Coleonema pulchellum | Plantz Africa:
Coleonema pulchellum can be used as an accent plant or in groups to form a hedge or informal border. Use as a filler plant in a mixed fynbos bed with companion plants such as Protea, Leonotis, Metalasia, Felicia, Restio, Euryops, Pelargonium and buchu. Display it in a rockery or grow it as a potplant where it can be pruned to keep it small and neat.
Best planted in a sunny position, it requires well-drained soil, compost and a well-balanced fertilizer (3:2:1). Plant out in groups of 3 or 5 with enough space to grow. To retain soil moisture and keep weeds to a minimum, add a layer of mulch. Like other buchus, coleonemas are best planted out during winter and spring. They require good watering in winter and moderate watering in summer. Do not allow plants to dry out and once established they will survive periods of drought.
Coleonema pulchellum can be propagated by sowing seed and by taking cuttings.
Fresh seed is collected from the previous year's flowers and stored upon ripening. The optimum time for sowing is during autumn. Seed are cleaned and sown on a prepared medium of sand and compost in equal parts in a seed tray. Cover seed with a thin layer of bark and water. Place seed trays in a covered area with good light and ventilation. Keep seed trays damp and germination will take place within 1 to 2 months. Seedlings are pricked out when four true leaves have developed. The growing tips of seedlings are pinched out to encourage bushy growth. Feed buchus regularly with a balanced nutrient. The yellowing of leaves can be treated with an application of iron chelate.
Cuttings have the advantage of producing a larger flowering plant quicker than seedlings. Tip cuttings, 50-70 mm, are taken from the current year's growth. Prepare cuttings by making a clean cut below the node and remove a third of the foliage. Best time to process cuttings is during winter and spring. Dip the base of the cutting in a rooting hormone.. Firmly place the cuttings in a medium of 50% bark and 50 % polystyrene. Ideally these cuttings should now be placed in an well-aerated propagation unit with a bottom heat of 24° C. Ideally rooting occurs in 9 to 11 weeks. Carefully pot the rooted cuttings using a well-drained, humus-rich, fynbos potting medium (2 parts leaf mould, 1 part coarse sand). Plants will be ready for planting in 7 to 8 months. Feed regularly with a well-balanced nutrient.
Phytophtera cinnamonnii, a soil-borne fungus, attacks the roots of most fynbos species. It prevents the uptake of water causing plants to die. The fungus is most active when the soil temperature is high, especially during summer. Remove infected plants and use soil mulch to reduce the soil temperature. Treat plants with a special fungicide prior to planting out. This is a precautionary measure to control the fungus and to protect adjacent plants."
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