How to propagate Pachystachys lutea by cuttings? Master these key points
Pachystachys lutea is native to the tropical regions of the Americas. Because of its long flowering period, it has high ornamental value. Since it was introduced to our country in the 1980s, it has been loved by many flower enthusiasts. Now, Pachystachys lutea is often used in the south to arrange flower beds, while in the north it is used as a greenhouse potted flower.
Pachystachys lutea
Pachystachys lutea is mainly propagated by cuttings, which can be done during the growing season. The best time for cuttings is June. Take tender shoot tips about 5 cm long from old plants, insert them in sand or vermiculite, and keep them moist. They will root in about half a month. If cuttings are taken in June, they will root in one week. Water cuttings can also be used. When potting rooted seedlings, use 2 parts pond mud, 1 part rice husk ash, and add bean cake powder or chicken manure as base fertilizer. The seedlings can only be gradually exposed to sunlight after one week. For seedlings that have survived, pinch off the growing tips. For the first pinching, leave 1-2 nodes; when the new shoots grow 2-3 pairs of leaves, pinch again leaving one pair of leaves. After stopping pinching, they can bloom in 2-3 months. To prevent excessively long internodes and overly tall plants after stopping pinching, root-drench with 2000 ppm daminozide or 500 ppm paclobutrazol.
Pachystachys lutea is commonly propagated by cuttings. This can be done throughout the year, with June to July being the best. Select healthy shoots with short internodes for cuttings, remove the lower leaves, keep the top leaves, 8-10 cm long, insert in plain sand, shade and maintain humidity. They will root after 2 weeks. Cuttings taken in the same year can bloom in the same year.
Cultivation techniques for Pachystachys lutea
Pachystachys lutea (Pachystachyslutea), also known as yellow shrimp plant, belongs to the Acanthaceae family, genus Pachystachys.
I. Overview:
The plant clump is neat, with lush green leaves. It blooms continuously in summer. The bracts are bright yellow, and the flowers are pure white, shaped like golden pagodas, very lovely. It is a world-famous flower bed and potted plant, and also one of the most common and widely used flowers in international flower shows.
II. Ecological characteristics:
Native to Peru and Mexico. It prefers warm, humid, and sunny environments. It is not cold-tolerant and fears intense sunlight and drought. The suitable growth temperature is 20-28°C, and the winter temperature should not be lower than 12°C. The soil should be fertile, loose, and well-drained sandy loam.
III. Propagation techniques:
Commonly propagated by cuttings, with spring and summer being most suitable. Cut healthy branches, 10-12 cm long, with 2 leaves at the top and internodes at the base, insert into a sand bed, keep the room temperature at 20-24°C. They will root 15-20 days after insertion.
IV. Cultivation points:
Use fertile garden soil or potting mix for potted plants. Pinch once when seedlings are 20 cm tall to encourage branching. Keep the potting soil moist during the growing season, fertilize once every half month, and add 2-3 applications of phosphorus fertilizer or use Huiyou 20-20-20 general fertilizer during the flowering period. Insufficient light or intense sunlight exposure will affect growth and flowering. In winter, prune the plant and keep it indoors. In summer when the weather is dry, spray water on the leaves more often. Repot every spring.
V. Pest and disease control:
The main disease is leaf spot. Spray with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 1000 times dilution in the early stages. Pests include scale insects and whiteflies, which can be controlled by spraying with 25% buprofezin emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution.
Techniques for Pachystachys lutea to bloom in all four seasons
First, scientific propagation. It is mainly propagated by cuttings. You can cut a 5 cm section from the middle of a branch with a pair of axillary buds, insert it into vermiculite or plain sand substrate, keep the substrate moist. It will root and sprout in about 3 weeks, and can be potted after one month.Second, soil mixing and potting. For potting, choose loose, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Generally, use leaf mold plus 1/3 river sand, and add a small amount of bone meal, mix well to make nutrient soil; clay and sandy soil are not suitable for its growth and development. After potting and recovering, pinch when it grows to 8 cm tall to encourage branching. When the branches grow to about 6 cm-8 cm, pinch a second time. Then the plant shape will be uniform, flowering will be neat, thereby improving ornamental value.
Third, adjust temperature and light. Its suitable growth temperature is about 18°C-25°C. Above 30°C or below 10°C is unfavorable for its growth. Low temperatures easily cause leaf drop, and over time lead to root rot, and in severe cases the plant wilts and dies. Therefore, for home cultivation in the north, if you want it to continue blooming in winter, it should be placed in a greenhouse, with the daytime room temperature kept above 18°C and nighttime maintained above 10°C, along with appropriate fertilizer and water to achieve the goal. Pachystachys lutea prefers sunlight. When cultivated in the north, it should be placed outdoors in spring and autumn, generally without shading, but it needs appropriate shading around noon in summer. If exposed to intense sunlight, the leaves are prone to wilting and the leaf margins to scorching. In winter, place it in a well-lit spot in the greenhouse, and the leaf color will be fresh green and glossy, the plant shape compact, the inflorescence large, and the color brilliant.
Fourth, reasonable fertilizer and water. Pachystachys lutea likes humidity. In summer and dry seasons, attention should often be paid to increasing the air humidity around the flower pot so that the plant can grow robustly. Pachystachys lutea prefers fertilizer. During the growing season, generally apply a complete-element liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days, such as "Chunquan 883", Huimanfeng and other humic acid liquid fertilizers, or urea + monopotassium phosphate diluted in water and sprayed. During the bud stage, spray 0.2% monopotassium phosphate solution on the leaves, which helps produce more flowers and brighter colors. If nutrients are insufficient, the plant grows weakly, the inflorescence is small, and there are few flowers; if too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, the stem nodes become slender and the number of flowers decreases. Pachystachys lutea has luxuriant branches and leaves, large inflorescences, and many flowers, and needs more water, so the potting soil should often be kept moist, but waterlogging in the pot should be avoided. During the flower bud differentiation stage, pay attention to properly controlling watering, weakening vegetative growth, so as to facilitate nutrient accumulation and promote flower bud differentiation.
Latest information
Propagation and management of Archontophoenix alexandrae Flowers that can be planted in spring Wuhan: Common misunderstandings and blind spots in citizens' flower growing
Key maintenance points after azaleas finish blooming