Lipstick Vine care methods
Let's talk about everyone's experience with other flowers like the lipstick vine, the care methods for lipstick vines, and then let's learn together.
The lipstick vine, also known as蜡蔓草, is a perennial evergreen vine belonging to the Gesneriaceae family, D Schneid. The leaves are ovate and opposite, slightly succulent. The inflorescences are usually axillary or terminal, resembling lipstick in shape, with a tubular calyx similar to the lipstick tube, hence the name "lipstick vine". Its dark green leaves, paired with the bright red, unique corolla, are quite popular and considered an excellent choice for hanging ornamental plants in the home.
The flower is native to the tropical regions of Indonesia and eastern India. It prefers a warm and bright semi-shaded environment. Insufficient light can cause the branches to elongate and not bloom easily; excessive light can make the leaves turn red-brown. When keeping lipstick vines at home, it is best to hang them about 1 meter away from the south window. The potting soil should be slightly acidic, made of peat, sand, and vermiculite, and mixed with an appropriate amount of superphosphate. Lipstick vines require less fertilizer, and when potting, an appropriate amount of animal hoof and bone chips can be added as a base fertilizer to promote good growth.
In the hot summer, it can be placed under a shaded canopy or tree shade with good ventilation, with about 50% shade; for those living in apartments, the pot can be hung under the pergola on the balcony, covered with bamboo blinds, or hung on the inside of south-facing windows with sufficient scattered light. During the vigorous growth period, apply a decomposed organic fertilizer every 15 to 20 days, and keep the potting soil moist but avoid waterlogging to prevent root rot. In autumn, as the weather cools down, gradually reduce the watering and fertilizing. In winter, the potting soil should be slightly dry, except for applying some phosphorus-rich fertilizer before flowering, generally less or no fertilizer is needed.
In winter, lipstick vines are not cold-tolerant and need to be brought indoors to overwinter. They are not strict about air humidity and can adapt as long as the indoor air is not too dry. The optimal growth temperature should be around 25°C, and the overwintering temperature should be above 12°C. If the leaves turn red, it is either due to excessive light or low room temperature, and the room temperature should be increased promptly to avoid leaf drop and branch drying. If the room temperature is suitable, the flowering period will be concentrated from December to the following February. At this time, apply less nitrogen fertilizer, increase indoor light intensity, and control a lower room temperature to promote flowering. After the winter flowering period, promptly remove the spent flower stems to save the plant's nutrients and promote new branching for more flower buds. Sometimes the top buds may die for no apparent reason, which is due to a lack of calcium fertilizer. Applying an appropriate amount of calcium fertilizer will eliminate the necrosis. Lipstick vine propagation is mainly through cuttings. Cut 10 to 15 cm long top shoots and insert them into clean river sand, maintain a proper room temperature, and they can root and survive in about a month, then transplant them into pots, with 4 to 6 plants per pot. In summer, cuttings can be directly inserted into the potting soil; in a greenhouse, it can be done throughout the year. When the plant is growing vigorously, it can be pinched to promote branching.
The above is all the content about the care methods for lipstick vines, have green plant enthusiasts understood?