What are the cultivation methods and precautions for Anthurium?

Anthurium is a plant in the genus Anthurium of the Araceae family, also known as flamingo flower and tailflower. Because its spathe is bright scarlet and closely resembles a fiery goose palm, people also give it the elegant names fire crane red, red goose palm, and goose palm red. So for the good-looking Anthurium, how to care for it is very important, so what precautions should be taken during cultivation?

Anthurium has short flower stems and is not suitable for cut flowers; it is mainly grown in small to medium pots. When it blooms in spring, the green leaves paired with the bright red and glossy spathe are very beautiful. The spathe can last 50-60 days or longer, making it an excellent potted flower; when not in bloom, it is also a very good foliage plant. It is often used to beautify and decorate homes, living rooms, and meeting rooms.

Choosing a Flower Pot

(1) Pot material requirements: In production, dark red plastic pots are mostly used. To coordinate with home decor, plastic flower pots in varying colors can be used for cultivation.

(2) Pot size: When divided seedlings or tissue-cultured seedlings of Anthurium have 2 leaves, they can be transplanted into pots with a diameter of 9 cm, with 1 plant per pot. Once the pot is full, they can be planted into pots with a diameter of 16-20 cm.

Potting Soil Preparation

Anthurium prefers soil rich in humus, fertile, loose, and well-drained. In production, peat soil or leaf mold plus 1/3 perlite is mostly used. At home, the following formula can be used: peat soil : leaf mold : sand : perlite = 4:2:2:2.

Watering Method

Anthurium prefers moist to wet soil and higher air humidity. During the peak growth seasons of spring, summer, and autumn, keep the potting soil moist, and at the same time frequently mist its leaves and the surrounding area to increase air humidity. When the temperature drops to around 18°C in late autumn, gradually reduce water supply so that the potting soil remains moist. Winter is the flowering season, so water cannot be lacking, but because winter temperatures are lower, watering should not be excessive; keeping the potting soil moist is enough. At the same time, because indoor air humidity is relatively low, attention should be paid to misting its leaves and the surrounding area several times. If placed in an air-conditioned room, the number of mistings should be increased. During flowering, be careful not to spray water onto the flowers.

Fertilizing Method

Anthurium likes fertilizer but cannot tolerate concentrated fertilizer. Do not fertilize when temperatures are low in late autumn, winter, and early spring. In spring, after new leaves appear, begin topdressing. Every 10 days, apply once a mixture of fully decomposed 10-fold liquid fertilizer with an equal amount of 1000-fold monopotassium phosphate solution, or 1000-fold “Huaduoduo” general-purpose fertilizer. Stop fertilizing after the temperature drops to 15°C in late autumn.

Four-Season Management

(1) Spring Management

When the spring temperature stabilizes above 15°C, repot (young plants are repotted once a year; mature plants are generally repotted once every 2-3 years). After they survive, move them to a suitable light location for gr

owing.

Anthurium fears direct strong light and prefers semi-shade. In early spring, when the temperature does not exceed 25%, it should be placed in a location with sufficient light for cultivation. In late spring, it should be moved to a semi-shaded place for cultivation. Anthurium has a very long flowering period and can bloom continuously under suitable conditions. If it is placed in a dark indoor location for a long time, it will affect subsequent flowering, and the leaves will easily lose their luster. The petioles of new leaves will also easily become leggy and elongated, causing the plant shape to become loose and scattered.

When the spring temperature is above 20°C, Anthurium begins to grow new leaves. After new leaves appear, begin topdressing. In the early stage of leaf emergence, the potting soil should preferably be moist. After the leaves emerge, increase the amount of watering to keep the potting soil moist.

(2) Summer Management

Anthurium grows in high-temperature, high-humidity tropical rainforests, so summer is the peak growth season for Anthurium. In terms of management, the soil should be kept moist, attention should be paid to supplementing air humidity, and fertilizer should be applied regularly. However, Anthurium fears strong light, so it should be placed in a brightly lit indoor spot or a semi-shaded courtyard for cultivation. When placed indoors, because indoor air humidity is relatively low and cannot meet its air humidity requirements, its surroundings and leaves should be frequently misted and sprinkled with water. In summer, it is best not to place Anthurium in an air-conditioned room for cultivation.

(3) Autumn Management

When the temperature is relatively high in early autumn, management is the same as in summer. After the autumn temperature becomes cool, morning and evening light can be appropriately increased or the plant can be placed in a semi-shaded area for cultivation; other management is the same as in summer. As the temperature decreases, light can be gradually increased.

When the autumn temperature drops to 20°C, Anthurium cultivated in the courtyard should be promptly moved indoors to a location with light or to a windowsill for cultivation. Pay attention to maintaining indoor temperature and gradually reduce the frequency of watering so that the potting soil remains moist. When placed indoors, pay attention to supplementing indoor air humidity. Stop fertilizing when the temperature drops below 18°C.

(4) Winter Management

Anthurium is not cold-tolerant. In winter, the indoor temperature should be kept above 15°C; otherwise it cannot bloom. If the temperature is below 10°C, Anthurium is prone to cold damage.

Sufficient light is beneficial for Anthurium blooming. When light is sufficient, Anthurium blooms more and the flower color is more vivid. Therefore, potted plants should be placed on a windowsill with light for cultivation. However, when light is strong, the leaf color easily turns yellow, which is not good for ornamental value, so the strong midday light should be shaded. After flowering, the potted plant can be placed in a brightly lit room for viewing.

When the winter indoor temperature is kept at 15—20°C, the potting soil should be kept moist, fertilizing should continue, and at noon the Anthurium leaves and surrounding area should be misted several times to increase indoor air humidity. If indoor air conditioning is used for heating, it will reduce indoor air humidity, so the Anthurium leaves and surrounding area should be misted and sprinkled with water at regular times to increase air humidity.

(5) Flowering Period Management

Ensure sufficient morning and evening light, keep the indoor temperature above 15°C, keep the potting soil moist, and pay attention to fertilizing to provide nutrients and ensure subsequent blooming.

Pruning Method

(1) During the growth period, promptly prune away withered yellow leaves and diseased leaves.

(2) When the leaves are too dense, appropriately thin out some old leaves. Pruning old leaves can also promote the growth of new leaves.

Precautions

For potting soil, it is best to use a culture soil mixed from 6 parts leaf mold, 3 parts river sand (or perlite), and 1 part fully decomposed organic fertilizer such as cow manure or chicken manure. When potting, fill the bottom of the pot with soft crushed brick pieces or similar materials to a depth of 1/4 to 1/3 to facilitate drainage of the potting soil.

Mature plants are repotted once every 2-3 years. When repotting, remove the old soil and replace it with new culture soil, and combine this with division propagation. During the growth season, apply liquid fertilizer once every 10-15 days. Be careful to maintain sufficient moisture in the potting soil, and frequently spray water on the leaf surface and the ground around the pot to increase air humidity, but do not spray water onto the flowers, so as not to affect flowering quality. In spring and autumn, appropriate shading should be provided. Let it receive light in the morning and evening; in summer, about 50%-70% of sunlight can be shaded; in winter, greenhouse cultivation does not require shading. At home, it can be placed near a south-facing window.

Propagation Methods

Anthurium is commonly propagated by division and cuttings.

(1) Division Propagation

In April-May, remove the plant from the pot after flowering, cut off side shoots with aerial roots, and pot them separately to become new plants. The divided daughter plants should have at least 3-4 leaves.

(2) Cutting Propagation

Cut off relatively old branches, remove the leaves, and use every 1-2 nodes as a cutting. Insert them upright or flat in river sand, vermiculite, or perlite, and keep the temperature at 25-35°C. Roots and new shoots can grow in about 30 days. Anthurium cultivated in a high-temperature environment can produce seeds after artificial pollination. After collecting the seeds, sow them immediately at a temperature of 25-30°C, and they can germinate in about 15 days.