Cultivation methods and pest control of Yushu

How to cultivate jade tree

Sunlight

It likes warm, dry and sunny environment, so be sure to let the jade plant get more sunlight. During the growing period, except for the hot summer when it needs shade, it should be placed in a sunny place!

soil

Jade plants should be planted or the soil in the pot should be changed before they start growing in early spring. The potting soil should be loose, fertile and well-drained. Generally, 2 parts of leaf mold or peat soil, 2 parts of garden soil, 3 parts of coarse sand, 1 part of limestone gravel, or 3 parts each of leaf mold, garden soil, and coarse sand, plus 1 part each of bone meal and wood ash are fully mixed as potting soil.

temperature

It is not cold-resistant, afraid of strong light, and slightly shade-tolerant. The suitable temperature for jade plant growth is 20 - 30℃, and spring and autumn are the suitable growing seasons.

During the high temperatures in summer, provide shade or place it under a tree to avoid direct sunlight. When the temperature exceeds 38℃, the plant grows slowly or enters a short dormancy.

In winter, it should be placed in a greenhouse or in a sunny place indoors. The room temperature should be kept at 7-10℃, and the minimum should not be lower than 5℃. If the temperature drops below 0℃, it will freeze to death.

Watering

Jade plant should be watered once every 2-3 days during its growing period, but the soil in the pot should not be too wet, and water should not accumulate.

During the hot summer, watering must be strictly controlled and ventilation must be strengthened, otherwise it will easily cause leaves to fall.

Reduce watering in winter and keep the soil in the pot slightly dry.

Fertilization

Top dressing should be applied during the growing period, generally 2 to 3 times a month with decomposed and thin cake liquid fertilizer.

Before changing the soil or planting, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied. Decomposed organic fertilizers, such as chicken manure, pigeon manure, bone meal, manure and urine, and various cake fertilizers can be added to the culture soil as base fertilizer.

In order to keep the plant full, do not apply too much fertilizer or water to avoid causing excessive growth.

Disease and Pest Control of Yushu

Leaf spot

Onset and Causes

This disease occurs on the leaves of jade plants and is more likely to occur in humid weather.

Symptoms

The lesions are initially small brown spots, with water-soaked green edges and expanding in a ring-like pattern, circular to oval in shape, with brown edges and grayish white inside. In the later stage, dark brown mold spots appear in the center of the lesions, which turn into dark brown mold layers under humid conditions.

Prevention and treatment methods

Remove diseased and damaged leaves promptly; spray with 0.5% to 1% Bordeaux mixture (or 1000 times diluted 50% carbendazim) in the early or late stages of the disease.

anthrax

Disease site & cause

This disease also occurs on the leaves of jade plants, and in severe cases can spread to the petioles. This disease is mainly caused by poor ventilation.

Symptoms

The lesions initially appear as small water-soaked yellow spots, which expand to become oval to irregular brown or yellowish brown with slightly ring-like shapes. In the later stages, the lesions become connected and dry, and small black spots arranged in ring patterns appear.

Prevention and treatment methods

The method to prevent and control this disease is to strengthen maintenance and increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers; in the early stage of the disease, 0.3% to 0.5% equal-volume Bordeaux mixture (or 800 to 900 times solution of 60% Mancozeb, or 1500 times solution of 70% Thiophanate) can be sprayed.

Scale insects

Onset site

The stems and leaves are easily damaged by scale insects, and once the plants are damaged by scale insects, it will be conducive to the occurrence of diseases.

Prevention and treatment methods

Spray with 1000 times diluted 40% oxydemeton-methyl emulsion.

Brown Soft Scale

When soft scale insects harm plants, they generally gather on the leaf surface or young leaves, sucking the sap of the plants and excreting mucus. Their excrement can easily cause the massive reproduction of sooty mold bacteria, causing the stems and leaves to turn black, affecting the photosynthesis of the plants, resulting in weak growth, yellowing of leaves, and hindering the appreciation of the plants. When the infestation is severe, the branches and stems are covered with insect bodies, causing the plants to wither and turn yellow, affecting their growth.

Prevention and treatment methods

If there are few affected plants or the number of insects is small, you can usually just scrape off the insect bodies with bamboo strips or something similar. Don't take care of it too much. Don't water too much and apply thin fertilizer.