Twelve-volume genus
Core introduction: Little knowledge about the twelve-volume genus (Haworthia) of succulent plants, cultivation of the twelve-volume genus (Haworthia), the specific content is as follows:
Cultivation of the twelve-volume genus:
Plants of the twelve-volume genus can be suitable for a variety of different cultivation environments, but they can only grow well under conditions of sufficient light and timely water supply. The basic principle of cultivation work is when to water, how to water, what kind of soil to use, and when to fertilize, etc., these are the basics of the work. And different cultivation environments will determine how you solve these problems. For example, raising twelve volumes on the windowsill in Mexico and raising them in the greenhouse in Tucson (a place name, a city in southern Arizona, USA) is different, and different methods should be used for planting. Pay attention to these issues and explore and study the needs of plants while transforming your cultivation environment to meet their needs, so you can cultivate very beautiful twelve volumes.
Selection of pots:
Let's talk about the selection of pots: in a cold and humid environment, you can choose pottery pots (clay pots), and in a dry and hot environment, you can choose plastic pots. In a humid environment, raw pottery (unfired clay pots) is beneficial for the plant's breathing and good ventilation. In dry conditions, plastic pots are beneficial for retaining moisture for the roots. This means that we need to create such an environment, that is, after fully watering, the pot can allow the moisture to evaporate, and the long-term waterlogging of the pot during the dormant period can lead to root rot. The size of the pot is also very important. In a cold and humid environment, a smaller pot can effectively dissipate moisture more than a large pot, which is beneficial to the plant. However, if you are in a dry and hot environment, we tend to choose a larger pot to make the moisture dissipate slowly. Some cultivators like to use a large pot to plant a cluster of plants or even plant them in a breeding box, in fact, the space occupied by each plant is still similar to that of a small pot.
Soil selection:
When choosing soil, you should master the following principles: the soil must have good drainage, that is, the soil particles are porous. These can be completely made of some component materials, such as perlite, pea-sized light stone or gravel. Here's a trick: you can add some organic matter to the soil, but these organic matters should not be too much, because they will cause waterlogging and root rot. The author's formula is: 1/3 of light stone (pea size), 1/3 of perlite, and 1/3 of garden soil (mainly composed of decomposed leaves). Such soil should not be watered during continuous overcast days because it has certain water retention capacity, so be careful when watering. When the weather forecast is dry and hot or during the hot summer days, it is necessary to water enough. Similarly, less water is needed in a wet and cold environment. These are all very important.
Transplanting:
Use porous paper towels that can rot within a year or two to block the bottom holes of the pot. When the paper towels rot, the roots of the twelve volumes have already firmly grasped the soil. Place the plant in the center of the pot and add soil around the roots. First, make the soil loose around the roots, then gently tap the edge of the pot to compact the soil, which is most suitable for twelve volumes. The author usually leaves 1/2~1/4 of the pot for watering to avoid spilling water out of the pot.
The next step is to make soil modification, which is not necessary. The surface of the soil can be covered with small stones or gravel, which can give the soil a beautiful appearance. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, the practicality of laying gravel is that gravel can isolate the moist soil to prevent plant body rot. At the same time, it can also prevent the settlement and growth of fungal spores and the oviposition of pests in moist soil, because the growth of fungi and pests will seriously harm the growth of plants. The disadvantage of laying gravel is that, due to the blockage of gravel, we cannot understand the humidity of the soil, so we can solve this trouble by mastering the weight of the soil when it is dry and wet.
Lighting:
Under the condition of short-term lighting, we can get plump, tender and elongated twelve volumes, but short lighting time does not mean weak light, which is a misunderstanding. Nevertheless, some cultivators still think that green and soft twelve volumes are caused by weak light. If you also think so, then adjusting the lighting will bring you a lot of work. However, my personal view is that such results may not be improved. In most cases, it is difficult to give your twelve volumes too much lighting. The exception is when you want to make a new weak plant strong. You may give this plant that has never seen strong sunlight direct sunlight, which is fatal. If you give your plant bright diffused sunlight instead of direct sunlight, then you can raise beautiful plants. For growth, the greenhouse is the most ideal, followed by choosing a south-facing windowsill with light, and then east or west-facing windowsill. Your north-facing windowsill can be used to raise ferns. If the sunlight on your south-facing windowsill is too strong, for new plants that have not yet adapted, you can use several layers of gauze to shade. Then remove one layer of gauze every 3 weeks to make your plant gradually adapt to lighting. It should also be noted that for plants on the windowsill, the glass window has filtered out ultraviolet rays and will not burn the plants. When moving the plants from the windowsill or greenhouse to the outdoors, ultraviolet rays will burn the plant body and will not recover for a long time. I recommend placing the plants under the shade of trees outdoors during the hot summer. If you really want to place the plants under direct sunlight, you must proceed step by step, which is like you want to tan yourself in the spring. If you want to have beautiful black skin without sunburn, you'd better ask your white friends for advice.
Watering:
This is simpler than you think. Remember a rule: water when it is dry, but not when it is completely dry. When watering, water until the holes in the bottom of the pot start to leak. Do not water again before the soil is dry. To determine the dryness and wetness of the soil, the best way is to insert your finger or a pencil into the soil more than one foot, and then see if it is wet.
This method is very effective, because once you water the twelve volumes and encounter continuous rainy days, you need to stop watering for 4-6 weeks. However, in summer, when there is sufficient sunlight, you need to water twice a week. The only thing that needs attention is that in the wet and cold winter, this type of plant often gets rotten and dies, but if it is kept dry for several months in a row, it can still be revived eventually.
Fertilization:
If you transplant plants frequently (a good method), there is no need to fertilize them. Although your plants may grow slower, they will not be in danger. If you want to make them grow vigorously, fertilizing is a good idea. But you must master a rule, that is, fertilization must use dilute fertilizer, and it must be done during the growth period of twelve volumes, such as spring and autumn. I often use 1/4 concentration of 20-20-20 (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizer. The method described in the instructions is to dissolve one teaspoon of fertilizer in one gallon of water, and I only use 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. Providing too much nutrients for plants will accelerate their growth, causing deformation and even burning them. Be cautious about fertilizing, and do not overdo it.
Lateral bud propagation and leaf insertion:
Some twelve volumes are solitary and not easy to produce lateral buds, while some are easy to produce a large number of lateral buds in clusters. If you want to propagate those plants with many lateral buds, you can simply separate the lateral buds from the mother plant and plant them in the soil. If there is a large wound on the lateral bud when you take it, the best way is to apply some rooting powder containing hormones to the wound, and then dry it for 1-2 days until the wound is hard, and then plant it. Water carefully and keep the soil slightly moist until the lateral bud takes root.
Successful leaf insertion can grow one to several new plants from a single leaf. The trick is to take the leaf with some stem tissue. If you break a leaf without stem tissue, this leaf will not take root. The best way is to remove the soil from the plant during transplantation, remove old and dead leaves, and then choose one or several healthy and vigorous leaves. Cut the leaves with a sharp knife and some stem tissue. Apply some rooting powder to the wound of the leaf and dry it in a cool place for several days. Then place this leaf on a warm and shady moist soil, and if you are lucky, the leaf will take root and grow one or several small plants.
Forced lateral bud (top cut):
Forced lateral bud is used to deal with solitary plants to make them produce lateral buds. The growth of plants relies on the growth point, so if it is destroyed, the plant will be forced to produce secondary growth points, that is, lateral buds. If the stem of the plant is barrel-shaped, we can cut it off from the top, and the upper part can be cuttings to take root, and the lower part can produce one or several lateral buds. This method is very suitable for H. pumila. Mr. Joseph Cheng has a set of very effective methods for condensed stem types. First of all, the plant must be healthy and have intact roots. Remove the soil from the base of the stem until the stem is exposed, remove old leaves and debris. Cut off the base of the stem above the soil level with a sharp knife, so that the upper part and the lower part are separated. If some lateral roots and leaves are cut off at this time, it doesn't matter, this is inevitable. Apply rooting powder to the cut upper part, dry it, and cuttings take root; leave the remaining lower part in a shady environment, control moisture and keep it slightly moist. When you find that it starts to grow, you can water it conventionally, but don't let the soil dry out. The cut stem should be 1/2cm above the soil. If it is in the growing season, this will be the best time. If you water carefully to prevent rot, you will be lucky to see lateral buds from the lower part of the stem or root tip, with a success rate of 90%. If you cut off the lower part from such a point, that is, the lower part can have one or several leaves, the chance of growing lateral buds will be increased to 99%. This method will not affect the appearance of the plant and can get a large number of new plants. Another method, especially suitable for condensed stem types, is to use a sharp knife or a hot iron wire to destroy the growth point. If successful, this operation will stop the growth of the central growth point of the plant and force lateral buds. Unfortunately, we sometimes hesitate or are not skilled enough to deal with our good plants with knives, so we need to practice with some ordinary plants first.
Root cutting:
This method I have never tried before, but my friend Joseph Cheng has used it successfully. He does it like this: when transplanting the two varieties of retusa or truncata, cut off a small amount of light-colored and plump young roots. If you use old roots, it is not easy to succeed. Plant these roots in moist fine vermiculite, leaving the stem end of the root 0.5cm above the soil. Place the pot under the stool, preferably in a moist place in the greenhouse. Water carefully, so that about 3-12 months later, 90% of the root tips can grow one or several young buds. The key to root cutting is to ensure suitable humidity. Too dry will cause the roots to shrink, but too wet will cause rot. This method is very beneficial for the propagation of varieties that are not easy to produce lateral buds, and is suitable for all varieties with thick roots.
Seed propagation:
Seeds of the twelve volumes are not easy to obtain. When you get some, you will find that their germination rate is very low. Even, it often happens that after two years, when the seeds grow up and show their characteristics, you will find that they may not be the varieties you expect. On the other hand, if you want to pollinate and fruit yourself, you must have two twelve volumes flowering at the same time, and they cannot come from the same plant. Often, a male parent and a female parent are needed. The male parent provides pollen, and the female parent fertilizes and produces seeds. When your plant is in full bloom, you need to be prepared for pollination. These include: a cat's whisker, or a strand of hair from a brush - preferably with a velvety tip, or the smallest brush used by painters - a tool with only 6 strands of hair used to apply a small amount of paint on canvas, or a fiber of a curtain. The requirement for choosing a pollination tool is that it can be inserted into the flower of the twelve volumes and can pick up pollen. Please note that this is a coordinated skill and requires multiple practices to master. The best time to collect pollen is 2-3 days after flowering. The first day after opening, the pollen is not mature enough to be collected. Three days after flowering, the flowers will be full of nectar and prevent pollen from entering. I collect pollen from each standard flower of plant 1 and pollinate it to the standard flowers of plant 2 on the first day after flowering. If you want to prevent cross-pollination by other plants, you can use a special barrier to isolate it, thus isolating it from other plants and pests. During the full flowering period, it is best to pollinate repeatedly in the morning and evening. If pollination is successful, you can see the ovary expand and form fruit when flowering. Let the fruit mature further, and stick it with tape before it turns brown. The purpose of doing this is that when the fruit matures, it will dry and eject seeds, and fixing it with tape can prevent seeds from falling off. After the seeds fall out, you can sow them. Their lifespan is not long and not suitable for long-term preservation, and they can hardly germinate after one year.
The seedlings of the twelve volumes:
The seedlings of the twelve volumes are very interesting. Propagating from seeds is the most fundamental experience accumulation to understand these rich and colorful varieties. Compared with some cacti, the twelve volumes grow relatively fast. Some twelve volumes can reach sexual maturity in 1-2 years, and slow seeds may take 4-5 years.
For the sowing of the twelve volumes, I like to use the "bagging method". This refers to filling the pot or seedling tray with sterilized moist soil, sowing the seeds on the soil surface, and then sealing the entire pot with a plastic bag. The basis of this method is that the vigorous growth of seedlings requires a humid environment. If the water supply is insufficient, the seedlings may die within a few hours in hot weather. In the plastic bag, the seeds will germinate and grow inside for several months until they grow to an appropriate size and then take them out.
"Bagging method" requires all tools and materials to be sterilized, including: new plastic bags or old plastic bags cleaned with soap water, seedling trays should also be cleaned with hot soapy water. I screen the conventional soil to make it homogeneous for sowing. The soil must also be sterilized. It can be baked in an oven at 120 degrees for 2 hours. If you are not a housewife, I strongly recommend that you do this work when your wife is out, so that it will not affect your sweet relationship with your wife at all. When baking the soil, boil a pot of water for standby. When the soil cools down, pour it into the seedling tray and immerse the seedling tray in cold boiled water in advance. Sow the seeds on the soil surface and spray with fungicide (if you don't use fungicide, you are brave). Put the pot into a plastic bag and seal it, place it in a place with sufficient sunlight during the day (non-direct sunlight) and cool at night. If you can't achieve such environmental conditions, it can also grow well under fluorescent lamps, setting the lighting time for 14-20 hours and 4-10 hours of darkness. After most seeds germinate, I find that some seedlings' roots are not entering the soil but on the soil surface. I use a toothpick to poke a hole in the soil and move the seedlings with a toothpick to put the roots into the hole and cover them with soil. Once there is a sign of fungal infection, spray fungicide. When a large-scale fungal infection occurs, remove the plants from the plastic bag in time to prevent the rest of the seedlings from being infected by fungi. When the seedlings grow large enough, gradually remove them from the plastic bag. Generally, open the plastic bag a few days in advance to let the dry air in. The opening of the bag should gradually increase until the entire pot can be taken out. In the next few months, it is best to spray the seedlings with water every 1-2 days and do not let the soil dry out.
Rescue of diseased plants:
When you find a diseased twelve volume with a doctor's eye, it is often possible to be saved. You will find that about 90% of the cases are due to root problems. When you check the plant, the best way is to grasp the base of the plant and shake it gently. Plants with healthy roots are firmly fixed in the soil, while plants with unhealthy or problematic roots can feel loose roots, and plants with completely destroyed roots can be easily taken out of the soil. I have never seen a healthy and well-growing plant with root damage. When you find that the plant is not right, you can shake and check it. Often you can find that its roots have been damaged or are in the stage of damage. This is often due to excessive watering and dormancy - if you continue to cultivate twelve volumes in a highly humid environment, it is like asking a sleeping dog to lie - no matter how hard you try to plant it carefully, it is still sick. When this happens, I suggest that you dig out the plant and clean the soil on the roots. Remove dead roots and old leaves, apply rooting powder, which can prevent