Culture methods of Mirror Grass

Mirror grass is a perennial succulent herb of the genus Urticaceae. It has thick, nearly round fleshy leaves with a shield-shaped petiole, which is very similar to the mirror looked at by ancient fairies, so people affectionately call it mirror grass. Potted plants are often planted in greenhouses in Yunnan and other areas outside South China, and family potted plants are also very suitable. Let's take a look at the breeding methods of mirror grass.

Growth habits of Scutellaria mandshurica

Speculum grass likes shade, but it also grows well in sunny greenhouse, and the optimum temperature for growth is 16-20 ℃. It is suitable for growing on peat soil which is relatively humid and well drained. It is very shady and can grow as long as it reaches the light of the general newspaper, so it is very suitable for indoor potted plants in the family. Prefer warm and humid environment, chilling injury occurs when the temperature is lower than-4 ℃, and the leaf color loses luster or even falls off. Like loose drainage good humus-rich loam, can be taken from the mountain shade of humus soil, peat can also be mixed with a little river sand, coal ash, base fertilizer. It is easy to bloom and bear fruit in warm areas, is more hardy, and can survive the winter safely outdoors in the south.

Propagation methods of Scutellaria mandshurica

1. Ramet: when more than 3 leaves grow from the newly germinated lateral branches at the base of the stem or stem nodes, the whisker root is cut off, and after the wound is smeared with furnace ash, it is planted in a basin with soil rich in humus, slightly shaded, sprayed with water, and can survive in about 10 days. It can also be inserted into the sand bed with top branches in spring and summer and moisturized with plastic film. It can take root in about 10 days at a temperature of about 20 ℃.

2. Cutting: the tillers occurring on the stem of the plant can be carefully peeled off with a sharp blade in late summer and early autumn, planted in clusters in a wet sand bed, placed in a cool place, maintain a high air humidity, take root in half a month, and can be put on the basin after one month. Leaf insertion can refer to the leaf insertion method of begonia. The stem can also be cut into small segments of about 3 cm for cutting.

3. Sowing: mirror grass can be sowed and propagated with seeds in Yunnan. The seeds of mirror grass are small, sowing should not be deep, and it is not easy to plant seedlings.

Culture methods of Mirror Grass

1. Soil: the potted soil of mirror grass can be mixed with rotten leaf soil, garden soil and a little river sand, furnace ash and bone powder. It is better to use loose and fertile sandy loam with good drainage and rich in humus. Family cultivation can be mixed with 3 parts of rotten leaf soil, 3 parts of garden soil, 2 parts of river sand or furnace ash and 1 part of mature organic fertilizer. When planting, there should be well-drained decaying soil mixed with sand, and tile should be used to pad the bottom of the basin to facilitate drainage.

2. Light: mirror grass is a shade-tolerant plant, but it likes light, and it is not suitable to scatter light. The light is too strong or too shady, and the brightness of the leaf is easy to fade or disappear. When it is too shaded, the leaf is also easy to become thinner, and the petiole becomes longer and causes the leaf to droop. When the temperature is low in winter, full sun maintenance can be given.

3. Temperature: the suitable growth temperature of mirror grass is between 15 and 20 ℃, and it should be kept above 7 ℃ in winter, otherwise it is easy to lose leaves or even die from frost injury. When the summer temperature is higher than 30 ℃, the growth will stagnate and the leaves will fall off easily. In particular, it should be noted that the sudden drop in temperature will cause leaf and stem discoloration and partial shedding. If the leaves fall off from the freezing injury, but if the stem is not damaged, it can be maintained and managed according to the routine overwintering, and the leaves can be released again in spring. Don't shine directly in the strong sun in summer.

4. Humidity: mirror grass likes water and is afraid of waterlogging, it can keep the basin soil moist, drought is easy to wilt and droop, serious leaves appear wrinkles or withered yellow, death. Not suitable for dry environment, the growth environment to maintain a high air humidity, often spray water to the growth environment and leaves to humidify, in order to make it grow well.

5. Watering: the watering times of mirror grass should be controlled when the winter temperature is lower than 12 ℃, otherwise it is easy to rot and is not conducive to overwintering. Always keep the basin soil moist, but avoid stagnant water to prevent leaves from discoloration, withering and even stem rot. Watering to see dry and wet, in order to maintain air humidity, can often spray to the leaf. During the whole growth period, the basin mainly remains moist, and it can be relatively dry in winter, but the drying phenomenon must not occur, otherwise the leaves are easy to wither and black, and water is often sprayed to and around the leaves in the dry season, resulting in a humid small environment.

6. Fertilization: mirror grass is not resistant to thick fertilizer and large fertilizer, so it should be carried out a few times, and thin fertilizer irrigation is the most suitable. Fertilization should be stopped when the temperature is above 28 ℃ or below 12 ℃, and dilute liquid fertilizer should be applied once every half month in the growing season. The whole spring and summer is a vigorous time for the growth of mirror grass, it is necessary to strengthen fertilizer and water management, and often irrigate or foliar spray with 0.1-0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, irregularly supplement a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer during spring, and apply little or no nitrogen fertilizer in summer as far as possible. Thin liquid fertilizer is applied once every half a month in the growing season, but it should be noted that too much nitrogen fertilizer will cause excessive growth of leaves, plant lodging, thick fertilizer and raw fertilizer will cause rotting roots and even death.

7, diseases and pests: mirror grass common anthracnose and shell insects harm, anthrax can be sprayed with anthrax Fumei, carbendazim and other control, shell insects can be sprayed with parathion, chlorpyrifos and other control. Easy to infect leaf spot, can be sprayed with 50% carbendazim diluted 600 times, once every ten days, 3 times in a row. If cotton blowing scale is harmful, the leaves can be sprayed with 1000 times diluted solution of omethoate.