What is the price of ivy seeds, and how should they be planted?
Ivy, also known as Tuduteng, Zuotianfeng, Sanjiaofeng, etc., is a perennial evergreen climbing plant of the genus Hedera in the Araliaceae family. Its leaves are beautiful and it stays green all year round. In various parts of the south it is often used for vertical greening, mostly planted beside rockeries and at the foot of walls, letting it naturally attach and grow vertically or cover the ground, achieving the effect of decorating and beautifying the environment. Now let us take a look at ivy seed prices and planting methods!
How much is a jin of ivy seeds?
The price of ivy seeds is about 30 to 50 yuan per jin, but prices vary depending on seed quality, variety and purchase quantity. However, ivy is generally not propagated by seed; in production, cutting propagation is often used, and under greenhouse cultivation conditions cuttings can be taken throughout the year. For home propagation, cuttings are generally best taken in spring from April to May and in autumn from August to September. Besides cuttings, layering propagation can also be used.
What are the uses of ivy?
1. Greening use: Ivy is an important material for indoor hanging cultivation, combined cultivation, green sculpture cultivation and outdoor greening applications. It climbs by means of well-developed adhesive aerial roots, its stems can reach 30 m in length, and its branches and leaves are dense and evergreen all year round. It tolerates pruning and is suitable for shaping.
2. Medicinal value: Ivy can dispel wind and drain dampness, invigorate blood and reduce swelling, calm the liver and remove toxins. It is often used for rheumatic joint pain, traumatic injuries, hepatitis, epistaxis, eye opacity, acute conjunctivitis, nephritic edema, carbuncle and swelling toxins, urticaria, eczema and other conditions.
3. Air purification: Ivy can absorb harmful gases such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. The amount of formaldehyde absorbed by one pot of ivy is equivalent to the formaldehyde absorption of 10 grams of coconut shell carbon. Keeping a few pots of ivy in a newly renovated home can effectively purify the air.
Propagation Methods of Ivy
1. Seed propagation: Harvest ivy fruit when ripe, pile it up to after-ripen, soak in water and rub, then dry in the shade before sowing. It can also be stored mixed with wet sand and sown in spring the following year. After sowing, cover with 1 cm of soil, cover with grass to retain moisture, and build a shade frame after the seedlings emerge. Transplant in spring of the second year or grow into larger seedlings after the seedlings are established.
2. Cutting propagation: When taking ivy cuttings, use loose, well-aerated and well-drained sandy soil as the substrate. Cuttings can be taken in spring and autumn. After cutting, keep the soil moist and place under side-shade conditions. Generally, roots form and the plants survive 20 to 30 days after cutting.
3. Layering propagation: Bury ivy stems and vines in the soil or press the stems and vines onto the moist soil surface with stones. After new roots grow at the nodes, cut into sections of 3 to 5 nodes to encourage new stems and vines to sprout from the leaf axils. After another 30 days of cultivation, they can be transplanted into pots.
Planting Methods of Ivy
1. Soil: For potted ivy, a culture soil mixed with leaf mold, garden soil and sand is usually used. Before planting, first place decomposed organic fertilizer at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer, cut off overly long and dense roots, and after planting water once thoroughly and place in a cool place. After new branches grow, carry out normal management.
2. Temperature: Ivy likes warmth, and the suitable growth temperature is 20 to 25°C. It fears heat and is not cold-tolerant. Therefore, when kept indoors, attention should be paid to ventilation and cooling in summer. In winter, the room temperature should preferably be kept above 10°C, and must not be lower than 5°C.
2. Light: Ivy likes light and is also fairly shade-tolerant. Grown under semi-light conditions, its internodes are shorter, leaf shape is more uniform and leaf color is more vivid. Therefore, it is best placed in a bright indoor spot, but care should be taken to prevent direct strong light, otherwise it is prone to sunscald.
3. Watering: During the growing season, ivy should be watered by the principle of watering when dry and withholding when wet. The potting soil must not be kept overly moist, otherwise it easily causes root rot and leaf drop. In winter, when room temperature is low, watering should especially be controlled, keeping the potting soil only slightly moist.
4. Fertilizing: During the growing season, apply dilute cake fertilizer water once every 2 to 3 weeks. Do not fertilize in summer and winter. When fertilizing, never apply nitrogen fertilizer alone. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is best at 1:1:1. During the peak growing season, spray the leaves 1 to 2 times with 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution.
5. Pruning: For newly planted ivy, after budding in spring, pinch off the growing tips to promote branching, and set up a frame to train the shape. It can also be grown as a hanging potted plant. For plants that have grown for many years, pruning should be strengthened, thinning out overly dense, thin and weak branches and dead branches to prevent excessive stems and vines from causing the shape to become disordered.
6. Pests and diseases: The main diseases of ivy include leaf spot disease, anthracnose, bacterial leaf rot, leaf spot disease, root rot, phytophthora blight, etc. Among pests, leaf roller borers, scale insects and red spiders are relatively serious. Management and control should be strengthened during cultivation.