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If you have a bright spot in you home or office and want a graceful draping plant that will bloom off and on all year,
the lipstick is your plant. Although a relative of the somewhat finicky African violet, a lipstick is a very easy care indoor flowering plant.
When given the right amount of light and not too much water, it produces numerous red or orange small tubular flowers throughout the year. Not only the flowers are colorful, the leaves can come in light green, dark green,
or green and maroon. Hang it from the ceiling, place it in a wall sconce, or sit it on a table, you will love this plant!
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CARE OF LIPSTICK
Light: Lipstick plants require very bright indirect light: ; but direct sun will badly burn the leaves. Water: Some experts
recommend keeping a lipstick moist but not soggy. We disagree. We have found that a lipstick, like a peace lily, will flower
more frequently and more abundantly if you let the top third of the soil dry out before watering. If the leaves look soft
and shriveled give your plant more water, if green leaves fall off, give it less. Fertilizer:
Lipsticks grow faster in the spring and summer months. Feed your plant every other week during these seasons, and once a month
in the fall and winter with a fertilizer that has a high percentage of phosphorus in relation to the nitrogen and potassium
(i.e. 6/10/6). Diseases: Lipsticks sometimes contract Botrytis, a fungal
infection that will cause the leaves to get black spots. Quickly remove the infected area so it won’t spread to other
plants and move your lipstick to a warmer less humid location. If this doesn’t solve the problem, spray with a commercial
fungicide. Pests: Spider mites are
the most common problem, leaving their tell tale fine webbing throughout the plant. Spray the entire plant with my favorite,
the green solution. Propagation: Lipsticks are easy to propagate using 4” stem tip clippings
from the newest vines. Remove the bottom leaves; dip the cut ends of the stems in rooting hormone, plant 4 or 5 in a small
pot, place the pot in a plastic bag for a few weeks while the stems take root, be sure to keep the soil moist but not soggy.
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LIPSTICK FAQ’S
1. My lipstick plant never blooms.Try giving it more light and less water. 2. My plant seems thin and straggly looking.If you aggressively trim the long vines back, the plant will
branch out. 3. The green leaves of my lipstick keep falling off.You
are either over-watering your plant or it is in a place that is too cold (under 50 degrees). 4. The leaves of my plant keep getting ugly black spots.Your plant has botrytis, a fungal disease. Quickly cut off the diseased areas before the botrytis spreads to other plants and move the lipstick to
a brighter dryer location. If the botrytis returns, spray your plant with a commercial fungicide. 5. An entire vine of my lipstick dried up and died.You need to give your plant more water.
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