Cultivation method of iron tree

soil

Potted cycads are suitable for well-drained, loose, fertile, slightly acidic sandy soil.

temperature

The iron tree likes warmth. When the temperature is high in summer, it should be sprayed with water to cool it down. In winter, the room temperature should be kept at around 10℃. The iron tree has strong resistance to cold, but when the temperature is 0℃ in winter, it should be moved indoors or to a warm place to overwinter.

illumination

The iron tree cannot be placed indoors for too long. Because the iron tree likes light, lack of light will make its leaves sparse, thin, and yellow. Therefore, it needs to be placed in a sunny place all year round. Especially in spring and autumn when new leaves grow, it should be placed in direct sunlight for maintenance, and then moved indoors for viewing after the new leaves grow mature. However, the tree should be kept away from strong sunlight in the summer, otherwise the leaves may turn yellow or burn.

Watering

The cycad is relatively drought-resistant, prefers dryness and dislikes moisture, and should be watered when the soil is dry and wet.

Generally, water the plant once every 10 days in winter, once every 3-5 days in spring and autumn, and once in the morning and evening in summer. If the soil in the iron tree pot is too wet for a long time, it will cause yellow leaves and rotten roots.

Fertilization

During the growing period of the iron tree, topdressing should be applied frequently, mainly nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, and decomposed cake fertilizer water is preferred. When applying fertilizer, pay attention to applying it thinly and frequently, and avoid applying it too concentrated. Pay attention to applying more vanadium fertilizer and water. You can also put some rust iron into the soil, or go to the flower market to buy special fertilizer for iron trees. This can make the leaves of the iron tree dark green and shiny, and improve its ornamental value.

prune

In order to maintain a beautiful posture when cultivating the iron tree bonsai, the old leaves from the previous year and the withered and yellow leaves should be cut off. The leaves that are too dense or too long should also be trimmed as appropriate to maintain the symmetry of the tree shape.

Repotting

The pot should be repotted every 2 to 3 years, preferably in spring from March to April. When repotting or changing pots, you should cut off dead and bad roots, and remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the old soil, and replace it with fertile and loose new soil to enable the plant to grow vigorously. At the same time, you should also pay attention to padding the bottom of the basin to facilitate ventilation and water permeability.

Pest control

Potted iron trees should be placed in a well-ventilated, lighted, clean place to effectively prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.

The main insect pest of iron tree is scale insect. When scale insects are found, you can first kill them by manual washing. If the pest is serious, you can use 1% ferrous sulfate diluted solution for watering.