Dutch iron has been neglected for more than ten years. How to maintain it?

All the leaves in the middle and lower parts of your Dutch iron have fallen off, forming a tall, dry, unsightly, and losing the ornamental effect. The remedy is to cut dry and raise branches, turn over pots and change soil, and strengthen management.

1. trunk and nutrient branches

Cut all the four branches on the stump short, turn the remaining short stumps upside down to change the soil, and further cultivate new branches and leaves. When cutting short branches, it is best to have a difference between high and low, or to cut them flat. It's best to leave three branches. How to cut it short depends on personal preference. The cut branches can be used for cutting propagation.

2. Turn over the pots and change the soil

Take the plant out of the pot, remove two-thirds of the old soil, and cut off dead roots, rotten roots, old residual roots and roots that are too short and too long. Plant in a large deep purple sand pottery basin or glazed pottery basin, or plant in a clay basin, a tile basin, a plain burning basin or a plastic basin. Potted soil requires loose and fertile sandy soil with rich humus and good drainage and air permeability. Pastoral soil, pond mud, peat soil and humus soil can be used, and 30% river sand, coal ash, charcoal scraps, edible fungus leftovers, chaff ash and so on can be mixed. , plus 20% of high-quality farm manure, compost, livestock manure, cake fertilizer scraps, etc. And a little calcium superphosphate. First spread a layer of gravel, tiles, broken pots, etc. Fill the bottom of the pot with coarse culture soil, and put some soaked animal bones, hoof horns, cake crumbs, etc. As a base fertilizer, fill it with culture soil, replant it in a pot, water it, keep it well ventilated and free from direct sunlight.

3. Maintenance management.

Usually, it is best to keep the basin soil moist and not waterlogged, and often spray water on the pile stem to promote its germination and branching. After the new buds germinate to a height of 8 ~ 10 cm, the first topdressing is started, and they are gradually moved to semi-shady and semi-sunny places for maintenance, which can be placed on balconies or windowsills in the east and south directions, or under green sheds and forests with sufficient scattered light. Topdressing can add a small amount of calcium superphosphate and potassium sulfate, or add 0.5% ~ 0.8% potassium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, and apply it 2 ~ 4 times a month.

4. Transplanting.

The cut branches can be cut into 10 ~ 30cm segments and soaked in water for 30 ~ 50 minutes. Those with leaves should stand upright, so that the heart leaves are exposed in the water, and those without leaves can be soaked in the water.