How to plant Chinese Lantern Flower
For most women, the explanation of how to plant Chinese Lantern Flower and the cultivation techniques of this green plant, corrections are welcome if there are any mistakes!
Chinese Lantern Flower is a vine plant of the Bignoniaceae family and the Clytostoma genus, also known as Rice Paddy Snake Vine, Firecracker Vine, Golden Coral, Torch Flower, Dense Blossom, and Flame Vine. It is mostly planted in courtyards, as well as fences, trellises, or used for vertical greening. The flowers of Chinese Lantern Flower are like strings of firecrackers, making it a very good ornamental flower. The blooming period of Chinese Lantern Flower is usually from January to June every year, and the blooming period can sometimes last for more than half a year. The flowers are very beautiful, with orange-red blooms that are extremely lush. During the peak blooming period of Chinese Lantern Flower, it can be described as a vibrant and beautiful scene. Chinese Lantern Flower is an important climbing ornamental plant in the South China region. In the northern regions, you can choose dwarf varieties, coiled into patterns, and cultivated as potted plants. In Hainan, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Guangxi, it has been widely cultivated as a courtyard ornamental vine plant.
Chinese Lantern Flower is native to Brazil in South America, with 3-branched filiform tendrils. Leaves are opposite; stamens are attached in the middle of the corolla tube, filaments are filiform, anthers are forked. The ovary is cylindrical, densely pubescent, the style is thin, the stigma is ligulate and flat, and both the style and filaments extend out of the corolla tube. The fruit valves are coriaceous, boat-shaped, containing multiple rows of seeds, with seeds having wings and being membranous. The flowering period is long, and Chinese Lantern Flower is relatively hardy, grows vigorously, and is easy to cultivate. It prefers a sunny growing environment and requires good ventilation. It likes high temperature and humidity, with acidic, well-drained sandy soil being the best. It thrives in sunny, fertile, moist, and acidic soil. It grows rapidly and can maintain green leaves in the South China region, capable of overwintering outdoors. Since tendrils mostly grow at the upper stem nodes, the whole plant can adhere to other objects and grow.
I. Propagation methods of Chinese Lantern Flower: The main methods are layering propagation or cutting propagation.
1. Layering Propagation: Low layering and high layering propagation are usually used. Low layering propagation involves selecting branches close to the ground in early spring, making a 1 cm incision with a knife (the position of the incision should be such that when the branch is pressed into the soil, the incision part is buried in the soil), then burying the incision part in the soil and pressing it down with a stone, keeping the branch tip upward and preventing the branch from swaying. When it is time to plant, dig open the pressed soil to check, cut the layered branches from the side close to the mother plant, and separate them from the mother plant to become planting seedlings.
Another method of layering propagation is high layering, which does not involve many branches close to the ground and therefore must use branches from higher up. High layering propagation, also known as aerial layering, involves selecting 2-4 year-old vines that are growing vigorously, making a circular incision half to two-thirds of the way around the stem 20-30 cm away from the base, then wrapping the wound with a ball of fertile soil, and covering the outside with plastic film to keep it moist. High layering is usually done in early spring, from February to March. By August to September, white roots can be seen growing through the plastic film, and the layered branches are then cut 3-5 cm below the ball. The cut branches must be immediately planted in a false bed, and usually, about 3 months after high layering, roots will form.
2. Cutting Propagation Method: Cutting propagation is done in early spring before the plant has sprouted, using strong, disease-free vines with a diameter of about 1 cm, cut into 8-15 cm long cuttings, and planted in a prepared seedbed. On the seedbed, draw lines with a spacing of 15-20 cm and make holes every 3-5 cm with a small stick. Then insert half to two-thirds of the cutting into the holes, press the soil firmly, and water once. After cutting, shade and keep the soil moist. Plant growth hormones can be used to treat the cuttings, which can significantly promote root growth. Common growth hormones include indole butyric acid, indole acetic acid, naphthylacetic acid, 2,4-D, and rooting powder, all of which have a good effect on promoting root growth.
II. Cultivation: In southern regions, ground planting is used, while in colder climates, pot cultivation can be adopted.
1. Ground Planting: Choose a sunny and well-ventilated location in the courtyard. Chinese Lantern Flower is not picky about soil, but grows more vigorously in fertile soil rich in organic matter with good drainage and thick soil layers. The planting holes for Chinese Lantern Flower should be appropriately large and deep, usually about 30 cm in diameter and 30 cm deep, with sufficient base fertilizer, such as decomposed manure and a moderate amount of cake fertilizer or bone meal. In April to May when the temperature rises, young plants from cutting or division are transplanted into pots, cutting off broken, cracked, damaged, and overly long roots before planting. Fill in the growing soil, place the Chinese Lantern Flower plant in the center of the pot upright, spread the roots, and when the soil is half-filled, gently shake the plant to compact the soil. The planting should not be too deep, keeping the rootstock level with the ground. If it's too shallow, it will affect survival, and if it's too deep, it will affect the growth of the transplanted Chinese Lantern Flower. Water thoroughly after planting.
2. Pot Cultivation: There are limitations to growing Chinese Lantern Flower in pots, as pots create a special small environment. No single type of soil can meet all the needs of potted plants, so pot cultivation requires the artificial preparation of growing soil to replace the natural soil and fix the plant in the pot, with good water retention, drainage, and a loose, fertile, well-drained, and ventilated soil rich in humus but not too alkaline. The growing soil for Chinese Lantern Flower is usually made up of 40% garden soil, 40% yellow sand, and 20% leaf mold or household waste.
When potting, apply a small amount of base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot. In April to May when the temperature rises, young plants from cutting or layering are transplanted into pots, cutting off broken, cracked, damaged, and overly long roots before potting. Place broken tiles at the bottom of the pot, then add some matured cake fertilizer, bones, fish bones, etc., as base fertilizer, then fill in the growing soil, place the Chinese Lantern Flower plant in the center of the pot upright, spread the roots, and when the soil is half-filled, gently shake the plant to compact the soil. The planting should not be too deep, keeping the rootstock level with the pot opening. If it's too shallow, it will affect survival, and if it's too deep, it will affect the growth of the transplanted Chinese Lantern Flower. Water thoroughly after planting. After potting, keep the plant in a shaded environment for about a week, then move it to a sunny place for maintenance once the roots have recovered.
III. Daily Management: Chinese Lantern Flower is a heavy feeder, grows quickly, blooms a lot, and has a long flowering period, so sufficient fertilization and watering are needed. During the growing season, fertilize once a month with decomposed dilute cake fertilizer or compound fertilizer to promote lush growth and full blooms. Keep the soil moist, with watering frequency depending on the soil moisture level. In hot summers, water the plant and spray water on the leaves and surrounding ground 2-3 times a day to increase humidity. In autumn, during the bud differentiation period, reduce watering and switch to phosphorus-rich fertilizers. During the growing season, apply a thin liquid fertilizer combining nitrogen and phosphorus every 2 weeks. During the bud formation period, apply a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer to promote flowering and plant growth. Watering should be done when the soil is dry, avoiding waterlogging in the pot. In the summer, when temperatures are high, water adequately and sprinkle water around the pot to increase air humidity. In autumn, reduce watering to control nutrient growth and promote bud differentiation.
In winter, Chinese Lantern Flower can still be grown outdoors in southern regions, while in the cold northern regions, it needs to be moved indoors or into a greenhouse. Chinese Lantern Flower moved indoors should be placed in a sunny location, maintaining a room temperature above 10°C.
Pruning of Chinese Lantern Flower. Vines that have bloomed will not bloom again, so in daily management, it is necessary to prune the old branches after the flowers fade to promote the growth of more branches and ensure continuous blooming. When the branches reach a certain height, they need to be topped to promote the growth of lateral branches for more flowers. Old and weak branches should be cut off in time to avoid nutrient consumption and affect flowering. For potted Chinese Lantern Flower, special attention should be paid to pinching, pruning, and training into patterns to dwarf the plant. In winter, move the Chinese Lantern Flower indoors or into a greenhouse, keeping it in a sunny location with a room temperature above 10°C and controlling watering.
Have you understood the detailed introduction of how to plant Chinese Lantern Flower and the cultivation techniques provided above?