How to grow pocketbook plant? A complete guide to everyday care methods
The pocketbook plant has a very unusual appearance, a long blooming period, and very vivid flower colors, making it an indoor potted flower variety that many flower lovers greatly enjoy. Because the pocketbook plant likes a cool environment, when cultivating it you need to create a suitable environment for it.
Pocketbook plant
In everyday cultivation, the pocketbook plant needs to be kept in a ventilated, cool environment, especially after blooming in spring and in October when the seeds mature; in summer, be sure to provide appropriate shade. During growth, avoid overly wet potting soil, and generally water only when dry. When summer temperatures are high, watering must be controlled even more; high temperatures with excessive moisture will cause root rot and moldy leaves. It is best to mist frequently indoors to increase air humidity. When watering, be careful not to let water strike the plant directly; if water often collects on the leaves and buds, it easily causes rot. During the growing season, apply decomposed liquid fertilizer once every 10 days; at the early flowering stage, apply a fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus; when fertilizing, do not let the fertilizer water soil the leaves.
Everyday care and management of the pocketbook plant
The pocketbook plant likes a cool, moist, ventilated climate environment, fears high heat, avoids cold, and likes light, but during cultivation it must avoid harsh summer sun and needs shade; it grows well under conditions of 7~15C. It is strict about soil, preferring sandy soil rich in humus, avoiding wet soil, with good aeration and drainage conditions, and preferring slightly acidic soil. Vegetative growth occurs above l5C, and below lOC flower bud differentiation can occur after 4~6 weeks.Among various herbaceous flowers, the pocketbook plant has relatively high requirements for the cultivation environment and is quite "delicate," harder to look after than many flowers and plants: it fears cold, fears heat, and also fears moisture. The suitable growth temperature is 13-17°C; if it rises above 25°C, flowering is unfavorable. It also often needs long-day exposure; during the flower bud formation period, it requires 16-18h of light each day. If fluorescent lamps are installed in the greenhouse and lighting is provided day and night, growth and development will be more vigorous and the blooms will be much larger. If light is insufficient, the flowering period will be delayed.
20d after sowing and emergence, when the seedlings are 2.5cm tall, transplant once with soil attached. 30 days after transplanting, when the seedlings are 5cm tall, plant them in 10-15cm pots. A room temperature of 10-12°C is best. If forcing cultivation, supplement light 6-8h per day to make flowering earlier. During the growing period, pay attention to ventilation and shading to prevent pest outbreaks and scorching of the leaves. Fertilize once every half month. Nitrogen fertilizer must not be excessive, otherwise it easily causes spindly stems and leaves and severe crinkling. When flower branches emerge, apply 1-2 additional applications of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. At the same time, side buds in the leaf axils should be removed promptly, otherwise too many lateral flower branches will not only affect the development of the main flower branch but also cause the plant shape to be irregular, lacking commercial value. In large-scale production, when the main bud begins to turn from basal leaves to upward growth, 0.2%-0.3% CCC can be sprayed on the leaf surface 1-2 times to control spindly growth and lower the plant shape.
During the full flowering period, strictly control watering, maintain the room temperature at 8-10°C, and carry out artificial pollination to increase the seed-setting rate. During the seed-setting period, as temperatures gradually rise, adopt cooling measures such as ventilation and shading so the fruit fully matures; otherwise, with high temperature and excessive moisture, the plant will wither and die before the fruit ripens. Potted pocketbook plant is relatively sensitive to moisture; the potting soil must remain moist, especially during the stem and leaf growth period, when the potting soil dries slightly the leaves quickly wilt. But if the potting soil is too wet and the room temperature is too low, the root system easily rots. Never splash water on the leaves when watering, otherwise it very easily causes leaf rot. After flower branches emerge, the potting soil can be slightly dry, but it must not become dehydrated, which helps prevent spindly stems and leaves.
The pocketbook plant is a long-day flower and is relatively sensitive to light. During the seedling stage it needs bright light; the leaves develop robustly and disease resistance is strong, but under strong light provide appropriate shade for protection. If earlier flowering is desired, 14 hours of light can promote flower bud formation, shorten the growing period, and make flowering earlier. The soil should preferably be fertile, loose, well-drained sandy loam. A mixed substrate commonly used consists of culture soil, leaf mold, and fine sand, with a pH of 6.0-6.5.
The soil used for pot sowing must be sterilized at high temperature. When pot sowing, the potting soil should be pressed firm, the seeds gently scattered in and pressed level, without covering with soil; after soaking the pot bottom in water, cover with glass or film, place in partial shade, and germination occurs 7-10 days after sowing. After cotyledons appear, thin or transplant promptly, and pay attention to ventilation and maintaining humidity. Keep the room temperature at 16-18°C.
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The effects and uses of the pocketbook plant: an introduction to how to grow the pocketbook plant
Today the editor recommends a herbaceous plant to everyone! It is the pocketbook plant; I believe anyone who has studied flowers will certainly know this herbaceous plant! The flowers of this plant come in many colors such as red, yellow, purple, and milky white, so when the pocketbook plant blooms its appearance is very beautiful and attractive. But the pocketbook plant not only has ornamental value, it also has decorative value, medicinal value, and so on; probably not many people know this, right? Next the editor will give everyone a detailed introduction!
The effects and uses of the pocketbook plant
1. The ornamental value of the pocketbook plant
The greatest effect of the pocketbook plant is certainly its ornamental value as a plant. The flower shape of the pocketbook plant is rare among flowers and can be said to be unique, so if people want to appreciate it, they can only look at it; there is no substitute flower species, which also confirms the uniqueness and novelty of the pocketbook plant.
2. The decorative value of the pocketbook plant
We have already said that the pocketbook plant is relatively short, so it is more suitable for potted cultivation. Then flowers grown in pots are generally used for decoration; the colorful markings can make our home environment lively as well, filling life with whimsy and natural beauty.
3. The medicinal value of the pocketbook plant
In recent research, the pocketbook plant has also been shown to have a certain medicinal capacity, with good preventive and therapeutic ability for diseases related to human blood, allowing us to stay away from these cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; especially for the daily health care and maintenance of middle-aged and elderly people, it is of great significance, and it is a flower with pharmacological effects.
How to grow the pocketbook plant
1. Care and management
The pocketbook plant is a perennial herbaceous plant, mostly grown as an annual potted flower. The flower shape is unusual and gorgeous, with a two-lipped corolla; the lower lip swells into a pouch shape and bends downward, while the upper lip extends forward. When the flowers are in full bloom, they look like countless little purses hanging from the branch tips, in colors including red, yellow, purple, orange, and milky white as well as various markings, very distinctive. The plant is 20-30 cm tall, and its flowering period falls right around the Spring Festival.
2. Cultivation techniques
The pocketbook plant is a herbaceous plant of the genus Calceolaria in the family Scrophulariaceae. Its flower colors include yellow, purple, red, milky white, orange-red, dark brown, and so on, and the flowers are adorned with colorful spots and markings, very lovely; it is often used for indoor decorative display. It blooms from December to February of the following year, and under greenhouse cultivation the flowering period is March to April. The pocketbook plant is native to the Mexico and Chile region, likes cool and moist conditions, and can grow indoors in winter at 3°C to 6°C. During the growing period it needs relatively high air humidity, attention to ventilation, and sufficient light is beneficial to the plant's flowering.
3. Ventilation and shading
The pocketbook plant likes cool conditions, and the suitable growth temperature is around 10°C. If during the growing period the stems and leaves grow lushly, while the potting soil is too wet and it is stuffy and hot, the base of the plant will rot and the leaves will spoil. To lower the temperature, shading measures are often taken at noon to create a ventilated, cool environment. Especially after blooming in spring until May to June when the seeds mature, ventilation work must be done well, and shade at noon to help the seeds develop and mature.
4. Watering and fertilizing
The pocketbook plant likes a warm, moist environment, but avoid overly wet potting soil and excessive watering during flowering; generally water only when the potting soil is dry. If indoors in a greenhouse, frequently spraying water to increase air humidity is even better. Watering must not directly strike the plant; if water accumulates on the leaves and buds, it easily causes rot. During the pre-flowering growing season, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once every 10 days (diluted 10 times); at the early flowering stage, apply additional fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus. When fertilizing, do not let the fertilizer water contaminate the leaves, so as to avoid rotting the heart and leaves.
Alright, through the editor's introduction, the effects and uses of the pocketbook plant as well as how to grow it have all been clearly explained for everyone. If you like this plant, you can learn more about how to grow it, so that in the future you can regularly enjoy the beautiful and charming pocketbook plant every day. There are thousands upon thousands of plant species, and each plant has its own characteristics; if you are relatively interested in this area, you can come into contact with more knowledge in this field in the future.