Cultivation methods and precautions of red leaf iron

The red-leafed ironwood is also called cordyline and purple thousand-year-old tree . It is a tropical and subtropical plant. Its new buds are red, rose red, etc., which are relatively bright and have high ornamental value. Many people like to keep it at home for decoration and viewing. Let’s talk about the cultivation methods and precautions of the red-leafed ironwood.

1. Soil

Red leaf iron is an acid-loving plant. It prefers loose, breathable, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It is suitable to use leaf mold, sandy soil, and garden soil in a ratio of 1:1:1 for cultivation. You can also use special soil for cultivation.

2. Sunlight

Red-leaf ironwood is a light-loving plant. It should be placed in a sunny place for normal care. It should be placed in sunny places in spring, autumn and winter. The better the sunlight, the brighter its color. However, in summer, when the temperature is too high, it should be shaded and placed in a cool and ventilated place.

3. Watering

When watering the red leaf iron plant, you should follow the principle of watering thoroughly when the soil is dry. The soil in the pot should be kept dry in winter. If the soil in the pot is too dry for a long time, you can only water it less and give it some moisture. The red leaf iron plant will easily rot if the soil in the pot is too wet.

4. Temperature

Red-leafed ironwood prefers a warm and humid climate. It will suffer frost damage if the temperature drops below 10 degrees, so it needs to be kept warm in winter and given plenty of sunlight.

5. Fertilization

Red leaf iron plant likes fertilizer. Except for the hot summer and cold winter, no fertilizer is applied. In other seasons, compound fertilizer should be applied once a month, or potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution is also fine. Do not apply too much fertilizer, and you can also follow the principle of applying thin fertilizers frequently.

6. Reproduction

The main methods of propagation of red-leaf iron are division and cuttings. Cut off the top of the branch in April and May every year, remove most of the leaves, cut into sections of about 6 cm, plant them horizontally or upright in sandy soil, and maintain them in the shade. Under the condition of 25-30℃, roots will grow in about 1 month. When the buds are 10 cm high, they can be transplanted into pots and gradually put into normal management. Division is carried out in spring and autumn.

7. Pests and diseases

The main diseases that harm red leaf iron are anthracnose and leaf spot. It can be sprayed with carbendazim or mancozeb solution once a week for two weeks. Sometimes scale insects occur, and you can spray with carbendazim, a special medicine for treating scale insects.

That’s it