What type of soil is best for Catharanthus roseus?
Are you familiar with this? Topics related to the best soil for Catharanthus roseus and the suitable soil for its growth are discussed in the following content. Let's learn about it together.
Catharanthus roseus, as the name implies, has a long blooming period. Indeed, the blooming period of Catharanthus roseus is very long. With proper care, it can bloom from April to October. The blooming period here does not refer to a single flower lasting that long, but rather that Catharanthus roseus blooms in sections. When the lower flowers fade, new flowers on the nodes grow again, allowing it to bloom continuously. Catharanthus roseus also has several aliases: Marigold, Four Seasons Spring, Daily New, Wild Duck Head Red, Thirty Thousand Flowers, and Four Seasons Plum.
Song Dynasty poet Dong Simio wrote in his poem "Catharanthus roseus": "One branch fades and another branch flourishes, as spring's work never ceases. Even though peonies are considered extremely beautiful, their glory fades in a short moment." This is a true portrayal of Catharanthus roseus.
Friends who enjoy appreciating flowers can plant a pot, but Catharanthus roseus is not fragrant. As an ornamental plant, Catharanthus roseus still has very high ornamental value. There are many colors of Catharanthus roseus. It is also a Chinese herb and can be refined into drugs for treating cancer. However, Catharanthus roseus contains certain toxins, and ingestion can cause symptoms such as a decrease in white blood cells, platelets, muscle weakness, and limb numbness. Therefore, medication should be under the guidance of a doctor!
Is Catharanthus roseus easy to cultivate?
In fact, Catharanthus roseus belongs to the category of easy-to-grow flowers, but although it can survive, you still need to do some research on Catharanthus roseus to grow it well! Let's learn about Catharanthus roseus together today.
Catharanthus roseus belongs to the Catharanthus genus of the Apocynaceae family, with a relatively tall plant shape, as it is a type of sub-shrub plant that can grow to about 60cm in height.
Catharanthus roseus prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil and grows poorly in saline-alkali soil. Therefore, attention should be paid to prevent soil salinization during soil preparation and maintenance. You can mix some deciduous leaf soil or directly dig some forest soil. This is usually difficult in cities, so you can also prepare sandy soil. Since Catharanthus roseus is not picky about soil, it can grow well as long as it is not saline-alkali soil or clay soil (which is poorly ventilated and has poor water permeability, easily leading to root rot).
What type of soil is best for Catharanthus roseus?
Catharanthus roseus is a drought-tolerant plant and is relatively drought-resistant, with some cold tolerance. In Shangqiu, Henan, it can survive indoors without air conditioning and not freeze. However, although Catharanthus roseus is drought-tolerant, it prefers to grow in a warm and humid environment. If it grows in a dry environment for an extended period, it will show symptoms such as yellowing leaves and lack of vitality. Therefore, attention should be paid to watering during the growing period to keep the soil moist, allowing the soil to dry once a month to prevent bacterial growth and plant infection.
Catharanthus roseus is also tolerant of poor soil, but since it requires a long blooming period of up to 6 months, it consumes a lot of nutrients. Poor soil may lead to abnormal flowering or branching. Therefore, Catharanthus roseus should be fertilized with a thin fertilizer every 10 days during spring, summer, and autumn to ensure sufficient nutrient supply for leaves and flowers. Fertilizers should primarily contain nitrogen and phosphorus (not too much nitrogen and phosphorus at once, as too much can burn the roots). If seeds are not needed, you can remove the flowers after they fall, apply less potassium fertilizer, and apply organic fertilizer, which does not cause soil compaction and has long-lasting effects. Organic fertilizers are often made from soybean cakes and can also include a few drops of milk during watering. Milk, after fermenting in the soil, supplements calcium and is rich in nutrients. Be careful to control the concentration, as too much can lead to plant death. Therefore, apply thin fertilizer frequently.
Catharanthus roseus is a light-loving plant, and during maintenance, it should be ensured that Catharanthus roseus receives adequate light so that it can grow more vigorously and the flowers will be more vibrant. However, during summer, attention should be paid to watering to prevent rapid evaporation of water due to exposure, causing the leaves to wilt.
As long as water and fertilizer are sufficient, Catharanthus roseus can grow vigorously. It is important to prune the branches after the flowers fall to promote the formation of new flower buds and more lateral buds. Overcrowded branches should be thinned to allow the plant to grow better. Since Catharanthus roseus plants are relatively large, a strong pruning can be done after flowering in autumn.