With its bright flowers up to ten centimeters in size, the not hardy African tulip tree is an adornment in every winter garden, especially since it is not very widespread. Growing is quite easy and no problem even for beginners.
How do you grow an African tulip tree?
To grow an African tulip tree, fill a pot with potting soil, moisten it, scatter the seeds and cover them thinly with soil. Keep the substrate moist, ensure temperatures between 20 and 25°C and expect germination within 2 to 3 weeks.
How do I prepare for cultivation?
You can get the seeds of the African tulip tree in specialist shops or in seed houses or online. No special preparation is necessary as the seeds germinate quite well. Simply fill a pot or bowl with potting soil, moisten it and sprinkle the seeds evenly.
What do I have to consider when growing?
The seeds germinate in the dark and therefore need to be covered thinly with soil. To prevent the substrate from drying out, you can stretch a transparent film over the growing pot and poke a few holes in it to ensure air exchange. If kept evenly moist, the seeds will germinate after about two to three weeks. For this you need a constant temperature between 20 and 25 °C.
Sowing step by step:
- Fill pot with potting soil
- Moisten the soil
- Sprinkle seeds
- cover thinly with soil
- if necessary cover with foil
- keep evenly moist
- Germination temperature: approx. 20 to 25 °C
- Germination time: approx. 2 to 3 weeks
Can I grow an African tulip tree from cuttings?
The African tulip tree can also be grown using cuttings. To do this, cut off young, he althy shoots in spring and put them in potting soil. You can stimulate and accelerate root formation with rooting powder (€8.00 at Amazon), but this is not a must.
As with sowing, keep the substrate evenly moist, possibly supported by a film pulled over the pot. Only use low-lime, soft water for watering. If the first new leaves and/or shoots appear, then your cutting is well rooted.
The young plants still need a lot of light, but cannot yet tolerate direct sunlight. If necessary, move the cultivation pots to a more suitable location. If the seedlings are large enough, place them individually in flower pots.
Tip
When growing, be sure to avoid waterlogging, otherwise seeds and cuttings will rot or mold instead of forming strong roots.