How to propagate firecracker flowers through cutting with high survival rate
Let's share with you how to propagate firecracker flowers through cutting with high survival rate and the explanation of the cutting methods and timing for green plants and flowers. Let's take a look together.
Introduction: "In the sound of firecrackers, the year is gone, and the warm spring breeze fills the屠苏." The custom of setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival has a long history in China. A Spring Festival without the sound of firecrackers is not lively or complete enough. During these joyful and festive days, a plant with "flowers shaped like firecrackers" is also blooming, adding a touch of celebration to the Spring Festival, and that is the firecracker flower. Today, Xiao Qi will share with you how to propagate firecracker flowers through cutting and the maintenance skills after propagation.
Firecracker flowers, also known as firework flowers, belong to the紫薇 family and are a type of vine plant. The leaves are green, ovate-oblong, and the flowers are in clusters shaped like firecrackers. Firecracker flowers usually bloom from December to March of the following year. Small orange-yellow flowers are scattered among the green leaves, which look like the glow of fireworks set off on New Year's Eve from a distance, symbolizing a lively and prosperous atmosphere and adding a lot of joy to the Spring Festival.
How can such beautiful firecracker flowers be propagated, turning one plant into many? In addition to the well-known sowing method, firecracker flowers can also be propagated through cutting. This article focuses on the topic of "propagation of firecracker flowers through cutting and maintenance skills" and hopes to be helpful to everyone.
The definition of firecracker flower propagation through cutting
Propagating firecracker flowers through cutting is to utilize the regeneration ability of the plant branches, select strong and highly regenerative branches, plant them in a suitable soil matrix after treatment, and promote root germination and development into independent firecracker flower plants through later maintenance management. This is also a common method of asexual propagation.
The reasons and advantages of propagating firecracker flowers through cutting
Reasons for propagation: As we all know, flowering plants can only produce fruits after pollination, but firecracker flowers are known as "flowers without fruits" because they rely on hummingbirds to absorb nectar for pollination. Although firecracker flowers have abundant nectar, their long and thin flower tube corolla limits other animals except hummingbirds from pollinating them. Since there are no hummingbirds in China and even the entire Eurasian continent, firecracker flowers cannot complete natural pollination, nor can they bear fruit or have seeds. Artificial pollination is relatively complex, and since the strong branches of firecracker flowers have a strong regeneration ability, cutting is the most commonly used method for propagating firecracker flowers. This is the reason for choosing the cutting method to propagate firecracker flowers.
Advantages of propagation: There are three main advantages to propagating firecracker flowers through cutting. Advantage one: relatively simple operation with a high survival rate. Advantage two: cuttings grow into seedlings faster and bloom earlier, usually blooming in the same year with proper care. Advantage three: cutting propagation can continue the excellent traits of the mother plant and avoid breed variation.
The best time for propagating firecracker flowers through cutting
Growth habits: Firecracker flowers are native to Brazil in South America and are now widely cultivated as garden ornamental plants. They prefer a sunny, warm, and humid environment, with a suitable growth temperature of 15-25 degrees. They dislike high temperatures and are not cold-resistant. The summer temperature should not exceed 30 degrees, and the winter temperature should not be lower than 8 degrees, otherwise the plant will have poor growth or growth stagnation. The flowering period of firecracker flowers can last up to 6 months. Firecracker flowers grow very fast and can keep their leaves green in South China, where they can survive the winter outdoors. They prefer loose, breathable, well-drained, and fertile acidic sandy loam soil.
Best time: Based on the growth habits of firecracker flowers, we know that winter is too cold and summer is too hot, which are not suitable for cutting propagation. The spring and autumn seasons have pleasant weather and are conducive to root growth. Personally, I think that for the propagation of firecracker flowers through cutting, April to May in spring, with relatively comfortable and humid weather, is more conducive to the development of plant roots and has a higher survival rate, making it the best time for cutting propagation.
Notice: In April and May, some areas have frequent rainfall. If cutting propagation is chosen during rainy weather, it is easy to cause incision infection, leading to the failure of cutting propagation. Therefore, to avoid incision infection, it is necessary to choose sunny days for cutting propagation.
The operation method of propagating firecracker flowers through cutting
Although the operation of propagating firecracker flowers through cutting is relatively simple, some auxiliary tools are needed to complete the cutting operation successfully. Therefore, in order to ensure the smooth progress of cutting propagation, we can prepare sharp knives, alcohol, carbendazim, rooting powder, and others in advance.
1. Prepare the soil
The soil requirement for firecracker flowers is not very strict, but loose, breathable, well-drained, and fertile acidic sandy soil is more conducive to plant growth, thereby increasing the survival rate of cuttings. If the soil is too heavy, it is not conducive to root development. We can choose decayed leaf soil, garden soil, and sand, mix them evenly, with a smaller proportion of garden soil, and then mix in a small amount of bone meal as a base fertilizer.
2. Choose a pot
The pot requirement for firecracker flowers is not high, as long as the pot is breathable and has good drainage. The size of the pot can be determined by the number of propagations, or a larger pot can be chosen so that there is no need to repot during later transplantation. It is recommended to choose a large deep cylindrical clay pot or ceramic pot with fine holes at the bottom.
3. Select the mother plant
For the propagation of firecracker flowers through cutting, the growth state of the mother plant determines the regeneration ability of the branches. If the plant grows poorly or is infected with diseases and insects, it will reduce the rooting rate of the branches. Therefore, it is necessary to select strong and disease-free plants for cutting to increase the survival rate of cutting propagation.
4. Cut the cuttings
When cutting the cuttings for propagation, it is also necessary to select branches that are in good condition and free from diseases and insects. The cutting length should be about 10-15 centimeters, with each cutting having 3-4 nodes and 2 buds. Then, use a knife disinfected with alcohol to cut 0.5 centimeters below the selected node, making the cut smooth.
5. Treat the cuttings
The cuttings cannot be cut immediately because they have an incision. If no disinfection treatment is performed, it is easy to infect bacteria, causing the cutting to rot and reducing the survival rate of the cutting. Therefore, after cutting the cuttings, it is necessary to disinfect them with carbendazim and place them in a shaded and well-ventilated place to dry, then apply rooting powder.
6. Perform the cutting
Insert the cutting into the prepared potting soil, not too deep, about two-thirds of the cutting, then press the base of the cutting with your fingers to make the cutting base closely adhere to the soil, leaving no gaps, and finally spray enough water with a spray bottle and place it in a shaded and well-ventilated place for maintenance.
Notice: Before cutting, the prepared soil should be fully exposed to the sun for 1-2 days to prevent the soil from containing eggs or bacteria that may infect the cutting incision, causing cutting failure.
How to propagate firecracker flowers through cutting with high survival rate
Maintenance management after firecracker flower propagation through cutting
1. Watering
Firecracker flowers prefer a warm and humid environment, but for newly cut firecracker flower cuttings, frequent watering is not conducive to root survival. Excessive watering or frequency can cause the soil to remain moist for a long time, leading to cutting rot or root rot, resulting in cutting propagation failure. Therefore, keep the soil slightly moist and not too dry. You can spray water with a spray bottle every 1-2 days to moisten the soil and increase air humidity.
2. Light
Although firecracker flowers are light-loving, too strong light can sunburn the buds on the cuttings that have not yet germinated roots, which is not conducive to root germination. Therefore, it can be placed in a shaded and well-ventilated place for maintenance and occasionally given diffused light until it germinates roots and becomes stable, then proceed with normal light maintenance.
Transplanting and planting after cutting survival
About 4 weeks after cutting, if the stems and leaves are still tender and green and not wilted, it indicates that the incision has healed well and independent roots have grown. If the firecracker flower seedlings are not transplanted after surviving, they may have poor growth due to limited growth space and insufficient nutrition. Therefore, when the firecracker flower seedlings grow to about 15 centimeters, they can be transplanted and planted.
1. Potting soil
Based on the characteristics of firecracker flowers as a vine plant, we can choose a larger and deeper breathable pot. When preparing the potting soil, it can be based on the soil used for cutting, following the principle of "loose, breathable, good drainage, and acidic." The soil should also be disinfected, either by exposing it to the sun for 1-2 days or by using a carbendazim solution for disinfection.
2. Maintenance points: For newly transplanted firecracker flower seedlings, normal maintenance cannot be performed immediately. First, place the seedlings in a softly lit and well-ventilated environment for maintenance, then keep the soil slightly moist, water moderately every three days, or spray water with a spray bottle. Unstable seedlings should not be fertilized. After the young plants have grown stably, normal maintenance can be carried out according to the growth habits of firecracker flowers.
Summary: Cutting is a relatively suitable method for propagating firecracker flowers. First, prepare the right potting soil, then cut the cuttings from strong and disease-free plants, treat the cuttings, and then cut them. To increase the survival rate of cuttings, pay attention to light and water management, and after the seedlings have grown larger, transplant and plant them, and maintain them normally after they have stabilized.
Do you know the detailed introduction of how to propagate firecracker flowers through cutting with high survival rate and the cutting methods and timing shared in this article?