Cultivation techniques of kangaroo flower

Flower kangaroo flower is a perennial herb of Gesneriaceae, with opposite fleshy leaves, oval, smooth and glossy surface and slender branches, mostly planted in small pots or hanging plants. The flower is axillary, there is a flower between almost every leaf armpit, the flower shape is peculiar, it is long tube shape, about 1 to 3 centimeters long, both ends are thin, the middle is inflated into a bag shape, resembling the belly of kangaroo, the flower color is mostly orange and orange, the florescence is from the end of winter to spring.

First, the origin and habits are originally in Central and South America. At present, most of the horticultural hybrids are seen in the market. Sex likes warm and semi-shady environment, avoid direct sunlight, and often grow on tree trunks or rocks in the place of origin. therefore, the soil should be loose and ventilated during cultivation.

Second, propagation techniques are commonly used in cutting propagation, cutting branches or leaves, and cutting in spring and summer after flowering, which can be carried out throughout the year in the greenhouse.

1. Cut the green part of the upper part of the branch, every 3 to 5 cm as a section, preferably with vermiculite as the cutting substrate, coarse sand, perlite can also, shade 50% to 60%, about three or four weeks can take root. If the base of cuttings is dipped in rooting powder, the rooting time can be shortened to 1 week, and the root system grows better. Maintain high air humidity during insertion.

two。 The new leaves of the year which are disease-free and insect-free (with complete petioles) are extracted from the leaves and soaked in 50% carbendazim 500 times solution before cutting. Vermiculite is usually used as the cutting substrate, and the depth is just buried in the petiole. It usually takes 3 weeks to take root, and if treated with hormones such as naphthylacetic acid, the rooting effect is better and the speed is faster.

III. Cultivation and management

1. Flowers on the pot cutting seedlings can be rooted on the basin, the cultivation substrate is better with loose and fertile slightly acidic humus soil, generally 40% peat + 20% coarse sand + 40% perlite, and then appropriate application of calcium superphosphate to form a mixed substrate.

In order to make the plant more branched in order to increase the number of flowers, it is common to pick the heart immediately after the pot. When the plant has more than 3 branches and a height of 10 cm, the heart can be removed for the second time, and the pot can be changed and planted in the flowerpot with a diameter of 15 to 20 cm.

two。 The optimum temperature for kangaroo flower growth was 15 ℃ to 28 ℃ and stopped growing above 35 ℃. When the temperature is below 10 ℃, the bud is easy to fall off and difficult to blossom. Kangaroo peanuts are strong in nature, strong in adaptability to the environment, lax requirements on ambient air humidity, do not water too frequently, master the principle of humidity between dryness and dryness, and watering should not be too much, otherwise poor drainage will cause rotten roots and fallen leaves.

Flower kangaroo flowers do not like big fertilizer and water, generally every 15 days all-element compound fertilizer can be irrigated, appropriate phosphate fertilizer can be added during the bud period, or 0.1% to 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be sprayed on the leaf. Kangaroo flowers are not resistant to direct sunlight, otherwise they will scatter the branches of the plant. Strong summer light can also cause leaf burns, which should be shaded by 50% to 60%. The plant will stop growing when it is high in summer, so you should reduce watering and put it in a cool and ventilated place. After flowering, the cuttings should be pruned in time to increase the next flowering quantity.