How to propagate lipstick vine and the best months for propagation
A detailed introduction about how to propagate lipstick vine and the best months for propagation, as well as the cultivation methods of lipstick vine in the aspect of green plant maintenance. Let's learn about it together.
Lipstick vine, also known as wax蔓草 or lipstick flower (with bright red, long cylindrical flowers resembling lipstick), belongs to the Rhynchoglossum family, Rhynchoglossum genus, and is a perennial evergreen twining herbaceous flower. The leaves of lipstick vine are opposite, dark green in color, and paired with bright red, unique flowers and flexible, slender branches that often hang down the edge of the pot, making it very popular as a hanging ornamental plant in home decor.
If you want to grow lipstick vine without spending money to buy it, it is recommended to cut branches for propagation yourself. Xiaomei once saw someone pruning many lipstick vine branches in a flower friend circle, preparing to discard them, so she paid for the postage and had all the branches sent to her, then propagated a large pot by herself. A year later, the lipstick vine exploded in the pot and was full of flowers. Want to become a "green thumb" who can propagate anything to life? Pay attention to the following 5 key points, and you can also get a pot or more of lipstick vine without spending money.
5 Key Points for Propagating Lipstick Vine
【Key Point 1: Timing of Propagation】
The optimal temperature for the growth of lipstick vine is 20-28 degrees Celsius, which is also the best temperature for root growth. The spring and autumn seasons are more suitable for propagating flowers. If you want to propagate lipstick vine, it is best to choose April and May in the first half of the year and September and October in the second half.
Lipstick vine is native to Africa, enjoys warmth, and can maintain green leaves in a warm environment all year round. However, it is important to keep the plant warm in winter, as the leaves will fall off if it gets too cold. Therefore, winter is not suitable for propagating lipstick vine. Similarly, summer is not suitable due to high temperatures and dry air, which can cause the plant to dehydrate and wilt before roots have time to grow.
Today is April 10th, almost in the middle of April, the temperature has gradually risen and is stabilizing, and the sunshine is also appropriate, making it a good time to propagate lipstick vine. From now until the middle to late May is suitable for propagation. Moreover, lipstick vine branches are currently growing rapidly and recovering, so choosing strong branches for propagation will yield the highest survival rate, and the growth will be very vigorous.
【Key Point 2: Selection of Cuttings】
Choose healthy, sturdy branches to ensure the survival rate of propagation. Diseased, weak, overly old, or overly young branches are not suitable for propagation.
Young, sturdy branches are best for propagation.
A long branch can be cut into several short ones for propagation. A cutting should retain two or three pairs of leaves, with the lowest pair removed, and the insertion depth should be 2-3 centimeters. Note that when cutting branches, pay attention to which end is the top and which is the bottom, as the bottom end must be inserted into the medium to grow roots.
【Key Point 3: Propagation Medium】
The medium used for propagation should be looser and softer than the cultivation medium to facilitate root growth and rooting. The simplest ratio for propagation medium is as follows: 4 parts of nutrient-rich soil mixed with 1 part of perlite or vermiculite. Of course, some people use pure river sand as a propagation medium, which can also help the plant grow roots, as the sand bed used specifically for propagation in greenhouses is made of sand.
【Key Point 4: After Propagation Care】
After propagating the lipstick vine branches, spray the soil slightly with a spray bottle to keep it moist, then cover it with plastic film to maintain moisture and warmth, which is beneficial for root growth. Especially in areas with fluctuating temperatures, it is best to propagate in a greenhouse or create a small greenhouse with plastic film to ensure the successful growth of roots and to ensure the survival rate of the plant, otherwise the branches can easily rot and dry.
Usually, after 20 days of propagation, roots will grow within a month. Do not expose the plant to direct sunlight before roots have grown, as the branches can easily dry out. Keep the soil moist, and if the air is very dry, it is best to spray the leaves and stems regularly with a spray bottle.
【Key Point 5: Transplanting After Root Growth】
Although roots can grow in 20 days, they are still short, small, and fragile, not suitable for immediate transplanting. It is necessary to maintain the propagation state for at least another half month before transplanting.
Many flower enthusiasts wonder if using a propagation medium with almost no nutrients like pure river sand or vermiculite will limit the growth of lipstick vine after roots have grown. This concern is normal. The solution is to sprinkle a few granules of slow-release fertilizer on the soil surface after 20 days or a month of propagation to make up for the lack of nutrients and allow the lipstick vine branches to stay in the propagation soil a bit longer, allowing the roots to grow fuller.
How to Determine if Propagated Lipstick Vine Has Grown Roots and Survived?
【Criterion 1: Seeing Roots Growing Out】
Many flower enthusiasts like to use disposable transparent cups as propagation containers, which allows them to see the root growth through the transparent cups. Therefore, Xiaomei often recommends that flower friends reuse discarded disposable transparent cups for propagation, as it saves costs, is environmentally friendly, and most importantly, allows for checking root growth, which is a win-win situation.
Many flower friends also use cell trays as containers, which are not transparent and cannot be seen from the side, but can be seen from the bottom because the height of the trays is not very high. Lipstick vine roots will quickly grow to the bottom of the tray and emerge from the drainage holes, so by lifting the tray, we can see the condition of the roots below.
【Criterion 2: Gently Pull to Feel the Grip】
If it is really impossible to visually check the root growth, you can gently pull the leaves and stems of the lipstick vine 20 days or a month after propagation. If you feel a downward grip, it means that the plant has grown roots and has rooted into the new soil, anchoring its seedlings.
This operation must be careful, as the force must be gentle to avoid pulling out the plant and breaking the fine roots. If the medium is loose and the roots are not damaged, it's fine. But if the soil is compact, the fine roots can easily be pulled off, rendering the propagation effort useless.
【Criterion 3: New Shoots Appear at the Top of the Branches】
If you see new shoots forming at the leaf axils of the propagated branches and the leaves are continuously growing larger, it proves that the plant has definitely grown roots and is absorbing nutrients and water to supply the growth of new leaves.
New shoots and leaves on propagated branches
After Transplanting Care, How to Make Lipstick Vine Explode in Pots?
After transplanting lipstick vine, the care is also very important to ensure its rapid growth of leaves, branching, and flowering to fill the pot. Mainly pay attention to the following 3 points
【1. Appropriate lighting, as too strong or too weak light will cause the leaves to turn yellow and lose their luster.】
Lipstick vine prefers semi-shade and can tolerate shade, with a moderate requirement for light intensity. If it must be compared with other plants, its light requirement is less than that of chrysanthemums and cacti, more than that of orchids and kaffir lilies, and similar to that of hanging orchids, green vines, and pennywort. So if you have hanging orchids, green vines, or pennywort at home and they are doing well, your environment is definitely suitable for lipstick vine.
Lipstick vine should not be kept in places with too strong sunlight, even in spring or autumn when the temperature is not very high, as it can cause the leaves to turn yellow and lose their luster, becoming dry and shriveled.
Neither should it be kept in a place with very weak light for a long time, otherwise it will look like the picture below, with the lipstick vine stems growing tall and thin, and the leaves spaced far apart, which is an unhealthy state.
Lipstick vine stems growing tall and thin
【2. Pinching the Top to Promote Branching and Make the Plant Full and Leafy.】
Lipstick vine has a strong apical dominance. If you do not pinch the top, meaning you don't prune the top part, it will hardly be able to branch out from the leaf axils, as its ability to grow lateral buds is weak.
Therefore, if you don't pinch the top of a lipstick vine, it will just be a long stem. But if you start pinching from a very young plant, one stem can also grow to fill a pot. It is recommended to leave a pair of leaves on the main stem, which will then produce two lateral buds, and each lateral branch will leave a pair of leaves, producing four lateral buds. This exponential growth can create a plant that is full of branches and leaves.
【3. Fertilizing to Ensure the "Food" for Lipstick Vine, Different Fertilizers for Different Stages.】
Lipstick vine grows rapidly and cannot do without fertilizing. After transplanting and settling in, you can apply some diluted liquid fertilizer to promote leaf growth. However, it is important to note that the main nutrient content of the fertilizer varies depending on the stage. For example, when you want it to grow branches and leaves, you should use nitrogen and potassium-based fertilizers, and when you want it to grow flower buds, you should switch to phosphorus and calcium-based fertilizers.
Some flower friends report that their lipstick vine easily drops flower buds or the flowers fall off before they fully open, which may be due to a calcium deficiency. You can use eggshells to solve this problem. Wash the eggshells left over from the kitchen, dry them, crush them, and store them. Sprinkle them on the surface of the lipstick vine potting soil to supplement calcium and also loosen the soil.
Okay, that's all about the propagation and pot explosion care of lipstick vine. If you have any more questions, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section, and Xiaomei will answer them to the best of her knowledge.
The above is a specific introduction to how to propagate lipstick vine and the best months for propagation, as well as the cultivation methods of lipstick vine, hoping to bring some knowledge of flowers and plants to green plant enthusiasts.