How to Propagate Anthurium? Methods and Key Operation Points Explained

Because anthurium is a cross-pollinated plant, seed propagation is quite difficult and produces great variation. Generally, anthurium is mostly propagated by division, cuttings and tissue culture. Here is a detailed introduction to the three propagation methods for anthurium, so friends who like anthurium can learn about them together.

Anthurium (detailed introduction)

I. Propagation by Division

Anthurium has a strong tillering ability. By combining thinning, transplanting and removal of buds for cut flowers, the small and medium-sized side shoots on the mother plant can be separated from the mother plant, and the side shoots can then be grown into new plants. The specific method should be carried out as follows:

1. Division is mainly carried out in the cool, highly humid spring; it can also be done in cool weather in autumn. Never divide in the hot summer or in the dry, cold season.

2. When dividing, care must be taken not to damage the mother plant. Do not separate side shoots that are too large, do not separate side shoots that are too close together, and do not separate side shoots that are too weak and small. Mainly separate side shoots that are relatively easy to separate from the mother plant and are fairly vigorous, with at least 2 or more main roots.

3. When transplanting seedlings, for division you can use your hands with even force to separate the side shoot from the mother plant at the bud eye of the underground stem. When separation is difficult, use a sharp, sterilized blade to cut it apart at the bud eye. For division by removing buds for cut flowers, first loosen the soil layer, pay attention to the distribution of the root system and the bud eye of the underground stem, carefully cut at the bud eye, and then take out the side shoot.

4. After cutting, wait until the wound of the side shoot is slightly dry, then heel it in in a cool place to promote rooting and restore growth. When planting, the root system must be spread flat and the plant upright; support it if necessary. Do not water immediately after planting; you may spray water on the leaves to maintain humidity. After 2 days, water or apply a dilute fertilizer solution as conditions require.

The disadvantage of propagation by division and cuttings is slower growth, and the material is difficult to disinfect and easily carries pests and diseases (such as root-knot nematodes, bacteria and viruses, etc.). The cultivation requirements for division seedlings and tissue culture seedlings are the same; the only difference is that the former is taller and stronger than the latter.

II. Propagation by Seed

In anthurium breeding, sowing is the main way to obtain new anthurium varieties. The anthurium fruit is a berry type and must be sown as soon as it is harvested. Before sowing, remove the peel and wash off the flesh to avoid the peel and flesh rotting and molding, which would affect the seed germination rate. The sowing method can use the pure sand germination method: sow the seeds individually in clean river sand at a sowing depth of 0.5-0.8 cm, maintain a certain humidity, and generally they will germinate in about 15 days, with new leaves soon growing out. When they grow to 5-6 leaves, they can be transplanted into a substrate of pure perlite mixed with peat soil or coconut coir at a ratio of 1:2 for heel-in cultivation.

III. Tissue Culture

Tissue culture is a propagation method in which cut pieces of plant material are placed in a culture medium for cultivation to obtain new plants; the entire process is completed under sterile conditions in a laboratory. The propagation material must first be strictly disinfected and undergo virus-free culture to provide a guarantee for obtaining virus-free cloned seedlings.

The propagation materials for anthurium mainly use callus tissue and leaves. The reason for using callus tissue as propagation material is that the resulting cloned seedlings are less prone to variation, but obtaining virus-free callus tissue is very difficult. Leaves are easy to disinfect and relatively convenient to handle; the disadvantage is that the leaf surface is not smooth, and plants formed through leaf culture are prone to mutation, but this mutation can be controlled artificially.

During the bottle seedling stage, tissue culture seedlings complete their growth process under various optimal growth conditions provided artificially. The experimental conditions differ greatly from the natural conditions outside, so it is very necessary to let the bottle seedlings go through a transitional hardening and acclimatization process, so that the bottle seedlings can smoothly adapt to the natural environmental conditions outside.

Methods and Key Care Points for Potted Anthurium

Anthurium is a flowering plant native to South America and is also a very common indoor flowering plant today. Generally, anthurium can be cultivated by potting or hydroponics. What I introduce to you today is the method and precautions for potted anthurium; interested friends can learn about them together.

Anthurium (detailed introduction)

I. Soil Substrate

The soil substrate for planting anthurium must maintain good permeability and must not retain water. For home cultivation, you can choose to buy prepared potting soil at a garden store and add some clay pebbles and dry bark mixed in (clay pebbles: dry bark = 2:1) as the substrate. Before planting, the substrate needs to be disinfected to prevent anthurium from suffering pest damage in the later stages of growth.

II. Temperature Requirements

The most suitable growing environment temperature for anthurium should be controlled between 14-35 degrees. In winter, when the temperature is below 10 degrees, it is easy to cause cold damage to the anthurium. Pay attention to keeping the anthurium warm and increasing the temperature. In summer, when the temperature is above 35 degrees, promptly increase humidity for the anthurium and spray water around it. If this is done, even at high temperatures, anthurium is not easily harmed as long as the humidity is high.

III. Fertilization

Compared with other foliage plants, anthurium has a higher demand for magnesium fertilizer. When fertilizing anthurium for home cultivation, it is recommended to buy Miracle-Gro fertilizer at a garden store and apply it together with a foliar fertilizer. Or use a general-purpose fully water-soluble compound fertilizer such as Peters Professional, diluted into an 800-1000 times liquid fertilizer and applied regularly (no less than once per week). The principle of fertilizing anthurium is to apply less thick fertilizer and frequently apply thin fertilizer.

IV. Watering Cycle

Water the anthurium according to the dryness of the substrate in the pot. In summer, when the temperature is relatively high, it is recommended to water once every 2 days, and at noon also use a sprinkler system to spray water on the leaves to increase the relative humidity indoors. In winter, it is recommended to water once every 5-7 days. In the cold season, watering should be done between 9 a.m. and before 4 p.m. to avoid freezing the root system. Generally, in spring and autumn, water once every 3 days. Avoid adding water when the plant is severely short of water, as this will affect the growth and development of the anthurium. During watering, be sure to alternate wet and dry conditions, and never water when the plant is severely short of water, as this will affect its normal growth and development.

How to Grow Anthurium: Key Points of Anthurium Cultivation Methods and Precautions

Anthurium is a perennial evergreen herbaceous flowering plant. It likes a warm, hot and humid environment with good drainage, and fears drought and strong direct sunlight. Its suitable growing daytime temperature is 26-32°C, and nighttime temperature is 21-32°C. The highest temperature it can tolerate is 35°C, and the low temperature it can tolerate is 14°C. The suitable light intensity is 16000-20000 lx, and the optimal relative air humidity (RH) is 70%-80%. Usually, if you do not pay attention when growing anthurium, unnecessary troubles will appear, so the basic cultivation methods for anthurium are introduced below.

The optimum temperature for anthurium growth is 18°C-28°C. The maximum temperature should not exceed 35°C, and the minimum temperature is 14°C; below 10°C, cold damage may occur at any time. In summer, when the temperature is above 32°C, cooling measures need to be taken, such as strengthening ventilation, spraying more water, and providing appropriate shading. In winter, if the indoor temperature is below 14°C, heating is needed.

Anthurium growth requires relatively high air humidity, generally not lower than 50%; high temperature and high humidity will be more favorable for anthurium growth. When the temperature is below 20°C, maintaining the indoor natural environment is sufficient; when the temperature reaches above 28°C, spraying can be used to increase the relative humidity on the leaf surface and in the indoor air, so as to create a high-temperature and high-humidity growing environment for anthurium. However, in winter, even when the indoor temperature is relatively high, it should not be cooled and humidified too much, because overly wet leaves at night will instead reduce cold resistance and easily cause cold damage.

When light is too strong, it may cause leaf discoloration, scorching or withering. Whether light management succeeds or not directly relates to the quality of the potted flowers and to how many flowers there are. Anthurium is a shade-loving plant, so indoors it should be placed in a bright place with some scattered light. Be very careful not to place anthurium in an environment with strong direct sunlight.

Anthurium is a flowering variety relatively sensitive to salt content, and the lower the salt content of the water, the better; tap water is best. Fertilizer is often applied together with watering. Generally, a compound fertilizer with a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of 1:1:1 is chosen. Dissolve the compound fertilizer in water and apply it as a liquid fertilizer at a concentration of one part per thousand. In spring and autumn, generally apply fertilizer water once every 3 days; if the temperature is high, depending on whether the substrate in the pot is dry or wet, apply fertilizer water once every 2-3 days; in summer, apply fertilizer water once every 2 days, and when the temperature is high, water once more; in winter, generally apply fertilizer water once every 5-7 days. Special anthurium fertilizer can also be used directly.

A mixed soil made of peat soil, leaf coir and perlite at a ratio of 3:2:1 can be used.

In summer, it can be placed on the shady side of a room or in a position with scattered light in the living room, or placed outdoors in a place not exposed to direct sunlight, or placed in the living room, or moved outdoors during the day and placed under tree shade, under flower clusters or in a cool place. In winter, it should be placed on the sunny side of the room, and at night it can be placed inside curtains, or near a heat source.

1. When buying anthurium, choose ones with bright colors and well-developed root systems, and only select good-quality ones

2. The planting soil for growing anthurium is very important; use fertile soil, and some sand and peat soil can be mixed in

3. Buy flower pots made of ceramic or plastic material;

4. Anthurium likes a cool and shady environment and needs a certain humidity maintained. In dry weather, water moderately; do not water too frequently or too much,

5. Fertilize appropriately, and fertilize less in winter;

6. After a period of time, there will be some rotting leaves at the bottom, which need to be pruned in time,

7. Anthurium likes a shady and humid environment, and the growing soil should not be too compact. Plant a layer of moss on top of the growing soil, which helps with moisture retention.