Lotus Vine Unrooted Cuttings

Lotus Vine, also known as Parrot's Beak, is a native of the Canary Islands. It has a nice mounding habit with grey foliage and is set on fire with 1-inch-long red and golden blooms, usually by late spring. Due to its unusually shaped bloom and wonderful growth habit, it has great potential to be used in combination planters, as a border plant, or in a standalone container. It is hardy in zones 10 to 12, but it makes a wonderful summer annual for the rest of us.

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General Growing Tips For Your Unrooted Cuttings

Your unrooted cuttings will arrive freshly cut. You will need to plant them immediately and begin a misting cycle to root the cuttings. This will leech the soil of nutrients, so during the propagation phase use a constant feed of 1/3 the normal recommended dosage of fertilizer until well rooted.

For best results with Lotus Vine, use a constant feed program of 200 ppm N. A pH between 5.5 and 6.5 is important for the healthiest plant color.

Flowering

The ideal way to grow the Lotus Vine is to keep it in a cool house in the winter with a temperature of 45 F and bring it to the a warmer house in the spring to flower. This is a process called vernalization and allows you to grow a nice compact plant due to cold temps, which then blooms widely when placed in warmer temps in the spring.

Pinching

Pinching is recommended, to shape the pot. Allow 4 weeks from the last pinch for blooms to develop.

Spacing

Space pots as needed for pot size. Normally 3' centered spacing is adequate.

Height Control

We do not recommend any growth regulators on Lotus Vine. Control growth by growing the plants in a cool, bright area.

Pests

Aphids and mealybugs are the Lotus Vine's biggest pests.

Disease

Lotus Vine is not prone to many diseases, but don't oversaturate the soil. If the plant sits in moist soil for an extended amount of time, you could end up with root rot or botrytis. Botrytis grey rot is usually associated with wet or humid conditions. You can prevent botrytis by allowing the plant to dry out between waterings, allowing for good airflow in your greenhouse, and spacing to allow the sun to penetrate to the soil level. The most common chemicals used to treat botrytis and root rot are Medallion and Banrot. Use them as a drench according to each label's instructions.

Planting Lotus Vine Liners

1. We recommend planting 5 starter plants per 10 inch basket. Use a well-drained soil in your baskets and plant your starter plants deep, allowing the ellepot to be completely covered by the soil. If you are planting 4" pots, 1 plant per pot should be sufficient. Plant it directly in the middle of your pot.
2. Pinching is not required on a natural season bloom schedule, but it is useful in shaping the basket as needed. Remember to give yourself a minimum of 4 weeks from the last pinch for blooms to develop.

Unrooted Cuttings

Cuttings vary in size between different plant families, but most can be described as tip cuttings (ivy are leaf-and-eye stem cuttings not tips) that stick nicely in small plug trays such as the 105-plug tray we use (some varieties are better suited for a 50 cell tray, i.e. Angelwing Begonia, Bougainvillea, Setcrecea, etc.). Please do not order unrooted cuttings unless you are an experienced propagator with mist systems and proper temperature control.

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