The latest culture method of crab claw orchid

Crab claw orchid also known as Christmas cactus, crab claw lotus and fairy finger flower, for the cactus family crab claw orchid plants. Light green, new stem node with red, the main stem round, easy to lignify, branched, node shape, thorn seat has thorn hair, flowers born in the stem node top thorn seat. Common cultivars are scarlet, pink, apricot, and pure white. A pair of claws shaped like a crab because of the joint diameter. Foliaceous stems flattened multinodular, plump, ovoid, bright green, apex truncate, margin coarsely serrate. The flower is born at the top of the stem, the perianth opens and rolls back, and the colors are pale purple, yellow, red, pure white, pink, orange and bicolor.

morphological characteristics

The leaves of crab claw orchid are tender green, the new stem node is red, the main stem is round, easy to lignify, branched and knot-like, there are thorns on the thorn seat, and the flowers are born on the thorn seat at the top of the stem node. Common cultivars are red, pink, apricot and pure white. Because the diameter of the node connects the shape of the crab's auxiliary claw, it is named crab claw orchid. In Christian Western countries because of its appropriate "Christmas" flowering, it is also known as "Christmas cactus." Crab claw orchid node stems often because of too long, and was pendant-like, it is often made into hanging orchid decoration. Crab claw orchid blossoms on Christmas, New Year's Day, plant type hanging, colorful and lovely, suitable for windowsill, doorway entrance and exhibition hall decoration, bustling extraordinary, immediately full room brilliance. But because of the way they are reared, some of them are regulated to bloom in October. The flowers are delicate and graceful, bright and beautiful, especially loved and praised by people. In Japan, Germany, the United States and other countries, crab claw orchid has been large-scale production, become one of the main winter indoor pot flowers. China has introduced Crabapple since 1980s.

Crabapple is an epiphytic shrub. Foliaceous stems flattened multinodular, plump, ovoid, bright green, apex truncate, margin coarsely serrate. The flower is born at the top of the stem, the perianth opens and rolls back, and the colors are pale purple, yellow, red, pure white, pink, orange and bicolor. Flower breeders have done a lot of crossbreeding research.

growth habit

Crab claw orchid is a short-day plant, like scattering light, avoid the sun; like wet, but afraid of waterlogging. In the natural environment, often attached to trees or wet valleys, so the cultivation environment requires semi-shady, humid. Avoid sun exposure and rain in summer, and warm and sunny in winter. The soil should be a mixture of fertile moldy soil, peat and coarse sand, with pH 5.5 ~6.5. The optimum temperature for growth period of C. sinensis is 18~23℃, flowering temperature is 10~15℃, no more than 25℃, and the best temperature is 15℃. Winter temperature is no less than 10℃. Crabapple is a short-day plant, so it can flower under short-day conditions. The crab claw orchid is pollinated by birds in its original place, but it needs artificial pollination to bear fruit normally in indoor cultivation.

cutting propagation

1, cuttage substrate: used to cuttage nutrient soil or river sand, clay and other materials. It is difficult to get ideal cuttage matrix due to family cuttage conditions. It is recommended to prepare and disinfect cuttage matrix; medium coarse river sand is also OK, but it should be washed with water several times before use. Sea sand and river sand in saline-alkali areas should not be used because they are not suitable for the growth of flowers and plants. In early spring or late autumn (the highest temperature at noon is not more than 28℃, and the lowest temperature at night is not lower than 15℃), the leaves or stems (with 3~4 leaf nodes) are cut off, inserted into the matrix after the wound is dried, and the cuttings and matrix are slightly sprayed with moisture. As long as the matrix is not excessively dry or wet, roots and new buds can grow quickly. In late spring to early autumn when the temperature is higher, cuttings are very easy to rot, it is best not to cuttings.

2. Upper pot: When the seedlings are potted, first put 2~2cm thick coarse grain matrix or ceramsite as filter layer at the bottom of the pot, sprinkle a layer of fully decomposed organic fertilizer as base fertilizer, the thickness is about 1~2cm, and then cover a layer of matrix, about 1~2cm thick, and then put the plants in order to separate the fertilizer from the roots and avoid burning the roots. The substrate used in the upper basin can be selected from one of the following. Vegetable garden soil: slag 3:1; or garden soil: medium coarse river sand: sawdust (Ru residue) 4:1:2; or paddy soil, pond mud, rotten leaf soil in one. or peat + pearlite + ceramsite =2 + 2 + 1; vegetable soil + slag =3 + 1; peat + slag + ceramsite =2 + 2 + 1; sawdust + vermiculite + medium coarse river sand =2 + 2 + 1. After finishing the basin, pour a permeable water, and put it in a slightly shady environment for a week.

3, humidity management: like a dry air environment, rainy days last too long, susceptible to infection. Avoid rain and keep leaves dry at night. The optimum air relative humidity is 40~60%.

4, temperature management: the optimal growth temperature is 15~32℃, afraid of high temperature and sultry, in the summer heat temperature above 33℃ into dormancy. Avoid cold frost, winter temperature needs to be kept above 10℃, in winter temperature drops below 7℃ also enter dormant state, if the ambient temperature is close to 4℃, will die due to frostbite.

5. Summer management

① Strengthen air convection so that the temperature in the body can be dissipated;

2. Put it in the shade or give it 50% shade;

Give it a proper spray, 2 - 3 times a day.

6, winter management

① Move to a bright indoor place for maintenance;

② Outdoor, it can be wrapped in film for winter, but every two days at noon when the temperature is higher to open the film to let it breathe;

7, light management: in the summer in the shade maintenance, or give it 50% shade, leaf color will be more beautiful. In spring and autumn, because the temperature is not very high, it is necessary to give it direct sunlight exposure to facilitate its photosynthesis and accumulation of nutrients. In winter, keep it indoors in bright light. Usually placed indoors for maintenance, it should be placed near the southeast door and window to receive light, and every month or one and a half months, it should be moved to outdoor maintenance for two months, otherwise the leaves will grow thin and yellow, the new branches or petioles will be slender, the internodes will be elongated, and they will be in a long state.

8, fertilizer and water management: its drought tolerance is very strong, can also grow in dry environmental conditions, but this does not mean not to water or fertilize it; its roots are afraid of water damage, if the pot water, or give it watering too frequently, it is easy to cause rotten roots. The principle of watering it is "dry between wet, dry to dry, not dry, watering on the watering", watering fertilizer during the day to avoid wetting the plant:

① Spring and autumn: these two seasons are its growth season, fertilizer and water management according to the "flower treasure"-clear water-"flower treasure"-clear water order cycle, the interval period is about: outdoor maintenance 2~4 days, indoor maintenance 3~6 days.

Summer: It often enters a dormant state during the high temperature period in summer, and it does not require much fertilizer and water, and even controls fertilizer and water. Fertilizer and water management shall be circulated in the order of "flower treasure"-clear water-"flower treasure"-clear water-clear water, with an interval period of about 3~5 days for outdoor maintenance; 4~7 days for indoor maintenance, with a shorter interval period in sunny days or high temperature periods, and a longer interval period in rainy days or low temperature periods or no watering time arranged in the morning or evening when the temperature is relatively low. Spray the plants frequently.

③ Winter: In winter dormancy period, mainly to control fertilizer and water, fertilizer and water management according to the "flower treasure"-> clear water->"flower treasure"-> clear water-> clear water order circulation, the interval period is about 7~10 days, watering time as far as possible arranged in sunny noon when the temperature is higher.