How to grow Guzmania (Vriesea)? Detailed guide to cultivation methods and precautions

“Guzmania” is a flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae family, with flowers that open at the top or middle of the plant.

Bromeliads prefer warm, humid environments. The suitable growing temperature is 21-28°C during the day and 18-21°C at night. Air humidity should be high, generally 75-85% is best; when it drops below 50%, the plant will show leaf shrinkage and curling. Ventilation is also extremely important. Its effect is not obvious when temperatures are low, but it is especially prominent during hot seasons. Ventilation not only keeps the plant growing robustly but also reduces infection by diseases.

When watering, use clean water that has been left to stand for 2-3 days. Pour the water into the plant's ‘cup’ shape rather than directly onto the potting medium. Fertilize reasonably, and spray with New High Lipid Film to retain fertilizer and moisture.

Spraying flower-strengthening agent during the bud stage can promote strong buds, larger petals, more vivid flower colors, richer fragrance, and a longer blooming period. No fertilizing is needed while the plant is in flower. After flowering, promptly cut off the flower and supplement fertilizer. Fully water-soluble fertilizer can also be applied along with watering into the leaf cup. Once small offsets have grown, they can be cut from the mother plant with a sharp knife and planted separately. Generally, the old plant will not bloom again and can later be kept as a mother plant to propagate new plants.

Cultivation methods and precautions for Thousand-petal White Peach

1. Flat peach (variety)

2. Ornamental tree species

Cultivation methods and precautions for succulents (experience-based)

Many flower lovers hope to see a valuable article on succulent cultivation methods and precautions, hoping to gain useful knowledge from a single article. For flower lovers, the new experience of veteran growers is worth more than a thousand identical theoretical articles.

There are many kinds of succulents. For example, the common Crassulaceae, Aizoaceae, and Cactaceae can all be called succulents, but their cultivation methods differ. Therefore, flower lovers must understand this clearly. This article mainly discusses Crassulaceae succulents, which are the common succulents we see.

Below let us look at flower lover Xiaoyao Zhenren's "Summary of My Sedum Potted Plant Experience." We hope flower lovers will read it carefully.

The author is located in Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province. Local summer temperatures reach a maximum of 38 degrees, and from November to March of the following year in winter, the lowest temperature is minus 22 degrees; generally, minus 17 degrees is the extreme. The climate is characterized by little rain in summer, much wind in spring, a short autumn, and large temperature fluctuations. Growing conditions: outdoor cultivation on an outer windowsill, a small platform of about 8 sq m, and indoors in winter.

Brief introduction

Many friends who have just entered the succulent hobby worry about many things, such as what pots to use, soil mixing ratios, what fertilizer to use and at what intervals, watering frequency, and so on. But veteran growers never worry about these things. Why? Because experienced growers understand that pots, soil, water, fertilizer, environment, and plants are an interconnected whole, and focusing on any single factor alone is meaningless.

For example, if the pot is very breathable, then finer soil particles are not a problem; if the soil is coarse-grained with very little fine content, then more frequent watering is necessary; if the soil has a relatively high proportion of organic matter such as peat, then very little fertilizer is needed; if it is grown outdoors during the growing season with good ventilation, then provide plenty of fertilizer and water; if it is mainly kept indoors, then use small pots and strictly control water; and so on. Of course, beginners lack understanding and do not have experience they can draw on at will, so they should still operate conservatively.

Every succulent lover craves the beauty of Sedum. Low temperatures, ultraviolet light, water control, and ventilation are where the magic of shaping and coloring lies. Many people talk about temperature difference, but I personally disagree. I think low temperature is what really matters, and taking temperature difference as the key factor is inaccurate. Low temperature and large temperature difference are not the same concept. Our Northeast region has a temperature difference of over ten degrees in every season, but Sedum is not beautiful in summer. Why? Because the temperature is not low enough. As beginners, you must understand the relationship between ultraviolet light and glass. Because glass contains silicon, it blocks most ultraviolet light in sunlight, and ultraviolet light is essential for the beauty of Sedum.

We must understand one principle: why is Sedum beautiful? So-called beauty is Sedum's emergency response to a harsh living environment, indicating that the environment is not suitable for growth. Strong ultraviolet light, low temperature, lack of water, and other factors unfavorable to growth cause the plant to close its leaves and change pigments to cope with the harsh environment, while also slowing its growth rate. Therefore, growth and beauty are a contradiction. Beginners often ask: why does the beautiful Sedum I bought turn into green vegetables and lose its beauty? The answer is that they are growing; they have obtained a superior environment and are feasting. So the extreme of beauty is abnormality. If you want your Sedum to be beautiful, do not treat it well. Abuse it!

1. Pot selection

I personally like coarse ceramic pots. First, they are very breathable; second, because my soil mix contains a lot of perlite, ceramic pots can ensure stability during outdoor cultivation and will not be blown over by strong wind. Coarse ceramic pots are cheap and available in a wide range of shapes. Although not as aesthetically pleasing as purple clay, they are absolutely more beneficial to plants than purple clay pots, because purple clay pots have much poorer breathability.

Red clay pots have excellent breathability and are compatible with plant roots. They are a very good choice for some plants that are extremely prone to waterlogging. However, because the capillary action of clay causes the potting soil to dry quickly, under normal care the watering frequency should be increased. Some friends hope to use a simple method to achieve a controlled shape and outstanding appearance; choosing red clay pots is worth considering, as they can quickly dehydrate the soil.

Plastic pots are cheap, lightweight, space-saving, and also quite suitable. Some current specialized succulent plastic pots have scientifically designed bottom holes, greatly improving breathability. The only consideration is safety during outdoor cultivation in windy areas. The root-control pots that have emerged in recent years have very good breathability, but single-layer root-control pots retain only slightly more water than red clay pots, so watering should be more frequent. Double-layer root-control pots are close to coarse ceramic pots in breathability.

Ceramic pots are only a little heavier and thicker than plastic pots, and can buffer the stimulation of root systems from external temperature changes. Because their bottom holes are simple, their breathability is far inferior to plastic pots. Especially narrow-mouthed deep ceramic pots are very unsuitable for growing succulents and require special drainage layers to strengthen breathability.

The general principles for choosing pots are: pot walls should have good breathability, use shallow pots rather than deep pots, use wide-mouthed pots rather than narrowed-mouth pots, and take into account the safety of the plant and the environment.

2. Soil mixing

Considering economy and practicality, my soil mix mainly consists of coarse-grained perlite, Northeast pine needle soil, and stone debris, at a volume ratio of about 5:3:1, plus a small amount of charcoal, activated carbon, and nut shells. The advantages of this soil are decent breathability, slowly released nutrients such as humic acid, moderate weight, and low cost. The disadvantage is that it does not last long and will powderize and compact. Although it will not greatly affect the health of Sedum, it is not as durable as pure coarse-grained soil. My first batch of Sedum used coarse-grained soil, mainly light stone, Kanuma soil, ceramsite, green zeolite, road-building stone debris, charcoal, and so on left over from growing orchids in the past, mainly with a particle size of 0.6 to 1.2 cm, with no peat or pine needle soil added. These pots of soil have not been changed for three years and still remain in very good condition. This shows that for mature plants, coarse-grained soil is the best choice.

For sowing and seedling soil, I mainly use coconut coir soil, peat soil, grass peat soil, vermiculite, fine perlite, and rice husk charcoal, basically mixed in equal proportions.

If you do not care that the potting soil is too heavy and do not consider the physical effort of screening and moving it, I think crushed weathered granite is the best soil for Sedum. What is sold on the market as Maifan stone is actually a kind of granite, but many Maifan stones on the market are fresh gray-white granite debris, and reflections can be seen on the particle surfaces. This fresh rock has no water-absorbing or breathable effect, is difficult to release mineral nutrients, and has sharp edges that reduce soil porosity and are unfavorable to roots. I suggest using highly weathered granite, which can be found in many places and obtained without spending money, but it is very, very, very heavy!

Volcanic rock is very poor granular soil. Although the volcanic rock on the market is porous and cheap, its edges are sharp and it is extremely incompatible with plant roots. It can be considered as a top dressing or drainage layer at the bottom of a pot, but try not to use volcanic rock as a soil mix component.

If cost is not considered, Kanuma soil and green zeolite should be the best soil mix components, excellent in every way.

Northeast pine needle soil is an excellent organic growing medium. For mature plants, it is superior to ** peat, with better breathability, stability, and resistance to decay, but the pine needle soil of Masson pine in the south is different from this.

Kanuma soil and Akadama soil feel average and are not superior in cost-effectiveness.

Light stone, also called pumice, can serve as a substitute for perlite. It is lightweight, breathable, water-absorbing, stable, and does not powderize.

Charcoal granules are an excellent conditioning component, all-purpose. Of course, activated carbon is even better.

Diatomite looks good, but I doubt whether it is worth the money, and I also doubt its compatibility with plant roots.

3. Watering

I belong to the type who likes to water, and I treat plants differently according to the season, the potting soil, and the plant. During the off-season for growth, I water along the edge of the pot once every 10 days. During the growing season, it may be once every 5 days, with heavy flooding. For water-loving varieties such as Monanthes, I increase the frequency. I use tap water that has been left to stand for more than two days. Because local water hardness is high, I use purified water for spraying leaves to avoid leaving salt stains on the leaf surface. Salt stains will clog leaf stomata, affect plant respiration, and are also unsightly.

Water droplets on the leaf surface produce a focusing effect like a convex lens, and will burn the plant in sunlight. Therefore, try to choose the evening for watering, when the sun has already set in the west, and water droplets on the leaves will dry in the night wind.

As for whether to avoid watering the leaves, I cannot avoid it. For dense clustered growth, it is impossible not to water the leaves. Just water however you like.

After long-term indoor cultivation, water should be controlled before moving plants outside to train their constitutions. Outdoor-grown Sedum should have watering cut off after autumn to toughen them, so they can resist cold, extend the outdoor growing time, and reduce frost damage. Flower lovers without outdoor growing conditions should, in addition to using thumb pots and granular soil, also control water in coordination with shape control, lengthen the watering interval, and water along the pot edge without needing to soak thoroughly.

4. Fertilizing

I like to use liquid fertilizer, about once every half month during the growing season. When watering, I mix in homemade fruit enzyme, homemade EM bacterial liquid, biogas slurry, beer, fermented soybean cake and sesame residue liquid, calcium treasure (a trace element mixture), brassinolide, amino acid fertilizer, monopotassium phosphate, triple superphosphate, urea, boron fertilizer, magnesium chloride, ferrous sulfate, and so on, choosing according to the plant and season. I call this the cocktail fertilizing method. Of course, I also use a little controlled-release granular fertilizer.

Sedum does not have a great demand for fertilizer. The general principle of fertilizing is to absolutely avoid high concentration. Generally, the concentration of soluble solids should be controlled at about one part per ten thousand. Avoid high nitrogen and do not feed an unbalanced diet. Fertilizer quality matters more than quantity, and so-called quality refers to balanced nutrition.

For Sedum at the seedling stage, you can give a little urea or general nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer as nitrogen fertilizer to increase growth speed. For mature plants, nitrogen fertilizer should be used cautiously, as nitrogen fertilizer promotes leggy growth.

Phosphorus fertilizer is very important and should be placed first among macronutrients. Do not ignore the importance of trace elements. Biologically fermented fertilizer can help achieve balanced nutrition and should not be ignored.

When fertilizing, you should treat plants differently according to the soil mix. For example, a soil mix with more peat can use less or no nitrogen fertilizer, as the humic acid it releases is enough. Weathered or porous rock debris will release mineral nutrients and naturally slow-release them. In contrast, perlite, fresh rock, quartz river sand, and so on will hardly release nutrients.

The porous granules in the soil mix will absorb free mineral elements and then slowly release them, which is very beneficial to the effect of returning fertilizer. All the high-quality granules we use have this function.

Liquid fertilizers containing live bacteria, such as enzymes, promote plant health and vitality and can also help optimize the soil.

Do not casually buy some compound fertilizer from an agricultural supply store and use it on Sedum. That kind of fertilizer is often poor in quality and unsuitable for succulents. Monopotassium phosphate and similar products can be bought in analytical grade, either online or from chemical supply stores.

5. Using pesticides

Even if no pests or diseases are visible, appropriate pesticide use is still necessary. About once every two months, I use an insecticide and fungicide mixed with water to drench the roots. Insecticides mainly include abamectin, imidacloprid, and scale insect treatment; fungicides mainly include carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, and chlorothalonil. During indoor cultivation in winter, fungicides are used more frequently.

The main methods of application are root drenching and pot soaking; spraying leaves is not important. Insects and pathogens are mainly in the soil, and systemic pesticides can be absorbed by the roots.

For mature plants, potassium permanganate solution is used to sterilize the soil; for sowing soil, thiophanate-methyl is used for sterilization.

Newly purchased plants are treated with a combined insecticide and fungicide before potting, soaked in the solution for 20 minutes. This step is useful.

Both pest control and sterilization are mainly preventive. Do not wait until pests or diseases occur to act, as by then it is often too late. Not seeing insects on the plant does not mean there is no pest problem; most pests hide in the soil.

Plants with severe pest or disease problems can be considered simply discarded to avoid the problem spreading like a prairie fire.

Among biological hormone drugs, I occasionally use a little brassinolide.

6. Shading, rain protection, and freeze protection

Local summer sunlight can also be scorching. I personally feel that 33 degrees is the threshold locally. If it is below 33 degrees, basically no shading is needed. If it exceeds that, varieties that cannot tolerate sun exposure need shading. Locally this is the arid region of western Liaoning, with few consecutive rainy days, so rain protection is not a problem.

In early spring and late autumn, freeze protection is a big issue. The low-temperature season is exactly the golden season for Sedum. It is hard to give up outdoor cultivation, yet one must guard against catastrophic damage. It is very conflicting. My experience is that most Sedum varieties can survive weather with a minimum temperature of minus 5 degrees, and a small number of varieties such as Sempervivum and Orostachys can tolerate minus 20 degrees.

For Northeast succulent lovers who need indoor cultivation in winter, outdoor cultivation during the early spring transition period is very risky. On one hand, plants need to be moved outside as early as possible while the sun is not yet scorching to complete a safe transition. On the other hand, the climate during that period fluctuates greatly, and the probability of sunburn and frostbite is high. Only care and diligence can prevent disaster.

The resistance of plants is greatly related to the degree of toughening. Plants that have been toughened have thick skin and tough flesh, and their resistance is greatly strengthened. Therefore, simply discussing how many degrees a plant can tolerate is meaningless; you need to explore it yourself.

7. Pollination and breeding

To allow Sedum to bloom at the same time, they should be grown in the same environment, so hybridization can be well completed. I like to use dental applicator sticks as pollination tools. During the flowering period, pay attention to the health of the mother plant. At this time the mother plant is severely depleted. Once the mother plant is found to be unable to hold up, the flower stalk should be cut off, growing conditions improved, and the plant restored to vigor as soon as possible.

During flowering and fruit set, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer and trace elements should be strengthened.

8. Sowing and raising seedlings

I like to sow in spring, when seeds are fresh. After two months of seedling stage, it is relatively safe to pass the summer. The sowing soil is a mixture of peat soil, grass peat soil, coconut coir soil, vermiculite, and fine perlite, basically mixed in equal proportions. Before sowing, mix thiophanate-methyl with water for sterilization, sow on the soil surface without covering with soil, place in a bright indoor location, cover with a humidity box or plastic wrap, and seedlings emerge in about a week. During the seedling stage, maintain alternating wet and dry conditions, toughen strong seedlings, provide sufficient light, and prevent leggy growth. Use insecticide pot soaking at appropriate times to prevent soil pests.

During the seedling stage, use the pot soaking method for watering as much as possible to avoid washing away seeds and seedlings.

Stunted seedlings sometimes occur, often due to root problems, or possibly pests in the soil eating seedling roots, causing seedlings to have no roots or few roots. To deal with stunted seedlings, you can pull them up, trim the roots, change the soil, and replant.

9. Planting new plants

Newly purchased Sedum, due to coming from various sources, may have damaged roots and unhealthy conditions, so some work is needed when potting. First, clean the root system, cut off dead and weak roots, and soak in a solution mixed with insecticide and fungicide for 20 minutes. I often use abamectin and carbendazim together. Although this work is troublesome, it is still very necessary. External plants may hide risks no matter how good they look. A cautious approach ensures safety.

After the medicinal bath, pot directly, then water the potting soil with the solution until thoroughly soaked, and place in a bright indoor location. As for what others say about potting in moist soil, drying roots, and so on, I disagree.

10. Cultivating old stems

Old stems are beautiful, but one should not pull seedlings up to help them grow. Some people tear off leaves to create old stems, but old stems made this way lack flavor and are not worth imitating. Time creates and transforms; patiently wait for the miraculous work of time, this magician, and surprises will naturally occur.

Many people ask me how I intervened to get those clustered old stems. I am speechless, because my method is non-intervention. Nature concentrates divine beauty; nature itself is the best sculptor and beautician.

Except for plants like Xiaomixing and Qianchuanzi, I rarely behead or cut buds. As for pulling off leaves to create stems, I have never done that either. Even half-withered leaves should not be picked; wait until they are completely withered before pulling them off. The nutrients in old leaves will be slowly recycled, and the stems left after old leaves naturally fall off are the most beautiful.

11. Tools

The tools for growing Sedum are very simple: large and small tweezers, curved hemostatic forceps, pointed-spout watering cans, pointed-spout bottles, medical scalpels, scissors, spray bottles, air blowers, sprayers, dental applicator sticks, brushes, and droppers.

Medical curved hemostatic forceps are very handy cleaning tools and are most convenient for pulling off dead leaves.

Dental applicator sticks are very suitable for pollinating Sedum. The size is appropriate and they pick up pollen extremely well.

An air blower is very important. It is useful for cleaning dust off leaves and blowing away water droplets after watering.

You can buy one of those agricultural sprayers with a capacity of 5 liters or more. It is convenient to pump, has a long wand, and is especially simple for people with many pots to spray water and pesticides.

For some large clustered plants that fill the pot, repotting is troublesome. You can use the upper end of large tweezers to insert in reverse around the pot edge, causing the root system to separate from the pot wall, then insert a sturdy object along the pot edge and slowly pry, then pull the main stem to lift it out.