Is the lipstick vine easy to care for?
Today's experience sharing: Is the lipstick vine easy to care for and the knowledge of green plant cultivation techniques related to the lipstick vine, let's get to know it together.
The lipstick vine is a herbaceous flower of the Gesneriaceae family, native to Guizhou and Yunnan in China, also known as lipstick red. The lipstick vine is small, cute, and green.
The branching can reach nearly 120cm, the leaves are thick and fleshy, with a succulent nature, the surface has a thin cuticle layer, and tends to be leathery; its flowers are mostly terminal, with few axillary flowers.
The flower color ranges from bright red to claret. Because the appearance of the flower bud is similar to lipstick, it is called lipstick vine.
Different from牡丹吊兰, goldfish vine, most of the lipstick vines form flower buds on short branches, a few medium branches also have flower bud differentiation, and long branches basically have no flower buds.
In the north, August to October is the period of flower bud differentiation, and the flowering period is concentrated from November to February, with sparse flower buds appearing from April to June.
Abundant fertilizer, water, and light
The lipstick vine originally grew on the sparse forest edges of high mountains, adapting to slightly acidic sandy loam; tolerant to semi-shade, slightly cold-resistant, suitable growth temperature is 18-28 degrees, below 10 degrees growth stops.
In winter, it should not be lower than 8 degrees; it especially likes abundant scattered light and fresh circulating air. It can be said that the lipstick vine is a hanging flower suitable for indoor cultivation in the north, although it is a subtropical plant, it is easier to handle than tropical flowers such as dragon吐珠, lotus lamp, and money bag.
And it is also easy to provide its growth conditions in the north. However, for the lipstick vine to bloom in full force, attention should be paid to the following four aspects in terms of maintenance.
Adequate scattered light, stable matrix without waterlogging
First, the humus soil should not accumulate water
This requirement is to first cultivate the roots to achieve a full pot. The root system of the lipstick vine is developed and shallow, horizontal roots. In the wild, its root system does not extend below 20cm of the soil surface.
It is mainly because the surface soil in the wild environment has the highest organic fertility, good ventilation, and does not dry out due to the high rainfall in the south, forming such genetic traits.
Therefore, when preparing humus soil, ripe organic fertilizer can be mixed with peat soil, adding a small amount of bone meal or superphosphate, and then mixed with vermiculite and clean river sand, which basically does not cause root rot.
Suggestion: A stable and non-waterlogged matrix is a key factor; poor drainage will inevitably lead to root rot. When preparing humus soil, the proportion of river sand can be increased to enhance permeability. Adding bone meal is to protect the stem tip.
Apply thin fertilizer frequently, the flower color is rich
Second, it requires suitable temperature and humidity, scattered light, and ventilation
Firstly, temperature and humidity. For indoor maintenance of lipstick vine, temperature is not a problem, just don't let it drop below 15 degrees in winter and spring.
Attention should be paid to frequent spraying to keep it moist, but when watering once a week, the humus soil should be slightly dry for 1-2 days, and it should not always be in a saturated state of moisture.
Secondly, lighting. Although the lipstick vine is shade-tolerant, it is best to maintain 4-6 hours of light every day in autumn, winter, and spring, which is conducive to promoting lateral branches and forming flower buds.
If there is insufficient light, the terminal bud cannot absorb calcium ions, and the stem bud will rot. In summer, at noon, it can be shaded, not exposed to direct sunlight. Finally, ventilation. The lipstick vine should be ventilated every day, especially in the hot and humid summer without wind, if the air circulation is poor, stem rot disease will occur.
Suggestion: Lighting and ventilation are the key points of this section. The lipstick vine is slightly cold-tolerant and semi-shade-tolerant, but it doesn't mean it doesn't need light and ventilation. Appropriate light and ventilation can form more flowering branches. In summer, if ventilation is poor, accompanied by high temperature and humidity, it is easy to cause stem rot.
Is the lipstick vine easy to care for?
Good lighting and ventilation
Third, the method of applying thin fertilizer frequently
The lipstick vine is tolerant to poor soil, but it cannot be without fertilizer and water if it wants to bloom. In spring, summer, and autumn, fertilize with a dilute organic fertilizer mixed with natural water every half month, and add a little phosphorus and potassium fertilizer every month.
When the average daily temperature is below 18 degrees, stop fertilizing and control watering. In Shandong, this time is about one week after the frost.
Suggestion: Apply thin fertilizer frequently, mainly organic fertilizer, and try not to use nitrogen fertilizer, as nitrogen fertilizer and high temperature and humidity are the triggers for stem rot.
Poor lighting and ventilation, yellow leaves, dry tips
Fourth, how to prune the lipstick vine
The lipstick vine also needs pruning. If not pruned, excessive fertilizer and water will cause the lipstick vine to grow luxuriantly without flowering. Pruning usually starts around Qingming (Tomb Sweeping Day).
First, cut off the dense basal branches, leaving 6-8 main branches, then remove the dense lateral branches, and leave one every 10-15cm on the main branches.
The remaining lateral branches should be strong and sturdy. If they have just finished flowering and are longer than 10cm, they should be lightly pruned or pinched.
How to deal with the main branches? As long as the main branches are longer than 80-100cm, they can be pinched multiple times before mid-August. If there are still main branches growing after mid-August, there is no need to pinch anymore.
Suggestion: Light pruning and pinching of lateral branches can only be used before July. Do not prune or pinch after July, because the temperature, light, and ventilation are suitable, and most of the lateral branch tips will differentiate into flower buds.
Some lateral branches that do not develop flower buds are due to soft branch tissue and failure to convert vegetative growth into reproductive growth. Such lateral branches can be left to form flowering branches in the spring of the following year.
The above comprehensive method of whether the lipstick vine is easy to care for and the cultivation technique points of the lipstick vine, I hope it can serve as a stepping stone to solve your green plant problems.