Detailed Guide to Skimmia Planting Methods and Technical Key Points
Skimmia, also known as Huangshan Gui, is an evergreen small shrub native to China and Japan. Its leaves are emerald green and glossy. The flowering period is in May, and the fruiting period is from July to November. In early summer it bears small white flowers, and in autumn and winter the whole tree is covered with red berries that remain for a long time without falling, giving an excellent ornamental effect. It is suitable for courtyard or scenic area planting. It prefers a warm environment with fairly abundant sunlight, is slightly shade-tolerant, and relatively cold-tolerant, but fears intense sunlight exposure, severe cold and waterlogging. It likes moist, fertile loam with good drainage.
Red-fruited skimmia, also called red-heart skimmia or Fugui Zi, is a dwarfed cultivar of skimmia. In recent years, the fruiting potted plants imported from the Netherlands ranked second at the Shanghai Lunar New Year flower market, second only to Baolian Deng.
Cultivation Management
Skimmia is native to southern China and Japan. It prefers a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment, is slightly shade-tolerant, avoids scorching sun exposure, fears high temperatures, is cold-tolerant, fears waterlogging, and is not drought-tolerant. It is suitable for growing in loose, fertile, humus-rich, slightly acidic sandy soil with good drainage and aeration.
1. Temperature and Light: The optimal growth temperature for skimmia is 18°C to 24°C. During the growing season, it should be kept in a brightly lit place. When the summer temperature exceeds 30°C, the plant enters a dormant state and should be kept in a ventilated, cool place, with a shade net set up to avoid scorching sun exposure.
In winter, if the minimum temperature is not lower than 15°C and there is a day-night temperature difference of 5°C to 10°C, the plant will continue to grow, and normal water and fertilizer management can be carried out. If such high temperatures cannot be maintained, potted skimmia can withstand low temperatures of -5°C in winter, and field-planted plants can withstand low temperatures of -10°C, but attention should be paid to controlling watering, and no fertilizing should be done.
2. Watering and Fertilizing: During the growing season, watering should follow the principle of "do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when watering." Both excessive drought and waterlogging in the pot soil are detrimental to plant growth. When the air is dry, water can often be sprayed on the plant and its surroundings to increase air humidity, keeping the leaves emerald green and glossy. Apply a diluted decomposed cake fertilizer solution or compound fertilizer once every 15 days or so. Foliar feeding can also be done with a solution of 0.2% urea plus 0.1% monopotassium phosphate. A small amount of multi-element slow-release compound fertilizer can also be buried in the pot soil surface regularly to provide sufficient nutrients for the plant and promote growth, but fertilizing should be stopped during high summer temperatures.
3. Pruning and Shaping: Skimmia grows relatively slowly, so excessive pruning is not necessary during cultivation. Only before spring budding should diseased and pest-infested branches, dry and withered branches, overly dense branches and other branches affecting the plant's appearance be cut off to maintain a graceful plant shape.
4. Repotting: Potted skimmia can be repotted once a year before spring budding. The pot soil can be made of 5 parts peat soil or leaf mold, 3 parts garden soil, plus 2 parts river sand or vermiculite, mixed with a small amount of decomposed organic fertilizer as base fertilizer. When repotting, take the soil ball out of the pot, remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the old soil, then replant with new culture soil. After planting, water thoroughly and place in a spot without direct sunlight for recovery. Afterwards, keep the pot soil and air moist, and normal management can be resumed after one week.
5. Field Planting Management: Skimmia can also be field-planted in the warm climate of the south. The planting site should be chosen in a well-drained, fertile, slightly shaded location. Generally, transplanting is done in spring with a soil ball, and the crown should be shaped. Its management is relatively extensive. During the growing season, keep the soil moist. If drought weather occurs, supplement water. Apply fertilizer once each in spring and autumn to meet growth needs.
