The cultivation method of Koyama's kaffir lily
The editor answers related knowledge about the succulent plant Koyama's kaffir lily for netizens, including the cultivation method of Koyama's kaffir lily. Here is a comprehensive introduction.
Koyama's kaffir lily belongs to the Sedum family, also known as red grapefruit, trailing bell-shaped begonia, and is a perennial herbaceous plant. The stems are lignified, highly branched, with new branches soft and often drooping, leaves opposite, ovate, slightly succulent. The flowers are red, tubular, with the top four petals slightly separated, resembling small lanterns, hence the name Koyama's kaffir lily.
Koyama's kaffir lily grows best in a well-ventilated earthenware pot, but it is not aesthetically pleasing indoors. It can be placed in a plastic or ceramic pot, or directly planted in a small purple sand or plastic pot. Place a layer of broken charcoal or broken hard plastic foam at the bottom of the pot to enhance its permeability.
Although Koyama's kaffir lily is not very picky about soil, it easily rots in heavy clay soil, and grows best in loose, fertile, slightly acidic sandy loam. For potted plants at home, a mixture of decomposed leaf soil and surface garden soil in equal parts, plus 5% to 8% sand as growing medium. Add bone meal or a compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as a base fertilizer when planting.
Koyama's kaffir lily is drought-resistant but afraid of waterlogging. It grows well in dry air conditions on high-rise buildings. In spring and autumn, water the pot when the soil is dry every three days or so, keeping it slightly moist. In summer, water less frequently, once every 5 to 7 days is good. For Koyama's kaffir lily placed outdoors, avoid rain during the rainy season, as excessive water can cause root rot, leaf drop, or even death.
Koyama's kaffir lily enjoys fertilizer. Seedlings or mature plants transplanted after half a month can be fertilized 2 to 3 times with a nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer to promote stem and leaf growth. After flowering, apply a nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer once to promote its recovery. Except for summer, only a compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be applied during the rest of the year. Avoid getting fertilizer on the leaves, as this can cause leaf rot. If the leaves get dirty, wash them off with water. Koyama's kaffir lily has a long blooming period, so it is necessary to break the rule of not fertilizing during flowering. Apply a dilute nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer or a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution once a month to prevent the later flowers from becoming small and pale due to lack of fertilizer.
Koyama's kaffir lily prefers a sunny environment. Apart from a little shade during the midday of summer, it should be placed in a sunny spot for at least 4 hours of direct sunlight each day to grow robustly. Rotate the pot 180 degrees every half month on the balcony of a building to ensure even exposure to light and prevent crown bias, reducing its ornamental value. Although it can grow in semi-shady areas, the stems are thin, leaves are sparse, and flowers are few and pale, far less lush than in sunny spots. If it is too shady, it not only easily drops leaves and has no flowers, but even if the plant has bloomed, placing it in a shady spot will cause the flowers to fade and eventually drop and wither.
The optimal growth temperature for Koyama's kaffir lily is between 15°C to 25°C. Above 30°C, growth slows down and enters a semi-dormant state, which means that during summer, Koyama's kaffir lily basically does not grow. Below 10°C, growth stops, below 8°C the leaf color turns red, flowering is delayed, and below 0°C it is prone to frostbite. Therefore, to grow Koyama's kaffir lily well, it is necessary to create a warm winter and cool summer environment for it. Avoid strong sunlight exposure at noon in summer and place it in a semi-shady area with sufficient scattered light, such as under a large tree, under the eaves, or on a north-facing balcony. Special attention should be paid to ventilation and cooling, sprinkling water nearby but not on the plant. After the beginning of autumn, from late August to early September, gradually expose it to sunlight, and from October onwards, it should be exposed to more sunlight to promote its transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. When the minimum temperature drops to around 10°C, move it indoors to a south or west-facing windowsill to expose it to more sunlight, maintaining a nighttime temperature of 10°C and a daytime temperature of 15°C to 18°C. It can bloom by December.
The above comprehensive knowledge explanation of the cultivation method of Koyama's kaffir lily is hoped to help you.