Podocarpus

Podocarpus is an evergreen tree (up to 40 meters high) or shrub growing on mountains in tropical areas. Its leaves are dark green linear single leaves, which look like the leaves of European yew.

place
Podocarpus is often grown as an indoor potted plant in areas with higher latitudes (because it is not cold-tolerant). The climate in Taiwan is relatively mild, so it can be placed outdoors, but it still depends on the situation. It can be placed outdoors in spring, but care must be taken that the temperature at night will not be too low to cause frostbite. In summer, it is also helpful to move it outdoors in a shaded area, but when the temperature drops rapidly, it can be moved indoors because Podocarpus is less cold tolerant. In winter, if there is sufficient sunshine, the ideal ambient temperature is 20°C; if the environment does not have enough light, the temperature needs to be adjusted to between 10° and 15°.

watering
Water when the soil is slightly dry. Keep the soil slightly moist but do not overwater. Overwatering will cause leaf drop and root rot. Podocarpus prefers slightly acidic or neutral soil, so do not use water with high calcium content (hard water), otherwise it will alkalize the soil. Continue reading Watering Potted Plants.

fertilize
During the growing season, apply a solid fertilizer every 4 weeks or a liquid fertilizer every week. In winter, if placed in a warmer environment, the podocarpus will continue to grow a little; if placed in a cooler indoor environment, liquid fertilizer can be applied every 2 or 4 weeks.

Trimming and wrapping
Podocarpus is ideal for pruning to encourage more branch growth. Wait until the new shoots grow to about 10 centimeters before pruning them. When pruning, be careful to only cut off the branches and not the leaves. Wrapping can be done at any time, but you need to wait for the new branches to mature before reshaping them. Also, be careful to avoid leaves when wrapping to avoid damage. The thread should not be wrapped for too long. It needs to be removed after a few months. The pulling method is also suitable for thicker branches. Continue reading for potted plant pruning.

Change soil
Young podocarpus is suitable for soil replacement once every 2 to 3 years, and older ones are suitable for soil replacement every 4 to 5 years. Be careful not to over-prun the roots. Many podocarpus on the market are made from “loam” (a type of soil with high viscosity), so when changing the soil for the first time, please carefully remove the loam to reduce root damage. Podocarpus prefers slightly acidic or neutral soil, with a pH value of approximately 5 to 6, not exceeding 7. Continue reading Replace soil for potted plants.

reproduce
It is suitable for the seed growing method or the cutting method; when using the cutting method, please insert it into warm soil to facilitate rooting.

Pests and diseases
Generally speaking, strong podocarpus has few insect pests, but if it is not taken care of well or placed in an unsuitable location (too hot or too dark indoors), it will cause the potted plant to be weak, such as scale insects, spider mites (commonly known as ” Spider mites”) will take advantage of the situation. At this time, special pesticides must be used and the growth environment must be improved.