How to propagate Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting
This article introduces the topic of propagating Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting and the complete method of cutting propagation, welcome to correct any mistakes!
Chinese Lantern flowers, also known as Firecracker flowers, belong to the family Hypericum and are a type of climber. The leaves are bright green and ovate-oblong, and the flowers are in串 shape resembling firecrackers. Chinese Lantern flowers usually bloom from December to March of the following year. The small orange-yellow flowers are dotted among the green leaves, looking like the glow of firecrackers set off on New Year's Eve from a distance, symbolizing a vibrant and joyful atmosphere, adding to the festive mood of the Spring Festival, making it wonderful to the extreme.
How can such beautiful Chinese Lantern flowers be propagated, turning one plant into multiple? In addition to the well-known method of seeding, Chinese Lantern flowers can also be propagated through cutting. This article focuses on the topic of "propagation methods of Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting and maintenance skills," hoping to be helpful to everyone.
Definition of Propagation of Chinese Lantern Flowers through Cutting
Propagation of Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting utilizes the regenerative ability of the plant's branches, selecting healthy and strong branches with good regenerative ability, planting them in suitable soil substrates after treatment, and promoting root growth and development into independent Chinese Lantern plant through maintenance management. This is a common method of asexual propagation.
Reasons and Advantages of Propagation through Cutting
Reasons for Propagation: As everyone knows, flowering plants can only produce fruits after pollination. However, Chinese Lantern flowers are known as "flowering without fruiting" plants. This is because Chinese Lantern flowers rely on hummingbirds to absorb nectar for pollination. Although they have abundant nectar, their long and slender flower tube limits animals other than hummingbirds from pollinating them. Since there are no hummingbirds in China and even the entire Eurasian continent, Chinese Lantern flowers cannot complete natural pollination, nor will they produce fruits, let alone seeds. Artificial pollination is relatively complex, and the strong branches of Chinese Lantern flowers have strong regenerative abilities, so the most commonly used method of propagation for Chinese Lantern flowers is cutting. This is the reason for choosing cutting as the method of propagation.
Advantages of Propagation: There are three advantages to propagating Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting. Advantage one: The operation is relatively simple 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: Propagation through cutting can continue the superior traits of the parent plant and avoid breed variation.
Best Time for Propagation through Cutting
Growth Habits: Chinese Lantern flowers are native to Brazil in South America and are now widely cultivated as ornamental plants in gardens. 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-tolerant. The summer temperature should not exceed 30 degrees, and the winter temperature should not be below 8 degrees, otherwise the plant may show poor growth or growth stagnation. The blooming period of Chinese Lantern flowers can last up to 6 months. They grow very fast and can maintain green leaves in South China, surviving the winter outdoors. They prefer loose, well-draining, and fertile acidic sandy loam soil.
Best Time: According to the growth habits of Chinese Lantern flowers, we know that winter is too cold and summer is too hot for propagation through cutting. Spring and autumn are suitable for root growth due to their pleasant climate. Personally, I believe that for the propagation of Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting, April to May in spring, with comfortable and humid weather, is more conducive to root development and has a higher survival rate, making it the best time for cutting propagation.
Caution: In April to May, some regions have frequent rainfall. If cutting is done on rainy days, it is prone to incision infection, leading to the failure of cutting propagation. Therefore, to avoid infection, cutting propagation should be done on sunny days.
Methods of Propagation through Cutting
Although the operation of propagation through cutting is relatively simple, it also requires some auxiliary tools to complete the cutting operation successfully. Therefore, to ensure the smooth progress of cutting propagation, we can prepare sharp knives, alcohol, carbendazim, and rooting powder in advance.
1. Prepare Soil
Chinese Lantern flowers are not very picky about soil, but loose, well-draining, 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 mix decomposed leaf soil, garden soil, and sand, with less garden soil and a small amount of bone meal as a base fertilizer.
2. Choose Pots
Chinese Lantern flowers do not have high requirements for pots, 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 to avoid repotting later. I recommend choosing a deep筒瓦盆 or ceramic pot with fine holes at the bottom.
3. Select Parent Plant
The growth state of the parent plant determines the regenerative ability of the branches. If the plant grows poorly or is infected with diseases and pests, it will reduce the root formation rate of the branches. Therefore, select healthy plants without diseases and pests for cutting to increase the survival rate of propagation.
4. Cut Cuttings
When cutting cuttings for propagation, it is also necessary to select branches that are in good condition and free of diseases and pests. The ideal length is about 10-15 centimeters, with each cutting having 3-4 nodes and 2 buds. Use a knife disinfected with alcohol to cut 0.5 centimeters below the node of the selected branch, ensuring a smooth cut.
5. Treat Cuttings
The cut cuttings cannot be immediately cut for propagation because the cuttings have incisions. If not disinfected, they can easily become infected with bacteria, leading to rotting and reducing the survival rate of cuttings. Therefore, after cutting the cuttings, they should be promptly disinfected with carbendazim and placed in a shaded and well-ventilated area to dry, then coated with rooting powder.
6. Perform Cutting
Insert the cuttings 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 ensure close contact with the soil without leaving any gaps. Finally, spray enough water with a spray bottle and place it in a shaded and well-ventilated area for maintenance.
Caution: Before cutting, the prepared soil should be exposed to the sun for 1-2 days to prevent the presence of eggs or bacteria in the soil from infecting the cutting incisions, leading to the failure of cutting propagation.
How to propagate Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting
Maintenance Management after Cutting Propagation
1. Water
Chinese Lantern flowers prefer a warm and humid environment, but frequent watering is not conducive to the root growth of newly cut cuttings. Excessive watering or frequency can keep the soil in a moist state, leading to rotting of the cuttings or newly formed roots, resulting in the failure of propagation. 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 Chinese Lantern flowers are sun-loving plants, excessive sunlight can damage the buds on the cuttings that have not yet formed roots, which is not conducive to root growth. Therefore, it is best to keep them in a shaded and well-ventilated area for maintenance and provide scattered light occasionally until they have rooted and grown stably, then proceed with normal light maintenance.
Transplanting after Rooting
About 4 weeks after cutting, if the stems and leaves remain tender and green without wilting, it indicates that the incisions have healed well and independent roots have formed. If Chinese Lantern seedlings are not transplanted after survival, they may show poor growth due to limited space and insufficient nutrition. Therefore, when the seedlings grow to about 15 centimeters, they can be transplanted.
1. Potting Soil
Considering the characteristics of Chinese Lantern flowers as climbing plants, we can choose larger and deeper breathable pots. When preparing potting soil, we can follow the same soil preparation as for cutting, adhering to the principle of "loose, well-draining, 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.
2. Maintenance Points: For newly transplanted Chinese Lantern seedlings, normal maintenance cannot be carried out immediately. First, place the seedlings in a softly lit and well-ventilated environment, then keep the soil slightly moist, watering an appropriate amount every three days or using a spray bottle to spray water. The unstable seedlings should not be fertilized. After the seedlings have grown stably, proceed with normal maintenance based on the growth habits of Chinese Lantern flowers.
In summary: Cutting is a suitable method for propagating Chinese Lantern flowers. First, prepare suitable potting soil, then cut cuttings from healthy and disease-free plants, treat them, and proceed with cutting. To increase the survival rate, pay attention to light and water management, and transplant the seedlings when they are larger, followed by normal maintenance.
The above content shares how to propagate Chinese Lantern flowers through cutting and the complete method of cutting propagation. Have green plant enthusiasts understood?