How to propagate the虎皮兰 (Tiger Skin Orchid)
An article full of tips, introducing how to propagate Tiger Skin Orchid and sharing methods for its rapid rooting in green plants, the related content is as follows:
Tiger Skin Orchid is a perennial herbaceous ornamental leaf plant of the Aspidistra genus in the Liliaceae family, also known as Aspidistra elatior, Elatine, Thousand Year Orchid, Aspidistra, Golden Tail Orchid, or Mother-in-Law's Tongue. Its leaves resemble swords, with a sturdy posture and unique coloration, coupled with its shade and drought tolerance, making it an excellent choice for indoor ornamental leaf plants.
The leaves of the Tiger Skin Orchid are stiff and bright, full of vitality, suitable for indoor planting. Although not as beautiful as fresh flowers, it gives a sense of resilience. The stomata on the succulent stems of the Tiger Skin Orchid close during the day and open at night, absorbing carbon dioxide while releasing a large number of negative ions, thereby increasing the concentration of negative ions in the indoor air. Moreover, the Tiger Skin Orchid has an important function of radiation protection, making it suitable for placement near computers and televisions. It can absorb more than 80% of indoor harmful gases, with particularly strong甲醛 absorption capabilities, and is even被誉为 "natural street sweeper". It can also absorb a large amount of radioactive nuclides such as uranium, and in addition to removing formaldehyde, it has a significant absorption effect on harmful substances such as trichloroethylene, hydrogen sulfide, benzene, phenol, hydrofluoric acid, and ether, heavy metal particles, and it also has a high transpiration efficiency, with some ability to regulate indoor humidity. How should Tiger Skin Orchid cuttings be done?
Tiger Skin Orchid cuttings are relatively easy to succeed, and the method involves using leaf cuttings to regenerate new individuals from the leaves' regenerative ability. It is usually done in spring and autumn, starting by preparing a cutting bed filled with 20 cm of coarse sand or other cutting substrates such as river sand, perlite, and vermiculite, all cleaned with water.
The second step is the selection and preparation of the cuttings, where mature and healthy Tiger Skin Orchid leaves are cut into 7-10 cm segments, the cut ends are coated with wood ash, and then the segments are vertically inserted into the sand bed, with about 3-5 cm inserted into the sand.
The third step is shading and moisturizing: after planting, cover the soil and press it down, water thoroughly, and set up a shading shed. Usually, a plastic film is used to cover and moisturize and shade. Spray water 2-3 times a day to strengthen maintenance, keep the seedbed moist, and the survival rate is very high, with roots usually forming after about 50 days.
The fourth step is measures to promote rooting: to speed up the rooting of Tiger Skin Orchid cuttings and increase the number of roots, plant growth hormones can be used to treat the cuttings. 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. For example, using 50-100ppm of indole butyric acid to treat old branches and 5-225ppm indole butyric acid to treat young branches for green cuttings. The old and young branches are bundled and soaked in the solution for 12-24 hours. Dipping the cutting ends in 1000ppm 2,4-D powder also has a significant effect on promoting root growth. Soaking the base of the branches in 0.1-0.5% potassium permanganate for 10-24 hours can also sterilize and promote root growth. When the young plants grow 2-3 leaves, they can be transplanted with the old leaves into pots.
The above is a comprehensive introduction to how to propagate Tiger Skin Orchid and share rapid rooting methods, hoping to bring some knowledge about green plants to green plant enthusiasts.