Golden Shrimp Plant Cutting Propagation: Timing, Steps and Care Tips
Golden Shrimp Plant is also known as Yellow Shrimp Plant, Golden Silver, Golden Pagoda and so on. It is a relatively easy-to-grow plant with high ornamental value. Many flower enthusiasts want to grow it long-term, so during care they need to understand its propagation methods.
Golden Shrimp Plant is also known as Yellow Shrimp Plant, Golden Silver, Golden Pagoda and so on. It is a relatively easy-to-grow plant with high ornamental value. Many flower enthusiasts want to grow it long-term, so during care they need to understand its propagation methods. So how do you propagate Golden Shrimp Plant? How do you do cutting propagation of Golden Shrimp Plant? Let's look at the illustrated guide to Golden Shrimp Plant propagation methods.
How to Propagate Golden Shrimp Plant
The main propagation method used for Golden Shrimp Plant is cuttings. Using this method requires attention to timing, technique and aftercare in order to ensure a high survival rate after propagation. Besides cuttings, tissue culture can also be used, which is more suitable for professionals than for home growing.
Illustrated Guide to Golden Shrimp Plant Propagation Methods
I. Cutting Propagation of Golden Shrimp Plant
1. Timing
In theory, cuttings can be taken at any time during the Golden Shrimp Plant's growing season, but the best time is April. Cuttings taken at this time survive more easily, and with the correct Golden Shrimp Plant care methods they can be brought into bloom quickly afterwards. If you choose autumn, flowering will have to wait until the following year.
2. Method of Operation
(1) Selecting cuttings: From the Golden Shrimp Plant, select new shoots about 8-10 cm long, making sure the shoots have no flower buds and are not semi-lignified, then remove the lower leaves and let them dry naturally in a cool, shaded place.
(2) Inserting the cutting: This is the key step in Golden Shrimp Plant cutting propagation. After taking the cutting you can apply some rooting powder to the cut end, then insert it into the prepared medium. The medium consists of vermiculite and fine sand, then water is drawn up from the bottom of the pot.
3. Aftercare
Place the pot in a semi-shaded, well-ventilated environment, keep the temperature at around 21 degrees and the humidity at 80%, then wait for the Golden Shrimp Plant to root. If all goes well it will generally root in about 15 days, and if cuttings are taken in June, they can root in 1 week.
After rooting, do not transplant immediately. Wait until the young plant has grown 3-4 true leaves, then move it to a slightly larger pot. After one week the seedling begins to grow; at this point move it from the semi-shaded environment into the sun, and when it reaches a height of about 6 cm, pinch out the growing tip.
II. Tissue Culture Propagation of Golden Shrimp Plant
In order to breed new varieties, botanists often use tissue culture, taking the stem tips and axillary buds of the Golden Shrimp Plant as explants for culture, which can produce superior Golden Shrimp Plant varieties. However, the technical requirements are relatively high, so ordinary flower enthusiasts rarely use it.
Golden Shrimp Plant Pachystachys lutea Golden Shrimp Plant Profile: How to Grow Golden Shrimp Plant / How to Propagate Golden Shrimp Plant
Golden Shrimp Plant CardGolden Shrimp Plant Pachystachys lutea
Golden Shrimp Plant Care Methods and Precautions Introduction to Golden Shrimp Plant
Golden Shrimp Plant (scientific name: Pachystachys lutea), also known as Yellow Shrimp Plant, Small Shrimp Plant, Shrimp Flower, Golden Shrimp Shrimp Plant, Coral Acanthus, Golden Silver, is native to Mexico, Peru and Guiana in South America. There are two varieties: one with purple-brown bracts and the other with yellow bracts. The yellow-bracted one is more common. The flower shape is divided into upper and lower lips, resembling lips in appearance. It is an evergreen subshrub of the Acanthaceae family, with swollen stem nodes and opposite, oblong-elliptical leaves with distinct veins. It gets its name because the yellow bracts of the terminal spike are layered in overlapping tiers and extend white small flowers, resembling a shrimp's body. The Golden Shrimp Plant has a long flowering period, from summer to winter, and the flower spikes last up to several weeks. Wild Small Shrimp Plants can grow to 2 to 3 chi tall, while those grown in ordinary homes are mostly no more than 1 chi tall.
Morphological Characteristics of Golden Shrimp Plant
There are more than 200 species of this plant. The Golden Vein Aphelandra can reach 1 m, while potted ones are only 15-20 cm. Leaves are opposite, ovate or long-ovate, with acute tips, leathery, and the midrib and pinnate lateral veins are yellow-white. It flowers in summer and autumn, terminally, with golden-yellow buds and a long flowering period; both flowers and foliage are beautiful. The Shrimp Plant reaches 50-80 cm tall, 15-30 cm when potted. Leaves are long-elliptical or lanceolate, with silver-white centers; it flowers in summer and autumn, terminally, with red buds and a long flowering period. This type of plant is highly shade-tolerant, with ornamental flowers and foliage, elegant and pleasant. The stem is much branched, upright, gradually becoming woody at the base. Leaves are opposite, lanceolate, with clearly defined veins, wrinkled and glossy leaf surfaces, and wavy leaf margins. The inflorescence is borne at the top of the stem, composed of overlapping, neatly arranged golden-yellow heart-shaped bracts, forming a four-angled shape, 10-15 cm long. The flowers are milky white, lip-shaped, about 5 cm long, opening successively from the base of the inflorescence upward, and the golden-yellow bracts can last 2-3 months. The flowering period is very long, starting from late spring and continuing until November, with midsummer being the peak bloom period.
Ecological Habits of Golden Shrimp Plant
The Golden Shrimp Plant is native to Peru and Mexico. It prefers high temperature, high humidity and a sunny environment, is relatively shade-tolerant, and grows best at temperatures of 18 and 25°C. In winter it must be kept above 5°C to overwinter safely. It is suitable for planting in fertile, well-drained light loam.
Landscape Uses of Golden Shrimp Plant
Because of its long flowering period and high ornamental value, it quickly won the affection of many flower growers after being introduced in the 1980s. The Golden Shrimp Plant has neat clumps, bright yellow flowers and a long flowering period. It is suitable for decorating meeting rooms, halls, living rooms and balconies. In the south it is used for flower beds. In warm regions it can be planted in gardens, while in the north it is grown as a greenhouse potted flower; it is an excellent potted flower variety.
Distribution Areas of Golden Shrimp Plant
Native to tropical America. Central subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest region (main cities: Wuhan, Shashi, Huangshi, Yichang, Nanchang, Jingdezhen, Jiujiang, Ji'an, Jinggangshan, Ganzhou, Shanghai, Changsha, Zhuzhou, Yueyang, Huaihua, Jishou, Changde, Xiangtan, Hengyang, Shaoyang, Guilin, Wenzhou, Jinhua, Ningbo, Chongqing, Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Mianyang, Neijiang, Leshan, Zigong, Panzhihua, Guiyang, Zunyi, Liupanshui, Anshun, Kunming, Dali).
South subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest region (main cities: Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Guangzhou, Foshan, Shunde, Dongguan, Huizhou, Shantou, Taipei, Liuzhou, Guiping, Gejiu).
Tropical monsoon forest and rainforest region (main cities: Haikou, Sanya, Qionghai, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Shenzhen, Zhanjiang, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Macao, China, Hong Kong, China, Nanning, Qinzhou, Beihai, Maoming, Jinghong).
Propagation Methods of Golden Shrimp Plant
The Golden Shrimp Plant is mainly propagated by cuttings, which can be done during the growing season. The best time for cuttings is June. Take tender shoots about 5 cm long from an old plant, insert them in sand or vermiculite, keep moist, and they will root in about half a month; if cuttings are taken in June, they will root in one week, and water cuttings can also be used. When potting the rooted seedlings, use 2 parts pond mud, 1 part rice husk ash, and add bean cake powder or chicken manure as base fertilizer. The seedlings can only be gradually exposed to sunlight after one week. For seedlings that have survived, pinch out the growing tips: for the first pinching leave 1-2 nodes, and when the new shoots grow 2-3 pairs of leaves, pinch again leaving one pair of leaves. After stopping pinching, they can flower in 2-3 months. To prevent excessive internode length and excessive plant height after stopping pinching, you can apply 2000 ppm daminozide or 500 ppm paclobutrazol as a root drench.
The Golden Shrimp Plant is commonly propagated by cuttings. This can be done year-round, with June-July being the best. Select healthy shoots with short internodes as cuttings, remove the lower leaves, keep the top leaves, 8-10 cm long, insert them in plain sand, shade and keep moist; they will root after 2 weeks. Cuttings taken in the same year can flower in the same year.
During the growing period, give sufficient light except for slight shading in midsummer; this not only makes the plant grow more robust but also reduces disease. Although this flower can also grow fairly well in a semi-shaded environment, if it is too shaded it will become leggy, and flowering will be late and sparse. The Golden Shrimp Plant likes a well-ventilated environment; usually do not place plants too close together, so as not to impede air circulation.
In summer, water before the potting soil dries out completely, and frequently spray water on the plant and around it to maintain relatively high environmental humidity. Fertilizer is mainly cake fertilizer water or diluted human waste, applied once every 10-15 days. During the flowering period, supplement with a phosphorus-based compound fertilizer to meet the plant's fertilizer needs as it continually forms buds and blooms.
For wintering, the temperature should be kept above 10°C, otherwise the leaves easily turn yellow and drop. If kept above 15°C, it can also bloom in winter. In the second year of spring, for old plants over 2 years old whose stems have become semi-lignified and whose growth has declined, cutting renewal should be carried out.
Cultivation Techniques of Golden Shrimp Plant: Scientific Cultivation
First, scientific propagation. Its propagation mainly uses the cutting method. You can cut a 5 cm section from the middle of a branch with a pair of axillary buds, insert it into vermiculite or plain sand medium, keep the medium moist, and it will root and sprout in about 3 weeks; after one month it can be potted.
Second, soil mixing and potting. For potting, choose loose, fertile, well-drained and airy, slightly acidic soil. Generally, you can use leaf mold plus 1/3 river sand, plus a small amount of bone meal, mixed evenly to make a nutrient soil; clay and sandy soil are not suitable for its growth and development. After potting and recovering, when it grows to 8 cm tall, pinch out the growing tip to encourage branching. When the branches grow to about 6 cm-8 cm, pinch again; then the plant shape will be even, flowering will be neat, and the ornamental value will be improved.
Third, regulating temperature and light. Its optimum growth temperature is about 18°C-25°C. Above 30°C or below 10°C is unfavorable for its growth. Low temperatures easily cause leaf drop, and over time lead to root rot, and in severe cases the plant withers and dies. Therefore, for home cultivation in the north, if you want it to continue blooming in winter, it should be placed in a greenhouse, with the daytime room temperature kept above 18°C and the nighttime temperature maintained above 10°C, while giving appropriate fertilizer and water to achieve the goal. The Golden Shrimp Plant prefers sunlight. In northern cultivation, in spring and autumn it should be placed outdoors for care, generally without shading, but around midday in summer appropriate shading is needed. If exposed to scorching sun, the leaves easily wilt and the leaf margins scorch. In winter, placing it in a well-lit spot in a greenhouse keeps the leaves bright green and glossy, the plant compact, the inflorescences large, and the colors brilliant.
Fourth, reasonable fertilizer and water. The Golden Shrimp Plant likes moisture. In summer and dry seasons, frequently pay attention to increasing the air humidity around the pot so the plant can grow vigorously. The Golden Shrimp Plant relatively likes fertilizer. During the growing season, generally apply a complete-element liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days, such as "Chunquan 883", Huimanfeng and other humic acid liquid fertilizers, or urea + monopotassium phosphate diluted in water and sprayed. During the bud stage, spray a 0.2% monopotassium phosphate solution on the leaves, which helps produce more and brighter flowers. If nutrients are insufficient, the plant grows weakly, with small inflorescences and few flowers; if too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, the internodes become slender and the flower quantity decreases. The Golden Shrimp Plant has luxuriant branches and leaves, large inflorescences and many flowers, and needs more water, so the potting soil should often be kept moist, but waterlogging in the pot must be avoided. During the flower bud differentiation stage, pay attention to properly controlling watering, weakening vegetative growth, so as to favor nutrient accumulation and promote flower bud differentiation.
Care and Management: Planting
The potting soil should be fertile, loose and well aerated, and heavy clay soil should be avoided. You can mix 5 parts leaf mold, 3 parts garden soil, 1 part river sand and 1 part decomposed organic fertilizer evenly as the growing medium.
Temperature
Its optimum growth temperature is 20°C to 28°C. In summer, when the temperature reaches above 30°C, create a relatively cool environment for it by building shade and spraying the surroundings with water. During overwintering, it requires the indoor temperature to be no lower than 10°C, otherwise it is very easy for all the plant's leaves to drop; below 4°C to 5°C it will freeze to death. In winter, plants placed indoors are best warmed with an electric heater. If low temperatures last too long, it can also lead to root rot and plant death. For greenhouse cultivation, if you want it to bloom in winter, the daytime temperature should be kept at around 25°C and the nighttime temperature above 15°C.
Light
In spring and autumn it can receive full sunlight. In midsummer, shade 30% to 40%, or maintain about half a day of morning and evening light, but in winter it is best placed in a warm, sunny spot by a south-facing window.
Pay attention to appropriate light; it must not be exposed to scorching sun nor kept out of light for long periods, otherwise its growth and flowering will suffer. In spring, autumn and winter, let the plant receive sufficient light, which can make it grow more robust and reduce disease. In an overly shaded environment it will become leggy, and flowering will be late and sparse. Indoors, it should be placed by a sunny window. After early summer, it should be kept in a semi-shaded place for care; especially seedlings should avoid direct strong light, and attention should be paid to ventilation.
Water
During the growing season, not only should the potting soil always be kept moist, but relatively high air humidity is also required, though there must be no standing water in the pot. In spring and autumn, water once every 1 to 2 days. In summer, water once before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. each day, and appropriately increase the frequency of spraying water on the leaves. In winter, just keep the potting soil slightly moist. During the plum rain season, prevent waterlogging and root rot. During the growing period, water thoroughly and keep the potting soil at 80% moisture, but also prevent standing water in the pot. In summer, water before the potting soil dries out completely, and frequently spray water on the plant and around it to maintain relatively high environmental humidity.
Soil
You can mix 5 parts leaf mold, 3 parts garden soil, 1 part river sand and 1 part decomposed organic fertilizer. During the growing season, loosen the soil once every half month, and every spring before moving the plant out, a repotting and soil change must be carried out.
Fertilizer
During the growing season, apply a thin organic fertilizer once every half month. After flower buds appear, you can add 0.2% monopotassium phosphate to the diluted fertilizer water to meet its nutrient needs for continuous long-term flowering. When the ambient temperature is above 35°C or below 15°C, fertilization should be stopped. When applying organic fertilizer, do not let the fertilizer liquid splash onto the leaves, so as to avoid leaf diseases. For potted plants in northern regions, in order to avoid leaf yellowing, you can also irregularly add 0.1% ferrous sulfate powder to the fertilizer liquid; this both keeps the leaves dark green and lively and prevents physiological yellowing of the plant. The Golden Shrimp Plant likes fertilizer and tolerates fertilizer. During the growing season, apply liquid fertilizer once every half month, but do not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise the internodes will become slender and the flower quantity will decrease. During the flowering period, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer twice more to meet the plant's fertilizer needs as it continually forms buds and blooms. Insufficient fertilizer is often the main reason the Golden Shrimp Plant grows poorly and blooms sparsely and small.
How to Make Golden Shrimp Plant Bloom in All Four Seasons?
The inflorescence is densely covered with golden-yellow bracts and pure white small flowers, extremely beautiful. As long as it is cultivated properly, with sufficient light and temperatures above 15 degrees, it will bloom continuously all year round.
For potting, choose loose, fertile, well-drained and airy acidic soil. Generally, you can use leaf mold plus 1/3 river sand, plus a small amount of bone meal, mixed evenly as the growing medium. Clay and sandy soil are both unsuitable for its growth and development. The Golden Shrimp Plant relatively likes sunlight. In northern cultivation, place it outdoors for care in spring and autumn, generally without shading, but around midday in summer appropriate shading is needed. In winter, placing it in a well-lit indoor spot keeps the leaves bright green and glossy, the plant compact, the inflorescences large, and the colors brilliant. If exposed to scorching sun, it easily causes the leaves to yellow and the leaf margins to scorch.
The Golden Shrimp Plant likes moisture. In summer and dry seasons, frequently pay attention to increasing the air humidity around the pot so the plant can grow vigorously. The Golden Shrimp Plant relatively likes fertilizer. During the growing season, generally apply a complete-element liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days. During the bud stage, spray a 0.2% monopotassium phosphate solution on the leaves, which helps produce more and brighter flowers. If nutrients are insufficient, the plant grows weakly, with small inflorescences and few flowers. If too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, the internodes become slender and the flower quantity decreases. The Golden Shrimp Plant has luxuriant branches and leaves, large inflorescences and many flowers, and needs more water, so the potting soil should often be kept moist, but waterlogging in the pot must be avoided. During the flower bud differentiation stage, pay attention to properly controlling watering, weakening vegetative growth, so as to favor nutrient accumulation and promote flower bud differentiation. The optimum growth temperature is about 18-25 degrees. Above 30 degrees or below 10 degrees is unfavorable for its growth. Low temperatures easily cause leaf drop, and over time lead to root rot, and in severe cases the plant withers and dies.
Therefore, for home cultivation, if you want it to continue blooming in winter, the daytime room temperature should be kept above 18 degrees and the nighttime temperature maintained above 15 degrees, while giving appropriate water and fertilizer conditions to achieve the goal.
Pruning Methods
For newly rooted cuttings, pay attention to pinching. When the seedling is about 6 cm tall, pinch once, and when the branches grow to about 4 cm, pinch again to encourage branching. One month after pinching, buds will form and flowers will open on the new branches. Every spring, carry out pruning together with repotting, generally cutting off about 1/2 of the plant height. This not only controls height and encourages branching, but also avoids the lower leaves becoming bare and affecting the ornamental appearance.
Whenever a new shoot appears, a new inflorescence is produced at its tip, so timely pinching and pruning is very important for promoting abundant flowering of the Golden Shrimp Plant. Generally, starting from the seedling stage, pinch 2-3 times to encourage more branching and also control plant height. In winter, prune the plant and keep it indoors for care. In spring, prune together with repotting, which both lowers plant height and encourages more branching. After early autumn, the plant begins to resume growth. At this time, branch pruning and shaping are needed, along with increased light and more fertilizer and water, to ensure the plant is well-balanced and full, with lush leaves and abundant flowers.
Disease and Pest Control of Golden Shrimp Plant
It is susceptible to damage from whiteflies, red spider mites and aphids, and should be controlled promptly.
During the flowering period and in winter greenhouses, the Golden Shrimp Plant often develops small black mold spots on the flowers due to poor ventilation. This is mainly the excrement of whiteflies. The nymphs and adults of whiteflies gather at the base of the bracts and in the leaf axils. When adult density is high, dense black spots appear, causing poor flowering and gradual moldy rot. In addition, red wax scale and aphids can also occur, all directly affecting growth and ornamental value. Once discovered, spray continuously with 1500x diluted 40% omethoate.
Golden Shrimp Plant Pictures
Care and Propagation of Golden Shrimp Plant (Photos)
The Golden Shrimp Plant, also called Yellow Shrimp Plant, is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the Acanthaceae family, with a plant height of 30 to 50 cm. The plant is much branched, with elliptical, bright green leaves and distinct veins. Usually a huge inflorescence is produced at the top of each branch. The entire inflorescence looks very much like a golden pagoda or shrimp. The inflorescence bears many dense and well-developed golden-yellow bracts and pure white flowers; the white flowers are surrounded by the golden-yellow bracts. In an environment above 15°C, whenever a new shoot appears, a new inflorescence forms at the tip, and it can be enjoyed all year round.Care: The Golden Shrimp Plant is native to Mexico and Peru in the Americas. It likes a warm, humid and sunny environment, and can even tolerate intense direct sunlight at midday in summer. The more sufficient the light, the more vigorously the plant grows and the more compact the plant shape. During the growing season, keep the potting soil moist but not waterlogged. Because the air in northern regions is relatively dry, you can regularly spray water on the leaves and surrounding environment to increase air humidity. The Golden Shrimp Plant likes fertilizer. During the growing season, apply a decomposed thin liquid fertilizer or an equal-ratio nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer once every 1 to 2 weeks to promote vigorous growth and more flowering. In winter, move it indoors to a sunny spot, slightly reduce watering, and the temperature must not be lower than 10°C, otherwise excessively low temperatures will cause the leaves to yellow and drop, and over time lead to root rot, and in severe cases even death. In winter, if the daytime temperature is not lower than 25°C and the nighttime temperature is around 15°C, the plant can also bloom, and can be watered and fertilized normally. If there is heating in northern homes, it is often too dry, so you can frequently spray the plant with water close to room temperature. Every spring when the temperature rises, repot once and prune and shape the plant, to lower plant height, encourage branching, and improve the appearance of too few lower branches and leaves caused by winter leaf drop. The potting soil should be loose, airy, fertile and rich in humus. It is commonly made by mixing peat soil, leaf mold or turf soil with 1/2 perlite or vermiculite and 1/3 river sand, and mixing in a small amount of decomposed cow manure as base fertilizer.
Propagation: The Golden Shrimp Plant is mainly propagated by cuttings. Usually, tender branch tips without flower buds are used as cuttings. If there are flower buds on the cuttings, they should first be cut off. The cuttings are 8 to 10 cm long; remove the lower leaves. The cutting medium can be vermiculite or river sand, and should be disinfected first. After inserting, cover with transparent colorless plastic film to keep warm and moist. In an environment of 20 to 25°C with air humidity controlled at about 80%, they will root in 1 to 2 weeks. After potting and recovering, pinch 2 to 3 times to encourage branching and make the plant shape full.
Pest and Disease Control: The Golden Shrimp Plant is prone to whiteflies in winter, and red spider mites or aphids in other seasons, so attention should be paid to control.