What are the propagation methods and management key points for coral vine?

Coral vine flowers from March to December, and its flowering period is very long, making it one of the ornamental flowering plants. Artificial cultivation of coral vine is not very difficult; it is cultivated in Taiwan, China, Hainan, Guangzhou and other places in our country, and has the beautiful reputation of "queen of climbing plants."

Coral vine

Coral vine can be propagated by sowing or cuttings, but sowing is the main method. Since it does not tolerate transplanting, direct sowing or sowing in pots is best.

Spring to summer is the suitable period, and the optimum germination temperature is about 22-28 degrees. Before sowing, soak the seeds in water for 4-6 hours to allow them to absorb enough water, then bury them shallowly in soil at about 1 cm, keep moist, and roots can develop after about 30 days.

Spring is the suitable period for cuttings. Generally in spring or autumn, cut new shoots or stem sections that have not yet formed buds as cuttings, 5-8 cm long. Remove the lower leaves, leaving only 2-3 leaves at the top, insert them into a growing medium mixed with equal parts peat soil and coarse sand, water thoroughly, then cover the pot with a plastic bag, place in semi-shade, and roots will form in 15-20 days. After new leaves grow, they can be transplanted, but the rooting rate and growth are not as ideal as sowing.

December flower cultivation management key points

December flower cultivation management key points
1. Sowing
Flower species that can be sown in the greenhouse in December include: gloxinia, asparagus fern, clivia, tuberous begonia, cyclamen, winter coral, African daisy, etc.; flower and tree species that can be sown outdoors immediately after collection or stratified in sand for germination include: rose (such as Elizabeth), nandina, coralberry, holly species, firethorn, palm, privet, camphor tree, small-leaf privet, soapberry, photinia, and Photinia davidsoniae, etc.

2. Cuttings
Woody ornamental flower and tree species that can be propagated by cuttings in the open field in December include: plum blossom (mainly varieties such as Gongfen and L�); rose (mainly easy-to-root varieties such as Elizabeth, floribunda rose, and miniature rose); red-leaf plum, wintersweet (cutting with a heel), spiraea, boxwood species, etc. Among them, plum blossom and red-leaf plum cuttings should use yellow subsoil, rose cuttings should use a mixed medium of rice chaff ash and fine sand at 2:1, and other species can use ordinary sandy loam, covered with plastic film to keep warm and moist.

3. Grafting
Excellent plum varieties, such as Guhong and Zhusha, can be grafted in December using seedlings of apricot, fruiting plum, peach, etc. sown that year; after digging up the rootstock, use cleft grafting or cut grafting, then plant them on the seedbed at a certain spacing between plants and rows, bury the soil up to above the graft union, even covering most of the scion; be careful not to let water seep into the union when watering, cover with plastic film to keep warm and moist, and remove the film in the following spring after the scion sprouts. Use dug-up wild rose plants to bud-graft excellent rose varieties; or use strong branch sections of the Elizabeth rose variety (10 to 12 cm long), graft excellent rose scions onto the upper end by cut grafting or cleft grafting, then plant the grafted Elizabeth stem sections into a loose seedbed. The grafted part can be buried together in sandy soil; when watering, do not let water seep into the graft union, cover with plastic film to keep moisture and warmth, and in the following spring after the scion sprouts, remove the film; only after it has completely survived may a blade be used to cut open the tying band at the union. In addition, red maple can be side-grafted indoors with a bag to keep moisture.

4. Layering
Flower and tree species that can be propagated by layering in December include: podocarpus, plum blossom, camellia, osmanthus, michelia, Chaenomeles speciosa, purple magnolia, snowball, weigela, gardenia, winter jasmine, forsythia, hydrangea, spirea, snowball viburnum, spiraea, pomegranate, etc.

5. Division
Herbaceous flower species that can be propagated by division in December include: autumn zephyr lily, dwarf lilyturf, lily turf, hosta, purple hosta, red sorrel, aspidistra, cymbidium, Chinese cymbidium, cymbidium, sword fern, blackberry lily, iris, large-leaf lilyturf, lilyturf, lucky bamboo, kalanchoe, and Chinese evergreen. When cutting off young offsets from the base of large colorful bromeliad plants for division, they must be small plants that have already grown on the mother plant for three or four months; otherwise, the colored bands of the divided offsets are likely to disappear, and special attention should be paid to this.

6. Collecting seeds
Herbaceous flower seeds that can be collected in December are generally herbaceous flower species moved into greenhouses or cold frames, such as salvia species, globe amaranth species, marigold, French marigold, cyclamen, clivia, etc. Clivia seeds are best sown immediately after collection.

July flower management key points

 Weather characteristics of July: On July 7, the plum rain season ends in the Jianghuai region. On July 16, the dog days begin, and on August 15, the dog days end; most regions of the country enter the hottest period of the year. The average July temperature in most regions of our country is above 24°C, and in regions south of the Jianghuai it is 28°C; only in northern Northeast China and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the average July temperature below 20°C. July flower management mainly includes the following contents:

   I. Flower cultivation

   1. Sowing

   Herbaceous flowers that can be sown in July include: cineraria, four-season primrose, ornamental kale, campanula, etc. When sowing, attention should be paid to moisture retention, shading, and increasing ventilation and light transmission.

   In July, mature fruits of plum, peach, wild peach, and flowering almond, etc. can also be collected; after washing off the fruit flesh, sow them immediately in furrows, or store the washed stone fruits in moist sand until they crack and then sow; wintersweet seeds can be sown immediately after collection, or the seeds removed from the fruit capsule can be dried and stored until the following spring for sowing, which will not affect their germination rate.

   2. Cuttings

   Herbaceous flower species suitable for propagation by cuttings in July include: scutellaria, begonia species, coleus, clearweed, salvia, marigold, French marigold, globe amaranth, geranium, Dutch aster, purple loosestrife, umbrella plant, Boston ivy, coral flower, pepperomia, rhaphidophora, knotweed, kalanchoe, pothos, etc.

   Woody flower species suitable for propagation by cuttings in July include: red-backed excoecaria, nandina, poinsettia, crown of thorns, hypericum, Hypericum beanii, Weigela florida, hydrangea, weigela, spirea, spiraea, daphne, gardenia, edgeworthia, Magnolia sieboldii, bougainvillea, aglaia, jasmine, pearl orchid, schefflera, mahonia, pomegranate, crape myrtle, hibiscus, firethorn, cordyline, hibiscus, snow-in-summer, michelia, coral tree, rubber tree, snowball viburnum, Viburnum sargentii, boxwood species, fig, purple magnolia, osmanthus, azalea species, camellia, sasanqua, dragon-claw willow, golden willow, etc. Amaryllis can also be propagated by scale cuttings.

   In addition, in July, some flowering trees can also be propagated by water cuttings. They are: gardenia, oleander, rose, jasmine, pearl orchid, fig, pomegranate, fuchsia, crape myrtle, hibiscus, etc. To propagate flowering trees by water cuttings, first, prepare a thick foam plastic board 1 cm to 2 cm thick, perforate it, and use it as fixing material for cuttings; second, keep the water used for cuttings clean, and add a few pieces of charcoal for anti-corrosion purposes.

   3. Grafting

   One-year-old seedlings of wild peach and peach can be used as rootstock for bud-grafting ornamental peach, longevity peach, red-leaf peach, plum blossom, flowering almond, red-leaf plum, and beauty plum, etc.; use cuttings of wild rose, pink cluster rose, and 'Ten Sisters' as rootstock for bud-grafting variety roses, cut-flower roses, and rugosa roses, etc.; use potted purple magnolia and white magnolia seedlings as rootstock for approach-grafting white orchid and michelia, etc.; use potted 2-year-old seedling wintersweet as rootstock for approach-grafting excellent wintersweet varieties; 2-year-old wintersweet seedlings can also be used as rootstock, using the method of softwood side grafting with a bag to keep moisture, grafting at 3 cm to 4 cm above the ground, and whether it has survived can be judged after 7 to 10 days; use 'Purple Butterfly' and 'Jade Butterfly' among azaleas as rootstock for cleft grafting or side grafting Belgian azalea or Western azalea; use cherry seedlings as rootstock for bud-grafting excellent cherry blossom varieties; use current-year seedling of Malus baccata, Malus hupehensis, Hall crabapple, or crabapple as rootstock, and perform T-shaped budding to propagate excellent crabapple varieties; use maple seedlings as rootstock, and graft with a bag to propagate red maple, laceleaf maple, and other seedlings.

   4. Layering

   Flower and tree species that can be propagated by layering in July include: aglaia (air layering), wintersweet, honeysuckle, hydrangea, trumpet creeper, snowball viburnum, oleander, weigela, broom, osmanthus, gardenia, purple magnolia, jasmine, pearl orchid, climbing rose, winter jasmine, etc.

   5. Division

   Ornamental plant species that can be divided in July include: hosta, purple hosta, acorus species, umbrella plant, aspidistra, purple-backed oyster plant, bromeliad species, haworthia, spider plant, lilyturf species, lily turf, autumn zephyr lily, sword fern, iris, wandering jew, etc.
   
   II. Collecting seeds and transplanting and planting out

   1. Collecting seeds

   Herbaceous flower seeds that can be collected in July include: hollyhock, mallow, morning glory, baby's breath, petunia, phlox, foxglove, coreopsis, sweet pea, daisy, delphinium, pansy, and Lampranthus, etc.

   Flower and tree seeds that can be collected in July include: wintersweet, plum, peach, wild peach, and flowering almond, etc.

   2. Transplanting, planting out, and potting

   July is the main period for potting herbaceous flowers for display during National Day. The herbaceous flowers transplanted and potted at this time can be seedling or cutting plants; after 3 months of careful maintenance, they will bloom exactly during National Day for holiday decoration. They are mainly: salvia, early chrysanthemum, globe amaranth, dahlia, Guinea impatiens, dragon's mouth flower, marigold, French marigold, Kochia scoparia, China aster, sulfur cosmos, cockscomb, etc.

   Trees are generally not transplanted in July, but under some special circumstances, transplanting some flowering shrubs with soil balls is also feasible, such as mahonia, hypericum, golden-leaf privet, red-leaf barberry, aucuba, and ball juniper, etc. However, targeted pruning is required, shade sheds should be built promptly, and the frequency of water spraying should be increased; after they have basically survived, switch to normal management, and do not be careless.

   III. Flower management

   1. Watering

   For flower species that enter semi-dormancy under high temperatures, such as red sorrel, geranium species, fuchsia, clivia, calla lily, begonia species, sedum, longevity flower, cactus species, Haworthia, Stapelia gigantea, string of pearls, Senecio radicans, daphne, Christmas cactus, purslane tree, aloe, etc., because the temperature is too high, their growth activity basically stops and their metabolic level is very low, so watering should be reduced, the potting soil should be kept moist, and attention should be paid to shading and ventilation to create a relatively cool environment for them. If watered too much, it easily causes root rot and can also seriously affect their recovery growth after autumn.

   For flower species that enter deep dormancy under high temperatures, such as cyclamen, lycoris species, Ranunculus asiaticus, and bleeding heart, etc., in July their aboveground stems and leaves wither, and their underground nutrient fibrous roots die; they overwinter in the soil as underground stems or tubers. For deeply dormant flowers, stop watering, move them to a cool place, and just keep the potting soil from becoming too dry.

   For vigorously growing flower species, especially foliage plants, such as sago palm, aspidistra, monstera, rubber tree, white orchid, jasmine, aglaia, pearl orchid, Norfolk Island pine, maranta species, syngonium species, red (green) gem, giant taro, green emperor, green queen, pink lady, Brazilian iron, money tree, camellia, sasanqua, aucuba, firethorn, bitter orange, lemon, podocarpus, pomegranate, redbud, wisteria, rose, etc., not only should the amount and frequency of watering be increased, but leaf spraying should also be appropriately given, combining spraying and watering. Especially during continuous cloudy days, because the temperature is relatively high and the air is dry, watering and spraying should likewise be given, and one must not be careless. Once the potting soil is found to be too dry and the leaves wilted, first spray the leaves, and after the leaves recover and stand upright, then water the roots; never pour water heavily at the roots, otherwise it is very easy to cause woody flowers to "drop green leaves," or cause the plant's nutrient fibrous roots to rot, and even cause plant death.

   For potted plum stumps, because July to August is their flower bud differentiation period, appropriate "water withholding" should be given to promote normal flower bud differentiation. The method is: keep the leaves on both sides of the potted plant slightly curled inward to control vegetative growth; if the vegetative growth of the branches cannot be controlled, when the second new shoot produces 2 to 3 leaves, keep only one leaf at the base and pinch off the rest; flower buds can still differentiate in the leaf axils of this leaf.

   In July, when watering potted flowers, avoid the few hours before and after noon; watering before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. is preferable, so as to avoid too great a difference between water temperature and soil temperature, which affects the growth of potted ornamental plants. If continuous rainy weather occurs this month, promptly check the flower pots after the rain, and if water accumulates in the pots, pour it out in time; after the potting soil dries slightly, loosen the soil once more, so as to avoid root rot of potted plants.

   2. Fertilizing

   Ornamental plants whose fertilization management should be strengthened in July fall into four major categories. First, species with a particularly long flowering period, blooming from spring and summer into autumn, such as white magnolia, rose, aglaia, jasmine, etc.; second, species that bloom abundantly in autumn, such as chrysanthemum, osmanthus, and cotton rose, etc.; third, species for viewing flowers and fruits in winter, such as bitter orange, nandina, wintersweet, azalea, etc.; fourth, foliage plants, such as bamboo palm, monstera, Philodendron bipinnatifidum, rubber tree, etc. As for the types of fertilizer, for the first three categories, in addition to applying necessary nitrogen fertilizer, appropriate phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should also be applied to meet the plants' comprehensive needs for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and to provide sufficient nutritional guarantee for their budding, flowering, and fruiting; for foliage plants, thin cake fertilizer liquid or urea solution should be mainly used. As for the fertilization method, applying thin liquid fertilizer by watering is preferable.

   Herbaceous flowers that should be fertilized more in July include: salvia (white, purple, pink), cockscomb, China aster, zinnia, globe amaranth, chrysanthemum, black-eyed Susan, petunia, golden shrimp plant, shrimp plant, cymbidium, marigold, four-o'clock, dragon's mouth flower, etc. Woody flowers include: crape myrtle, pomegranate, poinsettia, michelia, osmanthus, camellia, sasanqua, hibiscus, jasmine, white orchid, aglaia, night-blooming jasmine, rose, crabapple species, Brunfelsia, bougainvillea, azalea, pearl orchid, wintersweet, hibiscus, cotton rose, etc. There are many kinds of foliage plants, such as bromeliad species, Brazilian iron, bamboo palm, Norfolk Island pine, syngonium, maranta, giant taro, red gem, sago palm, rubber tree, monstera, cordyline, etc.

   In July, for ornamental plants in dormant or semi-dormant states, fertilization must be stopped; especially for succulent ornamental plants, such as sedum species, Senecio, Lampranthus, and Stapelia, fertilization must be stopped even more to prevent plant rot.

   3. Pruning and bud pinching

   Ornamental plants that can be tip-pruned and bud-pinched in summer must be species that grow vigorously, have strong sprouting ability, and tolerate pruning. Pinching means directly removing the tender terminal bud at the tip with the fingers. Bonsai plants suitable for pinching mainly include: Chinese elm, plum yew, red nanmu, Euonymus bungeanus, boxwood, wintersweet, firethorn, podocarpus, tamarisk, Elaeagnus pungens, Adina rubella, Vitex negundo, forsythia, hackberry, Fujian tea, banyan, Fraxinus chinensis, trident maple, crape myrtle, snow-in-summer, orange jasmine, etc. Pruning means using scissors to cut off part of a new shoot to promote the sprouting of lower lateral buds and form beautiful crown layers or tree shapes. Bonsai plant species suitable for pruning are mostly woody ornamental plants that are not convenient to pinch with fingers, such as juniper, oriental arborvitae, Chinese juniper, creeping juniper, oak, Ilex cornuta, and true cypress, etc.

   For potted flower species that continue flowering for a long time, such as aglaia, rose, jasmine, pearl orchid, etc., their faded flowers and withered stems should be removed promptly, and necessary pruning back should be given to branches that have already flowered, which can promote the sprouting of lower lateral buds and reblooming; for azalea, camellia, sasanqua, crabapple, wintersweet, plum blossom, etc., overly long branches protruding from the crown should also be pruned back to form a better crown shape.

   4. Shading

   July is the month with the strongest sunlight and the highest temperature of the year, so special attention should be paid to shading management for potted ornamental plants.

   For ornamental plants that prefer shade or semi-shade, they must be moved under a shade frame to avoid damage to the plants from scorching sun exposure. Such as ferns, hosta, purple hosta, monstera, camellia, sasanqua, azalea, pearl orchid, bird of paradise, orchid species, bamboo palm, rubber tree, red (green) gem, Philodendron bipinnatifidum, pink lady, pothos, pepperomia species, aspidistra, wandering jew, Brazilian iron, rhaphidophora, bromeliad species, maranta species, lily turf, etc.

   For light-loving species, sufficient light can be given, such as pomegranate, wisteria, crape myrtle, firethorn, jasmine, snow-in-summer, sago palm, Chinese juniper, oriental arborvitae, peach blossom, plum blossom, wintersweet, Chinese elm, plum yew, trident maple, black pine, Adina rubella, oak, Pinus thunbergii, white orchid, aglaia, rose, etc. For podocarpus, bamboo-leaf podocarpus, michelia, tiger thorn, cloud bamboo, Guanyin bamboo, and five-needle pine, etc., appropriate shading is necessary.

   For small, miniature, and shallow-pot bonsai, because the temperature is too high this month and the air is relatively dry, in addition to necessary shading, the flower pots must also be buried in moist sand, which can reduce evaporation from the potting soil surface and also help protect the plant's nutrient fibrous roots.

   5. Flowers in air-conditioned rooms

   In air-conditioned rooms, choose flower species with a relatively high degree of leathery leaves, or leaves covered with a thicker cuticle, slightly tolerant of dry environments, and with strong resistance, such as rubber tree, Japanese aralia, mahonia, sago palm, Norfolk Island pine, golden hibiscus, fan palm, bamboo palm, Canary Island date palm, bromeliad species, Philodendron bipinnatifidum, monstera, schefflera, aspidistra, aucuba, etc., and it is not advisable to choose sword fern, coleus, giant taro, syngonium, etc. In addition, in management, attention should be paid to combining watering and spraying, and keeping them away from air-conditioner outlets to prevent wind from directly blowing on the plants and causing leaf tips to wither and edges to scorch.

   6. Pest and disease control

   (1) When orchid new shoots unfold leaves in July, the leaf tips are easily infected by anthracnose, which gradually spreads to the whole plant and in severe cases can cause the plant to wither and die. This disease can occur throughout the year; poor ventilation, high temperature and high humidity, and continuous rainy weather are even more conducive to the cultivation and spread of the pathogen. Ventilation should be strengthened, and during the disease period, spray 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 800 times dilution or folpet at 500 times dilution for control.

   (2) When reddish-brown sawdust-like insect frass gathers on the stumps or main trunks of plum blossom, peach blossom, crabapple species, red-leaf plum, cherry blossom, and flowering almond, etc., it is mostly caused by the larvae of the peach red-necked longhorn beetle boring and feeding. Methods such as manual removal and killing, injection of systemic pesticides, insertion of poison sticks, and soil application of carbofuran can be used for control, and can effectively kill the larvae inside the trunk. Note that when injecting pesticides, do not use dimethoate or omethoate, etc., to prevent phytotoxicity.

   (3) In July, promptly control the boxwood leafroller that harms boxwood, boxwood, sharp-leaf boxwood, and pearl boxwood; when the pest occurs severely, it can chew all the leaves bare. Once discovered, promptly spray pesticides such as trichlorfon, dimethoate, or fenvalerate. If a certain pesticide has been used for a long time and resistance has developed, switch to a new type of pesticide.

   (4) In July, in some areas, citrus swallowtail butterfly larvae will continue to harm the new shoot leaves of bitter orange, kumquat, golden bean, finger citron, lemon, citron, and rue, etc., and stomach poison pesticides should be sprayed promptly to kill them.

   (5) For the white wax insect that harms privet, small-leaf privet, water wax, and white wax tree, late July to late August is its emergence period; select the right time to spray pesticides such as quick-kill for control, which can prevent the white wax insect from causing harm again the following year.

   (6) The Japanese wax scale is a major pest harming large-leaf boxwood, plane tree, pittosporum, camellia, red-leaf plum, and cedar, etc.; in severe cases, the insect bodies often cover branches and leaves. Early July is the peak hatching period of its nymphs, and pesticides such as dimethoate and quick-kill can be sprayed promptly for control.

   IV. Bonsai shaping

   In July, because the temperature is high, air humidity is low, and plants are in a vigorous growth period, branch and trunk injuries are easily infected by pathogens and difficult to heal and recover, so most tree stump species are no longer suitable for further wiring and shaping. Shaping can still be carried out on some plant species with strong adaptability and tolerance to wiring, and the plants must be those potted in spring for hardening or planted in the ground. They are: winter jasmine, ginkgo, podocarpus, false cypress, Cuibai cypress, snow-in-summer, black pine, boxwood, and Adina rubella, etc.

   In July, plant shaping must be careful and meticulous, wiring gently and slowly, applying force gradually, and one must not rush the operation or use too much force, otherwise it is very easy to cause the plant's branches and trunk to break and endanger their survival.

   Solar terms in July: July 7 is Minor Heat; July 22 is Major Heat.