Cultivation and Care Methods and Medicinal and Other Uses of Wedelia trilobata
Wedelia (Dijinhua, South American wedelia)
Scientific name: wedelia trilobata
Common names: Three-lobed wedelia, Dijinhua, Chuandilong (Yunnan), Longguqi
Family and genus: Asteraceae
Morphological characteristics: Perennial herb. Stems creeping, leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate. Capitulum solitary at the tips of branches or in leaf axils, flowers yellow.
Ecological habits: Robust by nature, fast-growing, sun-loving, warmth-loving, tolerant of drought and poor soil, tolerant of saline-alkaline soil, not tolerant of low temperatures. Cuttings of branches inserted directly into the planting site will root. Growth is slightly weaker in winter.
Cultivation points: A sun-loving plant that prefers bright sunlight and high temperatures and is drought-tolerant. The optimum growing temperature is 18-30°C. It is robust by nature and greens up quickly; it not only stabilizes soil and water but also suppresses weed growth, with excellent results. However, it does not tolerate foot traffic and easily harbors snakes and rodents. Propagation is easy; simply take stem and leaf cuttings and they will root. It is mainly propagated by cuttings; the method is to use branch stems as cuttings; apart from the cold season, it can be propagated at any other time.
Flowering period: Flowers year-round, with peak bloom in summer and autumn.
Flower meaning: Continuity without end.
Landscape uses: With dense branches and leaves, emerald green like a carpet, it is a common ornamental ground cover in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. It is often used along highways and city roads. It is especially suitable for hanging beautification on school high-rise corridor flower platforms or building windowsills, where the stems and leaves hang like a green curtain, very beautiful. It is usually grown mainly for its foliage, with flowers as a secondary feature; it is especially suitable for hanging beautification on school high-rise corridor flower platforms or building windowsills, where the stems and leaves hang like a green curtain, very beautiful.
South American wedelia, also known as three-lobed wedelia, Dijinhua, Chuandilong. Asteraceae, perennial herb, native to tropical America. Commonly propagated by cuttings and division. Robust by nature, it prefers temperate to tropical climates and is not tolerant of frost. Flowers are solitary and terminal, with long pedicels, yellow, blooming year-round. Often used for flower beds and garden beautification, and can be planted in clumps. It has excellent sand-fixing ability and is an excellent cover plant for slope and embankment protection.
Stems lie horizontally on the ground, with short hairs. Leaves opposite, glossy and thick, flowers bright yellow and axillary, with long stalks; grown as ground cover, the stems and leaves are emerald green like a carpet with serrated edges. Capitulum yellow, about 2.5 cm in diameter, mostly used for ground cover. A perennial herbaceous flower with persistent roots, blooming continuously year-round, it is an excellent ground cover plant. When grown at height it becomes pendulous. Stems are creeping, and stem length can reach more than 2 m. Flower color bright yellow, foliage fresh green. Usually grown mainly for foliage, with flowers as a secondary feature. A sun-loving plant that needs strong light. Optimum growing temperature 18-30°C.
Flowers: Capitulum yellow, solitary at the tips of stems, ray florets short and broad, only a few, bright yellow and axillary, with long stalks; the flowering period is extremely long, with flowers almost year-round.
Fruit: Achene ribbed, with stiff pappus at the tip.
Bracts ovate, covered with coarse bristles; the outer ring consists of seven to nine ray florets, with a short broad crown, few in number, female; the center consists of tubular florets, bisexual, tube-shaped, with five-toothed lobes and a pointed style. After the flowers fade, the corolla looks like a small lotus seedpod; the achene is 3-4-angled, with bristles at the tip.
South American wedelia
Its flowers have two types of florets: tubular florets and false ray florets. The appendage structure in the petals of the tubular florets (fleshy thorn-like structures) may to some extent affect normal pollination; there is no obstacle to pollinators, and the main pollinators are Polistes angularis wasps and Zizeeria maha butterflies. Pollen viability and stigma receptivity are poor, the seed set rate is very low, and the germination rate of seeds under normal conditions is low. Stems creep and spread horizontally on the ground; when grown at height they become pendulous, and when grown as ground cover they are creeping. The whole plant is densely covered with stiff short hairs, and roots easily form at the nodes. No stipules; leaves opposite, elliptical to obovate, base wedge-shaped, apex three-lobed acute or obtuse, lower part slightly 3-lobed, upper part with shallow serrated margins, thick in texture, with short bristles, leaf surface glossy, rough on both sides, palmate veins with 3 prominent sunken veins. Capitulum yellow and axillary, with long stalks; the elongated stems of Wedelia trilobata are angular and covered with coarse hairs. Its leaves are ovate, arranged in a cross-opposite pattern, about 5-14 cm long and about 4-8 cm wide, with serrated leaf margins; although the leaves feel papery, because both upper and lower surfaces are covered with flat-lying stiff hairs, they still feel rather thick; the petiole is quite long, generally 1.2 cm long, and can sometimes grow to 2.5 cm.
Native to South America, robust by nature, it prefers temperate to tropical climates and is not tolerant of frost. A perennial herbaceous flower with persistent roots, blooming continuously year-round, it is an excellent ground cover plant. When grown at height it becomes pendulous. Stems are creeping, and stem length can reach more than 2 m. Flower color bright yellow, foliage fresh green. Usually grown mainly for foliage, with flowers as a secondary feature. A sun-loving plant that prefers bright sunlight and high temperatures and is drought-tolerant; optimum growing temperature 18-30°C.
Robust by nature and greens up quickly; it not only stabilizes soil and water but also suppresses weed growth, with excellent results. However, it does not tolerate foot traffic and easily harbors snakes and rodents.
Photosynthetic characteristics
1. Wedelia trilobata has a relatively strong CO2 fixation capacity; the peak net photosynthetic rate of Wedelia trilobata reaches 22.1 μmol/(2m/s), higher than that of Ipomoea hederacea (17.2 μmol/(2m/s)) and Ipomoea cairica (18.6 μmol/(2m/s)).
2. The daily progress curves of photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate of the 3 plant species show a "double-peak" pattern; the variation pattern of stomatal conductance is similar to that of transpiration rate, and all show a certain degree of decline around midday;
3. The dark respiration rate curve shows a single-peak pattern, with a peak at midday; the order of dark respiration rate is: Ipomoea cairica > Ipomoea hederacea > Wedelia trilobata.
4. The light saturation point of Wedelia trilobata is 1531 μmol/(2m/s), and the light compensation point is 20.0 μmol/(2m/s); it also has a relatively strong adaptability to low-light conditions. Wedelia trilobata has the broadest range of effective photosynthetic radiation and a relatively high light quantum use efficiency, and has a strong ability to endure strong light and adapt to shaded environments. This research helps explain the biological characteristics of Wedelia trilobata: rapid growth, high productivity, and strong competitiveness.
How to grow Wedelia trilobata
Propagation is easy; simply take stem and leaf cuttings and they will root. It is mainly propagated by cuttings; the method is to use branch stems as cuttings; apart from the cold season, it can be propagated at any other time.
Sowing
Autumn sowing is often carried out after mid-to-late September:
Substrate disinfection: To disinfect the substrate used for sowing, the best method is to put it in a pot and heat it by stirring until hot; any pests or diseases will be killed by the heat.
Stratification/soaking to promote germination
Soak the seeds in warm hot water (temperature similar to face-washing water) for 3-10 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell. For very common seeds that germinate easily, this step can be skipped.
Sowing
For tiny seeds that are difficult to pick up with hands or other tools, you can moisten one end of a toothpick with water and stick the seeds one by one onto the surface of the substrate, then cover with substrate 1 cm thick, then place the sowing pot into water with a water depth of 1/2-2/3 of the pot height, allowing the water to slowly soak up from below (this method is called the "pot immersion method");
For larger seeds that can be picked up with hands or other tools, place the seeds directly into the substrate and sow them in spots at a spacing of 3×3 cm. After sowing, cover with substrate to a thickness of 2-3 times the size of the seeds. After sowing, use a sprayer or a fine-holed watering can to moisten the sowing substrate; later, when the potting soil is slightly dry, water again. Still be careful not to water too forcefully, so as not to wash the seeds out;
Management after sowing
After autumn sowing, when encountering a cold wave and low temperatures, you can wrap the flower pot with plastic film to help keep it warm and moist;
After the seedlings emerge, promptly remove the film, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 every morning or after 3:30 in the afternoon; otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly;
After most of the seeds have germinated, appropriate thinning is needed: pull out the diseased and unhealthy seedlings so that the remaining seedlings have a certain amount of space between them;
When most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.
Propagation by cuttings
The cutting substrate is the nutrient soil, river sand, peat soil, or other materials used for cuttings. For home cuttings, limited by conditions it is difficult to obtain an ideal cutting substrate; it is recommended to use the ready-mixed and sterilized cutting substrate provided by this site; medium-coarse river sand can also be used, but it should be rinsed several times with clean water before use. Do not use sea sand or river sand from saline-alkaline areas; they are not suitable for the growth of flowering plants.
Selection of cutting branches
The branches used for cuttings are called cuttings. Usually combined with pinching work, the thick, pest- and disease-free top shoots that are pinched off are used as cuttings, and the top shoots are used directly for cuttings.
Management after cuttings
Temperature
The optimum temperature for rooting of cuttings is 18-25°C. Below 18°C, cuttings root with difficulty and slowly; above 25°C, the cut surface of the cuttings is easily infected by pathogens and rots, and the higher the temperature, the greater the proportion of rot. When low temperatures are encountered after cuttings, the main measure to keep warm is to wrap the flower pot or container used for cuttings with film; when the temperature after cuttings is too high, the main measure to cool down is to shade the cuttings, blocking 50%-80% of sunlight, and at the same time mist the cuttings 3-5 times a day; on sunny days with higher temperatures, mist more often; on cloudy and rainy days with lower temperatures and higher humidity, mist less often or not at all.
Humidity
After cuttings, the relative humidity of the air must be maintained at 75-85%. Humidity can be increased by misting the cuttings, 1-3 times a day; on sunny days with higher temperatures, mist more often; on cloudy and rainy days with lower temperatures, mist less often or not at all. However, excessive misting makes the cuttings susceptible to infection by pathogens and rot, because many kinds of pathogens exist in water.
Light
Propagation by cuttings cannot do without sunlight, but the stronger the light, the higher the temperature inside the cuttings, the more vigorous the transpiration of the cuttings, and the more water consumed, which is not conducive to the survival of the cuttings. Therefore, after cuttings, 50%-80% of sunlight must be blocked; after the root system grows out, gradually remove the shade net: on sunny days, remove the shade net at 4:00 p.m. every day, and put the shade net back before 9:00 a.m. the next day.
Propagation by division
Division time: It is best to do it in early spring (February and March) after the soil thaws.
Division method:
Take the mother plant out of the flower pot, shake off excess potting soil, separate the tangled root system as much as possible, and cut it open into two or more plants with a sharp knife. Each divided plant must have a considerable amount of roots, and its leaves should be properly pruned to help it survive.
Potting and disinfection: Soak the divided small plants in a 1500-fold solution of chlorothalonil for five minutes, then take them out and let them dry, and they can be potted. Alternatively, immediately after potting, drench the roots with chlorothalonil.
Management after division: After the divided plants are potted, drench the roots or water thoroughly once. Because its root system is greatly damaged and its water absorption capacity is very weak, it takes about 3-4 weeks to recover and sprout new roots. Therefore, within 3-4 weeks after division, watering should be controlled to avoid root rot, but the transpiration of its leaves is not affected. In order to maintain the water balance of the leaves, it is necessary to mist the leaf surface 1-3 times a day (mist more when the temperature is high, and less or not at all when the temperature is low). Do not apply fertilizer during this period either. After division, also be careful of overly strong sunlight; it is best to place it in a shade shed for care.
Potting or transplanting
First put a 2-3 cm thick layer of coarse substrate at the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer, then place the plant in.
Substrate for potting: You can choose one of the following: peat: perlite: ceramsite = 2:2:1; peat: vermiculite = 1:1; or peat: furnace slag: ceramsite = 2:2:1; sawdust: vermiculite: medium-coarse river sand = 2:2:1; vegetable garden soil: furnace slag = 3:1; or garden soil: medium-coarse river sand: sawdust (mushroom residue) = 4:1:2; or paddy soil, pond mud, leaf mold, etc.
After potting, water thoroughly once, and place it in a shaded environment for care.
Humidity management
It likes a slightly humid climate environment, and requires the relative air humidity of the growing environment to be 50%-70%.
Temperature management
It likes a high-temperature climate, but is not tolerant of frost.
When the ambient temperature is below 3°C, the correct handling methods are:
Wrap it with film to overwinter, but every two days at the warmer midday period, uncover the film to let it breathe;
Move it indoors with heating to overwinter.
Light management
It requires sufficient sunlight. In spring, autumn, and winter, because the temperature is not very high, it should be given direct sunlight to help it carry out photosynthesis and form flower buds, bloom, and set seed. In summer, it can be slightly shaded.
When keeping it indoors, place it in a place with bright light as much as possible, such as a well-lit living room, bedroom, study, and similar places. After keeping it indoors for a period (about two months), move it outdoors to a shaded place (with winter insulation conditions) for care for a period (about one month), and alternate back and forth in this way.
Fertilizer and water management
Like other herbaceous flowers, it has relatively high fertilizer and water requirements, but it is most afraid of random fertilization, concentrated fertilizer, and one-sided application of nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium fertilizer. It is required to follow the two fertilization (watering) principles of "apply dilute fertilizer frequently, use small amounts but many times, and complete nutrition" and "alternate dry and wet, dry means thoroughly dry, do not water if not dry, water thoroughly when watering", and after fertilizing, keep the leaves and flowers dry at night:
Autumn
After the sown seedlings are potted and have recovered for a period, fertilizer and water management should be quickly brought up to speed. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of "Huabao" - "Huabao" - clear water - "Huabao" - "Huabao" - clear water, with an interval of about 1-3 days; the interval is shorter on sunny days or during high temperatures, and longer on cloudy and rainy days or during low temperatures, or no watering is done.
Winter
Although it is still growing, the relatively low temperature will slow its growth rate, and its fertilizer and water requirements are not high, so fertilizer and water may even need to be controlled. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of "Huabao" - clear water - clear water - "Huabao" - clear water - clear water, with an interval of about 4-7 days; the interval is shorter on sunny days or during high temperatures, and longer on cloudy and rainy days or during low temperatures, or no watering is done.
Try to schedule watering at the warmer midday period on sunny days.
Spring
After the temperature rises, growth recovers rapidly and gradually enters the flower bud differentiation stage and flowering stage, with very high fertilizer and water requirements. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of "Huabao" - clear water - "Huabao" - clear water, with an interval of about 2-4 days; the interval is shorter on sunny days or during high temperatures, and longer on cloudy and rainy days or during low temperatures, or no watering is done.
After entering the seed-setting stage, stop fertilizer supply.
Rotating the pot
Usually the pot is not specially rotated; it is only repotted and replanted each year when dividing the plant.
South American wedelia
South American wedelia, also known as three-lobed wedelia, Dijinhua, Chuandilong. Asteraceae, perennial herb, native to tropical America. Commonly propagated by cuttings and division. Robust by nature, it prefers temperate to tropical climates and is not tolerant of frost. Flowers are solitary and terminal, with long pedicels, yellow, blooming year-round. Often used for flower beds and garden beautification, and can be planted in clumps. It has excellent sand-fixing ability and is an excellent cover plant for slope and embankment protection.
Stems lie horizontally on the ground, with short hairs. Leaves opposite, glossy and thick, flowers bright yellow and axillary, with long stalks; grown as ground cover, the stems and leaves are emerald green like a carpet with serrated edges. Capitulum yellow, about 2.5 cm in diameter, mostly used for ground cover. A perennial herbaceous flower with persistent roots, blooming continuously year-round, it is an excellent ground cover plant. When grown at height it becomes pendulous. Stems are creeping, and stem length can reach more than 2 m. Flower color bright yellow, foliage fresh green. Usually grown mainly for foliage, with flowers as a secondary feature. A sun-loving plant that needs strong light. Optimum growing temperature 18-30°C.
Flowers: Capitulum yellow, solitary at the tips of stems, ray florets short and broad, only a few, bright yellow and axillary, with long stalks; the flowering period is extremely long, with flowers almost year-round.
Fruit: Achene ribbed, with stiff pappus at the tip.
Bracts ovate, covered with coarse bristles; the outer ring consists of seven to nine ray florets, with a short broad crown, few in number, female; the center consists of tubular florets, bisexual, tube-shaped, with five-toothed lobes and a pointed style. After the flowers fade, the corolla looks like a small lotus seedpod; the achene is 3-4-angled, with bristles at the tip.
South American wedelia
Its flowers have two types of florets: tubular florets and false ray florets. The appendage structure in the petals of the tubular florets (fleshy thorn-like structures) may to some extent affect normal pollination; there is no obstacle to pollinators, and the main pollinators are Polistes angularis wasps and Zizeeria maha butterflies. Pollen viability and stigma receptivity are poor, the seed set rate is very low, and the germination rate of seeds under normal conditions is low. Stems creep and spread horizontally on the ground; when grown at height they become pendulous, and when grown as ground cover they are creeping. The whole plant is densely covered with stiff short hairs, and roots easily form at the nodes. No stipules; leaves opposite, elliptical to obovate, base wedge-shaped, apex three-lobed acute or obtuse, lower part slightly 3-lobed, upper part with shallow serrated margins, thick in texture, with short bristles, leaf surface glossy, rough on both sides, palmate veins with 3 prominent sunken veins. Capitulum yellow and axillary, with long stalks; the elongated stems of Wedelia trilobata are angular and covered with coarse hairs. Its leaves are ovate, arranged in a cross-opposite pattern, about 5-14 cm long and about 4-8 cm wide, with serrated leaf margins; although the leaves feel papery, because both upper and lower surfaces are covered with flat-lying stiff hairs, they still feel rather thick; the petiole is quite long, generally 1.2 cm long, and can sometimes grow to 2.5 cm.
Native to South America, robust by nature, it prefers temperate to tropical climates and is not tolerant of frost. A perennial herbaceous flower with persistent roots, blooming continuously year-round, it is an excellent ground cover plant. When grown at height it becomes pendulous. Stems are creeping, and stem length can reach more than 2 m. Flower color bright yellow, foliage fresh green. Usually grown mainly for foliage, with flowers as a secondary feature. A sun-loving plant that prefers bright sunlight and high temperatures and is drought-tolerant; optimum growing temperature 18-30°C.
Robust by nature and greens up quickly; it not only stabilizes soil and water but also suppresses weed growth, with excellent results. However, it does not tolerate foot traffic and easily harbors snakes and rodents.
Photosynthetic characteristics
1. Wedelia trilobata has a relatively strong CO2 fixation capacity; the peak net photosynthetic rate of Wedelia trilobata reaches 22.1 μmol/(2m/s), higher than that of Ipomoea hederacea (17.2 μmol/(2m/s)) and Ipomoea cairica (18.6 μmol/(2m/s)).
2. The daily progress curves of photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate of the 3 plant species show a "double-peak" pattern; the variation pattern of stomatal conductance is similar to that of transpiration rate, and all show a certain degree of decline around midday;
3. The dark respiration rate curve shows a single-peak pattern, with a peak at midday; the order of dark respiration rate is: Ipomoea cairica > Ipomoea hederacea > Wedelia trilobata.
4. The light saturation point of Wedelia trilobata is 1531 μmol/(2m/s), and the light compensation point is 20.0 μmol/(2m/s); it also has a relatively strong adaptability to low-light conditions. Wedelia trilobata has the broadest range of effective photosynthetic radiation and a relatively high light quantum use efficiency, and has a strong ability to endure strong light and adapt to shaded environments. This research helps explain the biological characteristics of Wedelia trilobata: rapid growth, high productivity, and strong competitiveness.
How to grow Wedelia trilobata
Propagation is easy; simply take stem and leaf cuttings and they will root. It is mainly propagated by cuttings; the method is to use branch stems as cuttings; apart from the cold season, it can be propagated at any other time.
Sowing
Autumn sowing is often carried out after mid-to-late September:
Substrate disinfection: To disinfect the substrate used for sowing, the best method is to put it in a pot and heat it by stirring until hot; any pests or diseases will be killed by the heat.
Stratification/soaking to promote germination
Soak the seeds in warm hot water (temperature similar to face-washing water) for 3-10 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell. For very common seeds that germinate easily, this step can be skipped.
Sowing
For tiny seeds that are difficult to pick up with hands or other tools, you can moisten one end of a toothpick with water and stick the seeds one by one onto the surface of the substrate, then cover with substrate 1 cm thick, then place the sowing pot into water with a water depth of 1/2-2/3 of the pot height, allowing the water to slowly soak up from below (this method is called the "pot immersion method");
For larger seeds that can be picked up with hands or other tools, place the seeds directly into the substrate and sow them in spots at a spacing of 3×3 cm. After sowing, cover with substrate to a thickness of 2-3 times the size of the seeds. After sowing, use a sprayer or a fine-holed watering can to moisten the sowing substrate; later, when the potting soil is slightly dry, water again. Still be careful not to water too forcefully, so as not to wash the seeds out;
Management after sowing
After autumn sowing, when encountering a cold wave and low temperatures, you can wrap the flower pot with plastic film to help keep it warm and moist;
After the seedlings emerge, promptly remove the film, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 every morning or after 3:30 in the afternoon; otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly;
After most of the seeds have germinated, appropriate thinning is needed: pull out the diseased and unhealthy seedlings so that the remaining seedlings have a certain amount of space between them;
When most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.
Propagation by cuttings
The cutting substrate is the nutrient soil, river sand, peat soil, or other materials used for cuttings. For home cuttings, limited by conditions it is difficult to obtain an ideal cutting substrate; it is recommended to use the ready-mixed and sterilized cutting substrate provided by this site; medium-coarse river sand can also be used, but it should be rinsed several times with clean water before use. Do not use sea sand or river sand from saline-alkaline areas; they are not suitable for the growth of flowering plants.
Selection of cutting branches
The branches used for cuttings are called cuttings. Usually combined with pinching work, the thick, pest- and disease-free top shoots that are pinched off are used as cuttings, and the top shoots are used directly for cuttings.
Management after cuttings
Temperature
The optimum temperature for rooting cuttings is 18-25°C. Below 18°C, rooting is difficult and slow; above 25°C, the cut end of the cutting is easily infected by pathogens and rots, and the higher the temperature, the greater the proportion of rot. When low temperatures are encountered after cuttings are taken, the main measure for keeping them warm is to wrap the flower pot or container used for rooting in plastic film; when the temperature is too high after cuttings are taken, the main cooling measure is to shade the cuttings, blocking out 50%-80% of sunlight, and at the same time mist the cuttings 3-5 times a day; on sunny days with higher temperatures, mist more often, while on cloudy and rainy days with lower temperatures and higher humidity, mist less often or not at all.
Humidity
After cuttings are taken, the relative air humidity must be kept at 75-85%. Humidity can be increased by misting the cuttings 1-3 times a day; on sunny days with higher temperatures, mist more often, while on cloudy and rainy days with lower temperatures, mist less often or not at all. However, excessive misting makes the cuttings prone to infection by pathogens and rot, because many kinds of pathogens are present in water.
Light
Cutting propagation cannot do without sunlight, but the stronger the light, the higher the temperature inside the cuttings, the more vigorous the transpiration of the cuttings, and the more water they consume, which is not conducive to the survival of the cuttings. Therefore, after cuttings are taken, 50%-80% of sunlight must be blocked; after the root system has grown, gradually remove the shade net: on sunny days, remove the shade net at 4:00 pm each day and put it back before 9:00 am the next day.
Division propagation
Division time: It is best to do this in early spring (February or March) after the soil has thawed.
Division method:
Take the mother plant out of the flower pot, shake off excess potting soil, separate the tangled root system as much as possible, and cut it open with a sharp knife into two or more plants; each divided plant must have a considerable amount of roots, and its leaves should be properly pruned to help it survive.
Potting and disinfection: Soak the divided small plants in a 1500-fold chlorothalonil solution for five minutes, then take them out and let them dry, and they can be potted. Alternatively, immediately after potting, drench the roots with chlorothalonil.
Management after division: After the divided plants are potted, drench the roots or water once thoroughly. Because their root systems are heavily damaged and their water-absorbing capacity is very weak, it takes about 3-4 weeks to recover and sprout new roots; therefore, within 3-4 weeks after division, watering must be moderated to avoid root rot, but the transpiration of the leaves is not affected, so to maintain the water balance of the leaves, mist the leaf surface 1-3 times a day (mist more when the temperature is high, and less or not at all when the temperature is low). Do not fertilize during this period either. After division, also watch out for overly strong sunlight; it is best to keep them in a shade shed for care.
Potting or transplanting
First place a 2-3 cm thick layer of coarse substrate at the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer, then place the plant in.
The substrate used for potting can be one of the following: peat: perlite: ceramsite = 2:2:1; peat: vermiculite = 1:1; or peat: furnace slag: ceramsite = 2:2:1; sawdust: vermiculite: medium-coarse river sand = 2:2:1; vegetable garden soil: furnace slag = 3:1; or garden soil: medium-coarse river sand: sawdust (mushroom residue) = 4:1:2; or paddy soil, pond mud, leaf mold, etc.
After potting, water once thoroughly and keep it in a shaded environment for care.
Humidity management
It likes a slightly humid climate environment and requires the relative air humidity of the growing environment to be 50%-70%.
Temperature management
It likes a high-temperature climate but is not tolerant of frost.
When the ambient temperature is below 3°C, the correct methods are:
Wrap it in plastic film to overwinter, but uncover the film every two days at noon when the temperature is higher to let it breathe;
⟧ Move it indoors with heating to overwinter.
Light management
It requires ample sunlight. In spring, autumn and winter, since the temperature is not very high, it should be given direct sunlight to help it carry out photosynthesis and form flower buds, bloom and set seed. In summer, it can be shaded slightly.
When keeping it indoors, place it in a spot with bright light as much as possible, such as a well-lit living room, bedroom, study, etc. After keeping it indoors for a period (about two months), move it outdoors to a shaded spot (with protection from the cold in winter) for care for a period (about one month), and alternate back and forth in this way.
Fertilizer and water management
Like other herbaceous flowers, it has a relatively high demand for fertilizer and water, but it is most afraid of careless fertilizing, concentrated fertilizer, and one-sided application of nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium fertilizer. It should follow the two fertilizer (and water) principles of "apply dilute fertilizer frequently, small amounts but many times, complete nutrition" and "alternate dry and wet, dry means thoroughly dry, do not water unless dry, and water thoroughly when you do", and after fertilizing, keep the leaves and flowers dry at night:
Autumn
After the potted seedlings grown from seed have recovered for a period after potting, fertilizer and water management should be brought up to speed quickly. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of "Hua Bao" - "Hua Bao" - clear water - "Hua Bao" - "Hua Bao" - clear water, with an interval of about 1-3 days; the interval is shorter on sunny days or during high temperatures, and longer on cloudy and rainy days or during low temperatures, or no watering is done.
Winter
Although it is still growing, the relatively low temperature slows its growth rate, and its demand for fertilizer and water is not great, so fertilizer and water may even need to be controlled. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of "Hua Bao" - clear water - clear water - "Hua Bao" - clear water - clear water, with an interval of about 4-7 days; the interval is shorter on sunny days or during high temperatures, and longer on cloudy and rainy days or during low temperatures, or no watering is done.
Watering should be scheduled as much as possible for noon on sunny days when the temperature is higher.
Spring
After the temperature rises, growth recovers quickly and it gradually enters the flower bud differentiation stage and flowering stage, with a very high demand for fertilizer and water. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of "Hua Bao" - clear water - "Hua Bao" - clear water, with an interval of about 2-4 days; the interval is shorter on sunny days or during high temperatures, and longer on cloudy and rainy days or during low temperatures, or no watering is done.
After entering the seed-setting stage, stop fertilizer application.
Rotating the pot
Normally the pot is not rotated specially; it is only repotted and replanted once a year when dividing the plant.