How to care for potted lucky seeds?

Potted lucky seeds, as an indoor green plant that combines ornamental value with auspicious meaning, are deeply loved by gardening enthusiasts and home growers for their unique charm of abundant fruits and bright red pearls. So how to care for potted lucky seeds? Let’s take a look together below.

1. Pot soil selection

The seeds of the Chinese phoenix like loose, breathable, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. When preparing potting soil, you can mix leaf mold, garden soil, and river sand in a ratio of 3:1:1, and add a small amount of decomposed organic fertilizer as base fertilizer to improve the soil's fertility and water retention. When repotting in spring every year, you can prune the roots appropriately to promote the growth of new roots.

2. Environmental requirements

The seeds of the Chinese calendula prefer a semi-shaded environment, are afraid of direct sunlight, and also avoid being too dark. When caring for it at home, you can place it in a bright place indoors, such as near a window or inside a balcony. In summer, you need to provide proper shade to avoid the leaves being burned by the high temperature and scorching sun. At the same time, keep the indoor air circulating and avoid staying in a closed environment for a long time to prevent the breeding of diseases and pests.

3. Watering management

The seeds of the Chinese phoenix are sensitive to water and are afraid of both drought and waterlogging. During the growing period, the soil in the pot should be kept slightly moist to avoid water accumulation. Spring and autumn are the peak growing seasons, and you can water the plant every 2-3 days. In summer, when the temperature is high, water evaporates quickly, so you need to increase the frequency of watering and spray water on the leaves frequently to increase the air humidity. In winter, reduce watering and keep the soil in the pot slightly dry to prevent frost damage. When watering, make sure the water temperature is close to the room temperature to avoid damage to the root system caused by excessive temperature difference.

4. Fertilization techniques

The seeds of the Chinese rich plant like fertilizer, but fertilization should follow the principle of "applying small amounts of fertilizer frequently". During the growing season (spring, summer and autumn), apply a thin layer of decomposed liquid fertilizer or compound fertilizer once a month to promote plant growth and fruit development. Before flowering and during the fruiting period, additional phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, can be applied to promote flower bud differentiation and fruit coloring. Stop fertilizing during the winter dormancy period to avoid fertilizer damage.

5. Pruning and shaping

The seeds of the Chinese rich tree grow quickly and tend to form a messy plant shape. Therefore, regular pruning is key to maintaining its beauty. Heavy pruning can be done when repotting in spring, cutting off weak branches, diseased branches, overgrown branches and overly dense branches to promote the sprouting of new branches. During the growth period, light pruning can be carried out as needed to adjust the distribution of branches and make the plant more compact and beautiful. After the fruits are ripe, some of them can be picked off appropriately to reduce nutrient consumption and promote flowering and fruiting next year.

6. Reproduction method

The propagation of fortune seeds mainly adopts two methods: sowing and cutting. For seed propagation, you need to choose mature and plump seeds, sow them in spring, keep the soil moist, and they will germinate after about a month. For cutting propagation, select strong branches as cuttings in spring or autumn, cut off the lower leaves, insert them into moist sand or vermiculite, keep the temperature at around 20℃, and they will take root and survive in about a month.

7. Pest and disease control

Common diseases of the seeds of the Chinese peonies include leaf spot and anthracnose, which mainly harm the leaves, causing them to turn yellow and fall off. During prevention and control, ventilation and light transmission should be strengthened to reduce the occurrence of diseases; in the early stages of the disease, fungicides such as carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl can be sprayed for prevention and control. The main insect pests are red spider mites, aphids, etc. You can observe the back of the leaves regularly. If you find pests, spray the leaf surface and the back with soapy water or insecticide for prevention and control.

Although the maintenance of potted lucky seeds requires careful care, as long as you master the correct maintenance methods, you can make it bloom with the most brilliant brilliance at home. From choosing suitable potting soil and environment, to reasonable watering and fertilizing, pruning and breeding, to disease and pest control, every link is crucial.