[How to Grow Firecracker] A Guide to Growing Firecracker
Many friends are not particularly familiar with how to grow firecracker, and problems always come up during the process. So how should firecracker be grown? Today we will give you a brief introduction, so let's take a look together.
Introduction to the firecracker plant
The leaves of the firecracker plant are oblong, plump and densely covered with small wart-like dots; the leaf surface is not smooth and is somewhat pitted. The leaves grow in opposite pairs, tightly packed. It produces cluster-like flower spikes with small white flowers. Firecracker tends to form clusters easily and can develop very attractive semi-woody stems, making it very beautiful in arrangements.
How to grow firecracker
Watering: during the growing period the plant is red-green, and when water is withheld or during the dormant period the color turns red or pink. Normally, water only when the soil has dried out completely, and water thoroughly. Spring and autumn are the growing seasons; water thoroughly after the soil dries out. The plant is not afraid of being rained on.
Light: firecracker needs full sun. If it gets too little light, the spacing between leaves will stretch out, meaning the plant becomes leggy, and the leaves will also turn emerald green and elongate.
Soil: you can use cinder mixed with a small amount of peat, without laying stones on top, because firecracker stems tend to trail along the ground and also root easily. So no river sand is laid on top either.
Cultivation: when the plant grows too tall, prune it in time to control its height, encourage new branches and leaves to sprout from the base, and keep the plant's shape attractive.
Propagation: in spring and autumn, cut young branches, dry them in the shade for two to three days, then bury them shallowly in soil. After 10 days, water thoroughly once, and roots will form in about 20 days. Firecracker can be propagated in the growing season by taking fleshy stems with the growing tip and rooting them as cuttings.
How firecracker is propagated
Propagation methods: firecracker is generally propagated mainly by cuttings; leaf cuttings are of course also possible, though rooting takes longer, and division or sowing can also be done. For beheading, let the wound dry, then insert the cutting into slightly moist, airy soil and wait for it to root. Cuttings are basically green. The soil used for firecracker is cinder mixed with a small amount of peat, without laying stones on top, because firecracker stems tend to trail along the ground and also root easily. So no river sand is laid on top either. Normally, water only when the soil has dried out completely, and water thoroughly. Spring and autumn are the growing seasons; water thoroughly after the soil dries out. In summer it has a brief dormancy, so it needs ventilation and shade; generally, once the high temperature holds at 32 degrees, shade it. Gradually reduce water, giving just 2 to 3 waterings a month to keep the roots from drying out.
When the weather turns cool, gradually resume watering. As long as the temperature does not drop below zero, normal watering is basically fine; firecracker can tolerate a low of minus 5 degrees when the potting soil is dry. Firecracker is not prone to insects. Still, necessary prevention is needed: bury furadan once at the start of winter and once at the start of summer, just in case.
Firecracker is propagated mainly by cuttings; leaf cuttings are of course also possible, though rooting takes longer, and division or sowing can also be done. Firecracker cuttings are often combined with pruning and done during the growing season. Cut fleshy stems with the growing tip as cuttings, either long or short; let them dry for 2 or 3 days before inserting, and once the cut surface is slightly dry, insert into growing medium and keep the soil slightly moist; they root easily.
Why firecracker does not turn red
In autumn, when the temperature difference between day and night is too small, firecracker will not turn red. Firecracker likes a cool, dry environment with plenty of sunlight, is drought-tolerant, fears waterlogging, and has a certain cold tolerance. So if it is watered too much and does not get enough light, firecracker will not turn red either.
That is all for the introduction to how to grow firecracker. I believe that after reading this, everyone has gained some understanding of how to grow firecracker. If any friends want to grow firecracker, you can refer to the relevant points I have introduced for you.