Ivy Winter Care Methods and Precautions
After planting ivy, water it thoroughly immediately. If any fallen seedlings are found, straighten them promptly, and fill in the soil that has sunk due to watering. 3 to 5 days after the first watering, water a second time. After 5 to 7 days, water a third time. If the temperature is suitable, after 3 waterings the callus tissue of the roots will have healed and new roots will have formed, and then begin intertillage and seedling hardening. Where there are gaps or missing plants, replant promptly, after which the plants enter the routine care stage. According to the plant's growth condition, begin fertilizing by top dressing after 75-90 days. Mix well-fermented human manure and urine and sesame paste residue fertilizer into the surface soil during intertillage, and water immediately after fertilizing. For chemical top dressing, use urea at 0.5%, potassium sulfate at 0.1%-0.3%, and superphosphate at 0.5%-1% solution for foliar spraying. Intertillage loosens the surface soil, reduces water evaporation, raises soil temperature, improves air circulation in the soil, promotes the decomposition of soil nutrients, and creates good conditions for root growth and nutrient absorption. Weeding can reduce the loss of nutrients and water and avoid competition from weeds for space and sunlight. For cold-tolerant ivy, carry out heading-back pruning. During the plant's growth period, prune lightly, removing no more than 1/3 of a branch, so as to encourage multiple branches to sprout and increase the coverage area.
For safe overwintering, start from two aspects: improving the plant's own cold resistance and prevention. After autumn begins, stop applying nitrogen fertilizer, increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and strengthen the care and management of loosening the soil, weeding, and ventilation and light penetration. This allows the plant to fully lignify before the cold winter arrives and enhances its cold resistance. To prevent frost damage to the plant, windbreaks can be set up; windbreaks can reduce wind speed and lessen frost damage to plants. Another method is to apply freezing water after Frost's Descent and before Minor Snow. In this way, after the winter freeze sets in, a frozen layer forms around the plant's root system, maintaining a constant temperature at the roots while also preserving moisture in the soil.
How to care for ivy in winter
For green plants, friends who like ivy may have questions about how to care for ivy in winter. Today let's learn about how to care for ivy in winter and how to help it overwinter. Let's take a look at the precautions for how to care for ivy in winter!
How to care for ivy in winter
It is understood that most flowers and trees from tropical and subtropical regions stop growing and enter dormancy when the temperature falls below 10°C; otherwise, their branches and leaves are easily damaged by freezing or they may freeze to death. For plants such as Norfolk Island pine, false betel nut, cordyline, miniature coconut, Aglaia, clivia, jasmine, and bromeliads, as well as flowering cactus grown directly in pots, room temperature should be kept at around 3°C-5°C. For banyan, sago palm, palm bamboo, rubber tree, aloe, schefflera, epiphyllum, and epiphyllum, the minimum room temperature should be 1°C-3°C or higher.
At present, aloe, spider plant, snake plant, English ivy, pothos, and sago palm are favored by Jinhua residents because they can absorb large amounts of harmful gases. Among them, spider plant and snake plant can absorb large amounts of harmful gases and have an extremely strong ability to absorb formaldehyde. English ivy, sago palm, and others can effectively adsorb harmful substances such as sulfur dioxide, chlorine, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen peroxide. Vendors at the Jinhua flower and bird market tell us that plants such as aloe, spider plant, pothos, money tree, cactus, and ball cactus must all be moved indoors from balconies and outdoors before frost.
The flowers grown in residents' homes are mainly divided into two types: cold-tolerant and cold-sensitive. For example, Chinese rose, azalea, osmanthus, and sago palm are cold-tolerant plants, and even if placed outdoors or on a balcony they can generally overwinter safely, while cold-sensitive plants such as Aglaia, spider plant, and money tree must be moved indoors.
Treat different flowers and plants differently
Spider plant: Spider plant is a semi-shade-tolerant plant and can overwinter indoors in winter, but its leaves may wither and die. However, vendors say that it does not matter if the leaves wither and die; as long as the roots do not die, it can grow even better next year. A special reminder for residents is that although the leaves die, it is still best to keep it indoors for the winter. When it dries out, water it promptly, but do not overwater, otherwise the roots will rot.
Pothos: In summer, pothos is even easier to grow than spider plant. It has strong reproductive ability and can grow under full sun or partial sun. It is highly shade-tolerant, likes warmth, and needs moisture retention year-round. In winter, pothos must be kept indoors. If the indoor temperature is too low, it will also become shriveled.
English ivy: It is relatively cold-tolerant and does not demand much sunlight. It likes shaded places and has no problem overwintering indoors. Buying it and keeping it at home in this season makes it relatively easy to grow. The hot, stuffy climate of summer is instead very unfavorable for the growth of English ivy. Aloe: Aloe likes bright sunlight and higher temperatures, but avoids intense direct sunlight. In winter, the minimum temperature must not be lower than 2°C, and it should be moved indoors promptly. Although aloe likes moisture, it cannot be watered every day; you can wait until the soil is very dry before watering.
Money tree: It is afraid of cold. In winter, keeping it in an air-conditioned room makes it easier to overwinter. On ordinary days, water once every half month; in winter, water once every two to three months.
No need to water frequently in winter
In winter, the evaporation of plants is much lower than in summer, so there is no need to water frequently. Only when the soil in the pot (below 2-3 cm) is found to be dry to a powdery state, or when tapping the side of the pot produces a crisp sound, may you water an appropriate amount (do not overwater). When the day's minimum temperature is below 0°C, it is best to choose noon for watering. In addition, fertilization should be suspended during overwintering. Because water evaporation is slow in winter, most flowers are in dormancy and have little demand for water and fertilizer, and overly fertile or overly wet potting soil can easily cause root rot and death.
In addition, some flowers, especially many southern varieties introduced in recent years, require high air humidity. In a dry room, leaf tips or leaf margins will turn yellow and withered, and the leaf color will be dull. Therefore, when growing flowers at home, even if you water every day and the potting soil is very moist, the leaf tips still turn scorched yellow. The problem lies in insufficient air humidity, because air humidity is not the same as soil moisture. For trailing flowers such as spider plant and pothos, pay frequent attention to spraying water on the leaf surfaces to increase air humidity.
English ivy likes a warm, humid environment and is slightly cold-tolerant. It can withstand short periods of low temperature of -5 to -7°C. It does not have high soil requirements, but likes fertile, loose soil. Swedish ivy is not cold-tolerant, and stops growing when the winter temperature is below 12°C. In winter, place it in a greenhouse to overwinter. The indoor air humidity should be maintained and it should not be too dry, but the potting soil should not be too wet.
How to care for ivy in winter has been introduced here for everyone. How to care for ivy in winter is actually not difficult. The main thing is to understand its living habits and observe it more, and you can easily master the cultivation methods and precautions for ivy!
How should ivy be grown
If it is hydroponic, just give it more sunlight.If it is potted, look below:
When potted, pay attention to shading in summer, and move it indoors to overwinter in winter. During the growing period, keep the potting soil moist.
Never let it become too dry, and also pay attention to ventilation. It is best to apply thin, dilute fertilizer, 2-3 times a year; if too much fertilizer is applied, the plant will lose its graceful characteristics. When planting, heavy pruning should be carried out to encourage branching. After that, carry out appropriate pruning once each spring.
Prune by shortening the main vines to control excessive growth. Usually pay attention to environmental ventilation.
Soil
Ivy is not strict about soil, tolerates poor soil, likes moist, loose, fertile sandy soil, and avoids saline
alkaline soil. Generally, fertile loose soil is mostly used as the potting medium, such as equal parts garden soil and leaf mold mixed, or
it can be prepared from leaf mold, peat soil, and fine sandy soil with a small amount of base fertilizer, or mixed from garden soil, about 1/4 plant ash,
and a small amount of base fertilizer. Plant ash can both keep the potting soil loose and breathable and provide relatively abundant potassium fertilizer to satisfy ivy
growth. It can also be grown in sphagnum moss alone.
Light
Ivy is a typical shade-loving vine flower and tree. It tolerates shade and moisture, and can also grow in a full-light environment. It can
be grown indoors in a bright room for a long time. In a dark room, as long as supplementary lighting is provided, it can also grow well. It
grows well under warm, humid climate conditions and is not cold-tolerant.
In spring, when branches and leaves sprout abundantly, whether variegated or green-leaved, they should be placed in sunlight to receive sufficient light,
so that the branches and leaves that grow will be lush and sturdy. Usually it should be placed under diffused light so that the leaf color becomes deep green
and glossy. Variegated varieties have even more beautiful leaf color in a shaded environment. In the severe heat of summer, it must be placed in a cool,
shaded, and ventilated place.
Watering
The rainy season and high summer temperatures require the most caution. For ivy placed outdoors during the rainy season, as soon as there is standing water in the pot,
pour it out promptly to avoid the roots being soaked for a long time and rotting. In summer, the ambient temperature is high, which is unfavorable for ivy growth.
Growth stalls above 30°C, so it is better to use foliar water spraying and watering more often. Insufficient water makes the plant base prone to
leaf drop; too much water easily causes root rot. You can choose to water in the early morning or evening to avoid a large difference between soil temperature and water temperature,
which can cause root stress and injury and ultimately lead to the plant withering and dying.
In winter, place it in a greenhouse to overwinter. The indoor air humidity should be maintained and it should not be too dry, but the potting soil should not be too wet.
Fertilization
At the seedling stage, water and fertilizer management should be strengthened to speed up growth. During the growing period, especially in spring and autumn, apply liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks,
or apply granular chemical fertilizer once a month. At the same time, note that the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the fertilizer should be 1:1:1, and the nitrogen
proportion must not be too high, so as to avoid variegated leaves turning green. During the plant's growth process, attention should be paid to pruning to encourage more branching
and make the plant shape full. For column-trained potted plants, prune and pinch back frequently.
Propagation methods
Ivy is commonly propagated by cuttings or layering, and can also be propagated by seed. Because ivy's nodes can
naturally produce roots in humid air, and after touching the ground will naturally enter the soil, cutting propagation is mostly used.
Cuttings are best carried out in spring and autumn. For cuttings, semi-lignified young branches 1-2 years old are mostly selected. Although old branches
can also be used for cuttings, they root poorly. Generally, cut about 10 cm long with a few leaves at the upper end; insert into a seedling bed with coarse sand or vermiculite
as the medium to a depth of about 5 cm, or insert directly into a pot of loose culture soil. For large-leaved Canary Island ivy,
before cuttings, the branches must first be soaked in water, then taken out and inserted. After cutting, shade promptly, or place in a slightly shaded
environment. Air humidity should be high, the bed soil should not be too wet, and keeping the medium moist is enough. At a temperature of about 15-20°C,
roots can form in about two to three weeks. After the mother plant's runners produce roots, they can also be cut off and planted. Sometimes the mother plant's runners are
buried and pressed into sandy soil with the leaves exposed, and each node can produce adventitious roots. After the internodes root, they can be cut into sections and planted.
When transplanting, be careful to keep soil around the roots, as this makes it easier to survive.
Pest control
Strengthening ventilation and air permeability can reduce the occurrence of pests. Ivy often suffers from aphids in spring, and under conditions of high temperature, dryness, and
poor ventilation, it is also prone to damage from red spider mites, scale insects, and mites, so pesticides should be applied early for control.
When mites or aphids appear, generally you can wash them off with soapy water or spray 40% omethoate 1000x to 1500x solution
and that is enough.
The stuffy, hot climate of summer makes pest outbreaks likely, mainly scale insects, especially numerous on the undersides of leaves and petioles. Strengthening ventilation
and air permeability can reduce the occurrence of pests. If there are few pests, you can dip an old toothbrush in soapy water and brush them clean. If there are many pests,
you can use 40% omethoate 800x solution to spray and kill them, spraying once every 7 days, for 2 to 3 consecutive sprays.