The keel flower is a plant of the genus Cactaceae. It is a lazy flower. It is a kind of flower that is easy to grow. Let me tell you how to cultivate and prune the keel flower. I hope it will be helpful to you. You are helpful!
How to cultivate keel flowers
Keel flowers are drought and sun tolerant and should be watered appropriately. If the pot soil is too wet for a long time, it will cause root rot. During the winter dormancy period, you can water it once every 1-2 months and it won't dry out. Keel flowers are not cold-tolerant, and the overwintering temperature should be controlled at about 10 degrees. In order to prevent the keel flower from rotting in winter, it needs to be placed in a sunny place to let it get more sunlight, and repotted at certain intervals. Keel flower has no strict soil requirements and can grow well in ordinary culture soil. Although keel flowers are sun-resistant, keel flowers are not mainly used for flower viewing, so appropriate shade must be provided in summer to facilitate growth. Keel flowers placed indoors should be placed as close to a window as possible to allow them to see more sunlight. In order to make them grow well, apply light fertilizer every 15-20 days during the growth period. The fertilizer should be granular compound fertilizer or homemade Alum, fertilizer and water can be used. However, the fertilizer should not be too thick to avoid fertilizer damage and root rot.
When the newly planted keel flower grows to 10-15 cm, cut off the top. Only the three vigorous branches at the top of each corner of the new branches will be left, and touch off the rest. When the new branches grow to 20-25 cm, remove the top again. After each branch, remove the top by adding 10 cm to the length of the last branch. The keel flowers grown in this way are plump and have good ornamental effect. However, special attention must be paid to the viewing angle of each branch.
Keel flowers are generally propagated by cuttings. Cut branches of more than 10 cm, wash the slurry that flows out, dip it in plant ash and let it dry before inserting it into slightly dry coarse sandy soil. After a week, when the branch begins to lose water and wilt, water a small amount. The sandy soil should be dry rather than wet to avoid Cut rot. Just place it in a semi-shady place for easy rooting. How to prune keel flowers
When keel flowers grow to a certain extent, they should be pruned and reshaped. Many flower friends don’t know much about the pruning method of keel flowers. In fact, there is nothing special about it. When the keel flowers grow to 20 When the plant reaches a height of 30 cm to 30 cm, use a sharp knife to cut off the top and immediately seal it with plant ash. After the plant grows branches, only keep the three branches at the top and erase the rest.
When the second layer grows to 25 cm to 30 cm, cut off the top. After the branches have grown, select three branches. When the keel column grows to a height of 2 to 3 meters, it will form many branches, which may easily cause it to be top-heavy and unstable. Therefore, sticks should be tied in time to fix it.
Note: When pruning, be careful not to let the leaking liquid get on the skin, as it may cause discomfort, so it is best to wear gloves when pruning. How to propagate keel flowers
Some flower friends asked how to propagate keel flowers. In fact, the propagation method of keel flowers is very simple, that is, cutting. As long as it is handled properly, the survival rate is very good. Let’s take a look at the details below. Cutting steps.
During the growing season, cut off the fully grown or older stem nodes and insert them into the sand bed or directly into the soil. Cutting should be stopped when the temperature exceeds 35°C. The cuttings should generally not be shorter than 15 centimeters, and need to be left to dry for a few days after cutting (slurry will flow out when just cut, so it can be sealed with plant ash and placed in a cool place for 7 to 10 days, and the cuttings will be cut after the plants have shrunk). Wait until the cuts are dry before cutting. , when the root length is 3-4 cm, it can be transplanted into a small pot or planted directly in the open field.
Sometimes if we use branches coming out from the roots, we don’t need to dry them in the sun. We can plant them directly. Keel flowers are easier to propagate by cuttings.
The cutting keel substrate needs to be vermiculite, pearl powder, pure river sand, without soil. You can take cuttings from a single plant, or you can take cuttings from multiple plants together. Water after the cuttings, only to the incision of the cuttings, and place them in a sunny place. During the rooting period, water as little as possible and do not water until it is dry. Wait for 30 to 40 days for roots to take root.