Method of Cultivating the Succulent Plant "Ruotao"
This article provides an in-depth explanation of the experience in cultivating the succulent plant "Ruotao," offering valuable tips and knowledge that are worth collecting!
Ruotao is a hybrid variety of the Sempervivum genus in the Crassulaceae family. It requires abundant sunlight, a cool, and dry environment, can tolerate partial shade, is afraid of waterlogging, and dislikes hot and humid conditions. Ruotao has the habit of growing in cool seasons and entering dormancy during the hot summer.
From September of each year to June of the following year is the growing period of Ruotao (the growing period varies depending on the environment of different plant enthusiasts). Insufficient sunlight can cause the plant's leaves to elongate and the leaf color to turn grayish-blue. Plants growing in sufficient sunlight will have a stocky and compact leaf arrangement, with a beautiful grayish-white leaf color.
The Ruotao plant that "Kite" (a nickname) cultivates is kept in a sunroom with full sunlight. During the growing period, it is necessary to keep the soil moist but avoid waterlogging. The soil used by "Kite" is a mix of coal slag, peat, and a small amount of perlite, in a ratio of about 5:4:1. Ruotao can tolerate temperatures as low as about -4°C, which is the indoor temperature, not outdoor. Any lower, and the top growing points of the leaves will freeze, dry out, and die. During the entire winter, watering is basically stopped, and below 5 degrees, watering should be gradually reduced. In the summer, with high temperatures, the whole plant grows slowly or stops completely. At this time, good ventilation and appropriate shading are required to avoid direct sunlight, and watering should be moderate to prevent the plant from rotting due to prolonged rain.
The propagation of Ruotao is generally done through cutting the top to explode young plants for cutting and leaf insertion. The cut plants can be directly inserted into dry granular soil, and after roots develop, a small amount of water can be given. It is a very easy-to-care-for variety. The leaf insertion method involves taking full, plump leaves, placing them in a shaded area to dry the wound (usually "Kite" just drops the leaves on the soil surface, ensuring the wound does not touch the soil), then placing them on slightly moist soil. They will slowly grow roots and sprout. The process is a bit long, but it can result in many small side buds. Once the side buds grow, they can be removed and planted.
The above is the complete introduction to the cultivation method of the succulent plant "Ruotao" for everyone to learn and understand!