Lycoris aurea cultivation methods and daily care key points

Lycoris aurea, also known as Iron-colored Arrow, Yellow-flowered Lycoris and so on, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Lycoris in the Amaryllidaceae family. In gardens it can be used as understory groundcover flowers, planted in clumps in flower borders, or planted in natural style among rocks. Because it blooms when it has no leaves, it is best paired with other more shade-tolerant herbaceous plants. It has characteristics such as sturdy scapes and long flower stems. Let us take a look at the cultivation methods for Lycoris aurea!

Growth habits of Lycoris aurea

Lycoris aurea prefers sunny, moist environments such as shady damp hillsides, under rocks and stone cliffs, but it can also tolerate semi-shade and arid environments, is slightly cold-tolerant, has quite strong vitality, and has no strict requirements for soil. If the soil is fertile and well-drained, the flowers will be especially abundant. It is distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, China, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan in China, and also in Japan and Myanmar.

Propagation methods for Lycoris aurea

1. Bulb division propagation: Division is the simplest and most commonly used propagation method for Lycoris aurea. During the dormant period or after flowering, dig up the plant, remove the offset bulbs attached near the mother bulb and plant them. After about one to two years they can bloom.

2. Scale cutting: Cut the cleaned bulb base into eight sections in a star pattern, with a depth of 1/2 to 2/3 of the bulb length. After disinfection and drying in the shade, insert them into moist sand, perlite or other substrates. After separation and cultivation, they can develop into seedlings.

3. Tissue culture: Tissue culture of Lycoris aurea uses MS medium, with pedicels and ovaries collected as explant materials. After culture, callus tissue can be produced at the cut surface, adventitious roots can form after 1 month, and adventitious buds can form after 3 to 4 months.

Cultivation methods for Lycoris aurea

1. Temperature: Lycoris aurea prefers warmth, is not highly cold-tolerant, and is also not very tolerant of high temperatures. Therefore, during cultivation the temperature must not exceed 30 degrees, nor fall below 8°C, and the average temperature must be maintained at at least around 24 degrees.

2. Watering: Lycoris aurea prefers moisture, especially during the growing period, when it should be watered frequently and the soil should be kept moist at all times. At the same time, do not water too much, to avoid water accumulation, which can cause the plant's bulbs to rot.

3. Fertilizing: Under normal circumstances, fertilizing Lycoris aurea 2 to 4 times a year is enough. The first time is before flowering, applying organic fertilizer or compound fertilizer; the second time is after flowering at the end of October, applying nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.

Pest and disease control for Lycoris aurea

1. Anthracnose: A common disease of Lycoris aurea is anthracnose. Before planting the bulbs, soak them in 0.3% copper sulfate solution for 30 minutes, wash them with water, dry them and then plant. Spray 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution every half month for prevention and control. In the early stage of the disease, spray 50% benlate at 2500 times dilution.

2. Spodoptera litura: Spodoptera litura mainly damages leaves, flower buds and fruits as larvae, gnawing the leaf mesophyll and boring into scapes and seeds. It generally causes damage from late spring to November. It can be controlled with 5% fipronil suspension concentrate at 2500 times dilution or Wanling at 1000 times dilution.

3. Lycoris noctuid: You can combine winter or early spring plowing to dig out overwintering pupae and reduce the insect population base. When it occurs, spray chlorpyrifos at 1500 times dilution or phoxim emulsifiable concentrate at 800 times dilution. Spraying in the morning or evening when the larvae come out to move and feed gives better results.

4. Thrips: Thrips mainly suck nutrients at the leafing area of Lycoris aurea bulbs, causing leaves to lose green. They are especially found in greater numbers after the fruits mature. You can alternate sprays of 25% imidacloprid at 3000 times dilution and 70% Admire at 6000 to 10000 times dilution for control.