy fertilizer, can burn and kill the fine fibrous roots, causing leaves to turn yellow and drop. The Ping'an tree can be taken out of the pot to carefully check whether the root system has any rot.

If the fibrous roots turn brown and black and are accompanied by an off smell, it proves the root system has rotted. First cut away the rotted fine roots until the cut surface shows fresh fine roots. At the same time cut away part of the branches and leaves, replant in clean, fresh, loose sandy loam, switch from watering to spraying, keep the potting soil moist, and after better roots have been induced, switch again to fertile culture soil for planting.

From spring to autumn, apply a small amount of compound fertilizer granules with nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium = 2:1:1 once a month, and stop fertilizing when temperatures are low in winter.

4. Temperature requirements for growing the Ping'an tree

The suitable growing temperature for the Ping'an tree is 20 to 30°C. Its cold resistance is relatively weak, and it cannot tolerate low temperatures below 0°C, otherwise the bark easily freezes and cracks and the branches and leaves wither, and small trees may freeze to death roots and all. Household potted plants should be kept at a room temperature of about 10°C over winter, which can keep the Ping'an tree evergreen.

5. Light requirements for growing the Ping'an tree

The Ping'an tree's light needs vary with age. When young it tolerates shade, and 3 to 5-year-old plants grow faster under shaded conditions; 6 to 10-year-old plants require fairly ample sunlight. After potted plants enter summer, they should not be given full sunlight. They can be placed under the dense shade of large trees or under a shade frame, given about 50% scattered light, and exposed fully to light in the morning and evening, which gives ideal growth. If the light is too strong, leaves easily turn yellow, affecting the ornamental effect.

6. Four-season management for growing the Ping'an tree

(1) Spring management

Potted Ping'an trees should preferably be moved outdoors around Qingming Festival in spring, but after being moved out attention must still be paid to preventing cold damage from late frost or a cold spell in late spring. In late spring and early summer it is best to shade them by about 30%, keep the potting soil moist but not waterlogged, and keep relative air humidity preferably above 80%.

Besides requiring fertile culture soil and sufficient base fertilizer, potted Ping'an trees can be given a thin liquid fertilizer or compound fertilizer once a month from mid-spring to early autumn. Anthracnose and brown spot disease easily occur in spring; 1% Bordeaux mixture of equal parts can be used for prevention, and a small number of diseased leaves can be removed promptly and burned.

(2) Summer management

With high temperatures and strong light in summer, potted Ping'an trees need 40% to 60% shading. If the light is too strong, leaves easily turn yellow, reducing their ornamental value. Especially for potted plants that have been displayed indoors for a long time, when moved outdoors in summer for restorative care, one must be careful and gradually increase the light, and must not rush, otherwise the leaves are very easily scorched. When the temperature exceeds 32°C, water should also be sprayed frequently on the leaves and around them to increase humidity and lower temperature, so the plant can maintain vigorous growth. Apply a thin liquid fertilizer or compound fertilizer once a month. Leaf-rolling caterpillars are common in summer and can be killed by spraying with pyrethrins.

(3) Autumn management

After autumn begins the temperature gradually drops. Potted Ping'an trees should have watering controlled, gradually reducing the amount of water, and the leaves and their surroundings should be sprayed frequently to increase humidity. After rain, tip the pot promptly to drain water and avoid water accumulating in the potting soil, which causes leaves to turn yellow and drop, or even root rot and death. Before the autumn temperature drops, apply 0.2% to 0.3% monopotassium phosphate solution twice in succession to increase the plant's cold resistance, help young shoots lignify early, and ensure it survives winter safely.

The Ping'an tree is mostly propagated by sowing. Autumn, from September to October, is the suitable period. Ripe purple-black fruits can be collected for sowing; after washing off the fruit skin and flesh, float off the empty shriveled seeds and spread them in a cool place to dry. Seeds can be sown as soon as collected; before sowing soak the seeds in warm water at about 40°C for 30 minutes, or stratify the seeds in wet sand to promote germination before sowing, and they will germinate after 20 to 30 days. When the seedlings grow 3 to 4 true leaves, apply liquid fertilizer once a month, stop fertilizing after autumn, and keep the temperature no lower than 5°C to ensure safe overwintering.

(4) Winter management

Small Ping'an trees cannot tolerate low temperatures and need to be moved indoors promptly for care. The overwintering temperature should be no lower than 5°C. Plants cared for or grown in the open, if they encounter more than 5 days of frost, very easily suffer frozen and cracked bark, withered branches and leaves, or even death of the whole plant. Larger plants can endure short periods of low temperature around 0°C. In winter, watering should be controlled, keeping the soil on the dry side, and all forms of fertilizing should be stopped to prevent fertilizer damage to the roots, which causes leaves to yellow or scorch and drop, making it very hard to restore the plant's original appearance.

7. Precautions for growing the Ping'an tree

(1) Small Ping'an trees should be repotted once a year, and large ones once every 2 years. The suitable repotting period is after being moved outdoors in spring and before budding. Each repotting requires discarding about 1/3 of the old soil and replacing it with loose, fertile new soil and base fertilizer. Normally the surface soil should be loosened once a month. Especially after heavy rain, check the flowerpot promptly; if water is found accumulated in the pot, pour it out as soon as possible and replace with loose potting soil.

(2) The Ping'an tree is prone to brown root disease in autumn. In the early stage of the disease, spray 50% thiophanate-methyl · sulfur suspension concentrate at 800 times dilution or 50% root rot wettable powder at 800 times dilution for control. Severely diseased plants and plants that died from the disease must be pulled out roots and all and burned, and disinfected with carbendazim at 600 times dilution.

Complete guide to Ping'an tree care methods and precautions

Propagation methods for growing the Ping'an tree

The Ping'an tree is mostly propagated by cuttings. Cutting propagation is mostly carried out in spring and summer. Select robust one-year-old tender branches and cut them into 2 to 3-node sections, each node 15 to 18 cm long, as cuttings. The lower cut of the cutting is slanted, and the upper cut is perpendicular to the main stem. Leave 3 to 4 leaves at the tip of the tender branch cutting and cut away 4/5 of each leaf. Insert the prepared cuttings into prepared substrate, and they can take root in about 30 days.

Planting a Ping'an tree at home can both beautify the environment and purify the air, and also carries the meaning of keeping the family safe, so many people like to grow it at home. However, some unexpected problems can arise during growing, such as drooping and yellowing leaves.