How to Grow and Care for the Dancing Plant
The dancing plant is the only plant in nature that can respond to sound. Also known as the lover's plant, the passionate plant, and the courtship plant, it is an upright small shrub of the genus Codariocalyx in the Fabaceae family. Its dancing is mainly related to temperature, sunlight, and sound wave sensing under a certain rhythm, cadence, and intensity. It has extremely high ornamental value and is already widely used in the horticultural ornamental industry. Let's take a look at how to grow the dancing plant!
Growth Habits of the Dancing Plant
The dancing plant likes sunlight and a warm, humid environment, and is drought-tolerant and tolerant of barren soil. The dancing plant is a plant highly sensitive to sound waves of a certain frequency and intensity, and it is also related to temperature and sunlight. When the temperature is above 24°C on a sunny, gentle day, the leaflets will cross and rotate on their own, kissing and bouncing, and the rotation range of the two leaves can reach 180 degrees, then bounce back to their original position. When the temperature is 28-34°C, or on a stuffy sunny day or after rain clears, looking at the whole plant, dozens of pairs of leaves sometimes embrace like two lovers entwined, and sometimes dance gracefully, dazzling the eye and giving a fresh, wonderful, and mysterious feeling. When night falls, the leaves press against the branches again, nestling closely, truly a rare flower.
Propagation Methods for the Dancing Plant
1. Sowing: The dancing plant is usually propagated by sowing. When sowing, because the seed surface has a layer of wax, water is difficult to penetrate, and the seed coat surface also contains substances that inhibit germination, so germination must be promoted. For germination promotion, first rub off the wax with dry fine sand, then soak in warm water at 38-40°C, and gradually pick out the swollen and sprouting seeds for sowing. Sowing from March to May can bloom in the same year, and sowing at the end of May can bloom in the first half of the next year.
2. Cuttings: The dancing plant can be propagated by cuttings in spring, summer, and autumn, and can also be done indoors or in a greenhouse in winter. Cut strong current-year branches as cuttings, cut them into 5 cm sections, insert them into a fine sand pot, with the insertion depth at 2/3 of the cutting length, and water thoroughly after insertion. Place the pot in a cool, ventilated place, cover with a glass pane, and spray water frequently to keep it moist. After 10 days, roots can form. After several more days, remove the cover, stop watering, and harden the seedlings for 3 days, then they can be potted and planted.
How to Grow the Dancing Plant
1. Repotting: When the dancing plant seedlings grow to nearly one inch, they need to be repotted. When repotting, be careful not to damage the fibrous roots of the dancing plant. When removing the seedling, dig a pit of appropriate width and depth in the center of the flower pot, let its root system spread out fully, cover with the growing medium and press lightly, then water an appropriate amount.
2. Light: The dancing plant often develops yellow rust disease when it lacks light. The symptom is the appearance of striped yellow spots on the leaves and stems, making the plant slender, weak, and prone to falling over. The light duration should be increased. Turn the flower pot as often as possible so that the branches and leaves receive sunlight from all angles.
3. Watering: For the dancing plant, it is best to water when the surface growing medium is dry while the interior remains moist. Try to water in the morning, avoiding sunlight. The water is best left to stand for 4-6 minutes first to dissipate the chlorine in tap water. When watering, it is best to use a fine-mist pot, starting from a place away from the plant and gradually moving closer to the plant.
4. Fertilizing: When the dancing plant has grown for more than one month, the first fertilizing should be carried out. When the plant has grown for 2-3 months, it reaches the flowering period of the dancing plant, and a second fertilizing is needed. When the temperature rises back to 7-10°C, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened, and quick-acting nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be added as a top dressing.
5. Pests and diseases: The dancing plant has few insect pests but more diseases, especially when planted in multiple crop rotations such as vegetable stubble, where it is more serious. Diseases include powdery mildew, anthracnose, leaf spot, root rot, and blight, while pests include cutworms, mealybugs, thrips, mites, and armyworms. Corresponding pesticides can be selected for control.