What are the daily care tips for Bauhinia variegata?
1. Soil
Loose, well-drained acidic sandy soil; the soil can be fertile or poor, because it tolerates barren conditions. When transplanting Bauhinia variegata, it is best to keep some soil around the roots, which can improve the survival rate of transplanting.
2. Light and temperature
Bauhinia variegata likes a sunny and warm environment, because it is not very cold-tolerant. However, it does have some shade tolerance, so during the hot summer when the sunlight is harsh, shading is needed to prevent sunscald. Bauhinia variegata grows best at temperatures between 23°C and 34°C. In winter, the temperature must be kept above 5°C for overwintering; when the temperature is too low, place the potted Bauhinia variegata in a greenhouse to resist the cold and survive the winter.
3. Watering and fertilizing
Bauhinia variegata likes a humid environment, but waterlogging should be avoided. In spring and autumn, keep sufficient moisture and water more frequently to maintain a certain humidity; in autumn and winter, potted plants should be kept a bit drier, so reduce watering frequency. In winter, watering should be done at noon. The fertilizing method is closely related to the plant's growth condition. Generally, apply liquid fertilizer 1-2 times during the growing period, and after flowering apply decomposed dilute fertilizer water several times. In autumn, some phosphate fertilizer can be applied to promote flowering the following year.
Before waiting for the flowers to bloom next year, let us continue to learn more about the daily care of Bauhinia variegata.
Pests, diseases, and control measures for Bauhinia variegata
Diseases of Bauhinia variegata
There are two main diseases of Bauhinia variegata: one is angular leaf spot, and the other is sooty mold.
When Bauhinia variegata is infected with angular leaf spot, some polygonal diseased spots appear on the leaves, and in the later stage, the leaves gradually wither and fall off, affecting the growth condition of Bauhinia variegata. When Bauhinia variegata is infected with sooty mold, many oily soot-like substances appear on the leaves, and the branches also turn black. In severe cases, it affects the flowering of Bauhinia variegata and may even gradually lead to its death.
Disease control methods for Bauhinia variegata
To prevent Bauhinia variegata from being infected with diseases, we should regularly clear away its fallen leaves every autumn, because the fallen leaves are very likely to carry pathogens; on the other hand, after fallen leaves accumulate and ferment, they can easily cause pathogen infection. It is best to clean up and burn the large number of fallen leaves of Bauhinia variegata.
If Bauhinia variegata has already been infected with a disease, we should promptly remove the diseased branches and leaves, and then promptly spray the relevant chemicals.
Pests of Bauhinia variegata
The pests of Bauhinia variegata include three kinds: the great bagworm moth, the brown-edged green slug moth, and aphids. These pests chew on the tender leaves, tender roots, and tender buds of Bauhinia variegata, which not only affects its appearance but also affects its growth condition. Therefore, in our daily care of Bauhinia variegata, we should pay attention to whether there are pests around the plant.
Control methods for pests of Bauhinia variegata
In autumn and winter, we can observe whether there are insect eggs on the Bauhinia variegata tree. If there are overwintering insect eggs, they must be removed promptly, and we should consciously preserve some natural enemies of pests, such as parasitic wasps and parasitic flies. The eggs of the brown-edged green slug moth generally overwinter in the soil, so we should dig into the soil around Bauhinia variegata to see whether there are insect eggs. If pests are found on Bauhinia variegata, we can use insecticides to kill the pests.
Cultivation and care knowledge for Bauhinia
Bauhinia is also called red-flowered camel's foot, Bauhinia variegata, red-flowered Bauhinia, showy Bauhinia, Hong Kong cherry blossom, and Hong Kong Bauhinia. Bauhinia likes light and prefers a warm, hot, and humid climate, and is not cold-tolerant. It likes acidic and fertile soil. It is easy to survive and grows relatively fast. Bauhinia can reach 15 m in height and 50 cm in diameter at breast height, and is mostly used as a shrub in gardens. The flowers are purplish red, 4 to 10 clustered on old branches, with a flowering period in April, blooming before the leaves emerge, and the fruit matures in mid-to-late September. White-flowered Bauhinia is a common form, with pure white flowers. Bauhinia likes light and grows vigorously in places with sufficient light. It has a certain degree of cold tolerance; in North China, adult seedlings can overwinter safely without cold protection measures.Bauhinia likes a humid environment. After planting, it should be watered immediately, then watered a second time on the third day, and a third time after the sixth day. After the third watering, water according to weather conditions, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged. Water promptly in summer and spray the leaves; drain promptly after rain to prevent root rot from excessive water. After autumn begins, if the temperature is not high, watering should be controlled to prevent autumn growth. Before winter begins, water thoroughly with antifreeze water. In early March of the second year, water with green-returning water. Except in July and August, when watering is determined according to rainfall, water thoroughly once each month from April to October, and water with antifreeze water before winter begins. In the third year, use the same watering method. In the fourth year, enter normal management, but antifreeze water and green-returning water should be given sufficiently and thoroughly. If conditions permit, water thoroughly once in mid-to-late April and once in late September; in other seasons, it can rely on natural growth. Some people think Bauhinia is drought-tolerant and afraid of flooding, but in fact Bauhinia likes a humid environment; it just cannot grow in waterlogged conditions. Bauhinia likes fertilizer. With sufficient fertilizer, the branches and leaves are lush and the flowers are many and brightly colored; with insufficient fertilizer, the branches are sparse and the leaves are few, and the flowers are few and pale. When planting, apply sufficient base fertilizer, preferably leaf mold, barnyard manure, or dried chicken manure, and mix it thoroughly with the planting soil before use, otherwise the roots will be burned. After normal management, apply nitrogen fertilizer once each year after flowering to promote vigorous growth, and apply a phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer once in early autumn to benefit flower bud differentiation and safe overwintering after the new branches become lignified. In early winter, combined with watering with freezing water, apply cow and horse manure. If the plant grows poorly, spray the leaves with a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution and a 0.5% urea solution.
Bauhinia is often used as a shrub in gardens, so pruning should be strengthened from the seedling stage to help form a good plant shape. After transplanting the seedlings, they can be lightly cut back to promote more branching, expand the nutrient area, accumulate nutrients, and develop the root system. In the following spring, they can be heavily cut back to stimulate new shoots; select 3 branches with better growth to keep, and cut off all the rest. During the growing period, strengthen water and fertilizer management, and pinch the retained branches. After planting, promptly thin out the many suckers, strengthen the tending of the branches left from the previous year, and pinch them more often so as to produce more secondary branches. During cultivation, strengthen the renewal of flowering branches. Practice has shown that old branches over 5 years old have fewer flowers, and the flower buds move upward, affecting ornamental value, so they should be renewed promptly.
Bauhinia can be propagated by sowing, division, cuttings, and layering, but sowing is more commonly used. The fruit matures in October; remove the pods and clean the seeds, then store them dry. Choose fertile, loose sandy loam that is easy to drain and irrigate for raising seedlings, and apply 400 kg of organic fertilizer per mu. In April of the following spring, soak the seeds in 45°C warm water for 24 hours, then sow in drills. After sowing, press the soil firm with your feet and irrigate; sprouts can emerge in 25 days. After emergence, the seedlings grow slowly and do not root deeply. In addition to timely watering to keep the soil moist, proper shading should be provided in the hot summer to prevent the seedlings from being scorched. In daily management and care, pay attention to loosening the soil and weeding, and to disease and pest control. After watering with antifreeze water in late autumn, the seedlings should also be covered with soil for cold protection.