Cultivation methods and precautions of purple duckweed

Reproduction method

It is the nutrient soil or river sand, peat soil and other materials used for cuttings. Due to limited conditions, it is difficult to get an ideal cutting medium for home cuttings. It is recommended to use a prepared and sterilized cutting medium. Medium-coarse river sand can also be used, but it must be rinsed with clean water several times before use. Do not use sea sand or river sand from saline-alkali areas as they are not suitable for the growth of flowers and plants.

The branches used for cuttings are called cuttings. Cut the stems into 5-8 cm long sections, each with more than three leaf nodes. The top tips can also be used as cuttings.

Temperature requirements

The optimum temperature for rooting of cuttings is 18℃ ~ 25℃. Below 18℃, rooting of cuttings is difficult and slow; above 25℃, the cut ends of cuttings are easily infected by pathogens and rot, and the higher the temperature, the greater the proportion of rot. When encountering low temperatures after cuttings, the main insulation measure is to wrap the flower pots or containers used for cuttings with film; when the temperature is too high after cuttings, the main cooling measure is to shade the cuttings, blocking 50-80% of the sunlight. At the same time, spray the cuttings 3-5 times a day. On sunny days with higher temperatures, the number of sprays is more. On rainy days with lower temperatures and higher temperatures, the number of sprays is less or no spraying.

Lighting Management

It is afraid of direct sunlight and needs to be placed in semi-shade or given 70% shade. If you keep it indoors, try to place it in a bright place, and move it to a semi-shaded or shaded place outdoors for a month every one or two months to allow it to accumulate nutrients and resume growth.

Fertilizer and water management

It has many requirements for fertilizer and water, but it is most afraid of indiscriminate fertilization, application of concentrated fertilizer, and excessive application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. It requires following the fertilization (water) principle of "light fertilizer, frequent application, small amount and frequent times, and complete nutrition".

Humidity requirements

After cuttings, the relative humidity of the air must be maintained at 75-85%. You can increase the humidity by spraying the cuttings 1 to 3 times a day. The higher the temperature on sunny days, the more times you spray. The lower the temperature on rainy days, the less often you spray or you don’t spray at all. However, if you spray too much, the cuttings will easily be infected by pathogens and rot, because many types of pathogens exist in water.

Summer maintenance

1. Enhance air convection so that the body temperature can be dissipated;

2. Place it in semi-shade, or give it 50% shade;

3. Spray it appropriately, 2 to 3 times a day.

Winter maintenance

1. Move to a brightly lit place indoors for maintenance;

2. Outdoors, you can wrap it with film to overwinter, but you need to uncover the film every two days at noon when the temperature is higher to allow it to breathe;