How to care for and water the蟹爪兰 in autumn
The editor introduces how to care for and water the蟹爪lan in autumn and shares experience in green plant maintenance on the crab claw orchid's autumn breeding methods, details are as follows:
Now it's autumn, and the temperature is gradually decreasing. Has the蟹爪lan we raise entered the growing stage? Can we water and fertilize it normally? Today, Xiaoqi will explain it in detail for you. It's not as simple as you think, you need to judge based on common sense. Today I'm talking about 6 "small common senses" of maintenance. If done well, the leaves will be thick and large, easily bloom in full bloom, and if not done well, problems will arise if watered too early.
1, Watering should not be too early
If you are raising蟹爪lan, although it is now autumn, you should not water too early. Because the dormancy of蟹爪lan is not determined by the season, but by the temperature. If the temperature in your area continues to stay above 25 degrees, hurrying to water will cause root rot. So you can observe and if the temperature is consistently around 25 degrees, you can water it.
If you can't judge and don't want to check the temperature, you can look at its top bud. After entering autumn, new buds begin to grow at the top of its leaves, and then we can water normally. If there is no growth, or if the temperature is not suitable, it should be watered less as in the summer maintenance method.
2, Don't force blooming in autumn
Many people think that蟹爪lan's blooming season is in autumn, and it should be forced to bloom as soon as it starts growing in autumn. This idea is wrong. It does not grow in summer, its roots must be damaged, and there is not much nutrients in the leaves. If it is allowed to bloom, even if flower buds appear, they will not open, and may even fall off.
Now it's autumn, and what we want is for it to restore the fullness of the old leaves and then force blooming after growing some new leaves. So when autumn comes and it starts growing, we need to ensure sufficient water and fertilizer, choose a balanced nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, let it grow, restore the fullness of the leaves, and grow good roots before forcing blooming. Generally, forcing blooming at the end of autumn is the most suitable.
3, Pinch leaves when wilting
If the leaves of your蟹爪lan become wilted after summer, and the temperature is around 25 degrees in autumn, if you want to make it recover and grow roots quickly, it is recommended to pinch the leaves. How to pinch? If the whole plant is severely wilted, pinch off two to three leaves from the top, if the wilting is mild, and only the top leaves are wilted, you can pinch off one leaf from the top.
After pinching off a leaf, it can effectively reduce the consumption of nutrients, and the recovery will be faster. As long as it recovers, it will grow new leaves quickly, and then force blooming will be the best. But remember, after pinching the leaves, let it recover quickly, and choose a fertilizer with high nitrogen content and no lack of other elements, such as Huaduo No.10, supplemented once or twice a month.
4, Sufficient lighting is necessary
Crab claw orchid is a cactus plant, and it cannot grow or bloom without light. So in autumn, lighting is essential. Place it directly under the sunlight to ensure sufficient photosynthesis, which will make the roots more developed and the new leaves thicker, preventing etiolation. So when the temperature is suitable for the crab claw orchid, gradually increase the lighting, let it see full sunlight, and as the autumn light becomes shorter, it will start to bloom.
5, Keep watering
Crab claw orchid is a cactus plant. Many people are afraid of overwatering and causing root rot, so they dare not water it during maintenance. However, if the crab claw orchid is watered less, its roots will be weak, and if not watered for a long time, the roots will dry out and the leaves will wilt. So as long as it is back to normal and the temperature is suitable, we should water it to ensure the potting soil is dry and then water thoroughly, and there won't be any problems. If the ventilation is very good and you are using a small pot, water it when the potting soil is half-dry, and there won't be any problems.