What are the cultivation methods and precautions for Anthurium?
Video: Cultivation methods and precautions for Anthurium
Anthurium is a perennial evergreen herbaceous flower. It likes warm, humid and well-drained environments, and fears drought and strong direct sunlight. The suitable daytime growing temperature is 26-32°C, and the nighttime temperature is 21-32°C. The highest temperature it can tolerate is 35°C, and the lowest temperature it can tolerate is 14°C. It is native to South America, and is widely cultivated in Europe, Asia and Africa. Below, the editor will introduce the cultivation methods and precautions for Anthurium!
Growing conditions for Anthurium
Anthurium likes warm, humid and well-drained environments, and fears drought and strong direct sunlight. Its suitable daytime growing temperature is 26-32°C, and the nighttime temperature is 21-32°C. The highest temperature it can tolerate is 35°C, and the lowest temperature it can tolerate is 14°C. The suitable light intensity is 16000-20000 lx, and the ideal relative air humidity (RH) is 70%-80%.
Anthurium is native to tropical rainforest areas such as Costa Rica and Colombia. It often grows epiphytically on trees, sometimes on rocks or directly on the ground. It likes warm, humid and semi-shaded environments, and avoids direct sunlight. It is native to the humid, semi-shaded valley areas of the tropical rainforests of South America. Through introduction, improvement and greenhouse cultivation with light, temperature and water regulation systems, it is widely cultivated in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Propagation methods for Anthurium
Propagation of Anthurium includes division and cutting propagation, seed propagation, tissue culture and other methods. At present, seeds are mainly obtained through sexual hybridization to cultivate superior plants. However, because Anthurium is a cross-pollinated plant, the progeny of highly heterozygous hybrid seeds will show extensive trait segregation and great variation. Therefore, asexual propagation methods such as division, cutting and tissue culture are often used in production in order to obtain plants with the same traits as the mother plant.
1. Division propagation
Anthurium has a strong tillering ability. In combination with thinning, transplanting and removing buds for cut flowers, small and medium-sized lateral buds on the mother plant can be separated from the mother body, and then the lateral buds can be cultivated into new plants. The specific method should be carried out according to the following aspects:
① The division period is mainly in the cool and highly humid spring. Division can also be done in cool autumn weather. Never divide in hot summer or in dry and cold seasons.
② When dividing, care must be taken not to damage the mother plant. Do not separate lateral buds that are too large, those too close together, or those too weak and small. Mainly separate lateral buds that are relatively easy to separate from the mother plant and are relatively robust, with at least 2 or more main roots.
③ When transplanting seedlings, division can be done by applying even force with the hands to separate the lateral buds from the mother plant at the bud eyes of the underground stem. When separation is difficult, use a sharp sterilized blade to cut them apart at the bud eyes. For division by removing buds for cut flowers, first remove the soil layer, pay attention to the distribution of the root system and the bud eyes of the underground stem, carefully cut at the bud eyes, and then remove the lateral buds.
④ After cutting, wait until the wound of the lateral bud is slightly dry, then temporarily plant it in a cool place to promote rooting and restore growth. When planting, the root system must be spread flat and the plant upright, with support if necessary. Do not water immediately after planting. Instead, spray water on the leaves to maintain humidity. After 2 days, water or apply dilute fertilizer solution as appropriate.
The disadvantage of division and cutting propagation is slower growth, and the materials are difficult to disinfect and may easily carry diseases and pests (such as root-knot nematodes, bacteria and viruses, etc.). The cultivation technical requirements for divided plants and tissue-cultured plants are the same, except that the former is taller and stronger than the latter.
2. Seed propagation
In breeding, sowing seeds is the main way to obtain new Anthurium varieties. The fruit of Anthurium is a berry type and must be sown immediately after harvest. Before sowing, remove the peel and wash off the flesh to avoid the peel and flesh rotting and molding, which would affect the seed germination rate. The sowing method can use the pure sand germination method, sowing the seeds in clean river sand at a sowing depth of 0.5-0.8 cm, maintaining a certain humidity. Generally, they will germinate in about 15 days, and new leaves will soon grow. When they grow to 5-6 leaves, they can be transplanted into a substrate of pure perlite mixed with peat soil or coconut coir at 1:2 for temporary planting cultivation.
3. Tissue culture
Tissue culture is a propagation method in which cut pieces of plant material are placed in a culture medium for cultivation to obtain new plants. The whole process is completed under sterile conditions in a laboratory. The propagation material must first be strictly disinfected and undergo virus-free culture before it can provide a guarantee for obtaining virus-free cloned seedlings.
The propagation materials for Anthurium mainly use callus tissue and leaves. The reason for using callus tissue as propagation material is that the resulting cloned seedlings are less prone to variation, but it is very difficult to obtain virus-free callus tissue. Leaves are easy to disinfect and relatively convenient to handle. The disadvantage is that the leaves are not smooth, and plants formed through their culture are prone to mutation, but this mutation can be controlled artificially.
During the bottle seedling stage, tissue-cultured seedlings complete their growth process under various optimal growth conditions provided artificially. The experimental conditions differ greatly from the natural external conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to let the bottle seedlings undergo a transitional hardening and acclimatization process so that the bottle seedlings can smoothly adapt to the natural environmental conditions outside.
[Note]The cultivation methods for Anthurium are also divided into hydroponic cultivation methods and potted cultivation methods according to different cultivation conditions. Next, the editor will introduce the hydroponic cultivation methods and potted cultivation methods for Anthurium!