Gardening Zeal

All About Gardening

Bush Morning Glory: Tips for Silverbush Morning Glory Plant

By Sarwat Rehman

Bush morning glory is silver enchanting evergreen glorious plant is the best choice for you to grow and enjoy its beauty in your garden. This annual plant with small tricolor blooms gives mind-blowing shades because it has more colorful varieties other than white flowers.

Learn more about this glorious ‘Blush Morning Glory’ to grow with low-maintenance attributes.

What Kind of ‘Bush Morning Glory’ Plant is?

Bush morning glory (Lpomoea leptophylla) is a drought-tolerant perennial plant belonging to the Convolvulaceae Family with multiple varieties of showy flowers.

It is commonly recognized as

  • Wild potato vine
  • Bigroot bush morning-glory
  • Bush moonflower

This bushy, herbaceous plant grows up to 1-5 feet tall by 1-3 feet wide growing funnel-shaped flower. Originally, it belongs to the Mediterranean region now adapted to your garden climate producing silver flowers covering your landscape.

Bush Morning Glory Growth Tips

You will be relaxed after knowing that morning glory does not need your die-hard efforts as it is a low-care demanding plant that can even tolerate water shortage.

First of all, give it a sunny place in your garden as it grows best in full sun.

Secondly, you must also maintain proper drainage and plant there. If your garden place is lacking proper drainage, plant your bush in a raised area.

So keeping this trait in your mind, adjust its watering schedule. No need to give it water over and over again. The drip irrigation system will do best for this plant.

The selection of soil before growing a plant is tricky yet significant. This plant requires well-aerated soil with pH 7.3 or above but can also tolerate container soil of pH ranging 5.5-5.8.

Morning glory is not frost tolerant plant and foliage highly suffer but survives harsh winters temperature below -25 oF.

Do not rush to fertilize because it can grow without a heavy dosage of compost or other heavy fertilizers.

Coming towards pruning as it is one of the most important things to care for and shape your plant, bush morning glory does not require more often because it can manage its natural shape.

If still, you feel the need of pruning, fall or winter is best. You can also refresh by cutting its foliage every second or third year.

Read More:

  1. How to Care Autumn Moon Japanese Maple – Acer shirasawanum | Quick Guide

Black Baccara Rose: The Stunning Hybrid Black Rose!

By Sarwat Rehman

The gardeners believe ‘A rose is still a beautiful rose even if it has only one petal left’, Black Baccara Rose also exhibits such elegance.

Like any other beautiful flower, Black Baccara Rose is a hybrid tea rose with a stunning black velvety look grown in patio containers and along borders as a cut flower.

Further Reading:

  1. New Dawn Rose – How to Care New Dawn Climbing Rose?
  2. Seven Sisters Rose: Best Researched Heirloom Rose
  3. Star of Bethlehem Flower: 7 Exceptional Care Tips for Best Growth
black baccara rose
Black Baccara Rose – Velvety Black Rose

This stunning flower is must grow a rose as your garden will be obscure without it.

So, must know about history, meaning, key attributes, plantation, and uses of Black Baccara Rose that are discussed in detail.

Black Baccara Rose Plant – History

Thanx to hybridization for giving such a fabulous rose with a unique reddish-black colored flower.

Black baccara rose was first introduced by Meilland International in France, the year 2000. This variety of rose is not naturally occurring but is the gift of Hybridization in which two varieties with unique characteristics are crossed in order to produce a new variety with absolutely new features.

This is the case of how Black Baccara Rose came into existence when Jacques Mouchotte crossed Feugo’s Negro rose with a Celica rose.

Later on, it was introduced in other countries like Conard Pyle introduced this stunning flower in the United States in 2002.

In 2005, introduced in the U.S by Star Roses (Pennsylvania).

This was the era of its spread when after its production as a cut flower, it is now available to grow and beautify our garden.

What Is the Meaning of Black Baccara Rose?

Every unique thing has something to tell about. Dark red hybrid baccara tea rose with velvety petals signify its attributes.

  • Mystery

As black roses are unnatural, they have always been mysterious to their beholders.

  • Love and Devotion

The rose is a flower of love.

When you grow this fascinating rose in your garden, it shows your love for black roses. As it is also used in wedding bouquets, specifically winter weddings are incomplete without these floral bouquets.

Above all, it is the symbol of love, romance, and devotion.

  • Hope and Optimism

Hope and expectations always begin with mysterious attributes to reveal like Black Baccara Rose is not truly black and does not exist naturally, it is said to symbolize hope and optimism for the existence of the originally black rose.

Black Baccara Red Rose – Key Attributes

Black Baccara Hybrid Tea Rose member of ‘Rosa Black Baccara’ is commonly known as Black Rose or Black Rose Bush.

Baccara black rose is a perennial shrub with high-quality luxurious blooms giving pride to your garden all the summer with stunning blooms.

General ‘Hybrid Tea’ variety blooms elegantly all the summer starting all summer from June through October.

All captivating blooms stand on long and strong sturdy, a thorny stem that matures up to 95cm displaying large, deciduous 5-6 oval glossy foliage.

A thorny stem does not mean it is not beautiful because a rose with ten thousand thorns is more valuable than a daisy without even one.

black baccara rose
Black Baccara Rose – General Outline

Deep dark red to blackish baccara flower grows up to 5 feet height and produces about 3-4 inches diameter, highly centered solitary blooms.

Its compact flower, although not having significant fragrance or mild, is highly appealing with showy 40-45 petals having a velvety appearance giving your garden and patio container a full bloom.

Warmer USDA 7b zones are best suitable for their glamourous blooms that are used in cut flower blooming all the way without fading for 2 weeks in a vase.

So, is there any excuse to miss this stunning rose in your garden?

Black Baccara Hybrid Tea Rose – Plantation and Growth

Now, surely you are ready to plant Black Baccara Rose in your garden.

What you have to do is to get ready for its plantation and wait until bloom as roses do not bloom hurriedly, they take time to beautify their blossoms.

Hence, you need to look at what requirements you have to fulfill for its plantation and to get blooms.

1. Temperature

If we talk about its temperature range, it is noteworthy to consider that Black Baccara hybrid tea rose is not suitable for areas with low temperatures.

But if you can provide warm temperature or use greenhouse even in cold areas, you can enjoy the beauty of this rose variety.

Above all, it is most suitable in areas least suspected of frosts in spring as it is extremely vulnerable to frosts. 6 – 10F (-13 to -15oC) is the minimum temperature you must give for its proper plantation and growth.

Temperature makes a big deal to add blackish-red tone to this plant as in colder areas with the temperature near to lower safe limit, darker colored roses are more observed.

Thanks to this deep dark red color flower-giving black rose appearance.

2. Does it Need Full Sun or Shade?

This rose plant is an outdoor variety that needs full sunshine. Shade or improper sunlight will not result in its proper growth and blooming.

So, select a place that is in full sun so you get the best. Beds and borders, patio, and containers are the best places to plant in the yard.

City and country yard gardens also give the best sunny places.

3. Soil

You must take fertile loamy soil for its plantation. So, before deciding a day for plantation, visit your nearest garden center or local store and pick a bag of organic compost.

Mix compost with soil in a ratio of 1 part compost and 2 parts soil.

As far as the pH of planting soil is concerned, it grows in a wide range of pH ranging from 5 to 8 starting from moderately acidic (5.6-6) to slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8).

4. Watering

Black baccara rose needs moderate watering. Check the soil before giving water. If it is half an inch (0.5 inches) dried, give it water.

During summer, twice a week watering meets the need of watering while you can skip to once a week during winters.

5. Fertilization

Adding fertilizers to the soil at times increases the possibility of the timely good quality flowers. Basically, fertilization also depends on the age of the plant.

Black baccara Hybrid rose
Black Baccara Rose – Wedding bouquet

At the start of spring, administration of 10-10-10 fertilizer gives blooms because it is growing season and if its nitrogen demands are fulfilled at the start of growth, in addition to iron chelate, would be beneficial for the plant.

You have to fertilize when the Autumn approach is approached, add fertilizer of formula 6-4-10 +2 MgO every 20-25 days. Follow this procedure until mid-autumn.

This is the type of hybrid plant that requires trace elements, humus, and compost for better protection of plants.

Fulvic and humic acid also gives good results.

Try not to skip fertilization as it meets the demands of plant nutritional growth.

6. Pruning

Pruning of roses is a must-do thing for increased flowering and to maintain the shape of the plant. Winter pruning is most important as it is the best time to give it shape.

Remove all dead shoots, diseased flowers,s, and branches.

Dispose of any debris or dead leaves lying around the plant base so that it would be safe from pests and diseases.

It will give a boost to plant growth.

Black Baccara Rose Problems

When you plant any flowering tree, fruiting tree, or shrub, you remain alert to combat any problem. So, when you grow this captivating rose in your garden, again you need to be conscious.

Black Baccara Rose is also susceptible to diseases and pests that need to be monitored from time to time.

Some of the pets and insects that attack black rose are

  • Leafhoppers
  • Aphid
  • Red spider mites
  • Caterpillar

All you need to control these pests is to keep an eye on leaves that whether they are suffering from any illness. Insect eggs also symbolize insect attacks.

Use insecticides and pesticides for proper control of pests and insects.

Black Baccara Rose – Uses

Rose in your garden is not only showy but is also used in versatile ways. Like you can see how the black rose is used in various ways

  • Black rose is now prime interest as a cut flower for display in a vase that has a long life span.
  • People Grow Black Rose as a hedge plant.
  • You can grow this lovely flower in large containers or can be grown as a small tree.
  • Black Baccara Hybrid Tea Rose exhibits anti-aging cosmetic properties.
  • It is also used in luxury cosmetics intended to protect the integrity of skin and hair and for sebum secretion regulation.

So, coming to end, hope you have got enough of Black Baccara Hybrid Tea Rose and decided to plant this stunning rose in your garden so that you can beautify your garden with this exceptional rose plant.

You can ask any query about it and also share your experience regarding this fabulous rose.

Read More:

  1. Otto Luyken Laurel – How to Care Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel?

(7 in 1) Fruit Cocktail Tree: One Tree – Multiple Fruit Magical Tree!

By Sarwat Rehman

Have you ever heard of multiple fruits on one tree?

Even if you say ‘Yes’ you must not believe it.

But now start believing because Fruit Cocktail Tree is the one tree that can produce multiple fruits.

But How???

fruit cocktail tree
Fruit cocktail tree

All of your queries regarding this curious tree will be solved and above all, you will also be able to grow it after reading this article.

Further Reading:

  1. Sugar Kiss Melon: 10 Tricky Tips to Pick Sweetest Ripe Melon

Tree That Grows 7 Different Fruits – Is It Real?

If you are a fruit lover, you must have heard about a tree that grows 7 different fruits and thought it was fake. But it is not fake at all!

Fruit cocktail tree is that mysterious tree capable of growing multiple but related fruits.

Now you can easily make a fruit cocktail with pulpy fresh and healthy fruits of your own garden.

Fruit Cocktail Tree – Notable Characteristics

Many of us want to grow yummy fruits in the garden but can not grow due to limited space and subsist on the fruit market.

Fruit cocktail tree is the solution to your problem as it grows different fruits and is a jumbo package for fruit lovers.

It is your mini orchard!

This tree is a gift of the ancient technique ‘’Grafting’’ in which scions of desired trees are combined to produce one tree with multiple fruits on it.

This fruit salad tree is easy to grow with minimum care you just need to put less effort and it will give you the best of its fruits.

Above all, it is a self-fertile and self-pollinating plant that can grow in most soil types and matures up to 15 feet indicating its acclimation to all garden types.

Fruit Cocktail Tree Varieties

Fruit salad tree gives you the option to grow fruits of your choice. The prime thing you must keep in mind is not to go out of the family.

As different species on the same plant are not successful yet, rather fruits within the same family can grow well.

Like you can grow grapefruit and lemon on the same tree but if you try to grow apples on it, you will not get those.

Based on fruit variety, mainly three types of fruit cocktail trees are there as

1. Stonefruit Tree

You can grow stonefruit trees by combining peaches, plums, apricot, and nectarines keeping fruits of the same family but different varieties.

2. Citrus Tree

This citrus fruit tree range includes Lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, lemonade, and pomelos. You can have winter and summer oranges available at the same tree.

fruit cocktail tree
Fruit cocktail tree varieties

3. Apple Tree

You can grow different varieties of apples like red, green, and yellow suitable for all climates on the apple fruit cocktail trees.

Growing Fruit Cocktail Tree – Simple and Easy Way

Growing a fruit cocktail tree is quite easy. You need to plant it correctly at right time at the right place. It is mainly a plant of full sun but can also grow in part shade.

Citrus variety specifically needs full sun.

Soak the tree in a bucket of water so that its roots get loosen.

Dig a wide hole and fill in it. Water well and check if any air pockets. It can grow in containers if you have to grow in your balcony but direct planting on the ground also gives a boost to its growth.

If soil is heavy clay, add gypsum but if the soil of your garden is sandy, organic compost will do best for its growth. Also, mulch around the tree in order to retain moisture.

After 6-16 months, the first fruit should appear after that there will be non-stop fruit bulk at your place.

How to Grow Fruit Salad Tree from Cuttings…???

You can also use your practical gardening expertise to graft fruit cocktail trees on your own. It’s quite easy and interesting too. What you have to do is add little effort and enjoy pulpy fruits at your place.

There are multiple grafting techniques that you can use in your yard to make hybrid plants with diverse varieties but Cleft Grafting is the one a less skilled person can easily do.

So, if you are a beginner in the gardening world and confused about whether you can do it or not, put all of your tensions and confusions in the dustbin because you are on the right way.

Keep reading to find things first that you will need and the whole process to graft fruit salad tree.

Things You Need

The most noteworthy fact about cleft grafting is you don’t need complex and professional equipment.

First of all, collect the things that you will need as you will use

  • Rootstock; root of the tree almost 2-10 inches is recommended. It can also be a trunk.
  • Scion; a short branch with bud having ¼ inches thickness
  • Tools for grafting
  • Pruning tools
  • Sharp scissors
  • Grafting tape or wax
  • Axe or saw may also work alternatively

If you are ready with all the required material, let’s begin!

Begin Cleft Grafting – Step by Step Procedure

1. Cleave the Rootstock

Your rootstock must be at least 1 inch thick for proper cleavage. Use a clean sharp saw and position on the top of rootstock and split up to 6 inches deep.

Place a wedge or similar tool to keep the cleft open.

2. Scion Wedging

When you are done with the cleavage of rootstock, take scions of your desired trees and make a long wedge at their base.

Carefully select the fruiting trees you want to graft and keep the family in consideration.

For example, if you want to grow a citrus cocktail tree, you will require scions of lemon, orange, grapefruit, and lime tree but if a stone fruit tree is of your interest, you need scions of peach, apricots, and plum.

Take a clean and sharp knife and make a V-shaped wedge at the base of the scion.

3. Insert Scion in Rootstock

The next step is to insert the wedged scions in the rootstock cleavage. Insert these scions appropriately so their integrity keeps alive.

4. Waxing

Molten wax is used to seal the cuts to prevent moisture loss and pathogen entry. In this way, the graft will be fully secure from any disease or pathogen attack.

fruit cocktail tree
Fruits grown on Fruit Cocktail Tree

5. Aftercare

Well done!

If you have followed all the steps described, you are near to have a magnificent fruit salad tree in your yard. Just keep eye on it and check it off and on.

Remove any young shoots sprouting from rootstock and add nutrients furthermore, add compost before the opening of buds.

Fruit Salad Tree Care

If you want to keep fruit cocktail tree fruiting and healthy, you must take care of it right that is not a big deal.

  • Just have a check on its watering, fertilization, and its place, it will not disappoint you.
  • Keep the tree moist all the time to avoid stress and mulch around it to retain moisture.
  • You must water the tree at right time as during winter plant goes in dormancy hence you give less water in winters.
  • Fertilize your fruit cocktail tree twice a year that is in late winter and late and late summer.
  • Fruit cocktail tree is a sun-loving fruit tree so grow it in full sun.

Now your fruit salad craving must be satisfied as one tree fruit salad solution is in your garden.

Hurry up and practice grafting for this magical tree and forget the tension of buying fruits from the market.

We are waiting for your feedback on this magical tree. Tell us more about which variety of fruit cocktail trees you have grown in your garden?

Lipstick Plant: A Complete Lipstick Plant Care Guide |15 Best Care Tips

By Sarwat Rehman

Turing your hectic days and gloomy nights into splashy colors of life is the duty of FLOWERING PLANTS.  In the catalog of flowering plants, LIPSTICK PLANT is not less than any plant showcasing its charms.

Lipstick plant is a beautiful flowering plant with unusual lipstick like red flowers beautifully grown on glossy green leaves.

It is a tropical plant with a warm and humid-loving climate.

You can easily grow and take care of this amazing plant by following this care guide as 15 best exceptionally working tips are waiting for you.

Lipstick Plant Scientific Name

The scientific name of this amazing plant is ‘Aeschynanthus radicans’ while its common name ”lipstick vine” is also popular among people.

What is Lipstick Plant – Key Characteristics

Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans), a member of the Gesneriaceae family is an unusual flowering plant with shiny, waxy foliage and showy flowers that bloom all the year.

It is an outstanding indoor plant that can easily grow and beautify your lounge or simply adds color to the dining room.

Conspicuous lipstick plant is also called lipstick vine as is the native to temperate regions where it grows as trailing vines along with substantial trees.

The plant gets its name lipstick plant as flower buds protrude from tubes resembling lipstick tubes. Bright red blossoms (just like your favorite red lipstick) emerging from dark maroon tubes, manifest multiple lipsticks hanging over the vine.

Lipstick Plant Varieties – Each with Unique Characteristics

The lipstick plant gives you a wide range of varieties to grow in your indoors. Exotic angle plants give 400 plant species including wide varieties.

You can easily plant and care any of the following varieties

  1. Cassiopeia Lipstick Plant

An outstanding plant with bright red flowers emerging from dark purple red buds.

  1. Curly Q Lipstick Plant

It has curly dark green leaves as the name indicates. These leaves curl and twist giving an unusual appearance to the plant.

  1. Krakau Lipstick Plant

Most widely grown lipstick plant with shiny, pointed dark green leaves and countless red flowers.

  1. Mini Variegated

Unique characteristics associated with it are medium green leaves with small reddish flowers.

  1. Purple Star Plant

Lush bright green leaves with red flowers are unique specialties of the purple star lipstick plants.

  1. Red Lipstick Plant

It has red flowers and shiny bright green leaves like purple star.

red lipstick plant
Red lipstick plant

  1. Tangerine Lipstick Plant

Orange-yellow flowers with green leaves are the main unique characteristics of the tangerine variety.

  1. Variegated Variety

It is a variety with the most unique and diversified features. It has white streaking leaves and orange-red flowers.

All of the above-mentioned varieties are worth growing and have their own specific characteristics but there are bonus varieties that must be irreplaceable from your lounge

  • Black Pagoda
  • Mona Lisa
  • Rasta Lipstick Plant

Lipstick Plant Black Pagoda

Pagoda Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) blooms beautiful yellow flowers and variegated leaves that is why this variety of lipstick plants is of prime interest.

You can easily grow it by placing it in indirect bright light under regular watering and humid environment at 65-850C.

Height: 12 in.

Spread: 10 – 25 inches

Flowering Time: Late spring to early summer

There are more or fewer similarities in lipstick plants and columneas but not to be confused.

You can easily differentiate between these two. Both produce beautiful blooms but are more prominent produced on columnea than on Aeschynanthus.

Lipstick Plant Mona Lisa

Aeschynanthus pulcher ‘Mona Lisa’ blooms Orange-red flower and displays dark green leaves on it. It is beautiful indoor greenery that you can hang in decorative pots to freshen your indoors.

  • Like other lipstick plants, Aeschynanthus pulcher ‘Mona Lisa’ also likes bright indirect light. South or west-facing windows are the best places near indoor windowsills.
  • Temperature ranging from 17-20 0C is ideal for its growth. It can also tolerate under 100.
  • Do not overwater Mona Lisa Plant as it requires moist, not soggy soil. Try to give it a humid environment.
  • You can also put it in the washroom or kitchen.
  • Balanced liquid fertilizer would be needed to feed it. Fertilize it every month during its growth time i.e, spring and summer.
  • Height: 40 cm
  • Feeding: Balanced, after three weeks approximately

Lipstick Plant Rasta

Aeschynanthus radicans Rasta, the beautiful houseplant with curly green leaves and abundant red flowers peeking out of maroon calyx, is the best option for your indoor plant catalog.

Curly leaves beautifully covering flowers add a splendid soothing feeling to your lounge.

‘Rasta’ does not need pampered conditions for growth. It is easy to grow plants requiring bright light but can thrive low light as well.

Best blooming occurs in late summer or early fall presenting plant a cascade of protruding lipsticks over the vine.

Height: 10-25

Light requirement: partial sun to shade

How to Grow Lipstick Plant Aeschynanthus – Growth Requirements

Growing this plant is a not difficult task. If you are a beginner or an expert gardener you can easily grow and maintain it by reading this article.

Detailed best caring tips of this plant are also discussed after elaborating growth requirements. Keep reading for the best understanding of all aspects.

Here we discuss all growth requirements of this stunning plant.

1. Location – Best Place for Aeschynanthus

The first and foremost step to grow any plant is to decide its suitable place. If you have planted seeds for any plant without considering its location and waiting for blooms, you are not going to get the fruit for your efforts.

Decide location first, grow plants later on.

lipstick plant flower
Lipstick plant flower – Maroon tubes

As the lipstick plant is native to Malaysia, it grows best in warm and moist conditions. Basically, it is an indoor plant and requires a damp and shady place where it feels more comfortable.

You can place your pot on the porch, lounge, or on a balcony not facing direct sunlight. Hanging decorative pots in rooms or offices with under saucers are best for vines.

2. Lipstick Plant Soil Requirement

Lipstick houseplant does not require a special type of soil. Balanced, aerated and light soil with proper drainage is needed as light soil to do not retain water and is easy to drain.

  • You can also use potting mix specially designed for houseplants but most of them need a light substance for proper growth as the potting mix will be heavy.
  • If you want the best growth, the most advisable is to prepare your own potting mix by taking potting soil, potting mix, and peat in equal proportions.
  • Compost, peat, and potting mix in equal proportions also give the best potting soil.

3. Watering

Watering a plant at a time adds to its life. Make your principle not to overwater plants especially indoors. The same is the case with lipstick houseplants.

It does not require much watering. Check the plant before giving water. If the top quarter of the soil is dried, it is time to water it.

It will give the best blooms.

  • Spring to summer is the time of growth, so be careful during the growing season because the plant does not need much water at the growth phase or dormancy period.
  • Water once a week from spring to summer.
  • Fall to winter is the colder time and growth slows down. You need to give less water.
  • Once in 2-3 weeks is most appropriate in winters.

4. Humidity

Lipstick plants like humidity as they are native to a humid environment. Keep them moist by spraying on a regular basis or place them in a moist area of your house.

They won’t survive in dry air.

 5. Lipstick Plant Light Requirement

Bright indirect light is ideal for the best growth of lipstick houseplant. If it is not blooming, change its place in brighter light.

It will give you blooms.

Direct sunlight can burn leaves which results in drooping of leaves.

6. Temperature

Lipstick plant is native to tropical region, therefore, survives in warm conditions.

  • It gives ideal flowering when the temperature ranges from 70-800F (22-280 C).
  • Can tolerate below 600F but shows fewer blooms.
  • Most of the damage is caused when the temperature drops down below 500F (100C) as it is not clod tolerant.

You can also assess temperature fluctuations by seeing getting dark red leaves that show internal damage to plants.

7. Fertilizer

Use organic fertilizers for indoor houseplants as they cause less or no harm as compared to other fertilizers.

  • General-purpose liquid fertilizer or compost fertilizer is the best option to use.
  • If you are using slow-release fertilizer in potting soil, you can skip further fertilization for up to 3 months.
  • After that fertilize once every three-week during the growth phase from spring to summer.
  • No need to add fertilizer in winters.
  • Adding a small number of vitamins with fertilizers also gives good results.

8. Pinching

Pinching the tips of branches gives good dense growth.

Lipstick Plant Care – 15 Best Exceptionally Working Tips for Blooms

  1. Prune with care. Use sharp pruning shears and prune at a leaf node.
  2. The best reporting time is spring or summer. Repot just one pot size above. It will give the best blooming.
  3. Giving plants some rest in winters will give you good results in spring and summer. Avoid fertilizing in this resting time.
  4. Use a room humidifier to moisten the air as indoor hanging plants are closer to the ceiling and get warmth from the roof and walls.
  5. Aphids, insects, and bugs are attracted to lipstick houseplants. Use neem oil to prevent the plant from pests.
  6. Not overwater plant as it causes fungal attack producing black spots on leaves and stem. These spots lessen its beauty so, keep it moist but overwatered.
  7. If the plant is attacked by fungus, use fungicide at right time before its spread.
  8. Do not repot plant after a short time of growth. The best time to repot for dense blooms is 3-4 years.
  9. Place the plant in a humidified area. You can place it in the bathroom or kitchen.
  10. Do not place the lipstick plant near air condition vents as exhaust will damage it.
  11. If the leaves are falling off or getting yellow, consider your watering schedule or light requirements.
  12. If your houseplant is facing the problem of browning of leaf edges, chances are it is facing direct sunlight or too little water.
  13. Growing lipstick plant in a small pot or container gives more blooms. If you will grow in a large container, its leaves will grow densely instead of flowers.
  14. Fertilize the plant in spring and summer and dilute ½ of the recommended strength.
  15. Check its status on a weekly basis whether it is safe from pests and insects. It will give you a clear and instant indication of upcoming diseases.

Lipstick Plant Problems

Lipstick house plants often face some problems. It might be attacked by insects or some diseases. Common insects or pests that attack it are aphids, bugs, mites, and scales.

Even some other problems can also cause trouble. Here are some pests and problems that the lipstick plant faces.

These insects affect plants in different ways.

  • Aphids – dark brown insects that might cause severe distortion of young plants. It may also cause stunted growth.

Control – Use some sprays to control aphids. Neem oil would be the best application.

  • Bugs – mealybugs are the most common bugs in damaging lipstick plants. These are whitish masses on the lower sides of leaves or on roots. It also causes stunted growth.

Control – use insecticides to control bugs.

  • Mites – are so small and damage plant in an unnoticed way until it is severely damaged. Leaves are prominent affected sites of mites causing brittle and twisted leaves.

Control – be careful about these small invading insects and spray at a time with proper insecticide.

lipstick plant problems
Lipstick plant – Pest affected
  • Scales – are feeding on leaves and stems causing the death of plants.

Control – use insecticides on plants with the care of drainage.

  • Drooping leaves – are its main problems that affect its beauty.

Control – you need to observe your watering schedule. If soil is too dry, water it and if it is too wet, stop watering until soggy water dries.

Can Cats Eat Lipstick Plant – Is Lipstick Plant Poisonous to Cats?

Definitely no, the lipstick plant is not poisonous to cats, dogs, or other pets. You can easily place it indoors without being worried about your pets.

It will simply decorate your room or office or any other place you hang it. You can also keep it at your side table.

Are You Worried About Lipstick Plant Blooms?

If your lipstick plant is not blossoming it might be the result of improper light or nutrients. Move your plant to the brighter area (you can place it outdoor for some time) and observe flowering.

Too much direct sunlight can also cause disturbance in blooms. If it is facing a direct light, shift your plant to indoors or shady places.

Notice your fertilizing schedule and add vitamins to the fertilization program.

What If Your Lipstick Plant Is Losing Leaves?

Falling off leaves of lipstick plants is a much-concerned question of its growers. But it is very easy to handle it. You need to see whether you are giving water on a set schedule.

Less water will cause the stem to loop down and causes shrinkage that leads to falling off the leaves.

Reschedule your watering plan and you will see good results.

After reading the detailed guide on Lipstick Plant and finding all the instructions about this interesting plant, hopefully, you will be able to grow and maintain it at your place.

You can also grow its described varieties and try multiple ones.

Read More:

  1. Touch Me Not Plant (Mimosa pudica): How to Grow with 10 Amazing Facts

 

Grow China Girl Holly Tree – Get Yum Red Berries!

By Sarwat Rehman

China Girl Holly is the dense spreading shrub with yum red berries and bluish-green foliage that beautify your garden. If you want showy red berries in your yard, you must grow its companion male plant ‘China Boy’ for pollination.

Further Reading:

To embellish your garden with delicious red berries keep reading and following all the guidelines for the China Girl Holy tree.

Here is a lot to know about it!

China Girl Holly Tree – Noteworthy Characteristics

China girl is an evergreen rounded ornamental shrub that is grown due to its abundant red berries that add to its glory.

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